Villain Path

Chapter 34. Nothing villainous is alien to him

Al Luar was sitting on the terrace of the Gur family's house and distantly watching Agen exercising in the backyard. He and Annis agreed to follow him one by one, and while the young man was training with a naked torso, it was Al's turn.

Al felt annoyed. Even, probably, anger. He could not understand the reasons for his feelings and because of this he became even more irritated. But his thoughts were definitely hovering around the teacher. He was the cause of all his anxiety and resentment.

Al had not spoken a word in his presence last night. Today he had not seen him yet and was not sure what he would say when he did. What he heard from the blind man shocked Al to the depths of his soul. Not that he didn't know that Shen was not the most virtuous person in the past. Al just chose not to think about it and only remember what the teacher is doing now. Today the teacher is the one who genuinely cares about him. And the one whom Al in his soul swore to protect. He's the one Al admirably admires from scalp hair to toenails. But still...

He could not help but associate himself with this situation... In his hated past, when his mother fell ill and took to one's bed, and he desperately tried to do everything to help her. How he ran and begged for help, clung to the clothes of the cultivator, whom he accidentally saw on the street. Al thought about it over and over again, replayed these moments in his mind, recalled his despair and powerlessness, his blind self-denial when he was ready to sacrifice everything for the only person dear to him... And he caught himself thinking that he was incredibly lucky that then Shen did not meet him.

Al thought about it over and over again, and his anger continued.

He liked Shen, who became weak, giving all his incredible strength for the protection of others. But Shen, who plays with someone else's helplessness and despair... Al didn't understand.

After waiting for the young mister to finish his training and Al to be replaced by Annis, he went to find the teacher to talk directly.

Shen was found in one of the guest rooms prepared for the cultivators. He sat at a low table and studied the cursed scroll. He looked quite ordinary, as if nothing disturbing his peace had happened.

"Teacher."

Shen looked up from the scroll at him. He thought Al looked oddly agitated, but he couldn't tell his true emotions from his face. Mentally he sighed deeply.

"I... want to ask you a question."

Shen continued to view his face. He had to get up and leave the table to make it easier to carry on the conversation.

"So ask," he encouraged the student.

"Did you... did you tell the truth last night? Do you really not regret what you did?"

Shen frowned. He looked at Al and knew what he desperately wanted to hear in response. Yes-yes, that his teacher regrets and will not be so again. It will make you breathe a sigh of relief, right, Al? Can you calmly rejoice again on small assignments from a teacher, forgetting about his villainous past? So that later, when something again reminds of it, again come to the same confusion?

No, that's enough. It's time for the boys to grow up. Al should understand that words of regret are just words. Empty sound. It is easy to say an apology to calm your own conscience. But will it make it easier for the one you hurt?

"No."

Al looked up at him, puzzled.

"Why? Why did you do this?"

"On a whim."

Al stared in shock at the features of that cold, attractive face. Incomprehensible. The image that Al saw all this time, the halo of admiration that he surrounded him with, was it just his perception? What is this person really like?