"Something's wrong. Follow him quickly. We can't let Senior Brother Gu act on impulse!"
The Sect Master's face turned pale as he bolted from the hall, several elders rushing behind him. Senior disciples exchanged glances before hurrying after them, their robes fluttering like startled birds. The clamor echoed down the mountain.
Only Bai Yang and his companions remained frozen in place.
"Senior Brother," Lu Nanfeng whispered, his voice trembling, "what do we do now? Is Junior Sister Ye going to survive?"
He knelt beside Ye Chuxue, whose skin had turned ashen, her breathing shallow and brittle. Every inch of her body looked withered, as if the life had been drained from her marrow. His hands hovered above her, trembling. He didn't dare move her.
Bai Yang took a step forward, his eyes gleaming red. Fury churned inside him, rising like black fire from his chest.
"Song Wanníng did this on purpose."
The words tasted bitter on his tongue.
"I'm going after her. You and Third Brother stay here. Guard Junior Sister Ye. Don't let anything happen to her."
His gaze lingered on Ye Chuxue for a moment, tormented, then he turned and disappeared in a streak of silver light. His sword materialized beneath him, lifting him into the sky like a blade drawn to vengeance.
He had to find her.
Song Wanníng.
She could not be allowed to walk away from this.
Ye Chuxue could not die.
She must not die.
—
"SONG WANNÍNG—FACE ME!"
A sword-light split the heavens, aimed at her heart.
Song Wanníng lifted her gaze calmly, her eyes dark as the storm clouds above. With a single, graceful motion, she summoned a colossal palm of condensed energy. It slammed into the oncoming sword-light, sending out a thunderous shockwave.
BOOM!
The shockwave shattered nearby formations, tearing the sky itself asunder.
From within the swirling chaos, Gu Qingyuan descended.
He landed hard, spiritual pressure pulsing around him like a drawn bow. His face was a mask of rage. Killing intent poured off him in waves, suffocating.
They faced each other in midair.
Once, they had flown side by side—companions, lovers, confidants across a century.
Now, they stood like opposing stars, ready to collide and destroy everything between them.
"Song Wanníng," Gu Qingyuan said coldly, hand extended. "Hand over the antidote."
"Antidote."
Her lips twitched into a smirk as she slowly brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Antidote?" she echoed, voice light and careless. "What antidote?"
"DON'T PLAY FOOL!" His voice dropped dangerously low. The spiritual energy around him trembled with suppressed fury, reacting to his killing intent. He had never wanted to kill someone more than he did now.
"You're really something, Gu Qingyuan. Barging in here and accusing me without a shred of proof. What antidote are you even talking about?" She crossed her arms, voice laced with mockery.
"What? Isn't your precious disciple supposed to have had her dantian shattered? What, she got poisoned too?" Schadenfreude danced in her eyes. Her smile was sweet, but her gaze was venomous.
"You swapped the pill." Gu Qingyuan's hands trembled. He was barely restraining himself. "If you weren't my junior sister, I'd kill you right here and now."
"Chuxue was innocent. She shouldn't have been dragged into this."
"Hahaha!"
Song Wanníng burst into laughter, doubling over as if she'd heard the world's best joke. "You're really something, Gu Qingyuan. And you're sure you could even beat me now?"
Ever since he took Ye Chuxue in as his disciple, Gu Qingyuan had thrown everything into protecting her, even risking his own life more than once. His cultivation had been damaged again and again. His strength now? It was questionable whether he could overpower her at all.
"Junior Sister Song!"
The Sect Master and others arrived just then. They took in the chaos around them with grim expressions. Disciples of the sect began gathering in the distance, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Looks like Elder Song's throwing another jealous tantrum again."
"She's really lost it this time. I mean, Senior Ye was gravely injured recently. Of course Elder Gu stayed by her side. Elder Song probably couldn't take it."
"Come on, Elder Song's way too petty. Junior Sister Ye is just Master Gu's disciple. What's there to be jealous of?"
"I heard Elder Song used to chase Master Gu everywhere like a lovestruck fool. Now she's turning violent?"
"Think they'll really fall out this time? Or will it be the usual yelling until Master Gu says something nice to her?"
"I say this ends in three sentences. Master Gu says something gentle, she gives in. Like always."
"Two sentences. She's never been able to resist him."
"She used to be so dignified. Now look at her. Screaming like a madwoman over a disciple."
No matter how far she climbed, no matter how many lives she saved, they still reduced her to one thing.
A woman chasing a man who never looked back.
From the Sect Master down to the outer sect disciples, everyone knew how obsessed Song Wanníng was with Gu Qingyuan. He gave the orders, she obeyed. Always. This time wouldn't be any different, or so they thought. Everyone waited to see how soon she'd cave.
"Junior Sister Song, you're being unreasonable. Give us the antidote and let's save Chuxue first."
The Sect Master looked stern, tone sharp with authority.
"If anything happens to her, you'll be branded a traitor to your sect. That won't go over well when word spreads."
"Right. Elder Song, it's just a disciple. Master Gu and Junior Sister Ye have a teacher-student bond. You're overthinking this."
"Hand over the antidote, and no one will hold it against you. But if Chuxue dies—"
The elders all chimed in, their voices steeped in subtle reproach.
"Jealousy has its limits!"
The Sect Master's gaze turned frosty. When had Junior Sister Song become so small-minded, so volatile?
She hadn't been like this before.
"You all done?"
So many voices. So many faces twisted in judgment.
Not one of them paused to ask what had truly happened.
Not one gave her the benefit of doubt.
They were all so eager to scold, to blame.
Song Wanníng had remained silent all this time, waiting for their criticisms to pile up one by one. Her heart grew colder with every word. So this was her sect. Her so-called family. All of them rushing to accuse her for one woman.
How laughable.
She tilted her head and said sweetly, "You lot came running to scold me without even knowing what happened. Isn't that a bit unfair?"
Her voice rose slightly, a mocking lilt in every syllable. "I already took the Heavenly Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill!. Why are you still bothering me?"
The challenge in her eyes was as clear as daylight.
Everyone present knew the truth in their hearts, but where was the evidence?
She never gave them the pill. So how was this her fault?
"Even if Ye Chuxue dies now, it has nothing to do with me."
"Master!"
Bai Yang finally arrived, panting.
"You're inhuman! Did you swap the pill on purpose?
You knew Junior Sister Ye needed it to survive! How could you?"
His righteous fury locked onto her, seething.
Song Wanníng tilted her lips into a lazy smile. Ah, the pup finally bites.
"Do you even remember your place, Bai Yang? You dare speak to your master like this? Tell me, who's the real monster here? And I already told you. I used the pill. You refused to believe me. Now something went wrong, and suddenly it's all my fault?"
Her tone sharpened, smile vanishing.
"You think I'm easy to bully?"
In an instant, her spiritual energy surged.
The pressure of her full Nascent Soul cultivation exploded outward, thick and suffocating.
Bai Yang staggered, eyes wide. The force struck him like a crashing tide. His legs gave out beneath him with a thud. He fell to his knees, bones cracking, unable to lift his head.
The weight crushed him.
"You ungrateful wretch."
Her voice rang out, cold and sharp.
"How dare you raise your voice at me? You really don't know your place."