After a Fake Death, the Emotionless Dao Senior Sister Became Obsessed - Chapter 3

“You are the ingredient! Your whole family is an ingredient!”

Chu Zhao was furious, flailing even more violently, opening her mouth to bite.

Shen Susu cried out, her face struck by the splashing fish tail. In her haste, she let go.

The small fish, crimson with white spots, bounced onto the desk, got stained with ink, and created a dark, damp shadow on the spread Xuan paper. It then leaped up, gaining momentum mid-air, and soared into a certain light-blue embrace.

Yuan Ling, whose mouth was still agape, stared blankly at the small fish in her arms. She stroked its scales to soothe the ingredient’s emotions, “…Be a good fish.”

Chu Zhao contentedly puffed out her gills, wriggling back and forth in the young girl’s fresh-scented arms.

Suddenly, a shadow fell.

A tightness enveloped her. She struggled in vain, but was snatched up by the tail.

Si Jing withdrew the binding spell, lifting the small fish bundled up like a zongzi. Her eyes were downcast, her emotions unreadable.

“All of you, practice on your own. We will continue reviewing at Sword-Forging Cliff tomorrow.”

After the sight of the snow-white hem of her robe vanished at the door, the others in the outer room twisted their heads and began to quietly confer.

“Do you still remember the six ‘Do Nots’ from Cloud-Water Residence? The ones where dreadful things will happen if you do them.”

Someone looked distraught, “I remember! Where did that mysterious yellow paper that flew into my arms when I entered go? Quick, flip through your Death Hand…”

“The second one: After nightfall on Emerald Peak, absolutely do not let any demon or creature fall within the Senior Disciple Sister’s line of sight.”

Yuan Ling sat in the front row, still maintaining the posture of cradling the small fish, her heart pounding.

It was slippery and shiny, like a piece of clear jade…

It would definitely smell wonderful roasted.

A chicken leg wrapped in oiled paper suddenly landed in her lap.

Shen Susu half-leaned on her desk, her shapely brows raised. She wore the regulation light-blue robe with a hint of rebelliousness and ease, “You’ve been busy drawing talismans just now, are you hungry now? Have a chicken leg.”

Yuan Ling awkwardly hugged her arms, “H-how did you know?”

Shen Susu’s gaze swept ambiguously across Yuan Ling’s chest.

Turning her head, she leaned in slightly, “What other reason could there be? I heard it again.”

Si Jing gathered the small fish into her inner robe, her eyes lowered, threading through the thin, murky clouds between the fading day and approaching night.

Chu Zhao only heard the ethereal sound of the wind by her ear. She was bound tightly all over; even her tail couldn’t move an inch. Only her head could swivel around.

Is this Cloud-Water Residence?

Snow covered the green mountains, frost clouds dispersed, and a twilight bell chimed in the distance, startling flocks of birds. The atmosphere was quiet and solemn.

Everything in sight was white, but the snowflakes that landed on her face weren’t cold, merely light, like soft down.

“Where are we going?” Chu Zhao nibbled on Si Jing’s collar, “Ah Chu is tired and wants to sleep.”

Ever since she went limp in the beautiful woman’s palm and secreted that sticky substance, she felt constantly drowsy and yearned for the luxurious clam shell bed in her cave-dwelling.

And Hai Dai, Pang Xie, and Shan Hu.

It would be even better if she could sleep wrapped around the beautiful woman.

Si Jing remained silent, merely pressing the small red fish back down as it tried to poke its head out.

Chu Zhao was buried in a soft expanse.

The woman carried a light, faint scent of lotus leaves, cool and refreshing, reminding her of the large water-pothole covered in flourishing pink lotus flowers in the summer.

Her cave-dwelling was named “The Large Water-Pothole.”

She wasn’t refined. The small shrimp and crabs she recruited salvaged a few scattered human-world poetry scrolls from the water surface. Piecing them together, they tremblingly offered names for the dwelling—”Hidden Crimson Pearl,” “Lotus Flower Pond.”

Chu Zhao shook her head, “Not good.”

So, she turned and named her abode “The Large Water-Pothole.”

She was even too lazy to take human form, spending her days pompously patrolling her claimed territory, enjoying playing in the waves. At sunrise, she would sip the morning dew from lotus tips, and at sunset, she would use a lotus petal as a pillow and sleep on the water.

A hundred years flowed by. She didn’t know how many dynastic eras had changed in the human world, but she had accumulated a considerable amount of cultivation and demonic power.

But now…

Chu Zhao angrily tried to bite the spiritual-power woven ropes wrapped around her, yet she couldn’t break free even after a long time.

“We’ve arrived,” Si Jing spoke softly, her voice like ice.

Even without emotional fluctuations, the two words sounded pleasant, striking lightly at the heart.

“You will stay here tonight and reflect properly. Someone will escort you down the mountain tomorrow.”

This was a secluded forbidden area on the back mountain, not far from Sword-Forging Cliff. The scenery was quiet and serene, and the colossal stones at the four corners of the pool wall were inscribed with barrier spells that had a deterrent effect on demons and monsters.

The snow-robed woman’s fingertip lightly brushed the rope, which snapped instantly. The scarlet small fish plop-ped and fell into the water pool.

“No, no!” Chu Zhao leaped out of the water, splashing frantically, “Ah Chu is hungry! I want mealworms! I want roasted potatoes!”

After speaking, she realized something and guiltily curled her belly in.

She had just eaten several Essence-Nourishing Pills, so she actually had no appetite at all.

Si Jing tilted her head, seemingly contemplating.

She never had a desire for food, and there was only one edible item on her person.

Chu Zhao craned her neck in anticipation, and sure enough, she saw the woman chant a spell to open her storage bag, reaching for the small wooden box containing the Essence-Nourishing Pills.

Upon opening it, the pills were gone, replaced by rows of crystal-clear pearls.

Chu Zhao swam back and forth triumphantly, her tail flicking up small splashes of water, “This is a betrothal gift!”

She bit the hem of Si Jing’s robe, which was dangling near the water, pulling it down to signal her to squat down. She then nudged the round pearls and beautiful seashells toward her arms one by one.

The slippery small fish bit onto a pearl, placing it in Si Jing’s palm, then went to nudge another one nearby, extremely busy.

Si Jing’s hand closed slightly. The small fish was caught off guard, trapped in her palm along with the seashells.

“What is a betrothal gift?” she asked softly.

The beautiful woman is silly; she doesn’t even know what a betrothal gift is, yet she took the bridal sedan chair earlier. All her effort in dressing up meticulously was wasted.

Chu Zhao rubbed against the lines on her palm, “It’s a gift for the bride! It must be shiny and heavy!”

Si Jing remained silent, letting the small fish busy itself.

Various beautiful small stones and seashells piled up, making her palm increasingly heavy.

“Did you fall in love with me?” Chu Zhao was panting from exhaustion, rubbing her fingertips.

Logically, having accepted her gift, the beautiful woman should be pleasantly surprised, blush bashfully, and lean in to kiss her, just like Hai Dai and Pang Xie.

Or…

The tip of Chu Zhao’s tail felt a little weak. Instinctively, she exposed her belly, feeling somewhat empty.

She still wanted the beautiful woman to rub her.

Si Jing rose. By now, the sky was completely dark. The fish’s shimmering light in the water reflected on her beautiful, delicate face. Her fair hand held the pearls, and she stood quietly with her sleeves folded. Her robe was like snow, her posture graceful and otherworldly.

Chu Zhao looked up, her cheeks flushing hot.

The woman looked up, plucked a broad leaf, gathered the pearls into a handful, and placed them by the water.

“I also don’t know what love is,” her expression was serene, her voice like cold mist, mixed with a hint of extreme confusion.

“Are pearls and seashells used to sharpen swords?”

Chu Zhao, who was half-flipped onto her back, almost couldn’t flip back.

She retrieved all her precious collections, her gills puffed up in anger, and her soft scarlet fins flailed in exasperation.

Stupid human!

Seeing the small fish dart to the bottom of the water and not return, Si Jing stood by the water for a moment before leaving on her own.

It truly is a demon—fickle and unpredictable.

As she flew back to her quarters on her sword, she kept having the lingering feeling of something wet and tender remaining on her palm.

She subtly lowered her eyes.

Clutched in her palm was a slightly smaller pearl, the one the small fish had first held in its mouth.

Si Jing examined it briefly in the hazy moonlight.

The pearl had small flaws in places and wasn’t perfectly round. It was cool to the touch, yet it easily brought back the memory of the small fish bumping into her palm.

She tapped her foot on the sword, silently flying back to her residence.

The restricted area on the back mountain was remote, and it would take a while to get there. Moreover, the path was complex and difficult to discern; she had gotten lost here before.

The silent moonlight climbed the pine branches. A cold crow was perched with its feet tucked in a branch. She had lingered for a moment just now, and it was now deep night.

Amidst the swirling thin mist, her carried sword suddenly paused.

Si Jing pursed her lips and looked around. Weeds grew profusely, and the scenery was unfamiliar.

Where… is this place?

Shen Susu snuck out of her quarters in the middle of the night.

She had been a light sleeper since childhood and had eaten too much before bed, so she decided not to sleep at all. She grabbed her sword and headed to the deserted plaza.

Her original intention was to lean against the academic hall’s entrance, drink and enjoy the moon, and if the mood struck, practice her sword for a bit, aiming to stun everyone in the inner-sect assessment half a month later.

That’ll certainly make them feel the pressure!

Shen Susu held the Pear Blossom White wine she had pilfered from the back kitchen, sipping contentedly, her face flushed with red. She chuckled foolishly, having thought of something.

A grey-blue pigeon landed on the flying eave in front of the hall. Its dark, sharp beak was holding a few pieces of a yellowish item.

It slowly chewed and swallowed the crispy potato, its wet, round eyes blinking a few times in the darkness. Suddenly, it opened its mouth noisily, “Little brat not sleeping… huh? How can you not sleep at this age…”

Shen Susu rubbed her ears. Driven by her drunkenness, she fumbled for a small stone and threw it toward the corner of the eaves, “Be quiet, A Qing.”

The fluffy pigeon fluttered its wings a few times, dodging the attack, “A demon entered Emerald Peak, and the Senior Disciple Sister saw it! Dreadful, dreadful, the six ‘Do Nots,’ aren’t you afraid?”

“Aren’t you a demon?” Shen Susu bit her lip, “Though you were raised by Master.”

No one knew that the only daughter of the Shen family, a sword cultivator lineage in Xizhou, who appeared bold and carefree, was actually terrified of ghosts.

The grey-blue pigeon puffed out its chest, “I’m about to take human form! About to take human form! Hui-hui~”

Shen Susu covered her head in despair, “Stop learning all that random stuff from the parrot in your cage, alright?”

She really didn’t want to hear the Senior Disciple Sister’s voice coming out of A Qing’s beak one day.

As she spoke, she sobered up a little, but not completely.

She opened her hazy eyes and looked up at the roof. The pigeon was gone. In its place, an ordinary-looking carried sword was hovering above her head.

The sword was empty, with only the cool night wind blowing past her face.

Shen Susu shivered, suddenly realizing someone was standing quietly behind her right side. Black hair obscured her side profile, and she had no presence whatsoever, just like the wronged ghost who fell into a well in folktales.

Did A Qing take human form just by saying it? Or was that small, flailing fish sacrificed by the Senior Disciple Sister?

“A Qing?” She didn’t dare turn her head, attempting to call out.

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed, as if licked by a cold, wet creature.

Shen Susu screamed as if struck by lightning and collapsed limply.

Si Jing gently held the girl in her arms, her long, soft eyelashes lowered. She tilted her head, quietly listening to her breathing.

Only after a few breaths did she release Shen Susu’s wrist, “She is merely drunk.”

A Qing peeked its head out from the rooftop, “Young people are great, they just fall right to sleep!”

Si Jing glanced at her, “Don’t use Master’s voice.”

She silently put away her sword. Her face was cold in the thin moonlight, standing alone. Her dark-jade eyes scanned the surroundings.

After a long moment, she looked up and asked, “A Qing.”

“Do you know… where my quarters are?”

Goo-goo got her feathers plucked, goo-goo is wronged.

A Qing clutched her newly injured wing, resentfully holding a bag of crispy potatoes, and flew towards the back mountain’s restricted area.

She just couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and before she could even react, the sword energy had shaved off the beautiful tail feathers she had just grown.

She still remembered the beautiful woman picking up her feather, a light blue glow passing over her fingertip, actually using the feather to engrave a guiding talisman.

Pigeons are accustomed to never looking back. She hated being a guide for humans more than anything!

…But in the end, she still had to run errands for the Senior Disciple Sister.

A Qing held the bag opening in her beak, gnawing and pecking in annoyance.

She kept being told to go to the back mountain’s restricted area to feed a hungry demon. Who exactly is in the back mountain?

It wasn’t until she flew onto a tall branch near the back mountain water pool that she unexpectedly caught sight of a bright splash of color, and her eyes instantly widened.

Vivid yellow feathers were fluffy like clouds, pink down adorned her chest, and her tender red claws grasped the tree branch. She tilted her head, assessing the water surface, and her round, blunt beak opened and closed slightly.

A Qing’s ear feathers felt warm. She fluttered over with the roasted potatoes, shyly pressing against the other bird, “Miao-miao.”

Tao Miao didn’t pay her any mind.

She stared at the water, anxiously flapping her wings a few times, almost knocking A Qing off the slender branch.

A Qing followed her gaze and saw a small red fish swimming in the water pool, its scales gleaming brightly, illuminating the surroundings.

The fish was currently wagging its tail haughtily, its soft, wet mouth forming a circle, blowing a string of bubbles in provocation.

“Roasted mealworms are the best thing in the world, you tasteless, miscellaneous bird!”

Tao Miao stomped her claws, “Roasted potatoes! The meaning of bird life is to get some roasted potatoes from the back kitchen!”

Chu Zhao leisurely swam several laps. She was already tired of hearing the jumpy yellow bird repeat the same sentence; she couldn’t out-argue her at all.

I won’t stoop to the level of a silly bird.

Just then, ripples spread across the water surface.

Chu Zhao was drawn to it. She flicked her tail and swam over, peering through the vortex.

A deep orange crab and a clump of light green seaweed slowly emerged in the center of the ripples—it was Pang Xie and Hai Dai.

The moment Pang Xie saw Chu Zhao, she opened her crab claws and embraced the small fish swimming toward her.

“Ah Chu, Hai Dai and I finally found you! Is your quest to repay the debt going smoothly?” her voice was soft and gentle.

Hai Dai wrapped around Chu Zhao, smoothing her scales, “Shan Hu used some means to escort us here. Ah Chu, you’ve gotten thinner. Have some food.”

Although a fish demon wouldn’t cry, Chu Zhao felt a warmth in her eyes.

The roasted mealworms were soaked in water and were no longer crunchy, but she still ate a lot.

“Why didn’t Shan Hu come?” she asked as she ate, still thinking of her newest favored beauty.

Pang Xie, “We don’t often see her in the cave-dwelling either. She should be traveling around lately, looking for a way to save Ah Chu.”

“Yay!” Chu Zhao’s cheeks were puffed up from eating, and she joyfully wagged her tail.

Her wives all loved her so much.

Immersed in the beautiful women’s gentle embrace, she hugged them left and right, kissed this one, rubbed that one, thoroughly delighted.

She completely ignored Tao Miao on the distant branch, who was so annoyed she was almost hopping.

Hearing the noisy, sour bird calls, Chu Zhao lazily looked up and lightly scoffed, “I have wives who traveled a thousand miles to find me and feed me. Do you?”

Tao Miao was silent, “…”

Suddenly, a warm, bright-yellow roasted potato was held out to her beak.

Tao Miao had intended to continue her barrage of curses, but she opened her beak inadvertently and took a bite of the potato.

She turned her head and met A Qing’s bashful, round bird eyes staring straight at her. Her whole body stiffened, and her feathers stood on end.

After a long pause, she finally managed to blurt out: “…Not, Pigeon-friends?”

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