Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 19: Junior Sister, Don’t Be Afraid—I’m Blind

“You… you’re the true demon…”

Elder Ling stared blankly at You Su, his body trembling uncontrollably like a leaf caught in a storm. Fear and shock paralyzed his legs, leaving him unable to move.

The deepest darkness before dawn had already passed. The sky was no longer an impenetrable black; instead, a faint, hazy white began to appear on the distant horizon.

You Su stood drenched in blood, his figure exuding a chaotic, malevolent aura that violently swirled around him. Gripping the Black Pine Sword tightly, he pointed its tip directly at Elder Ling’s heart, ready to deliver the final judgment.

“Don’t kill me… I beg you…” Elder Ling pleaded desperately, his voice hollow as if his soul had been drained from him. “I’ll give you anything, tell you everything-just don’t kill me…”

You Su pressed his foot against the wound on Elder Ling’s chest, grinding it into the raw, exposed flesh. Elder Ling writhed in agony, curling up into a ball, but lacked the strength to push You Su’s foot away.

“Tell me how to separate the evil spirits from their hosts and I’ll let you live.” You Su’s tone was stern, offering what little mercy he had left.

At these words, Elder Ling clung to the lifeline like a drowning man grasping at straws. Ignoring the searing pain in his chest, he forced a sycophantic smile onto his face.

“I know! I can save them! If you let me live, I swear I can help your junior sister and master’s wife return to normal!”

You Su sighed impatiently and swung his sword, severing the tendons in Elder Ling’s hand. “I told you to speak first!”

“I will speak! I’ll talk!” Elder Ling shouted desperately. “Give me my dimensional bag – I’ll show you!”

You Su frowned, using his sword to flick the dimensional bag hidden at Elder Ling’s side and tossing it onto his face. Elder Ling snatched the bag, fumbling inside before pulling out a jet black Evil Repelling Token. Trembling, he held it up and offered it to You Su.

“Take it, and you’ll understand.”

Still holding the Black Pine Sword threateningly over Elder Ling, You Su hesitated for a moment, but eventually reached out with his left hand to take the jade token.

In an instant, a monstrous creature with the head of a fish and the body of a dog leapt out of nowhere, lunging straight for You Su’s throat! It was none other than the Lantern Ghost!

Startled, You Su quickly raised his sword to strike, but the Lantern Ghost moved with astonishing agility, clinging to his arm to evade the blow.

Just as it was about to sink its teeth into You Su’s shoulder, it locked eyes with him – those pitch-black, ink-like pupils. Like a condemned criminal bowing before a king, the ghost froze in mid-motion, trembling as it lowered its head in submission.

Elder Ling watched this sudden reversal in stunned disbelief.

From a young age, he had always been different from others, drawn to these bizarre creatures. The Lantern Ghost was the first fiend bestowed upon him by his master, and he cherished it deeply, raising it until it became his most trusted companion.

But now, seeing the Lantern Ghost baring its fangs and crawling toward him, Elder Ling felt his spirit completely shatter.

Even You Su was baffled by this unexpected turn of events. Before he could question further, Elder Ling deliriously muttered under his breath:

“There’s no saving them… you can’t save them… the things inside their bodies… they’re of that level… once marked by them, there’s no escape…”

“Explain yourself clearly!” You Su demanded sharply.

But Elder Ling seemed deaf to his words, continuing to mumble incoherently, repeating the same four syllables over and over again:

“Divine Revelation Emerges from the Clouds, Divine Revelation Emerges from the Clouds…”

Even as the Lantern Ghost began to greedily feast on his flesh, splattering blood across the grass, Elder Ling remained eerily unresponsive, as if numb to the pain.

Confusion clouded You Su’s mind. Moments ago, the Lantern Ghost had radiated hostility toward him. Why had it turned against Elder Ling after merely locking eyes with him? Could this be another effect of the rotting flesh? And what did Elder Ling mean by “Divine Revelation Emerges from the Clouds”? Was “Clouds” referring to Chuyun City?

Suddenly, Elder Ling snapped his head up, his eyeballs dislodging from their sockets due to the force of the movement. With his empty eye sockets fixed unwaveringly on You Su, he rasped out a hoarse, ear-piercing declaration:

“The Master has merged with the True Lord – you will all die! And I will crawl back from hell to drag you down in my place! That day is coming soon, so you better… stay alive…”

Before the last word left his lips, the Lantern Ghost opened its massive jaws and tore through Elder Ling’s neck in one swift bite.

You Su gazed at the mutilated corpse, now stripped of its flesh to reveal bones and organs. He couldn’t help but feel a grim sense of poetic justice. This wretch who had befriended evil spirits had ultimately met his end at the hands of one.

Only when Elder Ling’s remains were reduced to nothing more than a pile of bleached bones did You Su finally step forward, sword in hand, toward the quivering Lantern Ghost.

The Lantern Ghost seemed resigned to its fate. Without resistance, it allowed You Su to slice off its grotesque fish-like head. Its body dissolved into a viscous pool of blood that mixed with Elder Ling’s gore before seeping into the ground.

With that, everything came to an end. You Su’s tense nerves finally relaxed.

He looked at the brightening horizon. Although the sun had not yet risen, the world was already bathed in light.

Countless questions swirled in his mind, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on them. There was still the mess to clean up and the incomplete array Elder Ling had prepared needed to be destroyed.

You Su felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. After such an intense battle, he was still left to clean up the mess himself. Yet, amidst the fatigue, a sense of satisfaction lingered – he had kept his promise. He would protect everything that mattered to their sect.

He would not be intimidated by Elder Ling’s dying words. No matter what, he would find a way to purge the evil spirits possessing his junior sister and master’s wife.

And even if he couldn’t… it didn’t matter. He had just accomplished the most thrilling feat of his eighteen years of life. At this moment, brimming with pride and confidence, You Su felt as though he could face the entire world as his enemy and still stand tall.

Picking up the bloodstained Dimensional Bag and the Evil Repelling Token, he weighed them thoughtfully in his hand.

There was no time for premature celebration. Carefully stowing away this unexpected bounty, he rose to his feet and stepped into the gray mist that blanketed his surroundings.

“Where did Big Brother go?”

A young girl with a hanging bun adorned with an orchid hairpin stealthily leaned against the window frame, peering through a finger-wide hole torn in the paper covering the window.

The girl wore a vibrant dress-a delicate blend of willow green and peach pink-that accentuated her slender figure. She tiptoed, her ankles fine-boned and elegant.

She had spent the entire night writing furiously, nearly cramping her hand, to finish the second half of The Tale of the White Snake . Thinking about her irresponsible, hands-off senior brother made her seethe with irritation. Before heading off to fetch water for her bath, she couldn’t resist sneaking over to catch a glimpse of her Senior Brother’s sleeping face, hoping it would help vent some of her frustration.

She swore to the heavens that she wasn’t a habitual peeper-she’d only peeked a few times, tops! And that hole in the paper? Definitely not her doing-it had simply worn out on its own.

“What is he hiding from me? Could it be… that he snuck off to visit a brothel?” Ji Lingruo’s cheeks flushed crimson at the thought, and she stomped her foot indignantly. When her senior brother returned, she vowed to thoroughly interrogate him.

With that, she went to draw the hot water she had prepared earlier and proceeded to bathe.

Inside the Bathroom

Ji Lingruo untied her finely embroidered white undergarment and thin silk pants. Testing the water temperature with her toes, she found it just right and slowly submerged herself in the warm bath.

Her lips pursed in annoyance as her thoughts drifted back to her senior brother. Had he really become so impatient after barely becoming an adult? To throw away his path to immortality like this… what a lust-driven fool! Truly, one can never judge a person based on appearances alone.

Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the cooling water until she realized that she’d forgotten to retrieve her drying clothes, which were still hanging outside.

Cursing You Su once more under her breath, she wrapped herself in a thin gauze robe and stepped outside to fetch her garments.

The morning breeze blew past, bringing a slight chill despite the late summer heat. Ji Lingruo shivered as droplets of water clung to her skin.

At that exact moment, the main gate of the sect’s residence softly creaked open.

Covered in blood and grime, You Su slipped inside. His eyes scanned the familiar surroundings, and a deep sense of warmth and belonging washed over him.

Until his gaze landed squarely on the white porcelain figure standing before him.

They both froze, staring at each other from a distance.

“AHHH!”

The girl’s scream echoed through the valley like thunder.

“Junior Sister, don’t be afraid – I’m blind…”

The boy’s feeble defense faded like a mosquito’s buzz. Then darkness overtook him, and he collapsed to the ground.