Chapter 17

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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!

Chapter 17: This Is Definitely Caused by the Internal Demon!

Si Yunshang felt the secret medicine’s effects gradually dissipate.

Sitting in the dim room, a strange dryness clawed at her throat, making her uneasy. Her thoughts turned to water.

If only there was some water…

As if in response to her wish, a soft click sounded from the closed wooden door.

A mechanical voice followed:

“Identification card verification completed.”

The door Bai Lian had transformed opened automatically, and shimmering, colored light flooded the room.

Si Yunshang staggered forward, her hoarse voice escaping: “I… I want… drink…”

“Ah?” Bai Lian raised an eyebrow, startled.

What is this Demon Woman up to now?

Angrily, Bai Lian blocked Si Yunshang’s path. “Miss Si, behave yourself! There are others here!”

Si Yunshang blinked, confused. What others? Does she mean someone else will stop me from getting water?

Her question died in her throat when she noticed the figure standing silently next to Bai Lian.

It was him—the middle-aged man who had confronted the white tiger near the forbidden grounds of the White Tiger Hall.

Bai Lian spoke, her tone neutral but firm. “This man was directly involved in capturing innocent civilians for the White Tiger Hall. I don’t know if the destruction of the boat you were on was his doing, but I brought him to you. Ask him yourself.”

“What?”

Si Yunshang froze, Bai Lian’s words echoing in her mind.

She…

No. This wasn’t the time to dwell on unnecessary details.

“How do you know all this?” Si Yunshang asked cautiously.

“You talk in your sleep,” Bai Lian replied casually.

“… … …”

For a long moment, Si Yunshang was silent.

Finally, she sighed. “I didn’t want to bring it up before. That memory is…”

Her voice cracked, the weight of the past threatening to crush her.

“Too painful!”

Bai Lian nodded solemnly. “I understand. Many people have pasts they cannot bear to revisit.” She gently patted Si Yunshang’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone, and Martial Sister Bai Lian certainly won’t either!”

Si Yunshang felt a lump rise in her throat. “Thank you.”

Her words carried more than gratitude. She wasn’t just thanking Bai Lian for her discretion; she was thanking “Chen Lu” for remembering her pain and bringing her the closure she had long sought.

“Well, take your time interrogating him,” Bai Lian said, stepping toward the door.

The interrogation went surprisingly smoothly. The middle-aged man confessed everything before Si Yunshang even pressed him.

He hadn’t personally destroyed her boat but had given the order.

Si Yunshang clenched her fists, her breaths heavy and uneven. Her eyes burned red, her killing intent thick enough to chill the air.

In that moment, she embodied the very image of a Demon Woman.

Watching from the doorway, Bai Lian couldn’t help but be reminded of Su Youwei. When she first met her third younger Martial Sister, Su Youwei’s killing intent had been even darker, a tangible aura of despair and fury that couldn’t be ignored.

Though Su Youwei had grown calmer since, Bai Lian knew her younger Martial Sister still battled her inner demons. That fight would be long and grueling.

“Ah…”

Bai Lian’s expression softened. People were so complicated, weren’t they? Despite the bloody memories she carried from the game, what always surfaced first was the image of Su Youwei curled up in an inn, her panicked eyes betraying her vulnerability.

“When all this is over, I’ll comfort her properly,” Bai Lian resolved.

Turning back to the scene, Bai Lian saw that Si Yunshang had pinned the middle-aged man against the wall, her sharp nails digging into his flesh.

“Don’t! You can’t kill me!” the man cried desperately. “Bai Lian promised me! She said if I confessed, she’d let me go!”

“…”

Si Yunshang’s hand froze mid-air.

Is this true?

If she killed this man, it would undoubtedly cause trouble for “Chen Lu.” Worse, Bai Lian would likely scold Chen Lu afterward. Could she risk jeopardizing their bond over this?

Si Yunshang bit her lip. Chen Lu must have thought of this risk and still brought the man here.

Her chest tightened. She sniffled softly, a surge of emotion welling up inside her.

It had been so long—so long since someone cared for her so purely.

Ever since she set her sights on destroying the Huaxin Sect, she’d embraced solitude and darkness. But now, Chen Lu—a woman so seemingly vulgar and simple—had shattered her defenses and touched her heart.

Her thoughts drifted to Chen Lu’s two “cute” Martial Sisters.

She Can’t. It’s Not Her Style to Trouble Her Benefactor.

Si Yunshang lowered her gaze and said, “Let him go.”

Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion, yet resolute. She braced herself for a wave of weakness, expecting her legs to give out the moment those words left her lips. But instead, a surprising lightness filled her chest.

Thanks to Chen Lu.

“She treated me honestly, but I…”

Si Yunshang placed a trembling hand over her heart, feeling a pang of regret. She hadn’t been honest. She had deceived Chen Lu by pretending to sleep.

I’m not a Demon Woman, but I am a bad woman.

“Huh?” Bai Lian was dumbfounded.

Let him go? What is she thinking?

Then it hit her.

Ah, it must be the internal demon!

Bai Lian furrowed her brow. She recalled Su Youwei’s internal demon, born from a cycle of endless killing. Si Yunshang’s demon, on the other hand, seemed to stem from her fear of killing.

Bai Lian strode forward, seized Si Yunshang’s hand, and locked eyes with her. “Miss Si, stop running away!”

The stars in Bai Lian’s eyes blazed like fire.

Si Yunshang’s heart skipped a beat. She averted her gaze, mumbling, “I… you…”

“I’m me, and you are you!” Bai Lian’s voice was commanding. “Why are you so concerned about my feelings? I brought him here for you. Do you really want to live with this regret forever? Look into my eyes!”

Si Yunshang’s body trembled, and her resolve wavered. Slowly, she turned back, meeting Bai Lian’s gaze with timid eyes.

In those fiery stars, she felt “Chen Lu’s” unshakable determination. Despite the risks, despite possibly offending Fairy Bai Lian, Chen Lu had prioritized her above all.

That innocent, selfless care burned brighter than the deepest void in her heart.

“I… I understand.” Si Yunshang’s voice steadied as she spoke.

Bai Lian nodded approvingly. Another victory against an internal demon!

Thank you, Master, Bai Lian thought, recalling her teachings. Without you, I wouldn’t have this wisdom.

However, the middle-aged man screamed, disrupting the moment. “No! You can’t kill me! Bai Lian promised to let me go!”

“Shut up!” Si Yunshang growled, her grip tightening on her sword. “Martial Sister Bai Lian said she’d see you off. Isn’t that what I’m doing right now?”

The man spat in desperation. “Are you truly a disciple of the Duxian Sect? How can you be so shameless?!”

Bai Lian ignored his taunts, standing calmly by.

Si Yunshang, however, was incensed. The man’s final insult—directed at Chen Lu—was the last straw.

Her sword pierced his heart without hesitation.

Blood spilled in a burst, but before it could stain the floor, Bai Lian sealed the wound with a swift wave of her spirit Qi.

“Hoo~”

Si Yunshang’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Her spirit felt lighter than it had in years, though her body was utterly drained.

Bai Lian caught her, gently guiding her to the bed. “Rest. I’ll deal with the body. Sleep well tonight. Tomorrow, the Ten Thousand Immortals League will march on the Huaxin Sect.”

Si Yunshang nodded weakly. She had no strength to speak but fought to keep her eyes open, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Chen Lu before she left the room.

The door clicked shut, and Si Yunshang finally allowed herself to close her eyes.

As she drifted into unconsciousness, she thought she heard a faint sigh.

Outside the Aurora Boat

Bai Lian obliterated the middle-aged man’s body with her spirit Qi, then removed her disguise. She returned to the boat, her steps lighter.

On the deck, not far from her room, stood Su Youwei, staring into the night with a melancholic expression.

Poor child.

Bai Lian couldn’t help comparing Su Youwei’s petite frame to Xiao Jinse’s. Though they were close in age, the third Martial Sister was nearly half a head shorter.

It must be the weight of her internal demon holding her back.

“Elder Martial Sister,” Su Youwei greeted softly, sensing her presence.

“Don’t speak.”

Bai Lian stepped beside her and gently stroked her head, as though comforting a frightened kitten.

This was her moment alone with Martial Sister Bai Lian. No Xiao Jinse to intrude.

Happiness surged through Su Youwei’s chest, and for a brief moment, she forgot her struggles.

Bai Lian suddenly grasped her hand, looking deep into her eyes. “It’s hard fighting your internal demon, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Su Youwei’s guilty whisper made Bai Lian’s heart ache.

Poor child.

Bai Lian released her hand but continued patting her head. Her gaze shifted to the stars above.

“Don’t worry. I’ll always be here for you. If you ever feel lost, come to me, the second Martial Sister, or Master. We’ll always have your back.”

“Mm.”

Su Youwei fiddled nervously with her fingers. “As long as I’m with you, Martial Sister Bai Lian, I’m not afraid.”

Her words were sincere, spoken from the depths of her heart.

In the shadows, two feet away, Xiao Jinse crouched, peeking at the pair.

At first, she had been furious at Su Youwei’s behavior. But hearing Bai Lian mention internal demons and seeing Su Youwei’s vulnerable expression softened her anger.

She’s the second Martial Sister of Qiongming Peak. She should be better than this!

Xiao Jinse sighed, gazing at the dark stars above.

A peculiar thought crossed her mind.

What would it take to create my own internal demon? If I had one, wouldn’t I also get this kind of attention from Martial Sister Bai Lian?