Chapter 942 - 445: Still... Forced to Endure? (2)

Hehe...

Such words...

Each and every sentence is filled with an air of superiority and mockery, twisting upon her self-esteem.

The demoness openly declares, the master you worship like a deity, in her eyes, is nothing more than a toy that can be played with at will and discarded at any time!

What suffocated Zhiwei even more was the calculation of that demoness.

She knew Chen Ye infiltrated Wuyang Palace for the bigger picture, and she also knew these disciples cared more about Chen Ye’s safety than anything.

So, she deliberately sent this humiliating Memory Stone, deliberately leaving behind such arrogant words.

If Zhiwei and the others couldn’t bear the humiliation now and rushed with swords to Wuyang Palace, they not only wouldn’t be able to get through the main gate, but would immediately expose their master’s identity and ruin his entire plan to find Senior Bai’s remains!

But if they didn’t go...

Then they would have no choice but to pretend they didn’t understand, watching helplessly as their master was humiliated in Lei Pool.

As disciples, they could only hide in Cold Scale Mansion like ostriches, waiting for the demoness to throw their master back!

The feeling of knowing it’s an open scheme, yet having one’s weak spot grasped, unable to resist... made Zhiwei’s vision black out, limbs powerless.

"Senior sister, you are trembling..."

Jin’er noticed Zhiwei’s abnormality, she’d never seen the senior sister in such a disarray.

Zhiwei bit her lower lip tightly, tasting the rich scent of blood before she managed to steady her trembling body.

"I’m fine."

Zhiwei opened her eyes, her usually indifferent dark pupils filled with bloodshot, her voice hoarse,

"That demoness is provoking us. She wants to see us go mad, to watch us seek death, to use our hands to destroy master’s plan."

"So... we can’t go."

Qing Jun’s face was full of disbelief: "Can’t go? Senior sister! Master is being tortured! How can we just stand by?!"

"Yes! Just stand by!"

The usually cool and aloof girl almost growled.

Scaring the two junior sisters, they looked at the crazy senior sister helplessly, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

Seeing the stunned look of her junior sisters.

It was this sight that forcibly pulled Zhiwei back from the brink of losing control.

"It’s the senior sister who lost her composure..."

Zhiwei stiffly touched the heads of the two junior sisters.

"Senior sister..."

Jin’er pursed her lips, tears streaming down.

She had never seen the master-like high and noble senior sister show such a crazy expression.

"Qing Jun, Jin’er, listen to me."

The dark-haired girl forced a smile,

"Don’t worry, master is just trapped in Lei Pool, not harmed, nothing has happened... Master is fine, he will be back in a few days."

"Really...?" Qing Jun wiped her eyes and whispered.

"Of course it’s true!"

Zhiwei forced a smile, but it was very complicated,

"Senior sister lost composure only because she couldn’t bear master being aggrieved. In a few days, you will understand senior sister didn’t deceive you."

"We must not act impulsively. If impulsive, master’s identity will be exposed, and that would truly harm master."

Hearing the confident assurance from the senior sister.

Though the two little girls were still worried, they suppressed it forcefully.

"Then... then we will wait for master at home." Qing Jun sniffled, picking up the Xiaohan Sword from the ground, wiping the sheath hard, "Qing Jun will definitely be obedient these days, won’t cause trouble for master."

Jin’er looked despondent: "From now on, Jin’er won’t argue with Qing Jun, won’t annoy master..."

Senior sister smiled lightly, her tone relaxed:

"Oh dear, you have never caused trouble for master? Actually, master likes to see you lively; go rest, master will return in a few days."

...

The following days.

Cold Scale Mansion superficially returned to tranquility.

Qing Jun no longer clamored to go to Wuyang Palace, instead she cradled Xiaohan Sword every day, sitting like a little door god at the courtyard entrance, gazing longingly in the direction of Wuyang Palace.

While Jin’er immersed herself in the cultivation room, Divine Fire burning day and night, cultivating diligently, allowing Zhiwei to see herself in the past.

As for Zhiwei, the senior sister,

The past few days felt like years to her.

Every nightfall, when all is silent, and both junior sisters fall into sound sleep.

She would return alone to the chamber sealed with soundproof arrays, tasting the blood in her mouth, repeatedly watching master being tormented.

On the third day.

A communication talisman shattered the peace of Cold Scale Mansion.

It was from the same steward as before.

Her expression apathetic but faintly contemptuous, she handed over a wooden box.

"Fellow Daoist Qingxuan’s disciple, his highness commands me to send this. His highness says the taste of the Mystery Box is excellent, and she will keep it for two more days. His highness praised you, saying you took good care of master, she is very satisfied."

"..."

Zhiwei trembled as she accepted the wooden box.

Yet the steward had not left, glancing at the dark-haired girl with a chilling tone:

"What? His highness’s generous grace, not only lowered herself to enjoy your useless master, but specifically sends me to praise you juniors for nurturing him so well... As his disciple, is this how you show gratitude, can’t even utter a thank you?"

Gratitude.

Those two words lightly twisted into Zhiwei’s heart.

Gratitude?

Thank what grace?!

Thank that demoness for treating their deity-like master as a casually playable furnace?

Thank that demoness for arrogantly praising them for raising "medicine" so well?!

Zhiwei’s breath halted again.

The Gourd Sword hummed, clamoring to break the gourd, slicing this steward into mince, massacring the entire Wuyang Palace!

Yet... she couldn’t.

Master was still in the Lei Pool of Wuyang Palace.

Master’s long-planned scheme was still at its most precarious moment.

Once she draws her sword, once she shows even a hint of defiance or killing intent, all the suffering and hardship master endured would become a joke, possibly even bringing true mortal peril upon him!

"Bang."

The dark-haired girl, whose bones were harder than swords, felt her knees soften, kneeling heavily on the cold stone slab.

The thud of her knee hitting the stone, not even a tenth of the humiliation in her heart.

"What should you say?" The steward looked down at her, her gaze filled with ant-like ridicule.

Zhiwei lowered her head deeply, then she heard herself say in a humble voice, word by word:

"Junior... Zhiwei. On behalf of the two junior sisters, on behalf of my... master..."

"Thank... Divine... Son... Highness... for... great... grace."

Each word slipped from her lips felt like swallowing blood mixed with shards of glass.

"Thank Divine Son Highness... for praising us... for taking good care of master."

"And thank Divine Son Highness... for not despising... enjoying... our... master."

After finishing the last sentence, Zhiwei felt as though all her strength had been drained, her slender shoulders uncontrollably trembling, blood oozed from the corners of her mouth, dripping onto the wooden box containing the Memory Stone.

"Mm, this is more like the rules. No wonder his highness praised you for being sensible."

The steward was very satisfied with Zhiwei’s extreme humiliation, forced to be humble and submissive.

Actually, the Divine Son merely commanded her to deliver the Memory Stone.

But the more she saw the girl’s stoic bearing, the more it displeased her.

Holy Sect cultivators all showed humility towards the Divine Son, why do you insist on wearing a cold expression?

The steward snorted coldly, withdrew her oppressive presence, and turned into an Escape Light disappearing into the night.

"In two days, his highness will return the person. Prepare soup and medicine ready..."

The night wind, bone-chilling cold.

Zhiwei knelt for a long time in the deserted courtyard, hands holding that wooden box filled with humiliation.

She did not raise her head, nor did she stand up.

Only drop after drop of crimson blood, mixed with scalding tears, silently landing on the wooden box.

"Master..."