The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 41: Falling

　　The breathtakingly beautiful girl wore a long, snow white dress. Her figure was almost ethereal, yet the pristine fabric was stained with splashes of blood, adding a chilling hint of danger to her presence.

　　She plunged straight into the Annihilation Array that struck fear into everyone’s hearts, resolute and without the slightest hesitation.

　　“Si Yao!”

　　From afar, Shen Rong, who was still fighting against the foreign races, caught sight of Si Yao’s retreating figure. She cried out in despair, screaming her name. Her voice was laced with anguish, and it snapped the others out of their stunned silence as well.

　　Mu Yuanbai swiftly cut down two demon race cultivators at the same level as himself. Hot blood splattered across his face, but he did not care. When he looked up and saw Si Yao charging toward the Annihilation Array without looking back, pain flashed unmistakably in his eyes.

　　Why would she do this?

　　Was it for Jiang Shuo?

　　Everyone else was utterly shaken. Even the beast and demon races felt that Si Yao was throwing herself straight into death.

　　Si Yao, however, knew nothing of what was happening outside. Her mind was focused on only one thing, returning the half of Jiang Shuo’s divine consciousness back to him. Only then could he, like in the original plot, defeat the Demon Lord and the Beast King and survive the Annihilation Array.

　　Yet the moment she entered the array, she was trapped by an overwhelming sea of crimson. It felt like a boundless otherworldly space, with nothing in sight but endless blood red mist.

　　Panicking, Si Yao looked around, but there was no sign of Jiang Shuo anywhere.

　　She did not dare call out. The Beast King and the Demon Lord had fallen into the Annihilation Array as well. She had no idea what strange dangers lay within. If she happened to run into either of them, she would not even be able to save her own life, let alone return the divine consciousness to Jiang Shuo.

　　Taking a deep breath, Si Yao forced herself to calm down and asked the system, “Is there any way for me to find Jiang Shuo?”

　　【……】

　　Si Yao clenched her teeth and stomped her foot. This useless system always chose the worst possible moments to drop the ball.

　　Left with no other choice, she asked again, “Is there any way to help me find Jiang Shuo?”    

　　【……】　　

　　There was still no response.

　　Si Yao had no choice but to accept that the system had gone offline. Of course it had. Right when she needed it most. Left with no other option, she started searching for another way on her own.

　　Her thoughts spun wildly, one after another. She nearly bit through her lip from how hard she was thinking, yet still came up empty. Just then, a voice drifted over from nearby, sending chills straight down her spine.

　　“I have a way.”

　　Si Yao lifted her gaze toward the source of the voice, only to see the one person she least wanted to encounter.

　　The Demon Lord stood there in his black robes, arrogant and unrestrained. His crimson eyes shimmered with demonic light, enough to make anyone’s heart tremble. He curled his lips slightly and said coldly, “You can go look for him in hell.”

　　Of course. Just her luck.

　　To complete her mission, Si Yao had studied the original plot inside and out. No one knew better than her how terrifying the man before her was. And yet, in this moment, she felt no fear at all. Instead, she met his gaze calmly and said, “The one going to hell will be you, not Jiang Shuo.”

　　“Is that so?”

　　“It’s just a pity you won’t live to see me go.”

　　The Demon Lord had always reigned supreme. When had anyone ever dared provoke him like this? Fury instantly flooded his scarlet eyes. He slowly raised his long hand, fingers curling into a claw. Blood-red demonic energy gathered in his palm, ready to make Si Yao pay for her words.

　　A sense of despair crept into Si Yao’s heart. The gap between them was far too great. There was no chance to fight back. Even running would be pointless.

　　In the instant the demonic energy came crashing toward her, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

　　What would happen to Jiang Shuo after she died?

　　With half his divine consciousness gone, could he still break out of the Annihilation Array?

　　The Demon Lord’s attack easily shattered the barrier Si Yao had formed with all her spiritual power. As her consciousness slipped away, she seemed to hear a familiar voice by her ear.

　　“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

　　Jiang Shuo had been moving through the array, searching for a way to break it, when the sight before him made his eyes split with rage.

　　Without a second thought, he rushed forward at full speed, reached Si Yao in an instant, and pulled her tightly into his arms, shielding her completely. 

　　Everything happened in a blink. In that split second, Jiang Shuo had only one thought in his mind, protect Si Yao. He did not have time to block the Demon Lord’s attack at all. The violent, crushing force slammed straight into his body, forcing a mouthful of blood out of him.

　　Ever since he had clawed his way up from the broken cliff ten years ago, he had never been this battered. Yet ten years later, he found himself in such a state again, all because of the same person.

　　Jiang Shuo was injured and coughing blood, but the person in his arms was shielded perfectly. Aside from being knocked unconscious, she was unharmed.

　　Holding Si Yao tightly, Jiang Shuo did not spare a second to tend to his own injuries. He immediately fled with her toward the distance.

　　The Annihilation Array was one of the most supreme arrays in the world. The alternate world it generated was vast and boundless. As long as Jiang Shuo was fast enough, the Demon Lord could do nothing to him.

　　Facing the Demon Lord alone, Jiang Shuo would not have been afraid. But now that Si Yao was here, he could not allow her to remain in danger.

　　The Demon Lord watched the two figures retreat without any intention of giving chase. Instead, a cold curve lifted at the corner of his lips. The Annihilation Array was the demon race’s greatest killing weapon. It was far more than a tool that simply refined people into blood.

　　He would wait and watch as Jiang Shuo turned from their enemy into their “friend.”

　　Jiang Shuo carried Si Yao as he fled for a long distance, only slowing down once he could no longer sense the Demon Lord’s presence.

　　He held her tightly. The image of Si Yao nearly losing her life under the Demon Lord’s attack replayed in his mind, sending chills through his entire body. He could not help but blame her for putting herself in such danger, scaring him half to death.

　　He should never have listened to her. If he had sent her far away earlier, she would not have been dragged into the Annihilation Array at all.

　　Regret flooded Jiang Shuo’s heart. Si Yao, however, knew nothing of what he was thinking. Though she was unconscious, her heart was still fixed on him.

　　“Jiang Shuo… Jiang Shuo…”

　　“Jiang Shuo… your divine consciousness…”

　　“Without that half of it, you’ll die…”

　　She murmured hazily in his arms. The sound instantly softened Jiang Shuo’s heart. He had thought she was accidentally pulled into the Annihilation Array, never expecting that she had come here just to return that half of his divine consciousness.

　　With her level of cultivation, she had dared to charge into this array. Was she throwing her life away?

　　The thought made Jiang Shuo tighten his hold on her.

　　The lingering fear of nearly losing Si Yao fermented in his chest, cold sweat beading at his temples.

　　After traveling for a long while, Jiang Shuo finally stopped. He was anxious to check on her condition.

　　Carefully, he lowered Si Yao down and let her lean against his shoulder. Seeing that she was unharmed finally allowed him to breathe a little easier.

　　After settling her to the side, Jiang Shuo racked his brain for a way to break the array. Si Yao’s cultivation was far too low. If not for the protection of half his divine consciousness, she would have already been reduced to a pool of blood.

　　Jiang Shuo sat down on the ground. Just then, Si Yao, who had been lying nearby, slowly woke up. She blinked groggily and stared at Jiang Shuo sitting there, looking visibly surprised.

　　After a moment, she stood up and pulled him to his feet, frowning as she said, “Why are you still cultivating here? Didn’t I tell you already? From now on, you’re coming with me to cultivate in the inner sect.”　　

　　Jiang Shuo did not react right away to Si Yao’s completely out-of-nowhere remark. He was dragged up by her without resistance, and only after standing did he realize something was wrong. The height difference between them was gone. He was now exactly as tall as her.

　　He looked around in shock, only to find that the endless sea of blood-red space, like something out of a nightmare, had vanished without a trace.

　　He was standing inside Si Yao’s residence within the Xuanming Sect.

　　This was inside the sect?

　　For a moment, Jiang Shuo was too stunned to speak.

　　Seeing him freeze, Si Yao reached out and pinched his cheek, scrunching her nose as she asked, “What’s wrong?”

　　Only then did Jiang Shuo notice that something was off about her as well. The white robe stained with blood from earlier was gone, replaced by the inner sect disciple uniform of Xuanming Sect.

　　His memories began to blur, slipping through his fingers. He could no longer clearly recall where he had been or what had just happened.

　　Everything around him felt familiar, warm, just like in his memories. Even Senior Sister looked the same.

　　So where exactly was the problem?

　　Jiang Shuo tried to circulate the spiritual energy in his dantian, only to discover that his cultivation had dropped to the Qi Refining realm.

　　Confusion surged through him. He slowly scanned his surroundings, trying to find the source of this strangeness.

　　Si Yao, however, found his behavior baffling. She hurried over and grabbed his arm to stop him from pacing around. Her fair, smooth hand landed on his head, as if checking whether he had gone stupid.

　　Jiang Shuo met her gaze. Her big eyes blinked innocently, showing no sign of anything being wrong. She awkwardly withdrew her hand, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She stomped her foot angrily and said, “It must be Lu Haoyan and his group bullying you again! Just wait, I’ll go help you get justice!”

　　Her tone was filled with absolute certainty. She did not even bother asking Jiang Shuo whether that was really what happened. Instead, she stormed out, clearly intending to go deal with that so-called Lu Haoyan herself.

　　Jiang Shuo hurried to grab her, only to realize that in his current state, he could not even pull her back.

　　Si Yao shook him off easily and strode out the door without a second glance. Jiang Shuo could only call after her helplessly, “Senior Sister.”

　　Worried that she was rushing in without knowing the full situation and might end up being reported to the elders first by Lu Haoyan and the others, Jiang Shuo hurried to follow.

　　From that moment on, he sank completely into the illusion.

　　Si Yao was an inner sect disciple, already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, while Jiang Shuo was only at the Qi Refining stage. Even at his fastest, he could not catch up to her.

　　Si Yao rushed straight to the outer sect of Xuanming Sect, where the outer disciples were in the middle of their morning training.

　　Inner sect disciples rarely set foot in the outer sect, and someone like Si Yao, gifted and stunning beyond compare, was even rarer.

　　Her sudden appearance brought the morning drills to a halt. All the outer disciples stared at her in surprise.

　　The girl who looked like she had stepped out of a painting drew every gaze. She gripped the sword in her hand, her face cold, and strode straight up to one of the outer sect male cultivators. Her long sword slid from its sheath, gleaming with a chilling light, its tip pointed directly at him.

　　“I warned you before. Stay away from Jiang Shuo.”

　　Her voice was icy, carrying an unprovoked sense of intimidation. Her sharp gaze locked onto the outer sect disciple, making his heart tremble.

　　The person she loathed was named Lu Haoyan. In the past, he had led others in bullying Jiang Shuo over a spirit herb. If Si Yao had not arrived in time, Jiang Shuo would likely have lost his life that day.

　　After Si Yao saved Jiang Shuo, Lu Haoyan thought it was just bad luck that Jiang Shuo had happened to run into her. Once she left, he beat Jiang Shuo again. When Si Yao found out, she brought Jiang Shuo back to her own courtyard to recover and arranged for him to stay in a side room. She thought that would scare Lu Haoyan into behaving.

　　She never expected him to be this bold, bullying Jiang Shuo right under her nose.

　　The more Si Yao thought about it, the angrier she became. Her beautiful eyes seemed to frost over, cold as ice.

　　The fury in the eyes of the icy beauty left the surrounding outer disciples dumbstruck. Only Lu Haoyan stood there trembling, unable to meet her gaze.

　　His heart pounded with fear, terrified that Si Yao might lose her temper and beat him on the spot. The surrounding outer disciples looked at him with open mockery, making his face burn with shame.

　　The sword, brimming with sharp sword intent, pointed straight at Lu Haoyan. The previous times, Si Yao had only given him light punishment, thinking he would know when to stop. Instead, he had grown even more brazen.

　　This time, Si Yao had no intention of letting him off easily. If she did not beat him until he cried for his parents, then she would not be Si Yao.    

　　Si Yao released her spiritual energy, and the other outer sect disciples scattered to the sides like they were watching a show. A few even stayed far away, feeling a chill in their hearts just from looking at her from a distance. They were the ones who had beaten Jiang Shuo alongside Lu Haoyan the first time Si Yao met him. Ever since being taught a harsh lesson by her back then, they no longer dared follow Lu Haoyan in bullying Jiang Shuo.

　　Si Yao’s presence turned icy. She lifted her slender hand, and crimson spiritual energy condensed into a crescent of fire that slashed straight toward Lu Haoyan.

　　“Senior Sister!”

　　At that moment, a clear young voice rang out from the side. Si Yao turned her head and saw Jiang Shuo calling out to her from not far away.

　　For some reason, Jiang Shuo felt as if a voice deep inside was warning him that Senior Sister would be punished because of him. The feeling was strange, like everything unfolding now had already happened once before.

　　But it was already too late.

　　Si Yao’s fierce attack landed squarely on Lu Haoyan. As an outer sect disciple, his strength was worlds apart from hers. With just a single move, he spat out blood and staggered back several steps.

　　Si Yao looked coldly at his miserable state, without the slightest hint of mercy. Whatever pain Jiang Shuo had suffered, he deserved to taste it too.

　　Jiang Shuo was anxious. He hurried to Si Yao’s side and said in a low voice, “Senior Sister, this is enough.”

　　It was not that he was timid or afraid. He simply did not want his own troubles to drag her down. One day, he would personally take Lu Haoyan’s life.

　　Si Yao glanced at Lu Haoyan, wailing on the ground, and felt that this was still far from enough compared to what Jiang Shuo had endured. Still, she was not a truly ruthless person. Having taught him a lesson like this in front of everyone, she decided to stop there.

　　As she left the outer sect, Si Yao thought to herself that she must not let Jiang Shuo stray too far from her in the future. Otherwise, those scum would definitely come looking for trouble again.

　　Not long after entering the sect, Si Yao had already caught the elders’ attention with her outstanding talent. Coupled with her stunning beauty that was bright and radiant when she smiled and chillingly cold when she was angry, she quickly became the most dazzling pearl of Xuanming Sect.

　　Naturally, she gained many admirers, and her every move drew attention.

　　For the same reason, what happened in the outer sect spread through the sect like wildfire. Soon, everyone knew about Si Yao relying on her high cultivation to injure an outer sect disciple at will.

　　Just as Jiang Shuo had feared, an elder from the Law Enforcement Hall took Si Yao away right in front of him. Not long after, news spread that Si Yao had been punished for fighting within the sect and sentenced to face the wall in seclusion for three days.

　　Jiang Shuo was extremely anxious. He wanted to check on Senior Sister, but as an outer sect disciple, he could not even step into the Law Enforcement Hall. Fortunately, Shen Rong was an inner sect disciple. As Si Yao’s closest friend, there was no way she would stand by and do nothing. 　　

　　Shen Rong returned from the Enforcement Hall with news that Si Yao was safe, and only then did Jiang Shuo finally let out a sigh of relief.

　　The punishment from the Enforcement Hall was barely a scratch for Si Yao—just a few days of reflection facing the wall. On the other hand, Lu Haoyan was harshly reprimanded by the elders and had three years of cultivation resources revoked. Jiang Shuo knew this had to be because Si Yao had argued his case with the elders.

　　Si Yao had been punished for injuring Lu Haoyan, while Lu Haoyan was penalized because Si Yao had reported his bullying of Jiang Shuo to the elders.

　　When Si Yao returned from the Enforcement Hall, she showed no sign of having been punished. Instead, she glowed with vitality and radiance. Everyone in the sect realized that she was deeply favored by the elders and dared not offend her.

　　In truth, the elders really did cherish such a talented disciple.

　　The first thing Si Yao did after returning was to check on Jiang Shuo. She only relaxed when she saw him quietly staying in the side room she had prepared, worried that if left alone, he might wander back to the outer disciples and get bullied again.

　　Jiang Shuo was surprised and delighted to see her back. Before he could even ask how she had been, Si Yao, taking just a few steps, grabbed his hand.

　　Jiang Shuo had suffered much at the hands of the outer disciples. Si Yao could protect him, but she couldn’t watch him every second. So she had come up with a clever solution: she picked out a protective spirit artifact for him, spending the six months’ worth of contribution points she had saved.

　　For the first time in his life, Jiang Shuo stepped into the Artifact Pavilion, a place outer disciples were never allowed to enter. Among the dazzling collection of spirit artifacts, he chose a longsword as his weapon. It was the first time in thirteen years he had ever touched a real spirit weapon.

　　Si Yao held his hand, guiding him out of the pavilion. Later, she continued to hold his hand, leading him in cultivation and play.

　　It was the first time Jiang Shuo had ever felt the presence of light.

　　Jiang Shuo had been orphaned from a young age, not even knowing who his parents were. All his memories were of a wandering, lonely life—starving under the scorching sun, struggling to survive in darkness.

　　It wasn’t until he was seven, through a twist of fate, that he entered Xuanming Sect as an outer disciple.

　　He had thought he would step onto a brighter path, that life might be a little easier.

　　But he hadn’t expected that the solitary personality he had developed from years of wandering alone would become the reason his senior disciples bullied him.

　　He went from one hell to another.

　　No sunlight. No warmth.

　　At some point, his desire for a stable life vanished. He grew hungry to become stronger, to grow powerful, to crush everyone who had ever bullied him.

　　At that time, the world he knew seemed nothing but cruel human nature and blood-stained reality.

　　He never dreamed he would meet Si Yao. To him, she was like a celestial being from the heavens, radiating warm light, reaching out her hand, and pulling him out of the mire.

    

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