Chapter 262: Am I Just a Substitute for Yu Zhao?
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
“Fourth Senior Brother.”
Cui Jue stood at the edge of the cliff, hands behind his back, ignoring the voice calling him from behind.
Ye Cong Xin pressed her lips together, feeling awkward.
Her way out was blocked, leaving her no choice but to confront him.
Truthfully, there was no deep conflict between them. She didn’t even know why Cui Jue had distanced himself from her.
Maybe this was an opportunity to change his impression of her.
“Fourth Senior Brother, what did I do wrong to make you unhappy? If you don’t tell me, how would I know? Don’t you think this is too cruel?”
“If I’ve done something wrong, I’m willing to change. Please, don’t ignore me.”
Tears streamed down her face as Ye Cong Xin choked on her words. She looked like a lost fawn—innocent and pitiful.
Cui Jue remained silent, unmoving like a mountain.
Ye Cong Xin took a small step forward, reaching out to tug at his sleeve.
But Cui Jue sidestepped to the right, evading her hand with precision.
“Fourth Senior Brother!”
Ye Cong Xin broke down, crying bitterly. Large teardrops rolled down her cheeks.
Half of her sorrow was feigned, but the other half was genuine.
Among her five senior brothers, she liked Cui Jue the most.
Cui Jue was cold and distant toward outsiders and spoke little even to his fellow disciples. But when it came to her, he would smile and prepare medicinal pills to nourish her body.
He wasn’t like Fang Cheng Lang, who lectured too much, or Lan Zi Yu, who was unpredictable. Cui Jue was like a spring breeze, soothing her wounded soul during her darkest days.
Ye Cong Xin truly regarded him as her senior brother, even planning to eventually steal his luck value.
His sudden change of attitude was the hardest for her to accept.
They had been so close. Why had Cui Jue changed so suddenly? Were men truly heartless?
“Fourth Senior Brother, answer me! Why? Why have I wronged you?”
Finally, Cui Jue turned around, his eyelashes lowering slightly. His gaze was cold and unfamiliar.
Ye Cong Xin felt a chill.
She instinctively hugged herself as her tear-filled eyes locked onto Cui Jue.
She demanded an answer. She refused to let it go.
“Ye Cong Xin, the reason I cared for you back then wasn’t my own decision. It was Yu Zhao who pitied you and asked me to refine pills to nourish your body. Even the spiritual herbs used in the pills were planted and harvested by Yu Zhao herself. She is the one you should be grateful to.”
Cui Jue’s words shattered Ye Cong Xin’s fantasies.
She couldn’t accept it.
“No, that’s not true! Fourth Senior Brother, you like me! Don’t you remember? You once praised me for being bright and cheerful, like a little sun, always warm and radiant.”
She desperately tried to remind Cui Jue of their shared memories.
“That was something I once said to Yu Zhao,” Cui Jue replied, his voice icy.
“What?”
“When Yu Zhao’s time was taken by other senior brothers, and you happened to appear, combined with Yu Zhao’s request, I treated you as her substitute.”
Once, Yu Zhao was the most beloved junior sister on the peak.
Ye Cong Xin was merely a frail, pitiable girl.
Yu Zhao, with her kind heart, sought Cui Jue’s help when Ye Cong Xin was unwell, and the two grew closer as a result.
Cui Jue lowered his gaze.
His greatest mistake was getting too involved in the role.
From the beginning to the end, Yu Zhao was the only junior sister he liked. Ye Cong Xin was merely a substitute to pass the time in Yu Zhao’s absence.
But he had played the part for so long that he mistook the act for reality and lost the person he truly cared for.
That’s why he hated himself.
He had given up on refining pills as a result.
“A substitute? You took me as Yu Zhao’s substitute?” Ye Cong Xin’s voice trembled.
She had thought she was special to Cui Jue.
But the truth was this?
How ridiculous men were.
“Don’t come looking for me again,” Cui Jue said coldly before leaving.
Ye Cong Xin stood frozen, biting her lip so hard it bled. Hatred burned in her eyes, almost tangible.
“Yu Zhao, it’s always because of you. Why can’t you just die?”
As long as Yu Zhao was alive, she was the biggest obstacle.
One day, she would repay the humiliation she suffered because of Yu Zhao, down to the last bit.
…
Yu Zhao rubbed her itchy ear.
She picked up the little fox wrapped around her neck and weighed it in her hand.
“Not bad, you’ve gotten heavier.”
“Yu Zhao! Yu Zhao! Let’s go play! Don’t just stay in the room—it’s so stinky in here!” the little fox said cheerfully, waving its chubby paws.
The “stink” referred to the smell of blood wafting from the room next door.
Although Jiu Wei had promised Master Qing Yan to help Quan Ye through this ordeal, she had no intention of making it easy for him. She simply kept him alive and breathing, fulfilling the agreement.
As a result, Quan Ye was in constant agony, his screams echoing daily. Blood pooled and seeped from under his door.
Yu Zhao remained unaffected, but the little fox couldn’t stand it.
Acting as the foxes’ representative, it invited Yu Zhao to their den to play.
In reality, it was after the variety of snacks in Yu Zhao’s storage pouch.
Yu Zhao gladly agreed.
Since parting ways, Bai Ling and Jiu Wei hadn’t shown themselves again.
Yu Zhao wasn’t in a hurry.
Her predicament was also the demons’ predicament. As leaders of the demonic race, Bai Ling and Jiu Wei wouldn’t remain indifferent. All she needed was patience.
As Yu Zhao followed the little fox to the gathering spot for the smaller demons, Bai Ling and Jiu Wei appeared in Quan Ye’s room.
Looking at the bloodied, bound figure on the bed, Bai Ling hesitated. Despite his appearance, Quan Ye carried the bloodline of the Azure Dragon Clan, making him part of their kind.
But noticing Jiu Wei’s expression, Bai Ling swallowed his words.
Sensing his gaze, Jiu Wei’s tone turned sharp. “Feeling sorry for him?”
Bai Ling shook his head.
“I could stop his pain immediately by giving him the spirit medicine, but I won’t. Do you know why?” Jiu Wei asked coldly.
Bai Ling hesitated. “Because you don’t like him?”
“Correct,” Jiu Wei admitted. “But that’s not the main reason.”
Her sharp gaze met Bai Ling’s. “Being a descendant of the Azure Dragon Clan isn’t easy. If things come too easily, they won’t be cherished. I want him to remember this pain, to never forget who he is.”
For other beasts, Jiu Wei might have used a different method. But Quan Ye was special, his loyalty leaning more toward humans.
Jiu Wei didn’t want to save an ingrate.
“Won’t this push him to rebel?” Bai Ling asked, concerned.
Quan Ye was their second option. Bai Ling didn’t want him to turn against the demons.
“If it does, then he’s not the person we need.”
Unlike Bai Ling, Jiu Wei didn’t pin her hopes on others.
If Quan Ye couldn’t integrate with the demons, she’d abandon him without hesitation, focusing on finding a new target.
Bai Ling fell silent, reflecting on her words.
Could he have been wrong?