Chapter 45 - 42: How Did Junior Sister Become Like This
Within the exquisitely carved jade halls of Miao Yu Palace.
Han Ze Master said indifferently, "Open the array and welcome our guests."
Today was the day guests from the Black Realm Canglan Sect would arrive at the Sect. The Mountain Defense Array naturally had to be opened to welcome them.
The one responsible for receiving the guests was Qiu Yuehan.
In the past, grand occasions like this—for instance, when the Qingcao Sword Sect visited to discuss the Dao—were always handled by Xia Lianxue. With her gentle personality and patient manner, she was well-suited to looking after guests.
Qiu Yuehan was different.
She hated noisy places. The moment things became boisterous, she would grow agitated.
But now, with Xia Lianxue’s whereabouts unknown, she was the only True Inheritor left in the palace. She had no choice but to take on the role of welcomer.
The Canglan Sect had sent a party of about twelve this time. Their leader was also a Sixth Realm Master named Hunting Deer Master, who looked like a kindly, white-bearded old man.
Qiu Yuehan performed a sword salute. "Fellow Daoists of the Black Realm Canglan Sect, I greet you."
Today, she had uncharacteristically donned an outer robe of silver-white mystic fox fur. Beneath it was a pale green long skirt, her jade-like legs hidden completely from view.
"Fellow Daoist of Miao Yu Palace, greetings to you as well."
Qiu Yuehan turned. "If you would please follow me, a welcome banquet has been prepared for you all."
The Dao conference would not begin until tomorrow. Today was for fulfilling their duties as hosts.
Hm?
Staring at the main gate of Miao Yu Palace, Qiu Yuehan’s body suddenly froze.
"Fellow Daoist Yuehan?"
"It’s nothing. This way, please."
’It must have been my imagination.’
~~~~~~~~~~
People’s joys and sorrows are not always shared.
At the welcome banquet, wine cups clinked and conversation flowed. Hunting Deer Master was chatting and laughing with Hanyi Master, and the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious.
But Qiu Yuehan only found the crowd noisy. She didn’t even touch the Immortal Wine or the Immortal Fruits.
Most of the people from Canglan Sect this time were talented youths. With a single glance, Qiu Yuehan could indeed spot three or four at the Fourth Realm.
All of them were prodigies of their Sect.
Among them, the most eye-catching was a girl who looked incomparably pure.
At that moment, the girl was laughing and talking with the male disciples of Miao Yu Palace. The men looked as if their very souls were being hooked away, acting as if they had never seen a woman before.
’The junior sisters in the palace... well, never mind. Most of the junior sisters in the palace weren’t as beautiful as that pure girl in the white dress.’
Qiu Yuehan had to admit that the girl was indeed beautiful. She also seemed to have a nice name... what was it... Xian Qingqiu? She appeared poised and treated others with kindness.
People like that were naturally likable.
But Qiu Yuehan hated her.
There was no particular reason. From the first moment she saw Xian Qingqiu, Qiu Yuehan just found her detestable.
"This must be Fairy Qiu Yuehan."
A male disciple from Canglan Sect walked up with a smile, intending to strike up a conversation with Qiu Yuehan.
Qiu Yuehan merely glanced at the disciple before turning away.
’I haven’t practiced my sword today.’
’Rather than enduring this vexing atmosphere, I’d be better off going back to practice my sword.’
So she said, "I am feeling unwell. So as not to affect tomorrow’s Dao conference, I will take my leave now to recuperate."
She overheard a male disciple from Miao Yu Palace say to the one from Canglan Sect, "Senior Sister Yuehan is always like this. Her personality is extremely cold. To her, the only thing that matters is practicing her sword."
’That’s right.’
’Practicing the sword is what matters most. No worldly affair of the Red Dust can compare to practicing the sword.’
Qiu Yuehan didn’t have a tragic past, nor did she have any reason to be obsessed with power. She simply wanted to witness the splendor of the Great Dao.
And so, she was pure.
She felt more and more that the *Supreme Pure Spirit Forget Immortal Technique* was perfect for her.
A cool and aloof Fairy, dressed in white, holding a three-foot longsword, wholeheartedly seeking the Dao, with no other desires in her heart.
This was called Supreme.
This was called transcendence.
Qiu Yuehan closed her eyes, listening to the wind rustling through the leaves. RUSTLE. Everything seemed to center around her.
’Let the Old Monster come if he wants.’
’My heart will remain unmoved.’
And then she heard a sentence.
"Use the cover of night to come down the mountain and find me in town."
Her Glazed Heart Realm shattered completely.
A stream of heat on her shoulder pulled her down from the ninth heaven. She still couldn’t avoid going to see the man who held complete control over her.
~~~~~~~~~~
As night fell, the moon quietly climbed into the sky.
The Fairy canceled her trip to the bamboo forest for sword practice that evening and, with great reluctance, descended the mountain.
Following the guidance of the Demon Pattern on her shoulder, she soon arrived outside the inn.
Qiu Yuehan took a deep breath.
Her heart was pounding as a thought couldn’t help but cross her mind.
’Inside right now is that Old Monster who looks like a teenager and can’t cook. And most likely, my junior sister is in there with him.’
’I wonder what that Old Monster has done to my junior sister. Back then, he didn’t seem to react to me at all, so he probably isn’t one to indulge in women, right?’
’A woman’s chastity is important; Junior Sister should still be fine.’
’Or maybe... Junior Sister has already been "trained" by that man, and now it’s my turn. That Old Monster is just waiting to play with a Miao Yu Lotus in each hand.’
Qiu Yuehan bit her lip, about to knock, when a voice suddenly sounded from within the room.
"Young Master, do you think Senior Sister is a little stronger than me?"
"That’s not what I meant."
’What are they talking about?’
Qiu Yuehan decided to listen in, so she pressed her ear closer.
She heard the Old Monster say, "Your senior sister’s sword is different from yours. She is more suited for A Sword from the West. A Sword from the West is not my sword, but you are suited for mine."
’What’s A Sword from the West?’
Qiu Yuehan pulled the door open a crack and peeked inside. Just as she expected, she saw her junior sister.
The two of them didn’t interact much on a daily basis, but they actually understood each other extremely well. After all, they had lived in the same palace for over a decade.
She had never seen her junior sister so close to a man, her face flushed red like a sunset cloud.
"Young Master, you’re not lying to me?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Qiu Yuehan watched in disbelief as her junior sister leaned over and obediently poured tea for the man, looking as if she were overjoyed at the prospect of learning his sword style.
’What kind of bewitching potion did this Old Monster feed my junior sister?!’
"Stop eavesdropping and come in."
A teasing voice spoke beside her ear. Qiu Yuehan’s body went rigid, and even her long, fine hair seemed to tense as it hung down her back.
CREAK.
She pulled the door open.
In the dim candlelight, Qiu Yuehan saw Lu Changyuan, and she also saw Xia Lianxue.
Qiu Yuehan had imagined all sorts of possibilities for her reunion with her junior sister, but she had never once expected to find her late at night in a man’s room.
For a fleeting moment, Qiu Yuehan felt as if she’d been pricked by a needle; otherwise, her body wouldn’t have become so tense.
’How strange.’
’Why is Junior Sister looking at me with such hostility?’
"Senior Sister... why are you here?"
Lu Changyuan cut in, "I called her here."
Xia Lianxue abruptly turned to look at Lu Changyuan. "Young Master, you and Senior Sister have a special way of communicating?"
She had been by Lu Changyuan’s side almost constantly and had never seen him contact Qiu Yuehan.
"Young Master Lu did save my life, after all. Um, I gave him a Communication Sword before."
Qiu Yuehan felt her cheeks flush red.
’But Qiu Yuehan couldn’t possibly tell Xia Lianxue, ’Junior Sister, your Young Master carved a Demon Pattern on me, turning me into his slave, you know.’’
She felt her usually placid state of mind shatter completely, her face burning hot.
But Xia Lianxue, across from her, didn’t seem to notice. Her usually gentle junior sister simply wiped the sword in her hand and said:
"Senior Sister, I apologize for what happened when I had Fallen into Demon. I never truly wanted to kill you."
Qiu Yuehan was stunned for a moment, then she closed the door. "Of course I believe you, Junior Sister. We grew up together, as close as sisters. Besides... something seems off about Hanyi Master."
Xia Lianxue nodded. "Senior Sister, I want to have another match with you. Is that all right?"
The usually gentle Xia Lianxue was now radiating a strong battle intent. Qiu Yuehan never knew her junior sister could be so aggressively sharp.
"A match?"
Qiu Yuehan had no idea what Xia Lianxue was talking about.
Only Lu Changyuan knew.
It was because he had just accidentally said the wrong thing.
After she had finished learning the Autumn Sword and was back in the room making tea for Lu Changyuan, Xia Lianxue had suddenly asked, "Can’t I learn Young Master’s A Sword from the West?"
Lu Changyuan hadn’t thought much of it and had simply replied naturally, "A Sword from the West doesn’t suit you. That sword is too fierce. It would, however, suit your senior sister."
Lu Changyuan had already managed to console the Little Fairy, explaining that she was more suited for his sword. Xia Lianxue had been nodding in agreement, but then, unexpectedly, Qiu Yuehan walked in.
Xia Lianxue had already been thinking about fighting Qiu Yuehan, and now she wanted to even more.
This time, it wasn’t because of any Heart Demon. It was... there was no "it was." She just wanted to have a match with her senior sister in front of the Young Master.