Chapter 9 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by Farouq Omileye. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 9: When Can We, Internal Demons, Stand Up? (1)
Under the clear blue sky, a dazzling white light enveloped the transmission array.
Within moments, the light consumed everyone standing inside.
When the brilliance faded, the array stood empty.
“Waah—”
Bai Lian heard a cry.
It was faint.
Fragile.
But as more voices joined in, the air itself seemed to carry the taste of sorrow.
The younger Martial Sisters were strong. Though their eyelids drooped and their spirits were weighed down, they held back their tears.
But not Tong Yao.
At fourteen, the girl often seemed more mature than adults. Yet, as she watched Master Qin of Qingyu Peak step onto the transmission array, she couldn’t suppress her emotions.
Her tears flowed like cascading beads, staining her pale cheeks a sickly red.
“Elder Martial Sister Tong!”
“Don’t worry, Elder Martial Sister. Master will be fine,” the disciples around her tried to console her.
But nothing worked.
Once the dam broke, her tears streamed uncontrollably, like a flood bursting through a broken valve.
No one mocked her.
Everyone here, gathered to bid farewell, felt the same pain. They, too, were suppressing their grief, holding their tears back with sheer willpower.
They understood the bond between Tong Yao and her master—a bond akin to that of father and daughter.
Master Qin was known for his strictness, especially regarding his treasured wine. Anyone who dared touch it faced harsh punishment. But Tong Yao was different.
She had stolen his wine countless times, yet her worst punishment was being confined to Qingyu Peak for a few days.
—
“Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian,” Tong Yao sobbed as she stumbled toward Bai Lian.
Her petite frame barely reached Bai Lian’s shoulder. Thin and small, she resembled a helpless stray cat shivering in the rain.
No one could have imagined that this fragile girl would one day become the Lord of Hades Hall—the infamous “Empress.”
But Bai Lian knew.
She also knew the price Tong Yao would pay to ascend to that position.
It was not a tale of glory, but one forged through heartbreak and loss.
Two years from now, the Duxian sect would face its first major crisis in the game.
Jue Yunzi’s long-anticipated Guafeng Disaster would strike.
What should have been a moment of joy turned into a catastrophe. A cultivator, harboring a grudge against the former sect leader, used this opportunity to attack.
With a powerful evil weapon, the cultivator unleashed countless ghosts and monsters upon the sect, grievously injuring Jue Yunzi.
An Lan was absent, and in her stead, many stood to defend the sect. Master Qin, Tong Yao’s beloved Shifu, would perish protecting Jue Yunzi’s retreat.
—
The loss shattered Tong Yao.
Her lively spirit vanished, leaving behind only a silent shell of her former self.
Half a year later, Tong Yao’s estranged father—the Lord of Hades Hall—learned of her existence and took her away.
There, she climbed to power, defeating all competitors to inherit the Hall.
But if given the choice, would Tong Yao trade her strength and power for Master Qin’s survival?
Bai Lian gently placed her hand on Tong Yao’s head.
The warmth of her touch caused Tong Yao to cry even harder.
“Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian, I was wrong,” Tong Yao whimpered between sobs.
“I used to think Shifu spoiled me too much… but now, I’m scared.”
“That demon is so powerful. Will Shifu be hurt?”
“I miss Shifu. If only I were stronger, could I take Shifu’s place?”
Her words weighed heavily on everyone around.
The disciples, who once thought Tong Yao was too strict, now lowered their heads in silence.
Would Qingyu Peak remain the same without Elder Martial Sister Tong?
—
Bai Lian finally understood Tong Yao’s fears and regrets.
If she could, Tong Yao would give up everything she had for Master Qin to survive this moment.
But the future is unpredictable.
People change. Sometimes, looking back, they can hardly recognize their former selves.
Bai Lian pulled Tong Yao into an embrace.
Tears soaked her skirts, but Bai Lian didn’t mind.
This moment felt like a glimpse of the trials to come. Yet Bai Lian resolved to defy fate.
The lives before her were no longer characters in a game—they were real, and they mattered.
She gently patted Tong Yao’s back and whispered, “Don’t worry. Master Qin will be fine. The sect leader will be fine. The Duxian sect will endure.”
Her words carried a quiet but unyielding determination, as though making a solemn vow.
In her heart, Bai Lian held a sword—a blade meant to pierce through the darkest of nights.
She thought of Zhi He.
Even those in the Demon Sects pursued legacies that outlived them. The sacrifices of martyrs paved the way for civilizations to survive catastrophe after catastrophe.
When the next Yuan arrives, Bai Lian hoped the stories of the Duxian sect would still echo across the land.
—
Tong Yao’s trembling subsided.
Clinging to Bai Lian’s embrace, her icy body burned with newfound resolve.
“Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian is truly like the moon in the sky,” she thought.
“If Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian says Shifu will return safely, then it must be true.”
Watching this scene unfold, Su Youwei’s expression twisted.
She clenched her fists.
If only she had cried earlier, would Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian have held her like that too?
Tong Yao was so cunning!
Grinding her teeth, Su Youwei ultimately let the thought go.
Her chest felt heavy, but seeing Tong Yao’s bittersweet smile, she decided against faking tears.
Let Tong Yao have this moment.
There would be plenty of chances in the future to fall into Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian’s arms.
For now, Su Youwei focused on one thing: growing stronger.
If she became powerful enough, no one she cared about would ever be in danger.
—
The disciples around them shared similar thoughts.
Jue Yunzi, standing near the transmission array, observed the scene.
After 500 years in the Duxian sect, the words “The Duxian sect” were etched into his soul.
Watching his disciples, Jue Yunzi felt a surge of hope.
Even if he were to fall, the Duxian sect would rise again.
This moment, filled with unity, was unlike anything even during the sect’s most powerful eras.
But it was also a moment of impending peril.
The catastrophe loomed ever closer.
Only time would tell.
