Chapter 108: Have You Thought About How Much She Must Have Hurt?
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“Senior Brother, here. Take this; one pill a day.”
Fang Cheng Lang raised his hand to catch the jade bottle Cui Jue tossed over. Pulling out the stopper, he took a light sniff. A cool, refreshing scent drifted into his nose.
Yes, this was the smell of Concentration Pills, known for their calming effect and ability to stabilize the spirit. A flicker of mockery crossed Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes as he perched atop a tree, looking down at Cui Jue.
“Ah Jue, even now, do you still believe it’s my inner demon that holds me captive?” His voice was calm, almost taunting.
“Isn’t it?” Cui Jue replied, tilting his head upward to meet Fang Cheng Lang’s gaze.
For a month now, they had relocated to a city nearest the Marsh Forest, frustrated by Yu Zhao’s failure to arrive. However, Fang Cheng Lang had obstinately refused to leave, unmoved by the persuasion of his fellow disciples. His unyielding stance even brought their junior sister to tears.
Cui Jue’s eyes brimmed with sorrow as he looked at Fang Cheng Lang. Once hailed as the renowned Sword Gentleman of the cultivation world—graceful, upright, and dignified—Fang Cheng Lang now appeared haggard, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion. The grandeur of his former self seemed like a distant memory. Surely, this was evidence of demonic possession?
Fang Cheng Lang toyed with the jade bottle in his hands, his voice suddenly sharp. “Ah Jue, you’re skilled in alchemy. Have you ever heard of a pill called the Bone-Eroding Pill?”
Startled, Cui Jue nodded, though a hint of doubt clouded his mind. The recipe for the Bone-Eroding Pill was exceedingly rare, something he had only come across in an ancient text gifted by their master. How had Fang Cheng Lang come to know of it?
“Have you ever made one?” Fang Cheng Lang asked, his tone deliberate.
“Never,” Cui Jue replied curtly.
“Why not?” Fang Cheng Lang pressed.
Cui Jue’s brow furrowed slightly. “The Bone-Eroding Pill may not be a lethal poison, but taking it induces an excruciating pain, as if worms were gnawing through one’s bones. The agony lasts a full day and night. I found its effects far too extreme and never bothered to refine it.”
Fang Cheng Lang responded with slow, deliberate applause, his lips curving into a cold smile. “Well done. Who would have thought my fourth junior brother had such a compassionate heart? I’m truly proud of you.”
“Senior Brother, speak plainly if you have something to say,” Cui Jue replied, his tone cautious. Fang Cheng Lang’s sarcastic remark only deepened his conviction: Fang Cheng Lang had lost his grip on reality.
The smile on Fang Cheng Lang’s face vanished abruptly. In an instant, he leapt from the tree and grabbed Cui Jue by the throat, slamming him against the trunk. His pitch-black eyes radiated an icy killing intent.
His words came through gritted teeth, each syllable steeped in anguish. “Then how dare you feed Little Six the Bone-Eroding Pill? Have you ever thought about how much it must have hurt her?”
Cui Jue froze in stunned disbelief, his struggles ceasing as his eyes widened in horror. He fed Yu Zhao the Bone-Eroding Pill? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. He hadn’t even considered refining such a thing—how could he have given it to her?
“Senior Brother must have lost his mind,” Cui Jue thought, his heart racing. “Yes, he’s succumbed to madness!”
Fang Cheng Lang’s voice turned colder, his grip tightening. “Cui Jue, how long will you keep deceiving yourself? Who else but you knew about the Bone-Eroding Pill? And who else knew about the quarrel you had with Little Six in the Medicine Garden? You knew how soft-hearted she was, how she never shared her troubles with others. How much longer will you keep lying to yourself?”
His eyes reddened as though blood would spill from their corners. Recent dreams plagued Fang Cheng Lang with increasing intensity. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw scenes of Yu Zhao in the Five Elements Dao Sect. At first, it was just the two of them, but as time passed, others appeared—Cui Jue, Lan Zi Yu, and more.
Through these visions, he experienced her pain firsthand—how she was ignored on Lone Moon Peak, how she silently endured humiliation after humiliation.
Fang Cheng Lang had already thought his fellow disciples’ actions were excessive, but witnessing Cui Jue trick Yu Zhao into swallowing the Bone-Eroding Pill pushed him beyond his limits. At that moment, he wanted to strangle Cui Jue!
How dare he? How could he?
That was Little Six! Their junior sister! How could he use such a cruel method to torment her?
The joy on Little Six’s face when she accepted the pill matched the agony she felt when the poison took hold. The most heart-wrenching part was when Little Six, sobbing, begged Cui Jue for the antidote. He and Ye Cong Xin stood by, indifferent.
Fang Cheng Lang watched helplessly as the light faded from Yu Zhao’s eyes. She lay motionless on the cold ground, like a lifeless corpse. His heart felt as if it were being shredded.
“Cui Jue, you should be grateful you only showed up now. Otherwise, I might not have resisted carving out your heart to see if it’s red or black!”
Fang Cheng Lang released his grip, flinging Cui Jue to the ground like discarded trash.
“You know why I won’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 Focus Pill, and keep deceiving yourself!”
Cui Jue lay there, motionless for a long time before he sluggishly stood. His face was void of emotion as he trudged forward. His steps were slow, each one seemingly draining all his strength.
As the setting sun stretched his shadow longer, darkness eventually swallowed it entirely.
“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, drawing Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming over.
Sure enough, Cui Jue was walking ahead, head bowed, utterly isolated. Even though Ye Cong Xin stood right beside him, he acted as if she didn’t exist, brushing past her.
Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming exchanged puzzled glances.
What’s going on with Fourth Senior Brother? His direction isn’t even toward where we live. No wonder we waited all night for nothing.
Lan Zi Yu stepped forward, grabbing Cui Jue’s arm and yanking him forcefully. “Cui Jue! Cui Jue!”
Cui Jue lifted his head, dazed and lost, his voice hoarse. “Second Senior Brother?”
“It’s me. What happened? Did someone attack you? Were you poisoned?”
The Marsh Forest was full of toxic fumes and venomous creatures; one careless mistake could lead to inhaling poisonous gas. Lan Zi Yu’s concern was not unwarranted.
“Second Senior Brother, did I do something wrong? Did I? That wasn’t me! That can’t be me!”
Cui Jue grabbed Lan Zi Yu’s hand in return, his emotions surging as tears streamed down his face.
Lan Zi Yu, Su Ming, and Ye Cong Xin were all stunned.
Su Ming exclaimed anxiously, “This is bad! Fourth Brother’s been poisoned. Quickly, check if anyone has an antidote pill!”
Ye Cong Xin hastily rummaged through her storage space. Cui Jue was her best chance at winning favor—she couldn’t let anything happen to him.
Cui Jue wasn’t listening to any of them. His thoughts remained trapped in the harsh questions Fang Cheng Lang had hurled at him. He didn’t want to believe those accusations, but Fang Cheng Lang’s expressions were too genuine, his tone too resolute, and even the details he described were too vivid. Could a Heart Demon fabricate something so realistic?
Cui Jue couldn’t be sure.
The thought of ever concocting a batch of poisonous pills and tricking Yu Zhao into consuming them made his hands tremble uncontrollably. If such a future were possible, he would rather never touch a pill refining furnace again.
Ye Cong Xin, always indulged and never short of pills, soon found an antidote. She was ready to administer it to Cui Jue herself when his gaze fell on her. His expression shifted abruptly, and he slapped her hand away with disgust.
“Don’t touch me!”
Ye Cong Xin stood there, stunned.