Chapter 42: Cui He and His Sister

Cui He and the three simply couldn't withstand such a strong assault; they cried out, tears streaming, "We were wrong!"

"We truly know we were wrong! Please, spare us!"

"Ah—ah—ah……"

The three were scorched black all over, with ice arrows embedded in multiple places on their bodies, looking utterly miserable.

Seeing this, Yuan Yao had the formation's attack pause temporarily, then she asked sternly, "Are you truly resolved to repent this time? I don't want false sincerity; I want genuine remorse."

"'We're sure, we're sure!' they replied eagerly."

"Come, let's begin."

Gongsun Yongyuan knelt on the ground and answered first: "I was wrong; I shouldn't have peeked at the neighbor lady bathing. I'm a pervert, a lecher. I will reform from now on and absolutely not commit indecent acts! I shouldn't have abandoned my playmate out of fear and failed to inform his relatives to rescue him, and I certainly shouldn't have abandoned my playmate!".

Yuan Yao suddenly asked: "Did your childhood playmate treat you well?"

As soon as she said that, Gongsun Yongyuan froze, and scenes from his childhood memories involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The more he recalled, the more incredulous he felt.

In childhood, he and his playmate were extremely close, sharing any tasty or fun things; the once-blurred memories trickled back, making him suddenly feel a slight sense of suffocation.

Drip.

He couldn't help but shed tears.

He raised a hand to cover his chest, his expression becoming dazed.

How could he have become such a profit‑driven, greedy person? Clearly, as a child, he and his playmate had vowed to become immortals who could save lives and heal wounds…

"Wuu…" Gongsun Yongyuan suddenly burst into tears, hands covering his face: "I was wrong… I shouldn't have abandoned him…"

Nor should he have forgotten his original aspiration.

At the same time, a voice from Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness came from the 250 System: 【Target Gongsun Yongyuan, Awakening Value reached 50. Congratulations, host, you gain one day of lifespan; current lifespan is up to seven days.】

Gongsun Yongyuan sobbed uncontrollably: "Wuu… I won't be a bad person anymore! I want to be a good person!".

Yuan Yao pressed her lips together.

She asked the 250 System: "Is this… the character already awakened?"

【Target Gongsun Yongyuan has successfully reached Awakening Value 50, completing initial awakening.】

"Does Awakening Value need to reach 100 for full awakening?"

【Yes, host.】

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao pondered: "If one wants to achieve full awakening, what conditions are required?"

The 250 System began playing dead.

Yuan Yao let out a soft hum: "250, sooner or later I'll drag you out and give you a good beating."

【……】

Meanwhile, Gongsun Yongyuan's remorseful weeping left the two beside him staring in disbelief; they actually heard him say "I want to be a good person," and for a moment they thought they were hallucinating.

"First wipe away your tears and snot." Yuan Yao looked at Gongsun Yongyuan and then said: "I know you've thoroughly reflected, so I will spare your life.".

At this moment, Gongsun Yongyuan remained immersed in sorrow, unable to extricate himself.

Yuan Yao turned to Zhang Zhichu and Cui He: "Your turn—who will go first?"

Cui He narrowed his eyes: "I'll go."

He paused, then began: "At six, I shoved my sister down the slope because I envied my parents' favoritism toward her, breaking her right leg. At seven, I stole my father's spirit stone and made her take the blame. At twelve, to embark on the cultivation path, I had her persuade our parents to sell the family property so I could afford to pursue immortality."

"At twenty, after enduring great hardship I became an outer disciple of the Chongxu Sect. One day, I and a fellow sect brother had to return to our hometown for a mission; that brother, seeing my sister, developed lust and, in my absence, molested her."

"When she told me, I slapped her hard, scolding her for being immodest and actually seducing my sect brother; I then took the opportunity to humiliate her like dirt. She had been beautiful since childhood, easily winning everyone's affection, while I was born scrawny and ugly. Yes, I envied her."

As Cui He spoke, hatred flickered in his eyes.

Zhang Zhichu beside him, hearing this, showed an incredulous expression; he couldn't help but shove Cui He hard: "I never imagined you'd be so ruthless toward your own sister! She's your flesh‑and‑blood sister!"

Zhang Zhichu knew he wasn't a good person, yet he was fiercely protective of his own kin.

He cherished his own relatives deeply.

Cui He replied without changing expression: "She stole the love that was originally mine."

Zhang Zhichu grew somewhat angry, for he too had a sister.

Then Yuan Yao asked: "Do you know where you went wrong?"

"I know." Cui He replied calmly.

Yuan Yao: "Do you feel regret?"

Cui He shook his head: "No regret."

He merely reclaimed what was rightfully his.

Yuan Yao's gaze turned icy as she looked at Cui He; he was unlike Gongsun Yongyuan.

Gongsun Yongyuan's realization of his mistakes came after the fact.

Whereas Cui He is pure evil.

Yuan Yao snorted coldly: "You resent your sister for stealing your parents' love, but have you considered that she had no choice? She is loved because she deserves it, while you are unloved—is it solely because of your sister? Did she cover for you out of fear, or out of love for you?"

Cui He exclaimed emotionally: "Of course it's because she fears me!"

He seemed to recall something and laughed: "When she fears me, her whole body trembles; she dare not even look at me. Since I am stronger than her, she has no choice but to submit."

Thinking of his sister's plight, Yuan Yao's anger turned into a bitter laugh: "Exactly, you're right—your parents don't love you, your sister doesn't love you, no one in this world truly cares for you. Because you, Cui He, are simply unworthy of love."

Upon hearing those words, Cui He felt a sting in his heart.

Various past scenes surfaced in his mind.

His parents and sister did love him… but he refused to admit it!

Because then, all his wrongdoings would have excuses and justifications!

Yuan Yao stepped closer, fixing her gaze on him: "Tell me, where is your sister?"

Cui He suddenly became alert.

"What are you trying to do?!"

Yuan Yao's voice turned ice-cold: "Of course I'm helping her escape her inner demon, so she will completely forget your existence."

"Even if you kill me, I won't tell you—hahaha..." Cui He suddenly burst into manic laughter.

Yuan Yao no longer wanted to treat him as a conquest target; killing intent rose in her heart, and she sneered, provoking him: "Are you really that scared? Afraid she'll forget you? If that's the case, then nobody in the world loves you anymore?"

Cui He's expression instantly turned feral; he screamed hysterically, "Shut up! You bitch, shut up! I don't care at all!"

Yuan Yao smiled confidently: "It's fine; even if you don't tell me, I can still find her existence."

"Scum, you're not allowed to look for her!"

Cui He, now stimulated to the point of losing rationality, charged at Yuan Yao—but triggered the formation again.

In an instant, dozens of ice arrows shot toward him!

"Ah—" he couldn't dodge in time; moments later, dozens of ice arrows pierced his body, and he spat out a large amount of blood.

He fell to his knees, forcing out a bloodied hand, his eyes locked on Yuan Yao: "You… must not… look for her!"

And in the next moment, he seemed to recall something; his expression instantly turned hollow, and tears streamed from his eyes.

The memory he had deliberately buried surged forth.

The day after he humiliated his sister, she had already hanged herself.

"Can't… find…"

"Never able to find her."

Cui He laughed and wept, his Dao heart shattered, blood vomiting incessantly, his cultivation plummeting to nothing—and at that very moment, as he was about to draw his final breath,

A faint sound reached his ears.

"Brother, you're not ugly at all—I love you the most."

"As it turns out…"

"He is so insecure and cowardly."

【Target: Cui He, Awakening Value reached 50.】