15: Chapter 15 Making it Real

As Chen Zilong recalled the plot of the book, cold sweat nearly soaked through his clothes.

He discovered that the previous owner of the body he had transmigrated into was a pathetic wretch toyed with by fate, while the mastermind, Ye Wushuang, was an utter beast!

In the original novel, the original Chen Zilong did indeed harbor feelings for his master, Liu Mei, that transcended the bond between master and disciple.

But these secret emotions were buried in the deepest part of his heart, never revealed in the slightest.

Regarding Liu Mei, the original Chen Zilong always upheld 'respecting the teacher and the Way' as his guiding principle, never daring to overstep.

In fact, most of the complicated affairs of Purple Bamboo Peak were handled by Chen Zilong on Liu Mei's behalf.

According to the book's setting, Liu Mei was actually very similar to his mother who had passed away early, and she had no interest in the position of the First Seat of Purple Bamboo Peak.

Liu Mei's mind was clear and simple, obsessed only with cultivation itself.

To her, managing the vast Purple Bamboo Peak was nothing more than a heavy burden.

And she was naturally unskilled in these mundane matters.

This became the perfect excuse for Ye Wushuang to drive a wedge between Ye Xishui and Chen Zilong.

Initially, Ye Xishui was very satisfied with Chen Zilong keeping Purple Bamboo Peak in perfect order.

She herself also disliked and was unskilled at management.

As the Eldest Senior Sister of Purple Bamboo Peak, she often felt helpless when faced with various affairs.

Chen Zilong's excellent management allowed her to cultivate with peace of mind and no distractions.

Therefore, the initial Ye Xishui still had some recognition and goodwill toward her Second Junior Brother, Chen Zilong, although this goodwill was not particularly strong.

However, Ye Wushuang was like a persistent ghost, constantly whispering in Ye Xishui's ear, hinting that Chen Zilong harbored evil intentions and had ulterior motives.

Slander accumulated over time, like dripping water wearing away a stone, causing Ye Xishui to gradually grow weary of Chen Zilong.

She even began to feel that Chen Zilong was a despicable and shameless villain, and that she had almost been blinded by his 'honest and loyal' facade.

The simple-minded Chen Zilong was completely unaware of this.

It wasn't until Ye Wushuang was promoted from a servant disciple to an honorary disciple of Purple Bamboo Peak that Chen Zilong keenly sensed the man's ill intentions and began to oppose him at every turn.

Chen Zilong's opposition instead made Ye Xishui firmly believe that Chen Zilong wanted to replace her as the Eldest Senior Disciple!

Consequently, Ye Xishui's loathing for Chen Zilong grew day by day, and she became increasingly close to Ye Wushuang.

She even forgot that Ye Wushuang was merely a family slave from her Ye family.

Add to that Liu Mei's almost obsessive favoritism toward Chen Zilong, and Ye Xishui was consumed by jealousy!

She began to actively help Ye Wushuang target Chen Zilong.

Not only that, Ye Xishui also ordered Chen Zilong to stop interfering in Purple Bamboo Peak's affairs and handed over all authority to Ye Wushuang.

This allowed Ye Wushuang to quickly establish a positive image of being 'of humble origin but hardworking and progressive' on Purple Bamboo Peak.

This also sowed the seeds for the Purple Bamboo Peak lineage to be completely hollowed out and controlled by Ye Wushuang in the future.

When Ye Wushuang conspired with Tu Shan Xiaoxiao to frame Chen Zilong, Ye Xishui clearly knew the truth, yet she chose to remain silent.

She even went further, constantly fanning the flames in their master Liu Mei's ear.

This move could be described as killing two birds with one stone:

It could shake Liu Mei's trust in Chen Zilong, or at the very least, plant a seed of doubt in Liu Mei's heart.

At the same time, it would consolidate her own position as the Eldest Senior Disciple.

The events that followed were self-evident; with 'irrefutable evidence,' Liu Mei, under immense pressure from both inside and outside the sect, barely managed to save the original Chen Zilong's life.

The price was that Chen Zilong's entire cultivation had to be crippled.

With his cultivation destroyed, Chen Zilong was subsequently expelled from the Xuantian Sect.

On the desolate mountain road as he returned to the Chen family alone, Ye Wushuang appeared and began his insane torture of him.

Ye Wushuang's already twisted and pathological psyche found complete release and amplification at 그 moment.

Seven full days and nights of brutal torture caused the original Chen Zilong to break down physically and mentally, his hair turning white instantly as he truly experienced a taste of a fate worse than death!

Forcing him to swallow mercury, gouging out his eyes, pulling out his fingernails, smashing his teeth, breaking every bone in his body... these became routine.

Meanwhile, Tu Shan Xiaoxiao and Ye Xishui watched with great interest from the side, occasionally clapping and cheering happily.

Seven days and nights of inhuman torture turned Chen Zilong's head of black hair into snowy white.

Finally, Ye Wushuang seemed to grow bored of this 'game' and ended Chen Zilong's life, then casually tossed his body off a cliff...

And this was precisely the source of the extreme fear Chen Zilong had felt for a long time after transmigrating and discovering he had no cheats or golden fingers.

He absolutely did not want to experience everything the original host had suffered in the book.

Therefore, in the years since he transmigrated, Chen Zilong had lived exceptionally cautiously.

He stayed as far away as possible from his Eldest Senior Sister Ye Xishui and Junior Sister Tu Shan Xiaoxiao.

Unless they took the initiative to find him, he would never say a single extra word to them.

So, when Ye Xishui once again believed Ye Wushuang's instigation and announced that Chen Zilong's power to manage Purple Bamboo Peak was stripped, Chen Zilong didn't say a word and immediately began a 'slacker' life of listening to music, drinking wine, and tasting fine food every day.

Chen Zilong's 'inaction,' which seemed like total resignation, instead made Ye Xishui waver for the first time regarding Ye Wushuang's instigation.

Furthermore, Ye Xishui clearly felt that Chen Zilong was getting further and further away from her; the sense of estrangement was palpable.

She even felt a faint unease in her heart, like she had 'killed the donkey after it finished the grinding.'

This was Chen Zilong's core strategy after transmigrating—stay away from the female leads, stay away from the idiotic plot, stay away from the green tea characters...

In the original novel, the biggest trigger for Ye Wushuang using the most cruel methods to torture Chen Zilong was Liu Mei!

He was jealous of Chen Zilong, insanely jealous that Chen Zilong could uniquely receive Liu Mei's unreserved, almost obsessive favoritism.

No matter how big a mess Chen Zilong made, Liu Mei would step forward to settle it for him without hesitation, not even blinking an eye.

This kind of treatment was something even Ye Xishui, the Eldest Senior Disciple, had never possessed.

In contrast, no matter how excellently Ye Wushuang performed, how much merit he earned, or what kind of 'valor' he displayed, Liu Mei's attitude toward him was always one of ignoring and disregarding him.

This extreme neglect and disregard sowed the deepest seeds for Ye Wushuang's later pathological torture of Chen Zilong.

In Ye Wushuang's massive harem, the only one he truly loved and desired to conquer and be intimate with was Liu Mei.

And she was the only one.

As for the other so-called beauties, Ye Wushuang was mostly driven by lust and utility.

At this moment, smelling the familiar and cool orchid fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose and feeling the chill from the warm, jade-like white bed beneath him, Chen Zilong's whole body went cold.

He could almost be certain that the woman he had shared a night of passion and intense intimacy with was his master, Liu Mei!

Last night, his original plan was that even if his cultivation were destroyed and he died, he would still complete the wedding night with Ye Xishui.

Just to severely disgust Ye Wushuang, and he was even prepared to die calmly and jump off a cliff to restart.

But now...

Chen Zilong gasped for breath, his whole body slumped on Liu Mei's white jade bed that emitted a cool luster. He felt his scalp tingle, and his back was instantly soaked in cold sweat.

Because right now, Liu Mei was lying on her side, her hand supporting her cheek, looking back at him. In those soul-stealing peach blossom eyes, there was a hint of a playful smile.

Oh my god!

If Ye Wushuang finds out that I actually slept with Master Liu Mei...

He'll probably skip the framing and torturing and just charge over with that dragons short sword to hack me to death!

It's over!

It's completely over now!

My life is forfeit!

Better hurry and jump off a cliff to restart!

That's probably the only way to die somewhat comfortably.

He didn't want to experience the seven days and nights of inhuman torture from the book, and he certainly didn't want to become a white-haired 'Ken Kaneki'!

Just then, Liu Mei slowly sat up.

Her eyes were seductive, like ripples of water, and her red lips curled into a shallow smile that could overturn all living beings.

She reached out her jade-like hand to prop herself up on the soft bed, like an elegant and dangerous leopard staring at its favorite prey.

With a slight sway of her waist, her posture was languid yet full of aggression as she crawled inch by inch toward the helpless Chen Zilong.

“Master!” Chen Zilong’s Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, his voice clearly trembling.

“Long'er...”

Liu Mei's voice was like magic, languid and enchanting, every word scratching at his heart like a feather. “Why are you so afraid of your master?”

“Don't you like me very much?”

“Just now... you were even peeking at me.”

“Tell me, do I... look good?”

Good heavens!

God!

Jesus!

Someone come and take this demon away!

This posture, this look, this voice...

It’s practically lethal!

Chen Zilong screamed inwardly, almost suffocating.

“Um... Master,”

Chen Zilong's heart pounded wildly as he forced himself to speak, his voice dry. “Last night... last night...”

He hesitated, desperately wanting to confirm if the mysterious woman from last night was indeed the master before him.

Hearing this, Liu Mei gave a seductive smile, truly a smile that could captivate a hundred charms.

She didn't answer directly, but instead reached out her slender jade fingers and, in a slow and deliberate manner, took out a plain white handkerchief from her storage ring.

She held the silk handkerchief between two fingers and waved it gently before Chen Zilong's eyes, her gaze mischievous and enticing.

Chen Zilong subconsciously focused his gaze, his pupils suddenly contracting as if he had been struck by lightning!

On that pure white handkerchief, there was a startling spot of red, like a red plum blossom in early bloom...