Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Why Are You Crying? I Am Not Dead Yet
Fang Cheng Lang and the others flew forward in a daze, every face dry and gray, like walking corpses.

Even though they did not want to believe it, the noise they had heard just now had clearly been made by Senior Sister Zhou.

In the first two waves of attacks, Senior Sister Zhou had already used every magical artifact she could. The only thing left that could still make such a loud, shocking noise was one last move.

Self-detonation.

This was also the way of dying that cultivators were least willing to choose.

Self-detonation meant not only blowing up the body, but also destroying the most important thing a cultivator had, their soul.

Once someone self-detonated, their soul scattered and disappeared. There would be no next life.

Someone could not help letting out a soft sob.

Right after that, crying spread from one person to many.

Zhang Jun cried the hardest.

He hated himself for being useless. He could not save his senior sister, and he could not save everyone else.

He felt he had no face to see his master.

He clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. Big drops of tears kept falling, and the guilt in his heart almost drowned him.

In his daze, he seemed to hear his senior sister’s voice again, calling: “Second Junior Brother.”

“Wu wu!”

Zhang Jun finally could not hold back anymore. He burst into loud sobs and, while crying, he kept calling for his First Senior Sister.

Anyone who heard him felt sad. Anyone who saw him wanted to cry.

Many disciples were affected by him and also started crying and shouting out loud.

Ye Cong Xin lowered her head to wipe her tears. While she did it, she secretly curled her lips.

[So fake.]

A sharp slap sounded.

Zhang Jun was almost knocked flying by the sudden blow. His body swayed, and he turned his head in disbelief.

Zhou Jin Yue stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at him fiercely.

Behind her stood Yu Zhao and Mu Ye from Greenwood Sect.

Mu Ye raised a hand toward him with a grin and waved: “Hi!”

The joy came too suddenly. Zhang Jun froze in place for a moment, then shouted: “Senior Sister, it is really you!”

The other Five Elements Dao Sect disciples who heard the commotion also turned around. When they saw Zhou Jin Yue and the other two standing there safe and sound, shock filled their faces.

“First Senior Sister!”

Zhang Jun was like a little bird flying back to its nest as he threw himself at Zhou Jin Yue.

Zhou Jin Yue was still riding her sword, carrying Yu Zhao and Mu Ye. She had nowhere to dodge, so Zhang Jun hugged her full on.

She turned her face away in disgust, but soon felt warm liquid falling on the side of her neck.

Her tight expression slowly relaxed. She raised a hand and gently patted Zhang Jun on the back as she said: “You worked hard.”

Zhang Jun was so excited he could not speak. He only kept shaking his head while his tears and snot rubbed all over Zhou Jin Yue’s face.

Zhou Jin Yue held it in and held it in, but in the end she could not take it anymore. She lifted her leg and kicked Zhang Jun away as she snapped: “That is enough. Do not push your luck.”

The next moment, Zhou Jin Yue regretted it.

Because even more Five Elements Dao Sect disciples rushed over to surround her. Eyes full of tears, they threw themselves at her, all shouting “Senior Sister Zhou” over and over.

Yu Zhao and Mu Ye were squeezed out of the crowd.

The two of them looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

They could now be called friends who had faced life-and-death together.

When Yu Zhao thought back to that dangerous moment when they saved people just now, her heart still thumped with fear.

If they had been a step later, Zhou Jin Yue would have been ready to burn her soul and self-detonate together with the Scarlet Flame Lion.

She had almost lost this good Senior Sister Zhou a second time.

A faint smile hung on Yu Zhao’s lips. She felt lucky and happy that she could stand beside someone like Zhou Jin Yue.

Just then, three people she did not want to see appeared in front of her at the same time.

Even his messy, battered face could not hide the worry on Fang Cheng Lang’s features. He looked at her with concern and asked: “Little Six, are you alright?”

Lan Zi Yu did not speak, but his eyes kept running up and down Yu Zhao’s body, as if he wanted to take her apart and check every hair on her head.

Ye Cong Xin clasped her hands tightly at her chest. A tear hung at the corner of her eye, making her look pitiful and fragile.

“Sixth Senior Sister, it is so good to see that you are safe!” Mu Ye thought as she watched the group gather around Yu Zhao, her face full of envy. In her heart she praised the Five Elements Dao Sect disciples for being so united and close, with such deep bonds.

After going through a sudden enlightenment, all the things that had confused Yu Zhao in the past could no longer trouble her.

She could see that Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu’s care for her was not fake. It truly came from their hearts.

But their feelings had come too late. The current her no longer needed other people’s love to fill the emptiness inside.

She already understood what she wanted and had chosen to walk that path without turning back.

In her last life, she clung too much and brought bitter fruit on herself.

In this life, they would only be strangers passing by each other.

“I am fine,” Yu Zhao said with a small smile.

Fang Cheng Lang first let out a breath of relief. Then, when his gaze fell on the smile on Yu Zhao’s face and the emptiness in her eyes, his expression suddenly froze.

Past words echoed in his mind.

[Little Six, without learning proper manners, you cannot stand in the world. Even if you meet someone you do not like, you still cannot keep a cold face. You must learn to give a polite smile.]

[A polite smile means your face is smiling, but your eyes do not move and your heart feels nothing.]

[It is simple. Senior Brother will teach you. You just smile like this…]

A sharp pain stabbed his chest, almost making it hard for Fang Cheng Lang to stand.

Before, when Little Six kept a cold face and ignored them, he could still comfort himself. He told himself Little Six was just throwing a childish tantrum. Once they coaxed her, she would be fine.

But now Little Six was smiling at them, and he felt even more afraid.

Had Little Six counted him as one of the people she disliked?

Was Little Six planning to never forgive him for the rest of this life?

“Little Six, do not smile like that. Do not smile like that…” Fang Cheng Lang stared into Yu Zhao’s eyes. The corners of his eyes were red, his expression full of sadness and almost despair.

Yu Zhao had not expected Fang Cheng Lang’s sense for such things to be so sharp.

She had only meant to brush him off with a smile. Since he had seen through it, she simply stopped hiding.

Yu Zhao lifted the corners of her lips a bit higher and calmly met his gaze. In her clear eyes, Fang Cheng Lang saw his own face reflected back.

Fang Cheng Lang saw, completely and clearly, a pathetic and shameful version of himself in Yu Zhao’s eyes.

In that moment, he understood with painful clarity that Little Six no longer needed him.

A loud buzzing filled his ears. It was as if everything around him had lost its sound, and the pain in his heart made it hard to breathe.

He stretched out a trembling hand, wanting to grab hold of Yu Zhao in front of him. But his sight turned hazy, as if a white mist had covered everything, and his mind grew dim.

Then he lost consciousness, and his body fell backward.

“First Senior Brother!”

Lan Zi Yu and Ye Cong Xin both jumped in fright. They rushed to catch Fang Cheng Lang and steady him, and Lan Zi Yu quickly checked his condition.

“It is alright. First Senior Brother is just too exhausted and has no strength left. He will be fine after he rests for a while,” Lan Zi Yu said, giving his judgment to Ye Cong Xin.

Ye Cong Xin burst into tears of joy and said: “That is great.”

Lan Zi Yu turned his head, wanting to share the news with Yu Zhao, but saw her still standing where she was, looking down at them from above. Her face was as calm and cold as still water.

Lan Zi Yu could not believe it.

First Senior Brother had fainted, yet Yu Zhao had no reaction at all. She did not even show a trace of panic on her face.

Did she not care about First Senior Brother, not even a little bit?

Was this still the same Yu Zhao?

A chill rose on Lan Zi Yu’s skin and sank deep into his bones. He shivered all over and did not dare to think further.