Ch4 - Homophobia Means Deep Closet

Only two people were standing in the changing room. The hot air from the pool squeezed out from the crack of the side door, and smoke filled the air.

Shen Xingcong obviously had just soaked in a bath, but at this moment, he felt a hint of chill, and his mouth was dry. He licked his lips: “Your wounds…” 

“Wounds?”

Xiao Lin lowered his head, looked at himself, and said indifferently: “Ah, don’t worry, senior brother, I didn’t let others see it.”

Shen Xingcong: “…”

No, that’s not what he wanted to ask.
He wanted to know where such terrible wounds actually came from. 

…

It was the original owner.

Shen Xingcong actually knew the answer. Regardless of Xiao Lin’s response or the original book’s plot, these wounds were only possibly caused by the original owner.

He always knew that Xiao Lin was being bullied secretly and was even glad to see it happen. Because this person will become a great demon who indiscriminately kills innocent people in the future, he doesn’t deserve to be pitied even if he dies.

However, he thought that the original owner at most left some wounds on this person’s body that would disappear within a few days. After all, Xiao Lin looked very healthy, and he didn’t see any wounds on his face or hands.

So the original owner took the initiative to keep it away? So as not to be discovered, he deliberately looked for parts of the body covered with clothes to put his hands on?

And the wounds he had caused now definitely wouldn’t heal in a few days.

The original owner not only beat him up, but he also used a long whipping stick and even a soldering iron. The long-term and continuous “bullying and humiliation” caused the last wounds not to heal, yet new wounds were added. 

This wasn’t “beating” but “abusement”, which was close to a pervert’s vicious venting.

It’s not that Shen Xingcong didn’t understand. It was indeed described in the original book: Xiao Lin has been abused for a long time.

However, these few descriptive words failed to make him empathize. Especially thinking of this person’s insanity in the future, he felt this “bullying and humiliation” didn’t count toward anything.

Until now, this person stood before his eyes alive. 

The boy in front of him was only twelve or thirteen years old, and his height didn’t reach his shoulders. If it were in reality, he would only be a child who has just started junior high school.
The incomparably horrible scars were clearly found all over the body and were deeply engraved in Shen Xingcong’s eyes.

The nerves in his eyes felt like they were being burnt.

“Senior brother, can I go in?”

Hearing the question, Shen Xingcong suddenly regained his senses. Only then did he realize that he was still clutching Xiao Lin’s arm.
“You, you can go.” 

He loosened his hand.

Xiao Lin didn’t say much. He turned around abruptly and entered the inner room. Leaving Shen Xingcong standing outside alone.

Shen Xingcong was still in a daze. Perhaps thinking deeply.
He began considering the things he would do afterward.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Originally, he planned to take Xiao Lin away and then kill him secretly. But thinking about it carefully now, it was indeed a murder. 

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This wasn’t fiction. 

Furthermore, it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all 999 game.

.

It was quiet in the middle of the night. Other than the occasional footsteps of patrol disciples and lights passing by, there was no other sound.

Shen Xingcong was lying on the bed looking at the ceiling and couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
Since “murder” won’t do, what else can he do to avoid the most tragic ending that happens in the future? 

If Xiao Lin were the same as some villains, it was only because of childhood circumstances that he became a psychopath. Then he might still be able to think of some ways to rein in at the brink of the precipice.
But that boy was a pure psychopath. If this path were to work, Mu Xiaorou wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable situation.

Shen Xingcong unconsciously heaved a soft sigh.

From this point of view, there was probably only one way left.
—Prevent Xiao Lin from restoring his spiritual roots. 

As long as he is always in this half-disabled state, even if he wants to cause trouble in the future, he will have the mind but not the power.

Shen Xingcong remembered that the opportunity for Xiao Lin to restore his spiritual roots was the inner sect selection. Therefore, he must prevent this person from participating.

He turned over his body to face the opposite side. That person seemed to be in a deep sleep, his body covered by a thin quilt and his eyes tightly closed. He could faintly hear the slight breathing.

Listening to that sound, Shen Xingcong gradually became sleepy and fell asleep in a daze. 

At last, the night was completely quiet.
The other person on the bed opened his eyes.

Inside the dimly lit house, the pitch-black eyes became deeper, so deep one couldn’t see the bottom.

.

It has been less than half a month in a row. 

Since Xiao Lin hasn’t asked about the going out topic, Shen Xingcong naturally won’t take the initiative to mention it.
Of course, he wasn’t so optimistic either to believe the other person would have forgotten it. After all, it was about the damaged spiritual roots, so it was impossible not to care about it.

He was too aggressive when he had just arrived.

After all, the first time he saw the villain he detested in front of him, he wished he could send him off immediately. Even though he has calmed down now, he is still afraid that the other person has already become wary of him saying such things that day.

That’s fine. As long as Xiao Lin wasn’t allowed to restore his spiritual roots, everything will still be living for the better. 

At noon, the sun burnt people’s backs. After being busy for half a day, Shen Xingcong finally finished making rainfall for the spiritual field.

Managing the spiritual field was the Fourth Group’s daily assignment. Usually, the original owner would push the work to Xiao Lin, but Shen Xingcong wasn’t that shameless. Recently, he has come over here by himself.

Xiao Lin didn’t say much regarding this change.
This person had no interest in other people in the first place.

On the contrary, it was the group of people led by Yu Mi who discovered that he was no longer as usual and often ran around causing peculiarity after skipping work, thinking that he was deliberately behaving for the purpose of selection’s quota.

Shen Xingcong couldn’t help thinking that outer disciples were quite idle.

The inner sect selection was near, and Xiaoyao Sect had especially added a public lecture.

It was a rare teaching opportunity, and the classroom was overcrowded every time. Shen Xingcong remembered that it was precisely in this class Xiao Lin met someone, and he got the chance to participate in the selection. 

Otherwise, there would have been no place for Xiao Lin with his first stage of Qi training cultivation.

However, that “noble person” was probably just a tool and had no scene in the book. Shen Xingcong couldn’t remember his exact name. Just in case, he specifically asked Xiao Lin to wait for him to attend the class together.

“Does senior brother want to go together with me?” Xiao Lin was surprised.

Shen Xingcong nodded. 

Xiao Lin didn’t know what he thought of and said in a low voice, “… even attending class now needs to be followed as well?”
Although the volume was low, it was clearly heard in Shen Xingcong’s ears.

Shen Xingcong remained absolutely calm: “After all, you are my junior brother, so of course, I need to take more care of you.”

Xiao Lin smiled and said nothing more.

After nearly two hours, both of them went out together. 

They were obviously already early, but when they arrived, they found that the big classroom was already overcrowded. All that entered their eyes were the disciples in earth-colored clothes.

Attending class wasn’t Shen Xingcong’s purpose. His main purpose was to prevent Xiao Lin from getting in touch with the “noble person” he didn’t know the name of. He randomly picked a seat to sit down.

The disciples in the classroom were extremely excited.

“I heard that Teacher Lan Jin is teaching today.” 

“I haven’t seen him for a long time. The last time he gave lectures was a year ago, and it’s still fresh in my memory.”

“What?” The disciples who had just entered the sect asked, “Is that teacher very strict? Last time, I saw the elder’s class didn’t have so many people.”

“It’s not a matter of being strict or not.” Someone laughed, “But… he is pleasing to the eye.”

“!? Could it be that he is a great beauty?” 

“That’s right, in my opinion, I’m afraid he must be more beautiful than any female cultivators.”

At this moment, expectations were rising in the hearts of all disciples who had never seen Lan Jin.

“It’s truly disgusting. What’s so beautiful.”
Suddenly, a discordant sound came in with some mockery.
“Isn’t it just a woman’s face? He also speaks softly and weakly. He doesn’t look like a man at all.”

Shen Xingcong heard this tone and was somewhat familiar, he raised his head to look, and sure enough, it was Yu Mi. 

“You, how can you talk like that!” One of the disciples was extremely angry and bluntly retorted, “Teacher is a person of virtue and prestige…”

“What’s respected or not.” Yu Mi interrupted with a sneer, “Don’t you guys just look at how good he looks? It couldn’t be that our outer sect’s female disciples are so ugly? To make you guys have to look for a sense of presence in a man?”

“You, you—” The disciple was so angry that he couldn’t speak.

Yu Mi entered the sect relatively early, so he has a high rank in seniority. He was also a favorite in front of the steward, so many people didn’t dare to offend him. Not to mention that the few people who usually followed Yu Mi were also there. The small group echoed each other, and the rest of the disciples didn’t dare to speak up.

“It’s no more than a compliment on someone’s appearance. What’s the difference between a man and a woman?” A male voice floated leisurely, “Could it be that you are jealous of others? Even if no one praises you, there is no need to be so angry.”

Yu Mi’s face immediately turned dark when he heard these words, and he glared over: “Shen Xingcong! Why are you everywhere!”

Shen Xingcong: “It’s a rare public lecture. Of course, I have to come.” 

“Humph! You know it’s a lecture too.” Yu Mi said sorrowfully, “As fellow disciples, I couldn’t be more ashamed of these people. They are actually so infatuated with a man.”

Shen Xingcong: “Are female cultivators possible?”

Yu Mi was dumbfounded: “What?”

“If you were a female cultivator, won’t you feel ashamed or even be infatuated together?” 

Yu Mi slapped the table and stood up: “Shen Xingcong, be careful of what you say!”

Seeing that the dispute was getting louder, the rest of the disciples were worried about causing a disturbance, so they stepped forward one after another to separate the two of them.

Shen Xingcong looked at that person through the crowd: “Yu Mi, have you heard a sentence?” 

Yu Mi’s face was very ugly: “What sentence?”

Shen Xingcong crossed his arms: “Homophobia means deep closet.”