After a moment of hesitation, the junior disciple muttered, “I’ll go now.” His words were as faint as a passing shadow, but the moment he said them, his presence seemed to vanish entirely. Even I felt a sudden chill from his departure, as though he had taken the warmth of the room with him.
My heart pounded as I looked at Qing Chen. Though he seemed calm, there was a cold fire in his gaze, a quiet strength that could break mountains if provoked. For a moment, I thought of my own plans—the desperate desire to get even a single drop of his blood. But seeing him now, so untouchable, I felt my courage falter.
“I… I want to leave!” I stammered.
The junior disciple snorted. “You’re hopeless,” he muttered, grabbing me by the back of my robe and dragging me out before I could cause more trouble. “Stop messing around,” he added. “You’ll just embarrass yourself.”
I bit my lip, unsure whether to feel anger or relief as I was pulled away. But one thing was certain—I couldn’t afford to act impulsively around Qing Chen again.
The junior disciple and I moved forward with all our strength, though the gap between Qing Chen, the second senior brother, and us felt as vast as ever. By the time we arrived at the scene near the Jade Pearl Sect’s disciples, the battle was already over.
I saw a barren field before me, the sky overcast with dark clouds. The atmosphere was suffocating, as though it carried the weight of the confrontation that had just concluded. Searching for a while, I spotted a faint glow of spiritual energy in the distance and hurried toward it.
“This way!” I shouted to the junior disciple. He reluctantly followed, grumbling under his breath, “I see it! Don’t yell, don’t yell!”
When we arrived, we saw Qing Chen standing at the forefront, his figure calm and composed as always. The second senior brother stood at his side, his sword raised but unused. Their robes fluttered in the wind, glowing faintly from the residual energy of their spiritual auras. Around them, a group of disciples from the Jade Pearl Sect stood on guard, their weapons drawn but no longer threatening.
The tension in the air was palpable, as though the slightest misstep would reignite the conflict.
I held my breath as I watched the scene, my gaze shifting from Qing Chen’s serene expression to the unease in the faces of the opposing disciples. Despite their hostility, no one dared to act rashly in his presence. There was something about Qing Chen’s composure that could quiet even the most volatile situation.
I glanced at the junior disciple beside me, who seemed equally on edge. Finally, I turned toward the second senior brother and spoke hesitantly: “Why did you bring her here?” he demanded, his voice sharp with concern.
The second senior brother’s eyes darted to me, his expression conflicted. Before he could respond, I blurted out in desperation, “I had to come! I want to help… I want to contribute!”
I saw the faintest flicker of frustration cross his face, but before he could scold me, the junior disciple intervened. “She doesn’t understand,” he said. “What else do you expect?”
I fell silent, unsure whether I had made things better or worse. The second senior brother sighed, his tone softening slightly as he added, “Stay out of the way and don’t cause trouble.”
Though he seemed more annoyed than angry, I couldn’t help but feel as though my presence was unwelcome. At least Qing Chen didn’t seem to mind—he merely glanced in my direction before turning his attention back to the situation at hand.
The four of them—Qing Chen, the second senior brother, the junior disciple, and myself—stood together in an uneasy silence. Despite the Jade Pearl Sect’s lingering hostility, no one dared to take another step forward.
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