Chapter 24: Rescue and Revenge
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
After finalizing the plans for the trial three days away, Yu Zhao didn’t waste any time. She bid farewell to Zhou Jin Yue and headed home immediately. There was much to prepare in these three days.
Once back at her cave dwelling, Yu Zhao shut the door tightly and took out a blank sheet of paper and a pen. With a serious expression, she wrote “Dragon Roar Valley” in bold characters at the top of the page.
In her previous life, Yu Zhao had missed the trial at Dragon Roar Valley. At that time, her fourth senior brother, Cui Jue, was in seclusion, and Yu Zhao had to take care of the herb garden for him. Additionally, since Ye Cong Xin was participating in the trial for the first time, Master Qing Yan worried that Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu might not protect her adequately. Thus, Yu Zhao was not allowed to join, to avoid diverting their attention.
So, Yu Zhao stayed behind at the sect and only learned about Dragon Roar Valley from the accounts of other disciples, including the news of Zhou Jin Yue’s death.
Now, Yu Zhao’s task was to record the crucial information she remembered from her past life about Dragon Roar Valley to prepare for her plan.
The first note she wrote was: “The rumor about a seven-colored stag in Dragon Roar Valley is likely false.”
In her previous life, the rumor about the seven-colored stag in Dragon Roar Valley had circulated for two years. However, during those two years, no one mentioned the seven-colored stag again, as if it was just a phantom to attract cultivators. It could also be that someone found the deer but kept it a secret, though Yu Zhao considered this unlikely.
She would have to investigate further when she reached Dragon Roar Valley.
Yu Zhao wrote the second note: “There is a level-four beast, the Crimson Flame Lion, in Dragon Roar Valley.”
A level-four beast was equivalent to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. This Crimson Flame Lion was responsible for the numerous casualties among the Five Elements Sect disciples.
What was strange was that although Dragon Roar Valley was known for its beasts, it was close to a powerful sect, leading to frequent beast hunts. The remaining beasts were primarily level one or two, with only a few level-three beasts. Whenever a level-three beast felt it was about to advance, it would leave the valley. This was why many sects used Dragon Roar Valley as a training ground.
However, this time, a level-four Crimson Flame Lion appeared, and it just so happened that the disciples of the Five Elements Sect encountered it. Was it really just a coincidence?
The only consolation was that the Crimson Flame Lion had just given birth, significantly weakening its power. Otherwise, Zhou Jin Yue wouldn’t have been the only casualty; the entire team would have perished.
The sect leader later confirmed that the lion was indeed a mother who had recently given birth. Both the mother lion and her cubs were sacrificed to honor Zhou Jin Yue’s spirit.
Yu Zhao wrote the third note and circled it: “Wu Shao Zhen.”
Whether the rumor about the seven-colored stag was true or the appearance of the level-four Crimson Flame Lion, Yu Zhao was confident she could handle it. But the name Wu Shao Zhen brought a chill to her eyes.
In her previous life, Yu Zhao first heard of Wu Shao Zhen five years later during a major competition in the cultivation world. The competition had two categories: team and individual. Wu Shao Zhen had won the individual competition, defeating many elite disciples from various sects, showcasing his formidable strength. This victory made him famous overnight, and his background became widely known.
Wu Shao Zhen was the young master of a cultivation family, gifted but rebellious. After his family was destroyed, he was the only survivor, which drove him to train tirelessly, facing countless dangers alone. He had no family, only one close friend – Ye Cong Xin.
Yu Zhao’s initial connection to Wu Shao Zhen seemed insignificant. But Wu Shao Zhen was determined to repay Ye Cong Xin for saving his life, which meant dealing with Ye Cong Xin’s enemies, including Yu Zhao.
Wu Shao Zhen was an expert in the art of Gu (poisonous insects). He used his skills to create various poisons. To avenge Ye Cong Xin, he planted a Gu in Yu Zhao. Despite her efforts to suppress it with her cultivation technique, Yu Zhao could not control the hatred boiling inside her.
If Wu Shao Zhen had used a poisonous Gu, Yu Zhao might have been less resentful. However, he used a Peach Blossom Gu, a type of love poison. The victim of the Peach Blossom Gu would uncontrollably fall in love with the person who possessed the mother Gu, to the point of obsession.
During that time, Yu Zhao was infatuated with Wu Shao Zhen, chasing after him like a madwoman. Occasionally, she would regain her senses and feel puzzled, but the moment she saw Wu Shao Zhen, the overwhelming love would drown her rationality. This made her the laughingstock of the cultivation world, seen as a disgrace even by her senior brothers.
It wasn’t until her fifth senior brother, Quan Ye, was severely injured, and she cut her wrist to save him, that the blood forced the Gu out of her body. Only then did she wake up from her nightmare and realize the extent of her disgraceful actions.
What happened afterward was even more painful. When Yu Zhao confronted Wu Shao Zhen, he turned the tables on her, and her senior brothers stood firmly against her, refusing to believe her claims. Even with the evidence of the Gu, they dismissed it as malicious slander.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
The once warm memories with her senior brothers and master were overshadowed by the humiliation Wu Shao Zhen brought her. She vowed to repay this humiliation with his blood.
If Ye Cong Xin saved Wu Shao Zhen in Dragon Roar Valley, it meant Wu Shao Zhen was seriously injured. This was Yu Zhao’s best chance to kill him. Though she hated him, she did not underestimate his talent. She had to kill him with one strike, leaving no chance for him to retaliate.
After reviewing the three pieces of information, Yu Zhao wrote the final line: “Rescue and Revenge.”
This was her mission for the trip.
She clenched the paper in her hand, allowing the ink to smudge into black stains. She closed her eyes and released her grip, letting the shredded paper scatter like snowflakes, filling the room with silence.