Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Crippling Mo Yuan

Song Wan Ning smiled as she drove the flying carpet away.

On the carpet, besides Mo Yuan, there was also Bai Yang—badly injured and still unconscious.

In her previous life, both of them had pushed themselves to the brink for Ye Chu Xue.

In this life, they would repay it all, piece by piece.

—

A gentle breeze brushed past—neither too hot nor too cold. Sunlight filtered through leaves in thin, golden threads.

Bai Yang slowly opened his eyes, still half lost in a haze.

Long hair fluttered in the wind, so close and yet somehow far away.

He stared blankly, and then it hit him—he hadn’t looked at Master this carefully in a very long time.

At some point, the person who had once held up the sky for him had gradually become someone he looked down on…

Long, long ago, his ambition had been to become someone like Master.

But somewhere along the way, that feeling twisted into something he couldn’t control. It made him resent Master bit by bit, and resent his own identity.

Only recently had he finally noticed Master’s changes—and recognized his own mistakes.

When he remembered how Master had stood before him, shielding him, Bai Yang’s expression softened.

For a day’s teaching, a lifetime’s reverence.

Master was his eternal support—the person he should respect forever.

“Master,” he called softly, pushing himself up with trembling arms.

Song Wan Ning heard him and turned. She didn’t miss the thick emotion in his eyes.

Her gaze lowered. There was no joy on her face—only a cold, indifferent “Mm.” Then she turned away again.

Since she had chosen to torment both body and heart, it had to be done slowly, step by step.

She had plenty of time in this life.

Seeing her still so cold, Bai Yang’s heart tightened, a dull ache pressing behind his ribs.

Was Master still angry with him?

But… she’d come.

She’d saved him.

That was enough.

He lay back on the flying carpet, pain tightening his brow. Only then did Ye Chu Xue’s face rise in his mind.

How was she now?

Had she found someone to come save him?

Even with worry gnawing at him, Bai Yang didn’t dare send a Voice-Transmission Talisman in front of Song Wan Ning.

Master hated Ye Chu Xue. Everyone in the sect knew it—and he knew it best.

One day, he would find a way to clear up the misunderstanding between them.

They were both incredibly important to him.

The flying carpet flew in silence. Before long, it reached the gate of the Heaven-Questioning Sect.

“Get down.”

Song Wan Ning’s order was cold.

The next moment, Bai Yang dropped from the flying carpet.

“Ugh…”

A muffled groan escaped him as pain knifed through his wounds.

Before he could say anything, a bottle of pills landed in his arms.

Bai Yang froze. He looked up quickly, but the flying carpet had already shot away, leaving only a fading shadow.

Master had left.

But she’d left him medicine.

Bai Yang curled his fingers around the bottle until his knuckles whitened. His face was smeared with blood, yet he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Master still cared about him.

She hadn’t changed.

…

The flying carpet soon left the Heaven-Questioning Sect’s territory.

Song Wan Ning drove it over a tall mountain and arrived at another peak more than ten li from the ruined valley. She carried the sack into a cave and tossed it aside.

Even when it slammed into the stone wall, there was no movement inside.

Song Wan Ning stepped forward, untied the mouth, and released Mo Yuan.

She removed his mask and clicked her tongue.

Even the male side characters were all stunning.

Too bad the poison had ruined that face.

Song Wan Ning took out a pill and forced it between Mo Yuan’s lips.

It looked like something to help him recover, but it wasn’t an antidote at all. It was a deadly poison—one that could end his life at the key moment.

Her own blood essence had been mixed into these poisons.

No matter what methods he used, he couldn’t block her senses.

Even if he ran to the ends of the world, his every move would be under her control.

Song Wan Ning lowered her gaze, a dark glint flashing in her eyes.

In her previous life, Master had forbidden her from refining poisons, afraid she’d be unable to control the evil nature and would end up enslaved by the Killing Dao—driven by desire.

She had listened. She had remembered.

And her ending had still been miserable beyond measure.

So after rebirth, she threw herself into studying the poison path, even more fiercely than the pill path.

Compared to saving people, she preferred the feeling of killing.

Especially the sight of enemies kneeling and begging, pleading bitterly, and finally dying in despair…

It made the soul tremble.

Song Wan Ning suppressed the malice surging in her chest and drew a dagger.

The cold blade pressed to Mo Yuan’s cheek, then drifted downward.

All the way to between his legs.

She smiled suddenly—playful, almost childlike.

Then she slashed.

Mo Yuan’s unconscious body jerked violently, convulsing as pain ripped through him and dragged him back toward awareness—only for him to sink again, drowning in blood loss.

With a flick of spiritual energy, Song Wan Ning sent what she’d cut flying out of the cave.

A demon beast waiting outside pounced, bit down, chewed it into pulp, and swallowed.

After finishing its meal, it shook its head, satisfied, and padded away.

It had taken something most important from a man—his dignity.

Inside the cave, Song Wan Ning’s expression didn’t change. Disgusted, she shattered the dagger and tossed the pieces aside.

Mo Yuan had lost too much blood. He collapsed into unconsciousness again, never fully understanding what had been done.

Song Wan Ning rose slowly and admired her handiwork.

Mo Yuan had been twisted in the head since childhood. Only toward Ye Chu Xue had he shown anything like devotion—devotion so blind he had later dragged the Demon Clan into becoming her support.

Now Song Wan Ning had severed that possibility with her own hand and shoved them onto the path of never ending until one died.

She hoped Mo Yuan wouldn’t disappoint her.

After wiping her hands, Song Wan Ning strolled out of the cave.

Outside, the sun was bright, filtering through the canopy in scattered light.

Song Wan Ning looked up.

So beautiful.

—

“What did you say?” The Sect Master of the Heaven-Questioning Sect went pale. “Martial Niece Ye vanished with the pill?”

That was the Heaven-Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill they’d won for hundreds of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones.

Now it was missing—along with Ye Chu Xue.

“Yes,” Bai Yang said, face tight. “The situation was urgent. This disciple let her leave first. Who knew I still wouldn’t be able to reach her now?”

His hands clenched. “Did Junior Sister Ye ask the sect for help along the way?”

The Sect Master shook his head, voice strained. “She did not. The sect hasn’t received any distress signal.”

Both their hearts sank.

“I’ll send people to look for her immediately,” the Sect Master said at once. “You go back and heal first!”

Whether it was the pill or Ye Chu Xue, both had to return safely.

Disciples were dispatched quickly, spreading out to search.

Bai Yang, heavily injured, could only return to recover.

When An Ze heard the news and saw Bai Yang’s battered state, he was stunned.

Then Bai Yang asked about the talisman.

An Ze’s face went blank for a heartbeat—until he suddenly remembered the pile of ash from the burned paper.

When the two pieced everything together, silence fell.

They had missed it.

“I’m going to find Senior Sister Ye too,” An Ze said hoarsely, panic breaking through. “She can’t have anything happen to her!”

He didn’t wait for an answer. “Senior Brother, heal here and help watch over Martial Uncle Gu!”

Then he rushed out in a hurry.

Bai Yang stared at Gu Qing Yuan, still unconscious, and frowned.

He didn’t know when it had started, but trouble kept coming one after another.

Their good luck seemed to have disappeared.