Chapter 125: The Weight of Betrayal

The warm glow of the room lost all its heat.

It began to dissect her perception of ‘family’ and the unwavering trust she had placed in her sister.

Su Baixue’s actions—pushing her towards someone like Ling Chen—the shock of this realization, and the profound, gaping wound it tore open, was no less intense than the bewildered panic she had felt upon learning of her parents’ disappearance.

Her parents’ vanishing was a sudden, external misfortune; Su Baixue’s betrayal, however, came from the closest of ‘family,’ those who should have offered mutual support.

The words, though unspoken, fell upon Su Mian’s ears like a heavy blade, slashing through her, while the deep-seated sadness within her heart exploded.

In Su Mian’s mind, Su Baixue had always been nothing more than a somewhat rebellious sister, navigating adolescence with a touch of pride and youthful impulsiveness.

She could understand Su Baixue’s cold remarks, born from disdain for her ‘useless’ older brother. She could even comprehend her sister drawing a clear line in front of outsiders because she felt embarrassed, or accidentally pushing her to the ground during an argument when they returned home for the Mid-Autumn Festival last time.

All these things, Su Mian could forgive. She could tolerate them, even laugh them off.

In her eyes, they were merely minor temper tantrums, harmless family squabbles.

Even without a blood connection, they had grown up together. Su Baixue was her sister, a steadfast cornerstone in her heart.

No matter what, Su Baixue was family. Between family members, even the greatest conflicts always held room for reconciliation, always flowed with an unbreakable warmth.

But to hand her over to Ling Chen?

This—this had utterly crossed a line.

Who was Ling Chen? A pervert who regarded even his own shikigami, Miyuki-maru, as a ‘thing’ or a ‘toy’ to be arbitrarily trampled upon, beaten, or traded.

The greed, possessiveness, and undisguised sadism he displayed towards Miyuki-maru were crystal clear to Su Mian.

What kind of fate awaited her if she fell into the hands of such a man? She dared not even contemplate it.

This was no mere quarrel or fit of pique. This was actively pushing her into a dark, sunless abyss—an ordeal potentially more terrifying than death itself.

It was a complete stripping of her dignity, freedom, and even her basic humanity, turning her into ‘something’ to be amused by and disposed of at will.

Just thinking about such a possibility sent an involuntary shiver down Su Mian’s spine, a strong wave of icy dread instantly engulfing her limbs.

She lifted her head, looking at Xiao Moyuan. Her voice trembled with fear and disbelief, carrying a last flicker of distant hope.

“Xiao Moyuan… is everything you said truly real?”

“Or… was it an exaggeration or a misunderstanding?”

How desperately she wished these were just harsh words Xiao Moyuan had spoken to protect her, or a misunderstanding born of an urgent situation.

Xiao Moyuan met her gaze, his eyes deep and calm, devoid of any flicker of hesitation. He slowly shook his head, his tone resolute, even with a hint of coolness.

“I have no interest, nor any need, to stir up trouble in your so-called ‘family’ relations.”

He paused, then added, as if to increase credibility, “And I wasn’t the only one present at the time. That Yuki-onna—your Miyuki-maru—witnessed the entire process.”

“If you don’t believe me, you can personally ask her when you go to school later.”

These words thoroughly extinguished Su Mian’s last bit of self-consoling delusion. Miyuki-maru… Miyuki-maru had no reason to lie to her, and with Miyuki-maru’s cold and direct nature, she would likely offer an even more objective, perhaps even crueler, account.

Su Mian’s heart sank, bit by bit. In truth, when Xiao Moyuan had first spoken, she had already believed most of it.

It was just that emotionally, she still couldn’t immediately accept that the sister she had grown up with, who used to call out ‘Brother’ behind her, would make such a cruel and selfish choice, even if she no longer used the term after growing up.

All for the sake of investigating the truth behind her parents’ disappearance?

This reason now seemed so pale and jarring. Rather than doubting Xiao Moyuan, it was more like giving herself a process to fully accept this devastating truth.

She needed to hear the cold testimony from another eyewitness to shatter the last vestiges of unrealistic fantasy in her heart. However, just as this thought arose, another, even more anxious and awkward reality struck her hard.

Her identity had been completely exposed.

Not only had the fact of her being a fox demon been revealed in front of Su Baixue, but so had her fox demon appearance, and her relationship with Xiao Moyuan.

Her voice was dry, laden with unspeakable difficulty. “My… my fox demon appearance… did Su Baixue know? Did Ling Chen know too?”

Thinking of her appearance when she had demonized, and how she might have behaved intimately with Xiao Moyuan in her unconscious state—perhaps even seeing Xiao Moyuan feeding her spiritual power—Su Mian felt her face flush crimson, her toes curling in embarrassment.

This was worse than a public execution. Her entire being could probably dig a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment into the ground out of sheer mortification.

Xiao Moyuan watched her instantly reddened face and flickering eyes, a nearly imperceptible curve playing on his lips, carrying a hint of mischievous amusement.

He nodded slightly, his tone even, his words like small hammers tapping on Su Mian’s taut nerves. “Hmm, they knew. Not only did they know you are my shikigami…”

He deliberately paused, watching Su Mian’s suddenly tense expression, before slowly uttering the latter half of the sentence. “…that necklace isn’t something you lost or picked up. I personally put it on you.”

He pondered for a moment, as if searching for a more precise word, ultimately choosing the phrase that made Su Mian’s pupils constrict in shock.

“A token of love!”

Boom!

Su Mian felt something explode in her brain. The redness on her cheeks instantly surged, even the tips of her ears turning scarlet.

She clutched her face, letting out a mournful wail, her entire being wanting to shrink into the blankets. ‘It’s over… it’s completely over…’

This was the absolute worst, most melodramatic, most mortifying plot twist! She knew Su Baixue liked Xiao Moyuan. She had personally experienced Shen Zhixia as a ‘love rival.’

Now, her former ‘brother,’ Su Baixue’s nominal ‘pursuer,’ and Shen Zhixia’s ‘family,’ had not only transformed into a woman and a demon, but had also, through sheer coincidence, become Xiao Moyuan’s shikigami, with a relationship so ambiguous it could be interpreted as having a ‘token of love’!

What was this? She alone had gathered the double ‘love rival’ identities of both her sister and her childhood friend, further compounded by gender transformation, non-human species, and a contract relationship!

Well done, indeed!

‘I’ve never been so mortified in my life!’ she ranted wildly in her mind.

This intricate and extremely awkward relationship left her utterly clueless on how to face Su Baixue. Explain?

How could she even begin to explain? Say she didn’t mean it? Say it was all an accident? Who would believe her?

Moreover, Su Baixue had just done that to her…

Awkwardness, shame, indignation, and a hint of sadness from betrayal—all these emotions mixed together, leaving her heart in a chaotic mess.

“Then… then when I go to school…”

Her voice came out muffled through her fingers, carrying a desire to escape reality. “Will Xiaoxue and that Ling Chen… will they directly arrest me?”

After all, she was caught red-handed. Her demon identity was confirmed, and she had an unclear relationship with an exorcist.

“And Miyuki-maru…”

She suddenly remembered another crucial issue, dropping her hands. Her face still bore an un-faded blush, but her eyes now held a trace of betrayed sorrow, mixed with genuine worry. “Her identity is also exposed, isn’t it?”

“Ling Chen and Xiaoxue are both exorcists. Will they also deal with Miyuki-maru?”

Miyuki-maru was not like her, who had a ‘legal’ contract identity with a human. Miyuki-maru was a pure demon, and in the eyes of exorcists, she might be an object to be eliminated or expelled.

Watching the little fox go from indignant to anxious, Xiao Moyuan’s eyes flickered with a hint of helplessness, which was quickly replaced by an almost indifferent calm.

He spoke slowly, in a tone so bland it bordered on detached, about something that should have been explained earlier. “Regarding this, you needn’t worry too much.”

Su Mian didn’t understand what he meant.

Xiao Moyuan looked at her, continuing in the same matter-of-fact tone. “You won’t see Su Baixue or Ling Chen when you go to school.”

“Huh?”

Su Mian was even more bewildered. “Why? Didn’t they just transfer here, and still have a mission? That evil spirit seal… They must still be near N University, right?”

Xiao Moyuan leaned forward slightly, his deep brown eyes locking onto her wide, uneasy ones. He spoke each word clearly, revealing another, even more shocking truth.

“Because…”

He paused, ensuring Su Mian’s full attention. “Ling Chen is already dead.”

“Dea… dead?!”

Su Mian gasped, as if she had just heard a fantastical tale. After the initial shock, a terrible thought abruptly surfaced, her voice changing pitch. “How did he die?! It couldn’t have been me when I lost control… when I accidentally…”

She dared not continue. If she had truly killed him, things would be disastrous! Killing an A-grade exorcist, and one from the Exorcist Academy no less, would bring considerable trouble to Xiao Moyuan.

Xiao Moyuan looked at her instantly pale face and panicked eyes with a hint of exasperation. He raised a hand and lightly tapped her forehead. “Dong.”

“What on earth are you thinking?” His tone carried a touch of annoyance. “If you really had the ability to precisely take out an A-grade exorcist while out of control, would I have needed to rush over to save you? And would the forced contract, which I told you about, have happened?”

Su Mian rubbed her tapped forehead, then thought about it. It seemed… he had a point.

If she had truly been capable of killing Ling Chen at the time, Ling Chen wouldn’t have had the chance to corner Miyuki-maru, nor would Su Baixue have had the chance to remove her necklace.

So… who killed him?

She breathed a sigh of relief, but her curiosity grew. “Was it Hua Liang?”

She felt this was highly probable. Hua Liang seemed to have a close relationship with Miyuki-maru, and it would be entirely reasonable for him to kill Ling Chen, the instigator, in a fit of rage to save her.

However, Xiao Moyuan shook his head. “Not him?”

Su Mian blinked, eliminating herself and Hua Liang. Then, she suddenly looked at Xiao Moyuan, her eyes filled with disbelief and worry. “Xiao Moyuan! It couldn’t… it couldn’t really be you, could it?!”

Although Ling Chen certainly deserved to die, and she even wished she could personally beat him up, killing an A-grade exorcist would have severe consequences!

Xiao Moyuan had rules from the Exorcist Academy and another family to consider. Even if he sought revenge, he would likely invite immense trouble.

“Although that scoundrel was truly detestable, you… you didn’t have to cause yourself such huge trouble for him…” she said hurriedly, her tone devoid of blame, instead filled with concern and worry for Xiao Moyuan.

She didn’t even realize that this implied an unquestioning partiality towards Xiao Moyuan, and a hint of sweetness that bloomed deep in her heart at the thought of him potentially acting ‘impulsively’ for her sake.

Xiao Moyuan looked at her anxious expression, a flicker of extreme softness passing through his eyes before quickly being concealed. He shook his head again, denying her guess. “It wasn’t me.”

He said calmly, then delivered the answer that completely overloaded Su Mian’s brain—an answer so unexpected and unimaginable. “The one who killed Ling Chen was your sister, Su Baixue.”

“She used a demon blade and personally ended Ling Chen’s life.”

Su Mian’s expression completely froze. She became a statue in an instant, her face blank, her eyes unblinking, as if all her logic and common sense had been shattered by this answer.

Su Baixue?

Killed Ling Chen?

Her partner?

The person she had just been ‘cooperating’ with?

How was this possible?! Her brain was overloaded, information severely clashing.

Watching Su Mian’s completely stunned, bewildered expression, as if asking ‘who am I, where am I, what did I just hear,’ Xiao Moyuan knew this news would be a lot for her to process.

He rarely offered extra explanations, though the content of his explanation still held some reservations.

“Your sister’s mind was briefly controlled by a special demon blade.”

He did not elaborate on how Ling Chen had first been crippled by him and Hua Liang. Nor did he mention that he himself had handed the demon blade to the emotionally unstable Su Baixue.

He certainly wouldn’t mention that the demon blade had the characteristic of amplifying the wielder’s negative emotions and shifting the blame.

In Su Baixue’s surging negative emotions at the time—fear and displaced anger—there was also a hint of guilt towards Su Mian.

Xiao Moyuan’s thoughts were simple and direct. He hoped Su Mian would use this opportunity to completely see Su Baixue’s choice at a critical moment: selfish, foolish, easily swayed, and lacking basic empathy and responsibility.

Cutting ties with such a ‘sister’ would be better. He didn’t want Su Mian to be hurt or bring unnecessary trouble and danger upon herself in the future due to this so-called ‘family affection’ softening her heart.

In his eyes, a family member who couldn’t discern right from wrong was better off not having one.

“Then… then Xiaoxue…”

Su Mian slowly recovered from her shock, her emotions reaching an extreme level of complexity. The sorrow, anger, fear, and betrayal had not yet been fully processed, and now, the added worry about her sister killing her ‘partner’ was piled on top.

Ling Chen was dead. Su Baixue was the killer. How would the Exorcist Academy deal with her?

Xiao Moyuan saw her concern and offered a ‘comfort’ that wasn’t exactly comforting.

“Although she was controlled by a demon blade and did not subjectively intend to kill her comrade, the severe consequence of an A-grade exorcist’s death was still caused. The punishment will not be light.”

He listed the possibilities. “Lightly, long-term confinement and self-reflection. Severely… being stripped of her exorcist identity and spiritual power, becoming an ordinary person from then on.”

He deliberately paused, looking at Su Mian’s instantly tense expression, then added the most crucial sentence: “However, rest assured. Your sister, she won’t die.”

This was the bottom line, and the guarantee he could give Su Mian. No matter what, Su Baixue was not guilty unto death, and the Exorcist Academy had corresponding procedures for that.

Indeed, upon hearing the words ‘won’t die,’ Su Mian’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she let out a long sigh.

Long-term confinement, or losing spiritual power and becoming an ordinary person…

while it sounded severe, compared to paying with her life or suffering even more terrifying punishments, this seemed… to be a relatively acceptable outcome?

At least, she was still alive. She subconsciously thought this, and the heavy burden in her heart seemed to lighten slightly.

Xiao Moyuan did not tell her that the process of stripping spiritual power often came with immense pain and risk, and the success rate was far from 100%.

Examples of failures or lasting sequelae were abundant. He also did not mention that Ling Chen’s family, after his death, would certainly not let the matter rest.

Revenge, both overt and covert, would likely follow, falling upon Su Baixue and even the Su family behind her.

Those were the seeds Su Baixue herself had sown, and she needed to bear the fruit. There was no need, and no obligation, to make this little fox, who had already endured so much, bear that extra weight.

After this series of intense ups and downs, Su Mian’s mood became somewhat vacant, yet tinged with a weary relief. At least, for a long time, she wouldn’t have to face Su Baixue.

She wouldn’t have to confront the ‘sister’ who had betrayed her, yet through whom she had become entangled in killing, and whose future was now uncertain.

She wouldn’t have to struggle with explaining her gender and species transformation, or awkwardly clarify her complicated relationship with Xiao Moyuan.

And she certainly wouldn’t have to question why the other party could be so cruel as to push her into a pit of fire.

For now, all of it was avoided. She didn’t know if this was good or bad, only that at this moment, she needed some time to digest these matters.

Besides Su Baixue’s affairs, there was one more thing that gave her an even bigger headache: Shen Zhixia.

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