Chapter 58: Junior Shishu Cried
Qu Chengzhou’s face turned from green to purple. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on Qu Weiyin, filled with hatred. Qu Weiyin naturally didn’t back down, and an undercurrent seemed to flow between them.
“What you all don’t realize is that Wuhui Mountain holds more than just Wuhui Palace,” Elder Liu began, his voice low and serious. “There’s another hall beneath the surface, its origins unknown. Only Qu Chengzhou knows of its existence.”
“For a long time, he’s been using living people to cultivate, which greatly increased his power,” Elder Liu said, glancing towards Qu Weiyin.
“Later on, he grew unsatisfied with ordinary cultivation methods. He acquired an evil technique from somewhere and began using human lives to fuel his cultivation. If the person sacrificed had spiritual power, his cultivation would increase even faster. That’s why he started killing fellow disciples. And now, he’s trying to shift the blame onto Qu Weiyin to clear his own name.”
“If this elder’s guess is correct, he has already mastered the evil cultivation technique and will wash his hands of it after today. Hui Shan, Huai Yu, why did you help him lie?!” Elder Liu’s sudden outburst made Hui Shan and Huai Yu fall to their knees in fear.
They trembled, their faces filled with terror, and Huai Yu was already sobbing uncontrollably.
“Elder Liu, we were coerced by Elder Qu. He threatened to kill us if we didn’t say this. We… we were just afraid…”
“Afraid? Junior Shishu risked her life to save you because you were fellow disciples, and you can easily betray her just because you were afraid?” Luo Jinxiao couldn’t help but angrily retort from the side.
“Elder Qu, do you have anything else to say?” This time, it was Qu Weiyin who spoke. Her tone was calm, only her fingertips trembling slightly with hatred.
Qu Chengzhou suddenly smiled, but didn’t answer.
“The evidence is conclusive. Why is everyone silent?” Elder Liu frowned, looking back at the crowd that had just moments ago been filled with righteousness.
Only then did some people hesitantly step forward and surround Qu Chengzhou, taking him away.
No one expected that Qu Chengzhou, who had a great reputation in the cultivation world, was actually the culprit behind the disappearances in the Wuhui Sect. No one dared to imagine that he would use his own disciples as bait to cultivate his evil techniques.
The news quickly spread outside the sect. Some people didn’t believe it, while others were furious, creating a chaotic uproar.
The heads of various sects were indignant, yet some watched with thinly veiled satisfaction. After all, witnessing the downfall of the renowned Wuhui Sect, the top cultivation school, embroiled in such a disgraceful scandal was a moment they quietly relished.
The other elders took charge of the situation, and Qu Chengzhou was quickly taken to Lieyang Hall, where demons were imprisoned, to await the decision of the various sects.
Although family scandals shouldn’t be aired publicly, the rules of the cultivation world were such that once it involved demonic matters, everyone needed to discuss it together before taking action.
Before being escorted out, Qu Chengzhou glared fiercely at Qu Weiyin, then left with a sneer.
Qu Weiyin seemed to be lost in thought, her eyes somewhat vacant. Seeing her like this, Luo Jinxiao felt a surge of worry in her heart.
“Junior Shishu,” she called out, interrupting her thoughts and running to her.
“Did you know what he was doing all along?” Luo Jinxiao asked, fiddling with the corner of her clothes.
Qu Weiyin came back to her senses, nodded slightly, then raised an eyebrow and asked, “I haven’t asked you yet, how did you get that evidence? Did you go to his underground palace?”
Luo Jinxiao knew she couldn’t hide it and lowered her head guiltily.
“How did you get there?” Qu Weiyin pressed.
Elder Liu stepped forward, wanting to say something to Qu Weiyin, but she waved him off. “Elder Liu, please take care of things here. I need to talk with her.”
Then, ignoring the gazes of the crowd, she grabbed Luo Jinxiao’s arm, and the two figures instantly disappeared from the hall, leaving the chaos behind.
Qu Weiyin kept a tight grip on Luo Jinxiao’s arm, leaving red marks on her skin. Luo Jinxiao winced in pain, and when she opened her eyes again, they were already in Qu Weiyin’s Hanyun Pavilion.
Qu Weiyin released her grip and looked directly into her eyes, her gaze unfathomable, her emotions hidden. She said calmly, “I asked you, how did you get there?”
“I… I was captured,” Luo Jinxiao’s heart pounded like a drum, and she couldn’t help but take a step back.
“I gave you the spirit jade. If you couldn’t escape, why didn’t you call for me?” Qu Weiyin’s eyes widened as she spoke. “Did you do it on purpose?”
Luo Jinxiao was speechless.
Qu Weiyin took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress her anger. She stepped forward again, forcing Luo Jinxiao to retreat until she was cornered against the wall.
“What are you thinking? It was just a false accusation, how could you risk your life for it?!” Qu Weiyin scolded, her eyes reddening as she finished speaking.
She looked up at Luo Jinxiao, feeling a sudden bitterness in her heart.
“I’m not worth it,” she said slowly, then turned around, putting distance between herself and Luo Jinxiao.
“I knew about Qu Chengzhou’s plot long ago. I haven’t shown myself these past few days because I was searching for his hiding place. Only after I found a clue did I ask Elder Liu to help me break into the underground palace and rushed back to the Wuhui Sect.” She forced herself to control her emotions.
If it were her from her past life, she probably wouldn’t have been able to discover what Qu Chengzhou was doing. But after all, she had lived for thousands of years and had gained some wisdom.
She had calculated everything and was just waiting for the right moment. Never did she expect that someone else would do the same thing, even taking a greater risk.
“You are worth it,” Luo Jinxiao suddenly said. She lowered her eyelids and walked around to stand in front of Qu Weiyin, her hands still nervously fiddling with her sleeves.
“Even if my actions were unnecessary, I don’t regret them. Junior Shishu. Although my cultivation is low and my abilities are weak, as long as there’s a slight possibility, I will do my best to protect you.”
“From now on, I will never hide anything from you. Don’t be angry…” Luo Jinxiao pleaded, tugging at her sleeve, but Qu Weiyin shook her off without saying a word.
“Junior Shishu…” Luo Jinxiao knelt down and looked up, nudging Qu Weiyin’s arm with her shoulder, trying to appease her.
Qu Weiyin’s expression quickly softened, and she reached out to pat Luo Jinxiao’s head.
“From now on, you are not allowed to hide anything from me, and you are not allowed to risk your life for me again,” Qu Weiyin said, biting her lip. Her anger hadn’t completely subsided, but her tone was noticeably gentler.
“Okay!” Luo Jinxiao immediately broke into a smile and raised her hand to swear, “I, Luo Jinxiao, swear to the heavens that I will never risk my life again and will never hide anything from Junior Shishu.”
Qu Weiyin hummed in response, averting her gaze as a blush rose on her fair cheeks.
“Smooth talker,” she said angrily.
Qu Weiyin sighed, pulled Luo Jinxiao over, and pressed her onto the bed, raising her hand to circulate her energy.
“What are you doing, Junior Shishu?” Luo Jinxiao asked uncomfortably.
“Checking if you were foolish enough to get injured. Qu Chengzhou cultivates the Netherworld Diagram, the same as the person we encountered in the Demon Realm. I now suspect that he not only cultivates evil techniques but also colludes with the demons.”
“The Netherworld Diagram is an ancient cultivation method. If it’s mastered, even if all the experts from various sects fight together, they might not be able to defeat him. You escaped from his hands and are able to stand here alive, it’s already a great fortune.”
Qu Weiyin had never dabbled in such evil and crooked ways in her past life. Just by reaching the Nascent Soul stage, she was able to use demonic energy to disrupt the righteous sects constantly.
Now that the Netherworld Diagram had appeared, and two people were cultivating it, she wondered if there would be any peace in this world.
She frowned, examining Luo Jinxiao’s spiritual roots. Her expression turned surprised, and she looked at Luo Jinxiao questioningly.
Luo Jinxiao had just promised not to hide anything, so she had to answer honestly: “I escaped from the underground palace and met a white-robed fairy. I fainted. The white-robed fairy saved me. I woke up and was fine.”
Her words tumbled out without pause, leaving Qu Weiyin confused. However, she still keenly caught the words “white-robed fairy.”
“What white-robed fairy?” She narrowed her phoenix eyes, and Luo Jinxiao instantly felt a cold sweat on her back.
“I don’t know,” Luo Jinxiao shook her head.
Qu Qu Weiyin studied her for a moment before turning to leave. Thinking she had upset her, Luo Jinxiao panicked and instinctively reached out. In her haste, she accidentally grabbed Qu Weiyin’s hand.
They both froze. Qu Weiyin reacted even more strongly, pulling her hand back and turning away from Luo Jinxiao, not daring to look back. She said indifferently, “What are you thinking? I’m not angry. I’m going to get you some medicine. Even though someone healed your injuries, you should still take something to heal your spiritual roots.”
She swallowed lightly, feeling her throat suddenly dry.
Luo Jinxiao withdrew her hand, staring at her palm in a daze. Qu Weiyin’s hand was surprisingly soft; after squeezing it once, she wanted to squeeze it again.
She immediately lowered her head, ashamed. Heavens, what was she thinking?
Qu Weiyin returned with the medicinal pills and handed them to Luo Jinxiao. Then, a cup of Yunwu tea, which she usually enjoyed, appeared in her palm and was brought to Luo Jinxiao’s lips. Luo Jinxiao subconsciously reached out to take it, but Qu Weiyin moved away.
“Just drink it,” Qu Weiyin said. She gently held the cup and fed Luo Jinxiao the tea.
Luo Jinxiao was overwhelmed by this special treatment. The tea tasted refreshing and fragrant, leaving her wanting more.
“The white-robed woman you encountered might be the Sect Leader,” Qu Weiyin said.
Luo Jinxiao nearly choked on the tea. She coughed, tears welling up in her eyes, unable to believe it. “Didn’t everyone say that the Sect Leader had already ascended to immortality?”
“No one witnessed it, it’s all speculation. I just checked your spiritual roots, and there’s not a single trace of injury. In this world, besides the Sect Leader, there’s no one else with such advanced medical skills.”
Hearing this, Luo Jinxiao recalled the person in her memory and felt that Qu Weiyin’s words made a lot of sense.
After finishing the medicine, Luo Jinxiao suddenly remembered something and abruptly stood up. Qu Weiyin was startled and nearly bumped into her.
Luo Jinxiao’s cheek brushed past her nose, bringing a wave of warmth.
“What are you doing?” she scolded in a low voice.
Luo Jinxiao sheepishly touched her head and giggled. She stepped forward and grabbed Qu Weiyin’s arm with a smile, “Junior Shishu, I thought about the question you asked me yesterday, and I figured it out.”
“Even if Junior Shishu really becomes a demon, I will never be your enemy. There are many wicked people in this world, and the so-called righteous sects aren’t without their own faults. If someone like Junior Shishu were to become a demon, it would only be because someone else pushed her to it.”
“For Junior Shishu’s sake, I would stand against anyone who opposes you,” Luo Jinxiao said earnestly.
Qu Weiyin was stunned. She stared blankly at Luo Jinxiao’s bright eyes, and as she looked, the light blurred.
“You’re still young, and you have a long life ahead of you. Why are you saying these things?”
It was her fault. She shouldn’t have been unreasonable for her own selfish desires. Knowing how naive Luo Jinxiao was, she still asked her such a question. How could she have lived for thousands of years and yet act like she had regressed?
Luo Jinxiao was still waiting for Qu Weiyin to speak when she suddenly saw tears welling up in her eyes. After a moment, a large teardrop slid down her delicate cheek and fell to the ground.
Qu Weiyin was actually crying in front of her.
I LOVE WHEN TOUGH ASS CHARACTERS START BEING VULNERABLE AROUND EACH OTHER
thank you for the chapter