Chapter 5: Secrets of the Past Life
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Riding a tiger and unable to dismount.
Ye Cong Xin began to regret agreeing to Yu Zhao’s public apology. Now, it felt like she had been put on the spot, roasted over an open flame by Yu Zhao.
She glanced toward Fang Cheng Lang for help, but his solemn expression made it clear he had no intention of intervening. A flicker of resentment against him sprouted in her heart.
“Hmm?”
Yu Zhao’s faint hum was soft but carried an inexplicable pressure.
The crowd began to stir uneasily.
Everyone awaited Ye Cong Xin’s response.
Forced to face the situation, Ye Cong Xin reluctantly took the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute from Yu Zhao’s hand. “Thank you, Senior Sister,” she murmured.
Boom!
An explosive wave of hostility erupted.
Lan Zi Yu’s eyes burned red with a mix of shock and fury.
“Yu! Zhao!”
The surrounding disciples recoiled in fear, their faces filled with alarm.
Even Ye Cong Xin involuntarily stepped back. Lan Zi Yu’s expression was so terrifying it stirred a genuine sense of fear in her.
“Zi Yu! Calm yourself!”
Fang Cheng Lang stepped forward, placing himself between Lan Zi Yu and Yu Zhao. He gently patted Lan Zi Yu’s arm to soothe him.
But then he froze.
Lan Zi Yu’s arms were trembling.
For the first time, Fang Cheng Lang realized that Lan Zi Yu might not despise Yu Zhao as much as he let on.
“The apology is made, and the gift is given. I won’t bother you all any further,” Yu Zhao said nonchalantly, clasping her hands in a gesture of farewell before walking away, leaving the dumbfounded crowd behind.
“She… she just left like that?”
Someone muttered in disbelief.
In the past, even a slight frown from Lan Zi Yu would send Yu Zhao anxiously circling around him. Yet today, she didn’t even spare him a glance. It was as if she had become a completely different person.
Could it be… that she had lost her mind?
Lan Zi Yu stood momentarily dazed.
She left?
Yu Zhao really left?
No explanation, no justification?
She just walked away?
Shock quickly gave way to overwhelming fury.
“Good! Very good!”
The anger surging within Lan Zi Yu threatened to consume him. His clenched teeth barely held back the torrent of rage.
“Zi Yu, calm down. You’re not in the right state of mind,” Fang Cheng Lang said, exasperated.
He had hoped to mend the rift between Little Six and Little Junior Sister, fostering harmony among the group. But now, his second brother and Little Six seemed to be at each other’s throats.
Lan Zi Yu, his eyes still red, growled, “I am calm!”
Fang Cheng Lang sighed, managing a weary smile as he turned to Ye Cong Xin. “Little Junior Sister, go and rest. I’ll have a word with your second brother.”
Ye Cong Xin glanced at Lan Zi Yu, then quickly nodded. Not daring to mention the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute, she hastily left.
The other disciples, eager to witness the drama, lingered but didn’t dare openly gawk. They slowly dispersed, casting curious glances as they retreated.
Turning to Lan Zi Yu, Fang Cheng Lang spoke sharply. “Come with me.”
As the eldest senior brother of Lone Moon Peak, Fang Cheng Lang’s authority was second only to their master, Master Qing Yan. Despite his reluctance, Lan Zi Yu followed him to a secluded area on the mountain.
“Zi Yu, you were impulsive today,” Fang Cheng Lang began, his tone stern.
If not for his intervention, Lone Moon Peak might have become the sect’s laughingstock.
Lan Zi Yu’s face darkened. “Senior Brother, it was Yu Zhao who humiliated me first. From now on, she and I are done.”
“Ridiculous!” Fang Cheng Lang snapped. “How exactly did Sixth Sister humiliate you?”
“She gave my gift to someone else!”
Just the memory of Yu Zhao handing over the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute filled Lan Zi Yu with a rage so intense it burned through his veins, threatening to consume him.
“That wasn’t just anyone. It was your Little Junior Sister, Ye Cong Xin. Weren’t you always the closest to her? Why can’t you accept this?”
Lan Zi Yu faltered, a trace of confusion flickering in his eyes. “It’s… it’s not the same…”
“What’s not the same? Sixth Sister and Little Junior Sister are both your junior sisters. What’s the difference?” Fang Cheng Lang pressed.
“She, I…” Lan Zi Yu stammered, then gritted his teeth. “It’s just not the same!”
The Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute was his first successful creation, imbued with his painstaking effort and sentimental value. It was one of a kind.
Just like the unique bamboo grove where it came from, there could never be another flute like it.
Fang Cheng Lang softened slightly at his words. “Zi Yu, it’s clear that deep down, you still care about Sixth Sister. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
“Impossible!” Lan Zi Yu exploded. “Why would I care about her? Ever since the day she hurt Little Junior Sister, I’ve known she’s a malicious and scheming person. I could never care for someone like her!”
Fang Cheng Lang frowned, bewildered.
He remembered a time when Lan Zi Yu and Yu Zhao were close. Even if Yu Zhao had become less agreeable over the years, it shouldn’t have led to such animosity.
Had something happened between them that he wasn’t aware of?
He tried to probe further, but Lan Zi Yu, like a cat with its tail stepped on, grew even more agitated. “Don’t bother, Senior Brother! Even if Yu Zhao knelt and begged for forgiveness, I would never forgive her! It’s her or me—no compromise!”
With that, he stormed off, leaving Fang Cheng Lang rubbing his temples in exhaustion.
It seemed reasoning with his second brother was impossible.
Perhaps it was best to have Little Six apologize first.
After all, she was the one who started this mess.
…
In one of Lone Moon Peak’s caves, Yu Zhao sat cross-legged on a stone bed, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Today, by gifting the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute to Ye Cong Xin, she had severed her ties with Lan Zi Yu. At the same time, she had subtly pushed Ye Cong Xin and Lan Zi Yu closer together.
In her past life, whether by coincidence or design, Ye Cong Xin always aligned herself with the brightest stars of their generation—the most talented and promising cultivators.
But strangely, while these geniuses shone brightly at first, they all faltered later on, their brilliance dimmed.
Ye Cong Xin was the sole exception.
As others stagnated, her potential soared. She eventually surpassed all of them, becoming the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator in the sect, celebrated far and wide.
Initially, Yu Zhao hadn’t suspected anything unusual. Ye Cong Xin was beloved by their master and senior brothers, receiving an endless supply of spiritual stones and pills.
With such abundant resources, even someone with mediocre talent would make significant progress.
The first crack in Yu Zhao’s assumptions appeared when Lan Zi Yu went into seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
He spent a decade preparing meticulously, gathering resources and ensuring every detail was perfect. Even Master Qing Yan declared his success was inevitable.
But the result was disastrous. Lan Zi Yu not only failed but suffered severe backlash, nearly losing all his cultivation.
By then, Yu Zhao’s relationship with everyone on Lone Moon Peak had soured. Yet, seeing Lan Zi Yu’s withered state, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for his plight.
While she struggled to find words of comfort, news broke that Ye Cong Xin had successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage.
That was when suspicion took root in Yu Zhao’s heart.