73 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

Chapter 73: Sword Technique Jiang Yue, utilizing his swift lightness skills, carried the now weak and unconscious Ran Fan Yin as fast as he could to the pill shop. A young disciple guarding the gate saw him and hurried forward to inquire, "Venerable Jiang Yue, Venerable Ran Fan Yin, she..." "Where is senior brother?" Jiang Yue was nearly desperate to grab the disciple by the collar. Intimidated by Jiang Yue's intense gaze, the gatekeeping disciple hesitantly replied, "Venerable Cheng Yun Huan... Venerable Cheng Yun Huan is in the main hall with the sect leader..." "Go call him here immediately!" Jiang Yue commanded, quickly carrying Ran Fan Yin inside the pill shop. He gently laid her on a bed before hastily searching through the medicine cabinets. Jiang Yue pulled out several bottles of blood-replenishing pills, poured them all into Ran Fan Yin's mouth, and helped her swallow by pressing her throat. Qing Mu Zi, hearing the commotion, put down what he was doing and rushed over. After a glance at Ran Fan Yin, he exclaimed in surprise, "What happened to Venerable Ran Fan Yin? What injury caused such blood loss?" "Qing Mu Zi, check on her first. I'll find bandages to stop the bleeding on her wrist." Jiang Yue’s sleeves and clothes were stained heavily with Ran Fan Yin's blood, the bright red starkly visible on his white garments. Qing Mu Zi approached, sealing several major acupoints on Ran Fan Yin's body before feeling her pulse. "How... how did the esteemed master end up like this..." Qing Mu Zi sighed, quickly assisting Jiang Yue in stopping the bleeding and bandaging her wounds. Jiang Yue transferred a lot of his true energy to Ran Fan Yin, but her face remained deathly pale. Cheng Yun Huan rushed over promptly, his usually stern expression now visibly anxious. He strode quickly to the bedside, took out a bottle of medicine, and popped two white pills into Ran Fan Yin's mouth. "Jiang Yue! How could you let Ran Fan Yin end up like this?" Cheng Yun Huan shouted at Jiang Yue. "It's my fault... it's my fault..." Jiang Yue admitted guiltily. Chen Si Ting felt puzzled, believing she had only handled some villains. Times have changed; she was no longer the mute girl who would let others bully her. She had used her illusions to kill two disciples from the Lishui Sect. Subsequently, when the Lishui Sect sent more people, Chen Si Ting slew them all. Each slain person claimed to act for the world’s common good and righteousness, which made Chen Si Ting fiercely angry. In times of grave peril, no one came to her aid; when she had finally avenged herself, she found herself the target of everyone’s wrath. "Does the dignified master still believe she’s saving the world?" Chen Si Ting leaned against the stone wall, looking menacingly at Ran Fan Yin, seeking an answer from her. Hearing this, Ning Song Wu became curious; she too wanted to know what Ran Fan Yin thought. Looking back, she saw Ran Fan Yin hanging her head, lost in her thoughts. At the same time, Ning Song Wu noticed Ran Fan Yin's body temperature dropping frighteningly low. Ning Song Wu thought to herself, hoping that her stingy master wouldn't die here; otherwise, what a weak first combatant of the human race it would be. Ning Song Wu nudged Ran Fan Yin with her shoulder and called softly, "Master? Master!" Ran Fan Yin made no response. To Chen Si Ting, this scene was evidence that Ran Fan Yin, out of guilt, chose avoidance. Chen Si Ting smirked, tauntingly, "Admit it, you’re just hypocrites in righteous dressings, all the talk about saving the world and upholding justice is mere nonsense." Ran Fan Yin still showed no reaction, and Ning Song Wu, touching her hand, found it as cold as ice. For the moment, neglecting to ponder Ran Fan Yin's condition, it seemed to Ning Song Wu, based on Chen Si Ting’s story, that she had died as a child and identified herself as both a demon clan member and a vengeful spirit. Currently, Ran Fan Yin's fate was uncertain, and Ning Song Wu was facing a situation of impending doom. Fortunately, this neither demon nor ghost seemed apprehensive towards Ran Fan Yin, not daring to move forward to check her state, allowing Ning Song Wu to continue her bluff for a while longer. Driven by her curiosity, Ning Song Wu asked directly, "So, beautiful senior, when did you die? And how did you die?" Chen Si Ting, initially grinning fiercely, suddenly paused, a confused look clouding her face, "How did I die... I don’t remember." A look of pain crossed Chen Si Ting’s face. She grabbed at her hair, pulling and yelling sharply, "How did I die! How did I die!" Her form shifted continuously, alternating from youthful beauty to a skeletal visage, looking terrifying. Ning Song Wu hadn’t expected her question to land a blow. It seemed the chance to survive had reappeared. Plus, with Ran Fan Yin seemingly incapacitated, if Ning Song Wu could escape, no one would force her to practice cultivation anymore. A life of happiness and leisure awaited. Embracing a vision of a promising future, Ning Song Wu decided to toss out more questions to provoke Chen Si Ting, "So is Senior really a demon or a ghost?" Chen Si Ting ignored Ning Song Wu, stuck in her earlier quandary. Perhaps in agony, she began banging her head against the stone wall, causing herself to bleed profusely. Ning Song Wu, observing that Chen Si Ting indeed had a corporeal form, thought she seemed more like a demon. "Senior hasn’t answered my question. Are you human or demon? If what you said were true, we could confront the Lishui Sect on your behalf. What’s your mother’s name?" Suddenly, Chen Si Ting stopped, a different voice echoed in her mind, telling her she was a demon. Oddly enough, Chen Si Ting’s headache diminished, yet she still couldn’t recall details about her death or even her mother’s name. Bewildered, wanting to ponder further, the voice in her mind urged, in a tempting, persuasive manner, "Don’t think, forget it." Chen Si Ting, eyes vacant, repeated without emotion, "Don’t think, need to forget." Ning Song Wu found it increasingly peculiar and couldn’t resist speaking up again, "Has Senior figured it out?" Chen Si Ting slowly pushed herself up, healed the wound on her head with a wave of her hand, and began moving towards Ran Fan Yin and Ning Song Wu. She first squatted in front of Ran Fan Yin, lifting her head to reveal a face devoid of life. "So she’s already dead, and here I was worrying." With a forceful toss, Chen Si Ting let Ran Fan Yin’s head loll to the side. "You talk big, little one, but whether I'm a demon or ghost, it doesn’t matter to you; I’m here to take your life." At this point, Ning Song Wu had no reason to pretend anymore. She sensed Chen Si Ting's murderous intent, knowing she was inescapably doomed. Not one to fear death, Ning Song Wu sneered, "So what if you take my life? At least I’m better off than you." "Quite the audacious little creature, shame your master died so soon. I planned to torture her slowly." Chen Si Ting was clearly displeased with Ran Fan Yin’s quick demise. Ning Song Wu glared angrily back at Ran Fan Yin, cursing, "So much for being the strongest human, what a useless thing." Chen Si Ting covered her mouth, mocking, "Would your master come back to life in anger? No worry, you’re soon to reunite in the underworld." Ning Song Wu retorted dismissively, "Who wants to meet her in the underworld?" Chen Si Ting had no desire to banter further. She clawed at Ning Song Wu’s head. As the deadly hand drew closer, a trace of blood-red flickered in Ning Song Wu’s eyes. At that critical moment, a loud rumble from outside the cave shook the chamber, causing dust to fall and interrupting Chen Si Ting’s attack. The blood-red in Ning Song Wu’s eyes faded quietly; she blinked in confusion, seemingly just waking up. Panicked, Chen Si Ting shouted harshly, "Who is it!? Show yourself if you dare!" Another thunderous crash followed, shaking the chamber fiercely and causing her to fall to the ground. Soon, a hole opened above the stone chamber, sunlight streaming directly onto Chen Si Ting. Shielding her eyes, Chen Si Ting looked up and saw someone standing in the violently opened gap. Her eyes widened in disbelief: "Aren’t you supposed to be dead?" Seeing it too, Ning Song Wu squinted upward. Wasn’t that her stingy master, the one standing at the aperture of light? Ning Song Wu came to her senses sharply; she remembered that Ran Fan Yin had indeed been captured with her and was now tied up. Looking back, the figure behind her hadn’t vanished. Could Ran Fan Yin have a twin sister, or was it some illusion? None of those answers matched. The Ran Fan Yin who was captured was a puppet; the one standing at the hole was the real her. Ran Fan Yin had originally thought the mission wasn't difficult, sending a puppet with Ning Song Wu to experience and spark her interest in cultivation. Moreover, the puppet and her true form shared senses, allowing Ran Fan Yin to monitor the situation. However, the intel was wrong; this time, the evil entity proved tricky. Yet throughout, Ning Song Wu had displayed no unusual signs. Ran Fan Yin surveyed the astonished pair in the cave, her face calm. With a sweep of her sleeve, she recalled the puppet into her space and seized Ning Song Wu, pulling her up as well. Ning Song Wu realized belatedly that she had been saved, yet her emotions were a tangled mess of confusion and uncertainty. How much of her earlier outburst had her master heard, and could she still maintain her image as the perfect, filial disciple? "Master, I..." "No need to say more." Ning Song Wu obediently shut her mouth. Chen Si Ting attempted to use her illusions to escape again, but Ran Fan Yin swatted her away with a casual flick of her hand, akin to swatting a mosquito, knocking Chen Si Ting unconscious. Ning Song Wu shivered, almost feeling like she had been the one who got swatted. Ran Fan Yin chose not to kill Chen Si Ting; instead, she took out a white jade bottle and stored Chen Si Ting inside. Sensing the spirit energy in the surroundings, Ran Fan Yin noted that it was much thinner here compared to other places. Even after subduing Chen Si Ting, resentment lingered heavily, indicating the true issue wasn't with her. Ran Fan Yin wasn’t adept at dealing with such matters, so she planned to hand it over to her junior brother instead. A sudden lightness on her shoulders made her feel rejuvenated, and she couldn’t help but smile slightly, her demeanor softening. Yet, Ning Song Wu felt a chill of sweat on her back, misconstruing Ran Fan Yin’s smile as a prelude to settling scores. When Ran Fan Yin turned, she saw Ning Song Wu’s frightened look and assumed the child was scared after facing Chen Si Ting. Reflecting on her oversights, Ran Fan Yin, though her voice remained cool, added a hint of guilt, "This was an oversight on my part." After a pause, Ning Song Wu replied, "It's not your fault, Master." Her voice was gentle and meek, head bowed submissively. Ran Fan Yin felt Ning Song Wu was perhaps feeling wronged, which deepened her own guilt. Yet, unsure of how to address it, she awkwardly untied the ropes around Ning Song Wu and said, "Let’s go home." With the ropes put away, Ran Fan Yin left alone. The place was eerily ghostly, and Ning Song Wu, not wanting to stay in such a place by herself, quickly caught up to her master. Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a cold sensation in her palm. Startled, she glanced at the hand now holding hers and heard Ran Fan Yin’s reassuring voice, "Don’t be afraid, I'm here." It was akin to comforting a child. However, given that Ning Song Wu was only slightly shorter than Ran Fan Yin, it felt somewhat out of place. Nevertheless, she chose not to let go, finding amusement in seeing Ran Fan Yin’s ears turn red beneath her dark hair. "What have you learned from this experience?" Ning Song Wu, with an innocent face, replied, "Master is amazing; being with Master feels safest." Ran Fan Yin: ... She tasted the bitterness of disappointment and tried once more, "Anything else?" "No, that's it." Feeling Ran Fan Yin’s grip tighten slightly, Ning Song Wu guessed she was angered. Quickly seeking to fix her blunder, Ning Song Wu blew warm air on Ran Fan Yin's hands, successfully making her face turn red as well. "Master, your hands are too cold," Ning Song Wu said, a touch sympathetically. Ran Fan Yin's mind was jumbled. She wished to pull her hand away but feared hurting her disciple's feelings. Avoiding more thought on the matter, she lowered her eyes and quietly said, "Let’s go find your two senior sisters." Meanwhile, Cheng Yun Huan was deeply unsettled. "Some years back, her vitality was already lacking, and now she’s lost such a significant amount of blood and true energy. Do you know she almost exhausted herself? What exactly happened?" "She... to forge a sword for Ning Song Wu... sacrificed a sword…" Jiang Yue said, his voice bitter. "Foolish! You let her do such a reckless thing! How dare you allow her to perform a sword sacrifice?" "It was my mistake, senior brother," Jiang Yue admitted meekly. "Now follow me and transfer our true energy to her at once. We need to preserve her cultivation; otherwise, her lifespan will be greatly reduced." Cheng Yun Huan administered more medicine to Ran Fan Yin and, together with Jiang Yue, began transferring their energy to her. Ran Fan Yin remained unconscious. Cheng Yun Huan personally set about preparing medicine for her, while Jiang Yue headed to Hongfei Pavilion to inform Cen Ran. Cen Ran, He Lan Mian Mian, and Ning Song Wu were practicing sword techniques in the bamboo grove behind the disciples’ quarters when they saw Jiang Yue, speckled with blood. The sight startled them. "Cen Ran sheathed her sword and anxiously inquired, “Master Uncle, what has happened?” "Go to the pill shop immediately; your master... she... she's gravely injured." Jiang Yue struggled to find the right words. “What?!” Cen Ran was shocked. “How could Master...” Ning Song Wu's entire body trembled, causing her sword to fall to the ground. She rushed forward, "What did you say? Master, she... she..." Jiang Yue gave Ning Song Wu a complex look and said, "No more questions! Ask your master yourself once she wakes up." “She... she hasn’t woken up...” Ning Song Wu’s eyes reddened, feeling as if her heart had sunk into an ice cave. Master, how could this happen? Watching Ning Song Wu vanish in a heartbeat, Cen Ran called after her, “Ning Song Wu!” and then used her lightness skills to follow. Bursting through the wooden door of the pill shop, Ning Song Wu saw Qing Mu Zi busy at the medicine cabinet. Her gaze quickly scanned the room until it landed on the white-clad figure lying in the corner. Ran Fan Yin lay with her eyes tightly shut, her left wrist limply dangling from the bed, wrapped in thick bandages. Her face was ashen, devoid of any color, her lips lacking their usual natural redness, and even her breath was faint and shallow, giving off the appearance of death. The sight pierced Ning Song Wu’s heart like a spike. Rushing to the bedside, Ning Song Wu’s eyes filled with tears of pain and sorrow, yet she dared not touch Ran Fan Yin. "Master... Master..." Ning Song Wu whimpered softly. Seeing this, Qing Mu Zi walked over, patting Ning Song Wu’s shoulder gently, “Don’t worry, your master is merely overtired. With some rest, she’ll be okay, she won’t die.” “Why is Master so badly hurt? What happened to her wrist?” Tears blurred Ning Song Wu’s vision as she raised her voice, almost accusingly. “That... you’ll have to wait until she wakes up to ask her yourself.” Qing Mu Zi, not wanting to interfere, could only give Ning Song Wu this response. “Why do you all tell me to ask her myself? Does her injury have anything to do with me?!” Just then, Ran Fan Yin, who had been silent, gave a soft cough. Immediately, both Qing Mu Zi and Ning Song Wu focused their attention on Ran Fan Yin. Her body shivered slightly with each light cough, and her tightly closed eyes slowly opened, revealing those light brown irises akin to dew on tea leaves. “Master...” Ning Song Wu cried out anxiously. “Cough... My injury is not... your fault...” Ran Fan Yin whispered weakly. "Venerable Ran Fan Yin..." Qing Mu Zi began but was swiftly interrupted. "Qing Mu Zi, please step outside and guard the door. Don't let anyone in... I have some words to share with Ning Song Wu alone." Qing Mu Zi sighed but complied with Ran Fan Yin's request, leaving the room. Ning Song Wu sniffled, holding back tears, asking, "What do you want to say, Master?" "How did you come here?" "When Uncle Jiang Yue went to Hongfei Pavilion to inform Senior Sister Cen Ran, I overheard," Ning Song Wu replied, noticing the bloodstains on Ran Fan Yin’s white clothes. "Master, your... injury..." "Don’t worry about it." Ning Song Wu saw through Ran Fan Yin's brave facade, speaking soothing words despite her weak condition, and tears streamed down her face. “Why are you... crying...” Ran Fan Yin's voice was ephemeral, like a wisp of smoke. “Because I care about you, Master. I love you, Master!” Ning Song Wu couldn't hold back her feelings any longer. She had never felt such urgency to express them. Seeing Ran Fan Yin so vulnerable pierced her heart. She feared that one moment her master would never open her eyes again, and her words would remain unspoken. "Ning Song Wu... I care about you too..." A tear slipped from Ran Fan Yin's eye onto the pillow. "You are my disciple... my junior. You’re someone I care about as my student..." “That's not it, it’s not that kind of care. I love you differently from how I love my elders. I love you as...” “No... don’t say it... You're only my junior, only my disciple. I am your master, I am your master...” Ran Fan Yin covered her eyes with the back of her hand, overwhelmed by a sudden urge to cry. “No, Master, you can’t fool me, or yourself.” “Ning Song Wu...” Ran Fan Yin managed to extend a frail hand to touch the top of Ning Song Wu's head, “In my eyes... you’re always a child, forever my junior...” In a sudden burst of emotion, Ning Song Wu grabbed Ran Fan Yin’s hand, pinning it against the bed, then flipped over and kissed her fiercely. Although before, she had the excuse of being drunk, this time, there was none. Ran Fan Yin, unable to bear it anymore, struggled weakly, but to no avail. Between desperate kisses and sobs, Ning Song Wu declared, “Master... I love you... I love you...” Ran Fan Yin suddenly gathered all her strength and violently pushed Ning Song Wu away. Her face turned away from the bed, and a mouthful of fresh blood spilled out, staining the white sheets with its glaring red hue, painfully bright. Clutching the edge of the bed, Ran Fan Yin coughed heavily, blood seeping from her chin. Her inner true energy coursed chaotically through her body, relentlessly assaulting her meridians, causing her vital energies to defy their natural flow, leading to incessant vomiting of blood. "Master... Master!" Ning Song Wu was terribly frightened, hurriedly supporting Ran Fan Yin but unsure how to help her. "Cough... Ning Song Wu, do you still remember what I said when I first took you in..." Ran Fan Yin's bloodshot eyes bore intensely into Ning Song Wu. "Master! ... Don't speak, you've lost so much blood..." Ning Song Wu grabbed a nearby towel, frantically trying to wipe away the alarming amount of blood. "I said... to honor your master, respect the path, and not to defy or betray... If you continue on this path, I will have no choice but to expel you from the sect..." "Master, I'm wrong, I was wrong, it's my fault! Don't speak, I'll never defy you again, please don't expel me, don't be angry... don't get sick and bleed because of me..." Ning Song Wu cried, tears streaming down her face. Seeing the bloodstains crisscrossing Ran Fan Yin's usually immaculate white robe, she suddenly loathed herself. Why? Why? Everything she had done was wrong! Ran Fan Yin bit her lip firmly, her hand on the bed frame trembling uncontrollably. She closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her pale cheeks. Why do people cry? Because they're heartbroken. Because they can't have what they desire, because they can't let go, because they have hopes and then lose them; that's why they cry. Once, Ran Fan Yin didn't care for even her own life and death, once, she wouldn't shed a tear even enduring the most excruciating pain. But now, she cried.