Chapter 108: Have You Ever Thought About How Much She Must Have Suffered?
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
“Senior Brother, take this. Make sure to consume one pill every day.”
Fang Cheng Lang caught the jade bottle Cui Jue tossed to him, his fingers closing around the smooth surface. He uncorked it and took a gentle sniff. A cool, refreshing scent filled his nose, unmistakably the aroma of the Calming Pill. This remedy was well-known for its ability to stabilize the mind and strengthen one’s core essence. However, as Fang Cheng Lang examined the pill, a trace of mockery flashed in his eyes.
Perched on a branch high above, he looked down at Cui Jue with a self-mocking smile, his elevated position both literal and metaphorical. “Cui Jue, do you still believe my torment is caused by inner demons?”
“Isn’t it?” Cui Jue tilted his head up, his brow furrowed with concern.
A month had passed since they moved to the nearest city by the swamp forest, hoping to wait for Yu Zhao. Despite everyone’s efforts to convince him otherwise, Fang Cheng Lang stubbornly refused to leave, even causing their junior sister to break down in tears out of sheer frustration.
Cui Jue’s heart ached as he observed the man he once revered. Fang Cheng Lang had been a respected swordsman in the cultivation world—polite, upright, and honorable. But now, his appearance was haggard, his eyes dark and hollow, completely devoid of the spirit that once defined him. If this wasn’t a case of being consumed by one’s inner demons, then what could it be?
Fang Cheng Lang toyed with the jade bottle in his hands before suddenly asking, “Cui Jue, you’re an expert in alchemy. Have you ever heard of a pill called the Bone-Eating Pill?”
Cui Jue was taken aback, his mind racing. The formula for the Bone-Eating Pill was something he had discovered in an ancient text, a rare and dangerous concoction. How did Fang Cheng Lang know about it?
“Have you ever made it?” Fang Cheng Lang continued, his voice deceptively calm.
“No,” Cui Jue replied, his voice steady but cautious.
“Why not?”
Cui Jue’s brow furrowed slightly as he explained, “The Bone-Eating Pill isn’t a poisonous pill in the traditional sense, but once ingested, the pain it causes is unbearable, as though one’s bones are being gnawed by insects. The agony lasts for a full day and night. I found the effects too severe, so I never crafted it.”
Fang Cheng Lang clapped slowly, a cold smile curling his lips. “Well, I never expected my Fourth Junior Brother to have such a compassionate heart. I’m so proud of you.”
“Senior Brother, if you have something to say, just say it.” Cui Jue could hear the sarcasm dripping from Fang Cheng Lang’s words, which only reinforced his belief that his senior brother was indeed consumed by madness.
The smile on Fang Cheng Lang’s face vanished in an instant. In the next moment, he leaped down from the tree, his hand snapping to Cui Jue’s throat, pinning him against the trunk with a force that took the breath from his lungs. The fury in Fang Cheng Lang’s pitch-black eyes was enough to freeze the blood in anyone’s veins.
His voice was low and filled with sorrow, each word dripping with venom, “Then how dare you force Little Six to swallow the Bone-Eating Pill? Have you ever thought about how much pain she must have been in?”
Cui Jue was too stunned by Fang Cheng Lang’s sudden assault to react. But as the words sank in, his struggle ceased, his eyes widening in shock as if he had fallen into a frozen abyss.
He forced Yu Zhao to take the Bone-Eating Pill? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He hadn’t even considered making such a pill, let alone feeding it to her. His senior brother must be delusional! Yes, delusional!
“Cui Jue, you’re still deceiving yourself. Who else knows about the Bone-Eating Pill? And who else knew about the argument you had with Little Six in the herb garden? You knew she was soft-hearted and would never share her troubles with anyone. How much longer will you lie to yourself?”
Fang Cheng Lang’s grip tightened, his eyes reddening as if they were about to bleed.
Recently, his dreams had become more frequent and vivid. As soon as he closed his eyes, scenes of Little Six in the Five Elements Sect flooded his mind. At first, it was just the two of them. Gradually, Cui Jue, Lan Zi Yu, and others began to appear. He experienced firsthand how Little Six was neglected and mistreated on Lone Moon Peak.
Fang Cheng Lang had already thought their actions were unforgivable, but when he witnessed in the dream of how Cui Jue deceiving Yu Zhao into taking the Bone-Eating Pill, he was filled with an overwhelming urge to strangle him on the spot.
How dare he? How dare he? That was Little Six! She was their junior sister! How could he use such a method to torment her?
The joy in Little Six’s eyes when she took the pill was mirrored by the excruciating pain when the poison took hold. And the worst part? When she cried, begging Cui Jue for an antidote, Cui Jue and Ye Cong Xin stood by, indifferent.
Fang Cheng Lang watched helplessly as the light in Yu Zhao’s eyes faded, her body lying still and lifeless on the cold ground. It was as if a blade had sliced through his heart.
“Cui Jue, you should be grateful you showed up now. Otherwise, I would have torn your heart out to see if it was red or black!”
Fang Cheng Lang released his grip, throwing Cui Jue to the ground like trash.
“Do you know why I didn’t let you stay? Because you don’t deserve to be here. You don’t deserve to atone for Little Six’s suffering! Get lost! Take your Calming Pill and continue living in your delusions!”
Time passed in silence before Cui Jue slowly picked himself up from the ground, his movements sluggish. He walked forward with a blank expression, each step seemingly draining all his strength.
As the sun set, his shadow stretched long behind him, until it was swallowed completely by the darkness.
“Fourth Senior Brother? Fourth Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, look! Fourth Senior Brother is here!” Ye Cong Xin’s voice rang out, breaking the silence.
Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming rushed over to where Ye Cong Xin was, and indeed, they saw Cui Jue walking aimlessly ahead, his head hung low.
Even though Ye Cong Xin was standing right beside him, it was as if he didn’t see her, walking past her without a glance.
Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming exchanged worried glances.
What happened to Fourth Senior Brother? The direction he was heading was completely opposite to where they were staying. No wonder they had waited all night without seeing him.
Lan Zi Yu hurried forward, grabbing Cui Jue’s arm and pulling him back. “Cui Jue! Cui Jue!”
Cui Jue lifted his head slowly, his voice hoarse, “Second Senior Brother?”
“It’s me. What happened to you? Were you attacked? Did you get poisoned?”
The swamp forest was thick with miasma and crawling with venomous creatures. A moment of carelessness could lead to poisoning, so Lan Zi Yu’s concern was justified.
“Second Senior Brother, did I do something wrong? Did I? That wasn’t me. It couldn’t have been me!” Cui Jue clutched Lan Zi Yu’s hand, his emotions unraveling, hot tears streaming down his face.
Lan Zi Yu, Su Ming, and Ye Cong Xin were all taken aback by his outburst.
Su Ming panicked, “Oh no! Fourth Brother has been poisoned! Quick, find some antidote pills!”
Ye Cong Xin hurriedly searched her storage space.
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
Cui Jue was her most promising target; she couldn’t afford for anything to happen to him.
But Cui Jue didn’t hear a word they said. His mind was still reeling from the accusations Fang Cheng Lang had thrown at him. He didn’t want to believe what his senior brother had said. But Fang Cheng Lang’s expression was too real, his tone too certain, and the details too vivid. Could one’s inner demons really create such a realistic scenario?
Cui Jue wasn’t sure anymore. The thought that he might one day actually concoct such a poison and trick Yu Zhao into taking it made his hands tremble uncontrollably. If that future were truly possible, he would rather never touch an alchemy cauldron again!
Ye Cong Xin, who had always been spoiled, never lacked for pills in her storage. She quickly found an antidote pill and was about to feed it to Cui Jue when his gaze landed on her face. His expression changed suddenly, and with a surge of revulsion, he slapped her hand away.
“Don’t touch me!”
Ye Cong Xin stood frozen in place, shocked by his reaction.