T/N: Hey guys!

I just realized that I didn’t upload the second part of chapter 24, I’m very sorry, especially to those who paid coins to read it. I’ve just updated it and added the missing part, so please go back and read it first before continuing with this chapter. I’ll upload another free chapter today to make up for this mistake.

_Steamedbun💞

Chapter 25: The Second Senior Brother’s Dual Personality.

“Second Senior Brother?”

Chu Sang’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at the figure before her. The young man’s long black hair, once flowing like ink, had turned completely white, as if covered in frost. A fierce, eerie wind swept around him, and the terrifying ghostly aura that radiated from his entire body felt almost solid. She could almost see dark ghostly claws emerging from the depths of the underworld, clawing their way out from graves.

The massive demon beast lair was engulfed by this sticky, pitch-black ghostly energy in just a moment, and the sound of wailing ghosts seemed to echo in her ears, making her heart race with fear.

“My goodness, it’s ghost energy!”

“Second Senior Brother… is a ghost cultivator?!”

The demon beast was equally shocked by the sudden transformation, its eyes wide with fury as it stared at the man, whose aura had dramatically shifted. “You’re not a normal cultivator!”

Just moments ago, the man had been a weakened Golden Core cultivator, someone the demon beast could have easily crushed. But now, the terrifying and strange energy surrounding him made it impossible for the beast to gauge his cultivation level. Instinctual fear rose from within the Earth Dragon, causing its voice to tremble.

A Nascent soul stage demon beast had extremely high intelligence and knew when to seek profit and when to avoid danger. Without hesitation, it shifted into its beast form and attempted to burrow into the ground to escape.

“Trying to run?”

The man raised his arm, and a massive, three-zhang-wide ghostly hand materialized in the air, gripping the demon beast’s enormous head. The beast couldn’t resist, nor could it move even an inch.

In the next instant, the man clenched his hand, and the Earth Dragon’s head was crushed into countless particles of dust, not even allowing it time for a final scream.

Chu Sang held her breath and took two steps back, feeling the cold, hard wall behind her.

After disposing of the beast, the man seemed to recall the insignificant presence still in the lair. He turned his cold gaze toward Chu Sang.

The man, once elegant and extraordinary, now had a face as cold as frost. His once warm black eyes had turned into eerie, icy purple pupils with vertical slits that dilated with each breath. His expressionless face exuded an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity.

It was in that moment that Chu Sang noticed a virtual line of text floating above Ling Yu’s head:

[Corruption Value: 99]

Oh no… it wasn’t someone with the same name; he really is the main villain!

She had truly stumbled right into the villain’s lair.

The man’s figure vanished like a ghost. Chu Sang barely had time to react before an ice-cold, slender hand gripped her throat, lifting her off the ground.

The grip tightened. It was clear he intended to strangle her right there.

“Second Senior Brother, cough cough, don’t you recognize me?” Her eyes were filled with terror.

A hint of confusion flickered in the man’s eyes. “Recognize you?”

Chu Sang hadn’t fully grasped the situation either, but seeing his grip loosen slightly, she continued. “Did you forget? I’m your little junior sister. We were dragged into this underground lair by that evil beast, but luckily, you, brave as ever, killed it with one strike! You were so amazing just now!”

“…”

He frowned and slowly parted his lips, “Junior sister?”

“Yes, yes! Second Senior Brother, what’s going on with you?” She clung to his arm, pitifully pleading, “You put me down; otherwise, you’re going to strangle me to death, cough cough...”

Perhaps moved by her sincerity and pitiable state, the man finally loosened his grip.

Chu Sang coughed lightly, climbing back to her feet, only to meet the man’s probing gaze.

She quickly grabbed his hand. “Second Senior Brother, you probably hit your head during the fight with the beast, don’t worry! I’ll help you remember everything!”

“…”

Ling Yu stared intensely into her eyes, the young girl’s face looking so innocent and harmless.

“Why are you standing so far away? Come closer, and I’ll help you remember everything more clearly,” she urged.

“Come a little closer; otherwise, you won’t be able to hear me.”

Smack!

Just as the man let his guard down and approached, Chu Sang swiftly slapped a sleep talisman onto the back of his head.

“You dare deceive me!”

The man’s face darkened in fury, and he raised his hand to strike her, but in the next second, his body went limp, collapsing to the ground.

Unconscious.

Chu Sang let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness she had drawn some random talisman out of boredom earlier. This sleep talisman was of medium grade, strong enough to knock out even a Nascent soul cultivator with a single hit.

“What’s wrong with Second Senior Brother?”

Chu Sang crouched down, poking at the man’s flawless, handsome face.

What happened next astonished her even more—his snow-white hair gradually returned to its original silky black.

After a moment, Ling Yu opened his eyes, his warm, gentle black pupils gazing quietly at her. His voice was soft as he asked, “Junior Sister?”

“Second Senior Brother, you’re finally awake!”

Chu Sang’s earlier questioning tone had turned into certainty.

That clear, innocent gaze—her Second Senior Brother was back.

“What happened just now? Why did I suddenly faint?” Ling Yu propped himself up, rubbing his temples, looking at her with confusion.

His once pristine white robe was now in tatters, his long hair disheveled over his shoulders. His jade-white face bore traces of blood, and his long lashes trembled slightly as he spoke, conveying a sense of unease.

His entire demeanor radiated a fragile beauty.

Second Senior Brother’s appearance was impossible to resist. Out of pure admiration for such beauty, Chu Sang gently helped him up and cast a cleansing spell on both of them.

His blue hair band had long been torn during the battle, leaving his hair cascading freely. Chu Sang, struck by a sudden idea, tore a strip of red fabric from her skirt and tied it around the end of his hair.

After finishing, she realized that the knot looked oddly familiar.

Second Senior Brother’s hair was now tied with a cute red bow.

Chu Sang, “…”

Oh well, it’s behind him. He can’t see it anyway.

“Why did I faint? Where’s that beast? Why is it gone?” Ling Yu’s voice interrupted her thoughts as he scanned the empty lair, his confusion growing.

“Uh…” Chu Sang wasn’t quite sure how to explain. Scratching her head, she cautiously ventured, “What if I told you that a really powerful person suddenly descended from the sky, punched the beast to death, and saved us? Would you believe that?”

Ling Yu looked surprised. “Where is this savior?”

Chu Sang’s gaze grew complicated as she stared at him.

Ling Yu paused for a moment, seemingly realising something. He murmured to himself, “Could it be… he appeared again?”

—He?

It seemed like Second Senior Brother knew the secret of what was happening to him.

Chu Sang decided not to hide it any longer and asked seriously, “Second Senior Brother, what exactly is going on?”

“Just now, you seemed like a completely different person. You killed that Earth Dragon in an instant—it was so impressive!”

Of course, it would have been more impressive if he hadn’t almost strangled her afterward.

“I’ve had memory lapses before, moments where I lost control… I nearly hurt those around me,” Ling Yu said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t elaborate further, probably because he wasn’t entirely sure of the details himself. Chu Sang was curious but decided not to press him on such a personal matter.

In her mind, though, she was piecing together a theory.

Something unknown must have happened to Second Senior Brother, causing him to develop a split personality. His main personality was the gentle, innocent, and handsome Second Senior Brother, who appeared no different from any other cultivator. It served to hide his true identity and protect himself. The secondary personality, however, was the dark and demonic villain, the one from the original story—Ling Yu.

This was going to be tricky.

“Junior Sister, please keep your distance from me.” He gently pushed her arm away, a sorrowful expression on his face. “I’m afraid… I might harm you.”

“What are you saying, Second Brother? We’re from the same sect. How could I abandon you?” Chu Sang slapped him on the shoulder. “We’re in this together, and now more than ever, we should face everything as one!”

“Junior Sister…”

Ling Yu’s heart trembled, as if a wave of warmth had passed through it.

From the moment he had any memory, he was aware of his abnormality. Several times, he had lost control and nearly harmed those around him, causing his fellow sect members to keep their distance in the beginning.

It had been nearly ten years since he last lost control, and he had grown accustomed to showing a gentle demeanor, to the point where no one feared him anymore.

Ling Yu never imagined that he would lose control again today. Even more surprising was that Junior Sister not only wasn’t scared but also turned around to comfort him.

[Villain Ling Yu’s Corruption Level -5. Host can randomly allocate 5 attribute points!]

[Current Villain Ling Yu’s Corruption Level: 94]

[You have 5 attribute points remaining. Please choose which attribute to enhance.]

Chu Sang saved the attribute points for later and circled the beast’s lair several times, but she couldn’t find an exit. The Earth dragon’s ability to transform into earth must have dragged them underground, but she didn’t know how deep below the surface they were. She wondered if she could use spiritual power to blast a way out, but if they were too deep, it might collapse the lair and bury them. The thought of accidentally burying herself alive was almost laughable.

As she pondered, Chu Sang’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Wait, we can use a teleportation talisman to get out!”

“Junior Sister, you can draw teleportation talismans?” Ling Yu was surprised.

Teleportation talismans were mid-to-high-level talismans, and even among the personal disciples of the Baxiang Sect, few could manage to draw one.

“No.”

Chu Sang pulled out a jade slip. “But I’ll learn now.”

She sent a thread of spiritual energy into the jade slip and gently tapped her forehead. The world around her changed instantly.

She now stood in an endless, pure white space. A golden talisman, as tall as a person, floated before her. The complexity of its strokes and structure far exceeded the lower and mid-level talismans she had drawn before.

Just one glance at it made Chu Sang feel a sharp, needle-like pain stabbing through her mind.

…Her strength and comprehension weren’t enough.

But right now, she had no other choice.

Chu Sang gritted her teeth, allocating all five points to her comprehension stat, and only then did the pain gradually subside. Her mind cleared.

After memorizing the structure of the talisman, she abruptly opened her eyes, exhaled a deep breath, and immediately pulled out two yellow talisman papers from her Spatial bag. Gathering all of her spiritual energy at the tip of her brush, she made a difficult, complex stroke.

It took her a full hour to finish drawing the two talismans.

She suddenly felt a sting in her nose, and drops of blood fell to the ground with a soft “drip, drip.”

“Junior Sister, your nose is bleeding!”

“I’m fine.”

She wiped it away casually, swallowed two Spirit Replenishing Pills, then stood up and handed one of the teleportation talismans to Ling Yu. “Second Brother, inject a sliver of your divine sense into the talisman, and you can teleport to a place of your choice. The range is limited to a hundred kilometres, but that should be enough.”

Ling Yu took the talisman, still in disbelief. Has Junior Sister really succeeded?

As the talisman shattered, a formation appeared beneath their feet, and in the blink of an eye, two beams of light flashed through the underground cavern. The two of them had already disappeared without a trace.

…

In the Demon Beast Forest, Tantai Ming was frantic. He had just watched helplessly as Second Brother and Junior Sister were dragged underground by that cursed beast, powerless to do anything.

He pounded his fists against a nearby tree. The Blood weeping Sword’s whispers of temptation were growing louder in his mind. Just as he was about to agree to its conditions, the two figures he thought were lost emerged from behind the trees. Other than their torn clothes, they seemed mostly unharmed.

“Second Brother? Junior Sister?” He blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. “Are you two okay? How did you get out? And what about that cursed beast?”

Chu Sang briefly recounted what had happened, deliberately leaving out the part where Second Brother lost control.

Later that night, when they were resting, Chu Sang sneaked into Tantai Ming’s tent. Startled, he clutched his chest and almost let out a scream. “Junior Sister, what are you doing?”

Chu Sang’s lips twitched. “Your clothes are still on, so you look like a proper man being harassed by some pervert?” she teased. “Seventh Brother, I have a question for you. It’s about Second Brother.”

“About Second Brother?”

“Yeah.” Chu Sang nodded, then told him everything she had kept secret earlier. Tantai Ming was stunned. “…So that’s what happened.”

“Does everyone in our sect know about Second Brother’s loss of control? Have you heard any inside information?”

“I’ve only been in the sect a little longer than you, so I’m not too sure about many things. Second Brother joined the sect around twenty years ago. I heard he was picked up by the Master.” Tantai Ming scratched his head, trying to recall. “As for Second Brother’s condition, I did hear some rumors, but I didn’t pay much attention to them. Now that you mention it, I remember a few things.”

“They say that Second Brother was picked up by the Master from a pile of corpses.”

“When he first arrived at the sect, he was surrounded by an overwhelming aura of blood and death. No one dared to approach him. He was nothing like the person we know today.”

“I also heard that during one of his episodes, he almost injured Senior Sister…” Tantai Ming couldn’t think of much more.

So, Second Brother was also someone the Sect Master of Lingqing Sect had picked up?

Who exactly was this Sect Master?

How was it that every stray person she picked up turned out to be trouble?

She had taken a small, obscure sect and turned it into a gathering place for potential villains.

Chu Sang had a gut feeling that this couldn’t just be a coincidence.

But for now, she didn’t have any solid leads. It seemed that all the answers would only become clear once she met this Sect Master.

“What are you thinking about, Junior Sister?”

Tantai Ming waved a hand in front of her face.

Chu Sang snapped back to reality. “Seventh Brother, don’t you find it odd? Why have the demonic beasts in this forest suddenly started mutating on such a large scale? This isn’t the Demon Realm.”

“You’re saying that a demon clan is interfering?”

“To be able to demonize a Nascent Soul-level beast, whoever did this is no ordinary demon,” Chu Sang said. “It could even be a Demon Lord.”

“So what should we do now? Report it to the Eight Great Immortal Sects?”

“With our strength, we can’t possibly fight a Demon Lord. We definitely need to report this to the Eight Great Immortal Sects. But before that, we need to go somewhere first.”

“Where?”

Chu Sang dusted off her clothes and stood up with a playful smile. “The brothel!”

————

A/N: A note here for clarification: to make it easier for the readers to differentiate, the rankings of the senior brothers and sisters are listed below.

There are seven senior brothers—First Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, and so on up to Seventh Brother.

And five senior sisters—First Sister, Second Sister, Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Fifth Sister.

As for the order of when they entered the sect, I’ll provide that information later if it becomes relevant to the story.