Chapter 7: Yu Zhao Is Still Yu Zhao
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Huuh…”
Yu Zhao rubbed her tired eyes and placed the book down with a sigh.
For the past three days, she had spent all her time at the Archive Pavilion, combing through every book on the first floor.
The results were disappointing.
Her gaze turned toward the staircase leading to the second floor.
Now, her only hope lay in the second floor.
If she couldn’t find a suitable cultivation technique there, her plans to dismantle and rebuild her foundation would be further delayed.
This was a scenario she wanted to avoid at all costs.
The longer the delay, the worse her hidden injuries would become. If her condition worsened, even starting anew might not save her.
Suppressing her growing anxiety, Yu Zhao made her way to the first floor’s exit.
The sun was setting, and the pavilion would soon close. Most others had already left, and it was time for her to do the same.
As she passed Elder Gu, the elderly gatekeeper, she offered him a polite bow as usual, preparing to leave. But just then, a voice called out to her.
“Young lady, what exactly are you looking for these past few days? There’s nothing here for you.”
The weathered voice made Yu Zhao pause in her tracks.
Turning back, she was surprised to see Elder Gu smiling at her.
In her three days of coming and going, this was the first time he had spoken to her.
She hesitated for a moment before replying honestly, “Elder Gu, I’m searching for a technique suitable for me.”
“Oh?” Elder Gu raised a bushy white eyebrow. “If I recall correctly, aren’t you training under Master Qing Yan in the Bright Moon Over the Sea Technique?”
Yu Zhao’s eyes widened. “Elder Gu, you know me?”
“Hahaha.” Elder Gu chuckled heartily. “Of course I do. Aren’t you Master Qing Yan’s youngest disciple? What, did you think I was just some old relic, oblivious to everything?”
Yu Zhao gave an embarrassed smile. Then, recalling his earlier words, she corrected him calmly, “Elder Gu, my master recently took on a new disciple. I’m no longer the youngest.”
Her tone was serene, her expression composed, as if she were merely stating a fact.
Elder Gu studied her silently for a moment before sighing deeply. He refrained from probing further into why she was no longer cultivating the Bright Moon Over the Sea Technique.
Yu Zhao felt a sense of relief.
She hadn’t wanted to lie, but she also wasn’t ready to reveal everything. This outcome, where Elder Gu let the matter drop, was ideal.
Setting his book aside, Elder Gu pondered for a while before saying slowly, “I think I know what you’re looking for. Come see me tomorrow—I might be able to help.”
Yu Zhao’s eyes lit up.
“Thank you, Elder Gu!”
She didn’t doubt his words. As the guardian of the Archive Pavilion, Elder Gu was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable about its contents.
Moreover, Elder Gu, with his indifferent and tranquil nature, had no reason to deceive her.
Though she didn’t understand why he wanted to help her, she was genuinely grateful. She thanked him profusely, the tension of the past few days easing for the first time.
Elder Gu waved her off with a cheerful laugh. “Go on now. Don’t forget to find me tomorrow.”
“I won’t!”
Yu Zhao left the pavilion in high spirits, eagerly looking forward to the next day.
However, her good mood plummeted the moment she saw the tall figure waiting outside her cave dwelling. The curve of her lips instantly vanished.
Why was he here?
“Senior Brother,” she greeted, her tone laced with thinly veiled irritation.
Fang Cheng Lang turned to face her, his brows furrowed and jaw tight. “Where have you been? Why are you coming back so late?”
Yu Zhao responded dismissively, “I was delayed by something.”
She didn’t elaborate further.
Fang Cheng Lang’s expression darkened, his voice rising. “Yu Zhao, I thought your time in the Black Prison would teach you to be more sensible, like Little Junior Sister. But clearly, you’re still as undisciplined as ever. It’s truly disappointing!”
Yu Zhao’s lips curled faintly in derision.
Here it was again, the same old lecture.
She had heard these words so many times that they had long lost their sting.
At some point, the praises and encouragement she once received from her senior brother had turned into relentless criticisms.
In the past, even a small effort, like braiding her hair, would earn her a compliment. But now, all she ever heard was scolding and disapproval.
For a while, she had walked on eggshells, afraid of incurring her senior brothers’ inexplicable ire.
But now, she saw things clearly.
When someone dislikes you, even the way you breathe can become a fault.
Why should she change herself to please others?
Especially people who no longer mattered.
Nodding agreeably, she said, “Senior Brother is absolutely right. Little Junior Sister is clever and talented, unlike someone as mediocre as me.”
Her words made Fang Cheng Lang freeze in place, his expression stunned.
Had he heard her correctly?
What was his Sixth Junior Sister saying?
She… she…
Fang Cheng Lang’s sharp eyes bore into Yu Zhao, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
Yu Zhao met his gaze without flinching, her expression calm and indifferent.
The sight unnerved him.
Details he had overlooked began surfacing.
Since her time in the Black Prison, Sixth Junior Sister had seemed like a completely different person.
In the past, she would smile sweetly at him, chase after him incessantly, and pout jealously whenever he praised Little Junior Sister.
Her emotions had been vivid and lively.
Now, she stared at him with an unsettling calmness, as if he were a stranger.
This wasn’t his Sixth Junior Sister.
Could it be… possession?
The thought struck him like a thunderbolt. His eyes widened in horror as he drew his flying sword, pointing its blade at her throat.
“What demon are you? Get out of my junior sister’s body immediately!” he demanded angrily.
Yu Zhao flinched in surprise.
As a mid-stage Golden Core sword cultivator, Fang Cheng Lang’s power far surpassed her own. Even ten of her couldn’t withstand a single strike from him.
Now, with his sword at her throat, the chill of death crept over her, raising every hair on her body.
Her delayed reaction only reinforced Fang Cheng Lang’s suspicions.
To him, her hesitation was a sign of guilt, validating his theory.
Overwhelmed with fury, he barked, “I can’t believe someone dared to possess a disciple of Master Qing Yan right under the sect’s nose! Do you think our sect’s Mountain-Protecting Formation is a joke?”
Spiritual energy surged through his blade, its sharp light cutting into Yu Zhao’s neck.
She felt the sting of pain and the warmth of blood trickling down her skin.
“Get out now, or I will destroy you completely!” Fang Cheng Lang threatened coldly.
Yu Zhao’s heart chilled.
If she didn’t prove her innocence quickly, Fang Cheng Lang’s attacks would only grow fiercer.
“Senior Brother, I haven’t been possessed. Who would be foolish enough to attempt possession in the Five Elements Dao Sect? The Mountain-Protecting Formation alone would make it impossible,” she argued.
For a moment, Fang Cheng Lang wavered.
Still, her strange behavior left him uneasy. His blade remained at her throat, unmoving.
Yu Zhao, undeterred by the pain, continued calmly, “And if I truly were possessed, why would I make such obvious mistakes, drawing your attention? That would be digging my own grave.”
Her words struck him like a hammer.
Yes. If Yu Zhao had been possessed, why would the possessor act so foolishly as to expose themselves?
Which meant… Yu Zhao was still Yu Zhao.
Sixth Junior Sister was still Sixth Junior Sister.
This piece of garbage!
Wtf?
She was indifferent to him, so he cut her throat????