Master, Zigui’s back hurts so much.
Seeing him stand there in silence for quite a while, just staring intently at the three of them, Wang Yong furrowed his brow. “Li Jingsheng, why are you not saying anything?”
Li Jingsheng snapped back to his senses, the lingering dizziness from riding the immortal crane having subsided quite a bit. He casually replied, “He was beaten, of course. Sixty lashes.”
“It must have been because of the peach blossom pastry, right?” Laughing it off, he began walking toward his own seat. “Does one even need a reason to beat him? If I want to beat him, I beat him.”
Li Jingsheng wailed internally: How am I supposed to know why he was beaten? By the time I got here, the beating was practically over, and I even got glared at in the end. I am practically more wronged than Dou E!
Wang Yong thought about it for a moment and chimed in, “True, what reason does one even need to beat that piece of trash?”
He Yi immediately began flattering Wang Yong’s remarks like a sycophant, while Ge Daqing stood off to the side, looking completely dull-witted.
Li Jingsheng muttered a silent complaint to himself: This original host is too petty! Even though that peach blossom pastry was delicious, beating someone sixty lashes just over a single piece of pastry is way too excessive, right?
Just as he was watching those three cannon fodder characters talk with such high spirits, he suddenly felt a cold gaze directed at him from the corner of the room.
Turning his head to look, he spotted a youth dressed in blue staring right at him. The person had his hair tied up with an ebony hairpin, a wooden rattan belt around his waist, and an ink-green sachet embroidered with flora hanging from his belt. He had a small mole at the tip of his nose, and his eyes and brows were filled with utter disdain.
Based on his attire, Li Jingsheng instantly remembered who he was: Xi Feng, the closing-disciple of Elder Fang Xiuxian from the Medicine Dispensing Residence. This person was quick-witted and lively; although he only possessed a water spiritual root and was not well-versed in magic, he excelled at using talisman spells. Later on, he became a member of the protagonist’s inner circle, a thoroughly righteous and upright character.
When he had been reading the book, Li Jingsheng had liked him quite a lot, feeling that his straightforward and genuine personality made him practically one of the few normal people in the entire novel.
Without a care, Li Jingsheng met his contemptuous gaze and smiled while waving at him.
Upon seeing this, Xi Feng immediately averted his eyes.
Sigh, as expected, villains are hated by everyone.
Still, Li Jingsheng did not mind, because in the original work, the two of them could be described as like fire and water. It would be a miracle if the other guy gave him a pleasant look.
Their first class was indeed the magic class taught by Elder Li Yuqing.
Looking at Li Yuqing, Li Jingsheng felt that he was rather different from how he had imagined him while reading the book. Based on the descriptions in the novel, he had pictured this person as a bearded, unkempt powerhouse.
However, upon seeing him in person, he discovered that the man was actually as graceful as a jade tree, possessing a distinctly ethereal and immortal temperament. With his hair bound by a jade crown and white robes fluttering about, he truly looked like an immortal.
Even so, the stereotype remained.
Because the man was indeed quite fierce, maintaining an utterly stern and solemn expression throughout the lecture. Whenever he encountered someone too slow-witted, he would show no mercy with his snark: “Are you a pig?”
Li Jingsheng thought to himself: Hearing this face deliver that line creates such a jarring sense of disconnect.
The spell taught in this lesson was the Demon-Seeking Art, capable of detecting whether a demonic entity was within a five-kilometer radius.
One had to press the index and middle fingers together, draw a specific chaotic draft-like symbol in the air, and chant the corresponding incantation to succeed.
Li Jingsheng found it rather magical, much like Harry Potter, except that instead of using wands, they used their bare hands.
Having endured a class held under high tension, Li Jingsheng felt as though his vital energy had been sucked dry by a bone-demon.
Good grief, this is even more exhausting than three consecutive sessions of advanced calculus.
Just looking at the Wang Yong trio before him gave Li Jingsheng a headache.
Their very existence seemed to serve as a constant reminder: You are all mere cannon fodder.
Out of sight, out of mind; he decided to get up and step outside for some fresh air.
Fulu Peak was the designated area for immortal disciples to study cultivation arts, filled primarily with lecture halls. To keep the disciples in pleasant spirits, the landscaping and greenery were exceptionally well-maintained.
Looking at it simply brought a sense of relaxation and invigoration.
A small stream meandered right through the center of Fulu Peak all the way down to the base of the mountain.
Peach trees were planted along both banks of the stream. Thanks perhaps to some applied magic spells, the peach blossoms were still in full, brilliant bloom despite the season.
A wooden bridge arched across the middle, its pillars carved with phoenix and Luan bird patterns, connecting the two sides of the stream.
Sauntering onto the bridge, Li Jingsheng gazed at the small fish darting about in the stream, suddenly recalling the classical prose passage he had once learned: “The fish in the pool numbering a hundred or so, all seemed to swim freely in mid-air with nothing to rely on.”
True documentary literature, indeed.
Peach blossoms lined the path, and as a gentle breeze swept past, petals fluttered wildly through the air.
Just as Li Jingsheng was appreciating the scenery, he suddenly heard the commotion of a group brawl.
He could tell it was a fight not because his hearing was exceptional, but because of the instincts honed by his five years of experience catching unruly students.
The students he used to manage were all middle schoolers, and adolescents in their rebellious phase always loved forming cliques and picking fights with anyone they found unappealing just to show off how tough they were.
Little did they know that to outsiders, such behavior looked utterly foolish.
Unable to stand seeing the weak bullied, Li Jingsheng followed the sound to its source, eventually spotting a group of people and a single individual lingering around a street corner.
The reason he could easily distinguish them was simple: the group consisted of cannon fodder, whereas the single individual was the protagonist.
Li Jingsheng genuinely wanted to look up to the heavens and wail: What kind of ghost plot is this? Even stepping out for a casual walk leads straight into the protagonist!
He quickly retracted the foot he had just stepped forward.
Never mind, he is the protagonist attacker; surely the protagonist receiver will come to his rescue, or at the very least, members of the protagonist team. There is no way it falls on a villain like me to save him, right?
Having thus comforted himself, he turned right back around to return the way he came.
It was none of his business, so it was best not to meddle in the plot.
＊
Mo Yu knelt on the ground, completely drenched. The moment he stepped outside, he had been dragged to this spot by those few individuals, who had doused him entirely with stream water. The wounds on his back that were just beginning to heal tore open once more amid the earlier scuffling, blood staining his dark robes as wave after wave of pain surged from his back.
Lifting his gaze to look at the figures before him, his eyes were as cold as a frozen frost. Their mocking, jeering faces were utterly detestable in his eyes, piercing into his heart like venom-tipped blades.
Seeing that look in his eyes, the ringleader raised a leg and kicked him, causing Mo Yu to lose his balance and fall backward.
“What are you looking at?! Look again and I will dig your eyeballs out!”
With that, the man burst into unbridled laughter once more, and the people beside him chimed in with matching giggles.
To Mo Yu, the sound of that laughter felt as unbearable as something piercing straight through his eardrums.
Suddenly, Mo Yu caught sight of a flash of red clothing appearing in his field of vision behind them, only for it to withdraw a moment later.
For some reason, at that exact instant, Mo Yu actually harbored a shred of anticipation toward that flash of red.
Yet as the red garment vanished, the faint spark of light that had ignited in his eyes vanished along with it.
Right. What on earth was he even expecting?
How could that person possibly help him?
The frost in his eyes grew even denser; the only one who could help him was himself.
Fumbling inside his pocket, he tried to retrieve the explosive talismans he had just drawn. Before he could find them, the ringleader barked harshly, “What are you searching for? Thinking about fighting back? Not a chance!”
With that, the man raised his hand, ready to unleash another severe beating.
“Stop right there!”
Although Li Jingsheng inwardly complained about his own tendency to meddle, he still decided to step in and discipline this bunch of school bullies. When it comes to playing the villain, he was a professional.
His tone was stern and carried an unforced authority: “What do you think you are doing?”
Everyone present had heard of Li Jingsheng’s formidable reputation for a reason.
Although this person was technically the senior martial brother of that good-for-nothing Mo Yu, he dealt with Mo Yu even more ruthlessly than they did.
Cupping their fists in a bow toward Li Jingsheng with expressions of nervous panic, they braced themselves and answered, “Senior Brother Jingsheng, we were just helping you teach this piece of trash a lesson.”
Li Jingsheng raised an eyebrow, walked over, and patted the man on the shoulder while drawing out his tone: “Oh? So you were helping me teach a lesson.”
The man hastily agreed, “Yes, yes, exactly.”
Hearing the other person respond that way, Li Jingsheng slowly leaned in close to his ear, wearing a half-smile: “Did I ever ask you to help me teach him a lesson?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, the peach tree directly behind him instantly shattered into pieces, sending a flurry of peach blossoms exploding across the sky.
Hearing the underlying fury in those words and catching sight of the shattered peach tree, the men felt their legs instantly turn to jelly, shaking like a sieve. They had merely been riding on his coattails to flaunt authority; seeing everyone else bully Mo Yu, they had rushed over to kick him while he was down.
After all, in this world, some people were simply born as rotten seeds.
Li Jingsheng clamped down on the man’s shoulder, steadily increasing the pressure, causing the man to drop immediately to his knees and plead for mercy: “Senior Brother, I was wrong! I will never dare to do it again, please spare us!”
They were just kids who worshipped strength. Seeing their leader terrified out of his wits, the others quickly dropped to their knees as well, begging for forgiveness.
Watching their cowardly display, Li Jingsheng clapped his hands together and said, “Do not call me Senior Brother, I am no senior brother of yours.” He pointed toward Mo Yu behind them. “I am his senior brother.”
Then he added, “Even a dog depends on its master; from now on, without my permission, none of you are allowed to bully him. Did you hear me?!”
The group instantly chorused, “We heard you! We heard you!”
Stopping while he was ahead, having no real desire to bully children either, Li Jingsheng saw that they clearly understood their mistake and told them to scram.
Taking the cue, the group scrambled away in a panicked, ungraceful retreat.
Lowering his gaze, Li Jingsheng looked at the disheveled Mo Yu on the ground and sighed inwardly: The protagonist’s fate is truly full of twists and turns.
He walked over to Mo Yu, squatted down to meet his gaze, and noticed something different from before: the hatred in those eyes seemed to have faded slightly, replaced by a hint of anticipation.
Li Jingsheng was startled by his own thought. What kind of anticipation could the protagonist possibly have toward me?
He tapped himself on the head to chase away the strange thoughts swirling in his mind, then adopted a fierce, threatening tone: “Why are you so useless? When people bully you, you just let them push you around? Do you not even know how to fight back?”
In truth, saying this sounded rather pompous; everyone knew Mo Yu possessed a trash spiritual root and stood no chance against them anyway.
Yet Li Jingsheng had no choice; he still had to maintain his villainous facade and put up a front.
He had originally expected Mo Yu to glare at him with the same hostility as before, but to his surprise, the boy lowered his head instead, remaining silent for a long moment before murmuring softly, “Master, Zigui’s back hurts so much.”
Oh mother, Li Jingsheng’s heart nearly melted completely on the spot.
It was just like watching your own puppy fall into the water, initially wanting to scold it for looking so filthy, only for it to look up with aggrieved eyes and whine that it was in pain.
Who could possibly stay hard-hearted after that?
Hearing those words, Li Jingsheng tripped over his own tongue. As he cast a drying spell on Mo Yu, he stiffened up and muttered, “Who told you to be so useless?”
Yet what Mo Yu actually heard in his inner voice was: Wuwu, baby, you are a cute little chocolate cupcake! If I had known, I should have come earlier.
Although Mo Yu had no idea what a chocolate cupcake was, nor why he was being compared to one, he could be certain of one thing.
His senior brother had genuinely changed.
Retrieving the healing medicine, he had prepared just in case, Li Jingsheng dumped the whole lot onto Mo Yu, speaking with harsh bravado: “If your hands work, apply it yourself.”
Staring down at Mo Yu, Li Jingsheng screamed internally: I want to apply it for you too, but I am the villain!
Mo Yu lifted his gaze to look at his hypocritically gruff senior brother, only to be astonished to find a flush of red staining the tips of the senior brother’s ears.
The youth had his hair tied with red silk ribbons, clad in robes of crimson standing amidst a sea of falling peach blossoms, his downward gaze filled with a tenderness even he himself had failed to notice.
Mo Yu felt his heart skip a beat.
Many years later, he would finally understand that this was precisely where his heartbeat had begun.