Chapter 187: Do You Want to Kill Her a Second Time?
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“Yu Zhao, what else do you have to say for yourself?”
Master Qing Yan sat at the head of the hall, looking down at Yu Zhao with a commanding gaze.
The oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator weighed heavily on Yu Zhao’s shoulders, yet her expression remained composed. She responded firmly, “Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue were poisoned one after the other because they were inferior in skill.”
In the cultivation world, survival of the fittest ruled all. Especially for rogue cultivators without sects, their journey was riddled with bloodshed. From Yao Wu Ji’s perspective, Yu Zhao’s actions were justified.
Though Fang Cheng Lang knew Yu Zhao had chosen between their brotherhood and Yao Wu Ji, hearing her words still sent a sharp pain through his chest. After experiencing several prophetic dreams, he had done everything in his power to prevent the future he foresaw, even quarreling with his brothers over it.
But why had Yu Zhao drifted further away from them? Why did an unrelated outsider matter more than the senior brothers who had been with her since childhood?
Had he been wrong from the very beginning?
“Stubborn and unrepentant.”
Master Qing Yan shook his head. Someone like Yu Zhao, rebellious to the core, would never acknowledge her own mistakes.
“I’ll ask you again. Were you involved in Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue’s poisoning?”
Fang Cheng Lang lifted his head in shock. Though angered by Yu Zhao’s apparent indifference, he knew the poisoning had nothing to do with her. In fact, Yu Zhao and Yao Wu Ji had only met after the incident occurred.
“Master…”
Fang Cheng Lang’s voice faltered under Master Qing Yan’s stern gaze.
Yu Zhao replied, “It has nothing to do with me.”
“How can you prove it?”
“Why should I prove it?”
Yu Zhao’s lips curled into a mocking smile. She met his question with her own.
Why should she explain herself for something she hadn’t done? The burden of proof lay with Master Qing Yan, not her.
A flicker of anger passed through Master Qing Yan’s eyes.
In the past, when Yu Zhao trained under him, she dared not look him directly in the eye. His memories of her were mostly of the crown of her head or her profile. But now, as she grew older, her defiance only intensified.
How dare she confront him so openly? She was insufferable!
With a frown, he snorted coldly.
An overwhelming force surged toward Yu Zhao like a tidal wave.
She let out a muffled groan as the sound of bones cracking erupted within her body. Thin streams of blood seeped from her pores, and her exposed skin turned crimson.
“Master!” Fang Cheng Lang cried out in panic.
“Silence! Do not plead for this disgrace!” Master Qing Yan snapped, though his hand reflexively clenched as a familiar headache threatened to return.
Seeing his master’s resolve, Fang Cheng Lang turned to Yu Zhao with desperation in his eyes. “Little Six, kneel and apologize to Master! Please, I’m begging you!”
Despite her pale face and blood-blurred vision, Yu Zhao continued to glare defiantly at Master Qing Yan.
“I… am not wrong… Why should I kneel…?”
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking echoed sharply in the hall.
Yu Zhao’s knees buckled, and her body fell. But just before her knees touched the ground, a broken wooden staff appeared in her hands.
Leaning against the staff, she forced herself upright with sheer willpower.
“I… will not kneel…”
As she spoke, blood seeped through her clenched teeth, her entire figure drenched in a ghastly red.
Fang Cheng Lang’s pupils trembled violently.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and an unfamiliar scene appeared in his Sea of Consciousness…
Surrounded by numerous cultivators, a frail figure knelt in the center. Her body was drenched in blood, making her original appearance unrecognizable. Her lips moved rapidly, as if explaining something.
However, the faces of the onlookers only showed contempt and ridicule.
Fang Cheng Lang scanned the crowd and noticed many familiar faces—Lan Zi Yu, Su Ming, Cui Jue, and even “him.”
At this moment, a person stepped forward, holding a long sword, their eyes filled with icy killing intent.
It was his master, Master Qing Yan!
“…Today, I shall cleanse my sect.”
The blurry voice grew clearer, and Fang Cheng Lang’s heart was struck with terror.
Cleanse the sect?
He focused his gaze again. The person kneeling on the ground—who else could it be but Yu Zhao?
His master wanted to kill Yu Zhao?
No!
This cannot happen!
He wanted to intervene, but no one could see him, nor could he touch anyone.
He could only watch in despair as Master Qing Yan pierced Yu Zhao’s heart with a sword. He saw her eyes grow dim as she collapsed. The crowd, including a version of himself, cheered and applauded, even with a gentle smile on his face.
Fang Cheng Lang stared blankly at the bright red blood dripping from Master Qing Yan’s sword.
An overwhelming sorrow erupted, drowning out all other emotions.
In the next moment, the Yu Zhao in the vision began to overlap with the Yu Zhao before him.
The fear of Yu Zhao’s death completely overshadowed his reverence for Master Qing Yan. Fang Cheng Lang crawled forward on his knees and shielded Yu Zhao behind him. For the first time, he raised his voice against Master Qing Yan.
“Master, Little Six has already said this matter has nothing to do with her! Why do you still force her to submit? Was killing her once not enough? Do you want to kill her a second time?”
His words left the fainting Yu Zhao and the furious Master Qing Yan momentarily stunned.
Yu Zhao looked at Fang Cheng Lang’s back in shock and doubt.
How did Fang Cheng Lang know that Master Qing Yan had killed her in the previous life?
Could it be that he, too, had been reborn?
Master Qing Yan’s brief surprise was quickly replaced by uncontrollable anger.
His eldest disciple had gone mad, accusing him of killing Yu Zhao when he had merely intended to temper her stubbornness. Moreover, this matter had arisen because of him. He was simply upholding justice on his behalf and now was being unjustly accused.
Ridiculous!
With a flick of his sleeve, Master Qing Yan sent Fang Cheng Lang flying.
He turned his gaze back to Yu Zhao. “Do you think that by refusing to admit it, I am powerless against you?”
With a cold laugh, he grabbed Yu Zhao by her collar using his spiritual energy. With a single thought, they instantly teleported outside Flame Blazing City.
His divine sense spread out, leaving Yao Wu Ji nowhere to hide.
Si Tu Xuan, while traveling, had arranged for attendants to manage everything. Currently, he resided in a small residence outside Flame Blazing City. Yao Wu Ji, having accepted his invitation, lived in the adjacent house.
As the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator descended, both Si Tu Xuan and Yao Wu Ji immediately sensed the looming danger and rushed out of their rooms, gathering together.
In mere moments, Master Qing Yan and the blood-soaked Yu Zhao appeared before them.
Seeing Yu Zhao in such a state, their faces filled with a mix of shock and anger.
“Yu Zhao!”
Yu Zhao weakly opened her mouth, “Help….”
This plea was directed at Si Tu Xuan.
She could only hope that Si Tu Xuan would invoke the Si Tu family name to protect Yao Wu Ji’s life.
Meanwhile, Fang Cheng Lang stumbled into Sect Master Ji Yuan’s chamber.
Sect Master Ji Yuan was startled to see his bruised and staggering form.
“Junior Nephew Fang, what happened to you?”
Fang Cheng Lang clutched Sect Master Ji Yuan’s sleeve tightly, his eyes bloodshot. “Sect Master, hurry, save her! Master is trying to kill Yu Zhao!”
“What?!”