The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 4: You're Welcome, Senior Sister

　　Jiang Shuo’s heart lurched. He immediately released Si Yao’s wrist, his sharp star-shaped eyes filling with confusion.

　　For that split second, he had indeed heard her voice. The soft, airy tone of a young girl lingered by his ear as if she had whispered directly into it.

　　What nonsense was she saying?

　　What did she mean by asking whether he could or couldn’t?

　　Jiang Shuo’s handsome face darkened. Was Si Yao questioning him?

　　“What’s wrong?” Si Yao noticed his sour expression and blinked at him in confusion.

　　“Nothing.” Jiang Shuo’s reply was icy.

　　He had always hated the way she pretended to be gentle and harmless. She had done so many ruthless, vicious things, yet always acted innocent, as if she could wash her sins away with a single look.

　　Just like now. She was clearly bad-mouthing him behind his back, yet still put on that pure, clueless face.

　　Jiang Shuo knew exactly what kind of person she was. He had no desire to waste more breath on her. He shot her a fierce glare and tugged her wrist again. This time, however, his hand only grabbed her through her sleeve without touching her skin.

　　To his surprise, he did not hear her voice this time. Still, saving Yun Xiangxiang was more urgent, and Jiang Shuo did not have time to dwell on it.

　　According to the current timeline, the story had already reached the later part of the novel. Jiang Shuo’s cultivation had risen to the peak Void Soul realm, unmatched by most. For him now, tearing open space or slicing through mountains was no challenge at all. Traveling thousands of miles in an instant was nothing more than a casual effort.

　　Using this method, Jiang Shuo brought Si Yao to a secluded manor hidden from the world.

　　The place wasn’t large, yet every detail was exquisitely crafted. Behind it rose lush green mountains and in front lay a small shimmering lake. The scenery was refined and elegant.

　　Si Yao, however, had no time to admire any of it. The moment they arrived, Jiang Shuo hurriedly pulled her toward the manor.

　　Watching how anxious he looked, Si Yao quietly curled her lips. In her mind, she sneered. He looks pretty desperate. He must really care about Yun Xiangxiang. Guess he’s already been captured by her charm.

　　The system heard her thoughts and explained,【According to the plot, Jiang Shuo’s feelings toward Yun Xiangxiang are mostly guilt.】

　　【In the original storyline, Yun Xiangxiang dies saving Jiang Shuo. She becomes the person he will owe for the rest of his life. To bring her back, Jiang Shuo searches the world for a method of resurrection and even starts a war against the Demon Lord.】

　　Si Yao nodded in understanding. Alive he didn’t like her, but once she dies she becomes his white moonlight. This type of plot was all too familiar to her.

　　Meanwhile, Jiang Shuo, who was walking ahead, suddenly stiffened. A fleeting shadow crossed his eyes, dark and unreadable, before he silently continued forward.

　　Jiang Shuo led Si Yao into an inner room. A pale young woman lay on the bed.

　　Her complexion was terrible, yet it still couldn’t hide her delicate beauty. This was Yun Xiangxiang.

　　She really is beautiful, Si Yao thought. No wonder she’s known as the number one beauty. And Jiang Shuo still didn’t fall for her. Looks like something must be seriously wrong with him.

　　Jiang Shuo moved to Yun Xiangxiang’s bedside and waved away the servants tending to her. He crouched halfway and softly called, “Miss Yun, Miss Yun, wake up. I’m here to save you.”

　　Hearing his voice, Yun Xiangxiang’s eyelashes trembled. She slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw Jiang Shuo beside her, joy overflowed in her gaze. Her pale lips curved into a faint smile.

　　“Jiang…”

　　“Brother Jiang…”

　　Her voice was airy and weak. She wanted to call him Jiang Shuo, but the words halted. All these years, she had always known he felt nothing for her. After thinking it over, she chose to call him Brother Jiang instead.

　　“Thank you… Brother Jiang… with you doing this much for me, Xiangxiang has no regrets in this life, even if I die…”

　　Ever since she was poisoned, Jiang Shuo had tried countless ways to cure her. He used every precious pill he could find and traveled all over in search of an antidote.

　　“It should have been me, if anyone had to die,” Jiang Shuo argued quietly.

　　He then took out the pill Si Yao had given him. He glanced at the small white pellet in his hand, then at Si Yao who stood calmly nearby.

　　Yun Xiangxiang’s poison was vicious beyond belief. He had searched the entire realm and still found no cure. With Yun Xiangxiang’s life hanging by a thread, he had no choice but to take a gamble and trust Si Yao.

　　After steeling himself, Jiang Shuo helped Yun Xiangxiang sit up and fed her the panacea.

　　She looked far too fragile, as if one more breath would send her off to the heavens. Si Yao watched her anxiously, praying the medicine would work immediately.

　　She had never used the pill before. The system only described it, so she had no idea how long it would take to activate.

　　Not long after swallowing it, Yun Xiangxiang suddenly slumped sideways onto the bed under both their gazes, completely unresponsive.

　　Jiang Shuo rushed over and checked her breath, but there was nothing.

　　Then his gaze, murderous enough to cut a person into pieces, locked onto Si Yao.

　　She was doomed.

　　Si Yao’s instincts screamed danger.

　　What was going on? Did the medicine not work?

　　“You lied to me?”

　　Jiang Shuo’s voice was icy, his spiritual energy crackling faintly with rage.

　　Si Yao raised her arm, signaling him to stay calm. “Wait a second.”

　　She hurried to Yun Xiangxiang’s bedside and examined her closely. Lifting the girl’s jaw to force her mouth open, she discovered the pill still stuck in her throat.

　　Si Yao: “…”

　　This idiot Jiang Shuo!    

　　Si Yao lifted Yun Xiangxiang’s limp body and barked at Jiang Shuo, her voice sharp with urgency. “Bring water, hurry!”

　　Jiang Shuo stared at her, completely lost.

　　“Water! Move!” Si Yao shouted again.

　　Only then did Jiang Shuo scramble to pour a cup and pass it to her.

　　Si Yao grabbed it, supporting Yun Xiangxiang with one arm while forcing a few mouthfuls of water down her throat with the other. Since Yun Xiangxiang was unconscious, Si Yao had no choice but to pour it in.

　　She tossed the cup aside and began patting the girl’s chest to help the pill go down.

　　After about ten pats, Yun Xiangxiang suddenly coughed twice. Si Yao stopped immediately and eased her back onto the bed.

　　She let out a long breath.

　　Yun Xiangxiang still hadn’t woken up, but her breathing had returned and her complexion looked much better.

　　Si Yao wiped her forehead even though there was no sweat, then turned to glare at Jiang Shuo, who was standing there like a useless statue. “Were you trying to choke her to death?”

　　Her jaw clenched with pure rage. At this point, she honestly suspected Jiang Shuo wanted an excuse to kill her. What a dog.

　　Jiang Shuo shrank back at her fierce tone. He knew he was in the wrong, so he didn’t talk back. He hurried to check on Yun Xiangxiang, and sure enough, her previously pale face had gained a healthy color and her breathing was steady again.

　　An incredible medicine. Jiang Shuo was stunned. He had tried countless rare treasures to cure this poison and none had worked, yet this little pill produced results immediately.

　　“When will she wake up” Jiang Shuo asked.

　　“Uh…” That question hit the edge of Si Yao’s knowledge. She had never actually used the thing before.

　　“Well… maybe two or three days…” Si Yao bluffed. The poison was definitely cured, she just wasn’t entirely sure when the girl would wake up.

　　To avoid disturbing Yun Xiangxiang’s recovery, Si Yao stepped out of the room. Jiang Shuo followed right behind her.    

　　Si Yao finally relaxed, stretching lazily as if all the weight in the world had just rolled off her shoulders. Good. Crisis solved. Honestly, she was kind of a genius.

　　She turned around with a smug sparkle in her round eyes. Grinning wide, she flashed two tiny mischievous tiger teeth. “I told you I could save her.”

　　Si Yao was born pretty, her skin fair as freshly fallen snow and her features delicate and lively. Whenever she smiled, there was always a bright glimmer in her eyes, like a little spirit who accidentally fell into the mortal world.

　　Jiang Shuo froze for a moment. In his memories, he had seen Si Yao smile like this before. Back then, he had actually been quite fond of his adorable senior sister, though that feeling had lasted only a single day.

　　Staring at her smug little expression now, he knew this should be the moment to thank her and let her go. She had saved Yun Xiangxiang after all. But once the thought of her past deeds surfaced, his mood turned violently dark. The killing intent rolling off him was impossible to hide.

　　“What are you doing?” Si Yao nearly jumped out of her skin. That murderous aura was no joke.

　　“Si Yao, you didn’t really think I would let you walk away, did you?”

　　Si Yao: “?”

　　What was that supposed to mean?

　　He wants to kill me?

　　“All those years you spent going against me taught me quite a lot. For example... going back on one’s word.” Jiang Shuo smiled at her, his handsome features carrying the quiet shimmer of a starry sky.

　　“You...!”    

　　Si Yao had zero interest in admiring the beauty of the man in front of her. Fury shot straight up to her head as she raised her hand and jabbed a finger at Jiang Shuo.

　　With his handsome face just inches from hers, all Si Yao could think was how badly this man deserved a beating.

　　“Hm?” Jiang Shuo’s gaze slid toward her, and seeing her so angry she could barely breathe made his mood lift a little. His lips quirked into a teasing smile as he arched a brow at her.

　　【Target’s Favorability +5】The system’s sudden alert nearly made her choke.

　　She can gain favorability from this?

　　Si Yao inhaled deeply, forcing down the urge to blurt out the words “you shameless dog.” Grinding her teeth, she squeezed out a plastic-sweet line, “You’re so nice.”

　　“Heh.”

　　Jiang Shuo let out a quiet laugh. He was clearly smiling, yet his eyes felt cold enough to freeze her bones.

　　His lips curved as he spoke, voice low and hoarse.

　　“You’re welcome.”

　　“Senior Sister.”

　　Si Yao froze on the spot. She didn’t even notice Jiang Shuo turning away and leaving.

　　Her mind was yanked back to the very first time she met him.

　　Back then, Jiang Shuo’s cultivation was practically nonexistent. He was only a lowly outer disciple, beaten nearly senseless by a few older outer sect members.

　　Si Yao had stepped in without hesitation. With her inner disciple strength, shooing those bullies away was child’s play.

　　She reached out and helped the injured boy curled in the corner. His eyes were fierce like a young wolf’s even though he was covered in wounds.

　　At that moment, Jiang Shuo had looked at her as if she were a celestial being descending from the heavens. The bloodied young boy didn’t even dare to meet her gaze as he whispered his thanks.

　　“You’re welcome, Junior Brother.”

　　That had been the first thing she ever said to him.

　　And it became the beginning of Jiang Shuo’s lifelong nightmare.

________________

Glossary: Cultivation rank 

1. Mortal

 Ordinary human level. No cultivation yet, fully limited by natural physical and spiritual potential.

2. Body Tempering

 Strengthens the body and fortifies vital points. Basic endurance and resilience increase, preparing for spiritual cultivation.

3. Qi Refining

 Begins to sense and manipulate spiritual energy (Qi). Can perform simple techniques and minor combat feats.

4. Foundation Establishment

 Spiritual roots and body fully stabilized. Can store and refine Qi efficiently. A solid starting point for serious combat.

5. Golden Core

 Forms a condensed, durable core of spiritual energy inside the body. Techniques become more powerful, and one can withstand more extreme conditions.

6. Nascent Soul

 The soul condenses into a visible form, capable of leaving the body for exploration or combat. Enemies often begin to truly recognize their danger here.

7. Soul Formation

 Further development of the soul; spiritual abilities increase, can affect surroundings with soul energy, and stronger defensive and offensive techniques emerge.

8. Void Soul

 Advanced soul cultivation. Can slightly distort space, sense fluctuations in reality, and perform limited short-range teleportation. Space can be manipulated but not fully torn open.

9. Body Integration 

Body fully synced with cultivation. Stronger, tougher, can survive extreme stuff.

10. Mahayana 

Spiritual power level up big time. Can sense, control, and affect energies on a huge scale.

11. Ascension Realm

 The pinnacle of mortal cultivation. Can transcend normal physical limits, manipulate natural laws to a degree, and challenge peak opponents.

12. Divine Transformation Realm

 Transforms both body and soul to near-divine levels. Can perform world-altering techniques and challenge legendary threats.

….

[Jiang Shuo only practiced it for a few days, but his strength improved by leaps and bounds. His breakthrough to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, which he had recently achieved, was now showing signs of breaking through again.]

T/N: Above is a snippet from Chapter 39 😒. See here, how I’m not feeling dizzy 😵🥴. In this chapter, it said he was already half-step Ascension Realm in RAW TEXT, which I later changed to peak Void Soul realm!! Argh!! 😵 If you’re wondering why I changed it to Void Soul realm, in a later chapter, almost at the end of this novel, it says Ascension Realm is the highest before Divine Realm in this novel! Then, the author casually throws in the realm saying he's at Mahayana. 😑 Sigh, I’ll fix it slowly as I translate since I kind of forget which chapter is talking about which realms. This novel is not hard to translate, what makes it hard is the inconsistency of the realms rank.

 

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