You Betrayed the Sect, So Why Regret It Now? - Chapter 9:
Chapter 9: Zhao Xueyi’s Reluctance to Let Go
Yin Xiumei felt her scalp tingle and muttered softly, “What do you mean? He was in the wrong. He stole Junior Brother’s treasure, and… and even poisoned the sect’s spirit beast.”
“Why would he do that?” Zhao Xueyi asked calmly.
Yin Xiumei argued, “Who knows? Maybe he lost his cultivation and went crazy—you know how that can happen.”
Zhao Xueyi fell into uncertainty. Who should she believe?
Li Chen?
Or Yin Xiumei?
All the Junior Sisters had said it was Li Chen. One person might lie, but could all of them be falsely accusing him?
Zhao Xueyi decided—this had to be clarified.
The misunderstanding must be cleared up. Only then would Li Chen have a chance to return.
Seeing Zhao Xueyi’s hesitation, Yin Xiumei continued, “We weren’t slandering him, Senior Sister. No offense, but since he left, let him be gone. Why bring him back?”
“We’re doing just fine now, aren’t we? His cultivation’s crippled—he’s just an ordinary person now.”
“It’s better if he dies out there.”
Yin Xiumei pouted, resentment filling her voice. She really didn’t want Li Chen to return. Thinking of how he used to ‘mistreat’ her made her feel sick.
Zhao Xueyi took a deep breath. “You all seem to hold a lot of resentment toward him. Not just you—even Third and Fourth Junior Sisters are the same.”
“No matter how many mistakes he may have made, he’s still our Senior Brother.”
“If you’re afraid to go, it proves you’re guilty.”
“So, are you going or not?”
Yin Xiumei froze on the spot, hesitant and uneasy.
She truly didn’t want to go, but under Zhao Xueyi’s stern pressure, she didn’t dare speak up in refusal.
Seeing her struggle, Zhao Xueyi continued, “Have you forgotten? When you joined the sect, you were only six. It was Senior Brother who taught you how to cultivate, how to build your foundation.”
“You were born frail and came here on the verge of death. It was Senior Brother who decocted medicine and refined pills for you daily, helping you slowly recover.”
“When you grew up, didn’t you beg him to teach you alchemy? And did he ever refuse you?”
“Did he ever not take care of you?”
“When you were twelve, you were bitten by a beast. If Senior Brother hadn’t saved you, would you still be alive?”
Yin Xiumei muttered defensively, “He’s the Senior Brother—wasn’t it his duty to teach us? Besides, Master ordered him to. If he didn’t teach us properly, he’d be punished.”
“If we succeeded, it was for his own good.”
“And that year I was twelve, wasn’t it him who took me out? If he hadn’t taken me, how would I have been bitten by a beast? That’s his fault too.”
Zhao Xueyi was utterly stunned. She didn’t expect Yin Xiumei to say such things. Rage welled up in her heart. Were those even words a human could say?
Her face burned with fury. “Do you even hear yourself?”
‘He should have?’
“What gives you the right to say that?”
“Was it his duty to do those things?”
“What if he hadn’t taught you?”
“What if he hadn’t saved you?”
“That year, you insisted on following him. He didn’t plan to take you, but you clung to him until he gave in. And then when you got bitten, now you blame him?”
“Yin Xiumei, do you even have a conscience? He cared for you, taught you alchemy, and saved your life. And now you’re saying he should have?”
“He always treated you like a real little sister, and you treated him like a wet nurse?!”
Zhao Xueyi’s voice grew louder and sharper, trying to awaken her.
Yin Xiumei lowered her head, unable to meet Zhao Xueyi’s eyes.
She mumbled, “Well… it was his job.”
Zhao Xueyi nearly lost her breath.
Is this even human?
No—this is a beast!
She couldn’t understand how Yin Xiumei could be so ungrateful. Did she forget that Li Chen was punished by the Sect Master for being bitten by the beast while trying to save her?
Li Chen never complained once.
But Yin Xiumei still held a grudge because he “failed to protect her.”
Did she forget she was the one who begged to go?
“He cared for you, saved you, and you say he was supposed to? You’re worse than a beast—less than a pig or a dog,” Zhao Xueyi spat with fury, then sighed.
“No wonder Senior Brother chose to leave.”
Yin Xiumei kept her head down, not daring to meet her eyes.
Wasn’t it his duty?
He only took care of them because Master ordered it. Without Master’s command, would he have done it?
Zhao Xueyi said, “Come with me. We’ll meet Senior Brother and ask for his forgiveness. Now that he can cultivate again, and has a generous heart, he will surely forgive you.”
Yin Xiumei looked shocked. “Senior Sister, what did you say?”
“Senior Brother has succeeded in Foundation Establishment. He can cultivate again. He once formed a Golden Core in three years. Now that he’s cultivating again, he could reach Golden Core Realm in just three months.”
Yin Xiumei’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Three months?”
“Obviously. Don’t forget—he was once at the Peak of the Great Ascension Realm. Now that he can cultivate again, if he has enough resources, he can form a Golden Core in three months.”
“In two years, he’ll reach Nascent Soul. In five, Soul Formation.”
“In a hundred years, he’ll be back at the Great Ascension Realm.”
“He has Heaven-tier Five-Element Spiritual Roots. His cultivation speed is unmatched.”
“If you still have a shred of conscience, come with me and clear up the misunderstanding. He’s generous—he will forgive you.”
Yin Xiumei was dumbfounded.
Two days to Foundation Establishment, three months to Golden Core, two years to Nascent Soul, a hundred years to Great Ascension?
That…
That’s impossible!
No one could cultivate that fast.
But she forgot—Li Chen had already spent a hundred years reaching the Peak of the Great Ascension Realm once. Now, restarting cultivation was like walking a familiar path.
Yin Xiumei’s mind paused.
Wait a minute!
If I apologize and gain his forgiveness, he might treat us like before—providing resources, artifacts, pills. With him supporting us, everything will go smoothly.
Yes, perfect.
A sly smile appeared in her heart.
Senior Brother used to treat us so well. We shared deep bonds. He couldn’t possibly abandon Junior Sister.
We must earn his forgiveness.
Yin Xiumei made up her mind. “Senior Sister, I’ll go with you. I’ll apologize and beg for Senior Brother’s forgiveness.”
Zhao Xueyi nodded. “Now that’s the right attitude. Think about how Senior Brother treated us—he gave us all the cultivation resources we needed so we could grow without worry.”
“Do you remember that?”
“I do.”
“Good. Let’s go. I’ll take you to the Myriad Demons Sect. When the others return, we’ll bring them too. We’ll make things right with Senior Brother. You were all wrong.”
“I understand, Senior Sister,” Yin Xiumei replied with a smile in her heart.
She would stick close to Senior Brother again. Whatever they asked, Li Chen had always met their needs. Now that he could cultivate again, she had to follow him.
He was still the same doting Senior Brother.
But she had forgotten—how she once humiliated Li Chen.
How she falsely accused him.
How she had beaten him and broken his finger…
All because he supposedly poisoned her spirit beast.
But was it really a spirit beast?
No.
It was a man-eating demon beast.
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