Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 95: Ji Lingruo’s Story

Seeing the sudden appearance of Ji Lingruo and Heavenly Maiden Wangshu, He Shutong, for some reason, felt a sense of guilt, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. She quickly released her embrace and, for a moment, was at a loss for what to do.

She wasn’t the only one feeling this way. You Su, sensing the hostility in his Junior Sister’s tone, decided to take the initiative:

“Junior Sister! You’re awake!” he said, wiping the tears from his face.

Ji Lingruo’s expression of concern vanished in an instant. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the two of them, and then coldly addressed He Shutong:

“What exactly are you trying to do?!”

Her words dripped with hostility.

In truth, Ji Lingruo had no emotional connection to this so-called “Master’s Wife.” You Su had gone through so much hardship, yet she had remained absent throughout. Even though it seemed she had ultimately saved them, Ji Lingruo still harbored deep resentment toward her.

He Shutong, who was never good with words, found herself at a loss when confronted with such harsh questioning. The explanations she wanted to give stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

You Su stood frozen in the middle, unsure whose side to take. However, He Shutong stood up on her own, casting a disdainful glance at Ji Lingruo, who was nearly half a head shorter than her, and said indifferently:

“You two talk first.”

With that, she turned and brushed past the young girl. Ji Lingruo glared at her retreating figure, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

You Su, still savoring the lingering warmth and touch on his face, watched as He Shutong’s blurry figure hastily disappeared through the doorway. He felt a stir in his heart, sensing that something about his Master’s Wife had changed.

If it had been the old her, she would have left with an air of cold arrogance, unwilling to say more. But now, it seemed as though she had fled because she couldn’t handle the situation.

“Junior Sister…”

Once the room was left with only the two of them, You Su finally called out to her with a tone of intimacy and dependence.

Ji Lingruo was momentarily stunned. She had imagined countless times how her reunion with You Su would play out. In her fantasies, they would rush into each other’s arms, pouring out their hearts to one another.

When she woke up, her first thought had been to find You Su in his room. But when she arrived, she saw him and that irresponsible Master’s Wife so close together, and her enthusiasm instantly waned.

She hesitated before asking:

“What were you and her doing?”

“As you saw, what else could we be doing?” You Su replied with an innocent and matter-of-fact expression. “Master’s Wife saw that I was in pain and wanted to comfort me.”

Ji Lingruo, seeing his straightforward demeanor, felt as though he was implying that her question was unnecessary. She pursed her lips and retorted:

“Since when were you and this Master’s Wife so close?”

“I’ve been orphaned since I was ten, and Master’s Wife raised me all by herself. Even though she doesn’t show it often, she must care for me.”

“She was nowhere to be seen when we were in life-and-death danger, and now that everything’s settled, she comes to comfort you with fake concern. Does she even deserve to be called ‘Master’s Wife’?”

“I think… Master’s Wife must have her own reasons.”

“You’re just being naive!” Ji Lingruo crossed her arms, looking at him with a mix of frustration and disappointment.

You Su’s expression darkened. In a way, Ji Lingruo wasn’t wrong. He always gave those close to him his utmost trust.

He remembered when he was very young, his master would guide him as he walked, telling him to go left or right. But You Su never fully trusted his master’s instructions, always suspecting that he was deliberately leading him into traps just to laugh at his misfortune.

After that incident, his master had spanked him hard and expressed deep disappointment.

His master had said that a blind person, unable to see, was forced to expend more energy than others to understand the world. It was understandable for You Su to be overly cautious. But if he couldn’t even trust those closest to him, always doubting them, what kind of person would he grow up to be? A scheming, sinister villain?

Guan Chujun didn’t want a disciple who was constantly suspicious and paranoid. Such a person might one day turn into a traitor.

You Su had felt deeply ashamed and, as he grew older, came to understand his master’s words more and more. A person who had nothing to believe in was truly pitiable, especially for someone like him, who lacked a sense of security.

Perhaps this was why he had developed a personality of being warm to those close to him and distant to strangers…

However, You Su also knew that Ji Lingruo’s criticism wasn’t truly about him being naive. After all, it was this very trait that had brought him closer to his Junior Sister.

He smiled, understanding Ji Lingruo’s concerns. She was worried that he, as a blind person, might forget who had stood by him through thick and thin. Softly, he said:

“But no matter how close Master’s Wife and I are, it can’t compare to what I share with you, Junior Sister. The life-and-death experiences we’ve been through together are etched in my heart. I can never repay the debt I owe you.”

You Su’s sudden and candid words caused Ji Lingruo’s face to flush red. She turned her head slightly, her eyes half-lowered, secretly annoyed at You Su’s bluntness. Especially his last sentence, which clearly alluded to what had happened in the coffin that day.

Just thinking about that day made Ji Lingruo feel a mix of embarrassment and shyness. A strange sensation surged through her lower body, and she couldn’t help but retort:

“Then… then I’ll make sure you never have the chance to repay me, so you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that if they came true, it wouldn’t just be You Su who would regret it.

After a moment of awkward silence, seeing that You Su wasn’t responding, she was about to soften her tone and say something more when You Su interrupted her.

“Junior Sister, are you saying… you’re leaving?” You Su’s expression turned vacant, his eyes lifeless.

“Huh? I… I…” Ji Lingruo immediately stammered, “Did I say that? Don’t jump to conclusions…”

“I… cough!”

You Su had barely uttered a word before a violent coughing fit overtook him. Ji Lingruo’s earlier pretense of composure vanished in an instant. She rushed to his bedside, gently patting his back.

Once You Su had calmed down, he weakly raised his head to look at the girl who was now so close to him. He wanted to activate his eyes, but the previous overexertion had left them unresponsive, even as bloodshot streaks appeared in his vision.

Without waiting for her to respond, You Su grabbed Ji Lingruo’s hand, his tone pleading, “Junior Sister, what else are you hiding from me?”

Ji Lingruo was taken aback by the question. She let her hand remain in his grip and replied, “Nothing…”

“After all we’ve been through, are you still keeping things from me?”

Seeing the sadness in You Su’s expression, Ji Lingruo felt the same in her heart. She hadn’t kept her background a secret because she didn’t trust him, but because she didn’t want to face the inevitable farewell too soon.

“Fine… I’ll tell you.”

You Su gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and then, as if afraid she might run away, wrapped his arms around Ji Lingruo’s slender arm. Not satisfied with that, he leaned his body closer to hers, resting his head gently on her shoulder.

“Behave yourself… What happened that day was due to the circumstances. It doesn’t mean you can take liberties with me whenever you want from now on.”

“Of course not. But for now, will Junior Sister allow her pitiful Senior Brother to lean on her for a while?” You Su inhaled the fragrance that was so different from He Shutong’s, feeling some of his exhaustion melt away.

Ji Lingruo not only allowed it but wished she could let You Su lean on her forever. She muttered:

“Just for a little while.”

You Su nodded obediently, waiting for Ji Lingruo to begin.

“Senior Brother, do you know about Tai Sui?”

You Su nodded again.

“Then how did you recognize that Tai Sui was me in that white space?”

“I could never mistake you, Junior Sister,” You Su said firmly, as if speaking to her and to himself at the same time.

“Hmph, you say that so easily,” Ji Lingruo said, her lips curling into a smile as she shot a glance at You Su’s smug face. “But first, tell me about your experiences. And don’t you dare lie.”

You Su sighed inwardly. He had already confessed twice before, only to realize he had been speaking to the same monster both times.

So, You Su recounted everything that had happened over the past month in great detail. Ji Lingruo had already heard it once in You Su’s consciousness, but she wanted him to tell her directly this time.

“Does Senior Brother understand now why Tai Sui and the Dream-Eating Ghost did what they did?”

You Su shook his head. He truly couldn’t figure out the answer.

Ji Lingruo then organized her thoughts and shared with You Su the memories Tai Sui had allowed her to glimpse before disappearing.

By the time she finished, it was unclear how much time had passed. You Su sorted through the information:

“So, the True Sovereign’s power that the City Lord Liu went to such lengths to obtain is now inside me?”

“Most likely. This is no small matter, Senior Brother. You mustn’t tell anyone, understand? Not even that Master’s Wife.”

Ji Lingruo spoke with grave concern, deliberately lowering her voice to emphasize the importance. You Su naturally understood the gravity of the situation.

The True Sovereign—the source of all evil.

Such a secret now lay before You Su, and he had become a part of it. It all felt surreal to him.

Was it really his duty to eradicate all the sins of the world?

You Su didn’t have an answer yet.

“This is a secret only Junior Sister knows.”

Ji Lingruo’s serious expression softened slightly. “Senior Brother, do you hate Tai Sui?”

You Su hadn’t expected her to ask this. “Of course I do. She tried to replace you. How could I not hate her?”

Ji Lingruo bit her lower lip. How could she not hate Tai Sui? Yet, the other’s experiences made it difficult for her to fully harbor that hatred. The young girl’s heart was softer than her lips. If Tai Sui could come back to life, Ji Lingruo wouldn’t forgive her, but she certainly wouldn’t seek revenge either.

“She was just a pitiful person…”

You Su neither agreed nor disagreed. “Junior Sister, does your sudden surge in cultivation have something to do with Tai Sui?”

“Yes… she, she really helped me a lot.”

“Then what about that golden core inside you? I noticed that your cultivation has reached the Spirit Platform Realm, but why don’t I see a Spirit Platform? Instead, there’s a golden core.”

“Because, I…” Ji Lingruo hesitated, then finally made up her mind. “I’m not human. I’m a demon.”

“I see.” You Su’s tone was calm.

“W-what’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you surprised at all?” Ji Lingruo looked at him in disbelief. She had kept this secret for so long.

“Unless you tell me you’re actually Tai Sui, it’s really hard for me to be surprised, Junior Sister.” You Su sat up straight, looking at Ji Lingruo with a calm expression.

Ji Lingruo pouted, her face flushed, and she leaned her head on You Su’s shoulder.

“Do you want to hear my story?”

“Of course.”

Demons are creatures born from animals that have absorbed a rare spiritual light and transformed through cultivation. According to records, the conflict between humans and demons dates back even further than the conflicts between the five continents’ inhabitants and the evil spirits.

Demons are slightly stronger than humans of the same cultivation level, but there are far fewer demons, and their path to cultivation is much more difficult than that of humans.

Among the Five Great Immortal Ancestors, only one, Xing Zishao, was a demon. She was also known as the Demon Ancestor.

After the death of Xing Zishao, most of the demons in the world were driven by humans to live in the remote lands of the Eastern Cascade Continent, near the Star Radiance Divine Mountain.

Ji Lingruo and her elder sister grew up in the Eastern Cascade Continent. They had no parents from a young age.

Granny Liu, who raised them, told them that their mother, Ji Muyan, was the hope for the revival of the serpent clan. However, she fell in love with a wandering human cultivator who had come to the Eastern Cascade Continent.

They eloped, passionately in love, and had forbidden children. But during Ji Muyan’s weakened state after giving birth, the human cultivator killed her, the woman who had abandoned everything for him. His goal was to obtain her demon core.

Human cultivators rely on Spirit Platforms, while demon cultivators rely on demon cores. This is the most straightforward difference between humans and demons.

That human cultivator, having no hope of breaking through, set his sights on the demon core.

When Granny Liu found Ji Muyan, she was already a lifeless corpse, with only the two crying infants in her arms. To this day, no one knows the name of that male cultivator.

This incident even sparked intense conflict between humans and demons, but in the end, it faded away without resolution.

The two pitiful children grew up day by day. As the offspring of a human and a demon, the flaws in their bodies became increasingly apparent.

The elder sister, Ji Xueruo, was exceptionally talented but lacked a demon core. The younger sister, Ji Lingruo, had average talent but possessed a demon core.

With just these two young ladies, it was impossible to reverse the declining fortunes of the serpent clan. Thus, the elders of the serpent clan decided, while the two were still young and unaware, to extract the demon core from the younger sister and transplant it into the elder sister.

From then on, the elder sister became a true genius, surpassing even Ji Muyan in her time. She seemed destined to lead the serpent clan back to the glory of the Star Radiance Divine Mountain. It must be known that, like the other four Divine Mountains of the human race, only a prominent and powerful demon clan could occupy a Divine Mountain and enjoy its endless resources.

As for the younger sister, she became even more ordinary, increasingly ignored within the serpent clan.

One day, Ji Lingruo learned the truth. She bore no resentment but only hoped that one day she could avenge her mother.

Ji Xueruo, however, did not share the same thoughts. She tried her best to fulfill all of her younger sister’s wishes, but she refused to let her participate in the quest for revenge. The reason was simple: Ji Lingruo’s strength was too weak. Without a demon core, the path to immortality was closed to her, and forcing her way into such matters would only bring unnecessary danger.

Her authoritarianism caused all of Ji Lingruo’s pent-up grievances to explode. The young girl angrily ran away from home. A demon told her that in ancient times, there were demons who, despite lacking demon cores, had used human cultivation methods to build Spirit Platforms and embark on the path to immortality.

That year, she was fourteen years old. She resolutely boarded a giant ship bound for the Central Realm Continent. In her heart, she secretly vowed that even if she had given her demon core to her sister, she, Ji Lingruo, would definitely become strong enough to avenge her mother with her own hands.