Chapter 457

Chapter 457: Don’t Become My Stain
Han Jingzhi was so angry that he laughed instead. Pointing at Cui Jue, he said: “Tuo Ba Jing, he is just a pretty boy. How is he better than me in any way? Are you blind?”

“Han Jingzhi, I will say it again. Who I like has nothing to do with you. Stop pointing fingers in front of me.”

Tuo Ba Jing slapped his hand away, anger showing on her face too.

Seeing the two of them about to start fighting, the group that Han Jingzhi had brought quickly rushed over to stop them.

“Senior Brother Han, forget it, forget it. Even if you beat a dog, you still have to look at its owner. Do not damage your good relationship with Senior Sister Tuo Ba.”

“Yes, Senior Sister Tuo Ba is just playing with that kid. When Senior Sister gets tired of him, it will not be too late for us to deal with him.”

“Senior Brother Han, a piece of trash who cannot even pass the Alchemy Hall exam is not worth making such a big fuss over.”

“…”

With all of them talking and persuading him, Han Jingzhi finally forced his anger down.

“Tuo Ba Jing, you had better keep a close eye on your pretty boy. Do not let him run into my hands. We are leaving!”

Han Jingzhi shoved Yi Chuan aside and stormed out.

Yi Chuan had wanted to follow and personally send them off at the door, but Han Jingzhi’s companions pushed him away in disgust. He could only stand there, smiling obsequiously as he watched them leave.

“All right, they are gone now. Hurry and hand the person over!”

Tuo Ba Jing frowned impatiently.

Yi Chuan hurriedly smiled: “Please wait a moment, Senior Sister Tuo Ba. I will have someone bring Quan Ye up right away.”

After he spoke, he called someone over and whispered a few words into his ear.

That person quickly left.

Not long after, the clanking of chains came from the end of the passage.

Soon, Quan Ye, whose hands and feet were bound by chains, was dragged along by them and stumbled toward them.

His face was covered with bruises, his clothes were in rags, and blood slid down from his wounds. With each step he left a bloody footprint on the floor.

Cui Jue’s eyes almost split open. It felt like his heart had fallen into a pot of boiling oil.

“You idiot, who told you to chain him up like this? Take them off, now!”

Yi Chuan was very quick to read faces. Seeing how dark Cui Jue’s expression was, he stepped forward and kicked that man on the backside, then personally went to remove the chains from Quan Ye’s wrists.

“Junior Brother Quan, you have been wronged. It was all a misunderstanding just now, please do not take it to heart.”

With Quan Ye’s bad temper in the past, he would have made a scene without caring about anything at this moment.

But ever since he came to the Bei Ming Realm and was beaten many times, even his stubborn temper had been worn down.

He silently watched the chains on his hands and feet being unlocked and stood still, not moving. Only when Cui Jue called him did he move his lips and call out: “Fourth Senior Brother.”

Holding back the ache in his chest, Cui Jue solemnly thanked Tuo Ba Jing.

If not for her, he would never have known Quan Ye had been taken to a place like this, and he would have had no way to take Quan Ye away.

No matter what, he owed Tuo Ba Jing a favor.

Tuo Ba Jing smiled carelessly: “If you really want to thank me, then stop refusing my goodwill. Take these pill recipes for now.”

She casually flicked a few jade slips into Cui Jue’s arms and walked out without looking back.

“You must have a lot to say to your Junior Brother, so I will leave first. Cui Jue, remember this: don’t become my stain.”

Cui Jue looked at the jade slips in his arms. In the end, he put them away into his storage space in silence.

Then he thanked Yi Chuan again and helped the badly injured Quan Ye out of the betting arena.

When they were about to step out the main door, Yi Chuan caught up with them: “Junior Brother Cui, don’t blame me for talking too much. Senior Sister Tuo Ba has very high standards. The fact that she has taken a liking to you is your good fortune. Don’t fail to appreciate the blessing you have.”

A faint shadow crossed Cui Jue’s eyes: “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Yi. I know what I am doing.”

“Alright, alright, then you two should hurry back.”

Yi Chuan watched the two of them walk away and shook his head.

The man who had brought Quan Ye over earlier asked in confusion: “Senior Brother Yi, that guy clearly did not listen to a word you said. Why bother wasting your breath?”

“I just feel sorry for them,” Yi Chuan said, rubbing his chin. “Besides, I keep feeling that this guy is a bit unusual. Maybe he will have some great fortune in the future.”

“Him?”

The man clearly did not believe Yi Chuan’s words.

Yi Chuan did not argue.

In fact, he did not have much confidence either. He just felt there was a tiny chance.

Anyway, it was just something he said in passing. He did not take it too seriously.

The Cui Jue he had his eye on helped Quan Ye back to his own room, then took out a special ointment and began to apply medicine to Quan Ye’s wounds.

These days, the pills he refined the most were healing medicines.

Just as his fingers spread the ointment evenly, a large tear fell onto the back of Cui Jue’s hand.

Cui Jue’s hand paused for a moment, then he continued to apply the ointment as if nothing had happened.

“I was wrong.” Quan Ye tried hard to suppress his feelings, but the trembling in his voice still showed his grief. “Fourth Senior Brother, I was wrong.”

Cui Jue really wanted to pretend he had not heard anything.

But Quan Ye’s tears fell like beads from a broken string, one after another, almost washing away the ointment on his wounds.

He took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly: “Little Zhao is not here. Apologizing to her now is useless.”

Yes, even though Quan Ye had not said her name, Cui Jue knew at once that he was repenting for how he had bullied Yu Zhao before.

You only know how much it hurts when the needle is stuck in your own body.

After Quan Ye became the punching bag of the disciples in the Bei Ming Realm, he began to truly understand the sadness and pain Yu Zhao had gone through.

It was not only the pain on the body, but also the torment in the mind.

It was like having a knife hanging over his head, never knowing when it would fall.

Even in a safe place, the slightest movement would make a person jumpy and terrified.

Only now did Quan Ye understand how hateful his past actions had been, but it was already too late to regret.

“Fourth Senior Brother, where do you think Yu Zhao is now? Is she really not in the Bei Ming Realm?”

Quan Ye asked in a muffled voice, head lowered.

Right now he really wanted to see Yu Zhao.

He wanted to apologize to her in person.

The light in Cui Jue’s eyes dimmed in an instant.

Although they were called Outer Disciples of Bei Ming Palace, they were not much different from prisoners. They could not leave Bei Ming Palace and had no way to contact the outside world.

Unless he became a true Inner Disciple…

“I will find a way to pass the next Disciple Assessment at the Alchemy Hall. Before that, do not stay too far away from me.”

If Quan Ye was ever alone, he would very likely become the target for Han Jingzhi and the others to vent on again.

Cui Jue could only keep him close and watch him without looking away to prevent any more accidents.

“Then what about First Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother?” Quan Ye asked anxiously.

“Third Senior Brother is now a registered disciple by an Inner Sect elder’s side. Those people do not dare touch him. And First Senior Brother is in the Secret Pavilion every day, and they cannot get close to him either. For now, we do not need to worry about them.”

Quan Ye nodded, his eyes empty, and stopped talking.

Cui Jue picked up the healing ointment again and continued to wipe his wounds.

The small, simple room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.