Chapter 17 Part 2
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 17: Sadness (2)
The blood flowed like a spring, and in moments, it dyed his robe crimson.
Chen Fu had clearly severed his cultivation base. His immense spirit Qi surged skyward, churning the wind and clouds.
After a few seconds, he pulled the sword out of his body.
His breath had stabilized significantly, but his cultivation base had plummeted to the Soul Changing Stage.
“Huh?”
Bai Lian, the snake dragon, the cat demon, and everyone else present were stunned.
“Hey, you people from Thousand Swords City are really something else!”
The woman in white gasped.
“Martial Master!”
Chen Fu raised his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. This injury isn’t life-threatening.”
“But…”
Chen Fu cut her off, no longer engaging with the woman in white.
Turning to Bai Lian, he said, “If I hadn’t killed the white fox outright, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point. It was my mistake, and I will do my best to atone for Gu Jiu.”
Bai Lian hesitated.
“This isn’t your fault…”
“I understand,” Chen Fu interrupted firmly.
People often cling to their own judgments, even when they understand the broader picture.
Chen Fu was no exception.
But Gu Jiu didn’t understand.
Chen Fu exhaled deeply and turned his gaze toward Young Master Cao.
Having learned the entire story from the woman in white, Chen Fu also knew that Bai Lian had captured Young Master Cao and his cousin.
“Speak the truth. If you’ve done something wrong, you should face the consequences.”
“I…”
Young Master Cao began, but the icy aura radiating from Chen Fu made him falter.
Under the oppressive atmosphere, he confessed in front of his family and the gathered townsfolk.
Young Master Cao had been engaged to Li Niang since childhood.
However, by the time their wedding approached, Li Niang’s family had fallen into decline and could no longer provide political or social advantages to the Cao family.
While the mistress of the Cao family didn’t object to the marriage, Young Master Cao himself was dissatisfied.
Matters worsened when Li Niang discovered his secret relationship with his cousin. Although she chose not to confront them, both Young Master Cao and his cousin grew uneasy.
“Just get rid of this unnecessary woman!”
They decided to poison Li Niang in secret.
During this time, the cat demon attempted to save Li Niang but accidentally exposed her cat tail, terrifying the members of the Cao family.
All in all, it was a *sordid tale that, to Bai Lian, resembled the plot of a third-rate drama.
[*a story that is morally bad, shocking, or sensationalized.]
Yet, this so-called third-rate drama had ensnared far too many people in its web.
The woman who had invited Taoist Ma to catch the demon rolled her eyes in fury.
“Ungrateful son!”
She fainted on the spot.
“Mistress!”
The Cao family servants erupted into a panic.
Chen Fu scattered a large amount of white dew, healing the wounds of the snake dragon and detoxifying Li Niang.
Finally, he turned to Bai Lian, bowing deeply, his forehead almost touching the tips of her shoes.
“Thank you for sparing Gu Jiu’s life.”
Bai Lian raised her right hand dismissively.
In truth, she had wanted to kill him, but her strength wasn’t enough. After all, her Qianhuan Real Eyes were mainly illusion-based.
Forget it.
There was no point in explaining.
Chen Fu then handed her a piece of rare sword-forging material.
“I hope this can help atone for Gu Jiu’s actions, even if only a little.”
Bai Lian accepted it without hesitation. She could use it to craft a pair of boxing gloves for her fifth Martial Sister.
After bowing once more, Chen Fu returned to Gu Jiu and gently helped him to his feet.
When Bai Lian looked again, she noticed Chen Fu’s sideburns had turned gray.
Although his cultivation base remained at the Soul Changing Stage, his lifespan had been drastically reduced.
Would he sacrifice himself to atone for Gu Jiu’s crimes?
This is human nature. Too complicated.
Bai Lian reminded him,
“I didn’t destroy Gu Jiu’s sword. I only made him believe I had.”
Without turning around, Chen Fu replied,
“That sword deserved to be destroyed.”
With those words, he soared into the sky, heading toward a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds. The golden light pierced the cold, illuminating Chen Fu and the swaying trees below.
“Martial Master!”
The woman in white stomped her foot in frustration. Seeing that the woman in black had no intention of following, she chased after Chen Fu alone.
The woman in black remained standing for a moment before walking slowly toward Bai Lian.
“?”
Bai Lian was perplexed.
What now?
Without warning, the woman in black raised her hand, and a surge of black smoke shot toward Bai Lian like a ferocious dragon.
Too fast, too overwhelming!
Caught mid-transition out of her Snow Spirit Lord state, Bai Lian had no time to dodge.
It’s over. I’m going to die.
Damn it. This script is wrong!
Despite the dire situation, Bai Lian’s face remained eerily calm. She slowly raised her hand to cover her chest.
The woman in black’s eyes flickered with hesitation.
Too calm. Too composed!
It was absurd that she had hoped to test Bai Lian’s true strength.
Just as the black fog was about to pierce Bai Lian’s abdomen, the woman in black waved her right hand, dissipating the attack.
“As expected of you. I am ashamed of myself!”
“?”
What just happened?
The woman in black tossed another piece of refining material to Bai Lian.
Bai Lian was furious. Who do you think I am?
The woman in black simply said, “We will meet again in the future.”
With that, she vanished.
Bai Lian inspected the material.
Well, this could even be used to refine top-tier Spirit Tools.
Fine. She decided to keep it.
Expressionless, Bai Lian sank to the ground.
As soon as she removed the water curtain, Ling Xuan bolted out of hiding.
Patta.
She threw herself into Bai Lian’s arms.
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
Ling Xuan began inspecting Bai Lian anxiously, touching her waist, thighs, and hands in rapid succession.
“Of course not,” Bai Lian reassured her with a smile.
In a moment, she fully deactivated her Snow Spirit Lord state.
Ling Xuan looked up at her and smiled brightly. “You look more beautiful like this.”
Though the Snow Spirit Lord’s appearance was commanding, it always made Ling Xuan feel as though Bai Lian was distant.
This was much better.
Bai Lian gently ruffled Ling Xuan’s hair.
This way, my fifth Martial Sister will surely stay with me, won’t she?
“Let’s leave here,” Bai Lian said, motioning for Ling Xuan to follow.
The Cao family was in chaos, and Bai Lian wanted no further involvement. Whatever punishment awaited Young Master Cao should be handled by the local authorities.
With the snake dragon and the cat demon keeping watch, Bai Lian was confident no one would dare to manipulate the law for personal gain.
She led Ling Xuan out of the Cao mansion.
As they passed Taoist Ma, his legs were trembling.
“I-I-I swear, I’ll never deceive anyone again! I’ll use all the money I swindled to help others!”
Bai Lian gave him a curt nod.
There was no need for further words. She supposed she could consider herself a good doctor today. After all, she had helped several “patients.”
In the snow, at the gates of the Cao mansion, Bai Lian smiled faintly as she felt the softness of Ling Xuan’s hair.
But another thought lingered in her mind.
Why had the reward for standing by been Soft Skill +17?
Gu Jiu’s strength wasn’t that terrifying.
As she pondered this, a pair of bright eyes caught her attention.
There, at the corner, stood a beggar.
He looked filthy and shivered from the cold, but his eyes glimmered with an unmistakable vitality—like a spring welling up in the heart of winter.
