Chapter 26 - 1: Stupid or Evil

Li Shuang’s expression was impassive, her eyes betraying no emotion.

She said calmly, "Everyone knows how dangerous Qi deviation is. Shen Yue has a Fire Attribute Single Spirit Root, which makes his deviation even more terrifying. So, five years ago, when Ye Zhaozhao supposedly went through hell and back to care for Shen Yue during his Qi deviation... don’t tell me she just... sat by and watched while he was unconscious?"

"No... it wasn’t like that..." Ye Zhaozhao’s face was pale. She looked pleadingly at the people from Lingxu Peak. "When I saw Senior Brother unconscious, I was in a complete panic. I fed him Spirit Pills and Spirit Water, and after I carefully looked after him for a few days, he recovered on his own. His situation... his situation was different from now!"

Ye Zhaozhao’s lips trembled, a trace of panic in her eyes as she looked at Sheng Yuan and the others.

Lin Qingling couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t resist saying, "If recovering from Qi deviation was that easy, so many Cultivators wouldn’t have perished from it! Shen Yue was already at the Golden Core Stage five years ago, wasn’t he? A Golden Core Stage Cultivator’s Qi deviation requires at least a Nascent Soul Stage expert to suppress it! And not just any expert—one with a countering attribute. Ye Zhaozhao? She has a paltry Three Spirit Roots and wasn’t even at the Nascent Soul Stage back then. What makes you think she could have saved Shen Yue while he was berserk?"

This was truly ridiculous!

Although she had only heard bits and pieces, she had a good idea of what had really happened back then!

On Lingxu Peak, only Li Shuang could have saved Shen Yue!

At that time, Li Shuang’s Cultivation hadn’t advanced an inch in five years; it had even begun to regress.

But when Shen Yue suffered his Qi deviation, she still helped suppress it without a second thought. To suppress Shen Yue’s Heart Fire, Li Shuang must have been seriously injured, right?

And these idiots from Lingxu Peak actually thought it was all Ye Zhaozhao’s doing?

For a moment, Lin Qingling couldn’t tell.

Were they just stupid?

Or were they evil?

Lin Qingling’s words were like knives. The people from Lingxu Peak also turned to look at Ye Zhaozhao with probing eyes.

Ye Zhaozhao’s body trembled more violently. She stammered in panic, "I... I don’t know. I don’t know anything..."

With tears welling in her eyes, she looked at Master Lingxu. "Master, I’m telling the truth. When I found Senior Brother Shen Yue, he was just unconscious. Under my care, he really did get better."

Seeing her crying so hard, Master Lingxu’s heart softened. He said in a gentle voice, "Zhaozhao had only been a disciple for five years at the time. How would she know what Qi deviation looked like? She is indeed not lying."

"Junior Sister would never lie!" Chang Le’an shouted.

Sheng Yuan lowered his eyes, his lips trembling. He was speechless for a long time.

’Zhaozhao indeed wasn’t lying.’

’But...’

’For some reason, he felt that something was wrong.’

"Fine, let’s say Ye Zhaozhao genuinely didn’t know. What about the rest of you? You didn’t know either?" Luo Mingyue couldn’t hold back. "Since when is the Qi deviation of a Single Spirit Root Cultivator so easy to cure! Did it never occur to you that someone else was the one who saved Shen Yue?!"

’Someone else... was the one who saved Shen Yue...’

Sheng Yuan slowly looked toward Li Shuang.

His voice was a little hoarse. "Eldest Senior Sister, was it you?"

Five years ago, Li Shuang had only appeared suddenly after Shen Yue woke up.

Their Junior Sister was pale from exhaustion after taking care of Shen Yue, and she had grown visibly thinner.

They, too, had bloodshot eyes from worrying about Shen Yue’s condition.

Only Eldest Senior Sister... she had looked perfectly fine, with a rosy complexion.

Seeing the contrast, they couldn’t help but feel indignant.

Sheng Yuan remembered.

He had been the first one to sharply question Eldest Senior Sister, demanding to know where she had been.

Everyone knew that ice and fire countered each other. Her Spirit Root Attribute was the most suitable for treating Shen Yue, yet she had left at such a critical moment.

’What kind of Eldest Senior Sister was that?’

Amid his anger and Shen Yue’s disappointment, Eldest Senior Sister had tried to explain.

She had said.

She said she had seen Shen Yue’s condition, had already treated him, and only left after confirming he was out of danger.

But that explanation... none of them believed it!

He even remembered his own furious accusation: "If you really found Third Junior Brother and treated him, why were you in such a hurry to leave? Eldest Senior Sister! That’s not how you steal credit! If Junior Sister hadn’t been by his side, calling to him day and night, he might never have woken up!"

At that, Li Shuang had looked stunned and didn’t argue any further.

He had thought Li Shuang was just feeling guilty.

’Thinking back now, perhaps there was more to the story?’

"Li Shuang? How could it be her!" Chang Le’an interjected. "Back then, Junior Sister was so exhausted from taking care of Second Senior Brother that she was unrecognizable! And her? She looked perfectly fine!"

"Eldest Senior Sister, tell us yourself." Sheng Yuan ignored Chang Le’an, his gaze fixed on Li Shuang.

Li Shuang glanced at him and said calmly, "Suppressing a Heart Fire is incredibly perilous. Even though I was a major realm higher than Shen Yue, I was still severely injured. I spent those few days I was missing healing myself. When I reappeared, I took a Vitality Pill beforehand so you wouldn’t worry."

She stated the facts plainly.

Sheng Yuan’s lips trembled. His legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Chang Le’an’s eyes went wide. "Impossible! That’s impossible! You’re not that kind!"

’In his mind, Zhaozhao was the most gentle, lovely, and understanding person, who treated her senior brothers with utmost sincerity.’

’And Li Shuang?’

’She was always as cold as ice.’

’You could never tell if she had any emotions at all just by looking at her face.’

’A person like that would suffer severe injuries just to save Shen Yue?’

"You people are ridiculous!" Luo Mingyue said coldly. "Besides Li Shuang, who else on Lingxu Peak could have saved Shen Yue? Did you think he was saved by the random Spirit Pills and Spirit Water you shoved down his throat, or by your so-called ’constant calling’? Are you trying to make everyone die of laughter?"

Liu Juncheng said with a deadpan expression, "Li Shuang was afraid you’d worry, so she specifically took a Vitality Pill. How are any of you worthy of such consideration? Let this be a lesson to everyone: on Lingxu Peak, people who are good with their words have it much better than those who only act."

As he spoke, Liu Juncheng shot a scornful glance at Ye Zhaozhao.

Ye Zhaozhao trembled and looked helplessly toward Sheng Yuan.

Sheng Yuan looked completely crestfallen, as if his soul had left his body.

She then looked at Chang Le’an.

Chang Le’an was staring wide-eyed, seemingly yet to process what was happening.

Ye Zhaozhao looked to Master Lingxu, her voice trembling. "Master... I really didn’t know..."

Master Lingxu had been silent as well.

But seeing Ye Zhaozhao like this, he couldn’t help but feel his heart soften.

’This little disciple of his was the most well-behaved.’

’Among all his disciples, only she would tell him all sorts of strange jokes to make him laugh.’

’Only she would go to the trouble of inventing new brewing recipes to make him strong liquor.’

’Only she would rack her brains to bring him all kinds of novel trinkets.’

’A man’s heart isn’t made of stone. After ten years, how could he not be partial to her?’