Shut Up

Although it probably wasn't of much use, it was better than watching her hurt herself to the point of becoming a cripple.

Besides, she did have a bit of a "young hero complex" and couldn't bear to watch a young girl suffer all alone, huddled miserably in a freezing cave.

So, around the middle of every month, as long as she was free, Song Yao would bring some wine, hide away in the cave, and keep her company.

She would take a sip and then pour some down her Fifth Junior Sister's throat. By the time they woke up at dawn, her Fifth Junior Sister would be mostly back to normal, and Song Yao would leisurely slip away beforehand, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

Ye Chang'an was already scared out of his wits. He kicked his legs, scrambling backward toward Ji Duchuan. “Th-then if you didn't want to cultivate, couldn't you have just told your mother?”

Wen Yu seemed provoked by this, and she lashed out with her whip again.

This time, she didn't miss. The tip of the whip struck his calf squarely, instantly tearing his flesh open.

Ye Chang'an shrieked in pain, clutching his leg as he rolled halfway across the floor.

“Do you think I'm like you?! Do you think I never tried telling her?!”

Wen Yu sneered, “She nearly choked me to death! She said it was bad enough that my talent was inferior to Wen Tang's, but even my willpower couldn't match hers! And that idiot Wen Tang actually had the nerve to come comfort me, saying that when she got the chance, she would take me to Nine Saints Hall so I could learn the whip techniques I actually wanted to learn.”

Her voice suddenly grew shrill. “Nine Saints Hall... What's so great about Nine Saints Hall anyway?! She used to be so sensible, so why did she return from that place so naive and foolish? Why was she always so happy?”

Her eyes blurred with tears as she looked at Song Yao. Suddenly losing all her strength, she murmured, “Then why wasn't I the one sent to Nine Saints Hall as a hostage? Why did she get all the benefits?”

Song Yao lowered her gaze. After a moment of thought, she continued to egg her on. “Maybe Fifth Senior Sister didn't want to cultivate dark poison either? I heard she is extremely kind-hearted, and the elders of Nine Saints Hall all like her very much.”

“Kind-hearted?”

A cold laugh bubbled up from Wen Yu's throat, and her voice suddenly spiked. “Don't you want to know the truth? Fine, then let me tell you!”

Ye Chang'an suddenly had a terrible premonition.

His father had never entrusted him with important responsibilities, so he had never been told about these matters.

Although he didn't know the specifics, he was well aware that this truth was not something meant for outsiders to hear.

His gaze hardened, and he pulled out a killing talisman, intending to throw it. But before he could act, Song Yao stepped firmly on his wrist. A sickening crunch of fracturing bone immediately rang out.

He cried out in agony, but his throat suddenly went dry, preventing him from making any sound at all.

A silencing spell!

Unable to struggle, he could only watch Wen Yu helplessly.

With a look of near-manic resolve in her bloodshot eyes, she roared at Song Yao, “All these people were killed by your kind-hearted Fifth Senior Sister!”

“Only she... Only she has the ability to wield dark poison to such an extent!”

“Hall Master Ming and Daoist Huachao were both harmed by her!”

Song Yao had already suspected this, but hearing it confirmed still caused her heart to skip a beat.

It really was her Fifth Junior Sister.

Why?

Her expression remained unchanged. “Then where is Wen Tang now?”

Wen Yu snapped, “How should I know where she is?! The people from Taiqing Pavilion wanted her, so my mother knocked her unconscious and had the people from Yong'an Tower take her away. Otherwise, how do you think my mother and I secured our positions?”

She seemed to be slipping into madness, suddenly bursting into laughter. “Isn't your Nine Saints Hall incredibly capable? Then go find your Fifth Senior Sister! Go seek revenge on the people from Taiqing Pavilion!”

“The Wen family is already ruined anyway. Since I've said this much, Taiqing Pavilion won't let us off, and there's no way out for me in this world! It would be for the best if you all just fought to the death!”

Song Yao frowned slightly and said, “There is.”

Her voice was light and calm, devoid of any emotion.

Wen Yu froze. “What did you say?”

Song Yao stepped forward, gathering Wen Yu's messy, disheveled hair, and secured it with a carved wooden hairpin. “I said, there is a way out for you in this world.”

Wen Yu gripped her whip tightly. Song Yao closed her hand over Wen Yu's, helping her hold the whip even more securely.

“Your mother is dead, and you are now the head of the family's younger generation. Once this matter blows over, you can cultivate whatever you want, can't you?”

“...”

Wen Yu had not expected her to say this. A faint light flickered in her eyes before she suddenly yanked her hand away. “Once this matter blows over? Easy for you to say! Ye Chongguang would never let me move past this.”

Song Yao replied, “Ye Chongguang won't do anything to you.”

Wen Yu asked, “How do you know?”

Song Yao said, “If you die, Ye Chongguang will be the prime suspect.”

“...”

She opened her mouth, wanting to say more.

The girl in front of her smiled. She turned and walked over to Ye Chang'an, looking down at him. She had reverted to her usual lazy, half-asleep demeanor. “Young Master Ye, it's time to go. Let's go ask your father what exactly is going on.”

...

Ye Chang'an was forced to stumble along at the very front.

Ji Duchuan followed behind Song Yao. Looking at the lazy, relaxed figure of the girl ahead of him, he found himself in a rather complicated state of mind.

Previously, he had felt that while she was talented in cultivation, she was ultimately just a child—and a rather mischievous one at that. Thus, he had only ever viewed her as a junior.

But looking at her now, he couldn't help but feel a touch of... unspeakable admiration.

First, she had pressed relentlessly and laid traps at every turn, baiting the young mistress into spilling everything.

Then, the moment she obtained the answers she wanted, she was able to instantly calm down and offer the girl a clear path forward.

How could a child of her age possess such clarity and wisdom?

Even if someone were twenty or thirty years older, they might not be able to match her.

He sighed and lamented all the way before hurrying forward. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, “You're just going to let Young Mistress Wen off like this?”

Song Yao was looking down, earnestly peeling and eating a mandarin orange, her cheeks puffed out. “What do you mean 'let her off'? I'm just a pill cultivator, what can I even do?”

Ji Duchuan muttered, “...A pill cultivator?”

Song Yao added, “Besides, Young Mistress Wen just lost her mother. At such a young age, she has to manage the family business while constantly staying on guard against Nine Saints Hall and Taiqing Pavilion. How pitiful.”

“...”

At such a young age?

He remembered Wen Yu was already in her twenties.

Just how old was this girl?

With that attitude and tone, anyone who didn't know better would think she was an octogenarian.

Moreover, when she was pressing her so aggressively earlier, she hadn't shown any pity for the girl at all. Yet now she was suddenly overflowing with kindness.

Well, whatever.

Pill cultivators were meant to save lives and aid the world, so this was only natural.

Before long, they walked out of the inner yard and arrived outside the hall where everyone was resting.

As if catching a lifeline, Ye Chang'an ran inside in tears. “Father! Father! Lin Mu beat me! You have to stand up for me, Father! Sh-she even wanted to slander our Taiqing Pavilion!”

Ye Chongguang's furious voice immediately boomed from inside. “Lin Mu?! Who is Lin Mu?!”

Ye Chang'an pointed outside. “Her!”

Ye Chongguang looked in the direction of his finger. When he saw a little girl of about ten in green Daoist robes, stuffing her face with two mandarin oranges, his voice cut off instantly.

Then, his expression turned incredibly grim. He slapped the back of Ye Chang'an's head. “You useless trash, shut up!”