Chapter 4 The Path to Immortality The senior sister is the eldest sister, and as for the junior sister, she is also...
Early in the morning, a scream suddenly erupted in the small courtyard where green bamboo swayed.
"Be gentle, senior sister!"
After Qiao Yanshen withdrew the spiritual power that had condensed into a needle, Shen Lixia couldn't help but turn over, cold sweat sliding down her forehead.
“You haven’t been able to draw in Qi, which means there’s something wrong with your meridians. Are you completely relaxed? I won’t hurt you.” As Qiao Yanshen spoke, a faint surge of spiritual energy gathered at her fingertips, slowly transforming into the shape of a long needle. Seeing that she was about to probe again, Shen Lixia trembled and quickly pulled her clothes, which had been pulled down to her waist, back up.
“I know that Senior Sister didn’t mean to harm me, but we have other plans today and shouldn’t stay too long.” Shen Lixia rolled off the bed, afraid that Qiao Yanshen would push her back down. “Besides, many people don’t have the aptitude for cultivation. These meridians probably can’t be opened up in a day. Senior Sister has already done her best.”
Qiao Yanshen looked out the window at the sky. The summer heat had not yet intensified, and the sunlight outside was still cool, slowly wafting through the room. Roughly calculating, several hours had passed since they began their attempt at dawn.
“Even if I am just a mortal, Senior Sister can still protect me, right?” Shen Lixia pinched Qiao Yanshen’s sleeve, blinked, and showed no sign of disappointment.
Qiao Yanshen sighed softly and could only nod, saying, "Let's pack our things first. We are going to visit a wealthy family in Changzhou today, so we must be extra careful with our words."
After speaking, her gaze fell on Shen Lixia, and she added firmly, "Come back and continue."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lixia's face contorted in pain, and her once beautiful and assertive features became pitiful. Ignoring the urge to wail, Qiao Yanshen walked into the inner room, leaving Shen Lixia alone to tidy herself up.
After her senior sister disappeared, Shen Lixia's complex expression immediately subsided, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up. She fastened her belt and walked to the mirror on the table to tidy her disheveled long hair.
Although the pain from the acupuncture was unbearable, it shouldn't have caused such an exaggerated reaction. It was just that her senior sister was stubborn and had a strong sense of responsibility; if she hadn't intervened, their plans for the day would likely have been significantly delayed. She knew her senior sister's nature—extremely soft-hearted. When the first wisp of spiritual energy entered, her subconscious tremor caused Qiao Yanshen to frown and soften his movements considerably.
Yesterday was the same; if I weren't soft-hearted, who would fall for her little tricks?
Shen Lixia pulled some of her hair back and casually tied it into a small braid, leaving the rest loose over her shoulders. Her hair wasn't long, and as she walked, the strands fluttered with her steps, looking like a bird's raised tail feathers, exceptionally lively.
A moment later, Qiao Yanshen also emerged from the inner room, dressed in the same white robes as yesterday, though the subtle patterns on them seemed to have changed. His belt had been replaced with a light blue one, giving him an air of calm and gentle grace. He no longer wore a bamboo hat, but instead a light veil covered half of his face, revealing a pair of calm, unwavering eyes.
As soon as she stepped out of the house, a woman dressed in black rushed over, her upturned eyes shining even brighter in the sunlight, and her smile radiant.
"Senior sister is just like a fairy." Shen Lixia gently shook Qiao Yanshen's hand as she held him. He smiled but remained silent, simply letting her be so affectionate.
The two walked towards the bustling part of the city.
In Changzhou, there lived a prominent family surnamed Qiao. It was said that their ancestors had once sought immortality through cultivation, later returning to the mortal realm to use their knowledge of Taoist practices to treat difficult and complicated illnesses. Their methods of alchemy could also be applied to ordinary people to create superior medicines, and the immortal sects didn't interfere much. The family gradually amassed wealth through this. However, despite their increasing wealth over generations, eventually becoming local power brokers in Changzhou, no one in their descendants showed any signs of pursuing immortality.
In this generation, a child with spiritual roots and the ability to perceive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has finally emerged, named Qiao Wan. Not only is she talented, but she is also quite lucky. Recently, she was discovered by an immortal who came to Changzhou and invited to return to the sect together to embark on the path of immortality.
However, Qiao Wan was the second daughter in the family and was already engaged. Originally, there was an eldest son in the Qiao family who wanted to seek immortality but went mad and died at home. Therefore, the heavy responsibility of the Qiao family fell on Qiao Wan alone.
And Qiao Yanshen said that, coincidentally, he woke up in the tomb of his eldest son.
Like Shen Lixia, she arrived at this place after being unconscious for a period of time. When she regained consciousness, she was lying in a coffin, next to a corpse dressed in a long white robe. Perhaps someone saw that she was beautiful and arranged for her to be buried with her eldest son under the pretext of a ghost marriage.
Fortunately, the coffin was not sturdy enough for a Qi cultivator; it was simply engraved with runes to slow down the decay of the body.
So Qiao Yanshen broke out of the coffin, picked some items from the tomb, and left.
When Shen Lixia heard this last night, she couldn't help but ask, "Senior sister, how were you so calm back then? Did you see the corpse before?"
Qiao Yanshen smiled gently and meaningfully.
She couldn't help but feel a chill, but the tea her senior sister had personally brewed warmed her up.
Never mind, my senior sister wouldn't harm her. How can you blame her for being heartless?
The money, sword, and other items were all obtained from the tomb. As if anticipating her arrival, Qiao Yanshen had taken an extra storage bag. This storage bag was rather low-grade, with limited space, and required no spiritual energy infusion, making it indeed suitable for Shen Lixia.
Today, their mission is to visit Qiao Wan at the Qiao family mansion and inquire about the residence of that sect's disciple.
Qiao Yanshen had already made preparations in advance; Shen Lixia only needed to cooperate with her. Their ultimate goal was to obtain a way to join the sect.
After all, that's a place with abundant resources. If they have other plans in the future, they can always fly when they're more established.
Upon arriving at the Qiao family residence, one finds a spacious courtyard with an ornate plaque, exuding grandeur.
Qiao Yanshen took out a scroll of documents from his sleeve and handed it to the servant at the door, telling her to give it to his wife. Not long after, a richly dressed middle-aged woman came out of the mansion and led the two of them into the courtyard.
Shen Lixia was unaware of Qiao Yanshen's intentions, so she obediently followed behind her, occasionally marveling at the various decorations and the extremely beautiful and rare flowers.
The woman led them into the house, and into the hall, where they saw a gentle young man sitting knee-to-knee at the table, with steaming tea in front of him. Although the young man's temperament was equally gentle, he did not have the aloofness of Qiao Yanshen. Instead, he was like a beautiful flower blooming in early spring, exquisite and gorgeous, exuding warmth as he blossomed, making people feel close to him without realizing it.
"Please sit down." Qiao Wan nodded. "And who is this gentleman next to you?"
Qiao Yanshen glanced at Shen Lixia and smiled, "The servant who came with me will show her the world."
Shen Lixia blinked.
Okay, she's a servant.
“Mother, I would like to speak with this nun alone,” Qiao Wan said, looking up.
Worry was evident in the woman's eyes, but she finally nodded and left the hall. Seeing that only the three of them remained, Qiao Yanshen lowered his eyes slightly, as if he were carefully choosing his words.
Qiao Wan smiled gently and said, "Master, you don't need to worry about Wan'er's feelings. Just tell me the divination results."
—Anyway, she already had the answer in her heart.
Shen Lixia was confused and secretly glanced at Qiao Yanshen.
Divination?
What is the question in the divination that makes people so uncertain?
Shen Lixia's doubts were answered in the next second.
"The one that Miss has her eye on is probably not coming back."
Qiao Yanshen answered softly.
The boy remained silent, and Shen Lixia noticed her fingers tightening as she gripped the clothes on her knees. Qiao Wan bent slightly, her thin shoulders trembling slightly.
Seeing that she remained silent, Qiao Yanshen sighed again and continued, "Those who join the army go to extremely dangerous battlefields, where separation and death are commonplace. If I remember correctly, he has not returned for three years, and the war has long since ended."
The teacup was placed back on the table.
"Miss, it is advisable to remarry or follow your heart."
Qiao Wan sighed softly. Her sadness no longer stemmed from the marriage or the invisible man.
When she was a child, upon hearing about this marriage, she would look forward to being greeted by the person she had never met.
The other person was much older than her; during her childhood, he had already joined the war to fulfill the wishes of his elders. From then on, the two never saw each other again, exchanging only letters.
I write a lot, but often I only get a few words in return, just to let her know I'm safe.
Peace and quiet, without a trace of concern. Her hopes had long since been worn down. But when she went to inquire about the annulment of the engagement, she was stopped by the male elders in her family, who said they needed to consider the bigger picture. The bigger picture, the bigger picture—the bigger picture that meant sacrificing her.
Instead, it was her mother who kept asking her opinion on the matter. Qiao Wan didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so after bringing it up twice, she stopped. But her mother could see her reluctance.
If this grand scheme never considered her and her mother, then even if it collapsed, it wouldn't concern her. Thinking of this, Qiao Wan's heart stirred, and she suddenly had plans for the future.
But that's not the time for now. She needs to help her mother first, so that the "big picture" of the Qiao family belongs to them, not those useless men.
Shen Lixia leaned to one side with her arms crossed, her brows slightly furrowed.
Feudal customs are extremely harmful. Not to mention arranging marriages at a young age and forcing people to wait for someone they've only met a few times for who knows how many years, bound by various moral constraints, it's truly despicable.
If this is what morality is, then she thinks it doesn't matter whether women have it or not. Ultimately, it doesn't benefit her at all.
However, everyone held the cultivator in high esteem. From this, it seems she really should join a sect; perhaps if she encountered a similar situation again in the future, she could draw her sword and kill the entire family.
Qiao Yanshen remained silent, waiting for Qiao Wan to calm down. The divination was over, and all the words had been spoken; naturally, it was up to Qiao Wan to make her own choice.
A moment later, Qiao Wan gently wiped her eyes with her sleeve, then looked at Qiao Yanshen.
“I know where that immortal is. You two have come a long way, please rest for a while, and I will take you to visit him later.”
The woman in white sitting opposite her smiled and nodded, lifting the teapot to refill her teacup, while the woman in black who had been standing seemed unable to hold back and coughed lightly twice.
The two seated people simultaneously turned their gazes to Shen Lixia.
Shen Lixia tucked a stray hair behind her ear, raised her eyebrows, revealing her sharp canine teeth, and gave a rather sly smile.
“Miss, this visit is a good opportunity. Why don’t we leave this place together and head to the sect? We won’t be at their mercy anymore.”
Qiao Yanshen seemed to hear the sound of Shen Lixia's abacus beads clicking.
In fact, she was indeed making plans. Qiao Wan had the potential to cultivate immortality, so if she entered the sect with her senior sister, considering the matter of divination, she could at least lend a hand at times, preventing her senior sister from being isolated and helpless. Afterwards, she wouldn't have to suffer the family's wrath.
The senior sister also gains a junior sister, which is a win-win situation.
Thus, Shen Lixia suppressed the inexplicable, slight resentment in her heart and extended an olive branch to the sect that Qiao Wanti had not yet joined.
"So, have you decided to terminate the contract?"
Even though she wasn't the senior's junior sister, but had to give up her place to someone else first...
But we still need to consider the long term.
As she spoke, Qiao Yanshen had already been observing her expression and sighed silently.
How can anyone wear their thoughts on their face?
My junior sister is an idiot, what should I do? I need help online.
It's not in a rush, anyway, I can protect her.
A note from the author:
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