Chapter 22: A Failed Example!
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Ye Cong Xin gasped for breath as if the air had been ripped from her lungs. But then, unexpectedly, a sense of calm washed over her. She knew Master Qing Yan wouldn’t leave her stranded.
In an instant, her body felt lighter, and she found herself in Master Qing Yan’s cave. A warm energy surged through her, dispelling the dizziness. She blinked, her face pale but managing a weak smile. “Master.”
Master Qing Yan gazed at her, his face a complex tapestry of anger and worry. His voice, firm yet tinged with rebuke, broke the silence. “Little Seven, your constitution is already frail. You must be more vigilant about your health.”
“Master, I only rushed over because I heard Sixth Senior Sister. I promise to be more cautious in the future,” Ye Cong Xin replied, her head bowed, revealing her delicate neck.
Master Qing Yan appeared partly reassured, yet he continued to impart more advice. Ye Cong Xin listened intently, responding dutifully to each point. Their conversation made Yu Zhao, who had quietly joined them earlier, feel like an outsider.
Yu Zhao stood by, observing silently. In her previous life, the sight of a kind master and a loyal disciple would have filled her with envy.
When Yu Zhao was first taken in as a disciple, Master Qing Yan was absorbed in his own cultivation breakthroughs, delegating her training to Senior Brother Fang Cheng Lang. It was only when Yu Zhao took up the Sea Moon Technique that she began to have more interactions with him.
Truthfully, Master Qing Yan wasn’t the most attentive teacher. Beyond Fang Cheng Lang, he rarely invested time in his other disciples. He approached teaching Yu Zhao by overloading her with techniques and expected her to navigate through them on her own, only stepping in when she faced significant challenges.
The Sea Moon Technique was intricate and demanding. Yu Zhao found herself juggling intense training sessions and her senior brothers’ demands, which slowed her progress. Master Qing Yan, who was a perfectionist, couldn’t stand the thought of a merely average female disciple and gradually withdrew his favor, growing to resent Yu Zhao.
This disappointment with Yu Zhao led Master Qing Yan to adopt a warmer, more thorough teaching approach with Ye Cong Xin. The stark contrast often left Yu Zhao questioning her own worth.
“Yu Zhao.” Her master’s voice snapped Yu Zhao from her reverie.
She looked up to meet his displeased gaze and bowed respectfully. “Master?”
“Little Seven called out to you. Why did you ignore her?” Master Qing Yan’s voice filled the space, heavy with authority.
Yu Zhao’s shoulders drooped, and she knelt, her composure intact despite the pressure. She glanced at Ye Cong Xin, who seemed unfazed, and responded coolly, “I had just emerged from a long period of seclusion and didn’t hear Junior Sister. My apologies, Junior Sister.”
Ye Cong Xin, who had been attentively listening to Master Qing Yan, turned her gaze to Yu Zhao, taken aback by her apology. It had been three years, and Yu Zhao had changed dramatically. The fiery, defiant young girl Ye Cong Xin remembered had transformed into someone with a chilling distance in her demeanor, especially evident in her deep, dark eyes.
Though Yu Zhao apologized, it felt detached, as if she spoke of someone else. “Is this really Yu Zhao?” Ye Cong Xin murmured, then quickly added, “It’s not your fault, Senior Sister. I should have spoken louder.”
Yu Zhao offered another brief apology before turning her attention back to Master Qing Yan. “Master, I request permission to join the expedition to Dragon Roar Valley in three days.”
Master Qing Yan considered her kneeling form; the reprimand of making her kneel was mild compared to his initial displeasure. He nodded slowly. “You have reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in three years. Your diligence shows…”
Ye Cong Xin felt a surge of unease. Yu Zhao’s advancement had been faster than she anticipated, nearly matching her own progress after she had to rebuild her foundation. Yu Zhao’s innate Water Spirit Root was a rare gift. What disturbed her more was Master Qing Yan’s apparent willingness to allow Yu Zhao’s participation.
Having another mid-Foundation Establishment member in the team was troublesome enough. If Yu Zhao joined, it could stir discontent among the other disciples.
More crucially, Ye Cong Xin worried about her own standing with Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu if Yu Zhao was around. She needed to prevent this at all costs!
With a swift motion, Ye Cong Xin also knelt.
“Little Seven…” Master Qing Yan began.
“Master!” Ye Cong Xin interrupted, her voice thick with emotion. “Master, I and Sixth Senior Sister share a deep connection. I wish to accompany her to Dragon Roar Valley. Please allow us to go together!”
Yu Zhao inwardly scoffed. In her past life, Ye Cong Xin had also journeyed to Dragon Roar Valley. During that perilous trip, Senior Sister Jin Yue had died protecting the disciples, and others like Lan Zi Yu and Fang Cheng Lang had been gravely wounded. Yet, Ye Cong Xin emerged unscathed and even advanced in her cultivation.
Now, Yu Zhao saw those past ‘accidents’ as Ye Cong Xin’s manipulations. She was determined not to let Ye Cong Xin harm another. If Ye Cong Xin tried any schemes, Yu Zhao was prepared to make them pay.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Ridiculous,” Master Qing Yan’s expression hardened. “Dragon Roar Valley is fraught with peril. Little Seven, you are not to go!”
“Master!” Tears welled in Ye Cong Xin’s eyes. “Master, I am also a cultivator! I am your disciple! I refuse to be seen as a burden. I want to make you proud! If no one else believes in me, won’t you?”
Her passionate plea softened the hearts of those present, and Yu Zhao sensed Master Qing Yan might relent.
He sighed deeply, finally conceding. “Very well! You may go.”
“Thank you, Master!” Ye Cong Xin’s tears shifted from sorrow to joy, but her happiness was not solely for the permission granted. It was because this journey offered her a chance to align herself closer to Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu. By usurping their fortunes, she could escape the curse of her ailments.
If those simpletons could rise to prominence in the cultivation world, why couldn’t she? Ye Cong Xin was determined to carve out her own legendary status as the most revered female cultivator in the realm. Her name would echo through the ages!