Chapter 93 Playing the Strings: Junior Sister, Don't Give Up So Easily...
Unrestrained and excessive.
When she was young, Yi Xiaohan had heard of this name. This person belonged to the previous generation—or even earlier. By the time of her master, they had only heard of him but never seen him.
She is said to be an eccentric cultivator with a photographic memory. Although a sword immortal, she is knowledgeable in all kinds of weapons. In her early days, when her cultivation was not high, she became famous for her love of secretly learning from various sects. It is unknown how she managed to deceive the disciples guarding the mountain and enter their sect's territory.
Some say she has dragon eyes and is a descendant of the demon race, capable of bewitching people; others say she is a little fairy who came down from the upper realm to gain experience, naturally playful, and her true purpose is to cause trouble, not to steal the master's teachings; her master says that those who have seen her say she is not a bad person.
When Zhu Mingfeng, the peak master at that time, talked about this topic, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes, as if he was reminiscing about the storybooks he read in his youth.
"She was the person we admired most when we were young. We heard that she had done things like robbing the rich to help the poor and protecting cities and countries. But for some reason, she suddenly disappeared for a long time... It was really too long. So long that I have never heard of her since I embarked on the path of cultivation."
Now, Sibudu has long been forgotten, just like many chivalrous people who disappeared without a trace after their acts of heroism, vanishing into the long river of time.
Perhaps he died, or perhaps he ascended to heaven. In any case, a thousand years have passed, so how could he still be in the human world?
Yi Xiaohan hadn't expected to hear that name again. He repeated it softly before asking, "Where did you find that sword technique?"
Wu Zhuyue replied, "I was once a refugee. During my escape, I found it in an abandoned house. Knowing it was a martial arts technique, I treasured it. However, I was in too much of a hurry at the time, and too much time has passed... I can no longer remember where it was."
“Zhu Yue,” Yi Xiaohan’s voice suddenly turned serious, “this is an opportunity bestowed upon you by Heaven, and along with this opportunity comes a mission. Have you considered whether you can shoulder this responsibility?”
She abandoned her usual relaxed demeanor, her eyes now displaying an almost stern and heavy expression. Wu Zhuyue looked up; her clear, black and white eyes were devoid of emotion, instead appearing extremely resolute.
The young man frowned and said, word by word, "I am willing and will try to take on this responsibility."
Her voice was strong and resonant, striking Yi Xiaohan's heart like the heavy tolling of a bell. After a moment of silence, Yi Xiaohan reached out and patted the girl's head, ruffling her hair, and then laughed loudly.
"Alright, alright, your generation is truly remarkable! First, there was a sword cultivator genius who could drag Yan Xueya out of existence, and now we have a sword immortal with the potential to be blessed by the Heavenly Dao!"
The woman's voice was scorching, as were her words, and the warmth of her palms was equally fiery, staining the boy's cool hair and thin white clothes with a chaotic and turbulent heat. After she finished speaking, Wu Zhuyue suddenly felt a warm current flowing through her body, and a mellow spiritual energy, like warm wine, entered her body, completely healing her injuries, and even causing her cultivation to show signs of loosening.
Yi Xiaohan withdrew his hand and smiled, "I'm sorry, people tend to tell the truth when they are weak, so I'll have to wait until I finish asking before I heal you."
She patted Wu Zhuyue on the shoulder affectionately and pushed the boy forward a little, "Go back."
Wu Zhuyue had only taken a few steps when she heard her say behind her again:
"By the way, a small competition is not a battle. Next time, please remember to hold back and not damage the friendship between fellow disciples. A sincere friendship is much more important than winning or losing."
As Yi Xiaohan flew towards the high platform on his sword, Wu Zhuyue was still slowly walking back. Hearing the woman leave, her body trembled suddenly, and she uncontrollably knelt down.
Cold sweat dripped down her face. Wu Zhuyue covered her mouth with her hand, and it took her a while to adjust before she called out in a low, trembling voice, "Master...?"
A woman's calm and gentle voice came from within his mind: "I am here."
From the moment she opened her mouth, Wu Zhuyue was no longer under her own control, but rather like a puppet, acting on the orders of someone thousands of miles away.
It turns out that what was left behind was not only her cultivation level, but also invisible threads and a wisp of divine soul that was enough to control her.
She was so flustered that she triggered the contract, transmitting her emotions to Si Liuhua.
Si Liuhua noticed her fear and reassured her, "Be careful next time. If you really arouse suspicion, I won't be able to get to your side immediately."
"Master, is it really possible for Qi Yuan to do this?"
“But if I hadn’t paid so much attention to Zhu Yue, how would you have dealt with her question today? Zhu Yue, you should know that you are not good with words.”
Her voice was gentle, and although it was through the contract, one could still hear a hint of concern and worry in it. Wu Zhuyue gradually relaxed and whispered, "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't disturb what Master is doing right now."
Si Liuhua said, "Zhu Yue, you don't need to worry about me. Remember that I miss you very much. Stay safe."
After speaking, his mind went silent. Wu Zhuyue couldn't explain this strange feeling, but she only thought that her master was doing it for her own good and had said that he cared about her, so how could he possibly harm her? So, although she was still shaken, she slowly walked back.
But her heart was unwilling to calm down, and she kept thinking about the question Yi Xiaohan asked, and she was doubtful—could she really bear it?
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On the field, Qiao Yanshen sheathed his longsword, nodded slightly, and stepped off the stage.
She has no more matches scheduled, only waiting for tomorrow's decisive round. Several others are in the same boat, Tang Huairou being one of them.
Perhaps the leader is among them.
Her gaze swept over the many disciples in the Foundation Establishment stage, and her eyes met those of a strange young man, who waved with delight, to which she returned a slight smile. Over the next two days, she had even overshadowed the sect's senior disciple, Tang Huairou, attracting the attention of many.
However, she reached the Golden Core stage after only a few years of training. Others, unaware of the blessings she received from Luo Yang, would naturally be astonished by this.
After looking around and not finding any trace of Shen Lixia, Qiao Yanshen frowned slightly, looked up at Yan Xueya who was watching the arena from the high platform, hesitated for a moment, and then used the token to send a message.
As Yan Xueya watched the swords clash on the stage, a gentle voice suddenly sounded in her mind: "Master, do you know where Li Xia has gone?"
She briefly recalled the previous duel between Shen Lixia and Wu Zhuyue, and added, "The match was decided as a draw. She shouldn't have gone far. Once you find her, tell her to come back quickly so as not to delay the match."
Letting Qiao Yanshen go find him would probably be more reassuring than her going herself. Just now, Shen Lixia left without a word, and Yan Xueya knew the young man was heartbroken and needed some time to recover.
Putting aside the fact that she was too busy organizing the competition, as the master, she might find it difficult to empathize with children of this age. As the senior sister, Qiao Yanshen should be more capable of offering appropriate comfort.
Seeing that Tu Sheng followed the aura of the other party's spiritual power, Yan Xueya felt relieved and shifted her gaze back to the stage.
When Qiao Yanshen found Shen Lixia, the girl was fiddling with the blades of grass in her hand, seemingly weaving a grasshopper. A butterfly landed on the top of her hair, its wings trembling slightly, quietly shimmering in the sunlight.
She stopped and looked at the boy for a long while, finally understanding why he hadn't called her the morning before yesterday. Perhaps out of reluctance, or perhaps unwillingness to disturb him, this natural and beautiful scene would have remained frozen in time.
Perhaps due to past lives or dual cultivation, there was an invisible and special thread between them, allowing Qiao Yanshen to always quickly find Shen Lixia's aura. She thought she should come later, but then, noticing the boy's reddened eyes, she couldn't help but take a step forward.
The butterfly fluttered away, and she sat down beside Shen Lixia, taking the half-finished grasshopper from her. She gently put it down and then squeezed Shen Lixia's hand. A deep blue spiritual energy, tinged with a soft, light green, flowed through the boy, healing his wounds one by one.
Shen Lixia looked up and met Qiao Yanshen's gaze. The latter was slightly taken aback, not expecting that the melancholy in her eyes had disappeared, though there was still a hint of confusion in them.
This means she has forgiven him, but hasn't thought it through yet. Qiao Yanshen asked her softly, "Even if she did it intentionally, and you don't understand why, do you still want to let it go?"
The boy bit his lip, then nodded. "Yes."
"She wants to kill you, are you going to let it go too?"
"Senior Sister, this was an accident. She was just too eager to win, too eager to prove herself. You know... this isn't modern times. Countless people were displaced during times of turmoil, and she was one of them."
“Li Xia…” Qiao Yanshen frowned and tightened his grip on her hand.
“I can’t fully empathize with her, but I can’t let her go back to the mire. Senior Sister, she’s still young. Her past has been tough, and it will take time for her to gradually get rid of it.”
"You should have seen her swordsmanship; she has other people helping her."
"But the time spent in the sect was indeed happier than when I had no one to rely on, wasn't it? Perhaps that person also hoped for this—that she could live a peaceful and successful life and become an independent young person. Besides, if I were to tell her, how would I explain the fact that my wounds have healed? If the existence of the divine fire were exposed, who knows what kind of waves it would stir up if those with ulterior motives found out."
As the boy spoke, he lowered his head and grasped Qiao Yanshen's slightly cool hand. As if sensing her heavy mood, he took her hand and placed it on his face, gently rubbing it.
"Senior Sister, why are your hands so cold?" Her eyes were still a little hot, but she smiled and said, "They feel so comfortable against my skin."
Qiao Yan sighed and gently rubbed her face.
"Fine, if that's what you think, then so be it. But I'll be more careful from now on."
Shen Lixia rubbed against her hand, like a little bird tickling its owner. She then gently stroked the other's burning cheek, her heart filled with indescribable tenderness, as if a gurgling sound was rising in her heart.
"Senior Sister." Suddenly, the boy called out.
"Hmm?" Qiao Yanshen blinked.
Those light-colored eyes were bright, and Qiao Yanshen immediately realized that the sun was not in the sky, but right here, in front of her.
Thank you for thinking of me.
If only they weren't just fellow students.
Everyone, including her master, said that she acted recklessly, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was helpless and found it difficult to move forward.
Qiao Yanshen stroked her face and said softly, "You are my junior sister, and I only have one."
As she spoke, all she could think was how foolish she could be. Shen Yuan's actions once were enough to leave a lifelong shadow; from then on, she held nothing back when facing enemies, striking with the speed of a thousand cuts. Once the killing intent arose, time could not erase it; only when the white blade was stained with blood and crimson flowers bloomed could it subside.
But my junior sister is so foolish. She has killed many people and still doesn't understand. She only sees her friends as a weakness and regards this murderous thought as a child's competitive spirit.
So be it. The so-called safeguarding of the world is, in essence, safeguarding this place she loves. Now that my junior sister has a home and a place to belong, how can she easily let go of it?
She had always been aware that she was unique in her junior sister's heart, even more so, unparalleled in the world. Because she was so important, she should cherish her junior sister's feelings even more and not take advantage of this favor to become arrogant.
But junior sister, if you were to fall one day, should I say, "I knew it would turn out this way," or...?
I'll catch you, imprison you like a caged bird, and from now on never look anywhere else.
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Author's Note: Senior sister, your feelings are so deep. Although junior sister is similar, it's a mutual journey of illness.
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