Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 1

The storyteller in the teahouse tapped his clappers, narrating the tale with flair. Pausing midway, he swept his gaze around the room, his banter heightening the anticipation of the onlookers.

One of the listeners, who hadn’t heard the story before, called out cheerfully, “Master, don’t keep us in suspense! We’re all curious, please tell us what happened next?”

“Well, later on,” the storyteller began slowly, having fully captured the audience’s attention, “as the demonic chaos spread, the Heavenly Dao sealed the demonic energy within the four abysses.”

The listeners were so engrossed that those holding teacups paused mid-sip, their eyes fixed intently on the storyteller as he continued.

On the second floor, in the best seat of the teahouse, sat a guest dressed in blue robes, a light veil covering her face. Only her peach-blossom eyes were visible, slightly narrowed with an ambiguous, almost mocking smile. She held a teacup, reclining lazily in her chair as she watched the storyteller below.

“Senior Sister Weining, I’ve found the final ingredient, the Asura Grass. It’s time we returned to Qingheng Mountain.” A young girl in pink robes hurried up the stairs, lifting the hem of her dress as she approached.

“Xiling, no rush.” Ji Weining tapped her fingers lightly on the teacup, her attention still fixed on the storyteller downstairs, not sparing a single glance for the girl beside her.

Liu Xiling knew she had been away for too long and, under her mother’s orders, couldn’t delay any further. “Senior Sister, I’ve heard that the Grand Elder has brought back a new junior sister for you. I was hoping to return early to meet her.”

At these words, Ji Weining finally stood up, her previously relaxed demeanor shifting into seriousness. She set down her teacup, took a few spirit stones from her pouch, and placed them on the table. Casually grabbing the blue umbrella resting against her chair, she made her way downstairs.

Liu Xiling had only mentioned it in passing and was taken aback by the strong reaction. She hurried after her, asking, “Ah, Senior Sister, weren’t you planning to buy some pastries?”

Outside, a light drizzle fell, dampening the bluestone paths of Changshui County. The sky was darkening as dusk settled in.

“Let’s leave early,” Ji Weining said sternly, opening the blue umbrella in her hand. The ends of the ribs were adorned with dangling willow branches, and as she stood beneath it, she resembled an immortal from a painting. Liu Xiling, who was just about to open her own umbrella, stared in a daze, momentarily stunned. Before she could react, Ji Weining glanced back and called, “Why are you just standing there?”

With that, Ji Weining formed a hand seal, and holding the umbrella, she rose into the air and floated away into the distance.

“Coming, Senior Sister Weining!” Liu Xiling hastily formed her own hand seal and flew after her.

Their steps halted before the stone gate of “Qingheng Mountain.” The entrance was serene, covered in patches of moss, with thousands of steps leading upward. Ji Weining had never bothered to count them, nor had she ever needed to climb them. By the time she needed to descend the mountain, her cultivation had already reached a level where such physical exertion was unnecessary.

Liu Xiling wasn’t as fortunate. As soon as she reached the mountain gate, the protective formation nullified her spells, leaving her powerless. She could only watch as Ji Weining waved a hand and soared upward on a cloud.

“Hey, Senior Sister Weining, wait for me!” Liu Xiling gasped for breath, lifting the hem of her dress as she began the arduous climb up the stone steps.

Ji Weining, already far ahead, didn’t hear her and continued on toward her master’s abode.

Qingheng Mountain, Thousand Spirits Residence.

A girl of seventeen or eighteen, dressed in plain white robes, sat on a grass mat. A faint layer of black energy swirled around her, never penetrating her body but merely hovering on the surface.

Behind her sat Mu Chanjuan, the master of Thousand Spirits Residence and also Ji Weining’s teacher.

Ji Weining paused outside the door and knew that the young girl before their master was her junior sister.

Of course, it was also the newly arrived junior sister.

The junior sister has already appeared, and you still won’t tell me why?

Ji Weining couldn’t help but ask inwardly.

Win over the junior sister. Do not let her bring harm to the world.

The voice in her mind, identical to her own, responded still the same words, unchanged as ever.

This voice had been implanted in her mind since birth. After searching through ancient texts, she found that the closest resemblance to such a phenomenon was divine revelation.

If you want me to win her over, at least tell me how to do it.

It’s been over two hundred years, and I’ve only just met my junior sister. I don’t even know her name yet, what exactly am I supposed to win over?

Ji Weining’s temper, worn down by this divine revelation, flared slightly. From the moment she was born until now, this voice had always reminded her to win over her junior sister. For two whole centuries, it revealed nothing, and she had no idea who her junior sister even was. How was she supposed to win her over?

Su, Jin, An.

The voice finally gave some response. Su? That reminded her of the Su family, the leading clan in the southern region. She wasn’t sure if there was any connection, but at most, it would just require more effort. She didn’t dwell on it too much.

Understood, I’ll keep an eye on her.

Given that the voice had finally responded, Ji Weining decided to take on this great responsibility. Since it was a divine revelation, there must be a reason behind what it wanted her to do.

Not, keep an eye, but, win her over.

She will, harm the world, overturn humanity.

This voice always sounded mechanical. Over the years, Ji Weining had never been able to pry any information from it until today, when she finally learned something.

Then why not just kill her? Wouldn’t that be simpler?

Ji Weining voiced the question that had puzzled her for years. She had never understood the meaning behind this divine revelation.

Cannot kill, cannot bear it, will regret.

Regret? Who would regret it? Me? On second thought, if her junior sister was innocent, wouldn’t she herself become a murderer? Indeed, she couldn’t kill her. Even if the divine revelation commanded her to do so, she wouldn’t. This divine revelation truly understood human nature and only allowed them to act within their capabilities.

Please begin winning over the junior sister.

Are you telling me what to do?

The thought of those two hundred years made Ji Weining furious.

“Master,” Ji Weining called out softly from outside the door.

“Weining, you’re back. Come in quickly and help your master with the protective formation.”

She pushed the door open and entered. Inside, Mu Chanjuan was tidying up the herbs on the table, her face showing a helplessness Ji Weining hadn’t seen in a long time.

The junior sister had already fallen unconscious and was restrained by their master’s formation on a straw mat. Her clothes were slightly open, and black energy seeped from the flesh on her back clearly, she had been injured by demonic energy. However, the black energy didn’t seem to be invading her body, much like Ji Weining’s own situation.

“This is your junior sister, Jin’an.”

Mu Chanjuan was a medical fanatic, having already reached a semi-divine level and half-step to ascension. She was obsessed with the art of healing and spent her days practicing medicine in Qingheng Mountain, occasionally venturing out to search for herbs that piqued her interest.

“I encountered her in the miasma lands during my recent trip. Seeing her afflicted by demonic energy, I brought her back.”

The miasma lands lay to the south of the human realm, bordering the demon abyss.

“Stay here and also see if you can figure out how to dispel this demonic energy.”

Ji Weining narrowed her eyes as she observed the demonic energy around her. “If Master wants me to handle this, I can.”

Mu Chanjuan joked, “I’m still here, no need for a junior like you to step in.”

She couldn’t bear to let such a valuable research subject fall into someone else’s hands. Ji Weining, aware of her preferences, didn’t argue.

Su Jin’an lay with her eyes closed, completely unaware of her surroundings.

Mu Chanjuan prepared the medicinal herbs and sat on another straw mat behind Su Jin’an. She signaled, “Begin.”

Ji Weining waved her hand to set up a barrier, protecting the spiritual energy within from external interference and preventing the demonic energy from leaking out.

The herbs floated in Mu Chanjuan’s hands as she infused them with spiritual power, merging them into one. She controlled the herbs, suspending them above Su Jin’an’s head. The medicinal properties gradually dispersed, guided by spiritual energy, and seeped into the skin of her hands tainted by demonic energy.

The fair skin, previously obscured by dark energy, was now exposed. To Mu Chanjuan, it made no difference, but Ji Weining, standing behind her, pursed her lips and closed her eyes, choosing not to watch. Though she had studied medicine, she lacked practical experience in treating others.

Su Jin’an’s breathing grew rapid, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She coughed and spat out black blood before collapsing to the ground.

“The cleansing is done. Take care of her, I need to study this demonic energy.”

“Yes.”

Ji Weining reluctantly dispelled the barrier and helped her fallen junior sister up.

With such a weak body, how could she possibly overturn the mortal world?

Ji Weining found the prophecy utterly unbelievable. If that day ever came, they would deal with it then.

Win her over.

Understood.

Ji Weining applied the ointment prepared by their master to her junior sister’s bleeding wounds.

Girls surely worried about scars, so she cast a spell to cover the injuries. Under the combined effect of the ointment and magic, the wounds vanished instantly.

Her loosely fastened clothes were stained with blood, and the hem of her skirt was muddy from the rain.

I should change her clothes.

Ji Weining adjusted her garments, lifted her by the waist, and carried her to her own room. The girl’s frail body felt almost weightless far too light.

In the Thousand Spirit Residence, only her own room and their master’s were truly habitable. She made a mental note to prepare a room for her junior sister tomorrow.

Holding her umbrella open with magic, she returned to her room amidst the sound of rain.

To repay a favor to their master, she had accompanied the sect leader’s daughter, Xi Ling, for a month to retrieve the Rakshasa Grass. Her room had been empty all that time. A layer of dust had settled inside. Ji Weining closed her eyes, silently reciting a dust-removal spell. When she opened them, she first made sure the bed was usable.

“What a pitiful little junior sister,” Ji Weining sighed softly, unsure of what to do with her.

She laid her down, tidied her disheveled hair, and found a set of unworn clothes. Using magic again, she changed her junior sister’s attire.

“Now you can rest properly.”

Ji Weining casually tossed the discarded clothes onto a chair and tucked her in.

With the bed occupied, Ji Weining had nowhere to sleep. Despite a long day, she showed no signs of fatigue. Chanting a spell, she teleported to her master’s herb-processing area.

Sure enough, her master was there, experimenting with the extracted demonic energy.

Mu Chanjuan set down the demonic energy floating within her spiritual sphere. “Didn’t I tell you to take care of your junior sister? Why are you here?”

“Junior Sister is resting in my room.”

“I came to see what kind of demonic energy injured her.”

She observed for a long time, feeling that the demonic energy was unusual but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong. Knowing that Ji Weining’s talent surpassed her own, she was willing to let her take a look. “Fine, you examine it.”

Ji Weining showed no fear and reached out to touch the demonic energy. Mu Chanjuan, however, dared not touch it, as even the slightest contact could cause superficial injuries, while severe cases might lead to a shattered Dao heart.

“Only you can handle this demonic energy,” Mu Chanjuan couldn’t help but sigh.

It reminded her of a century ago when she had sent Ji Weining to the edge of the Demon Abyss to execute a disciple who had fallen into demonic cultivation. At that time, Ji Weining had just reached the Nascent Soul stage. Although a Soul Transformation elder had accompanied her, subduing a demonic disciple at the Soul Transformation stage was no easy task.

In the end, even the Soul Transformation elder returned injured, and some were still in seclusion to this day. Only Ji Weining emerged unscathed. Mu Chanjuan didn’t understand why she could touch demonic energy without harm, but she was certain that Ji Weining cultivated spiritual energy and was definitely not a demonic cultivator.

“Be careful,” Mu Chanjuan said, setting up a formation around the area to prevent the demonic energy from escaping.

After observing for a moment, Ji Weining extended her hand and channeled spiritual energy into the demonic energy. Under the infusion of spiritual energy, the demonic energy instantly detached from her hand and lay still like stagnant water. “It’s lost its vitality. There’s no need to worry.”

“Did you notice anything?” Mu Chanjuan asked.

“It likely has something to do with Junior Sister’s identity.”

Mu Chanjuan replied with certainty, “But I just picked her up randomly.”

Indeed, she was a mortal with no spiritual power, yet she was as peculiar as Ji Weining when it came to demonic energy.

Su Jin’an was dressed plainly, without any accessories. How could she have any notable identity? Moreover, her frail physique clearly indicated she was an ordinary mortal. With not a trace of spiritual energy in her body, she didn’t seem like someone suited for cultivating spiritual energy.

Mu Chanjuan had thought her condition would be perfect for practicing her alchemy techniques, as it could also strengthen her body and protect her life.

Ji Weining shook her head, feeling that things couldn’t be so simple. “Where exactly did you find her?”

“At a small town on the southern border of the Demon Abyss, called Pingnan Town,” Mu Chanjuan recalled and truthfully replied. At this point, handing the matter over to Ji Weining was the best course of action.

“Understood.” Ji Weining concluded that she must be from the nearby area. A frail mortal like her couldn’t have traveled far, which made it plausible that she was from one of the cultivation families.

Ji Weining shared her findings: “This demonic energy is laced with poison. It’s likely not from a demonic creature but from a cultivator who has fallen into demonic cultivation.”

“Are you certain?” Mu Chanjuan hesitated, speculating about the girl’s identity in her mind. However, since she had already declared her intention to take her as a disciple, she couldn’t go back on her word.

Over the years, many cultivators had been corrupted by leaked demonic energy. If the girl were a disciple of a sect, it would have been discovered earlier. But such matters were not to be discussed openly. If she were from a cultivation family, it would make more sense.

“Could she be from a cultivation family?”

“Hard to say. If she is, we’ll just hide her,” Ji Weining said casually.

Mu Chanjuan sighed helplessly. Her disciple had always been strong-willed and never simply followed her instructions. There was little she could do to control her. “But if her family comes looking for her, how can we possibly hide her?”

Ji Weining murmured softly, “As long as she’s willing, I’ll find a way.”

“Forget it, forget it, do as you please.”

After all, she was the child he had raised himself her wings had hardened now. Since she was the disciple, he had accepted, why should he care whether she came from a noble family or not?

Ji Weining made her request: “By the way, Master, please allow me to take charge of mentoring our junior sister.”

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