Junior Disciple

Chapter Two

Yu Qingwei was momentarily stunned. He had never encountered such a brazen individual.

The instant his robe was tugged open, he reacted instinctively, releasing a burst of spiritual energy that flung the person atop him away. He hurriedly adjusted his clothing in a fluster and barked, "You... how dare you!"

Xie Wuhán grunted as he hit the ground, wiped away the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and licked his lips.

With a low chuckle, he sneered, "Why is the esteemed eldest disciple acting so prim and proper, like a little maiden?"

"You..." Yu Qingwei whirled around, glaring daggers at him.

Before Xie Wuhán could continue his mockery, he suddenly choked and spat out a mouthful of blackened blood. His face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

Yu Qingwei set aside his reservations and immediately helped the youth onto the bed. He grabbed Xie Wuhán's wrist to infuse spiritual energy and check his condition.

But Xie Wuhán violently shook his hand away, coughing harshly. "Don't... don't bother."

There was a trace of demonic energy in his body—a secret he absolutely couldn't allow to be discovered.

His eyes darkened with a ruthless glint. As he watched the other turn away and sift through the spiritual herbs he had collected earlier that day, Xie Wuhán gathered a ball of demonic energy in his palm, ready to eliminate this man.

But just as he was about to strike, he saw Yu Qingwei suddenly grab a dagger and slash his own wrist.

Blood instantly gushed out.

Xie Wuhán froze, staring as the white-clad young man gritted his teeth and forced a faint golden hue into the blood, letting it drip into a teacup before tossing in a withered spiritual herb.

"This is the Nine-Life Seedling. Using it directly would be wasteful. But if it absorbs essence blood, it will grow into the Nine-Life Flower, which is highly effective for healing wounds, even preventing scars," Yu Qingwei explained.

He turned to glance at the youth, thinking to himself, Such a good-looking face—it's better without scars.

Moments later, a pristine white spiritual flower bloomed above the teacup.

Despite having absorbed blood, it blossomed pure and white. Yu Qingwei still found it hard to fathom.

Xie Wuhán's eyes darkened as he silently observed the young man bind his own wound with a grimace.

The loss of essence blood would take three weeks to recover from, affecting even his ability to manipulate spiritual energy. Why... why would he go to such lengths?

Yu Qingwei didn't dwell on it. He had always been afraid of pain. Looking at the numerous injuries on the youth's body, he felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy. It must hurt terribly. Despite the other's earlier insults, Yu Qingwei couldn't help but soften at the thought of how young he was, banished to this remote area without even basic medicinal supplies.

Plucking a petal from the flower, Yu Qingwei ground it with spiritual energy and gently pressed it to Xie Wuhán's face.

Xie Wuhán hissed in pain but then heard the young man murmur, "Your eyes are so beautiful. It would be a shame for a scar to ruin them."

The boy's eyes were indeed mesmerizing. Gazing into those deep, bottomless phoenix eyes, Yu Qingwei felt as if he might drown in them.

Abruptly, Xie Wuhán grabbed his wrist and said stiffly, "Enough."

Snatching the Nine-Life Flower from him, Xie Wuhán immediately swallowed it whole.

Yu Qingwei blinked in surprise. "There's blood on it."

"It doesn't matter," the other replied without so much as a glance. Blood? To him, it was beneficial.

The faint bamboo fragrance lingering in the youth's essence blood caught him off guard—it was a stark contrast to the foul, metallic stench he was used to.

Xie Wuhán inhaled deeply. "Now that you've delivered the medicine, get lost. Stop pretending to care."

Yu Qingwei frowned, his irritation rising. The youth's foul mouth made it hard to stay calm. It was no wonder he was so isolated. Feeling annoyed, Yu Qingwei retorted, "No wonder they sent you here. With a personality like that, you're impossible to like. Even on the sparring stage, you're deceitful and ruthless, showing no regard for your fellow disciples."

Turning to leave, he thought to himself that his momentary act of kindness had been a waste.

But before he could take a step, something heavy slammed into his back.

Xie Wuhán, eyes blazing red, pounced on him, pressing his neck down as he growled through gritted teeth, "And what if that's true? You were born into privilege and could never understand what it's like for an ordinary cultivator to fight over even a single herb! You don't understand why I had to be so ruthless on the sparring stage? If I didn't calculate and fight to the death, I wouldn't have even passed the disciple trials!"

His voice was almost a roar.

"If I can't make it into the top hundred of the sect, I won't qualify for the high-grade spiritual medicine rewards. My sister's spiritual root is damaged—without medicine, she can't cultivate. And if she doesn't..." His voice broke as he collapsed to the ground, "...she won't survive."

Yu Qingwei froze, utterly stunned. In a panic, he scrambled to his feet and reached out, gently wiping the tears streaming down the boy's face. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."

Xie Wuhán let out a cold laugh, a glint of calculation flashing in his eyes. "Spare me, Eldest Senior Brother. There's no need for this pretense of sympathy."

With a sharp motion, he slapped Yu Qingwei's hand away. "I still need to keep training and prepare for the competition in three days. If you've got nothing else to do, I'd appreciate it if you stopped bothering me. After all, someone like me is naturally repulsive. Wouldn't want to taint your eyes."

His voice was filled with venom.

Yu Qingwei faltered, his movements halting in surprise.