svetikya Chapter 35 Wedges
Chapter 35 Wedges
Blood dripped from between his fingers onto the blue bricks, drop by drop.
He Chutian knelt upright, his back slightly bent.
His glasses were askew on the bridge of his nose, but he didn't straighten them or even blink.
The whip fell once more.
It's not an ordinary whip.
The whip tip was soaked in salt brine and woven with fragments of bone spurs.
This is a torture whip passed down through generations of the He family. When it strikes a person, the pain is amplified three times, but it does not damage the bones and muscles; it is only meant to leave an indelible mark.
Seventh time. Tenth time. Fifteenth time.
The original skin color of the palm is no longer visible.
The blood was no longer dripping, but flowing down the wrist and into the cuff.
He Chutian didn't utter a sound.
A row of seven elderly people sat in front of him. The oldest was ninety-six years old and hunched over in a grand chair. The other six sat on either side of him.
The elderly man at the head of the group was named He Deshou, a distant relative of the family in this generation. He was in his early seventies and had a pair of incredibly bright eyes.
His hand holding the whip was trembling slightly, not because he was soft-hearted, but because he was old and weak.
After lashing out the last time, He Deshou placed the whip on his knees and let out a long sigh.
The ancestral hall was so quiet that you could hear the crackling of the burning candle wicks.
The offering table was covered with countless memorial tablets.
The largest piece, right at the very top center, is made from a single piece of ebony, and it's carved with...
"The position of He Langming, the one who comprehended the Ancestral Wind Whisper Incantation."
The characters are made of gold and have been there for over a thousand years; they need to be traced again every year.
The gold powder used is real gold, paid for by the host family, who are never stingy.
Below He Langming's memorial tablet, the tablets are arranged on the left and right sides. On the left are the heads of the main family throughout history, and on the right are the collateral relatives who died in the line of duty.
The number of memorial tablets on the right is more than three times that on the left, and the wood used is also of lower quality, being ordinary cypress.
Some of them had already cracked, but they were glued back together and were left there as is.
He Deshou spoke up:
"Chu Tian, don't blame us for being ruthless."
He said this many times, every time he finished playing.
Hearing the exact same opening remarks, He Chutian felt no emotion and his face remained expressionless.
"But if you do something wrong, you should be punished."
He Deshou handed the whip to the person next to him.
"As a collateral branch of the Ho family, we have no right to criticize our own family members."
"This is just to teach you a lesson. If He Yezhou's father comes again next time, I won't be able to vouch for you."
He Chutian lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes.
He Yezhou.
These three words were like a needle, precisely piercing the softest spot in his heart.
He didn't look up.
"Lord Deshou, I'll remember that."
He Deshou looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end he just waved his hand.
The sound of seven old men tapping their canes on the blue bricks rose and fell.
The last old man to leave glanced back at him, his eyes filled with a complex mix of pity and disgust, before finally closing the door of the ancestral hall.
The moment the door closed, half of the light was cut off.
He Chutian remained kneeling.
He didn't get up immediately; although the injury to his hand was severe, it wasn't enough to affect his mobility.
He just didn't want to get up.
Kneeling here, at least you still have the identity of a "He family member".
Stand up, step out of this door, and he will be the collateral bastard whom He Yezhou tramples underfoot.
I don't know how much time passed.
Only the sound of burning candles and his own breathing remained in the ancestral hall.
He finally moved.
First, I moved my knees to get some blood circulation, as my calves were numb from kneeling for so long.
Then he braced himself with his hands on the ground and slowly stood up.
He walked to the center of the ancestral hall.
There was a stone platform there, and on the platform was a black bowl.
The liquid in the bowl was also black and thick.
He Chutian picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
The moment the liquid entered my throat, a chilling sensation spread from my throat all the way down to my stomach.
The feeling wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was definitely not pleasant either.
But the effect was immediate.
He spread his hands out, and the wounds on his palms healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just a few seconds, his hands were completely healed, without even a scar.
The "return" from Taotie.
Each collateral descendant has a fragment of the Taotie sealed within their body; this thing is both a curse and a blessing.
It endowed the collateral relatives with self-healing abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people.
The price is that one can never become a Xia Lan, cannot use any Xia Lan techniques, and may even be regarded as one of their own by Zero.
He Chutian put the bowl back on the stone table and wiped his mouth expressionlessly.
He lowered his head, looked at his perfectly intact hand, and slowly clenched it.
He Yezhou.
The genius of the He family's main branch this generation is only nineteen years old, and the purity of his wind attribute primordial energy has already surpassed the level of the main branch's head when he was young.
He is highly regarded by the entire clan and is the most promising successor to master the Wind Whisper Incantation.
He Chutian first met He Yezhou when he was twelve years old.
It was a family festival, where the main family and collateral branches gathered together for a grand ceremony held every three years at the He family ancestral hall.
Children from collateral branches were placed in the last row, standing outside the threshold, not allowed to step even half a foot into the main hall.
He Chutian is tall, so even standing in the last row he can see what's in front of him.
He saw He Yezhou standing at the very front of the main family's procession, wearing a brand-new blue robe, looking as if he had stepped out of a painting.
At the age of twelve, He Yezhou already showed the kind of annoying temperament that would later become his hallmark.
His gaze swept over everyone's heads, as if no one standing below was worthy of entering his field of vision.
After the ceremony, the children from collateral branches were seated in the backyard for dinner, while the main family members ate in the front hall.
He Chutian was squatting in the corner eating a bowl of rice when He Yezhou suddenly appeared out of nowhere, followed by three or four children of the same age as the host family.
He Yezhou looked down at him.
"You're the collateral relative with the highest purity of the Taotie fragments within your body?"
He Chutian raised his head, his mouth still half full of rice, which he hadn't yet swallowed.
He Yezhou squatted down to look him in the eye, his gaze devoid of malice, even carrying a hint of curiosity.
But that curiosity wasn't directed at people; it was directed at a specimen or an object.
"Do you feel pain?" He Yezhou asked.
He Chutian swallowed the food in his mouth, then paused, stunned. "What?"
"Fragments of the Gluttonous Beast." He Yezhou pointed to his chest. "Do you feel pain inside your body?"
No...it won't happen.
"Can you feel it moving?"
"No...no."
He Yezhou stood up, nodded thoughtfully, and then turned and left.
After taking a few steps, he turned back, as if remembering something, and said something that He Chutian would remember for ten years:
"That's good."
"If you feel unwell, remember to tell me so I can write it down."
"After all, that's the very reason why your collateral branches exist."
That's the significance of your collateral branches.
He Chutian remembered those words for ten years.
Later, he grew up, went to school, and was admitted to Taoyuan University, becoming the "Senior Ho" that everyone admired.
He thought time would heal all wounds, but He Yezhou seemed to haunt him, appearing at the festival every year and looking at him with the same gaze one would give an object.
Three months ago, He Yezhou's father, He Yuanshan, suddenly visited a collateral branch of the family.
The reason was that He Yezhou had encountered a problem during his cultivation. His wind-attribute Yuan Qi backfired, damaging his meridians, and he needed a special medicinal ingredient.
The lifeblood of collateral descendants.
Heart's blood is not ordinary blood.
It involves inserting a silver needle into the pericardium to extract a drop of essence blood from deep within the heart meridian.
You won't die, but the pain will be far beyond what most people can imagine, and you'll be weak for a whole month after the extraction.
He Deshou had no right to refuse.
He Chutian didn't have it either.
The moment the silver needle pierced his chest, he gritted his teeth and broke one of them.
He Yuanshan stood to the side, watching expressionlessly.
After the blood was drawn, He Yuanshan glanced at him, said "Not bad," and then left.
Not even a thank you.
No, in He Yuanshan's opinion, there was no need for thanks at all.
It is only natural for collateral relatives to provide blood, containers, and everything for the Lord's family.
Just like you wouldn't say thank you to a tap.
He Chutian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, spat the broken teeth into his palm, and stared at them for a long time.
He later ground that tooth into a pendant, which he wore close to his body.
He Chutian stood on the steps at the entrance of the ancestral hall and took a deep breath.
The night breeze blew into my collar, carrying the chill of early autumn.
The ancestral hall is built on the hill behind Hejia Village, which is high up and overlooks the entire village.
The village is sparsely lit, mostly with elderly people left behind. The young people have either gone out to work or gone to university and never come back.
He took out his phone, the screen lit up, and the wallpaper was a group photo.
A photo of him and a girl.
The girl has a high ponytail, delicate features, a bright smile, and is wearing a white dress. The background is the gate of Taoyuan University.
Gui Chuyu.
His girlfriend, a recognized campus beauty at Taoyuan University, comes from a wealthy family. Her father is the chairman of the Gui Group, which is involved in real estate, education, and healthcare, with a net worth conservatively estimated at 5 billion.
He Chutian looked at Gui Chuyu in the photo, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
This is his proudest work.
It's not about feelings, it's about engineering.
He started plotting around Gui Chuyu from his freshman year of college, spending three whole years shaping himself into the perfect boyfriend in her eyes.
She has excellent grades, outstanding appearance, and a prominent family background. She is gentle and considerate, holds real power in the student council, and is highly praised by teachers.
The collateral relatives did a very good job of maintaining appearances; they owned a villa in the city, even though the property certificate wasn't in their name.
Every detail is meticulously designed, every encounter is precisely calculated, and every word is carefully considered.
Gui Chuyu is not his girlfriend, but his work.
It is his work that proves himself to the world.
He Chutian put his phone back in his pocket, walked out of the side door of the ancestral hall, walked around a bamboo grove, and came to a three-story building on the edge of the village.
This is his residence, allocated to him by a collateral branch of the family. It's better than other houses in the village, with a private bathroom, water heater, and WiFi.
He took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and stood in front of the mirror.
The person in the mirror was over 1.9 meters tall, with skin so pale it was almost sickly, and looked refined and scholarly.
He took off his shirt, revealing a lean but well-defined upper body.
Below the collarbone was a faint blue line, the projection of the Taotie fragments under the skin.
This line has been there since I was four years old, and it has become more and more obvious as I've grown older.
He never goes swimming in the summer, nor does he ever wear low-cut clothes.
He put his shirt back on, buttoned the top button, and adjusted the collar in front of the mirror to make sure the wrinkles were completely covered.
Then he picked up the student ID on the table and glanced at the information on it.
He Chutian, a junior at the College of Information Engineering, Taoyuan University
Vice Minister of External Relations Department of Student Union
GPA 3.9/4.0
He put his student ID in his wallet, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and went out.
Today is the first day of school at Taoyuan University, and he is going to the train station to pick up new students.
This is a routine task for the student union every year. As the vice minister of the external relations department, he is responsible for coordinating the pick-up work, but today he decided to go to the train station in person.
It wasn't for work, but for finding someone.
What are you looking for?
He himself couldn't explain it clearly.
It could be a fresh face, new resources, or it could just be boredom.
He Chutian walked out of Hejia Village, waited for fifteen minutes at the bus stop at the village entrance, and boarded the night bus to the train station.
The city lights outside the car window were bright.
Only reinforced concrete, cell phone signals, subway lines, and food delivery riders.
The story of Xia Lan became a legend, the legend became a fairy tale, and the fairy tale became a bedtime story that no one believed.
Only families like the He family still remember.
It's not because they're nostalgic, but because the Qi and Taotie fragments within them don't allow them to forget.
He Chutian leaned against the car window and closed his eyes.
The bus swayed and rocked, and he was half-asleep amidst the bumps, fragmented images flashing through his mind.
When he was a child, his grandmother told him the story of Xia Lan.
Grandma said that a long, long time ago, there was a group of people called "Xia Lan" who protected the world and fought against a monster called "Zero".
Each of them has their own Xia Lan technique, their own Xia Lan seal, and something they are willing to protect with their lives.
Grandma's eyes shone as she said this.
Then Grandma looked at him, patted his head, and said, "It's a pity you can't be a Xia Lan."
But He Chutian heard something beneath that calm exterior.
It's guilt.
Grandma felt sorry for him.
Give birth to him, make him a vessel for the Taotie, and deprive him of the possibility of becoming a Xia Lan.
These are the fates of the collateral branches of the He family, but Grandma felt it was her fault.
He Chutian opened his eyes and found that the bus had arrived at the station.
He got off the car and walked into the train station.
There weren't many people at the train station square at four in the morning.
He Chutian checked his phone. The first train from the south was scheduled to arrive at six o'clock, and he still had two hours to go.
He bought a coffee at KFC, found a seat by the window, opened his laptop, and started processing student council emails.
He suddenly stopped typing halfway through processing the email.
Outside the window, in the train station square, a man in a black trench coat stood motionless under a streetlamp.
That person is strange.
It wasn't his appearance that was strange, but rather the aura he exuded.
He Chutian has fragments of the Taotie beast inside his body, giving him a perception of certain things that far surpasses that of ordinary people.
He vaguely sensed something about that person that made him uncomfortable.
He Chutian stared at that person for a full five minutes until the person turned and walked into the waiting hall, disappearing into the crowd.
He turned off his computer and rubbed his temples.
Perhaps it's just my imagination.
he thinks.
At 6:10 a.m., the train from the south arrived at the station on time.
He Chutian stood at the exit, holding a sign that read "Taoyuan University Freshman Pickup Station".
He was very satisfied with his appearance today.
The flow of people exiting the station began to surge.
Most of them were students, dragging suitcases and carrying backpacks, their faces showing both anticipation and trepidation for the new environment.
Some came with their parents, carrying large bags and speaking in various regional accents.
With a smile and a gentle tone, He Chutian guided the new students to the nearby rest area and told them that the school bus would arrive in half an hour.
His smile was just right—not too enthusiastic to appear insincere, nor too cold to appear arrogant.
This is one of his talents: making everyone feel valued.
Half an hour later, more than twenty new students had gathered in the rest area.
He Chutian counted the number of people and compared it with the list in his hand; two people were still missing.
He glanced at the names on the list.
Lu Siye, male, School of Architectural Engineering, from Nanhe.
Tang Yuan, female, School of Literature, from Nanhe.
He was about to make a phone call when he caught a glimpse of two people walking out of the station exit.
A man and a woman were walking together, and they looked like they knew each other.
The man wasn't short, probably a little over 1.8 meters, but he was still half a head shorter than He Chutian.
His hair was a bit long, hanging down in front of his forehead and covering half of his eyebrows.
Her facial features are actually quite good, but she exudes a dull and somber aura.
The woman next to him… He Chutian’s gaze lingered on her for a couple more seconds.
Tang Yuan.
The name and the person matched.
She looks better than in the photos.
This was He Chutian's first reaction.
The ID photos submitted by new students are usually not very good.
But Tang Yuan herself is far more vivid than that ID photo.
She was about 1.65 meters tall and wore a pair of clean white canvas shoes.
Her features weren't exactly stunning, at least not as striking as Gui Chuyu's, but she had a superior aura.
That kind of temperament isn't a carefully cultivated socialite look, but a natural, unrefined vibrancy.
She was chattering away to the boy next to her, her expressions animated and animated, gesturing with one hand and carrying a pink suitcase with the other.
"...So I told him, if you keep doing this, I'll post all the poems you've written in the class group!"
"Then he immediately chickened out, hahaha, did you see that expression on his face..."
Her laughter is very infectious.
He Chutian's lips curled up slightly.
He didn't go up to them immediately, but watched them board the train.
Shortly afterward, he boarded the train with the two men.
On the train, He Chutian sat opposite the two men.
Tang Yuan's gaze fell on He Chutian, and she paused for a moment.
He Chutian had seen this kind of stunned silence far too many times.
He knew he was good-looking and knew how to use that to his advantage.
"I'm He Chutian from the External Relations Department of the Student Union at Taoyuan University. I'm a third-year student in the College of Information Engineering. I'm here to pick you up at the station today." He extended his hand. "You must be Tang Yuan, right?"
Tang Yuan snapped out of her daze and shook hands with him.
"Ah, yes, yes, I'm Tang Yuan. Hello, hello!"
Her voice was a little more subdued than before, but it still carried that brisk rhythm.
"This is Lu Siye. We're from the same place and took the same train."
He Chutian turned his gaze to Lu Siye.
Upon closer inspection, the boy was indeed quite handsome, with features even more refined than He Chutian's own.
If you tidy it up a bit...
But his outfit was so ordinary that he would be automatically overlooked in a crowd.
But what really caught He Chutian's attention was not his clothes.
It was not so much the "uncomfortable feeling" he had, but rather the feeling of discomfort he exuded.
Just as Lu Siye approached, the Taotie fragments within He Chutian's body suddenly stirred.
His smile remained unchanged, but his pupils contracted slightly.
Lu Siye looked up and met his gaze.
"Hello," Lu Siye said in a low voice.
He didn't reach out.
He Chutian didn't mind, withdrew his hand, and pushed up his glasses.
After exiting the station, the three walked side by side.
Tang Yuan followed beside him, curiously looking him up and down: "Senior He, you're a junior? You look so young, I thought you were a freshman too."
"Thank you for the compliment." He Chutian turned to look at her. "But I am indeed two years older than you. I'm getting old."
"Where are you old!" Tang Yuan's eyes widened. "You look like you're only in your early twenties... no, you really are in your early twenties, hahaha, what am I talking about?"
When she smiles, her eyes curve into two crescent moons.
He Chutian mentally gave her a score.
Appearance: 7.5/10. Can reach 8 with the temperament bonus.
Personality: Outgoing, cheerful, easy to get along with, and has high social value.
Background: A native of Nanhe, from the School of Humanities; further details to be determined.
Favorability conversion rate: Estimated to be over 70%.
Then he glanced at Lu Siye, who was walking on the other side.
Lu Siye silently dragged his suitcase, his face expressionless.
He Chutian narrowed his eyes.
The school bus was a 50-seat bus, and some new students who had arrived early were already on board.
He Chutian arranged for Tang Yuan and Lu Siye to sit in the middle, while he himself sat on the other side of the aisle, diagonally opposite them.
As expected, Tang Yuan started talking again after the car started.
"Senior He, how's the cafeteria at Taoyuan University? I heard your school's braised pork is especially delicious?"
"The braised pork at Taoyuan University cafeteria is really good; it has ranked in the top three on the 'University Cafeteria Ranking'."
He Chutian turned to the side, resting one hand on the back of the chair, his posture relaxed.
"However, I personally recommend the sauerkraut fish at the second canteen. They use live fish that's freshly killed, and the broth is simmered for four hours. It's served with a bowl of rice..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Tang Yuan clutched her stomach. "Don't say anything more. I haven't had breakfast yet, I'm starving."
He Chutian smiled and said, "When we get to school, I'll treat you to breakfast at the second cafeteria."
"They don't have pickled fish in the morning, but they do have xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). They have thin skins and lots of filling, and you get a burst of soup with every bite."
"Really?!" Tang Yuan's eyes lit up. "Senior, you're so kind!"
"Of course," He Chutian waved his hand casually. "You've come all this way, so you should enjoy your first meal."
His gaze inadvertently swept over Lu Siye.
Lu Siye was looking out the window, completely ignoring the conversation.
He Chutian withdrew his gaze, his smile unchanged, and continued chatting with Tang Yuan.
He quickly learned about Tang Yuan's basic situation.
Her parents run a small business. She ranked in the top 5% in the province in the college entrance examination. She chose the School of Literature because she loves writing and dreams of becoming a writer.
"I know this dream sounds unrealistic," Tang Yuan said, her tone slightly embarrassed but not self-conscious. "But I just want to try. What if it works out?"
"Impossible?" He Chutian raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how many writers have graduated from the College of Liberal Arts at Taoyuan University? In the last ten years alone, seven have won major domestic literary awards. Your choice is wise, not impractical."
Tang Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "Senior, you have such a nice voice."
"I'm just stating the facts," He Chutian said earnestly. "Besides, people with dreams deserve respect."
He said that very sincerely.
He was so sincere that even he believed it himself.
Tang Yuan was amused by him and laughed so hard she almost fell over.
When she laughs, she unconsciously pats the arm of the person next to her; this time, she patted Lu Siye's arm.
"Lu Siye, did you hear that? Senior said I deserve respect! Hahaha!"
Lu Siye turned his head and glanced at He Chutian.
That glance was so brief that Tang Yuan didn't even notice it.
But He Chutian noticed it.
There was no emotion in that glance.
He reassessed Lu Siye.
It's not a threat.
They are the enemy.
As the school bus crossed the river bridge, the gate of Taoyuan University came into view.
It was an antique-style archway with four large characters engraved on it.
Taoyuan University
It is said that the inscription was written by a renowned calligrapher when the school was founded.
Tang Yuan leaned against the car window and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, so beautiful!"
Looking at the archway, He Chutian suddenly remembered something.
Taoyuan University is 120 years old. The location of the university was once the outer area of Jiugongling a thousand years ago.
It is said that...
That's just hearsay.
No one can confirm it.
The school bus drove into the campus and stopped in the square in front of the administration building.
He Chutian stood up, clapped his hands, and attracted the attention of everyone on the bus.
"Dear new students, we have arrived at Taoyuan University."
"After getting off the bus, please go to the lobby of the administration building to complete the registration procedures and collect your dormitory key and student card."
"After registration, you can stroll around the campus and get familiar with the environment."
"The opening ceremony will be held at the gymnasium at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Please be on time."
The twenty-odd freshmen in the carriage all quieted down to listen to him finish speaking, and then a sparse clapping sounded.
Tang Yuan clapped along, whispering to Lu Siyue, "This senior is amazing, he has such a commanding presence."
Lu Siye did not respond.
He stood up, picked up his suitcase, and walked towards the car door.
He paused for a moment as he passed by He Chutian.
Then he got out of the car.
He Chutian stood there, watching Lu Siye's figure disappear into the crowd.
The sunlight shone on his face, reflecting a white glare off his gold-rimmed glasses.
He subconsciously touched the area below his collarbone, where the bluish line was.
The lines were faintly warm.
From the moment Lu Siye appeared in front of him, he felt hot.
He Chutian took a deep breath and suppressed the feeling of unease.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Gui Chuyu.
"We've welcomed the new student! Shall we have lunch together?"
Gui Chuyu replied instantly:
"Okay! I'm at the library. Message me when you get there. (✧◡✧)"
He Chutian looked at the emoticon and smiled.
Then he put away his phone and strode towards the administration building.
He Chutian did not stop.
The man named Lu Siye, and the woman named Tang Yuan.
The feeling that made him "uncomfortable" about them was definitely not a figment of his imagination.
Especially Lu Siye.
There was something on him that made the fragments of the gluttonous beast feel... fear.
He Chutian was unsure.
But he was certain of one thing…
In this technologically advanced era where the Xia Lan spirits have vanished, there shouldn't be a second "outlier" like him.
If such a situation exists, then he must figure out: is the other party an enemy, a friend, or...?
A monster just like him.