After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 19

After turning a corner, the previously somewhat narrow road suddenly widened, and the people around them dispersed a bit.

“Ahead is where today’s Talisman Class is held,” Qin Qingyi said.

Hearing her, Zhou Zhixue looked up in the direction she pointed. With just a glance, her eyes burst with an astonished glow.

“So beautiful!” she exclaimed.

Her exclamation was much like a country bumpkin seeing novelties for the first time upon entering a city. The surrounding people who heard it turned their attention to her, and after seeing it was a young disciple, they all let out a collective, good-natured burst of laughter a moment later.

Zhou Zhixue’s face turned red amidst the laughter, and she slowly buried her head.

Seeing her reaction, Qin Qingyi couldn’t help but laugh along with the others.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Everyone has a reaction like yours the first time they come here.”

This did nothing to comfort Zhou Zhixue. She was so ashamed that she stopped walking, turned around, hugged Qin Qingyi’s thigh, and whimpered, refusing to move.

Helplessly, Qin Qingyi picked her up. “Alright, let’s go to class. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late.”

With her view suddenly broadened, Zhou Zhixue leaned on her shoulder and finally got a clear look at the sight that had made her exclaim.

It was none other than the location of the Talisman Class.

It was a large, suspended area. The central banyan tree was raised and suspended in mid-air, with many drooping branches surrounding the floating space, forming individual seats. The surroundings were created with illusionary talismans—celestial platforms, spiritual trees, babbling brooks, and ethereal music.

It looked completely different from yesterday’s sword skills class.

In truth, Qin Qingyi was right; every disciple had the same reaction the first time they attended the Talisman Class.

Everyone was amazed by the class’s unique environment and its even more unique method of instruction.

She flew straight across with Zhou Zhixue in her arms, found her spot, and settled the girl down.

In the small, floating space, Zhou Zhixue stood steady, curiously touching and examining her surroundings.

Dong—

The sound of a bell, like the ethereal music of distant celestial mountains, chimed three times. Before Zhou Zhixue could react to its meaning, she saw the previously relaxed disciples around her all straighten their faces, quickly find their seats, and sit down.

Zhou Zhixue copied them and sat. She was about to ask what was going on when she heard Qin Qingyi quietly explain, “The Elder teaching the Talisman Class is about to arrive. He has a bad temper, so don’t get caught making a mistake.”

Hearing this, Zhou Zhixue instantly held her breath and sat up straight, not daring to look around anymore.

Sure enough, after the long bell sound faded, a middle-aged man with a refined, immortal air floated into the area. Accompanying him was a task that appeared before every disciple.

“Successfully draw a Tier-Earth Blasting Talisman within one ke [about 15 minutes].”

Water-ripple patterns of text appeared before the disciples along with the Elder’s voice. As his voice fell, the words dissipated into vapor.

The middle-aged man stopped by the banyan tree and gently waved his hand, causing an incense burner to appear beside him. The stick of incense in the burner was already lit. Stroking the beard on his chin, he reminded them again, “When the incense burns out, this Venerable One will personally inspect your assignments. This Blasting Talisman was the homework left at the end of the last class. If you cannot complete it…”

The surrounding disciples all stiffened their backs, their expressions solemn, some even nervously gulping.

“Oh no, who angered the old man again?”

“He’s giving us a hard time right when class starts. I bet if we can’t finish, we’ll have to retake it.”

The disciples complained in whispers. Zhou Zhixue, attending the class for the first time, was also too frightened to speak.

Hearing the chatter, the Talisman Elder’s face grew darker. He let out a cold “Hmph” and his gaze swept the room. When the room fell silent, he flicked his sleeve, sat down, and a chilling warning spread throughout the area:

“If you fail to complete it, you need not come to the next class.”

With the rule established, the stick of incense began to burn down segment by segment. Time was tight. Many disciples held their breath, placed their talisman paper before them, channeled their spiritual power, and began to draw.

“This old man, scaring people with the same threat again.”

Among the many disciples diligently writing, only Qin Qingyi tossed her talisman paper onto the desk, spread her hands, and loudly grumbled.

This comment startled Zhou Zhixue, who turned her head sharply. She stared at her Senior Sister—the one who had just reminded her to be cautious—suddenly saying something so shocking.

Is it really… okay to openly talk back to an Elder like this?

Not far away, Hu Yu couldn’t hold back his laughter, letting out a “Pfft.”

His nature was already lively, and with him leading the way, the people around him, though they didn’t speak, also couldn’t help but smile.

Qin Qingyi hadn’t deliberately lowered her voice, which meant not only the surrounding disciples heard her, but also Elder Chen, the instructor, heard it himself.

When his icy gaze swept over, the disciples who had been chuckling immediately bowed their heads like quails, picking up their talisman paper obediently, pretending to focus on their drawing.

But Qin Qingyi remained self-possessed. She neither started drawing like the others nor became reserved under the Elder’s scrutiny.

“Elder Chen, there’s no need for this disciple to draw this talisman again today, is there?” Qin Qingyi asked loudly, looking at the Elder who was staring back. Her voice was clear and carried a hint of a smile.

She was habitually cheerful, always looking lazy with a smiling face. Zhou Zhixue looked up at the slight curve of her lips. She recalled that day when she was still somewhat delirious, her nominal Senior Sister had managed to provoke her and was smiling even when she was forced to flee in a pathetic state.

Elder Chen looked at her with a dark expression and a complicated look in his eyes. He was clearly angry and seemed to want to say something, but in the end, his voice was gentle: “Qin Qingyi, a disciple of Hidden Snow Peak, is exempt from the assessment.”

As soon as he spoke, a wave of whispers immediately erupted.

Some new disciples who didn’t recognize her were both curious and envious of her special privilege, leading to a surge of discussion.

“How can she be exempt from the assessment?”

“Since when is Elder Chen so lenient?”

“Does she have some kind of backing? We’ve never seen her around, so how does she get out of the assessment?”

The voices of the people around them all drifted into Zhou Zhixue’s ears, and she was equally curious.

“Your Senior Sister here already learned all this right after I first entered the sect. And today, I specifically came to escort you to class, so there’s no need to relearn it.”

Just as Zhou Zhixue was staring down, studying her talisman paper, Qin Qingyi’s voice reached her ears.

She turned her head and looked at Qin Qingyi with wide eyes, only to find that the other girl’s eyes were closed and her lips hadn’t moved.

It’s a voice transmission!

Zhou Zhixue’s eyes lit up.

How amazing!

Perhaps sensing her movement, Qin Qingyi opened one eye and winked at her.

Hu Yu looked over with an envious gaze. “I really envy Senior Sister. When can I be like her, attending the classes I want and skipping the ones I don’t?”

Xie Su poured cold water on him. “You’d have to first break Senior Sister’s record. Otherwise, stop dreaming.”

Hu Yu grumbled sourly but didn’t argue.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhixue became curious again and simply asked, “What record?”

Xie Su drew his talisman while explaining without looking up, “You’ve just arrived, so you don’t know. When the two of us first joined the sect, Senior Sister immediately completed all the highest-level assignments left by all the teaching Elders in one go. Then, she got enough credits and graduated early.”

“Senior Sister is so incredible!” Zhou Zhixue exclaimed quietly.

Xie Su and Hu Yu wholeheartedly agreed, both concurring, “Senior Sister is a genius.”

Listening to their praise, the resting Qin Qingyi smugly raised an eyebrow. She opened one eye, looked at Zhou Zhixue, and offered a perfunctory comfort, “No need to envy me too much. As a disciple of Hidden Snow Peak, you’ll be a genius like me someday.”

She leisurely clasped her hands behind her back, enjoying the moment of adoration from Zhou Zhixue.

“It’s just that I don’t know why, but Senior Sister’s cultivation has stalled ever since she entered the Golden Core realm a few years ago. Even now, she’s still just a small Golden Core stage cultivator.”

Xie Su was tired from drawing his talisman, looked up, and suddenly sighed this sentiment. As he finished, he let out a long breath and bent his head to continue drawing.

Hearing this, Qin Qingyi glared at him, annoyed. Did he really need to mention that? If he wanted to praise her, the first half of the sentence was enough; he didn’t need to add the last part!