Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 2: The True Present from Junior Sister

You Su’s eyes snapped open as he quickly sat up, only to be greeted once again by the familiar veil of mist before his eyes.

He panted heavily, instinctively reaching up to touch his neck and then pinching himself.

Intact… and it hurts… Was that just a dream?

Could a dream really feel this vivid?

You Su was still shaken, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

He couldn’t understand why he had such a dream. After all, this wasn’t the materialistic society of his past life. Could such a bizarre dream be just a random nightmare? Or was it a reflection of some buried thought within him, or perhaps an ominous metaphor?

You Su felt a creeping sense of fear and found himself missing his master, who had been gone for eight years.

In his memories, his master was a disheveled yet powerful man. During festivals, even the city lord of Chuyun City would personally visit their dilapidated sword sect to pay their respects. Although You Su often lamented his blindness, he also felt fortunate to have met his master.

He had hoped to grow wild and free under his master’s protection, eventually living the carefree life of an immortal. But who could have predicted that on his tenth birthday-after he had grown accustomed to life as a blind person-his master would bring back a woman and introduce her as his wife? He told You Su to take good care of her and not to stop her if she ever decided to leave. Then he announced that he would be embarking on a long journey – one that might last ten years, or perhaps forever.

He said that he was going to uncover the greatest secret of this world. If he succeeded, his name, Guan Chujun, would resound across the five continents, and their Mandarin Duck Sword Sect would rise to prominence, no longer remaining in its current impoverished state.

Before You Su could even process this grand proclamation, his master disappeared. And not only did he vanish – he took every valuable item from their already dilapidated sect, including the two pieces of cured meat that You Su had painstakingly smoked. Had You Su not known his master’s eccentric personality, he would have suspected the man of running away.

As for this “master’s wife,” she was equally peculiar. For the past eight years she had spoken only a few words, spending her days meditating in her room without eating or drinking. Occasionally, on rainy days, she would read books, practice swordplay under the moonlight, or play the guqin in the snow. You Su guessed that she must be extraordinary, but strangely enough, he couldn’t sense any cultivation energy from her-she seemed more like an ordinary person than anyone else.

The junior sister’s origins were equally mysterious. When You Su was fifteen, a stubborn young girl suddenly appeared outside the sect, insisting on joining the Sword Sect. The girl refused to reveal her background, only stating that her name was Ji Lingruo and claiming that she and her elder sister were the most beautiful women in the world. Using this as justification, she demanded that You Su accept her as a disciple in place of their absent master. Unfortunately, You Su – a blind man – didn’t want to accept someone of unknown origin just because of her unseen beauty. After days of arguing, it was the reclusive master’s wife who finally intervened and accepted the girl as a disciple.

Interestingly, after that, the junior sister’s self-proclaimed title quietly shifted from “the most beautiful woman in the world” to “the most beautiful maiden in the world.”

When the junior sister first entered the sect, she was highly enthusiastic about learning the sword, and You Su taught her everything he knew. To his surprise, the girl turned out to be incredibly dull-witted! After a full year of training, she showed no progress whatsoever! In the second year, she gave up completely, resigning herself to staying up late reading the novels You Su narrated to earn money. She would only practice the sword when he threatened her with the latest chapters, but even then she failed to grasp its essence. You Su felt completely helpless.

Still, Ji Lingruo’s presence added a little liveliness to You Su’s otherwise monotonous life. But now, with the face of the junior sister from his dream haunting him, he only felt a prickling unease at the back of his neck.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loud knock on the door shattered You Su’s contemplation. It felt like a massive bell striking directly at his heart, sending waves of fear and tension coursing through him once again.

Was this reality? Or was he still dreaming?

“I’m awake, thank you Junior Sister.”

You Su tried to maintain a calm tone of voice by repeating the same response as before, but this time, he remained in bed and did not bother to get dressed.

“Senior Brother, come out.”

Indeed! Yu Su’s heart clenched. His real junior sister would never call him “Senior Brother”. The one outside was still that monster!

“Junior Sister, what is it? I don’t feel well today, I think I’ve caught a cold. I don’t want to infect you. Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

“What? Even cultivators at the Spirit Platform Realm can get sick? Are you in pain? Should I call a doctor?” The junior sister’s voice was filled with genuine concern.

“It’s nothing serious. I’ll recover with a day of rest.”

“But… I have something that needs to be delivered today…” There was a hint of regret in her tone.

“Must be delivered today? Why does that piece of meat have to be delivered today?” You Su couldn’t figure it out.

“Can you give it to me later? Just leave it at the door, and I’ll retrieve it in a bit.”

“Sigh, that wouldn’t make any sense. Forget it-I’m not afraid of catching your illness. I’ll come in myself!”

With that, You Su heard the sound of violent kicks against the door. Despite her efforts, the latch held firm.

“What kind of a man locks his door while sleeping?” The junior sister’s voice grew increasingly frustrated. “If you don’t open the door soon, I’ll break in!”

You’re already trying to break in! You Su’s scalp prickled. He hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. Quickly, he replied:

“Junior Sister, don’t rush. I’ll open the door.”

“Hurry up! I still need to sleep!”

As You Su hurriedly put on his clothes, his mind raced, desperately reviewing the details of his dream to identify any mistakes he might have made.

Where did I go wrong to be discovered by the Master’s wife in my dream?

Thinking back to the chunks of flesh and the master’s wife’s merciless sword stroke, You Su took a deep breath. As he stood up, he instinctively reached for the sword at his bedside.

To defeat the master’s wife? He didn’t have a tenth of a chance. But he wasn’t someone who would simply sit there and wait for death.

Yet, his outstretched hand met only empty air!

The sword he had used for nearly eighteen years, which he always placed in the same spot every night, was gone today!

Then it hit him-the sword had been borrowed yesterday by his junior sister! She claimed that she couldn’t learn the sword techniques because the sword itself was the problem, so she took his sword!

Was this a coincidence or part of a premeditated plan?

A chill crept up from the soles of You Su’s feet, spreading through his entire body. A deep sense of helplessness washed over him like an overwhelming tide, suffocating him to the point where he could barely breathe.

But there was no time to dwell on his fear. The impatient knocking resumed:

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Each knock echoed like a haunting chant, pulling him back into that surreal dream.

You Su clenched his fists and walked toward the door.

If he opened the door, would he see again? Would he finally see the true world…?

The numb youth slowly pushed the door open.

The door creaked open.

The familiar fog in his eyes… was still there!

Am I still blind?

Before You Su could process his astonishment, a wave of intense floral fragrance assaulted his senses.

Instinctively, he raised his hand as if he were wielding a sword to block whatever was coming. But what met his touch was light and delicate. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a cascade of flower petals.

The fragrance was rich yet bitter. It was wild chrysanthemum, his favorite.

“Happy birthday, You Su!”

A crystal clear, mischievous voice rang out. The young girl cheered playfully, continuously tossing handfuls of pale yellow wild chrysanthemum petals from a basket at her waist.

“Hehe, aren’t I, Ji Lingruo, quite useful? If you’re really moved, hurry up and give me the second half of The White Lady . It’s not that I’m eager to read it, mind you. It’s actually for the bookstore owner in the southern part of town. Oh, and by the way, I charged him an extra thirty silver coins for you. Then I used those thirty silver coins to have your broken sword reforged. Unfortunately, it’ll take some time before it’s ready.”

“One year, one gift, one inch of joy. Birthdays are very important. You can’t just brush them off. You’ve managed to fool me for the past two years, but today is your coming-of-age ceremony, so we can’t slack off! After today, you’re officially an adult. As an adult, you must always yield to me, be patient with me, and stop punishing me. Also, you have to teach me all those secret sword techniques you’ve been hiding. Got it?”

“Sigh… Before I came to this shabby sword sect, my birthdays were grand affairs, not like your lackluster attempts. Why do you stand there in silence? Don’t feel too guilty, I’m magnanimous. Just get well soon and continue serving me properly.”

The green-skirted maiden stood with her hands on her hips, smiling brightly. Her beauty rivaled the soft orange glow of the morning sun breaking over the horizon.

“Junior Sister.”

“What?”

“Stay still.”

Ji Lingruo was confused, but obediently stood in place.

You Su slowly raised his hands, positioning them in front of the girl based on feel. She didn’t understand what he was doing, but she wasn’t alarmed either, assuming that her senior brother was about to perform some cheesy trick.

Squeeze.

The sensation under his fingers was smooth and delicate, like the skin of a freshly peeled boiled egg.

Startled, the girl leapt back, her cheeks instantly flushing red where he had touched them. Covering her face, she stared at him in disbelief, embarrassment and indignation coloring her tone:

“I… I’m going to sleep! Clean up this mess yourself!”

With that, the girl turned and fled, muttering to herself in consolation: “This is an exception, just this once. Today’s his birthday after all… Honestly, if you wanted to pinch me, couldn’t you have said something first…”

You Su turned his head toward the direction where Ji Lingruo had run off, recalling the absurd dream and the delicate texture he had felt moments ago. He imagined his spoiled junior sister painstakingly picking these flowers one by one on the mountain while grumbling under her breath. An old conversation surfaced in his mind:

“Hey, You Su, what’s your favorite flower?”

“Wild chrysanthemums, I guess. Chrysanthemums choose their own frosty kingdom. They don’t rely on spring for attention.”

“Hmm, how self-indulgent! Aren’t you ashamed? There are many people who are worse off than you, yet they still manage to live. Given the choice, who would willingly choose hardship?”

“I never expected you to have such insight, Junior Sister.”

“Hehe, it’s because you’re slow.”

On the twelfth of August, the sunlight became stronger. You Su tilted his head upward, staring unflinchingly at the newly risen sun, even though his eyes stung and tears threatened to spill. Still, he couldn’t see the world before him.

Dejected, the young man lowered his gaze. It had been exactly eighteen years since he had arrived in this place, and for the first time he desperately wished for normal eyes.

“For now, I cannot see. But one day I will.”

In his heart, the youth made a silent vow.

Meanwhile, atop the lotus seat in the main hall, a goddess-like figure slowly opened her eyes.