Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 9: Returning the Jade

The next morning.

The sky was not yet fully bright, and a faint mist lingered over the distant mountains.

Between the peaks, the new sun rose slowly, its pale orange light quickly spreading across the streets and alleys of Chuyun City.

It would be a beautiful day.

You Su sniffed the air and thought so, too.

But the weather doesn’t follow one’s mood. You Su felt that today should be a gloomy, overcast day to match his current state of mind. Unfortunately, the legendary power to control the weather was said to belong only to those at least in the Heaven Awakening Realm, which was far beyond his reach.

He hadn’t slept at all last night. He couldn’t sleep, and he didn’t dare to.

He had a feeling that it wasn’t a dream – he had really eaten that piece of rotting flesh. Although he hadn’t felt any unusual effects so far, he had indeed eaten it.

After eating the rotting flesh yesterday, he shouldn’t have acted out in revenge. That could have exposed the fact that he had regained his sight in the dream. But reason doesn’t always prevail. He wanted to save them, yet they only added to his troubles. That piece of meat was like a hidden illness that had never flared up before, but it could ruin his plans at any moment.

Yet whenever he thought of his junior sister and Master’s wife struggling helplessly in their delusions, of his junior sister shifting between human and monstrous forms, his heart ached and he couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

Unlike the disturbed You Su, Elder Ling had been watching from a distance for a long time, waiting for You Su’s arrival.

The approaching young man was simply dressed, but possessed a face so stunning that it seemed to defy the heavens – long, sword-like eyebrows, pearly teeth, and crimson lips, as if a divine being had descended to cleanse the mortal world.

Even the experienced Elder Ling was stunned for a moment. While the young man’s strength was only above average among his peers, his looks were undoubtedly top-tier.

Elder Ling didn’t hide his presence. As You Su approached, he bowed respectfully and said, “Elder, I’ve kept you waiting.”

“Have you made your decision?” Elder Ling raised an eyebrow.

You Su paused for a moment, then took out the Evil Repelling Token, which now had a faint ink-like hue, and handed it to Elder Ling. Firmly, he said, “I’ve made my decision.”

Elder Ling took the token, a look of approval flashing in his eyes. “Returning from the wrong path is priceless. I can’t promise that the exorcism will be successful, but I will do my best to protect you. If you’re willing, you can join Divine Mountain after this is over.”

You Su was surprised and quickly bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, Elder!”

“No need to thank me yet. Those are things for later. The priority now is to eliminate this evil.” Elder Ling turned around and started walking. “Follow me.”

You Su followed at a steady pace. The two arrived under an old locust tree, where Elder Ling reached into a brocade pouch at his waist. With a wave of his hand, a set of sandalwood tables and chairs appeared. Elder Ling sat down first and gestured, “Sit.”

You Su sat down properly, but he clearly remembered that this old locust tree was in a remote area, far from any foot traffic. How could there be tables and chairs for people to rest here? It was obvious that Elder Ling had conjured them up.

You Su was even more astonished when he realized that this was an extremely rare storage treasure – a Dimensional Bag. This bag could create a small space to store inanimate objects. When his master left, he had used a similar item to “clean out” the sect.

You Su had once asked his master for one, but his master had smugly replied that this treasure was a specialty of Heaven’s Dawn Divine Mountain in the Southern Blaze Continent. It was forged from alien materials, extremely rare, and rarely circulated. His master had joked that You Su would inherit it only after his death, so if You Su wanted it, he’d have to outlive him.

Elder Ling enjoyed the look of shock on You Su’s face. This was a deliberate display of power to completely win over the young man.

Satisfied with the effect, Elder Ling produced a pot of clear tea and poured a cup for You Su.

You Su took the fragrant tea and took a small sip.

The aroma was rich, and the tea was cool and refreshing, with a faint floral aftertaste.

“Excellent tea.”

Elder Ling looked at You Su with satisfaction. The fact that You Su had willingly drunk the tea showed that he had gained the young man’s trust, which was undoubtedly a good sign for their cooperation.

“The white magnolias of the Northern Pride Continent are pure and untouched. The people of the north don’t drink the tea made from them, but it’s a popular summer beverage in other continents.”

Elder Ling took a small sip himself, then moved his lips slightly. An invisible barrier enveloped the two of them instantly.

“Now tell me about the events of last night. No one but us can hear.” Elder Ling was confident in the soundproof barrier he had created.

As if to prove the elder’s confidence, a few birds flew through the branches above. You Su was surprised to find that although the birds were right above them, he couldn’t hear the rustling of the leaves. Then he began his account.

Under the clear sky, with a gentle breeze and the dappled shade of the trees, a young man and an elder sat facing each other, presenting a scene of mentorship and camaraderie. Yet the topic of their conversation was one of the most sinister and dark forces in the world.

“So you’re saying…” Elder Ling sat upright, his eyes gleaming with intensity, “You suspect that both your junior sister and Master’s wife have been possessed by evil spirits?”

You Su nodded. “Exactly.”

“Based on your description and the reaction of the Evil Repelling Token, it’s indeed possible that both of them have been possessed. Do you remember what your junior sister and master’s wife looked like after they transformed?”

“I… can’t remember exactly. The more I try to recall, the fuzzier it becomes. It’s like something is preventing me from remembering… but I remember their eyes!”

“This is normal. The exorcists at the Exorcism Bureau often can’t remember the evil spirits they’ve encountered. That’s one of the characteristics of evil spirits – they always hide in the fog of the unknown.” Elder Ling set down his teacup and sat up straight, asking seriously, “What kind of eyes were they?”

“Pure white. Looking into them was like… seeing the dark side of the world.”

“That must be the source of your confusion. Unfortunately, there are many kinds of evil spirits with such eyes. I can only make a judgment after seeing them for myself. Fortunately, none of them are particularly powerful. Do your junior sister and master’s wife have any daily habits or routines?”

“They usually keep to themselves, rarely interacting with others or going out. They only leave their rooms when I’ve prepared meals.”

“People who have little contact with the outside world are the hardest to detect when they are possessed by evil spirits. Are you sure that before yesterday, you didn’t notice anything unusual about your junior sister and Master’s Wife?”

“I am sure.”

“Then it’s not too late. They must have been corrupted recently.” Elder Ling nodded. “And now the target of the corruption is you.”

Suddenly, Elder Ling leaned forward, his tone grim. “You mentioned earlier that your master’s wife also comes out to eat?”

You Su seemed startled and leaned back slightly, stammering, “Of course. Doesn’t everyone have to eat?”

Elder Ling relaxed his posture and stroked his white beard, lost in thought.

“Do you know what realm your master is in?”

“The Lower Realm of the Water Condensation.”

“And your master’s wife?”

“She… is supposed to be a mortal.”

“A mortal?” Elder Ling looked incredulous. “Although your Mandarin Duck Sword Sect is relatively unknown, your master is still the sect leader. His Dao Companion shouldn’t be someone without any cultivation.”

“Maybe not, but… I’m blind.” You Su looked guilty, then asked in confusion, “Elder Ling, is my master’s wife’s cultivation level important?”

Elder Ling narrowed his eyes at You Su. “Of course it’s important. First, evil spirits rarely possess mortals because mortals lack the refined spiritual energy required. Most mortals who get involved with evil spirits do so willingly, offering their flesh and blood in exchange for cheap power.”

“Second, the cultivation level of the possessed also affects the strength of the evil spirit after it is possessed. So, the cultivation level of your master’s wife is crucial!”

“But I really don’t know.” You Su lowered his head.

“It’s okay.” Elder Ling reassured him. “Even if your master’s wife has hidden her cultivation, it’s unlikely to be higher than your master’s. I’m confident that I can handle it.”

“Elder, why did it target us?” You Su clenched his fists, his eyes filled with confusion and frustration.

The “it” referred to the evil spirit.

“Fate is unpredictable. Evil spirits are like dark clouds that hang over everyone’s head. And the only one who can save them is you.”