Chapter 97 Senior Sister, Senior Sister
February 1st, the day before the spring search. The cry of an eagle pierced the clouds rolling over Linjun Mountain, arriving with the first rays of dawn.
Bian Yi didn't really care. She lay on a newly grown, curled-up branch, curling up like a child being held in the arms of her master and senior sister. It wasn't because she was cold, but because she felt more at ease this way.
Cheng Ye hadn't written to her for a long time. Since the end of the year, everything had been eerily quiet, and she had never been particularly sensitive to such atmospheres, unable to discern the undercurrents swirling within.
But the eagle's cry seemed to grow louder and louder, harsh and unpleasant, coming straight at her. Bian Yi frowned, and before she even opened her eyes, she reached out and swiftly and accurately ripped out a feather from the eagle.
This was meant to be a warning, but to everyone's surprise, the eagle remained stubbornly persistent, fluttering down to another branch where it met Bian Yi's gaze.
"...Is this for me?"
Bian Yi then noticed a small parchment tube tied to the eagle's leg. She frowned, certain that this carrier eagle did not belong to anyone she knew.
She hesitated for a moment, then reached out with some doubt and took the parchment tube.
The eagle didn't struggle violently, nor did it leave. Instead, it stared with its large, round eyes and suddenly tilted its head. Bian Yi saw his own reflection in it, blurred into a hazy green, like a ghost.
"Um... sorry? You can leave now that the letter has been delivered?"
The eagle's unblinking gaze was somewhat eerie. Bian Yi stopped lying lazily and instead stretched out halfway, waving the feather in his hand in front of the eagle. Only then did the eagle take a few steps back before soaring into the air again.
"Ah, they're really gone."
Bian Yi watched the eagle plunge into the clouds again, shook her head regretfully, unfolded the letter in her palm, and muttered to herself.
"What do you mean... Is this really for me?"
The letter was unsigned, containing only one line:
Tomorrow evening, Yongfo Temple.
The morning breeze rises again, and the summit of Mount Linjun is utterly silent.
The silence was so thick, like the herbs that had been simmering in the pot of medicine in Qingluan Medicine Valley for ages, growing ever thicker and more bitter. If the medicinal liquid were allowed to continue concentrating, it would almost solidify into a paste, its bitterness seeping into her blood and numbing her pain.
Bian Yi hadn't seen such handwriting in a very, very long time. So long that she had even forgotten that deep within her memory, all the memories of this person remained so vividly preserved.
She had prayed to see such a letter in her long dreams over the past twenty years, but she never dared to actually hope for it in reality.
But then, just then... with a slight tremor, the thin piece of paper slipped from between her fingers, was blown away by the morning breeze, and tumbled a few times in the air.
When the paper disappeared into the clouds and could no longer be seen, a void suddenly appeared in Bian Yi's chest.
Bian Yi remained in the same position as when the letter slipped down, as the sun gradually hung overhead, setting in the west, dotted with stars, and then the sun rose in the east again. She remained in this position, only her back gradually bent, but her hands were still held high.
But what she held in her hand was nothingness.
...
"You've arrived."
The eldest princess smiled faintly as she stood in the main hall of Yongfo Temple, facing the statue of Guanyin. Although the ground beneath the hall had been blasted into a mess, the Guanyin statue had only sunk slightly, still gazing upon all living beings with a benevolent expression.
She slowly turned around when she heard footsteps behind her, and saw the person stop three zhang away from her, staring intently at the mask on her face, as if trying to peel it off and burn it with their gaze.
After all these years, this person is still so easy to understand; love and hate are written all over their face. The princess smiled and shook her head, slowly raising her hand to her face. With a gentle movement, the mask that she had never removed in public slowly fell into her palm.
It was a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
The last time Bian Yi saw her was in the 46th year of Zhenping. That year, when she went down the mountain to travel, Wang Yi was already thirty years old. Her face was hard to spot once it was in a crowd; her features were plain, and there was nothing particularly special about her. But Wang Yi was always smiling, so Bian Yi often stayed by Wang Yi's side, looking at her smiling eyes, and thought they were the most beautiful thing about her.
When "Wang Yi" died in the 49th year of Zhenping, he should have been no more than 33 years old.
Now, Wang Yi's face is etched with many wrinkles, each a new mark left by the past twenty years. And in her eyes, ambition and deep desire have somehow taken root, like two deep wells, so dark that no light can emerge from them.
When Bian Yi met her gaze, the air around him seemed to thicken, as if he were being strangled by an invisible spiderweb, making it hard to breathe.
How could this be? It wasn't like this before, it was always like this...
"Long time no see, junior sister."
Wang Yi casually tossed the mask aside, and it rang out with a loud clang in the vast main hall.
Perhaps that was always her gaze, but she was too oblivious when she fell into that trap. She only paid attention to Wang Yi's profile, and was used to interpreting every word, every smile and frown of hers as love. Only when she suddenly realized this did she suffer so much.
Bian Yi felt a chill run down her spine. Her eyes were filled with deep fear and endless exhaustion as she looked at Wang Yi. She had finally managed to find her voice again.
"Wang Yi... Senior Sister?"
The words "senior sister" had long since lost their meaning; when they were uttered, the throat must have been bleeding, which is why the two sentences were tinged with blood and sobs.
Bian Yi couldn't understand why her tears flowed uncontrollably without any warning, like a silent, still river.
Wang Yi's face grew increasingly blurry, yet everything became clearer, laid bare before her. When Wang Yi stood before her, many words were unnecessary.
Bian Yi had so many questions to ask.
Why are you still alive? What exactly happened back then? Why are her clothes so luxurious? She no longer looks like a martial arts practitioner. Why can I sense such powerful internal energy within her body? She is already a half-immortal.
But all she can utter now are agonizing screams and meaningless titles.
"Senior sister, senior sister."
Even now, she still hoped that the person in front of her would give her an explanation, even just say that he had his reasons. But Wang Yi just looked at her, watching her struggle in pain.
All the words I wanted to squeeze out of my throat turned into a sorrowful and pale question.
Why did you do that?
Are you questioning me?
Wang Yi seemed to have anticipated Bian Yi's question. She gently lowered her smiling eyes, still smiling, but never revealing the coldness in her eyes.
"But how are you any different from me now?"
Through her tear-blurred vision, Bian Yi saw Wang Yi smilingly raise his finger, pointing at her. His mouth opened and closed, but the words that came out were stained with blood.
"Don't forget, you're also a demigod, Bian Yi."
The sentence sounded familiar, and Bian Yi was momentarily stunned.
Similar words traveled back through time to her ears, instantly pulling her back to the blood-red sky of the fifth year of Yongjing.
At that time, some people questioned her in the same way as Wang Yi.
Qin Ruoli looked at the Yulin City, which was now a sea of blood and littered with corpses. Her eyes were bloodshot. She looked at the person in front of her and gave a strange smile, her lips trembling.
"What's the difference between you and me, Bian Yi?"
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a bit short! But I will definitely update a lot more on the day it goes live, probably 6,000 or 9,000 words!
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