Chapter 63

Chapter 63: I Lost Yu Xiao Zhao
Before they could see clearly who was coming down, they heard laughter first.

It was a laugh, but it carried endless desolation, making people feel sad for no reason.

As the laughter drew closer, the blurry figure gradually became clear.

It was usually like a refreshing breeze and bright moon, Senior Brother Fang, now as withered as dead wood. Tear tracks that had not yet dried streaked his face, mud stained his snow-white Dao robes, and with each step he swayed, looking as if he might fall at any moment.

Everyone was so shocked their jaws almost dropped.

One disciple stammered: “Th-this is… Senior Brother Fang?”

Another cried out: “My heavens, did Senior Sister Zhou beat Senior Brother Fang silly?”

Someone asked in a trembling voice: “What in the world happened? How did Senior Brother Fang end up like this?”

“…”

Zhang Jun swallowed hard.

He suddenly felt that First Senior Sister was actually quite gentle with him.

He started to greet him as he whispered: “Senior Fang…”

As Fang Cheng Lang walked over, Zhang Jun wanted to call out to him, but Fang Cheng Lang walked straight past him.

Lan Zi Yu followed right after.

Zhang Jun awkwardly pulled his half-raised hand back, his face full of confusion.

The others had also noticed that something was wrong with Fang Cheng Lang. Holding back their curiosity and worry, they stepped aside to make a path.

Under everyone’s gaze, Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu left in a state of utter disarray, leaving behind countless rumors.

…

Lone Moon Peak.

Master Qing Yan looked at Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu, who were kneeling in the middle of the main hall. His cold voice held suppressed anger as he said: “Foolish.”

Fang Cheng Lang kept his head and eyes lowered, his whole body filled with a lifeless air.

Lan Zi Yu bent forward and said: “Master, please calm your anger.”

Master Qing Yan said: “You have disappointed your master.”

Master Qing Yan’s tone was flat, but Lan Zi Yu felt pressure like a crashing mountain. He could not help lowering himself even more.

Fang Cheng Lang still looked lifeless. Yu Zhao’s departure seemed to have taken his vitality with her, leaving only an empty shell.

A hint of disappointment, and some surprise, flashed in Master Qing Yan’s eyes.

Fang Cheng Lang had always been steady and dependable. Even he had not expected Yu Zhao’s departure to affect him this badly.

Master Qing Yan called softly: “Cheng Lang.”

After a long silence, Fang Cheng Lang replied hoarsely: “Disciple is here.”

Master Qing Yan asked: “Do you blame your master for driving Yu Zhao away?”

Fang Cheng Lang lowered his voice as he answered: “Disciple would not dare.”

Master Qing Yan said: “Then why are you acting like a pitiful little girl?”

Fang Cheng Lang said: “Disciple is useless and cannot bear the pain of separation. I beg Master to punish me.”

After he finished speaking, Fang Cheng Lang knocked his head heavily against the floor and did not rise for a long time.

He said he did not blame him, but every word carried resentment.

Master Qing Yan could tell he had gone into a dead end.

He looked at Lan Zi Yu and asked: “Do you also blame your master?”

Lan Zi Yu lifted his head and said: “Disciple does not blame Master. Disciple only blames himself.”

When it came to Yu Zhao’s matter, Lan Zi Yu actually thought things through more clearly than Fang Cheng Lang.

Master Qing Yan expelling Yu Zhao from the sect was only giving her an open and upright reason to draw a clear line with them.

The ones who had truly driven Yu Zhao away were themselves.

Strictly speaking, Fang Cheng Lang was not really blaming Master Qing Yan, but venting his anger on him. The one he truly blamed was himself, which was why he begged Master Qing Yan to punish him.

Seeing Lan Zi Yu’s calm expression, Master Qing Yan was barely satisfied.

He said: “Since you understand the truth of it, you will explain it to him. He may not step out of this residence until he figures it out.”

Master Qing Yan flicked his sleeve.

The next moment, Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu found themselves back in Fang Cheng Lang’s cave dwelling.

Lan Zi Yu called softly: “First Senior Brother.”

Fang Cheng Lang lifted his eyelids and gave him a faint glance, then walked into the meditation room and lay down without even taking off his robe.

Lan Zi Yu followed him into the meditation room. Seeing him look like he desired nothing and cared for nothing, he felt both angry and anxious.

He thought anxiously: [Master already said that if First Senior Brother does not think things through, he will not let him leave.]

[An extra year or two would still be fine, but if First Senior Brother never figures it out, does that mean he will never be allowed to leave?]

[How could I just watch First Senior Brother sink further like this?]

While he wracked his brains in the meditation room, trying to think of how to persuade Fang Cheng Lang, their fourth junior brother, Cui Jue, had just finished refining a furnace of pills and ended his closed-door cultivation.

Cui Jue’s cave dwelling was not far from the herb garden he had opened up. The first thing he did after ending his closed-door cultivation was to go to the herb garden to tend to his spirit herbs.

He watered, weeded, pruned, and picked…

Cui Jue spent two whole days before he finished putting the herb garden back in order.

When he finished, he let out a long breath without thinking.

Then he froze for a moment and laughed at himself, shaking his head.

In the past, he had never realized that tending the herb garden was not an easy task.

Cui Jue could not help thinking of Yu Zhao.

Ever since Yu Zhao had become his sixth junior sister, he had not had to worry about the herb garden for a long time.

Until three years ago, when Yu Zhao’s Dao foundation was damaged and she went into closed-door cultivation to rebuild her foundation, no one had looked after his herb garden anymore, and he had had to do everything himself.

It was only then that he discovered the herb garden he had casually opened had unknowingly expanded several times in size, and the effort needed to take care of it was no longer the same as before.

The hardship Yu Zhao had endured in managing his herb garden for so many years could well be imagined.

He thought with some expectation: [It has already been three years. Little Zhao should be coming out of seclusion soon.]

Perhaps he really had wrongly blamed Yu Zhao for the dragon tongue flower last time. He decided to use this chance to make up with her.

Cui Jue planned to split this batch of pills in half and give one half to Yu Zhao. He would keep some of the rest and give the remainder to the other junior sisters.

With his mind made up, Cui Jue changed into a clean Dao robe and headed to Yu Zhao’s cave dwelling.

Maybe it was because he was about to see Yu Zhao, but he felt very cheerful, even his steps light.

When he arrived at Yu Zhao’s cave dwelling and saw that the main door was wide open with no defensive formation set up, Cui Jue felt a surge of joy.

He thought happily: [Little Zhao really has come out of seclusion.]

His usually calm eyes curved with a smile. He deliberately adjusted his breathing, lightened his steps, and walked into the cave dwelling.

He wanted to give Yu Zhao a surprise.

Yet before he even entered, a strong smell of wine, mixed with a sour stench, drifted out from inside.

His brows furrowed and he quickened his pace.

He wondered: [How much has Little Zhao drunk?]

As he moved further in, Cui Jue heard a muffled sobbing sound, as if someone were trying hard to hold it back.

He no longer bothered to conceal his presence and strode quickly inside as he called out: “Little Zhao!”

Inside the empty cave dwelling, Su Ming Zui hiccuped first, then drunkenly lifted his head from a pile of wine jars, meeting Cui Jue’s worried eyes head-on.

Su Ming Zui froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud sobs as he wailed: “Fourth Brother, I… I lost Yu Xiao Zhao!”

Cui Jue’s body went rigid where he stood. He asked stiffly: “What did you say?”

After Cui Jue finished listening to Su Ming Zui’s tearful and snotty explanation, he stood there like his soul had left his body, staring blankly without a word.

Just moments ago he had been thinking about apologizing to Little Zhao and asking her to help him take care of the herb garden again. He had never thought that Little Zhao would no longer be on Lone Moon Peak.

He thought in pain: [Little Zhao is too foolish. Why did she have to talk back to Master?]

[Does she not know that a single word from Master can decide whether she lives or dies?]

[If Junior Sister wanted the starry sky stone, what would it have mattered for her to yield? He could have found another for her. If one was not enough, he could find two or three. In the end, he would surely be able to make her satisfied.]

[Why did she have to fight for that one moment of pride?]

Cui Jue did not understand.