The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 27: My Name is Jiang Shou

　　The attackers lay scattered on the ground, groaning and unable to get up after Si Yao’s single strike.

　　Although she had only just arrived in this world, Si Yao was an inner disciple, her cultivation already at the peak of Qi Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment. Dealing with these outer disciples was effortless for her.

　　As the outer disciples were defeated, the circle they had formed revealed a small, trembling figure.

　　The figure wore the same Xuanming Sect outer disciple robes, but his body was much smaller than those Si Yao had just knocked down. The skinny figure curled up in the corner, shivering.

　　Si Yao hurried over to check on him. She knelt beside the small figure and reached out to help him.

　　It was a young boy.

　　His face was caked with dust from being pinned to the ground, streaked with red blood, making it hard to see his features clearly.

　　But his black eyes were sharp and untouched by the dirt, reminding her of a lone wolf in the forest, fierce and resolute.

　　The boy gritted his teeth, trembling in pain, but did not cry out.

　　The few outer disciples she had defeated clutched their stomachs and groaned. Si Yao had not struck them lethally, and they quickly managed to get back up. They regrouped, with the apparent leader, a young man around seventeen or eighteen, glaring at her. He gritted his teeth and shouted with a ferocious snarl, “Who do you think you are, little girl? How dare you interfere in our business?”

　　Si Yao looked at the group of bullies. Each of them was big and strong, while the boy they had beaten seemed four or five years younger, thin and frail. Yet these outer disciples, ignoring the bonds of the sect, had cruelly attacked someone weaker than themselves.

　　Si Yao’s anger flared, her face cold as ice. She drew her long sword, ready to teach these bullies a lesson.

　　“You all gang up on someone weaker, abusing your strength and attacking sect disciples. Do you even realize the gravity of your crime?” she said, sword in hand, pointing straight at them. Her voice was icy, full of true fury.

　　The group had been brash and arrogant, but when they noticed Si Yao’s attire, they glanced at each other nervously, hesitation flashing across their faces.

　　Si Yao wore a pristine white Dao robe, a jade pendant carved with the character “Yao” hanging at her waist. This was the standard uniform of Xuanming Sect’s inner disciples.

　　They were merely outer disciples, their cultivation far inferior to an inner disciple like Si Yao. If things escalated, the elders would undoubtedly side with the talented inner disciple. Going against her would only bring trouble for them.

　　Si Yao furrowed her brows and prepared her sword stance. Spiritual energy surged around her, fierce and overwhelming. The outer disciples panicked instantly, realizing they had no chance against such power.

　　The leader offered no resistance, knowing there was plenty of time. Before Si Yao could make a move, he scrambled out of the dilapidated courtyard. The others, seeing him flee, screamed and ran away too.

　　Si Yao waved her hand elegantly, forming seals in the air. Crimson spiritual energy erupted, shaping into fiery birds and beasts that chased after the fleeing outer disciples.

　　From the direction they ran came the piercing cries of the creatures, mixed with human screams. Only then did Si Yao retract her spiritual energy and sheath her sword.

　　Those bullies were vicious, preying on the weak. A lesson today might stop them from tormenting other disciples in the future.

　　“Hiss—”

　　Just as Si Yao had chased them off, she heard the boy struggling to catch his breath. She immediately turned to check his injuries.

　　The boy’s lips were pale and bleeding, and his forehead had several cuts. He was seriously hurt, curled up in the corner, trembling. His once-bright eyes now looked dim, on the verge of losing consciousness.

　　Shen Rong hurried forward as well. She quickly examined the boy’s injuries and said, “His left leg is shattered, both arms dislocated from brute force, several ribs broken in his chest, and worse, his internal organs were damaged by spiritual techniques. If he isn’t treated immediately, I’m afraid it’ll be impossible to save him.”

　　Hearing Shen Rong’s words, Si Yao’s expression darkened. She hadn’t expected the others to be so vicious. They had clearly intended to beat the boy to death.

　　“Quickly, take him to an elder for treatment!” Si Yao said sharply.

　　Shen Rong frowned. “At his current condition, it might already be too late. Unless we use spiritual energy to repair his damaged organs ourselves, there’s no other way. But our cultivation is too weak. The little spiritual energy we have won’t make a dent against these injuries.”

　　Her words forced Si Yao to calm down. She thought carefully about how to save the boy.

　　Even though she had only met him briefly, she could not allow a life to slip away before her eyes.

　　Several plans flashed through her mind, but each one was too risky and could worsen the boy’s condition, so she dismissed them. Then she remembered the spiritual herb she had just received from the Herbal Pavilion. Her eyes lit up. Perhaps this herb could save his life.

　　Si Yao quickly took out the herb. It was a Fire-attribute Yan Yang Grass. Her talent was exceptional, and this herb, gifted by the elder, was of high quality. Its small leaves glowed with a soft red light, radiating surging spiritual energy.

　　Seeing Si Yao take out the Yan Yang Grass, Shen Rong immediately realized what she intended. Though she also couldn’t bear to see the boy suffer and die, she reminded Si Yao, “This Yan Yang Grass is extremely rare. Only three were harvested from the entire Spirit Mountain. Are you sure about using it?”

　　Si Yao nodded casually, signaling that she had thought it through. She then fed the boy the herb, letting him absorb the spiritual energy within its stem and leaves.

　　The boy’s injuries were severe. He could not refine the Yan Yang Grass’s powerful energy on his own, so Si Yao began channeling her cultivation to help him absorb it. Shen Rong went to report the situation to the law elder.

　　The herb’s effect was potent. The boy’s internal injuries healed rapidly, and even the broken bones began to mend.

　　Before long, some color returned to his pale cheeks, and the clouded look in his eyes began to clear.

　　Once the herb’s effect was fully absorbed, the boy tentatively moved his hands and feet. It still hurt, but he could finally move again.

　　Relieved to see that he was finally out of danger, Si Yao let out a quiet breath. When the boy looked at her with gratitude in his eyes, she smiled softly and held out her hand to him.

　　The boy froze. Years of bullying and pain had made it hard for him to trust anyone. He looked at Si Yao timidly, unsure how to respond.

　　Seeing his hesitation, Si Yao felt a pang of sympathy. Her gaze softened, and she kept her hand extended, unmoving, patiently waiting for him to place his palm in hers.

　　After a long moment, the boy cautiously reached out and laid his hand in her palm. His hand was thin and rough, darkened from hardship, while hers was fair and slender. When their hands met, the contrast felt strangely jarring.

　　Si Yao tightened her grip and pulled him up to his feet.

　　“Thank you,” the boy said softly, his voice low and clear, like a bird singing deep in the forest.

　　He clenched his fists, teeth set tight. His eyes burned with resolve, yet he did not dare meet hers. In that quiet, restrained voice, he said, “One day, I will repay you.”

　　Seeing his stubborn expression, Si Yao could not help but curve her lips into a smile. “No need to be so formal, junior brother.”

　　Standing beside her, the boy looked thin, but he was surprisingly tall. Though he seemed several years younger than her, once he stood up straight, he was nearly her height.

　　As Si Yao looked him over, she noticed many old scars crisscrossing his body. Her brows knit together, her tone turning cold. “Do they beat you like this often?”

　　“Why didn’t you go to an elder for help?”

　　The boy pressed his thin lips together, frowning deeply. He clearly did not want to talk about it. After a moment, he clenched his teeth and said, “Those people will all die.”    

　　He showed no trace of relief at having survived, yet those ink-black eyes were like a deep, unreadable pool, hiding everything within.

　　“I will make sure every last one of them dies without a trace, turned to ashes.”

　　The boy’s tone was calm, as if he weren’t making a vow but simply stating a fact.

　　Given how cruelly they treated him, such thoughts were only natural.

　　Despite the immense pain he endured, the boy had carried it all without crying or screaming, quietly suppressing it. Si Yao felt an inexplicable tenderness toward him. She looked at the stubborn, wolf-like boy and softly asked, “What’s your name?”

　　The boy froze at her question. His fists clenched tightly, his eyes flickering with hesitation, as if speaking his name was a struggle.

　　After a long pause, a youthful voice finally broke the silence.

　　“Jiang Shou.”

　　…..

　　On the seventh day since Si Yao had crossed into this strange world, she had saved a little junior disciple who looked like a wolf cub.

　　Grimy and gray at first, after being cleaned up, his features were sharp and well-defined. His brows were elegant, his eyes bright, and his youthful aura unmistakable. He was astonishingly handsome, more so than even the immortals in the sky.    

    

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Timeline works:

• First meeting: Jiang Shuo is 12 or 13.

• Si Yao is set to 15, same as Shen Rong (my guess since there's no explanation about her age).

• They spend about 3 years together.

• Then a 10 year time skip.

So now:

• Jiang Shuo is around 25 or 26.

• Si Yao is biologically 28 in the outside world.

• But since she was trapped in system space for a few days, her age is effectively paused.

  

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