Chapter 80: Yizhou’s Illusion (Part 8)

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Yizhou’s Illusion (Part 8)

The wide clearing was surrounded by people. They formed a circle around the kneeling figure in the center, yet despite being surrounded by so many familiar faces, not a single person dared to step forward. Murmurs and accusations drifted through the air, each voice adding to the heavy atmosphere.

Yizhou knelt on the ground, his robes disheveled and his appearance battered. He slowly lifted his gaze, looking from one familiar face to another, waiting for someone—anyone—to speak up for him.

But no one did.

His sect brothers and sisters lowered their heads or turned their gazes away, unwilling to meet his eyes. In the end, Yizhou could only suppress the bitterness in his heart and helplessly try to defend himself.

"It was him! It was all his fault! Because of him, even Senior Brother Bai died! He must have colluded with the demons to kill Senior Brother Bai!"

Deep down, Yizhou already knew that no one would speak for him. He understood human nature too well. When faced with danger, most people would choose to protect themselves first. What he had not expected was that even those he had once treated with kindness would so readily cast aside all the goodwill he had given them just to keep themselves out of trouble.

The spiritual energy raging through his body was already difficult enough to endure, but the pain in his heart was far worse.

His mind had begun to grow chaotic. Amidst the pain, faint voices seemed to echo inside his head, whispering the things he had tried so hard not to believe.

You are alone.

No one will save you.

Why would anyone save someone like you?

The thoughts grew darker with every passing moment, slowly eroding the last bit of hope in his heart. Perhaps this was how it was supposed to be. Perhaps someone like him had never been worthy of being saved.

After all, he was dirty.

Yizhou slowly lowered his head.

The light in his eyes gradually dimmed as the last traces of hope slipped away. Somewhere deep inside, he already had a faint premonition that his life was about to fall into an abyss from which he would never be able to climb out.

However, just as Yizhou’s mind was sinking deeper into despair, a clear voice suddenly rang out across the clearing.

"Sui Sui’s Senior Brother is innocent!"

The voice was unmistakably childish, yet there was a firmness behind it that carried through the entire area, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Yizhou, who had been keeping his head lowered, was startled by the familiar voice.

For a moment, the despair weighing heavily upon his heart seemed to abruptly stall, as though something had forcibly intruded upon the stagnant darkness and disrupted the path his thoughts had been following.

Yizhou slowly lifted his gaze, searching for the source of the voice.

Then, through the crowd, he saw a white figure running toward him.

Long white hair fluttered in the wind, and those clear, bright amber eyes were fixed directly on him.

The next moment, the white-clad youth reached him and suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around him.

Yizhou’s body stiffened.

For a moment, he could only stare blankly at the person holding him. The embrace was warm, and a familiar, pleasant fragrance immediately filled his senses.

Yizhou did not know whether it was merely his imagination, but the instant he caught that familiar scent, the violent spiritual energy raging within his body seemed to gradually settle. The pain that had been tearing through his meridians eased, and from the place where their bodies touched, a strange warmth slowly spread through him.

It was faint, almost imperceptible, yet somehow it made the suffocating darkness surrounding him feel a little less overwhelming.

It was almost as though a drowning man, already sinking beneath the water and preparing to stop struggling, had suddenly been pulled back to the surface and given a breath of air.

—

The person who had come forward was Sui Sui. Yes, it was truly Sui Sui—but at that moment, this Sui Sui was using Bai Sui Sui’s body.

Here’s how it happened.

While discussing the plan with Bai Sui Sui, Sui Sui gradually realized that something about this illusionary person was not quite right.

At first, he had assumed that Bai Sui Sui was simply also a figment created from Yizhou’s memories, someone who existed only because Yizhou remembered him. But the more Sui Sui interacted with him, the more he began to notice that Bai Sui Sui did not behave like a mere illusion.

One reason of course is because Bai Sui Sui could actually see Sui Sui, he could even touch him.

The second reason is, Bai Sui Sui seemed to possess a mind of his own. Although his thoughts were still as simple and foolish, he was capable of thinking, responding, and making his own decisions. This discovery surprised Sui Sui.

If Bai Sui Sui were truly nothing more than a figment of Yizhou’s imagination, how could he possess too many natural characteristics?

Then, while the two of them were discussing what to do next, something even more unexpected happened.

When their hands touched, Sui Sui suddenly realized that he could actually merge with the Bai Sui Sui within the illusion.

He was stunned.

He had no idea why such a thing was possible, nor did he understand what exactly this Bai Sui Sui was within Yizhou’s heart trial.

But since the connection worked, Sui Sui decided not to waste time trying to figure it out. He immediately took advantage of it and entered Bai Sui Sui’s body.

However, when he entered, Sui Sui realized something, although he entered Bai Sui Sui’s body, this did not mean that Sui Sui could completely take control of it.

Ultimately he realized that Bai Sui Sui was still the one controlling most of the body’s movements and speaking through his own mouth, while Sui Sui could only remain inside him.

Fortunately, Sui Sui soon discovered that he could communicate with Bai Sui Sui from within. Although he could not directly control the body, he could guide Bai Sui Sui’s actions and tell him what to do.