Chapter 158: Sincere or Not

“Master!”

Yue Hongling immediately caught Bai Qiulan as she collapsed.

The piercing cold jolted her back into her own memories of agony, making her whole body tremble uncontrollably.

Why was it happening again?

It was far too soon for another outbreak!

Chu Ling stood silently, watching the scene unfold.

Operation Win-Back-the-Husband?

A flock of undisciplined rabble, and before they’d even taken the first step, two of them were already ruined.

It was unbearable.

Unbearably miserable.

Yue Hongling felt the chill sink deeper. She gritted her teeth.

“Ling’er, if you see me losing control, knock me away immediately! I’ll help Master expel the Chaotic Yin Poison!”

Chu Ling nodded. “Alright.”

Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens!

Yue Hongling pressed her palms against Bai Qiulan’s back. In an instant, the searing pain flooded her entire body.

Massive amounts of Supreme Yin energy surged violently into Yue Hongling.

“Master, Master—don’t channel so fast, I can’t take it!”

She cried out, not even knowing if Bai Qiulan could hear her. But the pain was too much.

As soon as she spoke, her throat was frozen solid.

“Mmph—!”

Chu Ling understood immediately. She gently pushed her hands forward.

Boom!

Yue Hongling was blasted away, shrouded in freezing cold. Bai Qiulan was also thrown through the air, their bodies now completely entwined.

Unless Chu Ling used her sword to sever Yue Hongling’s arms, there was no separating them.

But such a cut wouldn’t just be symbolic—it would leave permanent damage if done too late.

“Master Bai, that’s enough! Don’t channel so much into Hongling at once—do it slowly!”

“Don’t be so reckless, Master Bai! Get a hold of yourself!”

Chu Ling felt her heart tremble. Yue Hongling was already frozen solid. Her face was twisted with pain—who could even imagine what she was going through?

Could she endure it, if it were her?

That was the question.

She didn’t know if Bai Qiulan still had any consciousness in this state. If she didn’t, then there was nothing more to say. But if she did... and still forced all that Chaotic Yin Poison into Yue Hongling—then that was terrifying.

Chu Ling already had her demon sword in hand.

Suddenly, Bai Qiulan gave a violent shudder.

Yue Hongling was flung away.

Bai Qiulan gasped for breath as if escaping death itself.

“Hongling, Hongling, Hongling...”

She turned around in a panic, clutching Yue Hongling’s freezing body. Tears streamed from her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to—I blacked out—I wasn’t conscious—I really didn’t mean to...”

Chu Ling looked at the scene, not even knowing what to feel anymore.

Bai Qiulan... was she truly unconscious?

Whether she was or not, Chu Ling had made up her mind: this Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens was undoubtedly a dangerous, deadly technique.

At that moment, Chu Ling couldn’t even begin to imagine—if Bai Qiulan’s Chaotic Yin Poison erupted like this every time, with her forcefully trying to expel all of it, how had the young master been able to endure it?

“Ling’er,” Bai Qiulan said, still holding Yue Hongling tightly, “Hongling alone can’t bear all the Chaotic Yin Poison.”

Chu Ling was startled.

What did that mean?

Hongling alone couldn’t take it—was she implying Chu Ling should help carry the burden too?

“Then what do we do?” Chu Ling asked.

Bai Qiulan’s lips parted. She looked straight at Chu Ling.

“Next time, don’t ever let Hongling bear this for me again. I was born with this constitution—it’s Heaven’s will that I perish. I can’t drag anyone else down with me.” Her eyes were full of sorrow and despair.

Chu [N O V E L I G H T] Ling quietly let out a breath of relief.

“Master, when the carriage reaches the mountain, there will be a road. Even if Hongling endured pain, her cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds. The Eternal Defiance Sutra she practices grows stronger the more fearless she becomes. This is an essential trial for her.”

“If she can endure this, it may not be long before she soars to the heavens. I’m sure you all could ascend to the Second Heaven with the young master, no problem,” Chu Ling said comfortingly.

“And you?” Bai Qiulan asked.

“Me?”

“I really don’t know. I’ll figure it out when the time comes.”

...

While Chu Ling remained adamant about not cultivating the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens, Shangguan Huanling had actually begun practicing it.

That made Chu Ling’s scalp tingle.

Bai Qiulan...

What kind of person are you, really?

Yue Hongling had already been dragged into this. And now Shangguan Huanling too?

Yue Hongling was her disciple—it made sense that she’d sacrifice herself for her master. But what was her relationship with Shangguan Huanling? Did it really warrant subjecting her to such unbearable agony just to save her?

Chu Ling felt her heart growing colder and colder.

Time ticked by.

No one knew whether Shangguan Huanling was a fool or just too earnest—but after all this time, she still hadn’t finished cultivating the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens.

And this wasn’t even supposed to be a difficult secret art.

"Hongling, remember—don’t do anything foolish again. Don’t ever try to save me again. When the Chaotic Yin Poison flares up, I have no consciousness left. You won’t survive it!”

“Do you hear me? That’s an order from your master!”

“If I die, then that is simply my fate. Do not save me again, Hongling. Take care of yourself. You must live... you must live...”

Frost slowly crept over Bai Qiulan’s body.

Yue Hongling trembled.

At that moment, she couldn’t suppress the fear rising in her heart.

Fearless and unyielding...

But now, cracks were beginning to appear in her Dao.

Could she really not save her?

She had the method. In a moment like this, how could she just watch her master die before her eyes?

Her master had treated her so well.

She’d rather die than become a burden!

And yet, this Chaotic Yin Poison kept erupting. Each time stronger than the last.

No end in sight. No way of knowing when it would stop.

Could she really endure it?

Yes. She could!

Determination flashed in Yue Hongling’s eyes. No matter how many times it happened—no matter how hard it was—she would save her master.

If her senior brother could endure it, there was no reason she couldn’t.

The cracked Dao began to mend itself.

Yue Hongling once again saved Bai Qiulan.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye and Shen Xitong were watching everything from the light screen—observing what unfolded in the courtyard.

“Ding~ Not bad,” Shen Xitong said with mild surprise. “Didn’t expect Yue Hongling to hold so firmly to her Dao. Even after it cracked, she still managed to restore it.”

Lu Ye, however, shook his head slightly.

“This is only the third time using the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens, and she’s already begun to feel fear. What about thirty times? Three hundred?”

“What she shows now as fearlessness won’t necessarily hold when faced with endless despair.”

“She’s still impressive,” Shen Xitong said. “Good job, Former Wife Yue. Keep using that Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens, and let’s ascend to Second Heaven together!”

...

Bai Qiulan had awakened.

She looked down at the unconscious Yue Hongling, and fell silent for a long time.

Suddenly, she raised her head and looked at Chu Ling.

“Ling’er, I really don’t want Hongling to suffer like this again. If we were to capture a few evildoers, and have them cultivate the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens to absorb my Chaotic Yin Poison... wouldn’t that save her the pain?”

“And besides, if we’re catching criminals, then technically we’re upholding justice—cleansing the world of evil.”

Chu Ling just stared at her...