Hurting Others and Hurting Oneself
The scene of their second meeting didn’t play out remotely close to what Qiao Xue had envisioned. She memorised her script as the proud princess of the fiend race, but she blanked out when she was face to face with Mu Yu. He was oblivious of her feelings and the fact that his joke had led her own.
“Wait, why are you crying?”
Mu Yu was always afraid of girls crying because he was to blame. He would fumble his words and fidget. He had no idea she pleaded the fiend race’s reigning elder to activate their formation for him, while she had no idea he was worried Ghost Gate would kidnap her.
“She likes you. Do you also like her?” Qiao Xue meekly asked.
“Who? Tian Ran?” Mu Yu stopped to think then nodded brightly. “I do. She’s a kind girl. I don’t want to let her down.”
I guess it’s only fair. I’m a fiend. She’s human. He wouldn’t possibly like me. I never said I liked him. Why can I feel tears welling up in my eyes, though?
Qiao Xue pursed her lips to fight her floodgates and asked, “Why did you help me at Second Heaven?”
Still smiling radiantly and warmly, Mu Yu explained, “Because you can control water and I can control wood. My shifu told me there are five people, each of whom can control one of the five types of elemental demons’ powers. We need to look out for each other. I wanted to inform you ever since I found out you were one of us.”
Mu Yu held out a seed and had it sprout a red flower. As she looked at the flower, dumbfounded, Qiao Xue felt stupid for misunderstanding his feelings. She absentmindedly inquired, “You never liked me, did you?”
Qiao Xue’s questioned summoned the dream Mu Yu had back to mind. Putting two and two together, it finally occurred to him that she actually liked him. The most baffling part was why she liked him. As far as he knew, their interactions weren’t enough for her to develop romantic feelings for him.
Mu Yu suddenly struggled to look Qiao Xue in the eyes. He wasn’t sure what to say; he worried whatever he blurted would only hurt her. Feng Haochen, Miao Yuyan and Ku Mu’s situation was the last thing he wanted to emulate. Thus, he decided to clear the air.
“Qiao Xue, let me explain.”
“What do you want to explain?” All of Qiao Xue’s panic evaporated. She was calm and arguably indifferent as she no longer even cared how he escaped Second Heaven.
Qiao Xue’s question stumped Mu Yu. Explain? Explain what? In the end, all he had to offer was, “Sorry.”
“I no longer need to worry as I now know you are fine. We shall go our separate ways henceforth. Our match has yet to be decided. Don’t let your guard down.”
An icy teardrop carrying hopes and dreams shattered on the bottom layer of the sphere. She resumed the match, initiating with an emotional forward lunge and thrust of an ice sword. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was resentment for being toyed with. Either way, she didn’t hold back.
Mu Yu looked down at the blood pouring onto the sword in his chest. Though vitality was the last thing he lacked, there were no plants around to replenish his vitality if it kept spilling.
Qiao Xue’s eyes were listless. Her lips twitched several times before she enunciated, “Why?”
“I couldn’t decide if I should move or not, but I chose the latter in the end because I thought you wouldn’t kill me since we’re the same type.”
Qiao Xue’s ice sword vanished. She moved her hands around, trying to think of what to do to no avail. The sword didn’t just pierce Mu Yu’s chest; it also impaled her heart. Her frosty sword qi had penetrated his body. His beads of sweat had become ice beads.
With so much left to do, Mu Yu refused to die. Gritting his teeth, he mumbled, “Plants… I need plants.”
“Mu Yu, whatchu doing?” Xiaoshuai looked outside upon feeling Mu Yu’s body turn cold. “Oh, sh-, this is bad.”
Xiaoshuai hurried out of Mu Yu’s shirt. He aggressively stared at Qiao Xue then began collecting spiritual energy with his tail and injecting it into Mu Yu’s wound. “Weren’t you two ever told to take it easy when you get intimate? Punctured Swordy, come out and save him before he dies!”
Whether it was thanks to Xiaoshuai’s request or because it detected Mu Yu’s condition, Wood Spirit Sword emerged. Wood Spirit Sword covered Mu Yu in green energy and replenished his vitality. Xiaoshuai went through Mu Yu’s cosmos sleeve for the rank six pill, sky erasing pill, one of the pills Mu Yu extorted from Elder Leng. Mu Yu’s only chance of survival was to ascend to Body Severing Realm. A burst of infinite vitality was released during the ascension. Mu Yu needed that burst to heal his wound.
Qiao Xue distraughtly watched Mu Yu. Although she wanted to help, she had nothing to offer. Her guilt and regret gnawed away at her.
Qiao Xue: If he dies, I’ll go with him!
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