Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 193 | A Desperate Cry | Novela.app

“Ruo’er!” “Stay back,” Chu Ruo pushed her away heartlessly. “I don’t need your help.” Ignoring the blood staining the corner of her mouth, she demanded, “How could Xue’er just disappear?!” “We don’t know. When we delivered dinner, the Young Palace Mistress was still in her room. But when we went back with hot water just now, she was gone. We’ve searched everywhere nearby, but she’s nowhere to be found.” “Go... go call the others.” Duan Ning arrived just then. “I could hear the commotion from over there. Don’t panic yet; maybe she just went out for a walk.” “She is practicing Heartbreak Intoxication! She spends this time every day cultivating. Why would she leave for no reason? What about the others? Is anyone else missing?” “Yunshuang... she’s gone too...” “Nan Yunshuang!” Chu Ruo gritted her teeth. “It must be her. Find them, now!” In that moment, the others seemed to see a shadow of the old Nan Muxue in Chu Ruo. That imposing aura, that crushing pressure, and the raw desperation in her eyes—it was exactly how Nan Muxue had looked whenever Chu Ruo went missing. Truly, one takes on the color of the company they keep. “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll notify the others and we’ll start the search immediately.” “Tell Phoenix and Shen Ruoxuan as well. The more people we have, the faster we’ll find them.” “I know. And you?” “Don’t mind me. You go first. I’ll head out to search on my own in a moment.” “But you—” “No more talk. Go!” Duan Ning glanced at the people remaining in the room before leading Xiao Guo’er and A-Yue away. Chu Ruo turned back to Bai Zhier. “Is this another scheme between you and Nan Yunshuang?” “No.” “Fine. Then come with me to find Xue’er.” Bai Zhier sounded uncertain. “After everything, you still trust me?” “Since you want Xue’er to deal with Nan Menghua, you won’t move against her yet—at least, you won’t. You simply couldn’t bring yourself to strike her, so you used Heartbreak Intoxication to take your revenge. As for Nan Yunshuang, she is the one I can’t see through. Regardless, I will not let anything happen to Xue’er.” “Ruo’er...” “I don’t have time to settle the score regarding Heartbreak Intoxication right now. Come with me. If anything happens to Xue’er, your medical skills will be needed.” “Nan Muxue is missing; why should my sister have to go?” Bai Shan interjected. Chu Ruo’s voice was icy. “Because if she doesn’t, I will kill you.” “You—you wouldn’t dare!” Chu Ruo stood with her hands behind her back, radiating a bone-chilling coldness. “Do you want to bet on whether your sister is willing to take that chance?” “Chu Ruo... you really have learned everything from that master of yours.” “I don’t have time for nonsense,” Chu Ruo said to Bai Zhier, giving her no room to refuse. “Move.” *** Under the cover of night, the two of them shared a single horse. “Ruo’er...” “We’re close to the treasure’s location. Head north. Didn’t your adoptive father say the treasure is likely in the north?” “My adoptive father spent years painstakingly searching for it. If he named that location, it shouldn’t be wrong.” Receiving no reply, Bai Zhier couldn’t help but turn her head to look at the person pressed close behind her. “Do you... do you hate me?” “Now is not the time for this.” A bitter smile spread across Bai Zhier’s face. “You must hate me to the core. Nan Yunshuang said that once Nan Muxue severed her emotions, she would leave you, and then I could be by your side. But I’ve always known that even if she practiced Heartbreak Intoxication, you would never love me. You would only loathe me... perhaps even hate me.” Chu Ruo let out a faint, almost imperceptible sigh. “She is your sister. Both of you are so clever. I only asked if you hated Xue’er because she killed your father, and you already guessed her identity, didn’t you?” “Yes. From the conversation with my adoptive father that day, I knew he was hiding something. I already had my suspicions. When you suddenly came to ask me, seeing your reaction confirmed it. I guessed our relationship then.” “Xue’er is even more brilliant. I didn’t even have to say anything before she figured it out.” Chu Ruo sighed again. “Zhier, she killed her own father with her own hands. She did it without knowing the truth. The root of all this evil is Nan Menghua. How twisted must she be to make Xue’er kill her biological father? Do you know? That day was Xue’er’s birthday, yet she sent her to kill. She was seven. Only seven years old. And that man was your father, Bai Ji. Do you think Xue’er feels good about it? She was so small then; she didn’t even know who he was. How could you have the heart to join Nan Yunshuang in doing this to her?” Bai Ji had altered his appearance and vanished from the martial world, so the Little Scorpion had believed she had merely killed an ordinary man all those years ago. She never knew that the man she killed was her own father. This was why the Bai sisters had been so relentless in their pursuit of the mother and daughter. But who could have imagined the truth would be this bloody and cruel? “Ruo’er, I...” Bai Zhier stared into the distance. “I never knew how to face her. She and Nan Menghua killed our father. But I never imagined she would be my sister. I couldn’t let go of the hatred. Everyone has their demons, and my father’s death was the demon I could never exorcise.” “So you listened to Nan Yunshuang. You took your revenge by making her learn Heartbreak Intoxication, making her fight Nan Menghua, making mother and daughter slaughter each other. You wanted her to kill Nan Menghua with her own hands, just like back then? You wanted her to kill both her parents. Doing this is more cruel than killing her; it destroys her soul. You are a healer; you show such compassion to everyone else, yet you are so heartless only to her?” Bai Zhier closed her eyes. Every word stabbed into her heart. She was a physician, kind to all, but hatred had long since clouded her heart. “I don’t know. I’ve never been this confused. That day... it was as if I were possessed.” “No, you weren’t. There was one more reason.” Chu Ruo had never been a fool. “It was because of me.” “Ruo’er...” “I am Xue’er’s calamity. She has suffered so many injuries because of me. Everything started with me.” *** Elsewhere, Nan Muxue was indeed with Nan Yunshuang. Nan Yunshuang spoke first. “Coming out so late... what is it?” Nan Muxue’s face was expressionless. “Practicing Heartbreak Intoxication—that was your idea.” “It was.” “You certainly admit it freely.” “If I dare to do it, I dare to own it. Besides, didn’t you call me out here to kill me?” Neither of them was prone to wasting words. In terms of both schemes and intellect, they were evenly matched. Nan Muxue did not deny it. “When you wrote out the Heartbreak Intoxication manual for me, shouldn’t you have expected this?” “I have never feared death. I only want those I hate to suffer in agony.” “And what about Yan’er?” Nan Yunshuang countered with her own question, “And what about Chu Ruo?” Nan Muxue’s face was as cold as frost. “She has nothing to do with me.” “Severing all love... your talent truly is the strongest.” “We have been companions for twenty years. I understand your hatred.” Nan Yunshuang replied, “Actually, I don’t hate you. Whether you believe it or not, the few of you are my only friends. What happened between my mother and Senior Yun Ji was Nan Menghua’s fault. The only wrong is that you two are mother and daughter.” “So you allied with Bai Zhier.” “Yes. I told you long ago, Chu Ruo would only be a stumbling block. You could only become strong once she was gone from your heart.” “I have practiced Heartbreak Intoxication and severed my emotions. How can you be so sure I won’t kill everyone?” “Because you can’t do it. You used gold needles to suppress it before, and though you’ve made progress now, you are showing signs of qi deviation. Whether for Chu Ruo’s sake or the others, you know I might be a threat in the future. Before you completely lose your emotions or succumb to madness, you must eliminate me, the latent danger. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have called me out tonight.” Nan Muxue’s weapon glinted with a cold light. “No wonder Mother valued you so highly back at the Hundred Flowers Palace.” “A pity. I cannot grant your wish today. I will not die until Nan Menghua is dead.” The Blood Sword unsheathed. “It seems a fierce battle between us is unavoidable tonight.” The battle was earth-shaking. Every move was lethal as they traded blows, neither able to gain the upper hand for a long time. By rights, Nan Muxue’s martial arts were superior, especially now that she practiced Heartbreak Intoxication. Although Nan Yunshuang had also practiced it, she only had the foundation and was missing an arm. She should have been at a disadvantage, but her internal hatred fueled her. Furthermore, she discovered one thing: Nan Muxue seemed to have an internal injury. Wielding the Blood Sword with composure, Nan Yunshuang spoke. “You forcibly suppressed your feelings before, and now you’ve suffered qi deviation. That’s why you were so desperate to eliminate me. Your movements are in total disarray; you cannot defeat me.” “Tonight, only one of us leaves alive.” They spoke no more, locked in a desperate struggle. Both possessed extraordinary hearing and could sense movement from afar. They knew people would arrive soon; they had to settle this quickly. Gathering internal energy into their palms, they struck simultaneously. *Thwack!* It was Nan Muxue. She collapsed to the ground, coughing up a large amount of dark blood. Nan Yunshuang raised the Blood Sword. “You couldn’t restrain your love before. Even if you’ve severed it now, it’s too late. You’ve been hit by the backlash of Heartbreak Intoxication. The further you progress in this technique, the more severe the backlash becomes.” “You have a weakness too,” Nan Muxue gasped, clutching her chest. “Yan’er.” Sure enough, Nan Yunshuang’s expression shifted. “You...” “I will kill Yan’er...” The Blood Sword flashed as it lunged downward. Nan Muxue dodged, but the attacks were relentless. Under the moonlight, she looked battered and spent. Finally, she was backed into a corner, with nowhere left to run... Nan Muxue was completely out of options. Looking at the murderous intent in Nan Yunshuang’s eyes, she cried out a phrase for the first time in her life: “Ruo’er, save me!” Those four words were a devastating blow to Chu Ruo, who had just arrived. When had her Little Scorpion, her Xue’er, ever said such words to her? When had she ever pleaded for help? She had always been the one standing in front, protecting Chu Ruo. “Xue’er!” Following the sound, Chu Ruo leaped from the horse. She threw the Ice Wraith—*Clang!*—and it flew back into her hand. She channeled her qinggong to fly toward them, but she was too late... *Squelch!* It was the sound of a sword piercing flesh and being pulled out. By the time Chu Ruo reached her side, she was powerless to stop it. “Xue’er!” Chu Ruo went frantic. She fell to her knees, her internal energy exploding outward in every direction. “AHHHHHHHHH!!!” Nan Yunshuang was actually sent flying backward by the shockwave. Her internal organs felt as if they were being turned upside down. She spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to move. “Xue’er... Xue’er...” Chu Ruo called out weakly. She moved forward and gathered the dying woman into her arms. “Xue’er, I’ll have Zhier look at you. Don’t be afraid, you’ll be fine...” “I...” Nan Muxue reached up to touch Chu Ruo’s face. The scent of blood was overwhelming, and Chu Ruo’s face was covered in tears. “I want you... to look at me... one more time...” “AHHHHHHHHH!!!” Chu Ruo went mad—and then, she collapsed into darkness. ***