Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 1: Junior Sister, Mouth Parts, Master’s Wife, Tentacles

With a loud rooster’s crow, the black, curtain-like sky finally parted to let in a ray of light. But even this light could not penetrate the heavy darkness that covered this desolate land.

Chuyun City was in the southern part of the Zhongyuan continent. The dawn of August should not have been so oppressive and lifeless.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Impatient knocking echoed from outside the door. The worn-out wooden door seemed on the verge of being shattered by the relentless pounding.

You Su slowly opened his eyes.

Although opening them held no meaning for him – because he was blind – he still found himself hoping every morning that the veil of mist clouding his vision would dissipate.

He had been born blind.

As he grew older, fragments of his past life gradually returned to him. Those memories were like mirages or fleeting reflections on water, as if he were watching a play about someone else’s story. It took him a long time to come to terms with his blindness.

His master, who had found him and taken him in, told him that cultivators of great power could perceive the world without relying on sight. There was even a chance that one day he might regain his vision. With that as his goal, You Su trained tirelessly each day.

“I’m awake! Thank you, Junior Sister.”

While calling out, You Su reached for his clothes in the familiar spots around the room and dressed himself with practiced ease.

His junior sister, who spent her nights reading novels and slept late into the day, made for an oddly reliable alarm clock. She arrived every morning at the third quarter of the Mao hour.

“Senior Brother, come out,” came her soft, melodious voice, flowing like a gentle stream.

You Su thought it was strange. His arrogant junior sister usually addressed him by name rather than using the respectful title of “Senior Brother”. Why the change today?

But he didn’t dwell on it. Hurriedly, he pushed the creaky wooden door open.

As the door groaned open, dim light spilled into the cramped room – and, astonishingly, into his fog-shrouded eyes!

He could see!

The world before him was startlingly clear, almost exactly as he had imagined it!

To his left stood the loquat tree he had planted. Its branches were now laden with fruit. Directly opposite the door lay a stone table and an old well. He vaguely remembered how, in his childhood blindness, he had once contemplated throwing himself into the well. Thankfully, his master caught him just in time, dragged him over to the stone table, and gave him a sound spanking. His master then threatened him menacingly:

“If you want to die, don’t jump into that well. It connects to the outside. Let me help you instead – a swift sword strike, quick and painless. You won’t feel a thing before you’re gone.”

You Su chuckled at the memory. Then, turning his gaze to the right, he focused on what he assumed was his boastful junior sister, who claimed that she and her elder sister were the two most beautiful maidens under heaven. He wanted to take a good look at her.

But the moment his eyes landed on her, You Su felt as though he’d been struck by lightning!

Where was the supposed moon-hiding, flower-shaming beauty? What stared back at him…

Was a face riddled with countless pus-filled pores, six fish-like eyes arranged symmetrically, and a grotesque spiraling mouthpart that sent chills down his spine!

Beneath her overstretched emerald green dress was not the voluptuous figure he’d imagined, but a massive, slimy body covered in black sores. Dangling beneath it were countless wriggling tentacles!

This “junior sister” was nauseating to behold, enough to make anyone retch!

At that moment, You Su’s scalp tingled. He refused to believe that the graceful junior sister he had fantasized about could be such a horrifying creature. Yet no matter how many times he blinked or refocused, her appearance remained unchanged.

“Miiiiisssssteerrrrr…”

A dangerous voice suddenly cut through the air. The already dim sunlight seemed to grow even darker. His junior sister had noticed his lingering gaze!

Her terrifying face suddenly came close to You Su’s, their faces separated by only a few centimetres.

She glared fiercely into his eyes, her hot breath spewing from her spiralling mouthparts directly onto his face.

Could she… really be my junior sister? Was this monstrous creature the one who entered the sect three years ago? I may be blind, but Master’s wife isn’t. How could she have not noticed anything? Or had something happened to my junior sister recently, allowing this monster to take her place?

You Su couldn’t make sense of the situation, but his rapidly returning rationality told him one thing: no matter what, he must not reveal that he had regained his sight!

Maintaining the appearance of staring straight ahead, You Su replied calmly:

“I wanted to see what the most beautiful girl in the world looks like.”

“Hmm? What does she look like?” The junior sister’s six eyes widened grotesquely, exposing large swathes of terrifying white.

“I imagine she must be extremely lovely.”

You Su gazed at the monster before him as though admiring a rare treasure, his lips curling into a gentle smile.

“What’s the use of guessing? Seeing it for yourself is what counts.”

The “innocent maiden” tilted her head, her myriad tentacles beginning to sway rhythmically. Her spiralling mouthparts secreted thick, grey-green mucus in obvious delight.

You Su kept his eyes unfocused and firmly stated:

“I cannot see now, but one day I will.”

At these words, the junior sister’s mouthparts opened and closed, drool dripping freely. She seemed ready to devour the young man before her, merging him forever with herself.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot to give you something!”

The junior sister suddenly remembered her task and quickly retrieved a small box from a brocade pouch at her waist, handing it to You Su.

You Su nearly reached out instinctively, but managed to restrain himself. He held his right hand steady in the air, waiting for Junior Sister to place the box in his palm.

Pretending to examine it by touch, You Su asked, “Junior sister, what is this?”

“It’s a treasure!”

The monster seemed slightly embarrassed, lowering her head and even patting her belly with feigned seriousness.

“A treasure?”

You Su stared at the damp, dilapidated wooden box, an ominous feeling creeping over him.

“Yes! This pill is called Spirit-Stabilizing Pill. It’s perfect for stabilising your cultivation. You recently broke through to the Spirit Platform Realm, and I saw how hard you’ve been training, so I obtained this especially for you. Go on, open it.”

Despite himself, You Su had to admit that he detected a hint of genuine anticipation from the monster.

Unable to resist his curiosity, You Su opened the lid slowly. But when the box was fully open, he froze once again.

What lay inside was no shiny immortal pill – it was a thumb-sized lump of flesh!

The grey-black, decaying lump of flesh trembled faintly, like a struggling heart.

Suppressing his revulsion, You Su quickly closed the lid. “Junior sister, this pill is far too valuable. I can’t accept it.”

“I knew you’d say that. Don’t worry, I have many more of these spiritual pills.”

After saying this, the monster patted her belly again.

You Su noticed her gesture – both times, she touched the same spot on her upper right abdomen. A chilling thought crossed his mind: Could this piece of flesh be…

“But…”

“No buts! Senior Brother! Are you looking down on my gift?” The Junior Sister’s fish-like eyes and pores flared wide, her spiralling mouthparts gaping open as if she were about to lose her temper.

“How could I? Thank you, Junior Sister.”

You Su forced a warm smile and tucked the wooden box into his robes.

Take it, sure. But there’s no way in hell I’m going to eat it.

“Hehe, that’s more like it.”

The junior sister twirled her body happily. Unfortunately, the shy, bashful posture of a teenage girl looked utterly bizarre and sinister on such a deformed, filthy creature.

“Well then, I’ll be off.” Satisfied, the Junior Sister turned and began to slink away.

“Junior sister, rest early.”

You Su watched her retreating form, closing his eyes halfway and taking a deep, silent breath. His tense nerves finally began to relax. He was just a young swordsman – how could he have expected to encounter such a surreal scene? His undershirt was already damp with sweat.

Still, at least he had escaped danger temporarily.

“Senior Brother, what are you thinking about?”

That light, melodious voice once again filled You Su’s ears. His body stiffened, as though his heart had been seized in an iron grip.

Slowly opening his eyes, he found the Junior Sister’s face mere inches from his own – closer than before. So close, in fact, that he couldn’t see the full extent of the monster’s features. All he could see were the spiralling rows of jagged teeth within her mouthparts, each crevice filled with filth and grime.

“Senior Brother, you’re not planning to hide it and secretly save it for me, are you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, junior sister. Instead of worrying about that, you should be thinking about how you’re going to defeat me after I take this pill. Otherwise, your sword training will only get harder.”

You Su remained calm, not forgetting their usual banter.

“That’s fine then.” The monster didn’t argue any further. Satisfied with his response, she made as if to leave.

Watching her retreating figure, You Su’s forced smile vanished instantly. Exhausted, he wanted nothing more than to retreat to his room and recover.

“He won’t eat it.”

A sudden, soft voice, as gentle as a spring breeze, sent shivers down You Su’s spine. He froze in place.

Both You Su and the junior sister turned towards the source of the voice. In an instant, a figure burst through the main hall’s window, sword in hand, moving like a snake emerging from its den.

Her white robes were pristine, her swordplay elegant and flowing like clouds!

But beneath her skirt writhed eight massive, clawing tentacles! Her face was shrouded in mist, her eyes indescribable and otherworldly!

“No!”

The Junior Sister didn’t have time to stop her. In the next moment, You Su’s pupils dilated in shock as he clutched his severed neck, staring in disbelief at the “woman” holding the sword…

It was… Master’s wife!