However, Ye Tiancheng had thought everything was too simple. In reality, this curse was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
"Brother Ye, why have scales grown on me too?" Fatty had intended to take Ye Tiancheng away, but upon touching him, he found his arm itching intensely.
Just then, Lin Xue's umbrella suddenly flew over and opened up, shielding Fatty.
The moment Fatty moved away from Ye Tiancheng, he suddenly felt the strange sensation on his body lessen considerably. Looking down, the snake-skin-like substance on him was gradually disappearing. This was the most miraculous part.
"Miss Xue'er, I thought you were going to hit me just now. Now I understand, you were trying to save me."
"I've read about this curse in ancient books. It's a very fierce curse, and its duration is uncertain, but it could be very long. The cursed person will be covered in red, snake-skin-like things all over their body. Moreover, not only will this terrifying thing grow on them, but anyone related to them will not escape either. This is a very evil curse, and the cursed person is destined to be alone."
Becoming ugly was not the most terrifying part. It was becoming filled with evil, with no one daring to approach. That was the true disaster.
"Alright, I understand. Everyone, stay away from me, please. I don't want to implicate you because of this. I can't get past this hurdle in my heart."
Ye Tiancheng tried his best to control his emotions, not wanting to lose control of his thoughts. However, having to separate from his closest companions and fight alone was truly heartbreaking.
"Brother Ye, I'm not afraid. What ghost curse is there to fear? I'll stand by your side no matter what. At worst, I'll share your hardships. I don't care what others think."
Fatty was always like this. Whether Ye Tiancheng was at the peak of his life or at its lowest point, he never wavered in his support for his brother. He was always willing to share anything with his brother and would never do anything to betray him.
"Fatty, listen to me this time. Don't do anything that harms yourself for my sake. If you do that, I'll feel uncomfortable, and it will increase my mental pressure. My heart will be heavy."
"I understand, Brother Ye. There's really very little I can do to help you. The only thing I can do is hope you're happy. I don't want you to feel pressured."
Fatty quickly moved away from Ye Tiancheng. At this moment, it was not appropriate to be blindly self-indulgent. At the very least, he needed to understand what Ye Tiancheng was thinking. This was the right approach, rather than just moving himself, which would be awkward.
"Alright, the Black Wind Mountain trip should be over now. We should all return to our original places. Let's head back. We'll go in two groups. You go first, and I'll join you not long after."
Ye Tiancheng merely wanted to phrase it more gracefully. In reality, he just wanted to part ways with them without mentioning his curse. Thus, he could only use this veiled way to express his tragic plight.
"Okay, Brother Ye. You've always been the commander among us three. We'll listen to you this time."
Fatty said this to avoid putting pressure on Ye Tiancheng. However, before leaving, he left all the remaining supplies for Ye Tiancheng.
Early the next morning, Fatty and Lin Xue were ready to depart. Before leaving, they were extremely worried about Ye Tiancheng, but there was nothing they could do. They knew very well that Ye Tiancheng hated pity the most, so they couldn't commit such a taboo.
"Brother Ye, take care of yourself. We agreed to meet up at home. You absolutely cannot leave Fatty alone. I will miss you terribly."
Fatty had many more words he wanted to say, but he held them back in the end. Saying too much would make Ye Tiancheng uncomfortable. He had to minimize the impact of this situation and not put too much psychological pressure on his good brother.
Ye Tiancheng had been maintaining an optimistic facade.
When talking with Fatty and Lin Xue, he kept his distance, fearing his curse would affect them. On the surface, he seemed happy, as if he hadn't been greatly impacted by this matter.
However, after returning, Ye Tiancheng was truly suffering. He felt as if every inch of his skin was being scorched by fire, but he couldn't say anything. This curse was unbreakable. If Lin Xue knew the immense pain he was enduring, she would undoubtedly try her best to help Ye Tiancheng solve the problem.
This situation was not good. It might drain her spiritual power. If that were the case, it would be better for him to bear it silently, at least without implicating others. This was truly for the best.
After they left, Ye Tiancheng's pretense of strength finally crumbled.
Ye Tiancheng felt an urge to cry. He had been holding back for too long, which was why he wanted to cry. Fortunately, he managed to hold back in the end. He was a grown man. A man doesn't shed tears easily. Even if he was enduring torment, he had to believe he could overcome this. There was no need to be tearful.
Just as Ye Tiancheng was feeling extremely distressed, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID, Ye Tiancheng felt a sense of familiarity. This was because there was no signal here. Initially, he couldn't hear anything, but now that things had returned to normal, there was not only a signal but a full signal.
"Liu Lanying, why are you calling me?"
"I'm worried about you. I was concerned something might have happened to you over there, so I wanted to come and keep you company."
Liu Lanying had wanted to make this call long ago, but she kept telling herself that she didn't want to be a burden. Ye Tiancheng was always doing important things. If Liu Lanying wanted to maintain a long-term relationship with Ye Tiancheng, she had to be sensible and not try to obstruct his path in any way. Otherwise, their relationship would not last.
"You don't need to accompany me. The matter at Black Wind Mountain has been resolved. Fatty and Lin Xue have already returned. I believe you'll see them soon, so you don't need to worry about me. I'll be back in a while. I'll cultivate here for now."
It wasn't that Ye Tiancheng didn't want to go back. He had been out for many days and was already eager to return. However, he couldn't. If he went back, he would implicate more people. Thinking about it made him unhappy. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to become someone everyone avoided, like a plague god.
"Everyone has returned. Even if you want to cultivate there, you should come back first, or I won't be at ease. I had a nightmare last night and dreamed you were in trouble. I'm so worried about you."
These were Liu Lanying's most genuine feelings. Every time she thought about it, she wondered if something had happened to Ye Tiancheng. It was a kind of premonition.
"It's not easy to go back. I won't make the trip back and forth. You stay home safely. Call me anytime if anything happens. It's not a big deal."
While they were still talking, the uncomfortable feeling in Ye Tiancheng's body suddenly flared up. He became extremely itchy all over, then felt cold, and then started to feel pain. He was trying his best to control himself, not wanting Liu Lanying to detect any abnormality.
"Brother Ye, why does your voice sound strange? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm really fine. Maybe I caught a chill, so my throat is a bit uncomfortable. But it's fine now, everything has returned to normal. I took my medicine obediently."
Even at this point, Ye Tiancheng still chose to hide it from Liu Lanying. After all, Liu Lanying was more sensitive and sometimes prone to overthinking. Therefore, some truths couldn't be told to her, as that girl would start overthinking.
"Alright, I understand. Take care of yourself then."
After hanging up the phone, Ye Tiancheng finally couldn't hold on any longer. He felt utterly exhausted, compressed by the pain to the point of having no room to breathe. Ye Tiancheng was covered in sweat and then collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
He slept for a long time. Hearing a woman's voice calling him, Fatty finally woke up, feeling as if he was in a daze, unable to recall where he was for a moment.
"Ye Tiancheng, you said you were fine. But looking at your current state, you're clearly not. What exactly are you hiding from me?"
"It's really nothing. It might be a side effect of cultivation. The problem isn't big. I'll be fine after resting. See, I'm much better now, aren't I?"
Ye Tiancheng thought of getting up to demonstrate. He felt much lighter, and at the same time, he harbored a glimmer of hope, thinking that perhaps his body was fine.
However, as soon as he stood up and turned around, his legs suddenly went weak, and he twisted his ankle badly. Feeling a sharp pain in his ankle, and with sweat beads rolling down his forehead, Ye Tiancheng suddenly realized that his physical condition was still not good.
This confident display had instead put him at a disadvantage. He had been discovered, revealing that his body was already weak.
"Brother Ye, I know you like to tough it out, but I can see now that there's a problem with your body. Let me stay and take care of you. There's not much going on in the village lately, and I've taken a week off, so I can conveniently look after you."
Liu Lanying had already sensed something was wrong, otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed over so anxiously. Seeing Ye Tiancheng's current state, she became even more worried.
"No need. I can take care of myself. You can rest assured about this. I'm already grown up. If I feel unwell, I'll adjust myself and won't do anything that worries you."
No matter how much Ye Tiancheng explained, because she cared about him so much, Liu Lanying wouldn't believe him.
Even though Ye Tiancheng was strong enough, everything he was doing now was for Ye Tiancheng's sake. Of course, she felt it was best to stay by his side.
"Fine, if you don't let me stay here, then I'll build a small hut next to yours. I promise I won't be an eyesore."
Liu Lanying's words were so distant, clearly showing she was angry. Ye Tiancheng just didn't want to implicate her, but he never intended to make her angry.
"Don't be angry. I didn't mean to be distant. I have unspeakable difficulties. I believe that after knowing each other for so long, you will understand me."
Some things didn't need to be explained too clearly; a hint was enough. Moreover, Liu Lanying wasn't foolish. The most important issue now was that Liu Lanying was heartbroken for Ye Tiancheng. Knowing everything, she still couldn't help but shed tears when he pushed her away.
Ye Tiancheng couldn't stand seeing women cry. Seeing Liu Lanying cry like this, his heart immediately softened.
"Alright, don't cry. It's okay if we keep a little distance. You can stay here."