Pulling Together a Villain Reformation Strategy – Ch. 75

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

Chapter 75 – Family Head Du

The voice was projected through a secret transmission method, and it sounded clearly in the ears of the three people, but it was difficult to distinguish the position of the speaker. Jiang Xunyi struck the air with his palm, the power shaking the courtyard door open, and said loudly, “Please come in.”

After he spoke, a middle-aged man in a plain blue robe had already appeared before the door. This man was ugly, his complexion sickly with both blues and yellows, but he was tall. Jiang Xunyi glanced over and joined his hands in a salute. “Family Head Du’s disguise technique must have been passed on by Ling Ci. It is truly subtle.”

Du Li stepped forward, his eyes silently sweeping across his face. Although there was no expression on his face, there was a soft emotion expressed in his eyes, and he slowly said, “Second brother.”

Jiang Xunyi’s sarcastic smile froze, his heart trembled, and a mysterious emotion subtly appeared. His lips moved slightly, but he did not speak.

Yun Xie smiled. “I heard that Family Head Du was sick. I thought it was an illness of the physique. But looking at it, is it a mental affliction? I told you last time that this is Jiang Xunyi, not Du Heng. Your memory is very bad, sir.”

Du Li said lightly, “I lost a brother, you lost a close friend. Naturally everyone hopes the one that lives is the one in his heart. Sect Master Yun should understand better than I.”

Yun Xie was taken aback for a moment, and did not have any reply for once.

Jiang Xunyi laughed for a while. “Family Head Du is humorous. Your words are really interesting. The visitor is a guest, so it’s not good to ask you to stand here. Why not come in for a cup of tea?”

Without a change in his composure, he pushed Yun Xie and then led Du Li directly into Yun Xie’s room. However, Du Li looked back at Jiang Xunyi’s door before turning back thoughtfully.

Entering the room and sitting down, Jiang Xunyi said, “Yu Hong, go and pour the tea.”

Yu Hong made a noise of agreement and got up. Yun Xie then added, “You don’t have to come back after you pour the tea. In fact, Family Head Du may not be very thirsty, but it is estimated that he does not want you to hear his words.”

Yu Hong did not know whether to laugh or cry, so he looked over at Jiang Xunyi. Seeing Jiang Xunyi wave his hand, he nodded and left the room.

Yun Xie smiled and said, “Now, can Family Head Du talk about what “business” brought you here?” 

Du Li nodded slightly at him and then looked around, seeming a little uneasy, before his hands rised up to join in front of his chest.

“Wait a minute.” Jiang Xunyi’s eyes flashed, and he suddenly interrupted him. “Family Head Du, you should be tired after walking so far. As for the barrier of isolation and defense, let me cast it.”

Du Li knew that Jiang Xunyi was defending against him, but he was not angry. He raised his hand gracefully, and said, “Please.”

Jiang Xunyi did not waste time on courtesy and immediately raised his hand to form a seal. From his hand signs, the air around them fluctuated, and a glow that had the appearance of waves slowly appeared and disappeared. The most advanced isolation spell was cast on the surrounding area. Not only were the people outside unable to get in, but the people within could not leave without Jiang Xunyi’s permission.

This is equivalent to detaining a dignified Family Head in front of others, an action that was truly arrogant. However, Du Li smiled as he watched Jiang Xunyi’s actions without any intention to stop him. His disguised appearance was originally quite mediocre, and especially when sitting with Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, it was very lacking. However, when he smiled like this, there was an indescribable calmness that people dared not look down on.

 Yun Xie put his hands on his knees and fixed his eyes on Du Li’s face. “Family Head Du, I truly cannot fathom what situation can cause someone like you to act so secretively to this point. But both the Solar Envy sect and the Hidden Spirit sect have extremely limited friendship with the Du family. If you are here to give money and gifts as a landlord, I will laugh. You can put those things down and leave. But if you are here for help, then you had better keep your mouth shut.”

Du Li smiled. “Sect Master Yun, I heard that there is a Buddhist scripture cave behind Solar Envy Mountain that contains thousands of books. In addition, there are several secret rooms that carries books about sect secrets and bizarre mysteries. These texts can only be studied by the Sect Master and the successors who will inherit the title. I don’t know if Sect Master Yun has seen the record of the ‘Bamuna Curse’?”

Yun Xie was very calm. “I have never entered a Buddhist scripture cave.”

This was the truth. He was so lazy every day, there was practically grass growing on him, so how could he have gone to the Buddhist scripture cave? What studying, pei!

Jiang Xunyi spoke concisely: “If there are two baby boys born on the same day in a family, each are left with half of a life.” 

Du Li replied, “Everyone says that Young Master Jiang is knowledgeable and well-versed, an avid reader of the classics, and he really deserves this title…”

Yun Xie’s voice was indifferent. “Do you still dare to think he is your silly brother now?” 

Du Li, startled, smiled slightly and shook his head. It couldn’t be discerned whether he thought he himself was ridiculous or if he didn’t accept what Yun Xie said.

He then continued, “As Young Master Jiang said, a family that has been cursed by the ‘Bamuna curse’ will have two baby boys born on the same day in each generation, and one of these two baby boys has life but no soul, and the other has a soul but no life. Only by using a sacrificial technique to combine the lives and souls of the two can one of them be saved. 700 years ago, a mortal enemy in the Du family used his life to curse the family, and even when it reached my generation, it has still not been unraveled.”

Yun Xie thought of Wu Tianqi’s words before, and immediately reacted. “So this is the truth behind the real Du Heng’s death. It seems that Family Head Du was the one who had been saved? Congratulations. Congratulations.”

His tone was not so much congratulatory, but rather gloating. Du Li was clearly startled by Yun Xie’s words, but he calmed down quickly. “Sect Master Yun is well informed and sharp in mind. How… astounding. “

“Yun Xie, what are you talking about?” Jiang Xunyi said. 

Yun Xie briefly summarized Wu Tianqi’s words, but he was a little nervous, afraid that Jiang Xunyi would be overwhelmed, so he explained, “I didn’t want to hide it from you, I just didn’t think there was any need to mention it deliberately and cause you to overthink.”

Jiang Xunyi wasn’t bothered, and waved his hand freely. He had been trained to be a sect master ever since he was a child and was very sensitive to these things. He had already understood the subtleties -because the two boys were born on the same day, unless they were twins, they were born to two different mothers, so no matter which one the head of the family chooses, it will cause resentment from the other side of the family. Over time, every birth brought disaster. What’s more, there were not many women who cultivated immortality. The main support for a family was young children. How can the Du family thrive like this? Each generation must be increasingly inferior compared to the last.

“I heard that there have been some disturbances in the Du family recently. Is it related to the Bamuna curse?” Jiang Xunyi pondered for a moment, and then added, “Or to put it differently, are the strange occurences in Tengge City related to your Du family?”

Du Li’s fingers clicked on the table with a crisp sound. He laughed before he said, “This kid…”

Yun Xie frowned with displeased at the familiar tone, but when he turned his head, he saw Jiang Xunyi, who was sitting next to him, suddenly stand up. A porcelain cup placed on the case table was accidentally overturned by him, and the sound of shattering in the overly quiet room was an unexplained shock.

Du Li’s smile froze. Yun Xie didn’t have time to pay attention to him, and he also stood up, grabbing Jiang Xunyi’s arm with one hand as he said, “A’Xun?”

Jiang Xunyi glanced at Yun Xie, eyes blank as if he had just wandered back from another country, before his eyes gradually cleared.

He patted the back of Yun Xie’s hand, gently moved his hand away, and sat back down with a dry cough. “Sorry, I suddenly thought of something else and forgot myself for a moment. May the two forgive me.”

Yun Xie’s hand hung in the empty air. It was not until Jiang Xunyi sat back in the chair that he withdrew his hand in relief, flicked his sleeves, and also sat down. His eyes turned to Du Li’s, and his expression was not good.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became weird. Jiang Xunyi took a silent breath and tried to turn his chaotic thoughts back to the case. “First, there was the inexplicable death of the bridegrooms in the city, then Du Rui went crazy and killed himself, his wife, and his children… The Bamuna Curse…”

A lightbulb in Jiang Xunyi’s mind flashed on, and he finally connected the dots, discovering the most critical question. “I don’t know if Uncle Ling has another son besides Du Rui?”

When Jiang Xunyi stood just now, he caused Yun Xie and Du Li to both become absent-minded. On the other hand, he himself forgot this happened while talking, which really made people speechless. Du Li was stunned for a while before realizing that Jiang Xunyi was talking to himself. “Well… yes, it seems that Young Master Jiang has already guessed it. Back then, my uncle’s two sons Du Rui and Du Qi were born in the same year, the same month, and the same day, and naturally, he was not exempt from Bamuna’s curse. Because Du Rui is the child of his legitimate wife, his uncle finally chose to let him survive. It was calm and peaceful for many years, but for some reason, a few days ago, he suddenly went crazy and began to murder… It happened so suddenly, and I had no time to stop it. I had only rushed over and was able to stop him before he was able to make the killing strike on himself.

Jiang Xunyi said, “So you are suspecting that it was caused by Bamuna’s curse?” 

Du Li nodded. “Besides that, I really can’t find any other reason.”

Yun Xie frowned. “Isn’t Du Rui alive? Did he say anything?”

“He doesn’t want to say anything,” Du Li said. “He has been locked up. But the matter is difficult to make public, and it would also not be a solution for me to keep him forever. However, if Young Master Jiang went back to participate in this matter as a son of the legitimate branch, the situation would be very different. Young Master Jiang, to be honest, your background as the son of a woman from the underworld has been made public. Such a background is very harmful to your reputation. Wouldn’t you consider changing your identity and starting anew? With the reputation of the Du family and your talent, the future will be limitless.”

Jiang Xunyi was unmoved, speaking like an old god. “I am proud of such a unique background.”

 Du Li: “…”

Yun Xie looked at him and suddenly approached Jiang Xunyi to whisper in his ear, “A’Xun, the way he hesitates while talking makes him seem like he is not a good person, so don’t talk nonsense with him. Let’s go back to the room. Is your body better? Does your waist still hurt? Do you want me to knead it for you again?”

Jiang Xunyi smiled lightly. “Okay.”

He stomped on Yun Xie’s foot and stood up. Just as he was about to speak, Du Li had already stood up with him, and took out something before Jiang Xunyi. “Sect Master Yun, Du Li took the liberty to come today, and I have intruded on you, so I had brought a gift here. I don’t know if it is to your taste. May I invite Sect Master Yun to take a look?” 

Yun Xie raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the things in Du Li’s hands. Before he could do anything, Jiang Xunyi’s face had already morphed into pleasant surprise, and he stepped forward, voice faltering as he said, “Yun Xie, look at it, this is the Yingxue Cangshi!”

The 37th Sect Master of the Solar Envy Sect, You Ming, was killed by an enemy, and after death, his corpse was left exposed to the wilderness. Yingxue Cangshi was a magic treasure of the Solar Envy Sect Masters that had been carried on his body, and with his death, it went missing. This incident became a source of bitterness for the Solar Envy Sect even until the death of Yun Xie’s master, who explained that Yun Xie must find the Yingxue Cangshi. Jiang Xunyi naturally knew about this incident, but he didn’t expect it to be in Du Li’s hands.

He walked to Du Li’s side in two steps and fixed his eyes on the white and flawless round jade. In an instant, he confirmed that it was definitely authentic and said hurriedly: “You…”

“A’Xun!” Yun Xie stepped forward and pulled Jiang Xunyi back to his side, smiling. “I’m not excited, what are you excited about?”

His eyes fell upon the Yingxue Cangshi. “It doesn’t matter whether this thing is authentic or not. Family Head Du should put it away after showing it off. For you to give such a substantial gift for no reason, it makes it even more obvious that what you are asking for is not simple. To say it simply, I dare not accept it.”

“If you don’t accept it, then I will. It’s me who has to do the work anyways, why are you busy rejecting?” Jiang Xunyi broke free from him and took the Yingxue Cangshi over without any explanation. Du Li did not stop him. Jiang Xunyi raised his hand to interrupt Yun Xie’s yet to be uttered words. “Yun Xie, don’t tell me any nonsense about not caring about this thing. I grew up watching Martial Uncle exhausting manpower and material resources to find the Yingxue Cangshi. By his side, I saw that he had entrusted this to you before his death. Think about your master. Are you still stopping me?”

Yun Xie opened his mouth, lips moving wordlessly, but he couldn’t refute Jiang Xunyi’s words, so he smiled bitterly. He had no father or mother since he was a child, and he was raised in a sect. He had a deep affection for his master, no less than between a father and son. How could he not want to take the Yingxue Cangshi back? However, he just did not want Jiang Xunyi to take any risks. He couldn’t hide anything from Jiang Xunyi, so he couldn’t find a way to explain it.

Jiang Xunyi directly clapped. “Family Head Du, this transaction is done. Tomorrow morning, I will return to the Du family as Du Heng.”

Yun Xie pursed his lips and took a deep glance at Jiang Xunyi.

Du Li nodded and said, “That would be good. The two are worthy of being fateful friends since childhood. The brotherhood is deep and truly enviable.”

After he finished saying this, he did not leave, standing still and watching Jiang Xunyi for a while. He couldn’t help but say, “Second brother…” 

Yun Xie immediately decided it was time to see off the guests, and he walked to the door. “Oh, Family Head Du doesn’t want to sit for a while? If you don’t sit, then take care when you leave. I won’t see you off!”

Jiang Xunyi smiled, making a hand seal to unlock the barrier and allow Du Li to leave.

After Du Li left, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi glanced at each other. Jiang Xunyi opened his hands, and in his palm was the Yingxue Cangshi. “Take it.”

Yun Xie did not answer, instead whispering, “A’Xun…”

Jiang Xunyi sneered, and went straight forward to stuff this hard-won artifact into Yun Xie’s shirt. He then patted his chest frivolously, and said, “Sect Master Yun, take it. I had slept with you last night, take this as compensation.”

Yun Xie was in a daze, and subconsciously clutched his chest. Jiang Xunyi had already idly put his hands behind his back and walked out of the room.

The reason why Du Li was so happy to give the Yingxue Cangshi to Jiang Xunyi was because he was well-known for his faithfulness to promises. It is conceivable that if it were Yun Xie in the position, it is estimated that no one will be willing to give him things directly.

Yun Xie also knew that he couldn’t stop Jiang Xunyi, so he didn’t bother to argue, instead naturally accompanying him to Du’s house the next morning.

The doorman of the Du family heard the knock on the door early in the morning, and felt annoyed. He only pushed open a side door slightly before he said in a rough voice, “Who?”

Jiang Xunyi’s voice was calm and quiet. “Zheng Xing, don’t you recognize me?”

All of Tengge City’s power belonged to the Du family. As the saying goes, those who can guard the prime minister’s door is a seven-rank official^[1]. Zheng Xing was the Du family’s concierge, and naturally became arrogant. When he heard Jiang Xunyi called his name directly, his heart was annoyed, and he couldn’t help looking up. However, with one glance, he was shocked.

The person in front of him wore a light blue brocade, a jade crown tying his hair up and silver belt looped around his waist. His outfit made his skin appear like jade, his temperament cold, but his eyebrows were thick and dark, and his features delicate as if painted. With one glance, his eyes were assaulted by the brilliance, and he almost dared not to look directly. 

Next to him stood a young man in white, appearance extremely handsome and gentle, but when he glanced over with a smile, Zheng Xing felt an inexplicable chill.

These two… were ghosts? Or immortals? He looked away in embarrassment, but then suddenly seemed to think of something again, and his head whipped back, a finger extending to point at Jiang Xunyi.

“You, aren’t you that fool?” he exclaimed.

Just as he raised his arm, a sharp pain shot through him. Yun Xie stood still without didn’t move, only smiling as he said, “Who are you saying is a fool?”

Zheng Xing said, “He, he…Aiyo, oh my god!”

Just as he uttered two syllables, he felt like there was a knife slashing the flesh of his arm, and he almost wanted to roll all over the floor. He immediately knew that the person in front of him was not good to provoke. “I am wrong, I am wrong, yes, is the second son back? This villain… confesses ah ah ah!”

Jiang Xunyi frowned slightly. “So noisy.”

As soon as he said this, Zheng Xing suddenly felt that the sharp pain that made him want to die had disappeared. Yun Xie smiled as if nothing had happened. “Go and open the front door, your second son is back.”

---

The author has something to say: Yun Yun is actually very insecure in front of Little Jiang, but Little Jiang never lets him down.

---

^[1] 宰相门前七品官 – if you wanted to see the prime minister, you had to be let in by a gatekeeper and often have to spend money to please them, so a gatekeeper’s power was not small. Therefore, they are compared to seven-rank officials .

Please support the author on jjwxc!
http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2935136

---

Feel free to support me and

Thanks for reading (・ω・)ノ

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter