Senior brother, don't go

Xiao Qinghe was actually deeply uneasy.

His master hated the Demon Clan to the core. In the original novel, when he learned that his only disciple had taken a dangerous shortcut in cultivation, suffered cultivation deviation, and ultimately fallen to the demonic path, he had raised the Wind-Piercing Sword without hesitation and killed his own disciple in the name of righteousness.

Now that Xiao Qinghe had blundered into becoming half a member of the Demon Clan, how could his master spare him?

Bai Yuqing's expression was icy, but the gaze fixed on Xiao Qinghe was terribly complicated.

Confusion, disappointment, and anger mingled within it.

After a long while, just as Xiao Qinghe thought death was inevitable, Bai Yuqing suddenly put away his sword. As though unwilling to spare Xie Jun another glance, he turned decisively, ready to fly away on his sword.

"Master?" Xiao Qinghe could hardly believe he had stopped.

Bai Yuqing did not look back. He merely said coldly, "What are you standing there for? Come back with me. We will treat today's events as though they never happened. And I have only one disciple."

In other words, he would spare Xie Jun's life, but refuse to let her return to the Sect.

Xiao Qinghe had thought he was doomed, only for a way out to appear unexpectedly. He could hardly believe it.

Was it because the plot hadn't reached the part where I was supposed to die yet, so Master was sparing me for now?

Whatever the reason, at least he was still alive.

"Senior brother..."

Seeing that Xiao Qinghe was about to leave, Xie Jun took a step forward.

But she was already gravely wounded, and Bai Yuqing had stabbed her as well. Blood poured from her chest. She staggered and sank onto one knee, yet her eyes remained fixed yearningly on Xiao Qinghe.

"Senior brother, don't go." Xie Jun reached out to catch Xiao Qinghe, but only managed to grab the hem of his robe.

Even so, she clutched it tightly, refusing to let go. A trace of humble pleading crept into her voice. "Senior brother, don't abandon me."

As she was now, she was no match for Bai Yuqing. Yet she could not accept him taking Xiao Qinghe away.

She had finally found someone who cherished her. She could not bear to become a discarded pawn again.

"Senior brother, you need me. Don't go with him, please?"

Looking at her reddened eyes, Xiao Qinghe could not bring himself to be cruel.

Just then, voices from the various sects rang out from every direction.

If they discovered that Xie Jun belonged to the Demon Clan, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Junior sister, find somewhere to heal first. I'll come find you later," Xiao Qinghe said in a low voice. Seeing that she was still clutching his robe desperately, he gritted his teeth, raised his sword, and sliced through the fabric.

Then he left with Bai Yuqing without looking back.

Xie Jun swayed, finally unable to hold herself up, and collapsed to the ground.

She still clutched that scrap of fabric, her defiant eyes fixed on the direction Xiao Qinghe had gone. Reluctance, hurt, and anger mingled in her gaze, along with a trace of grievance.

Watching this, Bai Liuli sighed deeply. She took a bottle of pills from inside her robe and offered it to her. "These are blood-staunching pills. You'll need them."

Xie Jun looked at her, her gaze dark. "Why? I'm a member of the Demon Clan."

Bai Liuli lowered her eyes. "You gave me your Teleportation Talisman and saved my life. I'm repaying that favor. That's all."

The real reason was that she, too, wanted to save Xiao Qinghe. But when she searched her heart, she knew she could not turn herself into a Ghost Slave, become his dependent, and sustain him for the rest of her life.

From the way Xie Jun looked at Xiao Qinghe, she knew Xie Jun harbored the same feelings for him that she did. The difference was that Xie Jun was willing to give up everything for him.

That alone put Xie Jun far ahead of her.

"Please treat Immortal Master Xiao well." With that, Bai Liuli turned and left. When she met the other Heartless Valley disciples and was asked whether she had encountered any members of the Demon Clan, she glanced back in Xie Jun's direction, then finally shook her head gently.

"No."

Because of the Demon Clan's rampage, the Heroes' Conference was forced to halt.

The various sects sent reinforcements to rescue their own disciples. But across the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks, cries of anguish filled the land and blood flowed in rivers. Countless disciples had been lost.

Even the highly skilled disciples of the Four Great Sects had suffered terrible casualties. The smaller sects had fared even worse, with countless minor sects wiped out entirely.

For a time, outrage ran high, and demands for punishment rose everywhere.

"The barrier around the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks has been rock-solid for decades. How could it suddenly become corrupted?"

"The Two-Headed Snake and the Human-Faced Ghost aren't demon creatures that should appear in the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks. This is far too suspicious. There must be a thorough investigation to give every sect the truth and justice they deserve!"

The various sects could not let the matter rest. There were leads suggesting that a traitor within the Four Great Sects had deliberately allowed high-level demon creatures into the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks to slaughter their rivals.

By that reasoning, Xiao Qinghe, who had suddenly shot to first place in the rankings, was the most suspicious.

How could he possibly have collected nearly forty Spirit Pills all by himself in just half a day?

That was almost twice as many as Yan Yunhe, who had placed second!

"They're making things up! It's utter nonsense!" Ouyang Susu stormed into the room, her cheeks puffed with anger. "Just because Senior Brother Xiao had the most Spirit Pills, they can accuse him of letting high-level members of the Demon Clan in to kill people for the sake of his reputation? They've gone too far!"

After several days of rest and recovery, the various sects returned home. Yet speculation about the many suspicious circumstances surrounding the Heroes' Conference only grew louder.

The conspiracy theories grew increasingly rampant.

The most widespread version claimed that Xiao Qinghe had secretly let high-level members of the Demon Clan into the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks for his own selfish ends, triggering the catastrophe.

Their imaginations were even wilder than the original novel!

Hearing it made Xiao Qinghe want to punch someone.

Ouyang Susu tilted her head. "But Senior Brother Xiao, how did you get so many Spirit Pills? And where is Senior Brother Xie? It's already been two days. Why hasn't he come back? Could he have..."

Before she finished, Bai Yuqing set down the medicine spoon.

The spoon struck the bowl with a clear clink.

The atmosphere froze at once.

A chill spread through the room.

Xiao Qinghe kept utterly quiet, not daring to make a sound.

Since returning from Deer-Cry Mountain, his master had behaved completely out of character. Instead of entering secluded cultivation, he had stayed beside Xiao Qinghe to care for him, brewing medicine and feeding it to him.

His master knew perfectly well that he had taken the Ghost King Spirit Pill and was already half a member of the Demon Clan. It was fortunate enough that he had not killed him in the name of righteousness, yet he was actually tending to him personally?

Terrifying.

Absolutely terrifying.

What was even more terrifying was that his master cared for him through his actions, yet subjected him to the silent treatment.

He said nothing.

Not a single word.

This made it even harder for Xiao Qinghe to figure out what he was thinking. Every time he saw his master, his nerves prickled. He did not dare mention Xie Jun at all, afraid of stepping on a land mine.

And now Ouyang Susu had stepped right on it.

"Get out." Bai Yuqing's face was expressionless.

"Master Yu Qing, you're so mean..." Ouyang Susu bit her lip, full of grievance. "Senior Brother Xiao wasn't the only one who encountered members of the Demon Clan in the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks. I did too! But you only saved him. You didn't come save me..."

Xiao Qinghe: "..."

If she had not brought it up, he would have been fine. The moment she did, his shoulder began to hurt.

A Human-Faced Ghost wearing Ouyang Susu's exact face had pierced his shoulder with its tongue. How could it not hurt?

Ouyang Susu had no idea Xiao Qinghe was furiously complaining to himself. She gazed at Bai Yuqing, tears shimmering in her eyes, looking pitiful enough to melt anyone's heart. "Senior Brother Xiao is a grown man. He can protect himself. But I'm just a weak girl. Master Yu Qing, aren't you worried about my safety at all?"

Girl, your father and a whole pack of fawning senior and junior brothers went to rescue you. Wasn't that enough?

Too exasperated to complain, Xiao Qinghe was about to say something when his body suddenly stiffened and his face turned deathly pale.