Chapter 62

Chapter 62: She Cultivated the Ruthless Dao
Lan Zi Yu wanted to tell Zhou Jin Yue that this was different.

But he was afraid that Zhou Jin Yue would ask him what was different, and he would not be able to explain.

He had never thought there was anything wrong with Yu Zhao sparring with Quan Ye and getting hurt.

Just like Zhou Jin Yue had said, getting injured in a spar was very common. Which Five Elements Dao Sect disciple had never been hurt? Even when he sparred with his First Senior Brother, he would sometimes get minor external injuries.

[Since it is clearly the same thing, why is it so unbearable when it happens to Junior Sister?]

Lan Zi Yu’s head felt like it was splitting. He looked at Fang Cheng Lang, hoping he could help clear things up, but Fang Cheng Lang did not even look at him.

He was tongue-tied and did not know what to do.

Zhou Jin Yue could not help a cold snort as she said: “You cannot answer? Fine, I will not talk about the sparring now. Let’s go back to the first point. You said Yu Zhao spoke ill of Ye Cong Xin behind her back. But are you not also speaking ill of Yu Zhao? You are even doing it right in front of her and feel no shame, only pride. How should we describe behavior like yours?”

Under Zhou Jin Yue’s sharp gaze, Lan Zi Yu felt as if he had been stripped bare and exposed under the sun, with nowhere to hide.

A strong sense of shame washed over him like a tide. His face turned green one moment and pale the next.

He tried to argue as he stammered: “It was Yu Zhao who first…”

Fang Cheng Lang cut him off as he said: “Enough!”

Fang Cheng Lang really could not listen anymore.

Back when he was caught up in it, he had not felt anything wrong with what Lan Zi Yu did. He had even been influenced by him and developed a bias against Yu Zhao.

Now that he thought back, he only felt he had been foolish and laughable.

A few casual words had blinded him.

He looked at Zhou Jin Yue, his eyes full of pleading and hope, and said: “Senior Sister Zhou, I know I was wrong. It was my negligence that made Little Six suffer so much. I am willing to do anything to make it up to her. Please help me. Help me persuade Little Six to come back. Lone Moon Peak cannot be without Little Six.”

Fang Cheng Lang choked up several times.

In the past, when Yu Zhao stood in front of him, he had not cared. Only when Yu Zhao left without a trace of reluctance did he realize that she had long become a part of his life. He could not imagine a life without Yu Zhao.

Fang Cheng Lang’s face was haggard, and his posture was no longer as straight as before. Zhou Jin Yue could clearly feel his sincerity and regret.

She sighed silently in her heart: [If they had known it would become like this, why did they act that way in the first place?]

She shook her head calmly as she said: “I cannot help you.”

Fang Cheng Lang spoke in a rush: “Senior Sister Zhou, you do not believe me? I can swear on my Dao heart that if I ever again…”

Zhou Jin Yue rolled her eyes and reached out to pinch his lips shut with her fingers as she said: “Shut up and listen to me first.”

Fang Cheng Lang nodded weakly.

Zhou Jin Yue explained: “Three years ago, after Junior Sister Yu’s Dao foundation was damaged, she chose to abandon her cultivation and start over. What she cultivates now is not Master Qing Yan’s Sea Moon Scripture, but an original technique called the Illusory Tide Art, created by a senior named Wanderer Bright Moon.”

Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu both listened quietly, faint confusion appearing in their eyes. Clearly, they did not understand the connection.

Zhou Jin Yue said impatiently: “Wanderer Bright Moon comprehended the Ruthless Dao that cuts off feelings and love, abandons petty affection, severs entanglements, and focuses only on cultivating oneself.”

Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu’s pupils shrank sharply.

Between a cultivation technique and the Dao heart, cause and effect run both ways.

Since Yu Zhao is cultivating Wanderer Bright Moon’s Illusory Tide Art, her Dao heart will naturally be influenced by it and take the Ruthless Dao as her lifelong pursuit.

And people who cultivate the Ruthless Dao are usually indifferent in their feelings. Even when facing their closest kin, they will not show obvious emotional ups and downs.

Understanding dawned on Fang Cheng Lang.

All the things about Yu Zhao that had seemed unreasonable now had an explanation.

Lan Zi Yu grabbed onto what he thought was a flaw as he said coldly: “No, that is not right. If Yu Zhao is cultivating ruthlessness, why is she still the same in front of you, yet only treats us so coldly?”

Zhou Jin Yue only laughed as she said: “It is simple. The feelings you bring her are useless, burdensome personal attachments, while what we give Junior Sister Yu is gentle warmth and acceptance. It is obvious which she should discard.”

Every cultivator’s understanding of the Dao is different.

The Ruthless Dao that Yu Zhao pursues is not ruthlessness in the literal sense, but the ruthlessness of the Great Dao.

It is like how heaven and earth are impartial and treat all things as straw dogs. Personal love is too small and insignificant between heaven and earth.

She does not want to be bound by narrow personal love. What she seeks is the equality of all living beings under the Heavenly Dao.

In truth, Zhou Jin Yue did not fully understand Yu Zhao’s Dao either, but she knew that by drawing a clear line between herself and Fang Cheng Lang and the others, Yu Zhao had truly let go of that past and would not look back again.

Fang Cheng Lang would never be able to win her back.

Unless Yu Zhao was willing to abandon her Dao heart.

But Zhou Jin Yue felt that Yu Zhao would rather die than make that choice.

Fang Cheng Lang muttered to himself, lost: “The Ruthless Dao… she is cultivating the Ruthless Dao…”

Fang Cheng Lang looked lost and dazed.

So Yu Zhao had already made her decision three years ago.

It was ridiculous that they had been completely unaware, had thought Yu Zhao was just throwing a tantrum at them, and had even wanted to use a few casual words to call her back.

He suddenly burst into wild, self-mocking laughter as he shouted: “Ha! Haha! Hahaha! How ridiculous! How ridiculous! Fang Cheng Lang, what kind of Gentleman Sword are you? You are just a pathetic bastard! A coward! An idiot!”

Fang Cheng Lang suddenly laughed loudly, his expression crazed.

Lan Zi Yu was frightened as he cried out: “First Senior Brother!”

[Could First Senior Brother have failed to withstand the blow and fallen into Qi Deviation?]

Fang Cheng Lang kept laughing madly: “Hahahahaha!”

Fang Cheng Lang seemed completely unaware. His face was twisted in a grin, but tears kept rolling down from his eyes.

He laughed as he staggered down the mountain.

He had barely taken two steps when he fell hard to the ground.

He did not seem to feel it at all. He clumsily climbed back up and kept stumbling down the mountain, his back figure desolate.

Lan Zi Yu shouted as he ran after him: “First Senior Brother! Wait for me!”

Lan Zi Yu could not care about anything else and hurried after him, panic flooding his heart.

[Yu Zhao has already gone to cultivate the Ruthless Dao. If First Senior Brother goes crazy because of this, what am I supposed to do?]

Lan Zi Yu’s head hurt even more.

Zhou Jin Yue watched the two backs, her gaze complicated.

…

At the foot of the mountain.

Inner disciples were gathered on the flat ground at the foot of the mountain, whispering among themselves. Zhang Jun stood guard at the path leading up the mountain, glancing up the trail from time to time.

He had been ordered to stand at the entrance and not let anyone go up and disturb them.

He wondered in his heart: [How is the talk between First Senior Sister and Senior Brother Fang going?]

[Will they end up fighting?]

[Should I go up to help?]

The other inner disciples were thinking more or less the same things, all guessing about what Zhou Jin Yue and Fang Cheng Lang were talking about.

One disciple said in a low voice: “So the rumors are true. First Senior Sister and Yu Zhao are close. She came here on purpose to stand up for Yu Zhao.”

Another disciple said: “I told you already, it was Yu Zhao who saved First Senior Sister. The situation was really dangerous back then, and she almost died. I heard she was unconscious for seven days and seven nights before she woke up.”

Someone else said: “Really? I heard she was in a coma for half a month before she woke up.”

Yet another person said: “No, you are all wrong. What I heard was that Yu Zhao sacrificed herself willingly for First Senior Sister.”

“…”

Their talk grew more and more ridiculous, until it turned into a story where Yu Zhao had secretly loved Zhou Jin Yue for many years without success and willingly went to her death to save the person she loved.

Someone suddenly exclaimed: “Stop talking, look, someone is coming down the mountain!”