Chapter 140: Cutting Through Thorns
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Fang Cheng Lang’s gaze captured the emotions flickering in Ji Han Zhou’s eyes, filling his heart with unspeakable bitterness.
He opened his mouth, intending to ask about Yu Zhao’s well-being, but no words came out. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Yu Zhao was thriving after leaving the Five Elements Dao Sect. She had grown stronger and more confident, no longer the timid junior sister who followed him around, calling him “Eldest Senior Brother” at every turn.
Once again, Fang Cheng Lang deeply realized how poorly Yu Zhao had fared on Lone Moon Peak. She should have shone brilliantly, yet she had been dulled by trivial burdens, criticized for her lack of spiritual energy, and labeled clumsy and crude.
They had nearly snuffed out a genius.
A faint twitch pulled at the corner of his mouth as his eyes instinctively followed Yu Zhao. Inside, he wept silently.
Little Six.
Eldest Senior Brother was wrong.
Eldest Senior Brother failed you.
Will you forgive me? Just this once. Please give me another chance.
“You… Are you doing well?”
Fang Cheng Lang’s overwhelming sorrow was too palpable to ignore. Ji Han Zhou cautiously observed him, sympathy thick in his eyes.
How pitiful. He must be heartbroken because his junior brother is dying, Ji Han Zhou thought.
“Daoist friend…”
“Ji Han Zhou, are you ready or not?”
Fang Cheng Lang had barely mustered the courage to speak with Ji Han Zhou when Mo Ci’s impatient voice interrupted. She had grown tired of waiting, as her group had been prepared for some time now, with Ji Han Zhou being the only one delaying them.
Having already shown enough goodwill as a stranger, Ji Han Zhou had given a healing pill free of charge without adding insult to injury. Feeling he had done enough, he nodded in acknowledgment before giving Fang Cheng Lang an apologetic smile.
“Senior Brother, I must take my leave. If fate allows, I will seek your guidance in swordsmanship someday. I am Ji Han Zhou of the Heavenly Sword Sect, so remember that. Farewell.”
He clasped his hands in farewell before quickly returning to Yu Zhao’s side. Together with their companions, they headed in another direction.
Fang Cheng Lang stood frozen, watching Yu Zhao’s retreating figure.
From the moment their paths crossed until her departure, Yu Zhao hadn’t spared him a second glance.
So this is the Path of Emotional Detachment… Truly devoid of feelings.
For a fleeting moment, despair gripped him.
He began to question his purpose in staying within the Marsh Forest.
Yu Zhao had embarked on the Path of Emotional Detachment, severing love and affection. No matter what he did, could he ever atone for his past mistakes?
No!
He refused to believe it.
Senior Sister Zhou had said that Yu Zhao wasn’t truly heartless. Yu Zhao was merely too disappointed, which led her to withdraw her emotions from those who had hurt her. If he could prove the sincerity of his feelings, Yu Zhao would surely forgive him and welcome him back, just as she had accepted Senior Sister Zhou and Ji Han Zhou.
Determined, Fang Cheng Lang straightened up and swallowed the antidote pill in one gulp. He cast a worried glance at the unconscious Cui Jue.
The immediate priority was to save Cui Jue, who could not hold on much longer.
The Marsh Forest was far from the Five Elements Dao Sect, and Fang Cheng Lang feared Cui Jue might not survive the journey back.
Furrowing his brow in deep thought, an idea suddenly sprang to mind.
The Green Wood Sect!
Not only was the Green Wood Sect less than seven days’ travel from the Marsh Forest, but it was also home to many skilled alchemists. Surely, they would have a way to save Cui Jue.
“Ah Jue, Ah Jue, you’ll be saved. Senior Brother will take you to the Green Wood Sect and ask their elders to heal you! You must hold on. Little Six is still waiting for you. Did you hear me? Little Six is waiting for you, so you must pull through!”
“…Little Zhao… Little Zhao…”
Cui Jue seemed to hear Fang Cheng Lang’s words as he remained unconscious, murmuring Yu Zhao’s name repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, Little Zhao is waiting for you. You must hold on,” Fang Cheng Lang choked up as he softly encouraged Cui Jue, hoisting him up again. Step by step, he trudged out of the Marsh Forest, determined to bring Cui Jue alive to the Green Wood Sect. He vowed to make it.
After everyone left, a gray beetle flapped its wings slowly, landing on the bloodied wounds of a Companion Beast. Its mandibles opened, tearing at the beast’s flesh bit by bit. In no time, the scars on its shell healed, and its blood-red eyes underwent a silent transformation.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhao, unaware that her path had mysteriously overlapped with Fang Cheng Lang’s again, followed Mo Ci and her companions. Together, they located the Heavenly Fairy Herb and, with some effort, successfully harvested three blooms. With this, all the materials for her artifact crafting were complete, and the process could finally begin.
“Fellow Daoist Yu, traveling with you has been the highlight of our expedition. You must visit Hundred Flowers Valley someday!”
“Yu Sister, I don’t want to part with you. Please don’t forget about us!”
“Yu Senior Sister, the Hundred Flowers Brew I make is the best. I’ll be waiting for you at Hundred Flowers Valley!”
“Of course, of course,” Yu Zhao replied warmly as the female cultivators from Hundred Flowers Valley bid her an emotional farewell. If not for her insistence on having urgent matters to attend to, the four women might have tied her up and taken her back as a guest.
The women of Hundred Flowers Valley admired Yu Zhao deeply, appreciating her intelligence, strength, and magnetic personality.
As for Ji Han Zhou, once again, he was completely overlooked.
After sending off the women, Ji Han Zhou also informed Yu Zhao of his departure. She wasn’t surprised. Ji Han Zhou had been away from the Heavenly Sword Sect for a long time and had only sent one letter home; it was time for him to return. However, what Yu Zhao didn’t realize was that Ji Han Zhou’s decision to leave had another reason.
The near-death experiences they had faced together made Ji Han Zhou painfully aware of the vast gap between them. To put it bluntly, he felt like a burden, someone Yu Zhao had to protect during battles. As a sword cultivator, one who had been hailed as a prodigy from a young age, Ji Han Zhou had his pride. He didn’t want to stand behind Yu Zhao, merely gazing at her back. He wanted to fight alongside her as an equal, someone she could trust with her back.
But to achieve that, words were not enough. He needed to put in far more effort than ever before.
With the Cultivation World Grand Tournament just a year away, Ji Han Zhou knew he had to return to the Heavenly Sword Sect and train in seclusion to achieve a better result.
“Yu Senior Sister, next time we meet, I’ll make you see me in a new light,” he said with a determined look, his expression as fierce and confident as when they first met.
Yu Zhao smiled, suddenly realizing how much Ji Han Zhou, whom she had cared for like a junior brother, had grown.
“Alright, I’ll be waiting for that day,” she replied.
“Take care,” Ji Han Zhou said with a nod. Taking a deep breath, he strode forward quickly, afraid that his expression might betray his feelings if he lingered.
Please wait for me, Yu Senior Sister, he thought, holding back tears.
As his figure disappeared from sight, Yu Zhao let out a soft sigh. Having journeyed together for months, it was impossible not to feel something at their sudden parting. However, Yu Zhao knew what she wanted. Bonds of family and friendship fueled her ascent but would never shackle her.
She was destined to tread the path of strength, never stopping for anyone. She would break free from the cage of her past life and venture into greater, farther horizons.
Blazing trails, fearless and unstoppable.