He tricked his amnesiac partner into becoming crippled.

Chapter 85 My 23 Things About My Grandmaster (Part 8)

Mo Zhu remained silent, slowly sinking to the bottom of the water, revealing a pair of eyes with closed eyelids. His black hair was scattered on the water's surface, as if a chill was rising from it. He looked like a celestial being who had fallen to earth, unusually cold.

He secretly suppressed the metallic taste in his mouth, his breath growing heavier and heavier.

Tsk, that old monster is so stingy. It's just a sword; is it really worth risking his life to deliver the final blow? He even caused the poison to take effect prematurely.

Mo Zhu stood up, the water he created splashing as it lapped against his body before disappearing into the silent, cold spring.

"Wen Xiaoyan, I will be in seclusion for a while. You should practice your swordsmanship diligently."

The sound came and went, and in a moment Mo Zhu disappeared from the spot, leaving only a ripple in the cascading water curtain.

The flames under her hands hadn't gone out yet, and the warm heat drew out the chill from her body, making her feel much more relaxed.

The flame seemed to understand human nature; it nuzzled against her hand affectionately, then obediently climbed onto her shoulder and remained there motionless.

Wen Yan drew his sword and flew on it, the crimson dark patterns brightening for a moment before quickly returning to normal.

A white figure swept past the full moon, moving swiftly forward. Wen Yan was so immersed in the immense joy of regaining control of the sword that she couldn't extricate herself, as if she had perfectly merged with the Phoenix Sword.

Immortal Sword Sect.

Bai Lingling slowly awoke in the green light of the healing treatment. She immediately saw her master standing guard beside her, and a blush rose on the young girl's face.

Has my master been watching over me all along?

Bai Lingling's voice was filled with joy: "Master."

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Yilin, who was meditating, instantly opened his eyes and flew to Bai Lingling's side, his eyes filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

The next second, he turned around, coughed, and resumed his gentle, otherworldly demeanor: "I'm relieved that Lingling is awake. Please don't be so reckless next time..."

"Oh dear, Master!" Bai Lingling said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Lingling knows she was wrong, Master, please don't scold her~"

Bai Lingling gently tugged at Xiao Yilin's clothes and swayed them.

Xiao Yilin looked at her with affection, but couldn't bear to pull back the hem of her clothes that she was holding in her hand.

Although this is unreasonable, never mind, Lingling is still young, we must not ruin this innocence, otherwise she will become estranged from us.

Bai Lingling was completely healed and returned to her lively and energetic self. The winged beast that had injured her to death had long been killed by her senior brothers. Their smooth and beautiful feathers were used to make her a new dress, which Bai Lingling loved very much.

"Senior Brother, do I look good in this outfit?" Bai Lingling spun around on the spot.

"She looks good, Lingling looks good in anything." Ling Yifeng patted Bai Lingling's head and said with a smile.

"That's right!" Bai Lingling proudly raised her head, then asked, "Senior Brother, how did Master save me?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Yifeng's eyes flashed with a sharpness for a moment, but returned to normal in just a second.

"Why is Lingling asking this?"

"I'm a little curious, I remember I was quite badly injured back then."

Ling Yifeng hesitated for a long time before finally telling her the explanation they had already agreed upon.

"What! Senior Sister...she's dead?"

Bai Lingling's voice trembled, her face full of disbelief. Although she didn't like her senior sister, they were fellow disciples, and she wouldn't secretly rejoice over this slight dislike.

"Was it Senior Sister's Water Moon Sword that saved my life?"

Her eyes darted away. Proud as she was, she was willing to be saved by any of her senior brothers, but not by her senior sister, which made her feel inexplicably inferior to her.

Feeling uneasy, the joy of receiving the beautiful clothes couldn't wash away this strange feeling.

This pitiful appearance made Ling Yifeng feel guilty and uneasy. He couldn't forgive himself for using Wen Yan's Water Moon Sword, and his heart ached terribly.

"Lingling, please don't blame yourself. It was all Xiaoyan's own choice. When she learned that you were seriously injured and on the verge of death, she took up her sword to save you without hesitation. Unfortunately, she passed away because of her injuries. If you are burdened and depressed, Xiaoyan will also find it hard to be happy in the afterlife."

Bai Lingling felt even worse after hearing those words. She awkwardly replied, "Yes, Lingling understands. Thank you, Senior Brother."

Ling Yifeng patted her lowered head reassuringly and gently rubbed it: "It's good that Lingling has come to her senses."

Just then, the other junior brothers came over, and with their chatter, Bai Ling shook off her previous gloom and started laughing again.

"Oh, senior brothers, please stop teasing me."

The sounds of playful fighting came from the middle, where Bai Lingling stood surrounded by her senior brothers. Her discomfort completely dissipated as she listened to their coaxing words.

Presumably, the senior sister likes me as much as the senior brothers, so using her sword isn't a big deal.

There's still plenty of time; this little grudge will eventually be dissolved into the long memories and disappear.

After figuring these things out, Bai Lingling felt as if a boulder had been pressing down on her heart, and a hidden possessiveness was quietly filling her up.

From now on... she will be the only female disciple in the sect.

Bai Lingling's joy hadn't even had time to show on her face before she quickly suppressed it, in the blink of an eye.

Bai Lingling's talent was average, even low, in the Immortal Sword Sect, but she had a kind of magic that made everyone like her.

Even the usually calm and composed senior brother Ling Yifeng took good care of her, accompanying her to practice swordsmanship every day at dawn.

That day, Bai Lingling got up early and headed to Ling Yifeng's place feeling refreshed. Along the way, she pondered what kind of magical artifact she could ask him for as a reward for her diligence that day.

The eldest sister's Shuijian Peak is surrounded by spiritual energy and boasts beautiful scenery. Why not have the eldest brother ask Master to grant her this peak to live on?

After making up her mind, Bai Lingling flew even faster.

"Senior Brother!" The voice rang out, but the person did not appear. This was Bai Lingling's usual style. However, today there was no one in front of the house, and the eldest senior brother who always waited in the courtyard was nowhere to be seen.

That's strange, where did everyone go?

"Senior brother, please lead people to save senior sister... If you hadn't forced senior sister away to save Bai Lingling, how could she have insisted on activating the formation and ended up with her life hanging in the balance?"

"Enough!" Ling Yifeng roared from inside. "For her one act of willfulness, are we going to send everyone in the Immortal Sword Sect to their deaths?"

"No, in a few days, when the full moon shines, the magic power of the formation will weaken as it is washed by the moonlight. At that time, we can work together to activate the formation and rescue our senior sister."

"Sigh, do you think I haven't thought about it?" Ling Yifeng's tone was weary. He glanced at his junior brother, whose eyes were red with anxiety as he desperately tried to grasp the last glimmer of hope, and then cruelly refused.

"I cannot risk the clan."

"Is it that we can't risk the sect, or that we can't risk Bai Lingling!" Ling Liufeng screamed hysterically.

He came from a humble background, and only his senior sister was willing to befriend him and never bullied him.

The senior sister appears aloof and unapproachable, but she actually accepts the little trinkets he gives her and carefully prepares return gifts.

She was the only one who didn't mind his gift.

Ling Liufeng felt as if his heart was being torn apart; it was the kind of pain that comes from watching your loved one suffer while you are powerless to help, and wishing you could take her suffering in your place.

If he hadn't been in seclusion during the time he forced his senior sister to her death, he would have risked his life to send her away from this sect that revolved around Bai Lingling.

Senior sister, what should I do?

Ling Liufeng clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere.

It's a catharsis, a self-blame, and even more so, a deep hatred.

Bai Lingling stood frozen in place, like a stone statue, until the wooden door was pushed open. She then collapsed to the ground, muttering to herself.

"That's not how it is, that's not how it is..."

This life-saving grace is too heavy a debt to repay, and I don't want to acknowledge it.