Chapter 219: Senior Sister Zhou, I Found This on the Way
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Ye Cong Xin’s expression was one of despair, her frail figure resembling a delicate white flower battered by wind and rain, on the verge of collapse. Her words, dripping with sorrow, did not arouse suspicion among the crowd. Except for Yu Zhao, no one could believe that she might collude with evil spirits. After all, her master was none other than Master Qing Yan, the foremost cultivator in the realm, and no evil could escape his keen perception.
Yu Zhao was initially stunned but soon regained her composure. She surmised that Fang Cheng Lang must have been reborn, likely after Ye Cong Xin’s true nature had been exposed. Otherwise, he would not have made such outrageous claims about her being an evil spirit. A sly smile tugged at Yu Zhao’s lips as she thought about the impending drama between Fang Cheng Lang and Ye Cong Xin. If the favored eldest disciple clashed with the sweet and cunning junior, how would Master Qing Yan decide between them?
“Fang Cheng Lang, out of selfishness, you’ve framed a fellow junior! You’re unworthy of being the eldest senior brother!” Quan Ye stood protectively in front of Ye Cong Xin, his gaze cold and piercing as it fixed on Fang Cheng Lang.
“Eldest senior brother, this time you’ve gone too far,” Su Ming chimed in, dusting himself off as he rose from the ground. Disappointment was evident in his eyes.
Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun didn’t speak out against Fang Cheng Lang but their disapproval was plain on their faces. Fang Cheng Lang felt the overwhelming weight of their censure; cold dread seeped into his bones, paralyzing him. He desperately wanted to reveal Ye Cong Xin’s true colors, but no sound would come from his throat. Instinctively, he turned to Yu Zhao, his gaze filled with both hope and guilt. He knew she would understand because they both shared memories of their past lives.
Yu Zhao met his pleading look but shattered his hopes with her response. “Don’t drag me into the affairs of Lone Moon Peak.” Her dismissive tone snuffed out the light in Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes.
Su Ming frowned. Yu Zhao’s cold detachment felt like a deliberate strike at Fang Cheng Lang when he was already down. Quan Ye, fists clenched, quickly glanced at Yu Zhao before lowering his head, lost in thought. Ye Cong Xin, however, missed Quan Ye’s odd behavior and exhaled in relief. It seemed only Fang Cheng Lang knew her secret. If she could silence him, her secret would remain safe.
“Senior Sister Zhou, Senior Brother Zhang, Eldest Senior Brother only acted out of momentary confusion. Could we resolve this privately instead of reporting it to the sect?” Ye Cong Xin’s plea was not out of genuine concern for Fang Cheng Lang but to minimize the number of people aware of the situation. She already had plans to deal with Fang Cheng Lang once they left the Floating Island.
Zhou Jin Yue hesitated briefly before consulting Quan Ye and Su Ming. “What do you two think?”
“I… I have no objections.” Su Ming, though disappointed in Fang Cheng Lang, preferred to avoid a public scandal within the sect. With their master’s oversight, he believed Ye Cong Xin’s grievances would be addressed.
Quan Ye wanted to object but faltered under Ye Cong Xin’s pitiful gaze, reluctantly nodding his agreement. Zhang Jun, meanwhile, returned to Zhou Jin Yue’s side to quietly update her on Lan Zi Yu’s condition. Lan Zi Yu had suffered several broken ribs and internal injuries but would fully recover after a period of rest.
Seeing that no major calamity had occurred and mindful of Master Qing Yan’s temperament, Zhou Jin Yue agreed to Ye Cong Xin’s proposal. To prevent further harm, she confiscated Fang Cheng Lang’s sword, bound his hands and feet, and privately resolved to inform their master once they returned to avoid any lingering issues tied to Lone Moon Peak.
Unbeknownst to them, their attempt to conceal the matter had already failed.
Endless Sea
Master Qing Yan’s face had darkened to an indescribable degree. Even Sect Master Ji Yuan, who had boldly argued with him earlier, now wished to be anywhere but near him. Not even during the siege against the Five Elements Dao Sect by three Soul Transformation stage cultivators had Master Qing Yan appeared so terrifying.
The other sect leaders maintained a façade of serene composure, their eyes lowered in a meditative stance. But inwardly, their thoughts were in turmoil. The revelation that Fang Cheng Lang, once thought to be a model disciple, had attempted to kill his junior sister with a sword was baffling. What kind of deep-seated hatred could drive such absurd actions?
…
“Wow, it’s lively here! I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
Yao Wu Ji arrived at a perfect moment, shattering the heavy atmosphere in the room. Everyone turned to look at her, but their gazes were quickly drawn to the stunning figure beside her. The striking beauty beside her wore clothes in a similar style to her own, though ill-fitting and revealing a large expanse of fair skin at the chest.
The sight left Su Ming, Quan Ye, and Zhang Jun, along with a few other men, flustered and hastily averting their gazes. Their ears turned bright red.
Zhou Jin Yue, startled at first, took a closer look and realized this “beauty” was, in fact, a man. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when something struck her as odd—this man wasn’t on the list of the hundred participants for the competition.
“Daoist Yao, where did this person come from?” Zhou Jin Yue asked suspiciously.
Yao Wu Ji grinned mischievously as she let go of the man’s hand, which she had been playing with. “Senior Sister Zhou, I picked him up on the way here.”
“Picked him up?” Zhou Jin Yue’s expression grew even more dubious.
Yao Wu Ji nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! When I found him, he had no memory of anything, so I gave him a name: Wang Sheng.”
After finishing, she turned and winked repeatedly at Yu Zhao, clearly eager to find out if Yu Zhao had managed to obtain the Longevity Fruit.
But Yu Zhao didn’t notice Yao Wu Ji’s signals. Her gaze was fixed on Wang Sheng, the man Yao Wu Ji had brought along.
The man had an extraordinarily handsome face—one that no one would forget after seeing it even once. Yet Yu Zhao was certain she had no memory of meeting him before. Despite this, an intense unease welled up in her chest the moment she laid eyes on him.
Wang Sheng, meanwhile, was curiously scanning the surroundings. When his eyes met Yu Zhao’s, his expression lit up as though he had just found a long-lost treasure. Without warning, he ran excitedly toward her, shouting incoherently.
“Wang Sheng, where do you think you’re going? Come back here!” Yao Wu Ji shouted, reacting quickly. She grabbed him by the collar in an attempt to drag him back.
But Wang Sheng, showing surprising agility, slipped out of his outer garment and continued running toward Yu Zhao, his upper body now bare.
Fuming, Yao Wu Ji stomped her foot in frustration. With a flick of her wrist, a red silk ribbon shot out, binding Wang Sheng’s hands and feet. She then dragged him back like a disobedient child.
“Ahhh!” Wang Sheng writhed on the ground like a worm, his head craning toward Yu Zhao with an urgent, almost desperate expression.
Yao Wu Ji slapped the top of his head and threatened, “If you cause any more trouble, I’ll leave you here!”
At her words, Wang Sheng immediately went quiet.
Muttering under her breath, Yao Wu Ji added, “I really can’t tell if you’re genuinely stupid or just pretending.”
The commotion caused by the two soon subsided. Yu Zhao, though still uneasy, found nothing of immediate relevance from observing Wang Sheng further and decided to set the matter aside for now.
The others, including Fang Cheng Lang, had little to say, silently waiting for the floating island to close. None of them knew, however, that awaiting them outside the floating island was the fury of Master Qing Yan.