Chapter 38: Stop Crying, I’m Still Alive
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Fang Cheng Lang and the others raced ahead, their spirits crushed, looking more like ghosts than vibrant disciples. Their faces were pale, their hearts heavy with a deep, unshakable despair.
They reluctantly admitted that the deafening noise they had heard could only have been made by Senior Sister Jin Yue. During the first two waves of attacks, Jin Yue had exhausted every magical tool available to her. The only remaining tactic capable of such disruption was one they feared to even consider.
Self-detonation.
This desperate act didn’t merely destroy the body; it obliterated the soul itself, erasing a cultivator’s very essence. A self-detonated soul scattered to the winds, foreclosing any possibility of reincarnation.
Amid the somber mood, sobs broke the silence. Soon, the weeping spread among them. Zhang Jun cried the most intensely. He despised his own helplessness, his inability to save Senior Sister Jin Yue or anyone else. The shame of facing his master weighed heavily on him. Tears streamed down his face as his fists clenched tightly, each drop a testament to his overwhelming guilt.
In his tear-blurred vision, he thought he heard Jin Yue’s voice again.
“Second Junior Brother.”
Startled, Zhang Jun couldn’t contain his emotions any longer and began to wail loudly, calling out for his Senior Sister. His cries were so poignant that they moved all who heard him to tears. Many disciples, stirred by his grief, joined in the lament. Ye Cong Xin, under the guise of wiping her tears, rolled her eyes secretly. How hypocritical.
Suddenly, a crisp slap cut through the cries.
“Why are you crying? I’m not dead yet!”
The slap nearly knocked Zhang Jun off his feet. Staggering, he turned around in disbelief. Zhou Jin Yue stood there, hands on her hips, her glare fierce. Behind her, Yu Zhao and Mu Ye from the Green Wood Sect appeared. Mu Ye waved, grinning, “Hi!”
“Senior Sister! It’s really you!”
The shock was so profound that Zhang Jun froze momentarily. The other disciples of the Five Elements Sect, alerted by the commotion, turned and saw Zhou Jin Yue standing unscathed. They too were taken aback.
“Senior Sister!”
Zhang Jun rushed toward Jin Yue like a chick to its mother. Caught off guard, Zhou Jin Yue, who had been using her sword to transport Yu Zhao and Mu Ye, couldn’t dodge in time and was enveloped in Zhang Jun’s embrace. She turned her face away in disgust but soon felt warm tears on her neck. Her stern expression softened as she patted Zhang Jun’s back gently.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Unable to articulate his relief, Zhang Jun just shook his head vigorously, his tears and snot smearing across Zhou Jin Yue’s face. Enduring this messy display for a moment, Zhou Jin Yue finally pushed him away, “Enough! Don’t push it.”
She immediately regretted her impatience. Because she was quickly swarmed by more crying disciples, all of them calling her name. Yu Zhao and Mu Ye, squeezed out of the circle, exchanged a knowing look and chuckled. The two had bonded deeply through life-and-death experiences.
Reflecting on the dire moments of the rescue, Yu Zhao was still haunted by a lingering fear. They had nearly been too late; Zhou Jin Yue could have been lost along with the Crimson Flame Lion. The thought of nearly losing such a valued senior sister again made Yu Zhao shiver. She smiled faintly, relieved and glad that they had saved Zhou Jin Yue.
Just then, three figures appeared before Yu Zhao—figures she had hoped not to encounter.
Despite his messy appearance, Fang Cheng Lang’s face was etched with concern as he asked, “Little Six, are you alright?”
Lan Zi Yu didn’t respond verbally but his gaze intensely scrutinized Yu Zhao, sweeping over her from head to toe as if cataloging every detail.
Beside them, Ye Cong Xin clasped her hands before her chest, a solitary tear dangling from her eye, her expression the picture of distress. “Sixth Senior Sister, I’m so glad you’re okay!”
Mu Ye observed the scene, a hint of envy coloring his tone for the tight-knit camaraderie that seemed to bind the Five Elements Sect disciples together.
After the profound enlightenment, the troubles of her past no longer bewildered Yu Zhao. She saw the genuine concern in Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu’s eyes—they truly cared. But their concern arrived too late. Yu Zhao no longer sought the warmth of others to fill the void within her.
Now, she understood her desires clearly and was determined to follow them without hesitation. In her previous life, obsession had led to suffering. In this life, they were nothing more than strangers.
“I’m fine,” Yu Zhao assured with a faint smile. Fang Cheng Lang’s face initially lit up with relief, but as he studied her smile—polite yet distant—his expression stiffened.
Little Six, one must always be courteous, even towards those you dislike. You must learn to smile politely—a smile that doesn’t reach your eyes, devoid of sincerity. Let me show you how…
These memories echoed painfully in Fang Cheng Lang’s mind, a sharp sting clutching at his heart, nearly bringing him to his knees. Before, when Yu Zhao had been cold, he had reassured himself that it was just a phase, that she would come around. But her polite smile now unsettled him even more.
Had he become someone Yu Zhao truly disliked? Was she never going to forgive him?
“Little Six, please… don’t smile like that,” he pleaded, his voice cracking, eyes reddening with a mixture of sorrow and despair.
Yu Zhao hadn’t expected Fang Cheng Lang to read her emotions so accurately. She had planned to dismiss him with a mere polite smile, but seeing his insight, she decided against pretense. Yu Zhao lifted the corners of her mouth slightly, meeting his gaze calmly. Her clear eyes mirrored Fang Cheng Lang’s troubled image.
In her eyes, Fang Cheng Lang saw himself as pathetic and disgraceful. It was a revelation—he was truly no longer needed by Yu Zhao. A loud buzzing overwhelmed his senses, muting the world around him as a suffocating pain gripped his heart. He reached out shakily, trying to connect with Yu Zhao, but his vision blurred, and darkness encroached. Then, he collapsed.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Senior Brother!”
Lan Zi Yu and Ye Cong Xin reacted instantly, catching Fang Cheng Lang before he hit the ground.
“He’s alright. Senior Brother just needs to rest; he’s exhausted,” Lan Zi Yu reassured Ye Cong Xin after assessing the wrist pulse.
Relieved, Ye Cong Xin shed tears of gratitude, “Thank goodness.”
As Lan Zi Yu turned to update Yu Zhao, he found her observing them with the same detached coolness. His heart sank. Fang Cheng Lang had fainted, and yet, Yu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged—no concern, no panic.
Did she no longer care about their Senior Brother at all? Was this really the Yu Zhao they knew?
The realization sent a shiver down Lan Zi Yu’s spine, the cold fear almost too much to bear.