Chapter 134: The Black Beetle
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
The female disciples of the Hundred Flowers Valley were exceedingly enthusiastic, leaving Yu Zhao feeling somewhat overwhelmed by their energy. To escape their well-meaning yet overwhelming hospitality, she politely used the excuse of searching for the Celestial Orchid, hoping it would give her some peace.
However, as soon as Mo Ci and her three companions heard her mention the orchid, they all exchanged knowing glances and smiled brightly, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Cultivator Yu Zhao, it seems fate has truly brought us together,” Mo Ci said with a hint of excitement in her voice. “We happen to know where the Celestial Orchid can be found.”
Yu Zhao’s eyes lit up with surprise and excitement. “Really? That’s amazing! I would be incredibly grateful if you could share the location with me.”
Mo Ci nodded, her smile widening. “Cultivator Yu Zhao, you might not know this, but our Hundred Flowers Valley has a tradition of collecting Yin Blossom nectar to brew wine. Every year, our disciples come to this swampy marshland for that purpose. A few years ago, one of my senior sisters discovered the Celestial Orchid here and marked the spot, warning others to avoid it. Unfortunately, our sect’s rules prevent us from giving you the map, but we can certainly guide you there ourselves.”
The anticipation in Mo Ci’s eyes and those of her sisters was impossible to ignore. Their eagerness was infectious, making it difficult for Yu Zhao to refuse.
The allure of the Celestial Orchid was simply too tempting to resist.
In the end, Yu Zhao agreed to join them. The team of two, initially just Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou, had now expanded to a group of six.
Yu Zhao found herself walking in the middle, flanked by the female disciples of the Hundred Flowers Valley, while Ji Han Zhou trailed behind them. His usual vibrant demeanor had faded, and his sharp, expressive eyes now cast downwards, filled with a sense of melancholy as he glanced at Yu Zhao.
“Senior Sister Yu Zhao, when you have the time, you must visit us at the Hundred Flowers Valley. I’ll let you try my homemade Hundred Flowers Wine,” one of the disciples said cheerfully, her eyes twinkling with enthusiasm.
“Senior Sister Yu Zhao, what do you usually do at the Five Elements Sect? I have so many questions about cultivation. Could you guide me, please?” another chimed in, her voice full of curiosity and eagerness.
“Cultivator Yu Zhao…” began yet another.
Their cheerful chatter filled the air, but Ji Han Zhou felt even more despondent. He couldn’t help but reflect on the fleeting nature of human emotions. Rarely do they align with one another, he mused bitterly.
“Junior Brother Han Zhou, keep up!” Sharp yet familiar, Yu Zhao’s voice snapped him out of his thought.
“Coming!” Ji Han Zhou replied, his spirits lifting slightly as he quickened his pace, his eyes regaining some of their usual sparkle.
On their journey to find the Celestial Orchid, Mo Ci and her companions took the opportunity to collect Yin Blossom nectar. They were incredibly skilled, quickly lighting special incense to drive away the giant bees that fed on the Yin Blossoms. They carefully harvested half of the nectar, completing the entire process in less than the time it would take for half a stick of incense to burn.
“Sister Mo Ci, Sister Yu Zhao, have you noticed a black beetle following us?” Yang Xi suddenly stopped and asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
“A black beetle?” Mo Ci echoed, puzzled. She turned to glance behind them, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Yu Zhao also turned, her spiritual senses sweeping the area. Sure enough, there was a black beetle, about the size of a fist, clinging to a tree trunk in the distance. She frowned, trying to recall if she had encountered such a creature before, but nothing significant came to mind. After all, the swampy marshland was teeming with all sorts of creatures—snakes, insects, and rodents were everywhere.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the sight of this beetle stirred an intense feeling of disgust in Yu Zhao. The sensation was sudden, overwhelming, and impossible to ignore.
Without hesitation, Yu Zhao gathered a brilliant beam of spiritual light at her fingertip and flicked it toward the beetle. The light expanded as it sped through the air, growing larger as it flew.
Sensing the imminent danger, the black beetle quickly raised its hard forewings like a shield and flapped its hind wings, flying several meters away in the blink of an eye. However, fast as it was, the spiritual light was faster.
Boom!
The light exploded with a deafening roar. A burst of white light flooded the area, the wave of spiritual energy rippling outwards and swallowing everything in its path. The black beetle seemed to vanish within the explosion, leaving no trace behind.
Although Mo Ci and the others were puzzled by Yu Zhao’s drastic reaction to a mere beetle, they didn’t dwell on it and quickly resumed their journey, choosing not to mention the incident further.
…
“Tsk tsk, are all alchemists as tenacious as you?” Yao Wuji gazed down at Cui Jue, who lay pale and trembling on the ground. Her voice was a mix of curiosity and disdain, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of a child discovering a new toy.
Cui Jue seemed oblivious to her words, lying rigidly on the ground, his chest barely rising and falling, resembling nothing more than a corpse.
This was his fifth day as Yao Wuji’s test subject for her poisons.
His legs were completely numb, his vision blurred, and his hearing diminished. Though he was still alive, death would have been a kinder fate.
“Alright, since you’ve been so obedient, I’ll do my best to keep you alive a bit longer,” Yao Wuji remarked, almost casually. She then turned her gaze to Fang Cheng Lang, who lay nearby, and nudged him with her toe.
“Your junior brother’s legs are useless now, so you’ll have to carry him from now on.”
Fang Cheng Lang’s face darkened, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared at Yao Wuji, as if he wanted to tear her apart.
Yao Wuji chuckled softly, “Why are you looking at me like that? Your junior brother volunteered to be my test subject in exchange for your life. If anything, you should be grateful I spared you.”
Fang Cheng Lang nearly ground his teeth to dust in frustration.
He had woken up to find out that Cui Jue had willingly offered himself as a test subject to save him. Even more infuriating was the fact that Yao Wuji hadn’t fully cured him when she administered the antidote. There was still residual poison in his body. If his spiritual energy circulated too quickly, the hidden poison would activate, and within three breaths, he would die from the toxin.
In other words, both his and his junior brother’s lives were now in the hands of this woman.
Never in his life had the noble and upright swordsman endured such humiliation. If it weren’t for his concern for Cui Jue, he would have rather self-destructed than continue living in such a disgraceful state.
“Now go, carry him,” Yao Wuji ordered, giving Fang Cheng Lang another kick.
Grinding his teeth, Fang Cheng Lang rose to his feet and carefully hoisted Cui Jue onto his back.
“Senior Brother, it hurts,” Cui Jue whispered, his voice barely audible, yet it struck Fang Cheng Lang like a thunderclap.
Tears welled up in Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes. “Cui Jue, don’t be afraid. Senior Brother is here. Senior Brother will definitely bring you home safely.”
Yao Wuji watched the touching scene between the two brothers with an annoyed frown, clicking her tongue in impatience. Just as she was about to urge them to hurry up, a beam of light suddenly shot up into the sky from the distance, illuminating nearly half of the swampy marshland with its gentle glow.
Yao Wuji froze, then a look of wild joy spread across her face. “A spiritual herb is emerging!”
Without another word, she summoned a rope made of spiritual energy, binding Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue together before dashing toward the source of the light.
Meanwhile, almost every cultivator in the swampy marshland saw the towering beam of light piercing the darkness, and they all began racing towards it.
Yu Zhao’s group of six was no exception.
Mo Ci’s face lit up with excitement. “Senior Sister Yu Zhao, we’re really lucky! It’s been so long since a spiritual herb appeared in the swampy marshland. The last time was probably a hundred years ago.”
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
The female disciples of the Hundred Flowers Valley were frequent visitors to the swampy marshland and knew its secrets well.
Yu Zhao was equally pleased. Even if she didn’t end up obtaining the spiritual herb herself, witnessing its emergence firsthand would make the trip worthwhile.
However, she remained vigilant, reminding Mo Ci, Ji Han Zhou, and the others to be on guard when they encountered unfamiliar cultivators. Some people, knowing they lacked the strength to compete for the spiritual herb, would instead lie in wait to ambush and rob other cultivators.
Yu Zhao could already envision the intense battle that was sure to follow, a conflict so fierce that even she wasn’t confident she would escape unscathed.
But so what? She no longer feared death, only the thought of dying in vain.