After a Fake Death, the Emotionless Dao Senior Sister Became Obsessed - Chapter 5

The Sword-Forging Cliff sat atop Verdant Peak, the terrain slightly steep, with swirling clouds visible in the distance.

Most disciples had yet to master sword-flight, so morning lessons required personal effort, climbing the stone steps one by one to reach the summit.

A-Qing stood on the tip of a pine branch beside the path, facing the fine, snow-flecked breeze. Her feather color nearly merged with the background. Though unassuming in appearance, her voice was booming: “Hurry—up—or you’ll—be—late!”

“Those who don’t cultivate diligently will go home to sell red, chirp, red pigs!”

A disciple beside her grumbled and turned to a companion, “What is a red pig?”

“Sweet potatoes, probably.” A more senior disciple sighed. “A-Qing is a bird from the Western Regions; a slight accent is normal.”

As she spoke, she skillfully took a small pouch of mixed grains from her sleeve, stood on her toes, and offered it to A-Qing’s beak.

The haughty little bird from the Western Regions strutted a few steps, but showing its lack of principle, immediately buried its head to eat ravenously.

The mountain path enjoyed a moment of peace.

But it was only fleeting.

When a passing disciple occasionally reached out to scratch A-Qing’s fluffy head, the bird stopped eating its grain, raised its beak and pecked, “Coo? Show some respect to your teacher!”

This time, she used a lazy, feminine voice, likely thinking it sounded more authoritative.

Unfortunately, it only made everyone scratch her more enthusiastically.

Shen Susu hadn’t slept well the previous night. Yawning, she lagged at the tail end of the climbing procession.

She heard Yuan Ling beside her turn and quietly ask, “Su-Susu, since entering the sect, have you… have you seen the Master?”

Shen Susu shook her head, indicating she had not. “I’ve only heard A-Qing mention that the Master likes to wear robes the same color as her feathers—raven-blue, maybe?”

She thought for a moment, then laughed and asked back, “You joined a year before me, and you haven’t seen the Master either, Little Senior Sister?”

She was actually a few years older than Yuan Ling, but was accustomed to being cheeky, so the honorary titles slipped out easily.

Sure enough, she saw Yuan Ling’s ear tips turn as red as shrimp, and she fell silent.

Just as Susu was about to tease her further, a warm, smooth, round object was suddenly pressed into her palm.

Shen Susu stared at the egg that had appeared out of nowhere, confused. “Is this for me to eat?” she asked.

Yuan Ling buried her face and shook her head, the light blue collar making her cheeks flush a delicate pink. “N-No…”

She pointed to her own eyes, her tone carrying an almost imperceptible concern. “Cover here. Your… your eyes are so bruised. Did you sneak out last night and get beaten by Senior Disciple Sis… Sister…?”

“…”

Now, Susu’s bruised look extended beyond her eyes.

She suddenly realized she hadn’t looked in the mirror that morning.

And the sheer despair of having faced Yuan Ling just now with a face that looked like it had been scared by a ghost washed over her.

“Thank you.” Shen Susu covered her forehead with the egg to hide her face.

Just then, a few late-sleeping disciples scrambled up the stone steps behind them, breaking the silence.

A sound of the clouds parting reached them. The sky was turning clear after the rain, and a sword imbued with a faint spiritual power streaked through the mist.

The woman was tall and graceful, her sleeves loosely gathered. The radiant morning light plated her in a soft glow. Her features were indistinct, and wind and snow seemed to circle around her.

“Senior… Senior Sister,” Yuan Ling murmured, momentarily stunned. Only then did she react, “We’ll be late!”

“Then why aren’t you running?” Shen Susu pulled Yuan Ling’s wrist.

She casually drew her own sword. With a light smear of her fingertip, spiritual power seeped in, and the sword gently floated up.

She stood on the sword tip, bent down, and smiled at Yuan Ling. “Get on.”

The few unlucky disciples behind them wailed, “Susu, if you can fly a sword, why were you climbing the mountain with us?”

Shen Susu put her arm around Yuan Ling. Her robes flared dramatically, and her voice lifted playfully, “For exercise, of course.”

Though her sword-flight speed was no match for a skilled sword cultivator, she was quick to flee. In a few blinks, they were gone.

The remaining disciples were left on the stone steps, their faces slapped by the cold wind and snow.

“…Senior Sister is right behind us.”

“Can we still be salvaged?”

Si Jing lightly tapped her foot and landed from her sword.

Looking from the back, the heads of the few disciples were huddled together, seemingly discussing something, which reminded her of sparrows chirping around grains of rice.

“Three breaths left until morning lesson begins,” she reminded them.

“Senior Sister, we…” A thin-skinned disciple’s sentence was cut short as she was lifted by the collar from behind, frantically kicking her legs in the air.

“Senior Sister, woo-woo, I was wrong!”

The rest of the group were treated in the same manner, being lifted onto the sword like chicks.

As the cold, biting wind brushed their faces and they felt dizzy and disoriented, they only heard the roar of the wind in their ears. When they opened their eyes again, the summit was right before them.

The Sword-Forging Cliff was tranquil and vast. The new snow had arrived late, and was now silently drifting down.

The pines planted steeply at the edge of the cliff were as green as bamboo, and the young disciples laughed and shouted, full of youthful vigor.

The white-robed woman behind them silently dispelled the protection of her sword. The faded tassel at the hilt faintly showed a scarlet trace, gently swaying with the wind.

“I will not count this as being late.”

She softly spoke, sheathed her sword, and walked toward the crowd. As she passed, a trace of downy feather and fine snow clung to her lashes, quickly melting as she blinked.

It was as if the usually expressionless profound ice had revealed a fleeting sign of vitality.

The pine tree on the steepest part of the Sword-Forging Cliff now dropped its accumulated snow. At its very tip perched a bright yellow-and-pink bird, its feathers fluffed up into a ball.

It was the disciples’ time for stretching and exercise, and Tao Miao, as usual, had been calling out commands. Seeing everyone lazy and unruly, she had been angrily chirping and squawking.

But upon seeing Si Jing, she immediately pecked and groomed her feathers, smoothing herself out, and flew onto the woman’s shoulder.

“A-Jing! Good morning, chirp!”

Si Jing gently touched the bird’s head with her fingertip. “Morning, Miao-Miao.”

Tao Miao shyly burrowed into the woman’s collar, loving the clear, cold scent of melted snow on Si Jing.

Currently, there were not many disciples in Cloudwater Stream, only a little over ten. Most were new initiates from the previous spring, with varied talents, often slackening off.

Tao Miao was both angry, stomping her claws, and uncontrollably delighted.

It was a good thing there were few disciples, and all of them were clumsy. That way, no one would steal her Senior Disciple Sister away from her.

Si Jing cradled the little bird, stepped onto the thin layer of snow with her sword, and walked silently toward the center of the Sword-Forging Cliff.

The disciples were oblivious. Some were dozing, and others were whispering.

“So, are the six ‘Thou Shalt Nots’ of Cloudwater Stream real?”

“Look at the fourth one! The back mountain’s Spirit Spring is available for everyone’s cultivation and foundation building, but if a red light shines there between the hour of Hai (9 PM to 11 PM) and sunrise, you must leave quickly and absolutely must not go near it.”

“Did Huan Liu go to the back mountain last night? Did any of you… see him this morning?”

“Ahem, ahem!” Shen Susu, sharp-eyed, was the first to notice Si Jing.

She pulled Yuan Ling into position, while simultaneously winking and making faces at the gossiping group, trying hard to hint at the danger.

It was too late.

“What are the six ‘Thou Shalt Nots’?” Si Jing stopped right behind the speaker.

Her voice was like ice. The disciple gasped, startled, and covered his mouth in panic.

Turning around, he saw the woman standing silently beside him, her wide, frosted sleeves filled with the mountain wind, her wrist holding the sword delicate as jade. Her expression was neutral, without a hint of blame, and when her obsidian eyes lifted, they reflected the clear color of the cliff stream.

Although the Senior Disciple Sister was known for her gentle and steady nature, facing such a beautiful immortal at close range still made them nervous.

“I-It was written in a storybook!” Someone scratched his ear and came up with a clumsy excuse, rummaging through his sleeve to pull out a crumpled storybook bought from the market down the mountain.

They couldn’t possibly let Senior Disciple Sister worry over a mysteriously circulating piece of yellow paper.

Si Jing glanced at the storybook, then looked around at the crowd.

She faintly recognized Huan Liu’s appearance. That person… was indeed absent.

She frowned slightly but did not press the issue, unwilling to cause a panic.

As usual, she walked over to the sword rack, distributed practice swords one by one according to the disciples’ aptitude, and said, “Begin the daily lesson.”

Chu Zhao awoke from her slumber, tiredly swimming out from the underwater weeds at the bottom of the spring.

Looking up, the sun was clear and bright; it must have been noon.

Since leaving her cave, she always felt she had expended too much energy and was dispirited.

Chu Zhao used her head to nudge the restriction set up at the edge of the spring.

No matter how hard she exerted her demonic power, the barrier remained unmoving, without a single ripple.

It was just like the person who set up this barrier: taciturn and cold, like a block of wood.

“Big idiot! You don’t know how to cherish fragrance or fish!” Chu Zhao was so angry she flipped onto her belly, impatiently flicking her tail and splashing waves of water.

Just as she was sulking, a familiar presence approached. It was Hai Dai and Pang Xie.

The thought of the tender haven in the beauty’s embrace somewhat soothed Chu Zhao’s mood. She turned and swam over excitedly. “Wives, hungry, want to eat mealworms!”

But when the two demons came into view, Chu Zhao’s eyes widened, and she abruptly slammed on the brakes.

Hai Dai’s hair, usually as smooth as seaweed, was withered and abnormally haggard. Pang Xie’s body was no longer plump and white, and faintly gave off a charred smell.

“A-Chu.” Hai Dai burst into tears. As she choked up, small strings of bubbles rose.

“A-Chu, we tried to break the barrier to seek justice for you, but this restriction… is truly malicious to the extreme,” Pang Xie also cried, covering her face.

Chu Zhao was furious. “Did that bad, unromantic beauty injure you two? Once I get out, I’m certainly going to confront her for this!”

How could her wives be bullied by outsiders!

Even if… even if this outsider would later become her new wife, it still wasn’t allowed!

Hai Dai cried piteously, hoping for comfort, and, as always, wanted to embrace Chu Zhao for a moment of affection.

But Chu Zhao glanced at the haggard-looking Hai Dai and silently swam a little further away.

She admitted she was a bad demon; she preferred the beautiful ones.

Hai Dai wailed aloud. Having nowhere to rely, she could only cling to Pang Xie’s claw to vent her emotions.

The atmosphere at the bottom of the water became stagnant.

Chu Zhao closed her gill covers a little guiltily, swimming left and right, trying to stir the water surface a little to break the silence.

Suddenly, at the edge of the spring, a reflection of a sleeve, like sinking ice and snow-white, appeared.

Chu Zhao knew who it was even through the water. Anger surged, and she put all her strength into swimming toward the shore.

Poking her head out of the water, she saw Si Jing standing at the side, looking down at her with a cold, indifferent expression.

Resisting the flutter in her heart, Chu Zhao feigned anger and slapped her tail, splashing water toward her. “Bad immortal cultivator, let me out!”

“Bully me all you want, but don’t bully my wives!”

Si Jing’s gaze briefly paused.

After a moment of silence, as if she wasn’t very good at lying, she said, “I have not seen your wives…”

With that, her gaze slightly focused, noticing the listless seaweed and the dejected crab at the bottom of the water.

These demons… when did they trespass onto Verdant Peak?

Si Jing’s lips slightly pursed, her eyes involuntarily becoming a little colder. She crouched down, wiped her finger across the barrier, and created an opening.

Meeting the small red fish’s round, innocent eyes, she asked, “You summoned these demons to Cloudwater Stream. What is your intention?”

Finding her chance, Chu Zhao forcefully flicked her tail, gathered momentum, and leaped out of the water.

Plop! She crashed into the white-robed woman’s embrace.

She lifted her head, happily flapping her cloud fins first, taking a few sniffs of the air of freedom.

After enjoying it for a while, she belatedly recalled what the beautiful woman in front of her had said and defended herself.

“A-Chu didn’t! It wasn’t A-Chu!”

“Full of lies.” Si Jing lowered her eyes.

Her robe was soaked with water. She frowned slightly, not wanting the demon girl to continue causing trouble, and reached out to grab the slippery, sticky tail of the small red fish.

Chu Zhao had just regained her freedom, so she wasn’t easily caught. She flexibly flicked her tail, darting left and right in the white-robed woman’s arms, and finally simply hid inside the opening of the woman’s collar.

She buried her head and rubbed against it. It was soft and fragrant.

If not for the tightly wrapped undershirt getting in the way, she would have already kissed the beauty.

“…” Si Jing felt a cold and sticky sensation on her neck.

An alarm bell rang internally, but she remained expressionless. Her lips moved slightly as she silently chanted a binding spell, and her fingertip moved toward the fish’s hiding spot.

Sensing danger, Chu Zhao quickly changed position, gathered strength, and leaped out of the woman’s embrace, rolling around in the moist, soft mud by the water’s edge.

Her voice was utterly aggrieved. “Bad immortal cultivator! You wrongly accuse this demon, always bullying this demon!”

Si Jing showed no mercy. A pale, cold spiritual power emanated from her fingertip. The force remained unchanged, still pressing down on Chu Zhao.

The more Chu Zhao thought about it, the angrier she got. She gathered strength and jumped up, opening her wet, soft mouth, holding a surge of demonic power, and bit down hard.

Si Jing’s action paused slightly.

She expressionlessly dispersed the spiritual power, raised her hand to her view, and looked closely.

A circle of sharp teeth marks.

Chu Zhao proudly flicked her tail. “I’m a great demon about to condense a demon core! Now you know how powerful I am!”

Si Jing lowered her gaze, watching her quietly for a moment.

Then, without a word, she closed her fingers.

The pale blue ice silk that had wrapped around Chu Zhao at some unknown point now slowly became visible. It tightened with the woman’s motion, embedding itself deep into the bright scales, binding even the lively, flipping tail tip firmly.

Si Jing slightly lifted her hand, and the small red fish, bound like an ice crystal dumpling and struggling in vain, floated in the air, level with her eyes.

“Let me go!” Chu Zhao thrashed, bared her teeth, and bit the ice silk wrapped around her in anger and shame.

“Bad person! I hate you!”

She hated being bound and restricted the most!

Si Jing ignored her, only tucking her finger, which was marked with the tooth imprints and bleeding a trace of red, back into her sleeve.

“You are not a great demon; you are still far from the Core Condensation stage,” she said in a light voice, gently tapping the small fish’s scarlet forehead with her fingertip.

“If you can join the sect and cultivate properly, your wish might be granted.”

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