Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 87: The Agreement

The Dream-Eating Ghost vanished without a trace in the empty alleyway. He Shutong stared blankly at the spot where You Su had disappeared.

Heavenly Maiden Wangshu finally snapped out of her daze. Her jade rabbit mask revealed only her bright, clear eyes, but a deep sense of confusion lingered within them.

Like a child who had committed a grave mistake, her voice trembled for the first time, “Master, I…”

He Shutong came back to her senses and glanced at her disciple, who resembled a celestial maiden. With a comforting look in her eyes, she said, “This is not your fault. What you saw earlier was merely an illusion created by the malevolent entity. Recite the mantra Elder Shou taught you to dispel it and forget everything you witnessed.”

Heavenly Maiden Wangshu nodded and closed her eyes to chant the mantra. No one knew what she had seen through the Dream-Eating Ghost’s eyes that left her so deeply entranced. Even her pristine white holy dress, now stained with You Su’s blood, bore witness to her failure to protect him.

“What has happened to the Lotus Sword Venerable?” The disfigured man wore a serene expression as he confidently paced forward. “Who is that young man to you? Why does his disappearance weigh so heavily on your mind?”

“What concern is it of yours?” He Shutong’s eyes were like icy pools, her tone as cold as a glacier, with killing intent radiating from her.

“It concerns me greatly,” the disfigured man replied, stopping at a delicate distance. Few cultivators in the world would dare approach a legendary sword master at such proximity.

“The Lotus Sword Venerable and I share a deep enmity. Matters concerning my enemies naturally concern me. After all, someone like me—an evil cultivator—loves to exact revenge through the loved ones of my foes. Just like… ah yes, the Jade Serenity True Monarch.”

The tragic image of the Jade Serenity True Monarch’s death resurfaced in He Shutong’s mind. She said nothing, responding instead with her sword. In an instant, her sword energy surged like a tsunami, and a battle between two apex cultivators erupted.

Even Liu Chengzhu, who had reached the Feather Transformation Realm, could barely perceive the fight ahead. The chaotic fluctuations of profound energy in the air overwhelmed his senses. The gap between the Feather Transformation Realm and the Void Realm, though separated by just one cultivation stage, felt like an insurmountable chasm.

He stood frozen, sensing the battlefield rising higher into the sky. He didn’t even know whether he should remain there waiting for his resurrected master.

A surge of intense frustration welled up within him like bamboo shoots after the rain. The century-long scheme he had meticulously crafted could not be allowed to become mere fodder for others’ ambitions.

He melted into the mist, his unwavering determination piercing through the haze.

After a dizzying whirl, You Su slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, he could see again, but the surroundings were nothing like what he had imagined.

He had expected the depths of that strange, bloody vortex to lead to a filthy, foul-smelling place. Instead, he found himself in an endless expanse of pure white. It was so blinding that he struggled to adjust, feeling as though he and Junior Sister were the only impurities in this immaculate space.

Ji Lingruo had regained her human form and weakly opened her eyes, looking around in terror. However, the thread-like binding still restrained her.

“Junior Sister…”

You Su propped himself up with his hands and crawled toward Ji Lingruo with great difficulty. He had already removed the round jade Master’s Wife had given him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to move at all.

“Senior Brother!” Ji Lingruo scrambled toward You Su, her heart aching as she gazed at his battered and disfigured face.

“You’re so foolish… Why did you follow me in here?!” Her voice quivered with tears.

Hearing this, You Su forced a strained smile. “Wherever Junior Sister goes, Senior Brother will follow.”

Unable to hold back any longer, two crystalline tears streamed down the girl’s face.

You Su tried to lift his hand to wipe away her tears, but Ji Lingruo suddenly began trembling violently. She fell backward, collapsing onto the ground.

Her body convulsed uncontrollably, her face contorted in agony. You Su recognized this state—it was similar to that night in the underground stone chamber.

This time, however, it was far more intense. The bulging masses beneath her skin grew larger, frantically trying to break through her delicate flesh.

Earlier, the girl had willingly accepted the power of the malevolent entity, and now she was paying the price. Tai Sui was beginning to completely dominate her consciousness and body.

Ji Lingruo writhed like an eel on a chopping board, no longer in control of herself. Tai Sui’s face alternated with Ji Lingruo’s, switching back and forth. But unlike before, when the struggle seemed evenly matched, Tai Sui’s visage now dominated for longer periods, while Ji Lingruo’s fleeting appearances grew increasingly pained.

You Su watched helplessly, his heart heavy with sorrow. His anguish manifested as bloody tears streaming down his face.

“Senior Brother…”

With the last remnants of her awareness, Ji Lingruo called out to You Su.

You Su immediately grasped her hand, now transformed into a sticky, fleshy mass. “I’m here! I’m here!”

“Senior Brother… do you remember… the promise we made?”

“I’m holding on… it’s so hard…”

“Senior Brother… help me… set me free…”

“Don’t say such nonsense!”

No matter the situation, this was the first time You Su had ever lost his composure like this. It was also the first time he had spoken to Ji Lingruo in such an angry tone.

“You can definitely hold on! You must! Don’t give up…”

As he spoke, even You Su seemed to lose faith in his own words, his voice growing weaker and more uncertain.

Helplessly, he watched as Ji Lingruo’s body continued to transform. Her lower half had already completely turned into Tai Sui, and the transformation was spreading upward, her waistband on the verge of tearing apart.

“Senior Brother… help… me…”

The fleeting glimpses of Ji Lingruo’s face showed no trace of pain or distortion. She had accepted her fate with calmness and resignation, two clear streams of tears running down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Tai Sui’s face continued to roar with its grotesque maw, exhaling a foul stench that battered You Su’s face, as if trying to consume him whole.

You Su felt as though he too was enduring an unbearable agony. Shaking his head repeatedly, he tremblingly drew the Black Pine Sword. Its dark silver blade, now tinged white by the surrounding purity, resembled a holy sword meant to judge evil.

When Ji Lingruo saw the trembling Black Pine Sword raised high, she finally revealed a sorrowful yet beautiful smile. The transformation into Tai Sui’s body had reached her chest, leaving only her head still partially human.

“Do it… Senior Brother…”

You Su wept bitterly, his eyes filled with immense grief. Ji Lingruo’s face continued to flicker, though for shorter and shorter intervals.

If You Su swung his sword, he could easily sever Tai Sui’s head. Staring at the roaring visage of Tai Sui, he hesitated no longer. His eyes suddenly hardened with resolve as he summoned all his strength and brought the sword down with perfect timing.

And that timing was impeccable—it coincided precisely with the moment Tai Sui’s face vanished and Ji Lingruo’s face briefly reappeared!

Ji Lingruo stared at the blade mere inches from her neck, her expression one of utter disbelief. At the same time, You Su let out a desperate, primal roar:

“Give me back my true Junior Sister!”