After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 121

Cliff Mountain.

The demonic tide had receded. It should have been a time for cheers and celebration, yet on the precipice of the broken cliff, there was a deathly silence.

All eyes were silently directed towards one spot—

Beneath the Cliff Mountain array, a person was kneeling.

That person, dressed in the uniform of a Sword Sect disciple, knelt with robes spread on the ground, tightly holding the person in their arms.

Zhou Zhixue knelt on the ground, her robes gradually stained a harsh, dazzling red.

A large empty space surrounded her.

There was silence all around; no one dared to step forward and pull her up.

“Senior Sister…”

Zhou Zhixue looked intently at the sleeping person in her embrace, her fingertips gently wiping away the blood that had inadvertently splashed onto that face. She softly coaxed: “Senior Sister, how about not sleeping anymore?”

“I’ll take you home. We’ll return to Hidden Snow Peak and make your favorite pastries.”

“Didn’t you say the chestnuts were delicious yesterday? Shall we go buy some again today, alright?”

She cleaned the bloodstains off the person, stroke after stroke, her voice soft, her eyes focused, as if performing an extremely important task.

Those beside her couldn’t bear to watch.

Finally, one person could no longer stand it and stepped forward: “Junior Sister, please be clear-headed, Senior Sister, she, she has already…”

“Already ascended to immortality!”

His voice was choked with sobs at the end.

It was only then that everyone suddenly realized that their Senior Sister, who had always been the most protective and approachable, would never return after today.

Low sobs sounded among the surrounding fellow disciples.

Zhou Zhixue seemed oblivious, not even raising her head, still gently embracing the person in her arms.

All sounds around her failed to reach her ears; at this moment, there was only one person in her eyes.

“Junior Sister, please calm down first.” Xie Su, a fellow disciple of the same lineage, shed tears, his voice choked, “We will avenge Senior Sister. We will seek out the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple and ask them to perform a mass for her.”

“Junior Sister, listen to your Senior Brother, please put Senior Sister down, alright?”

With that, he walked forward, trying to help Zhou Zhixue up.

Unexpectedly, the change happened in that very instant!

Before he could even touch the hem of Zhou Zhixue’s robe,

“Don’t come near—!”

A cold flash of light slashed towards Xie Su’s fingertips. The sword light was sharp and merciless, frightening him into retreating repeatedly.

When he looked up at Zhou Zhixue again, he saw her cinnabar mole on her brow was crimson, her eyes were dead silent, and her face was devoid of expression.

She held the Chang Le sword in one hand, blocking her front, refusing everyone’s approach.

“You!”

Xie Su, having dodged the sword, felt lingering fear. He was somewhat annoyed and was about to speak, but the next moment, when his eyes met Zhou Zhixue’s expression, all his words caught in his throat.

There were clearly two lines of clear tears on her face.

“Junior Sister…”

Although he didn’t interact much with this famous Sword Sect Junior Sister on a daily basis, they were still of the same lineage. How could Xie Su bear to criticize her too much? But in this situation, how was he supposed to choose?!

Zhou Zhixue ignored him. Seeing that he wasn’t stepping forward anymore, she put away her sword and continued to kneel where she was, patiently and meticulously tending to her Senior Sister.

“Senior Sister, don’t be afraid. A Xue is here. A Xue will take you home now.”

Zhou Zhixue murmured, then took off her own cloak, carefully wrapping the person in warmth. Only then did she stand up and steadily pick up the person. Under countless gazes, she walked, step by step, down Cliff Mountain.

“…”

Xie Su watched Zhou Zhixue’s figure gradually disappear into the wind and snow, and couldn’t help but mutter a sentence to himself.

But his voice was too soft, and the wind and snow were too heavy, so no one heard what he had said.

“Senior Brother, what did you just say?” Hu Yu turned and asked him.

Xie Su snapped out of his daze, and finally, his lips moved a few times, “Nothing.”

Forget it. What good was it to say anything else now that things had come to this?

He composed himself, reassuming the role of the Sword Sect Senior Brother:

“The demonic tide has been repelled. All Sword Sect disciples, quickly assemble.”

Senior Sister was gone, and the Sword Sect was about to face new turmoil. He had to take control of the situation and try his best to prevent things from getting too bad.

Xie Su took a signal flare from his embrace and launched it into the sky.

“Announce to all Sword Sect disciples: the demonic tide has retreated. All disciples are to return to the Sect immediately, without delay!”

The symbol of the Sword Sect lit up in various places. His voice, accompanied by the signal flare, spread out. Before long, beams of sword light lit up in different locations, and then sped towards the direction of the Sword Sect.

Cliff Mountain once again returned to silence.

It wasn’t until three days later, by the unnoticed broken cliff, that a small, inconspicuous mound of earth suddenly moved.

Ten days later.

Sword Sect.

The towering Sword Sect, a chasm within reach.

“Get out of the way!”

“Dare to stop me again, and don’t blame my sword for being merciless!”

Below the steps of the Soul Lamp Pavilion, Zhou Zhixue held the Chang Le sword, confronting the crowd on the steps.

The surrounding disciples were on alert, while the Elders watched Zhou Zhixue, whispering amongst themselves, discussing something unknown.

A crowd of Elders and disciples surrounded her, cutting off all avenues of exit, trapping her in this small area.

Although her face was pale, her aura was sharp and aggressive, suggesting that if the crowd didn’t let her in, she would force her way in with her sword.

The disciples guarding the Soul Lamp Pavilion looked nervous, all holding their swords in front of them. The person before them was notoriously a cold-hearted killing god; could they really stop her?

Just as Zhou Zhixue was ascending the steps one by one, and the disciples were retreating step by step, an Elder couldn’t help but burst into an angry reprimand: “You enjoyed the nurturing of the Sword Sect but show no thought of repayment, and now you want to make trouble, practically bringing shame upon the Sword Sect!”

“Crying over a dead person, disregarding the dignity of the Sword Sect! A disciple as ungrateful as you should have your cultivation abolished and immortal bone stripped! You should be expelled from the Sword Sect and never accepted again!”

He spoke with righteous indignation, but the moment Zhou Zhixue looked towards him upon hearing the words, that Elder seemed like a chicken whose neck had been wrung, his face flushed, unable to utter another word.

Zhou Zhixue’s eyes narrowed slightly, watching the insolent Elder’s face swell purple, almost unable to breathe.

The surrounding Elders dared not express their anger but didn’t speak.

The reason was simple: the person before them was no longer the child who they could manipulate years ago. The Zhou Zhixue standing before them now was the greatest sword cultivator in the entire Xuan Tian Realm, who had achieved the Celestial Realm within a hundred years.

Glancing around at the surrounding Elders and disciples, Zhou Zhixue spoke: “May I ask the Elders, and fellow disciples, has Zhou Zhixue ever done anything that violates the Sect’s rules?”

“Zhixue admits to being less than talented, but since cultivating the Dao, she has always been diligent and never slacked off. Now that Senior Sister has passed, Zhixue only wishes to do something for her. Is even this forbidden?”

Xie Su rushed over. He stood at the forefront of the Elders, his expression ambiguous and complicated. He looked at the haggard Zhou Zhixue, and although his heart ached, he hardened his resolve and said: “Junior Sister, you must wake up.”

“Senior Sister’s passing. I know you are heartbroken, but must we, as Senior and Junior siblings, create a rift and break ties because of this?”

Zhou Zhixue’s eyes showed disappointment after hearing Xie Su’s words.

“May I ask Senior Brother, during the battle at Cliff Mountain, Senior Sister sacrificed herself to block a fatal blow for me. I wish to avenge her. Does this violate the Sect’s regulations?”

Xie Su looked at her, his brows furrowed, and after a moment, he replied softly: “…It does not.”

“Then Zhixue asks again, Senior Sister was a Sword Sect disciple, and I am her Junior Sister. After her passing, I wish to gather her soul and perform a mass for her. Does this violate the Sect’s regulations?”

Xie Su replied again: “It does not.”

Zhou Zhixue’s long sword flashed with cold light. She took a step forward, the blade pointing directly at Xie Su:

“Then I ask Senior Brother again, we are fellow disciples. Since I have not violated the Sect’s regulations, what is the purpose of this display today?!”

“If Senior Brother and the Elders still believe that I have brought shame to the Sword Sect, you may expel me from the sect. Zhixue will not harbor a single word of resentment!”

Zhou Zhixue spoke resonantly, every word forceful.

After her voice fell, silence reigned all around.

Xie Su was silent.

He looked at this Junior Sister, with whom he didn’t have much interaction but who was already renowned throughout the Sword Sect. Then, thinking of the Senior Sister who had perished at Cliff Mountain a few days ago, his throat constricted, and his eyes welled up.

“Junior Sister…”

More than ten days had passed since the battle at Cliff Mountain ended.

The news of the Sword Sect’s “Sword Wielder” dying could not be concealed and spread throughout the Xuan Tian Realm overnight.

The Sword Sect was without a leader, and the disciples were restless.

The Elders instructed him to take over Qin Qingyi’s position as acting Sect Master. He spent some effort to barely stabilize the Sect.

He finally understood why Senior Sister always complained and didn’t want to be the Sect Master.

Someone as unrestrained and unconventional as Senior Sister shouldn’t be constrained by sectarian trivialities.

But now, things had changed, and he had no one to share his thoughts with.

Hu Yu pushed through the disciples and, ignoring the disapproving looks of the surrounding Elders, walked slowly to Xie Su.

He had arrived late upon learning of the situation here and now standing forward, he only hoped to make amends.

Master had ascended, Senior Sister had passed away; they, the three Senior and Junior siblings… could no longer be estranged.

Some Elders glared angrily at him.

Hu Yu knew but didn’t much care. These people were trying to control Xie Su just as they had controlled the previous Sect Masters. Senior Sister was the only exception, but her lack of control had also angered them.

Now, they had chosen Senior Brother.

He wasn’t a fool. Two days ago, Senior Brother was called away by those Elders and emerged looking utterly distraught. He knew that Senior Brother must have sacrificed something to protect him and Junior Sister.

Master’s ascension, Senior Sister’s passing. Having reached this point, Hidden Snow Peak was precarious.

“Senior Brother,” Hu Yu spoke in a low voice.

“Just let Junior Sister in.”

Xie Su understood his words. He looked at this Junior Brother who usually disliked leaving seclusion, and surprisingly saw a trace of pity in him.

Pity for him.

Indeed, Xie Su felt a little melancholy.

Wasn’t he, being controlled by these old fogeys, deserving of pity?

He turned to look at Zhou Zhixue. The former Sword Sect genius was now surrounded by many Sword Sect disciples as if an enemy, her white robes stained with blood, like a reed in the wind. She was the Junior Sister cherished by Senior Sister, the Junior Sister spoiled growing up on Hidden Snow Peak.

Now, they were standing on opposing sides.

Xie Su’s heart ached. After a long moment, he seemed to be relieved and waved his hand at the crowd: “Enough, disperse, let her in.”

An Elder tried to intervene, but Xie Su blocked him with a flick of his sleeve: “I am the Sect Master of the Sword Sect now. Do the Elders wish to defy the Sect Master’s order?”

His words were imbued with spiritual power, and his aura was sharp, momentarily freezing the Elders in place.

Not only him, but even Hu Yu, who had only spoken a single sentence from beginning to end, silently drew his sword. The two protected Zhou Zhixue, and although they did not speak, their strength, which far surpassed others, had already declared a truth to the crowd:

Today, no one was going to stop them.

After a moment of stalemate, the Elders looked resentful but finally took a step back, clearing a path for the three of them.

Seeing this, Xie Su’s tightly strung shoulders relaxed slightly. He even heard Hu Yu beside him let out a soft sigh of relief.

The three pushed open the heavy door of the Soul Lamp Pavilion.

Behind the massive door was pitch darkness. The three walked in until Xie Su took out the Sect Master’s token. The surrounding candles suddenly lit up, illuminating the path ahead.

Zhou Zhixue glanced at him.

“Only the Sect Master’s token can open this place,” Xie Su explained.

Zhou Zhixue lowered her gaze, saying nothing.

Passing by Zhou Zhixue, Xie Su paused slightly. Whether out of guilt towards her or some other emotion, he reached out and patted Zhou Zhixue’s shoulder, saying softly:

“I apologize. The other day… I didn’t control myself.”

Zhou Zhixue naturally knew what he was referring to: his previous reprimand, fueled by the Elders’ words, asserting that she was acting outrageously and shaming the Sword Sect.

But she didn’t care about these things.

“Junior Sister has never resented Senior Brother.”

Xie Su looked at her deeply, and after a moment, lowered his head again: “Let’s go. I know you won’t believe it until you see it with your own eyes.”

Following behind Xie Su, Zhou Zhixue’s face was strained. They proceeded unimpeded until they reached the area where the soul lamps of the Hidden Snow Peak disciples were placed.

She looked up, searching for the soul lamp belonging to Qin Qingyi.

Until—

Her gaze settled on a soul lamp that had been extinguished for an unknown amount of time.

Upon clearly seeing the name to which the soul lamp belonged, Zhou Zhixue looked as if all her spirit and energy had been drained, her long sword slipped from her grasp, and she slumped powerlessly to the ground.

Extinguished.

Senior Sister’s soul lamp had extinguished.