After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 2

It was the second month of spring, and the sunlight was dazzling.

Venerable Wen Qing concluded her journey just as the peach blossoms on Cangxue Peak were at their fullest.

She returned to Cangxue Peak, bringing with her a half-grown child.

But the moment she pushed the door open and stepped inside, she saw a pile of peach petals lazily swept and gathered against the base of the wall.

Clearly, the person responsible for the sweeping had not been diligent.

Venerable Wen Qing didn’t need to think twice to know who was on duty that day.

“Thud—”

Before she could even look for the person, a sound came from within the peach grove, like something had fallen to the ground.

Venerable Wen Qing sighed lightly and gently said to the person beside her, “Please wait for me for a moment.”

With that, she walked over herself and picked up the sword that had fallen into the pile of blossoms.

A sword tassel, which she had personally made, was still attached to the hilt. Venerable Wen Qing tenderly stroked it, then looked up at the peach tree branches with a hint of reproach.

“Qingyi, why are you drinking wine again?”

Dangling on the branch was a small, reeking fox, its fiery red fur glossy and bright. The plump little thing was slumped on a cluster of peach blossoms. When a petal gently drifted onto the tip of its ear, the fox belatedly shook its head, trying to dislodge the annoying blossom.

Seeing Venerable Wen Qing approach, the fox, whose eyes were still blurred by the alcohol, stretched out a tiny paw, trying to catch the image of Venerable Wen Qing, which had tripled before its eyes.

“There are three Masters…”

Unfortunately, it missed the catch and tumbled from the branch, landing squarely in the arms of Venerable Wen Qing beneath the tree.

She was utterly and completely drunk.

Venerable Wen Qing shook her head and had no choice but to use a spell to dispel the alcohol fumes from the little fox, watching as the drunkenness faded away.

“Master, you’re back.”

Qin Qingyi lightly jumped down from Venerable Wen Qing’s embrace. After transforming into her human form, she leaned bonelessly against the peach tree, still looking half-asleep. She yawned twice in the time it took to say just that one sentence.

How long has Master been traveling this time? Three months?

Qin Qingyi’s head was still fuzzy; she couldn’t remember. It was probably around three to five months.

“You child,” Venerable Wen Qing glanced nervously behind her, making sure the child hadn’t noticed the commotion before finally letting out a sigh of relief. She turned back and scolded, “Didn’t I tell you to conceal your identity well? Why did you transform into your original form again?”

Qin Qingyi chuckled, “Don’t worry, Master. I cast a spell of illusion. Anyone with lower strength than mine won’t be able to see through it.”

So that’s how it is, Venerable Wen Qing felt reassured. She chided, “You must still be more careful in the future, and drink less wine.”

With that, she motioned for Qin Qingyi to follow her: “I have someone I want to introduce to you.”

Qin Qingyi was already curious about the child who had come with her Master. Seeing this, she stopped fooling around and followed her.

Only when they walked out did she notice that the child’s eyes were dull and empty, bearing the decayed demeanor of an old person despite her young age.

Qin Qingyi couldn’t help but let out a long “Hiss” when she saw this.

“Master, you picked up another child?!”

“Can our Cangxue Peak even afford to raise her?”

Upon hearing this, Venerable Wen Qing raised her hand and gave Qin Qingyi a light tap on the head: “Show your Master some respect.”

Qin Qingyi rubbed her head and mumbled, “I didn’t say anything wrong.”

But seeing Venerable Wen Qing’s serious expression, Qin Qingyi stopped her mischief and circled the little wooden stump in front of her twice, clicking her tongue in wonder: “Master, where did you dig up this little piece of wood? Why doesn’t she even smile?”

The child in front of her was fair-skinned. Her undeveloped features vaguely hinted at an otherworldly and stunning beauty. Yet, for some unknown reason, no matter how many times she circled her, the child didn’t move, didn’t look at her, and never smiled.

She was like a person carved from wood.

Venerable Wen Qing stepped forward, took the hand of this “little wooden stump,” and led her to sit at the stone table. Only after sitting down did she reveal a look of distress.

“She’s not a piece of wood. She has suffered too much, and the turmoil of her emotions has damaged her spirit. I sealed her five senses to save her life.”

Qin Qingyi raised an eyebrow at this: “It seems Master encountered many new things on this trip?”

She was accustomed to being disrespectful, but Venerable Wen Qing didn’t take offense. She explained the situation in a few sentences:

“When I was traveling to the Human Emperor’s Imperial City, I happened upon a demon attack on the city. This child’s mother entrusted her to me before she died, begging me to secure a chance for her to survive.”

Venerable Wen Qing didn’t elaborate on the shocking details, but Qin Qingyi could guess a few things. So, she changed the subject: “Master, what do you plan to do with this younger sister now? Raise her on Cangxue Peak?”

Venerable Wen Qing pondered for a moment: “She has nowhere to go now. It seems there is no better place for her.”

It wasn’t that she was heartless, but cultivation practitioners must adhere to principles of destiny and mutual willingness. Although she intended to take her as a disciple, the child was not yet conscious. How could she make such a decision for her arbitrarily?

Venerable Wen Qing sighed lightly. This child had excellent foundational roots and a naturally emotional nature. Now, having suffered such hardship, it would likely have a significant impact on her future cultivation.

“Now that this child is in such deep pain, I’ll have to find a way to help her recover.”

Venerable Wen Qing said this, her brows furrowing again. It was easy to say, but finding the right remedy would likely be difficult.

After much deliberation, Venerable Wen Qing stood up and instructed the idle, chin-propped Qin Qingyi: “Qingyi, I need to go to Zhijian Peak (Wielding Sword Peak). You look after her for me in the meantime.”

With that, she stood up and hurriedly departed.

She left behind a bewildered Qin Qingyi.

Huh?

Me???

Look after a child???

She looked at Venerable Wen Qing’s figure, which was already just a tiny dot in the distance, then back at the “little wooden stump” sitting across from her. She was a little slow to react.

Me, looking after a child?

Venerable Wen Qing flew to Zhijian Peak in a rush, calling out before she even saw the person: “Is Senior Sister here?”

“Wen Qing has an important matter to ask.”

Zhijian Peak is the main peak of the Jianmen (Sword Sect) and the residence of the Sword Sect Master.

The name itself is quite meaningful.

The Myriad Great Paths, By Whom Is the Sword Wielded?!

It is said that this was an aphorism left behind by a Sword Dao Supreme Being. She ascended from this place and left these words, and later generations established the sect here, naming the place Zhijian Peak.

The Head of Jianmen is also known as the “Wielder of the Sword,” who wields the sword of the world and pacifies the affairs of the world. As a premier righteous sect, Jianmen naturally conducts itself in the most upright manner.

The “Wielder of the Sword” rarely leaves the sect unless there is a major event. The current “Wielder of the Sword” is Venerable Wen Qing’s Senior Sister, Venerable Yurong. Venerable Yurong prefers tranquility even more. If nothing else is happening, she usually meditates in seclusion on Zhijian Peak, handling only administrative matters.

Therefore, Venerable Wen Qing was not worried about finding her.

Before she could knock, a voice came from within the hall, and the door opened on its own.

“Junior Sister is in a hurry; what is the matter?”

A cold, indifferent, and aloof female voice.

Yurong strode over. Unlike the habitually free-spirited Venerable Wen Qing, she wore loose robes and wide sleeves, exuding an air of detachment. Her features were cold and clear, a red mole dotted between her eyebrows, and her long black hair was gathered in a crown, embodying the style of a premier righteous sect.

She ushered Venerable Wen Qing into the hall. With just a lift of her hand, fragrant clear tea appeared on the table.

Yurong’s voice was emotionless, but her eyes held concern when she looked at Venerable Wen Qing: “So anxious—is it an important matter?”

Venerable Wen Qing sat down and nodded, saying, “Senior Sister, do you still remember the message I sent you a while ago? The unrest of the Demon Clan in the mortal realm, and how the Human Emperor’s lineage was almost completely annihilated?”

Shangguan Yu’s expression remained unchanged. She nodded slightly: “Of course, I remember.”

She had already relayed this matter to the various Immortal Sects. Many sects had dispatched scouts, as no one knew why the Human Emperor had provoked the Demon Clan’s destruction. No one wanted to be next.

Venerable Wen Qing carefully considered her words before finally speaking with some difficulty: “…Junior Sister also got involved, and when it was over, I picked up a child.”

Shangguan Yu’s expression finally showed a change. Not surprise, but more teasing: “Oh? That certainly fits your style.”

Shangguan Yu chuckled lightly, then politely cleared her throat under Venerable Wen Qing’s increasingly exasperated gaze, and sipped her tea.

Venerable Wen Qing sighed. In fact, her Senior Sister wasn’t wrong. She truly did often pick up children. Counting this one today, it was the fourth child brought back to Cangxue Peak.

“This time is different,” she tried to explain.

Shangguan Yu tried to look serious but couldn’t quite smooth away the slight upturn of her lips. She covered her mouth with her sleeve: “How is it different?”

Venerable Wen Qing dropped a bombshell: “She is the Human Emperor’s offspring.”

Sure enough, at this sentence, Shangguan Yu’s expression abruptly became solemn. Her voice lowered as she confirmed with Venerable Wen Qing: “Is this true?”

Venerable Wen Qing nodded heavily.

She quickly recounted the scene from that day. Shangguan Yu’s expression grew increasingly serious as she listened. When Venerable Wen Qing finished her last sentence, Shangguan Yu’s heart sank to the bottom.

Her tone was hushed as she murmured, “That will be trouble.”

Venerable Wen Qing naturally understood what she meant by “trouble.” It wasn’t because she had picked up a child, but because of the child’s special identity.

The Human Emperor’s orphan. This identity, if spoken aloud, would cause unrest in the Xuan Tian Realm.

Leaving aside everything else, just the innate talent of the Human Emperor’s bloodline… the news that the Human Emperor’s lineage had been exterminated was widely known in the Xuan Tian Realm. Now, her Junior Sister suddenly brought back a child with “Human Emperor’s bloodline.” If it were fake, that would be one thing, but judging by the circumstances, this was genuinely a child with the Human Emperor’s bloodline.

“Senior Sister…”

Venerable Wen Qing felt a bit uneasy. She didn’t know if her actions were inappropriate, but that child…

Recalling the look in that woman’s eyes on that day, Venerable Wen Qing knew she could not have refused that person’s final request before death.

“You really know how to find trouble for me,” Shangguan Yu shook her head helplessly, watching Venerable Wen Qing offer a careful, ingratiating smile. In the end, she didn’t say much more.

“Never mind,” Shangguan Yu sighed. In any case, the person was now at Jianmen. As long as no one spread the word, and they lived quietly in the future, Jianmen might be able to protect this child. This would count as a benevolent act.

“Since this is the case, let her first settle down…” and we’ll discuss it another day.

But before she could finish her sentence, the tightly shut door was pierced with a “Bang—”. A sword, imbued with fierce spiritual energy, shattered the door and, its momentum undiminished, shot toward the two people talking.

Shangguan Yu’s eyes flashed with severity. She flung her sleeve, knocking the sword, which was already upon them, to the floor.

“Who dares to cause trouble?!”

Shangguan Yu unleashed the full force of her Celestial Realm pressure toward the doorway, determined to make the perpetrator pay the price for their audacity.

To be so aggressive and presumptuous in Jianmen—she would let the intruder know that Jianmen was not a soft target!

“Isn’t that Qingyi’s ‘Blank Slate’ sword?”

Venerable Wen Qing’s voice was astonished. She looked at the extremely familiar sword lying under her Senior Sister’s foot, then quickly shut her mouth under Shangguan Yu’s gaze, which looked like she was staring at a dead person.

I’m sorry, my disciple. Your Master can’t save you either.

Although I don’t know why your sword is here, when you’re being punished later, please don’t drag your Master down with you.

Shangguan Yu, who was very familiar with the nature of her Junior Sister and her disciple, felt a vein throb on her forehead. She gritted her teeth: “When will you two finally give me a moment of peace?!”

But before she could say anything more, she was interrupted by a desperate cry for help from outside.

“Help, Master! Help, Senior Aunt!”

“Help, help, help!!!”