Chapter 17 Part 2
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This chapter is edited by Farouq Omileye. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 17: I Can’t Believe You Are Like This, Bai Lian! (2)
At night.
On the Qiongming Peak.
Bai Lian stood outside near the crooked-neck tree.
After a noisy afternoon, Shifu had finally managed to fall asleep. The good news was that her injury wasn’t too severe.
“Just rest well for two or three months, and she will be fine,” Qiong Zhi had said.
This brought relief to almost everyone present.
“Great!”
Xiao Jinse and Su Youwei, upon hearing the news, hugged each other tightly. Meanwhile, Yu Ying stood off to the side, feeling a bit unnecessary. She wanted to hold the jade rabbit, but it was already snuggled comfortably in its mother’s arms.
Later, Elder Gaoyi and the others who came to visit An Lan also displayed expressions of relief.
“Thank goodness, Martial Sister An Lan is okay.”
“The sect leader will be back in a few days; he must be thrilled to hear the news.”
Bai Lian shook her head, trying to clear these images from her mind.
Under the soft moonlight, she spotted a solitary figure standing at the edge of the cliff.
That must be Martial Master Yan Yue.
Her heart sank.
Bai Lian let out a soft sigh. She and Yan Yue were probably the only ones who still felt burdened. She could completely empathize with Yan Yue’s state of mind.
Because they both considered themselves guilty.
Yan Yue truly believed it.
“If it weren’t for me,” Yan Yue thought, “how could An Lan suddenly cough up blood as though she had lost part of her soul?”
At that moment, she contemplated that if An Lan’s cultivation had been impaired due to her actions, she would take her own life to make amends.
Even though it turned out An Lan’s injury wasn’t as severe as she had feared, Yan Yue still felt miserable. She felt as though she had tumbled into a pit of darkness and couldn’t climb out.
The mountain breeze was cool.
She contemplated taking a step forward, letting herself plunge into the abyss.
When the moon reached the center of the sky, a gentle voice called out behind her.
“Master Yan Yue.”
Slowly, Yan Yue turned around.
Her clothes fluttered in the wind, her silhouette hazy and illuminated by the moonlight. She looked like a fairy—yet her face bore a melancholic smile.
“Oh, it’s you, Bai Lian.”
Her breath was bitter as she spoke.
This was the power of guilt. Bai Lian could feel it; Yan Yue’s breathing was uneven, her emotions fragile.
If this continued, Yan Yue might fall into depression—or worse, start coughing up blood herself.
Bai Lian couldn’t stand by and watch.
“Master Yan Yue!” she thought. “You didn’t make any mistakes. If anyone is at fault, it’s me!”
“If I had been more careful, there wouldn’t have been so many accidents!”
Tears welled up in Yan Yue’s eyes. She asked, “Bai Lian, do you think I am worthless?”
Bai Lian’s voice was firm. “Master Yan Yue is incredibly powerful. How could she be useless? She even rescued me handsomely from the Flying Fog.”
Yan Yue’s body trembled. She whispered, “An Lan must hate me. If I hadn’t suddenly appeared, she wouldn’t have been so furious to the point of vomiting blood.”
Bai Lian shook her head. “There’s nothing to worry about, Master Yan Yue. In fact, Shifu doesn’t hate you at all.”
A bitter smile crossed Yan Yue’s face. “Bai Lian, you don’t need to comfort me.”
“I’m not trying to comfort you.” Bai Lian’s tone was serious. “Master Yan Yue, come with me.”
Yan Yue hesitated, but Bai Lian reached out and grabbed her hand.
It was soft and cool.
“Come. I’ll show you!”
Yan Yue was startled by this sudden action. However, she didn’t pull away. Deep down, perhaps she was hoping for something.
The two entered the room together.
Amidst the flickering candlelight, Bai Lian pointed at a painting on the wall.
“This is the evidence!” she declared.
Yan Yue lifted her head.
It was the painting she had made for An Lan. She knew this painting was here—it had been for six months.
Bai Lian continued, “Master said she lost the painting, but it was a lie. She’s always kept it safe. If Master really hated you, why would she keep it?”
Yan Yue murmured, “Then, why did she deceive me?”
“I don’t know, but one thing is certain—Master doesn’t hate you.”
Bai Lian chose not to delve into An Lan’s complicated personality in front of Yan Yue.
After all, she hoped she understood An Lan better than anyone else in the world.
Yan Yue stared at the painting, her mind flooded with memories.
She recalled the moments she had shared with An Lan as a child.
Repeatedly.
Deep down, she knew that while An Lan could be fierce at times, she had always cared for her. Without An Lan’s support, her mischievous past would have led to far more trouble.
When she was young, both An Lan and her father had taken care of her. Later, the Blood Tree Patriarch looked after her.
But she never valued it.
She had been stubborn, assuming it was natural for everyone to obey her.
But she had been wrong.
She wasn’t, isn’t, and will never be the center of the world.
Wasn’t it natural for An Lan to be angry when she kept bothering her like that?
“Even after all these years, I feel as though I haven’t matured,” Yan Yue thought bitterly.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Why can’t I understand An Lan the way Bai Lian does?”
She pressed her lips tightly together.
Due to her fickle nature, she had lost the affection of a sister who had cared for her deeply.
“I cannot go back!”
Yan Yue’s body trembled violently.
“Master Yan Yue,” Bai Lian whispered softly.
At that moment, Yan Yue suddenly embraced Bai Lian tightly.
Tears streamed down her face.
In a hoarse voice, she repeatedly apologized. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. It’s all my fault. Please get better quickly, Sister An Lan. I’m so sorry…”
Bai Lian froze, unsure of what to do.
Just then, a new task appeared in her vision.
Task 1: Tenderly touch Yan Yue’s back and comfort her (Reward: Hard Skill +5)
Task 2: Raise your hands up in confusion (Reward: Soft Skill +1)
Wait—seriously? Even comforting Yan Yue is risky?
After some hesitation, Bai Lian chose Task 2.
She raised her hands high in confusion, unsure how to handle the situation.
She didn’t push Yan Yue away.
“Cry,” she thought. “It’s better to cry.”
Nearby, An Lan clenched her fists behind the crooked-neck tree.
“Who allowed you to hold Bai Lian, you stupid woman?!”
Her teeth ground together as she suppressed the urge to rush out.
“Just because you called me ‘sister,’ I’ll let you off this time. But make me angry, and I’ll make you cry and beg for mercy!”