Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 15: Betrayal

Elder Ling halted his steps.

He gazed at the four yellow talismans in his hand. The upper right corners of the papers had begun to blacken and char – a signal that You Su had successfully lit the incense and begun chanting the incantation.

It seemed that this boy wasn’t as terrifying as he had feared. A flicker of relief stirred in Elder Ling’s heart. For years, he had roamed the crooked paths of the evil way, relying on his mastery of disguise. How could he possibly stumble over a blind teenager?

He was already looking forward to the moment when the talismans would fully ignite, activating the Bone-Eroding Soul-Melting Formation. What kind of expression would that boy have?

Shock? Guilt? Or agony? No matter how intense his emotions were, they wouldn’t save their lives. The boy could only watch helplessly as the Formation devoured and refined him, along with his precious junior sister and mistress, while he himself became the very one who pushed them into the abyss.

Oh, right, he almost forgot. You Su was blind and couldn’t see a thing. No matter. Elder Ling decided to be magnanimous. When the time came, he’d make sure that the boy’s beloved junior sister and mistress screamed even more wretchedly, guaranteeing that You Su would hear every detail clearly.

Elder Ling felt that he was truly a devil. How flawlessly he executed the task assigned by his master! That mysterious mistress – if it weren’t for the master’s caution, fearing that she might be an unpredictable variable, there would have been no need for him to set up such an elaborate trap. But now, it seemed that this mistress posed no threat at all. Even if she was hiding her strength, what did it matter? Once the formation was activated, even a cultivator at the Feather Transformation Realm would dissolve into a puddle of blood!

It was too bad about that jade-like boy. Otherwise, he would have been an excellent disciple. But none of this was Elder Ling’s fault. If anyone was to blame, it was the boy’s master, whose blind arrogance had once dared to offend the Master.

The Master had lain dormant for decades, enduring countless mockeries and insults. But it didn’t matter anymore. Soon-very soon-the Master would complete his grand plan, and the entire Five Continents would tremble! And he, Elder Ling, would rise as the Master’s most loyal servant, claiming the true power of the Evil God!

Just then, Elder Ling’s fantasies of the future came to a screeching halt as the talismans began to cool. The charred papers didn’t continue to heat up to the point of combustion. Instead, their temperature dropped, and a gust of wind even tore small holes in them.

Elder Ling frowned. There was only one explanation: You Su hadn’t finished chanting the incantation, leaving the talismans unignited. But why would You Su stop? Had his mistress discovered him and interrupted him? Could it be that she wasn’t as simple as she seemed to be? That could complicate things.

Still, You Su must have lit the Ghost-Bewitching Incense-otherwise, the talismans wouldn’t have warmed up at all. That was good. No one without an evil spirit possessing them could resist the Ghost-Bewitching Incense’s corruption. The situation remained under his control.

Elder Ling folded the talismans, reassuring himself with these thoughts.

In that instant, he sensed someone rapidly approaching. There was no killing intent – just the air of someone fleeing to this place.

Elder Ling extended his perception and focused his gaze. To his shock, it was You Su, who was panting heavily. The boy looked as though he’d seen something utterly horrifying, his face drenched in terror.

You Su stumbled forward, staggering and swaying, nearly collapsing to the ground as he reached Elder Ling.

Elder Ling’s eyebrows knitted together. For the first time, he saw this normally composed boy in such a frantic state.

Clutching his chest and gasping for air, You Su cried out, “Elder Ling, Mistress has come out!”

Mistress has come out? A trace of confusion flickered in Elder Ling’s eyes. Why would her emergence scare him like this? Could it be that the Dream Centipede was acting up again, making him see his mistress as some kind of evil spirit?

At this thought, Elder Ling cursed inwardly. Evil spirits were indeed evil spirits – mindless beasts too stupid to tame. He hadn’t given any orders, yet it had dragged You Su into an illusion at such a critical moment.

Seeing You Su on the verge of being scared witless, Elder Ling felt that he’d misjudged the boy. Suppressing his disdain, he asked with feigned concern, “Don’t be afraid. You’re safe with me. What happened to your mistress? Tell me slowly.”

You Su looked at him as though he’d found a savior, a faint glimmer of relief flashing in his unfocused eyes. “Elder Ling! Mistress came out! She saw me lighting the incense and chanting-she wants to eat me!”

As expected, it was the Dream Centipede’s blunder. It had lured the boy into an illusion and frightened him into stopping the incantation.

With cause and effect clear, Elder Ling felt more at ease. He glanced up at the starry sky, twirling his fingers to calculate the time, then turned to You Su with a gentle tone. “That wasn’t your real mistress. When the Formation purges the impurities from your body, it’s natural to experience illusions. There’s still a short window of time before the hour of yin passes. You must overcome your fear and finish the incantation – otherwise, who knows when the next chance will come!”

You Su’s voice trembled. “Elder Ling, are you telling the truth?”

“Of course!” Elder Ling’s eyes widened, his tone growing heavy. “Don’t you want to save your junior sister and mistress anymore? That incense dulls the evil spirits’ senses. If we don’t finish today, they’ll surely notice tomorrow – and then saving them will be far harder!”

“I’m scared…” You, Su, stumbled back two steps.

What a fucking waste! Elder Ling thought. You acted so capable before, I thought it would be fun to torture someone like you!

Watching You Su’s panicked state, Elder Ling wanted to spit in his face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right here. If anything happens, I’ll come to your rescue and keep you safe!” Elder Ling stepped closer and made a solemn vow.

“I’m not saving them…” You Su collapsed to the ground, hands propping himself up on the grass. “Elder Ling, just kill them! I—I’m not going back!”

Elder Ling let out a short sigh and shook his head. He’d seen too many cowards – strong on the outside, but hollow on the inside. When faced with real danger, their true nature would show. A glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He prided himself on manipulating hearts, finding joy in making his prey turn on each other. But now, it seemed that he’d have to take matters into his own hands.

Elder Ling rested his hand on his dimensional bag, mentally weighing which method he’d use to eliminate this sect’s trio. It had to be silent and untraceable – absolutely no clues could be left for the townspeople to notice and jeopardize the Master’s plan.

Suddenly, You Su shook his head, sobbing pitifully. “No! I-I want to save them! I have to save them!” He trembled, trying to push himself up, only to tumble back to the ground.

Elder Ling watched You Su struggle and rally himself, feeling a flicker of satisfaction. Prey like this was worth playing with.

He bent down, placing both hands on You Su’s shoulders to help him stand up.

You Su let Elder Ling support him. But the moment he was nearly upright, You Su’s hand shot to the sword at his waist.

In an instant, a flash of sword light streaked past, fleeting as a meteor across the sky.

Elder Ling stared in disbelief at his torn robes and bleeding chest, then lifted his head to see You Su, now poised with his sword drawn.

The panic had vanished from the boy’s face. Behind those empty eyes was an unfathomable, dark abyss.