After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 57

In the end, Yan Li was like a shadow, refusing to be shaken off and insisting on going with the two of them.

Qin Qingyi couldn’t argue with her and thought that it was just one extra person, so she agreed to let her tag along.

Throughout the journey, Yan Li’s eyes were fixed intently on Zhou Zhixue. The meaning conveyed in her gaze was clear: she regarded Zhou Zhixue as an enemy.

Zhou Zhixue completely ignored her stare, or rather, she didn’t care at all.

She didn’t take Yan Li seriously.

Therefore, in their occasional eye contact, Zhou Zhixue’s eyes were always dismissive.

She didn’t think Yan Li posed any threat to her.

Senior Sister, the person she cares about most can only be her.

She had this confidence.

Zhou Zhixue slightly curled her lips.

——————

The Training Arena.

When Qin Qingyi and the others arrived, Hu Yu and Xie Su were coincidentally practicing their swordsmanship.

Seeing the three of them approach, both their eyes lit up. They quickly retracted their sword stances and walked towards the group.

“Senior Sister,” Xie Su bowed to Qin Qingyi, then shifted his gaze and nodded slightly to Zhou Zhixue: “Junior Sister.”

After greeting them, Hu Yu became interested in the child following Qin Qingyi: “Who is this again? How come I’ve never seen her before?”

After asking, he seemed to have found the answer, putting on a look of sudden realization: “Could it be a disciple that Master has taken in again? Where did she pick this one up from this time?”

As he spoke, he looked up at his Senior Sister, expecting her to nod and confirm his guess.

Qin Qingyi ignored him.

Xie Su, on the other hand, nudged him with his elbow and quietly cautioned: “If she were really our Junior Sister, Master would definitely summon us.”

He saw clearly and thought fast. Leaving aside that Master had long said he would not take in any more disciples, the clothes the child next to Senior Sister was wearing were those of an outer sect disciple. How could she be Master’s newly accepted disciple?

Hu Yu, feeling snubbed, scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.

Zhou Zhixue helped him out of his predicament and softly explained Yan Li’s background: “This is a child Senior Sister rescued from outside. She brought her to the Sword Sect to be an outer sect disciple.”

Thus, Xie Su and Hu Yu learned the child’s origin.

“Since that’s the case, you can listen to the lecture with us later,” Xie Su said warmly.

The Training Arena currently had many Elders and older Senior/Junior Brothers and Sisters responsible for teaching swordsmanship and various unconventional skills.

Having only been here for a few days, both he and Hu Yu felt they had benefited greatly.

Yan Li lightly nodded.

Therefore, Qin Qingyi no longer hesitated. She found an empty spot and sat down, observing her surroundings.

The Training Arena, the place where Sword Sect disciples spar and compete. Looking at it from the outside, one couldn’t really discern anything special; it just looked like an unremarkable mountain peak of the Sword Sect.

But this place actually held great secrets. Early in the founding of the Sword Sect, the former generations of the sect had considered the future flourishing of the sect and worried that the Training Arena would not be enough for the disciples to practice. They used the spatial array formation, which is now lost in the current world, to expand this area by dozens of times, making it large enough to accommodate several times the number of disciples the sect had at the time.

Until now, the Sword Sect had indeed flourished for thousands of years as expected, and the Training Arena could still accommodate half of the Sword Sect’s disciples.

Furthermore, Sect Leader Senior Uncle had activated the Glazed Dharma Mirror, replicating the Training Arena one-to-one, which allowed all disciples to gather in one place simultaneously.

As Qin Qingyi’s gaze wandered, she happened to see someone on the platform demonstrating talismans. She turned to Zhou Zhixue and smiled: “Look, those are the Burst Talisman and Wind Blade Talisman you taught in your very first lesson.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhixue focused her eyes. Sure enough, those were the two talismans, but the Senior Sister on the platform was teaching more complex, advanced talismans that required more spiritual energy.

Glancing at Yan Li nearby, who had already taken out blank talisman paper and started drawing talismans in imitation, Zhou Zhixue took out a few blank talisman papers herself, for some reason, and quickly drew an advanced Burst Talisman with a few strokes.

She didn’t speak but made her movements slightly exaggerated, carrying a hint of showing off.

In contrast, Yan Li, who had just started practicing talismans and had ruined several papers in a row, seemed clumsy.

Her intention was too obvious, and Qin Qingyi naturally played along. Seeing her proficiency in the art of talismans now, she praised: “Junior Sister’s talent is outstanding. She has achieved quite a lot in the art of talismans.”

She then teased: “With such talent, hasn’t Elder Chen tried to make you switch and worship him as your master?”

Zhou Zhixue’s ears turned slightly red, but she refused to show her joy on her face, just slightly pursing her lips: “Senior Sister overpraises me.”

“Elder Chen has already taken in a satisfactory disciple. Why would he try to steal Junior Sister from Master just for this trivial talent of mine?”

Qin Qingyi drew out her voice in an “Eh—” sound, a little disapprovingly: “Is there anyone in this Sword Sect whose talent surpasses Junior Sister’s?”

“No need to be modest. Even when Senior Sister was traveling outside, she still heard of Junior Sister’s great reputation. Even without leaving the Sword Sect, your name is firmly placed at the top of the Tongtian Stone Pillar.”

Perhaps the praise was too much; Zhou Zhixue’s face became increasingly red. After a long while, she could only softly refute, “Senior Sister is overpraising me.”

Qin Qingyi looked at her blushing face and couldn’t help but laugh even more brightly.

Her good Junior Sister was even more shy than before.

The atmosphere between the two was so good that the people around them couldn’t blend in.

Hu Yu watched the two behind them for a long time, his face bitter. He elbowed Xie Su next to him, utterly bewildered: “How are Senior Sister and her still so close?”

They were clearly so angry at each other back then that Senior Sister was even punished for it and left for so long. How could their relationship be as good as if they were one person as soon as she returned?

The two of them were once again unwanted cabbages.

What? Was the status of male disciples on Cangxue Peak lower than that of dogs?

Hu Yu couldn’t understand.

Hearing his question, Xie Su slightly shook his head: “I don’t know either.”

He looked at the intimately close two people not far in front of them, also having doubts in his heart.

Was the relationship between Junior Sister and Senior Sister… perhaps too good?

Didn’t they say that for those who practice the Emotionless Dao, their familial bonds would be weaker than others?

Xie Su began to recall the past ten years.

When Senior Sister first left, he remembered his Junior Sister was very sad upon hearing the news, even crying until she fainted.

However, after she woke up, she never again displayed such an outward expression of emotion. Most of the time when she saw him and Hu Yu, she would just give a very indifferent greeting and then ignore the two of them.

At that time, Hu Yu was extremely angry and rushed up to argue with her, asking: who was the reason Senior Sister left? Who was the reason she was punished?

A few words stimulated her until her eyes were red.

Seeing that the two were about to fight, he quickly dragged Hu Yu away.

Later, when the Junior Sister saw the two of them again, she became even more distant.

More often than not, she would treat them as air.

In the following years, he and Hu Yu felt their cultivation was sufficient, so they both went down the mountain for traveling. Sometimes they were gone for a long time, returning only after a year or two, and sometimes for a short time, coming back after a few months.

The time they spent back was also not long, at most ten days or so, before they would go down the mountain again.

He and Hu Yu were together, so the two Senior/Junior Brothers had someone to look out for.

When they occasionally returned and encountered the Junior Sister, they basically had no interaction.

At most, perhaps just passing along a message from Master.

Xie Su gently lowered his eyes.

He hadn’t expected the Junior Sister and Senior Sister’s relationship to still be this good.

The two in front were talking and laughing, enjoying themselves thoroughly.

The other three, however, were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

The ignored Yan Li gritted her teeth looking at Zhou Zhixue, while Xie Su was deep in thought.

And Hu Yu, after sulking with his arms crossed for a while, suddenly “leapt up” and interrupted the conversation of the two in front.

“Senior Sister, long time no see. I wonder if you would be willing to spar with your Junior Brother? It would also serve to check if my cultivation has been slacking these past years.”

The words were directed at Qin Qingyi.

The young man’s eyes were dark and bright, and he grinned, showing a mouth full of white teeth, when he looked at Qin Qingyi.

He had tanned his skin while traveling outside, and his current wheat-colored skin looked very healthy.

“Junior Brother, you—” Xie Su covered his head, regretting that he hadn’t managed to stop him.

Qin Qingyi, however, was not angry. It was a good thing for a Junior Brother to ask her for guidance, as it fostered camaraderie among disciples. But—

“Oh dear, this is getting interesting. You want to ask me for guidance, and your Junior Sister also said she wanted to spar with me earlier.”

Qin Qingyi smiled and turned to look at Zhou Zhixue: “Junior Sister, what do you say? Should I agree to both, or refuse both?”

“If I agree to both, won’t your Senior Sister become a sparring partner for the two of you?”

“But if I refuse both, it seems too heartless.”

“Huh?” Hu Yu was dumbfounded.

Zhou Zhixue also slightly frowned, and a bit of grievance crept into her gaze towards Qin Qingyi.

Qin Qingyi pretended not to see it.

“Besides,” she changed the subject and raised an eyebrow slightly, “Your Senior Sister’s cultivation is currently slightly lower than both of yours. Yet both of you still want to spar with me. Do you really want to see me lose badly?”

Hu Yu and Zhou Zhixue simultaneously shook their heads in denial.

“Not at all!” Hu Yu eagerly explained.

He just couldn’t stand how close Zhou Zhixue and Senior Sister were.

Zhou Zhixue was also very wronged. She lowered her head, her wet eyes looking at Qin Qingyi, and whispered an explanation: “Senior Sister, you know I didn’t mean that.”

Qin Qingyi ignored their explanations.

She propped her head up and was not angry because of this. Instead, she looked at the two with a smile, her thin lips gently parting as she said something that sounded like a joke: “Why don’t the two of you spar first? That way, I can save myself the trouble.”

“But—” Hu Yu’s words caught in his throat.

He hadn’t expected Zhou Zhixue to have proposed sparring with Senior Sister before he did.

As Qin Qingyi spoke, Hu Yu and Zhou Zhixue’s eyes met.

Their gazes instantly separated.

Hu Yu snorted through his nose, turning his head away, unwilling to speak to Zhou Zhixue.

He didn’t want to face Zhou Zhixue.

Who didn’t know that this guy was completely crazy once she stepped onto the Training Arena, never backing down until she won? He definitely didn’t want to fight her.

“Alright.”

But Zhou Zhixue agreed.

Hu Yu widened his eyes, dissatisfied: “Hey!”

Agree to what?!

He hadn’t agreed yet!

But Zhou Zhixue had already reached out to him, signaling him to step onto the Training Arena for a match.

“Senior Brother, please.”

Zhou Zhixue’s words were indifferent, and her face lacked any expression.

She didn’t really care about Hu Yu’s attitude towards her. Seeing his awkward manner, she instead came up with a plan and said:

“It’s presumed that Senior Brother has traveled outside for many years and must have richer combat experience than Junior Sister. Junior Sister ventures to seek guidance from Senior Brother.”

This speech completely elevated Hu Yu.

No one dislikes hearing compliments, and Hu Yu was no exception.

Hearing her say this, Hu Yu was no longer awkward or resistant. He raised his chin high and let out a light snort: “Of course.”

With that, he followed the cue and walked up to the Training Arena.

Xie Su next to him held his forehead.

How could he still be such a simple-minded idiot after traveling for so many years?!

He was successfully tricked with just a few sentences.

He had been deceived so many times outside over the years, yet he returned like a blank slate.

Didn’t the old saying go: “A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit”?

Why did he not learn his lesson at all?!

Seeing his expression, Qin Qingyi instead comforted him: “It’s alright, Junior Brother. It’s just a friendly match between fellow disciples, nothing serious will happen. Why worry so much?”

Xie Su sighed faintly, looking back at Qin Qingyi with an extremely complicated gaze, his voice heavy: “Senior Sister, you wouldn’t understand.”

Qin Qingyi: ?

“Not understand what?” she asked, slightly surprised.

Could it be that some interesting things she didn’t know about had happened during her absence over the years?

Seeing that she was indeed curious, Xie Su did not hide anything and began to recount some interesting anecdotes he and Hu Yu had encountered while traveling outside, carefully selecting them and telling them to Qin Qingyi.

This included, but was not limited to, how Hu Yu was tricked out of all his money by human traffickers the first time he went down the mountain. Seeing that he was good-looking, they sold him to a Nanfeng brothel. If Xie Su hadn’t reacted quickly and rescued him, Hu Yu would have ended up receiving customers.

Yet, Hu Yu himself hadn’t realized what was happening and was happily chatting enthusiastically with the people next to him, completely unaware that he had been sold.

He told the stories amusingly, and Qin Qingyi laughed incessantly. Even Yan Li let go of her wariness towards Xie Su and pricked up her ears, listening with great interest.

Only the two people on the platform, who hadn’t started fighting yet, finally realized at this point that after their struggle, Xie Su, that sneaky scoundrel, had gained all the attention!

The two shot angry glances at Xie Su.

Stay away from Senior Sister!

But Xie Su was thick-skinned and completely ignored the stares from behind. Instead, he talked even more enthusiastically, firmly capturing Qin Qingyi’s attention.

Junior Brother and Junior Sister, their methods are still too naive.

This thought flashed through Xie Su’s mind.

“And then?” Qin Qingyi laughed until tears came out. She lightly wiped the corners of her eyes, clutching her aching stomach from laughter, and asked Xie Su for the continuation.

Meanwhile, the two people on the platform, who had been waiting for a long time yet were still ignored, finally noticed the situation and began wrestling with each other.

They grappled intensely, fighting with fierce eyes.

Hu Yu was especially intense; Zhou Zhixue was slightly more restrained, but her strikes were becoming increasingly tricky.

Both sides looked at the other with anger and resentment:

It’s all your fault!

Otherwise, Senior Sister wouldn’t only be paying attention to Xie Su, that treacherous bastard!