Chapter 24.2

Xiao Xihe sighed, “It’s fine. I’ve held on for so long already; a few more days won’t make a difference.”

“There’s no need to force yourself,” Zhao Shaoqing said with a gentle smile. “If you feel I can’t protect you, you can always call A Yu. She’s quite capable.”

“…That’s even more unnecessary,” Xiao Xihe replied with a dry laugh. Seeing his lingering concern, she explained, “That ghost won’t last much longer anyway. Once it appears, it’ll clear my name completely. Until then, staying with Xie Zhaixing is actually safer.”

Zhao Shaoqing nodded slightly. “The Demon Lord’s cultivation is formidable. It’s better if you’re willing to stay with him.”

After exchanging a few more words, A Yu suddenly appeared, standing guard beside Zhao Shaoqing and eyeing them warily. Xiao Xihe had no patience for quarreling with her, and Liu An’an was unusually quiet today as well. The two turned and left without another word.

As they stepped out, Xiao Xihe overheard Zhao Shaoqing’s resigned voice: “A Yu, you’re always so immature. What will you do when I’m gone?”

His words left her feeling melancholic. As they walked out of the courtyard, she noticed Liu An’an’s unusually grave expression—the same look she wore whenever a patient passed away.

Xiao Xihe guessed the reason. “Has the Young Master’s condition worsened?”

Liu An’an sighed and looked up at her. “If you want to cure the Gu Poison, you’ll need to act quickly these next few days.”

Xiao Xihe pressed her lips together, suddenly at a loss for words. Though life and death were inevitable, few could face them with true detachment. Zhao Shaoqing must have sensed something too, which was why he’d spoken to A Yu that way.

The somber mood lingered all day, remaining unshaken even by nightfall.

“Who are you scowling at?” Xie Zhaixing asked irritably.

…Here we go again. Xiao Xihe gave him a weary look. “Demon Lord, are you sure you don’t need medical attention?”

“Are you calling me sick?” Xie Zhaixing narrowed his eyes.

“…I’m just concerned about you,” she said offhandedly.

To her surprise, his expression softened slightly.

The long night stretched on, and Xiao Xihe, unsettled by Zhao Shaoqing’s impending fate, found herself sleepless and disinterested in distractions. She struck up a conversation with Xie Zhaixing instead.

“If I’m not mistaken, that ghost won’t be able to hold back much longer. Once it strikes, it’ll clear my name,” Xiao Xihe said, though she took no joy in it. “But its attack will mean another death—and there’s no guarantee we’ll even catch it.”

Despite Zhao Wuchen’s efforts, she had little confidence. The ghost’s cunning seemed to surpass ordinary comprehension.

Xie Zhaixing lounged on the divan, not sparing her a single glance.

Undeterred, Xiao Xihe pressed on. “Demon Lord, do you know that ghost?”

The slight lift of his brow was answer enough.

Xiao Xihe stepped closer eagerly. “I think you must know it—or at least how to catch it. Why not take the initiative and capture it? Waiting passively like this is exhausting.”

Xie Zhaixing’s lips parted.

She leaned in, only to hear him say coolly, “Why should I?”

“…Can’t you just do a good deed?” she sighed.

He studied her for a moment. “No.”

…Exactly the answer she’d expected. Xiao Xihe returned to the table and sat down, resting her chin in her hands as melancholy settled over her once more.

Her mood tonight was partly due to the elusive Fierce ghost, but more so because of Zhao Shaoqing. The thought of such a good person dying made her sad, and the realization that his death would mean losing all hope of detoxification saddened her even more.  

As for what her second senior sister had suggested—acting before his death—she had been tempted for three seconds but still hesitated. It felt too despicable to do such a thing to a dying man.  

…Unless absolutely necessary, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.  

Xiao Xihe sighed again, the sound particularly loud in the dead of night.  

Xie Zhaixing ignored her.  

She sighed once more.

Xie Zhaixing’s brow twitched. He had thought she would finally quiet down, but Xiao Xihe cupped her face, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly—a sound that in the dead of night resembled a long, drawn-out sigh.

He looked at her expressionlessly. “Is a fool really worth all this effort from you?”

“What do you mean?” Xiao Xihe perked up her ears.

Xie Zhaixing curled his lips slightly, about to speak, when his eyes suddenly sharpened, and a faint smirk appeared. “There’s some excitement to watch.”

Xiao Xihe blinked, not yet grasping his meaning, when the clamor of a fierce battle erupted outside.

Her spirits lifted instantly, and she dashed toward the door—only to skid to a sudden halt at the threshold before sheepishly turning back. “Demon Lord, coming with me?”

Xie Zhaixing looked at her mockingly, clearly seeing through her thoughts.

Xiao Xihe was indeed worried the commotion outside might be a trick by the fierce ghost to lure her out, which was why she wanted Xie Zhaixing to accompany her. But despite his claim of “excitement to watch,” he seemed rooted to the couch, unmoving.

Resigned, Xiao Xihe could only itch with curiosity as she pressed close to the door to listen.

The sound of blades slicing through the air grew increasingly frequent, accompanied by chaotic footsteps. Listening more carefully, she could even hear Zhao Wuchen’s stern reprimands.

It all felt too real—nothing like an illusion.

Just as she was about to give in and step outside, a surge of powerful Spiritual Power suddenly rushed toward her. She barely dodged aside as a figure crashed through the door, slamming hard onto the floor, followed by a longsword thrust straight at their throat.

With the door shattered, Xiao Xihe realized a crowd had already gathered outside, including Liu An’an, who had hurried over to watch. The moment their eyes met, Liu An’an immediately gestured for her to move aside and avoid getting caught in the crossfire—her practiced ease suggesting she’d been spectating for a while.

Xiao Xihe twitched her lips and looked down to see a furry face… She instinctively recoiled before finally recognizing the familiar eyes beneath the fur.

It was A Yu.

Noticing Xiao Xihe’s gaze, A Yu bared her sharp teeth menacingly, a low growl rumbling in her throat.

Shaken, Xiao Xihe quickly sought comfort from her second senior sister. “What’s going on? Weren’t we supposed to catch a fierce ghost? Why is it her?”

“Don’t even ask. She *is* the fierce ghost,” Liu An’an whispered, linking arms with her. “Luckily, Buddhist Artifacts work somewhat on the Demon Clan too. Zhao Wuchen arrived just in time, or two more disciples would’ve died by her hand.”

“…But the fierce ghost I saw that day was floating, and she doesn’t look like that now,” Xiao Xihe said, even more confused.

Liu An’an shrugged. “If she hadn’t misled you like that, how could she have hidden for so long? We were careless—who knew the Demon Clan also had Life-Force Absorbing Skills? No wonder the Exquisite Pagoda couldn’t detect any possessing ghost. There never was one. It was her, a member of the Demon Clan, causing trouble all along.”

She then sneered. “No wonder she kept coming after us—old grudges and new.”

Xiao Xihe frowned. “If she cares so much about the young sect leader, why would she harm the Sword Mastery Sect?”

As soon as she finished speaking, A Yu cried out in agitation, “I did nothing wrong! You can’t kill me!”

Xiao Xihe looked up to see Zhao Wuchen’s livid face, his sword still pointed at A Yu on the ground. Meanwhile, directly opposite the doorway, someone lounged leisurely on a soft couch, enjoying a VIP seat to the spectacle.

Xiao Xihe: “…” This guy really knew how to stir up resentment over the smallest things.

Over there, Zhao Wuchen said something else, and A Yu stubbornly retorted, “I know you despise the Demon Clan and look down on me, but I did nothing wrong in this matter! I did it to save Shaoqing. In his current condition, he needs the life force of living humans to survive—”

“Outrageous! You’ve committed countless atrocities, and now you dare smear Shaoqing’s name?!” Zhao Wuchen roared. “I’ll kill you right now to avenge my thirteen disciples!”

A Yu bared her teeth. “Every word I said is true! If it weren’t for Shaoqing, why would I resort to such methods? Don’t blame me—blame your own incompetence! You couldn’t protect Shaoqing, and worse, you invited Xie Zhaixing here—”

At the mention of his name, Xie Zhaixing cast a casual glance at the demon on the ground.

A Yu gnashed her teeth at the memory. “If you hadn’t brought Xie Zhaixing here and sealed the Sword Mastery Sect so tightly not even a fly could escape, I would’ve gone down the mountain to harvest life force from mortals! Why would I have needed to play tricks and target the disciples inside the sect—”

“You slaughter innocents and still dare justify yourself?” Zhao Wuchen fumed.

A Yu glared at him hatefully, about to argue further, when Xiao Xihe suddenly spoke up: “If you’re the killer, why did you only lure victims outside instead of forcing your way in?”

“How else would I make you all believe it was a Fierce ghost?” A Yu’s hatred burned fiercer when she saw Xiao Xihe. “You two quacks couldn’t save Shaoqing, and instead of leaving him alone, you kept pestering him with your useless medicines, trying to kill him! You’re the ones who deserve to die!”

“Even as quacks, we’d never use lives as medicine ingredients,” Liu An’an sneered. “No wonder the young master’s pulse suddenly improved before worsening again—it was because you were feeding him life force. Does he know you slaughtered his fellow disciples for it?”

The question made A Yu falter. “You… you can’t tell him—”

“A Yu?”

A Yu froze, turning to see Zhao Shaoqing standing pale at the courtyard gate several meters away.

His eyes held confusion and heartbreak—clearly, he had pieced together what happened but refused to believe it.

“Did you really… harm my martial brothers?” he asked hoarsely.

A Yu stared at him blankly. In an instant, her fur receded, transforming her back into the beautiful girl she once was.

“Is it because of me?” Zhao Shaoqing swayed unsteadily under the archway, his robes billowing emptily in the wind, accentuating his frail frame. “Did all these lives… perish because of me?”

“Shaoqing…”

“If that’s true… I can’t keep you any longer,” Zhao Shaoqing said with a bitter smile. “Leave.”

“Shaoqing…” A Yu’s eyes reddened, as if she had a thousand words to say, but none of her earlier sharpness remained.

Zhao Shaoqing gave her a long look before turning to kneel before Zhao Wuchen. Zhao Wuchen’s expression darkened as a surge of Spiritual Power forcibly lifted him back up. “Shaoqing, what are you doing?”

“Everything A Yu did… was for me,” Zhao Shaoqing said weakly. “I beg you to spare her life. In exchange, I offer my broken body to atone for the thirteen martial brothers lost.”

Zhao Wuchen gritted his teeth: “Have you lost your mind? Why take the blame for her?!”

“A Yu’s nature isn’t bad. All the sins stem from me,” Zhao Shaoqing pleaded. “I beg you, Father, spare her. I’m willing to bear all the punishment.”

Zhao Wuchen tightened his grip on his sword, then suddenly sheathed it after a long pause. With a livid face, he turned away: “For Shaoqing’s sake, I’ll let you go this once. Stay far away from here in the future. If I ever see you again, you’ll be killed without mercy!”

A Yu stared blankly at Zhao Shaoqing, only snapping out of her daze after a long moment. She scrambled up from the ground and staggered toward him.

Seeing her still trying to approach Zhao Shaoqing, Zhao Wuchen frowned. Before he could reprimand her, she stopped three meters away from Zhao Shaoqing.

“Shaoqing, I really… really like you,” she said mournfully.

Zhao Shaoqing’s eyes reddened: “I’m sorry. I failed to guide you properly.”

A Yu’s tears fell instantly: “I like you so much, so very much…”

Zhao Shaoqing’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he remained silent.

A Yu gazed at him with longing: “For you, I’d do anything. So I’ll never regret it.”

With that, she suddenly struck her own crown of the head with a palm. Xiao Xihe gasped in shock. Everyone turned to look, clearly not expecting this Demon Clan member to choose suicide.

“A Yu!” Zhao Shaoqing rushed forward to catch her, but his own frail body caused them both to collapse onto the ground.

A Yu’s lips moved, and a torrent of blood immediately spilled from the corner of her mouth, soaking half her face.

“A Yu, A Yu…” Zhao Shaoqing’s fingers trembled as he tried to wipe the blood from her face.

A Yu forced a faint smile before closing her eyes forever.

“A Yu!” Overwhelmed by grief, Zhao Shaoqing suddenly collapsed too.

“Shaoqing!” Zhao Wuchen hurried forward while Liu An’an checked on them. The scene descended into chaos.

Xiao Xihe was still reeling from witnessing a suicide firsthand. After standing dazed for a long while, she looked up and suddenly met Xie Zhaixing’s amused gaze.

Her vision darkened, and all sounds around her became muffled. Her entire body felt like it was treading on cotton, her knees too weak to support her.

Just like during previous Gu Poison flare-ups, the world spun violently. But this time was different—a pain akin to ants gnawing at her bones spread gradually, forcing her to stay somewhat conscious.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up and saw Xie Zhaixing sipping tea through the wide-open door.