Chapter 109: Life on the Line
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
“What the hell are you doing, Old Fourth!” Su Ming rushed forward, shoving Cui Jue away as he moved to shield Ye Cong Xin behind him.
The sting on the back of Ye Cong Xin’s hand wasn’t what angered her—it was fear that gripped her heart. Something was going terribly wrong, she could feel it.
Lan Zi Yu stood to the side, disapproval clear on his face as he looked at Cui Jue. Cui hadn’t come home last night, leaving everyone worried. Little Junior Sister had been anxious all night, insisting on searching for him at dawn. And now, instead of showing any gratitude, Cui Jue had gone as far as to strike her.
“Apologize!” Lan Zi Yu demanded, his voice cold.
Little Junior Sister was frail and kind, and yet impulsive and angry Senior Brother Su Ming had come to her defense without hesitation. As they stood united, demanding an apology from him, Cui Jue found himself momentarily lost. Once, he had been one of them—fighting side by side, sharing the same goals and values. But now, here he was, on the opposite side, and the one he thought he was protecting—Yu Zhao—was at the center of this mess.
It was as if a bolt of lightning had split the fog clouding his mind. Clarity struck him, and for the first time, Cui Jue realized he had been fooling himself all along. Yu Zhao had not been treated kindly at Lone Moon Peak. On the contrary, because of their misunderstanding and inaction, she had suffered countless grievances.
“How much longer are you going to deceive yourself, knowing full well that Little Six is the softest-hearted among us, never one to burden others with her troubles?”
The words of their eldest brother echoed in his mind, like a sharp slap across the face. Cui Jue let out a bitter laugh.
“Little Zhao… it was my fault,” he admitted, the words heavy with regret. “I’m sorry.”
Cui Jue’s voice was flat, almost devoid of emotion, as he lifted his head and forced the words out. But that was all it took. Ye Cong Xin couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She turned and fled, crying. Su Ming shot one last vicious glare at Cui Jue before rushing after her.
Lan Zi Yu’s expression turned icy, his eyes darkening with anger. “Cui Jue, you’ve gone too far.”
Cui Jue glanced at him, the fire in his eyes dimmed by weariness. “Second Senior Brother, I’ve already apologized as you asked. What more do you want? Should I be thrown into the Black Prison when we return to the sect? Or perhaps we should wait for Fifth Junior Brother to finish his seclusion so he can beat me to a pulp for Little Junior Sister?”
Lan Zi Yu’s brows furrowed deeper with each word. At first, he hadn’t grasped Cui Jue’s meaning, but when he heard “Black Prison,” it clicked. Cui Jue wasn’t just angry; he was furious on Yu Zhao’s behalf.
“What has Eldest Brother been saying to you?” Lan Zi Yu asked, confused. Yu Zhao’s time in the Black Prison wasn’t his doing, and it was in the past—why drag it up again?
“Fourth Junior Brother, Eldest Brother has lost his mind over Yu Zhao. There’s no need for you to add fuel to the fire.”
Lan Zi Yu had once felt guilty towards Yu Zhao, but the constant mentions from Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue had worn him down. Ever since Yu Zhao arrived at Lone Moon Peak, had anyone truly mistreated her? He, too, had personally crafted a bamboo flute for her. Was she really so delicate that she couldn’t handle a bit of hardship?
Little Junior Sister had grown up sickly, often soaking in medicinal baths, enduring far more than Yu Zhao ever had. Yet, she remained optimistic and cheerful. Compared to her, what right did Yu Zhao have to complain? To Lan Zi Yu, Yu Zhao was overly sensitive, making a fuss over trivial matters and dragging everyone down with her.
Seeing the impatience on Lan Zi Yu’s face, Cui Jue’s lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only sigh deeply. There was no true empathy in this world, and arguing would be pointless. One day, Second Senior Brother would understand what he meant.
“Second Senior Brother, you should go. I’m staying here.”
Cui Jue turned his gaze toward the direction of the marshland. He needed to stay and atone for his mistakes.
“Madness! You’re all mad!”
Lan Zi Yu looked at Cui Jue as if he were staring at an incomprehensible lunatic. “Fine! If you want to stay here, stay! I’m done with you.”
He stormed back to the inn where they were staying, grabbed the teapot, and gulped down a mouthful of cold tea, but it did nothing to quench the fire in his chest. In frustration, he slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and saucers to clatter loudly.
Su Ming, who had been comforting Ye Cong Xin in the next room, rushed over upon hearing the noise. Seeing Lan Zi Yu sitting there, fuming alone, Su Ming was surprised. “Old Fourth didn’t come back with you?”
“Hmph, he’s staying in the marsh, just like Eldest Brother, to atone for Yu Zhao,” Lan Zi Yu spat, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Su Ming’s brows knitted together in confusion. Cui Jue had been adamant that Eldest Brother was being consumed by the heart’s inner demon, yet now he was doing the same? Had he fallen prey to the same internal turmoil?
While Su Ming and Lan Zi Yu puzzled over Cui Jue’s sudden change, Ye Cong Xin was sinking into despair.
“System, say it again—how much has Cui Jue’s favorability dropped?”
[Ding, Cui Jue’s current favorability: 5 points.]
“Ha? Ha! Five points? Five points!”
Ye Cong Xin lay sprawled on her bed, laughing hysterically, her eyes filled with a hate so intense it almost became tangible.
Cui Jue! I trusted you, and you stabbed me in the back when I needed you most!
As Ye Cong Xin laughed, her chest tightened, as if someone had clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. Her breathing became labored, and her vision blurred. Her old illness was flaring up again!
Panicked, she fumbled in her storage space for her medicine, but before she could open the bottle, it slipped from her trembling hands, rolling across the floor until it stopped at the threshold.
“Medi… medicine…”
Ye Cong Xin struggled to reach for the bottle, but her arm fell limp as her strength drained away. Her vision twisted and darkened, and she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.
Is this it? Am I really going to die? How unfair!
[Ding, host is in a critical state. Exchanging 5 life points for 5 stamina points.]
[Ding, stamina points exchanged successfully. Host, initiate self-rescue immediately.]
A rush of warmth surged through her body, reviving her just enough to fight back the darkness. Ye Cong Xin’s eyes snapped open, and she crawled to the threshold, grabbing the bottle and shoving a handful of pills into her mouth.
She chewed frantically, her eyes still wide with the terror of her near-death experience. Once again, she had skirted the edge of death, and once again, her mind had shifted.
She had always thought winning a man’s favor was a simple task—just a matter of subtly guiding them until they fell into her trap. But Cui Jue’s unexpected betrayal had shaken her to the core, making her realize just how precarious her situation was. As long as her favorability didn’t reach 90 points, all her efforts could still amount to nothing.
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
She couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer. Her target group needed to expand. Even if others couldn’t provide as much luck value as Fang Cheng Lang and the others, every little bit would help. Moreover, her cultivation had stagnated for too long, and with less than two years until the next major competition in the cultivation world, she could no longer afford to sit idly by.
“System, what’s my current affinity score?” she asked, her voice calm despite the tension in her clenched fist.
[Ding, host’s current affinity score: 60 points.]
“What do I need to do to raise my affinity score to 90 points?” Ye Cong Xin asked, her voice steady, though her hand tightened into a fist.
[Ding, the system can loan the host 30 affinity points in advance. The host will need to repay three times the amount in luck value.]
“Do it,” she replied without hesitation.
[Ding, transaction complete. Host’s current affinity score: 90 points.]