After returning to her room, Hua Ying hid the several booklets that Ci Jiujiu had gifted her.
She sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate, the spiritual energy within her body completing several major cycles. She had already mastered the third form of the Nine Revolutions of Heavenly Dust; she estimated that once she perfected it, she would be able to break through to the Golden Core Stage.
Finally, step by step, she was drawing closer to her Senior Sister!
Speaking of her Senior Sister, Hua Ying felt she had been a bit strange today. Setting aside kisses and hugs, she had actually closed the door directly, and Hua Ying hadn’t even managed to snag a simple hand-holding session.
Hua Ying carefully recalled everything that had happened previously, then suddenly bounced up from the bed. An unbelievable thought popped into her mind.
Could Senior Sister be… jealous?
Hua Ying suddenly let out a low laugh. Propping her chin in her hands, she wondered: what method should she use to coax her Senior Sister?
Yan Zhao was currently cultivating.
She sat with her eyes closed, spiritual power overflowing from her fingertips, gradually outlining a profound and mysterious pattern in the air. But in the next instant, it dispersed into mist with a “bang.”
Her willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly as Yan Zhao irritably dissipated the spiritual energy around her.
It was very strange. Today, she felt a trace of inexplicable restlessness; her heart simply wouldn’t settle. Just as she was preparing to steady her mind, she suddenly felt an itchy sensation on her fingers.
A warm, soft, fluffy ball jumped into her lap.
Yan Zhao opened her eyes to see the familiar little white cat. The kitten looked up and let out two fawning “meows.” Its soft paw pads rested on Yan Zhao’s wrist, and its tail curled around her fingertips.
Yan Zhao lowered her gaze. “Hua Ying, what are you doing?”
With a flash of light, the cat in her arms transformed back into the young girl. Hua Ying sat astride Yan Zhao’s lap, tilting her slender neck back to give Yan Zhao a sweet smile.
She leaned forward, looking directly into those eyes filled with deep, ink-like darkness. “I’ve come to make Senior Sister happy.”
Yan Zhao turned her head away. “I am not unhappy.”
“Then it’s because I missed Senior Sister,” Hua Ying said, hugging her waist and rubbing her face against Yan Zhao’s chest, sounding aggrieved and pitiful. “Does Senior Sister not miss me? Without seeing you, I can’t even sleep.”
The corners of Yan Zhao’s lips curved slightly, though she said, “Nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense,” Hua Ying whispered into Yan Zhao’s ear, her voice dropping low. “I’ll tell Senior Sister a secret. In the whole world, I like Senior Sister the most. I only like Senior Sister!”
Having said her piece, she turned back into a cat and jumped into the crook of Yan Zhao’s neck, affectionately rubbing her feline head against her cheek. Yan Zhao poked the cat’s head with her finger; the kitten wrinkled its small nose and let out a soft, coquettish “meow~”.
Yan Zhao couldn’t help but knead the back of the cat’s neck. Her previous irritation vanished instantly, and her lips slowly curled upward.
This little cat… with her flowery words, she really knows how to coax people.
The Next Day.
Ci Jiujiu knocked on Yan Zhao’s door for a long time, but no one came to open it.
“Strange,” she muttered in confusion. “Where did they go?” She had specifically come early to find Hua Ying to exchange “reviews” on the booklets.
Just as Ci Jiujiu was about to leave, the door to the adjacent room opened with a “creak.” She subconsciously turned her head and saw Hua Ying walking out while yawning.
“Senior Sister Ci,” Hua Ying rubbed her eyes. “Are you looking for me?”
Ci Jiujiu: Σ( ° △°|||)︴
“This…” She pointed at Yan Zhao’s door. “Isn’t this Senior Sister’s room?”
She quickly scanned Hua Ying’s entire body, her gaze lingering for a moment on the slightly disheveled collar of her robes, before she broke into an “I see everything” smile.
Ci Jiujiu winked at Hua Ying, giving her a look that said I get it. “I understand now. No wonder you said your relationship with Senior Sister is the best in the world.”
Hua Ying silently complained in her heart: It seems Ci Jiujiu isn’t just the team’s healer, but also the Sect’s ‘Master of Knowing Everything.’
“What did Senior Sister Ci want with me?” Hua Ying tucked a lock of messy hair behind her ear, looking at her.
Speaking of this, Ci Jiujiu suddenly became energized. She decided to pivot from exchanging “reading reviews” to “usage reviews.”
“Let me interview you which ‘position’ did you and Senior Sister use yesterday?”
Hua Ying: “???”
Is it legal to ask such a spicy question so early in the morning?
Facing Ci Jiujiu’s burning gaze, even someone as thick-skinned as Hua Ying found it hard to endure.
“Nothing happened,” Hua Ying said, afraid Yan Zhao might hear. She quickly pulled Ci Jiujiu to the side. “Nothing at all! We just simply slept.”
“Oh~” Ci Jiujiu dragged out the sound, repeating meaningfully, “Just simply slept, I see.”
Hua Ying: “…”
Forget it, the more I explain, the worse it sounds.
Truthfully, she wanted to do something, but she was afraid Senior Sister would kick her right out of the room. The confession from that night still hadn’t reached a conclusion.
By her estimation, she was likely in Senior Sister’s “observation period.” Senior Sister was a calm and rational person who would be cautious with her feelings. Perhaps Senior Sister did like her, but not yet to the point where it was “her and only her.”
Regardless, Hua Ying would walk toward her Senior Sister unwaveringly until she was willing to make her choice.
“I have one more small question,” Ci Jiujiu said with star-filled eyes. “Can you tell me how you managed to get the ‘High Mountain Flower’ Senior Sister into your hands?”
Hua Ying asked suspiciously, “Why? Are you looking for material, Senior Sister Ci?”
“To be honest,” Ci Jiujiu gave a bashful smile, “I want my next book to be about a cold Daoist priest and a little fox demon. I wanted to learn from your experience.” She began to let her imagination run wild. “A cold, abstinent priest pressed down by a little fox… oh, and the fox has nine tails, so she could…”
“Stop right there!” Seeing that Ci Jiujiu’s topic was about to enter R-rated territory, Hua Ying immediately called a halt.
“Senior Sister Ci, when your new work comes out, I will definitely be your loyal fan. But,” Hua Ying smiled, “the things between Senior Sister and me are enough to keep inside my own head.”
After all, she wanted to hoard everything about her Senior Sister for herself.
Though Ci Jiujiu was a bit disappointed, she didn’t press further. Before leaving, she specifically stuffed several new booklets into Hua Ying’s hands.
Hua Ying took a look Good heavens. The level of stimulation in these was even higher than yesterday’s!
System: Sweetie, you’ve finally found someone more ‘colorful’ than you.
Hua Ying: “Nonsense. This is just an in-depth, friendly exchange and study of human aesthetics.”
Notification: The System does not want to talk to you and has thrown a rotten egg at you.
Hua Ying returned to her room and hid these new booklets as well. As soon as she stepped out, Yan Zhao also happened to exit her room.
“Senior Sister!” She hopped over and grabbed Yan Zhao’s arm. “Are we about to reach the Balian Mountain Range?”
Yan Zhao reached out and activated her spiritual power, causing a map to unfurl in the air. According to the markers, they would arrive in about two hours.
Wei Jun and the others had all come out now, gathering on the deck of the cloud ship. Since everyone was present, Yan Zhao dispersed her spiritual power, her voice turning more solemn.
“The Balian Mountain Range is almost upon us. I presume all of you know that this journey is fraught with danger. I hope everyone will protect themselves.” After a short pause, she added, “However, as sword cultivators, we should also face challenges head-on and not be overly timid.”
The crowd chorused, “We follow Senior Sister’s teachings.”
Wei Jun looked up and smiled at Yan Zhao. “What is there to fear? We have Eldest Senior Sister with us, after all.” A strange glint flashed in his eyes. “Even if we encounter a perilous situation, Senior Sister definitely won’t let anything happen to us, right?”
The two lackeys, Su Chengwen and Su Chengwu, immediately chimed in, trying to incite the rest: “Brother Wei is right!”
Ci Jiujiu frowned, questioning them: “Your words are very strange. Do you mean that if it truly comes to a life-and-death situation, Senior Sister must sacrifice herself to save you?”
The Su brothers stiffened their necks and said righteously, “Eldest Senior Sister is the leader; she should be protecting us!”
Hua Ying clenched her fists. These people are so malicious!
Wei Jun’s words were a blatant trap. If Yan Zhao agreed, all the responsibility would be concentrated on her alone. If a disciple came to harm under her watch, at best she would be punished by the sect and lose prestige. At worst, it might cause Yan Zhao to develop a “Heart Demon,” leading to a failure in breaking through her cultivation stage or even a spiritual collapse.
Yan Zhao was not stupid. What Hua Ying could see, she naturally saw as well. With a cold, indifferent gaze toward the mocking Wei Jun, she scoffed, “Junior Brother, I am only your Sect Senior Sister, not your mother.”
The scene fell into a momentary silence. Then, a stifled laugh leaked out from somewhere, and like a contagion, the others couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Only the faces of Wei Jun and the Su brothers turned ugly from the embarrassment.
Hua Ying laughed heartily while not forgetting to twist the knife. She said in a “tea-flavored” (manipulative) tone, “Since several Senior Brothers are so fragile, why did you agree to come? Actually, it’s not too late to go back. Had I known, I would have asked the Sect Leader to hire several experts to closely protect you.”
“Hiring them wouldn’t help,” Ci Jiujiu played along. “After all, they aren’t your parents. Who would be willing to risk their lives to protect you?” As she spoke, she threw a contemptuous look at Wei Jun and the others.
She used to think Brother Wei had a gentlemanly air, but she didn’t expect him to say such things. This was supposed to be a trial; how could he think of using moral kidnapping? What, he takes the benefits for himself but expects Senior Sister to face the dangers? The nerve! How big a face do you have to dream of such a beautiful thing!
The crowd whispered. The varied looks being cast their way made Wei Jun feel like he had thorns in his back. He glared at the Su brothers truly two useless fools who ruin more than they help!
Forcing down the raging fire in his heart, he squeezed out a strained smile toward Yan Zhao. “Senior Sister, you misunderstood. I only meant that your strength far exceeds ours; no matter what crisis we encounter, you can easily resolve it.”
Yan Zhao nodded and said indifferently, “I am very strong. I have always known this.”
Wei Jun: “…”
Seeing Wei Jun’s expression, which looked like he was about to vomit blood, Hua Ying laughed arrogantly and made a triumphant face at him. That’s what you get for trying to be wicked!
Wei Jun gripped the handle of his folding fan so hard that the veins on the back of his hand bulged clearly. He truly loathed Yan Zhao.
Long ago, whenever the “genius disciples” of the Flowing Cloud Sect were mentioned, it was always his name, Wei Jun. But then, the Sect Leader brought back a little girl. At first, Wei Jun didn’t take her seriously. He had been cultivating for fifty years longer than her a full fifty years.
But as that little girl grew, she displayed terrifying talent from the moment she began cultivating, easily surpassing Wei Jun’s fame. Even though she was younger and started much later, she became the Eldest Senior Sister because of her higher realm and talent.
There can be many senior brothers and sisters, but only one can be called “Eldest.” It represents the leader of the younger generation the future candidate for Sect Leader. A position that Wei Jun considered his “trophy” was now occupied by a girl who still carried a hint of childishness.
Wei Jun was unwilling to accept this and doubled his efforts in cultivation. But no matter how hard he tried, in every Sect Competition, Yan Zhao could still easily defeat him.
Why? Why did Yan Zhao have to appear! Why didn’t she fall for the Love-Binding Poison last time! Why can’t she just die!
Wei Jun didn’t notice that as he sank into his resentment and malice, the strange black mist in his eyes became increasingly solid, almost thick enough to drip like ink.
“Senior Sister, what’s wrong?” Hua Ying tugged at Yan Zhao’s sleeve.
Yan Zhao turned back, frowning slightly. “Nothing. Perhaps I sensed wrong.” She had just felt a flicker of an eerie, cold aura, but before she could catch it, it vanished without a trace, like a fleeting illusion.
“It’s likely just my imagination,” Yan Zhao said, not dwelling on it. She addressed the group: “Prepare yourselves. We are about to reach the Balian Mountain Range.”
Following those words, the atmosphere on the cloud ship turned solemn. Previously, these disciples had at most participated in hunts for spirit beasts. No matter how fierce a beast is, it is still just an animal. But this time, their opponents were cultivators from both the Demon Race and the Devil Realm.
Demon cultivators were cunning, and Devil cultivators were ruthless; neither were easy to deal with. Everyone knew that once they stepped into the Balian Mountain Range, this battle would be to the death.
As they disembarked from the cloud ship, Yan Zhao’s footsteps paused slightly. She glanced at Hua Ying beside her. “Are you afraid?”
The little half-demon turned to meet her gaze, her clear eyes sparkling. Hua Ying answered with conviction, “I told you then as long as I am with Senior Sister, I am not afraid of anything we encounter.”
Yan Zhao was silent for a moment. She suddenly remembered their first meeting, when Hua Ying had grabbed her sleeve and timidly said she was scared. Now, she stood before her, stating unwaveringly that as long as they were together, she feared nothing.
The emotions surging in Yan Zhao’s heart were complex some joy, some slight bitterness. This little cat had always expressed her affection in such an open and sincere way, like the fireworks they had watched together in the mortal town. Lively, unrestrained, and unmasked.
Yan Zhao did not understand love, nor had she ever experienced it. When Hua Ying asked if she liked her, even if the Sect Leader hadn’t interrupted with a transmission, Yan Zhao wouldn’t have known how to answer.
I suppose I do like her. Otherwise, why would Hua Ying be the only one who was “different,” and why would she soften her heart for this little cat time and time again?
But because she had seen the state of her Master, who had been trapped by love in her youth, Yan Zhao always felt a hint of hesitation. She feared that one day, she and Hua Ying would follow in her Master’s footsteps. She wasn’t sure if this feeling was intense enough intense enough to ensure she would never regret it when choosing to form a Soul-Bond.
But in this moment, looking into the little half-demon’s clear, fearless eyes… Yan Zhao suddenly felt that perhaps she should also be more proactive.
Beneath her long sleeve, she reached out toward Hua Ying. Her cool fingertips covered Hua Ying’s unsuspecting hand. She applied a little pressure, her fingers sliding between the others until their ten fingers were locked in an intimate clasp.
Hua Ying’s eyes widened in surprise. This seems to be the first time Senior Sister has initiated holding my hand!
Yan Zhao’s phoenix-like eyes curved slightly, and her red lips tilted upward. Her low, pleasant voice fell into Hua Ying’s ear, sounding as if she were speaking to Hua Ying, yet also to herself:
“I am not afraid either.”
Just as the little half-demon said even if the road ahead is uncertain, as long as she is there, one can be fearless.