Chapter 110

Chapter 110: Accusation

Sheng Yuan felt hopeless, but then a sudden change hit Ye Zhao Zhao. Her cultivation fell straight to the Nascent Soul Stage. Seeing her in such pain, he, as the First Senior Brother, could not keep pushing her.

With tears streaming down, Ye Zhao Zhao clutched her chest and choked out: “My Nascent Soul… my cultivation…” A part of her grief was an act, but much of it was real. She looked at the few standing by Sheng Yuan and whispered through wet eyes: “Senior Brother… what happened to me? Is my cultivation never coming back?”

She cried harder.

Shen Yue’s heart softened and he said, trying to comfort her: “Junior Sister, this might just be an accident. As long as you focus on cultivation, your strength will return.”

Chang Le An added in a warm tone: “Right. With your speed, you’ll get this bit of cultivation back soon.”

Sheng Yuan spoke gently: “Master has already gone to look for a way. With Master’s skill, he will think of something.”

“Find a way?” Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes flickered.

Even while drowning in grief, she knew her loss of cultivation could not be fixed by normal means. Not long after crossing into this world, she had been bound to a Parasitic System. As long as she chose a suitable host, she could read their fortune, steal their cultivation, and in the end even take their talent and spiritual root for herself. Such a method was beyond belief. And yet she had parasitized Li Shuang for so long without anyone noticing a single clue.

In her heart, she already understood: this System stood above this world itself. Before, she had secretly rejoiced at that discovery. Now, despair crept in. If others could not even detect the System, how could they do anything to it? No one could help her recover her strength unless… unless she crushed Li Shuang back into the dust and kept using the System to take everything from her. [This is my only way back.]

Eyes blurry with tears, she took the initiative to look at Sheng Yuan and said in a weak voice: “First Senior Brother, I did keep those talismans for this trip to the secret realm. I thought, with Third Senior Brother’s fortune and these talismans, we would surely gain a lot. Who could have guessed… Third Senior Brother’s fortune…”

She stopped and glanced at Chang Le An.

Chang Le An’s face turned ugly at once. It was all that loose-tongued Yan Fan’s fault. Now the whole Six Sects knew his so-called good fortune had actually been a gift from Li Shuang.

Ye Zhao Zhao hurried to speak up for him: “Third Senior Brother, you can’t be blamed. If Senior Sister Li hadn’t said anything, who would have known she worked behind the scenes? Ten years ago she praised you on purpose only to drag you down ten years later. Yan Fan looks close to her, too. It seemed like he exposed it, but I think Senior Sister Li secretly told him to do it.”

Her eyes reddened as she whispered: “I truly don’t understand what grudge Senior Sister Li holds against Third Senior Brother to scheme against him like this.”

Chang Le An froze, then his eyes lit up and he seized the lifeline: “So that’s it. She really had hidden motives! If you think about it, I’m a victim too.”

After learning his fortune came from Li Shuang’s gift, his feelings had been very complicated. But if he admitted how much she had done for him, what would that make him? Ungrateful? Shameless? A clown? He did not want that reputation. He did not want to become a clown. So he could only imagine Li Shuang as a scheming woman. [Yes, that must be it.]

Did he know this guess was ridiculous? Of course. Did he know that back then Li Shuang had truly given him her whole heart? Yes. But so what? He needed a reason to feel at ease. Better to assume the worst about Li Shuang than carry a debt of kindness too heavy to bear. That way he could sleep at night.

Following Ye Zhao Zhao’s hint, the moment he spoke it out loud, a scene rose before his eyes: the cold figure at the edge of the cliff, and the voice that dragged him back from the line between life and death. But then he clenched his jaw. [So what? Did I beg Li Shuang to help me? Did I beg her to fake things for me? She chose to do that. I, Chang Le An, don’t owe anyone.]

His body trembled slightly even as his heart settled on that decision. Last time, on the cliff, Li Shuang had pulled him back. Next time, would anyone pull him back? He shook his head and flung away that absurd thought, then said through tight teeth: “The higher the praise, the harder the fall. What Senior Sister Li used on me was a praise-to-kill trick.”

Whether it was true or not, from now on he would believe it.

Ye Zhao Zhao said in a low, aggrieved voice: “This time our gains wouldn’t have been so small. Third Senior Brother, do you remember? We ran into the Demon Clan several times, and Senior Sister Li was always nearby. Because we met demons so often, I was forced to use one talisman after another. Especially the first fight right after we entered, she clearly had the power to defeat the Winged Lion Beast, yet she just watched it crush us. If I hadn’t used a Speed Talisman, how would the two of us have escaped?”

She looked wronged: “When did I ever use those talismans except when I had no choice?”

Pale and thin, she looked like a fragile crystal about to crack.

Chang Le An couldn’t help blurting: “That’s right! Did Li Shuang lure the Demon Clan on purpose?”

Ye Zhao Zhao quickly cautioned him: “Third Senior Brother, we can say that in private, but not to others. Killing demons is the Righteous Path. Even if Senior Sister Li drew demons over to kill them, that isn’t a crime. If I had enough power, I would want to kill demons too.”

Tears in her eyes, she turned to Sheng Yuan and said: “First Senior Brother, I never meant to use up the talismans. But I had no choice when my life was on the line. Please don’t worry. When I get a little better, I’ll risk my life to earn spirit stones and fill Ling Xu Peak’s deficit.”

“No, no, no, I’ll go right now!” she cried, struggling to climb off the bed.

The others rushed to hold her down.

Sheng Yuan sighed and said softly: “Junior Sister, focus on healing first.”

“It’s my fault for dragging you down, First Senior Brother. I’m really useless,” she murmured, eyes swimming.

He could only comfort her in careful whispers.

After that struggle, worn out, Ye Zhao Zhao fainted again.

The room fell silent.

Chang Le An could not hold it in and said: “First Senior Brother! Junior Sister’s plan had no problem. It was all Li Shuang… If she hadn’t drawn so many demons, we would have gained plenty.”

Sheng Yuan was quiet for a moment, then he asked in a low voice: “About that Winged Lion Beast you mentioned, what exactly happened?”

Chang Le An’s gaze flickered, then he put on an indignant face and said: “Just like Junior Sister said. She watched while the Winged Lion Beast chased me and Zhao Zhao down and didn’t help at all!”

“Like that, it’s truly too much,” Sheng Yuan said evenly.

“Isn’t it?” Chang Le An huffed. “I wanted to confront her right then, but Junior Sister is kind and didn’t want to pursue it.”

Sheng Yuan nodded. His eyes grew darker as if weighed down by heavy thoughts.

“Junior Sister can’t be left alone. Third Junior Brother, stay here and watch over her,” he said at last. “There are matters to handle at Ling Xu Peak. I’ll go first.”

Chang Le An nodded. Ling Xu Peak was a mess, and he had no wish to touch that mud. Let Sheng Yuan worry about it himself.