Junior Sister, Don't Be Afraid, I'm Blind

"You are the real Evil Demon..."

True Man Ling stared blankly at You Su, his eyes wide with shock and fear. His legs trembled uncontrollably, shaking like a sieve.

The deepest darkness before dawn had passed. The sky was no longer pitch black; a hazy white was brewing on the distant horizon.

You Su was covered in bloodstains, a violent and evil aura swirling around him. He drew his Ink Pine Sword and pointed it at True Man Ling's heart, preparing to deliver his final judgment.

"Don't kill me... I beg you..." True Man Ling pleaded woodenly, as if his soul had been hollowed out. "I'll give you anything, tell you anything, just don't kill me..."

You Su stepped on the wound on True Man Ling's chest, grinding his heel into the raw, bloody flesh. True Man Ling curled into a ball in agony, unable to push You Su's foot away.

"Tell me how to separate the Malevolent Spirits from people, and I'll let you live," You Su said sternly, offering his last shred of mercy.

Hearing this, True Man Ling seemed to grasp a lifeline. He forced himself to endure the searing pain in his chest and said with a fawning smile:

"I know! I can save you! As long as you let me live, I can definitely help your Junior Sister and Mistress become normal again!"

You Su sighed impatiently and slashed his sword, severing True Man Ling's wrist tendons. "I'll let you speak first!"

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" True Man Ling shouted. "Give me the Universe Bag, and I'll show you."

You Su frowned, flicked True Man Ling's Universe Bag from his waist with his sword, and tossed it at his face. True Man Ling grabbed the Universe Bag, took out the all-black Evil Warding Token, and shakily held it up to You Su.

"Take it, and you'll understand."

You Su, still holding his sword threateningly in his right hand, hesitated for a moment before extending his left hand to take the jade pendant.

Instantly, a monstrous dog-headed creature emerged from the token, lunging at You Su! It was the Lantern Ghost!

You Su was greatly alarmed and quickly swung his sword to strike. However, the Lantern Ghost was incredibly agile, dodging the blow and landing on You Su's arm.

Just as it was about to bite You Su's shoulder, its eyes met You Su's ink-black pupils. It was like a condemned official facing his emperor. The creature froze on his arm, no longer moving, and trembled as it lowered its head.

True Man Ling watched the dramatic turn of events with astonishment.

Ever since he was young, he had been different from others, fascinated by strange monsters. This Lantern Ghost was the first Malevolent Spirit bestowed upon him by his Lord, and he cherished it dearly, raising it until it became his most trusted companion.

But now, seeing the Lantern Ghost crawling towards him with bared fangs, his heart sank into despair.

You Su, also confused by the sudden change, intended to ask more questions. But True Man Ling muttered distractedly:

"It's no use, don't think about saving them... The ones inside them are Malevolent Spirits of that caliber... Those who are targeted by them cannot escape..."

"Explain yourself clearly!"

True Man Ling seemed not to hear You Su, continuing to mumble the same four words obsessively:

"Divine Revelation Chuyun, Divine Revelation Chuyun..."

Even as the Lantern Ghost began to feast on him, he didn't react. Blood splattered onto the ground, but he seemed devoid of pain, letting it tear into him.

You Su was bewildered. The Lantern Ghost had been hostile towards him moments ago, so why had it turned on True Man Ling after just a glance? Was this also the effect of that rotten flesh? What did Divine Revelation Chuyun mean? Was Chuyun referring to Chuyun City?

Unexpectedly, True Man Ling suddenly lifted his head. His eyeballs, dislodged by inertia, fell out. He stared at You Su with empty sockets, his throat emitting a hoarse, piercing sound:

"The Lord has merged with the True Lord, and you will all die! I will crawl out of hell to drag you down with me! That day will come soon, so you must... live well!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Lantern Ghost bit through True Man Ling's neck with its gaping maw.

Watching True Man Ling being gnawed down to exposed bones and organs, You Su felt that karma had come full circle. This wretch who befriended Malevolent Spirits had finally met his end at their hands.

Only when True Man Ling was reduced to a pile of skeletal remains did You Su, sword in hand, approach the cowering Lantern Ghost.

The Lantern Ghost seemed to know its fate. It offered no resistance as You Su severed its grotesque fish head. Then, its entire body dissolved into a pool of viscous blood, mingling with True Man Ling's and seeping into the earth.

With this, everything settled. You Su's mind finally relaxed.

He looked towards the lightening sky. The sun had not yet risen, but the world was already filled with light.

He had too many questions swirling in his mind, but now was not the time to dwell on them. The mess on the ground needed to be dealt with, and True Man Ling's unfinished formation had to be destroyed.

He felt a sense of weariness. After such a fierce battle, he still had to clean up the mess himself. Yet, he also felt a surge of joy. He had not broken his promise; he would protect everything in the sect.

He would not be intimidated by True Man Ling's dying words. He would find a way to remove the Malevolent Spirits from his Junior Sister and Mistress.

Even if he couldn't remove them, it didn't matter. He had just accomplished the most thrilling feat of his eighteen years. He was filled with pride, feeling as though he could face the entire world alone.

You Su picked up the blood-stained Universe Bag and the Evil Warding Token, weighing them in his hands.

Without rushing to celebrate, he put away this unexpected windfall and walked into the hazy mist.

"Where's Senior Brother?"

A young girl with a drooping bun hairstyle and an orchid hairpin peeked furtively from the windowsill, peering through the one-finger-wide hole in the paper.

The girl wore a vibrant green dress with pink accents. She stood on tiptoe, her ankles slender and her joints delicate.

She had stayed up all night, her hand aching from writing, to finish the latter half of the Legend of the White Snake. The thought of her Senior Brother, who always slacked off, made her angry. So, before going to bathe, she couldn't resist coming here to see his ugly sleeping face and vent her frustration.

She swore to heaven she wasn't a habitual offender, having only peeked a few times at most. This hole certainly wasn't made by her; it was already there.

"Where did he go without me? He wouldn't have... secretly gone to a brothel, would he?" Ji Lingruo's face instantly flushed, and she stamped her foot in anger. She decided to interrogate her Senior Brother thoroughly when he returned.

Then, she went to fetch the hot water for her bath.

Inside the bathing room.

Ji Lingruo untied her white undergarments with delicate, rusty cloud patterns and a thin, embroidered pair of pants. She first tested the water temperature with her toes; it was just right, so she leisurely sank into the water.

She pursed her thin lips, growing angrier the more she thought about it. Was her Senior Brother so impatient after only just becoming an adult for two days? To ruin his path of cultivation like this, he was truly a fool driven mad by lust. As expected, you can know a person's face but not their heart.

It wasn't until the water turned cool that she remembered she had been too focused on thinking about her Senior Brother and had left her undergarments to dry outside.

She cursed You Su again in her heart and put on a sheer bathrobe to go retrieve her clothes.

The morning breeze blew. Although it was the end of summer, Ji Lingruo, covered in water droplets, shivered.

Just then, the sect residence's main gate was gently pushed open.

You Su, covered in bloodstains and dirt, slipped in. He surveyed everything in the sect, feeling it was all so familiar and warm.

Until he saw the body sculpted from white jade and congealed fat in the center of his vision, both of them froze on the spot, staring at each other from a distance.

"Ah!"

The maiden's scream echoed like a mountain's cry.

"Junior Sister, don't be afraid, I'm blind..."

The youth's defense sounded like a mosquito's whine. Then, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.