Chapter 54: The Strange Jiang Yan

Several more days passed.

During this time, Jiang Che was either stripped and thrown into a medicinal bath prepared by Xu Qianlan or fed various strange herbs and pills.

His complexion looked noticeably rosier.

Xu Qianlan proudly looked at her precious treasure.

A few days ago, he was fine but his face was pale and bloodless; now, it seemed more vibrant and elastic.

“Come on, let Sister Xu take good care of you!”

Jiang Che was like a puppet on strings, completely at Xu Qianlan’s mercy.

But what Xu Qianlan didn’t understand was that Jiang Che rarely spoke and often sighed deeply.

In truth, Jiang Che himself knew his condition.

He felt a lack of drive, unable to summon the energy to do much, always a bit discouraged.

But fortunately, this wasn’t his first time experiencing this. He knew how to adjust and pull himself out of it.

Though he didn’t say much, he listened carefully to everything Xu Qianlan said.

Xu Qianlan told him about what happened three years ago—she wasn’t at the sect back then, otherwise she would have stopped Lin Yin and rescued Jiang Che.

Still, Jiang Che’s expression remained unchanged.

Then Xu Qianlan asked about what had happened to him over these years.

Jiang Che didn’t answer. After thinking it through, it wasn’t just his lack of energy; he truly didn’t want to respond.

In the end, Xu Qianlan could only ask directly: what exactly did Jiang Che do three years ago?

Over these years, Xu Qianlan had tried hard to investigate, but the Sect Master had ordered the matter to be never mentioned again.

Besides, many disciples involved in the siege against Jiang Che had gradually disappeared.

Those remaining only knew that Jiang Che had killed fellow disciples and committed those deeds, leaving Xu Qianlan unable to find any useful clues.

Jiang Che’s heart stirred slightly at those words, but only with self-mockery.

Such a big incident was simply suppressed—he really was dispensable!

Seeing Jiang Che still silent, Xu Qianlan had no choice but to resort to teasing him.

However, she could feel that Jiang Che didn’t quite trust her.

Knock knock knock!

Three gentle knocks came at the door, and Jiang Che knew the visitor must be polite.

He wondered if the sect had started rumors in recent days—about Xu Qianlan raising a little pet, with her place always filled with her talking to herself.

“Who is it?”

“Senior Disciple Jiang Yan of Lingxiao Peak! I’ve come to see Chief Xu!”

Xu Qianlan reluctantly withdrew her hand from pinching Jiang Che’s cheek and went to open the door.

Standing there was Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan…

Jiang Che had some impression of her but their interactions were limited; after all, he had been very busy before.

She was the Sect Master’s Zhen Chuan Disciple and exceptionally talented—she had set the record for reaching the Golden Core stage first in five hundred years, a record later broken by Jiang Che himself.

In Shenxiao Sect, if Jiang Che was the eldest senior brother of Lingjian Peak, then Jiang Yan was the eldest senior sister of the sect, someone even he had to respectfully address as senior sister.

As for her current cultivation, Jiang Che wasn’t sure.

“Hmm~ What’s the matter, little Jiang Yan~”

Xu Qianlan saw Jiang Yan as a very serious person, so she occasionally liked to tease her.

Jiang Yan’s lips twitched, but she still cupped her hands and respectfully said, “Chief Xu, the Sect Master has ordered me to notify all Peak Heads to attend a meeting at Zixiao Hall.”

“Oh? What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know much myself. You’ll find out when you go.”

Xu Qianlan nodded. At this point, she roughly guessed something.

She glanced at Jiang Che sitting inside, then said to Jiang Yan, “Do you have anything else to do?”

“Ah?”

Jiang Yan was a little confused but quickly replied, “No, all the other Peak Heads have been notified except Lin Yin Chief.”

“Then please help me keep an eye on this child inside.”

With that, Xu Qianlan pointed at Jiang Che sitting inside.

Jiang Che sat in a chair, eating grapes Xu Qianlan had gotten for him.

He felt speechless. Was he a pet? Did he really need to be watched?

Before Jiang Yan could agree, Xu Qianlan pulled her inside and then closed the door, flying away on her sword.

The air suddenly fell silent.

Jiang Che didn’t want to talk much and just boredly ate his grapes.

Jiang Yan simply sat upright in a chair across the table from Jiang Che.

For some reason, the usually stern Shenxiao Sect eldest senior sister looked somewhat nervous today.

Her gaze occasionally flickered toward Jiang Che.

On the night Lin Yin returned, Jiang Yan hadn’t clearly seen who Lin Yin was holding, so she hadn’t connected this Jiang Che with Lin Yin.

“Um… junior brother? Are you a new disciple of Chief Xu? I don’t remember seeing you before.”

“Do you remember all your junior brothers and sisters?”

Jiang Che answered casually.

This direct retort left Jiang Yan speechless, and she inexplicably felt downhearted.

Jiang Che quickly noticed the change in atmosphere.

No way, he thought. Jiang Yan was known for being strong-willed and decisive—would she really be upset over a kid’s words?

“Uh, I’m not a Shenxiao Sect disciple. I came up the mountain seeking medicine for an injury. I’m Chief Xu’s patient. It’s normal that you don’t recognize me.”

“Oh, I see!”

Jiang Yan’s earlier disappointment faded a bit, and she looked Jiang Che over more carefully.

“Are you here to treat your eyes? I noticed your eyes are covered; can you not see?”

Goodness, another one hitting my sore spot.

But why does Jiang Yan seem a bit different from how I remember her?

……

Zixiao Hall.

Yishi Hall.

A square stone table was surrounded by several stone stools.

Yun Yan sat at the main seat, flanked by Wen Ping, Head of Shenfu Peak, and Feng Ze, Head of Wanzhen Peak.

Feng Ze looked somewhat young, appearing to be in his thirties or forties, with a sturdy build and a deeply furrowed brow.

Not far away, Xu Qianlan flew in on her sword.

“Senior Brother Feng, good morning!”

Seeing Feng Ze’s furrowed brow, Xu Qianlan couldn’t help but greet him cheerfully.

“Hmph! Chief Xu, quite an interest in the meeting, arriving so late?”

“No choice, I overslept a bit.”

Xu Qianlan answered teasingly.

But inwardly she was a little frustrated.

Sigh, Feng Ze was so old-fashioned, she really couldn’t like him.

Maybe it was the pressure of being a Peak Head.

After all, Xuandan Peak focused on alchemy, while the other peaks constantly competed for strength.

In recent years, the quality of disciples had declined, which made him sigh endlessly.

Of course, that didn’t apply to Lingjian Peak.

Xu Qianlan sat diagonally opposite Feng Ze and said, “Feng Senior Brother, don’t be so angry. You might lose hair that way. And I’m not the last to arrive; Senior Sister Kong hasn’t come yet either.”

Xu Qianlan nodded toward another seat.

There should have been Kong Ranran, Head of Yushou Peak, sitting there, but only a black Ling Beast that looked like a cat with wings lay on the table.

The cat yawned.

Surprisingly, a voice came from the cat’s mouth.

“Sister Xu, don’t slander me! I arrived quite early.”

Feng Ze’s mouth twitched. His arms were crossed, and his fingers anxiously tapped.

“How can you say that! We’re all here in person. What’s the meaning of summoning your Ling Beast?”

“Xiao Hei represents me. If it’s here, so am I!”

……

Among the five present, the three young Peak Heads bickered noisily.

Wen Ping and Yun Yan could only sigh heavily from the side.