Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 18: The Tale of the White Snake

Elder Ling looked down at You Su with disdain, his lips curling into a cruel smirk as he approached without haste.

He gazed at the defiant glint in the young man’s eyes and raised his foot, slamming it mercilessly down onto You Su’s face as though crushing an insignificant insect.

Leaning closer, Elder Ling whispered into You Su’s ear, his voice dripping with malice:

“Just stay here and wait for me to bring your junior sisters and master’s wife back to keep you company.”

At these words, You Su clenched his fists tightly, blood seeping through his palms. He struggled desperately, but it was futile. All he could do was watch helplessly as Elder Ling turned to leave.

You Su was a cautious person. When Elder Ling first appeared, You Su had already noticed something off – the timing had been far too convenient.

How could someone who raised malevolent entities, who casually toyed with others’ lives as if they were mere puppets, possibly be there to save his junior sisters and master’s wife?

And who else could save them? That foolish junior sister of his? Or their master’s wife, who had no cultivation whatsoever and would even attack him when possessed? Or perhaps risk exposing their possession by seeking help from others?

The only one they could rely on… was him!

You Su felt the blood in his chest boil like molten lava. A terrifying vibration surged within him, growing faster and faster, surpassing the rhythm of his breath, exceeding the beat of his pulse.

His vision began to darken, not the familiar chaos he was used to, but a star-speckled night sky that grew clearer with each passing moment.

You Su inhaled the crisp morning air greedily. The wounds covering his body healed at a visible pace, and beneath his tattered robes, lumps of flesh swelled unevenly, snapping his broken right arm back into place.

He realized that this power was coming from that piece of rotting flesh!

The crimson liquid binding him began to evaporate, turning into a thick, ink-like blood mist. Within it, You Su slowly rose to his feet, resembling a vengeful demon crawling out of hell.

Elder Ling had long sensed that something was wrong. Gone was his earlier composure; despite encountering countless monsters throughout his life, none had ever exuded such overwhelming pressure as You Su did now.

“What the hell is this thing?!” His pupils contracted to pinpoints, and for the first time, he felt the urge to flee.

You Su locked his gaze onto the trembling Elder Ling. Regaining his sight in reality for the first time, he realized how blissful it was to see again. How regrettable it would be if he couldn’t witness Elder Ling die with a look of sheer terror etched across his face.

“Don’t come any closer!” Elder Ling shouted, taking small, involuntary steps backward as You Su steadily advanced. Suddenly, he barked out a spell, launching a surprise attack. “You are asking for death!”

A towering fire talisman surged toward You Su, its power formidable. But You Su neither dodged nor retreated. To his astonishment, he could clearly perceive the intricate network of spiritual energy within the talisman, pinpointing its weak point with a single glance.

With a casual swing of his sword, the Fire Talisman disintegrated into nothingness.

Elder Ling stared in shock, then hastily formed another set of hand seals and chanted incantations one after the other:

“Clouds Overturning Rain!”

“Wind and Fire Integration!”

“Bones Melting Silk Binding!”

“Hold him in place!”

But none of these spells could hinder You Su in the slightest. Before they could take effect, he had already effortlessly dismantled them.

Elder Ling trembled like a leaf, retreating uncontrollably until he tripped over a stone and fell to the ground. Sitting there, he shook his head frantically, his mind racing with fear.

Elder Ling was filled with deep regret. Why had his soundproof barrier worked so effectively? In the past, he had used it to torment others without any restraint. Now the tables had turned, and he would meet his end here in silence.

A true demon stood before him! Where were those accursed members of the Exorcism Bureau? Who would save him? He wasn’t even real!

Don’t panic, he thought desperately. I can escape! I have the Wind Riding Art! My cultivation level is higher than his-I must be able to flee!

As he covertly channeled his spiritual energy, a streak of sword light flashed out. Suddenly, a gaping wound appeared on his emaciated ankle, and dark red blood began to flow freely.

You Su could see everything clearly – the movement of Elder Ling’s spiritual energy resembled white veins coursing through his body.

Enduring excruciating pain, Elder Ling crawled forward with great difficulty. Desperation consumed him completely. He had to run; he had to survive!

He was not a naturally talented individual – reaching the Water Condensation Realm had been his limit. But he had been fortunate. During that great battle at the Divine Mountain to purge evil, only he and his master had survived from their sect.

He had waited for his master for fifty years, not out of loyalty, but because his master was his only chance to rise above his miserable existence. He had always been an outcast, reviled by society and hunted by righteous cultivators as an evil practitioner. Only under his master’s banner could he crush all those who had once looked down on him beneath his feet!

He was about to ascend alongside his master to rule over the Five Regions – how could he possibly die here?

A sword pierced Elder Ling’s withered hand, pinning him firmly to the ground and shattering his delusions.

Elder Ling let out a piercing scream and tried to cover the bleeding wound, only to be deterred by the sharp aura of the blade.

“Tell me,” You Su asked, his voice cold and steady. “Why did you target us?”

Elder Ling’s mouth moved, but his words were too faint to hear. You Su leaned closer, straining to catch what he was saying.

He wasn’t afraid that Elder Ling would launch a surprise attack. If he detected any fluctuations in Elder Ling’s spiritual energy, he would react immediately.

Suddenly, the desperation in Elder Ling’s eyes vanished, replaced by a terrifying gleam. His lips moved rapidly as he muttered an obscure incantation, pulling out a rusty bell and shaking it furiously. A victorious smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

But to his astonishment, You Su showed no reaction – none of the symptoms he had anticipated. Perplexed, You Su quickly reached out to seize Elder Ling’s throat, cutting off his chanting.

Elder Ling stared at You Su’s neck, his expression shifting wildly from shock to terror, then erupting into maniacal laughter, which soon turned into violent coughing fits.

“What are you laughing at?” You Su demanded, tightening his grip until Elder Ling’s bulging eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“Damn it all! Your entire sect… they’re all good people, hahaha!” Elder Ling laughed bitterly. “And here I thought you were righteous fools who could be manipulated into destroying yourselves with my schemes. Turns out I misjudged everything!”

“Was it you who placed the curse on my junior sisters and master’s wife?” You Su’s fury blazed like wildfire.

“Cough… No, I didn’t touch them… I only targeted you…” Elder Ling gasped. “The Dream Centipede infiltrates its host’s neck, inducing vivid, realistic dreams. My plan was simply to drive you insane – to make you believe that your own family was plotting against you and force you to kill them all in retaliation. Only now do I realize… I made a grave mistake…”

You Su’s brow furrowed deeply as realization dawned. “Explain yourself clearly!”

“You still don’t understand?” Elder Ling spat out another mouthful of murky blood, his tone dripping with pity. “When I tried to control the Dream Centipede just now, there was no response. That’s when I realized that it has already been removed from you.”

“You’ve never experienced the dreams created by the Dream Centipede, yet you can see the Lantern Ghost. This can only mean one thing.”

“Your junior sisters and master’s wife have long been possessed by something far more sinister than anything I’ve ever cultivated! The visions you saw weren’t illusions created by me-they were real! And yet you blindly clung to your misguided sense of righteousness, trying to save them. It’s laughable, really! Look at you now – you’ve fallen prey to their corruption as well! Too bad… It’s too late for regrets…”

Elder Ling allowed You Su to choke him, his gaze venomous. He feared death, yes – but he loathed the idea of his enemies surviving even more. Discovering this truth gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction.

To his surprise, however, You Su’s face betrayed none of the confusion or horror he had expected. Instead, it seemed as though the young man was suppressing his laughter.

Frustrated, Elder Ling growled, “Are you crazy?! You have all been corrupted!”

You Su released his grip, breaking into a radiant smile.

“Do you know what story I once told my junior sister? There was a man named Xu Xian who married a snake spirit. Even after a sage revealed the truth to him, he refused to abandon her. They endured countless trials together, and their bond remained unshakable.”

“So tell me, does it matter whether someone is human or evil? All I know is that they treated me well, didn’t hurt anyone, and are the most important people in my life. Even if they’re corrupted now, I won’t abandon them. I’ll search every corner of this world for a way to save them.”

“And now that I’ve been corrupted myself, I feel no anger, no sorrow. On the contrary, I’m happy. For the first time, I can truly empathize with their suffering. I’m grateful that I – and the people I hold dear – are finally… the same kind.”

[Author’s note:

This marks the end of the first major arc, though I feel there are many areas where the writing could be improved. To recap:

Elder Ling was tasked with secretly eliminating You Su and his companions. His plan involved using the Dream Centipede to blur the line between dream and reality, driving You Su to madness and forcing him to destroy his own sect via an array.

However, unbeknownst to You Su, the Dream Centipede had already been slain back in chapter 1 (the sword strike wasn’t meant to kill You Su). Because of this, You Su gained the ability to perceive entities like the Lantern Ghost due to his exposure to his master’s wife, who wielded significant power.

Elder Ling believed his plan was proceeding smoothly, unaware that You Su had already seen through it and began to take countermeasures. You Su’s decision to confront Elder Ling wasn’t reckless suicide-he trusted his superior swordsmanship, understood that cultivation level ≠ combat ability, and knew there was no other option but to fight head-on.

The turning point came when You Su awakened latent demonic powers after consuming meat given to him by his junior sister-a key plot device and one of his strongest abilities.

Elder Ling’s downfall stems from realizing that his plans have been unraveled. Not only has You Su exposed his schemes, but it turns out that You Su’s junior sister and master’s wife were corrupted by a powerful malevolent force long ago.

There’s a glaring detail in the earlier chapters—Mistress doesn’t eat, yet You Su lied to Elder Ling, saying she would. This already hinted that he didn’t trust Elder Ling and was hiding things, hoping Elder Ling would underestimate them as weak, low-cultivation targets, giving him an opening to strike. 

Finally, the protagonist rejects rigid notions of good versus evil. His moral compass centers around protecting those he cares about, regardless of labels.

Of course, the story is far from over. There’s much more to explore!]