After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 23 - The New Junior Brother? Just So-So

“Senior Brother Wang Yuan! You’re going too far!”

A voice rang out from the front of the crowd, and a green-robed girl stepped forward, her cheeks flushed with anger as she pointed at Wang Yuan and shouted.

No matter what, He Ange was her fellow junior brother. It was obvious to everyone that he was being targeted and humiliated by a true disciple. As his senior sister, Xu Xin couldn’t just stand by and do nothing!

Besides, their master, Fairy Qin, was right there in the pavilion, watching everything unfold!

Wang Yuan’s behavior was utterly excessive.

“Junior Sister Xu Xin, what are you saying? If I truly wanted to bully Junior Brother He Ange, he would’ve been defeated long ago. How could we have sparred for so many minutes?” Wang Yuan turned to face her, his expression calm but his tone laced with mockery.

Xu Xin clenched her fists, wanting to call him shameless, but Wang Yuan was a true disciple. She couldn’t bring herself to curse him outright.

“But you know full well that Junior Brother He Ange can’t beat you, and yet you keep pressuring him. Can’t you see he’s already bleeding?!” Xu Xin argued, her voice trembling with frustration.

Wang Yuan merely chuckled, shrugging as if to say he was innocent.

“A sword cultivator sparring with others—some bumps and scrapes are normal, aren’t they? Besides, as his senior brother, I’ve been careful to control my strength. I haven’t caused him any serious harm, only superficial wounds at most.”

He swept his gaze across the crowd of disciples and continued, “Or are you saying that the inner disciples of Shengxu Sect are so delicate that they can’t even handle minor injuries from sparring? Are we so fragile and precious?”

“If you can’t endure this level of training, Junior Sister Xu Xin, I can’t imagine how you’ll face bloodthirsty demonic cultivators on the battlefield in the future!”

His words were righteous and imposing. By the end, he even shot Xu Xin a sharp glare.

The oppressive aura of a higher-level cultivator bore down on her, leaving Xu Xin momentarily breathless. She glanced around at the other disciples, hoping for support, but found only cold, indifferent stares. No one dared to speak up against Wang Yuan’s authority and background.

“Senior Brother Wang Yuan is right. The path of cultivation is harsh. Minor injuries during sparring are to be expected.”

“Exactly. If we’re this delicate now, the demonic cultivators won’t show us any mercy later!”

The crowd murmured in agreement, unwilling to side with Xu Xin.

Xu Xin felt a pang of helplessness. Watching Wang Yuan’s ten flying swords continue to torment He Ange, she turned her gaze toward the pavilion, silently pleading for Fairy Qin’s intervention.

But to her dismay, the black-dressed fairy showed no interest in the sparring match. She simply blew on her tea, her attention focused on her book. Even though her new disciple was being humiliated, she remained indifferent, sipping her tea and enjoying her reading.

Why is everyone like this...?

Xu Xin bit her lip, struggling to suppress her frustration.

She had finally met a junior brother who was approachable and easy to talk to, and now...

“Junior Sister Xu Xin, if you’re so upset on his behalf, why don’t you step up and take his place in this training session?” Wang Yuan said coldly, his lips curling into a mocking smile.

He intended the remark as a taunt, hoping to shut her up and make her back down.

But to his surprise, the comment seemed to strike a nerve. Xu Xin’s eyes blazed with determination as she drew her sword, her spiritual energy surging. Her gaze was fierce, exuding the righteous anger of a young hero ready to fight injustice.

“Wang Yuan, you’ve gone too far! Do you think Fairy Qin’s disciples are pushovers?!” she shouted.

“Step aside! I’ll take his place!”

…

In the pavilion, Qin Shiyan’s hair was ruffled slightly by the burst of energy from the girl below.

Setting down her book, she glanced out the window at the plaza, where Xu Xin stood with her sword drawn, her aura sharp and imposing.

Seeing this, the black-dressed fairy frowned slightly, a hint of concern flashing across her face.

“He Ange really has a way with women. When did he manage to charm Xu Xin?”

Xu Xin was indeed Qin Shiyan’s fourth disciple and He Ange’s senior sister. (tln : the raw stated four not five, drunk author)

Despite her usually gentle demeanor, Xu Xin had a stubborn streak. When angered, her spiritual energy could rival even An Luo Yi’s, displaying immense potential for surpassing her limits.

This was one of the reasons Qin Shiyan had accepted her as a disciple.

Having a righteous heart and standing up for her junior brother was admirable. However, the problem was that Qin Shiyan had intended to use Wang Yuan to test He Ange’s potential.

Initially, she had planned to assign the task to Bai Zihua. As a true disciple with deep expertise in swordsmanship, Bai Zihua was well-suited to evaluate He Ange’s abilities.

But Wang Yuan and An Luo Yi had disrupted her plans.

Qin Shiyan had decided to let it go. After all, any of the three true disciples could handle the task. And since Wang Yuan had a personal grudge against He Ange, he was likely to push him harder, yielding more valuable insights.

What she hadn’t accounted for was Xu Xin stepping in to defend her new junior brother.

If Xu Xin joined the fight, the test would be pointless.

She might even end up making Wang Yuan cry on the platform.

With a sigh, Qin Shiyan raised her hand and cast a series of seals on Xu Xin, suppressing her spiritual energy.

The effects were immediate.

Just as Xu Xin was about to leap onto the platform, her aura vanished. A wave of weakness washed over her, leaving her unable to muster the strength she had moments ago.

Huh?

Where’s my spiritual energy?

Did Master seal it?

Confused, Xu Xin looked up at the pavilion. This time, she finally received a response from her master.

“Master doesn’t want me to interfere...”

Why?

Xu Xin was stunned. It was bad enough that Wang Yuan was mocking her, but now even her own master was against her.

Was everyone determined to push He Ange to his breaking point?

For the first time in her life, Xu Xin truly understood the meaning of “being targeted.” She had faced unfair treatment before, but nothing compared to what her junior brother was enduring now.

With her spiritual energy sealed, there was nothing she could do to help He Ange. All she could do was hope he wouldn’t be completely crushed and find a way to comfort him after the class.

As Xu Xin worried, the sparring match on the platform continued.

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator like He Ange, facing a true disciple was an immense challenge.

He was already preparing to concede.

There was no point in dragging the fight out. It would only increase the risk of exposing his demonic cultivation physique. Besides, Qin Shiyan was watching from the pavilion. He couldn’t guess her intentions, but she might be waiting for Wang Yuan to push him to his limits and reveal his secrets.

Fine. If they wanted a show, they could have it. He Ange didn’t care.

“Senior Brother Wang Yuan’s swordsmanship is truly impressive. I concede,” He Ange said, leaping backward to create distance. He sheathed his black iron sword and bowed respectfully.

He surrendered.

The move clearly pleased Wang Yuan, but it also sparked a reaction from the other true disciples.

“So this new junior brother... is just so-so,” Bai Zihua said with a cold smile.

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As he spoke, he glanced at An Luo Yi, noting her displeased expression. He assumed she was worried about He Ange.

Shaking his head, he added, “Such crude swordsmanship, utterly lacking in elegance. I can’t imagine what Master saw in him.”

Though Bai Zihua’s voice was soft, his words reached An Luo Yi’s ears.

The silver-haired fairy narrowed her eyes, glancing at Bai Zihua. He stood nearby, shaking his head in disappointment, his disdain for He Ange evident.

An Luo Yi had some impression of Bai Zihua. Though he was a man, his temperament was delicate and refined. He pursued the art of swordsmanship with a focus on aesthetics and beauty—a philosophy An Luo Yi found laughable.

To her, swordsmanship was a tool for killing. There was no need to complicate it with notions of “beauty.”

Seeing He Ange humiliated by Wang Yuan had already put her in a foul mood. She knew He Ange’s true potential. While he couldn’t defeat Wang Yuan, he shouldn’t have been pushed to such an embarrassing state.

And now, even this pretentious Bai Zihua was looking down on He Ange, his words dripping with scorn.

This was unbearable.

Crack.

The sound of something breaking echoed in An Luo Yi’s chest. Frost spread from her cold eyes, her patience snapping.

Without a word, she abandoned her sparring match, summoning her Silver Phoenix Sword. With a swift motion, she sent the blade hurtling toward He Ange on the adjacent platform.

Bai Zihua, standing beside her, watched in shock as the sword shot forward, its silver light blazing through the air, aimed directly at He Ange’s chest.

Has she lost her mind?

Was she really trying to kill him?

No matter how much Bai Zihua looked down on He Ange, he couldn’t just stand by and let his junior brother be killed.

But An Luo Yi’s sword was already in motion, its speed unmatched. Even Qin Shiyan in the pavilion might not have time to intervene.

As the sword closed in on He Ange, everyone held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Clang—!!!