Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 19

Su Jin’an turned her head away, her expression full of speechlessness. She hadn’t expected her senior sister to suddenly say something like that.

“Is your hand clean? If it is, I might let you pinch me,” Su Jin’an said after a moment’s thought. It wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Ji Weining stretched out her hand, instantly cleansing it with a purification spell. Even her nails were neatly trimmed. “Clean, of course it’s clean.”

She turned her hand over, showing Su Jin’an the back and then the palm. Ji Weining’s hands, rarely exposed to the sun, were pale and fair. Years of practicing medicine had left her fingers long and slender, with only a few faint, slightly rough calluses from crafting small trinkets in her spare time.

Leaning in, she reached out and gently poked Su Jin’an’s cheek with her index finger.

So tender, if she had to describe it, it felt like soft tofu.

Seeing that her junior sister didn’t seem to mind, Ji Weining grew bolder. She brought her thumb up and gave Su Jin’an’s cheek a light pinch. Though Su Jin’an was a bit thin, there was still some softness in her cheeks. Her skin was truly supple and smooth!

“Does it feel good to pinch?” Su Jin’an asked, reaching up to try pinching Ji Weining’s cheek in return. After a moment, she remarked, “Your skin is a bit thicker than mine.”

“What kind of description is that?” Ji Weining laughed. As soon as she released her grip, a faint red mark appeared on Su Jin’an’s cheek. Frowning, she asked, “Did that hurt?”

Su Jin’an shook her head. For some reason, she actually enjoyed the sensation, it was just a light pinch. A little more pressure wouldn’t have been a problem either.

Su Jin’an withdrew her hand from Ji Weining’s face. She wasn’t particularly fond of touching others; she preferred being touched instead.

“Senior sister, a little harder would be fine too.”

“No way,” Ji Weining said, stopping immediately and pulling out a mirror to show Su Jin’an. “It’s already red from just one pinch, and you say it doesn’t hurt?”

Ji Weining didn’t understand how her junior sister could be so delicate. She took out some ointment from her qiankun bag and began applying it to Su Jin’an’s cheek. The salve was something Ji Weining had developed specifically for treating minor abrasions on mortals, a few minutes of application would restore the skin completely.

Su Jin’an remained still, quietly enjoying the attention.

Ji Weining’s movements were incredibly gentle, even softer than when she had pinched her cheek earlier.

“It really doesn’t hurt.”

“Fine, then it’s me who’s feeling the pain,” Ji Weining said helplessly. She couldn’t bear to see Su Jin’an hurt even a little.

She felt like she was done for.

[Affection Progress: 15%]

Hearing the notification, Ji Weining froze.

Her heart raced violently in that instant. It seemed her junior sister had grown a little fonder of her, though she wasn’t entirely sure. What she was certain of, however, was that she had grown even fonder of Su Jin’an.

Ji Weining leaned in and embraced her, wrapping her arms around Su Jin’an’s body.

“Why are you hugging me all of a sudden?” Su Jin’an asked, finding her senior sister’s behavior rather unusual today.

“I feel like. I’ve grown even fonder of you today,” Ji Weining said softly before slowly releasing her. The scent of Su Jin’an still lingered around her.

Su Jin’an’s expression remained calm, though a hint of playful curiosity stirred within her. “What if you’re lying to me, senior sister?”

“Then you can crush the bell I gave you,” Ji Weining replied after a moment’s thought. She went on to explain, “That bell contains half of my spiritual power.” It was her life-bound magical artifact, forged with half of her spiritual energy. No one even knew that her life-bound artifact was an seemingly insignificant little bell.

Others often rely on their lifebound magical artifacts as their primary weapons, but Ji Weining had no need for that. Her lifebound artifact was merely something she crafted and refined in her leisure time.

To her, even half of her spiritual power wasn’t particularly important.

“Half of your spiritual power? What would happen to you?” Su Jin’an sounded curious about her statement.

“Does my junior sister wish for something to happen to me?” Ji Weining asked with a smile.

“I don’t. Senior sister is very interesting.” In every way, she was fascinating always praising her, making her lose herself in the constant stream of compliments. When it came to Ji Weining, she was both captivated and slightly afraid.

Ji Weining changed the subject. “Didn’t junior sister want to participate in the new selection competition?”

She intended to take Su Jin’an into seclusion for training. Qingheng Mountain wasn’t quite suitable for her, and she wanted to bring her to a place that belonged solely to the two of them.

“Senior sister will take you somewhere. I estimate that junior sister will achieve Golden Core perfection within the next few days.” Su Jin’an was already at the peak of Foundation Establishment, just a step away yet that step was a chasm.

“Senior sister is certain?” Su Jin’an was somewhat curious about what kind of place could make Ji Weining speak with such confidence. According to the texts, a cultivator’s path was fraught with hardships. Each realm was a chasm, and techniques were developed to bridge these gaps, but how many could truly overcome the limitations of their innate talent?

“Mm, junior sister just needs to trust me.” Ji Weining patted her chest in assurance.

With such a good place available, why hadn’t she mentioned it earlier? Su Jin’an asked, “Then why didn’t senior sister take me there a few days ago?”

“Su Jia has returned, so I can leave now.” Ji Weining pouted slightly. If their master wasn’t around, at least Su Jia had to be present. Unless there was a third person, the sect leader wouldn’t allow her to leave.

Liu Hongyu knew Qingheng Mountain’s capabilities inside and out, but her knowledge of the outside world had grown scarce.

If one were to calculate, even Ji Weining didn’t know how long it had been since Liu Hongyu last left Qingheng Mountain.

How pitiful.

But it had nothing to do with her. Everyone had responsibilities to bear, and Liu Hongyu should have known that when she took on that duty.

“You’ll need me to carry you to get there.”

“Huh?” What kind of passage required being carried?

Ji Weining explained, “That passageway requires me to hold you.”

Su Jin’an spread her arms. “Then carry me.”

This time, Ji Weining lifted her up, her legs wrapping around Ji Weining’s waist. She was still too light.

“It’s a small courtyard I bought some time ago.” It had become her most frequent residence over the years. Ji Weining wanted to take her there, to familiarize her with a place that belonged to her.

Spiritual energy surged around Ji Weining, and a formation materialized beneath her feet, gathering abundant spiritual power. As the formation spun in concentric circles, Su Jin’an clung tightly to Ji Weining, her mind unconsciously emptying. The surroundings shifted and blurred for a long while before gradually sharpening back into focus.

A single glance was enough to tell that the formation required an immense amount of spiritual energy. Su Jin’an had never seen anything like it. Her senior sister had encountered far more things than she had. If she had lived as many years as Ji Weining, would the outcome have been different?

“This is called a teleportation array, something I figured out myself. However, it consumes a great deal of spiritual energy and requires precise knowledge of the destination’s location to activate,” Ji Weining explained the formation to her. One day, she hoped to pass on all her lifelong learnings to her.

“Precise location?”

“Yes, how far it is from here, in which direction, and the exact distance between that place and where we stand in this world.”

The conditions were extremely demanding. Ji Weining had only managed to devise the array from the Thousand Spirit Residence to this place, recalling how long it had taken her to figure it out. If she could refine it further, it would surely become more practical.

Su Jin’an sighed in admiration, “Elder sister, you truly know so much.”

“You’ll learn it all in time, younger sister. It’s mostly about drawing inferences from one example, but most people are too afraid to try.”

Altering the original structure of a formation could change everything, the formation itself, the objects involved, and the outcomes would become unpredictable. This was why ordinary people generally avoided meddling with formations. A single misstep could cost one’s life.

Only major sects and prominent families dared to experiment with such things. A single mishap or explosion could be devastating for smaller clans, far beyond what they could bear.

The surroundings shifted instantly. Only when everything settled did Ji Weining release Su Jin’an. Su Jin’an reached out to touch the formation, her curiosity piqued. The world of cultivation held so many novelties for her.

“We’ve arrived.”

“This place is called Peach Blossom Town.” Outside, peach blossoms bloomed everywhere.

They stood in a courtyard, likely on the outskirts of the town.

“The rooms over there are all tidied up. Feel free to choose any to stay in.” Each room was spacious. Ji Weining had layered one formation after another here; this entire area was what she had purchased over the years with her savings.

“These peach trees were planted by the original owner of this place.” Beyond the courtyard fence stretched a grove of peach trees, with a few even inside the yard. “By the way, younger sister, do you drink wine?”

“Wine?” Su Jin’an had never tasted such a thing. Her family would never have allowed her to indulge in it. The substance she was most familiar with was medicine. She asked tentatively, “May I try some?”

“Of course.”

“I also have a hot spring here. Would you like to give it a try?” Ji Weining continued introducing the place, pointing toward the back hill. “It’s a spiritual spring, and I’ve set up a spirit-gathering formation there. It would be excellent for you to experience it.”

Hot springs were ideal for nurturing spiritual energy.

Glancing up, she noticed the sun had passed its zenith. Preparing some food would be good before continuing in the afternoon. “I’ll take you there later. Would you like to try some delicious food I make?”

“Sure.” Su Jin’an patted her stomach, feeling a little hungry.

“Many ingredients here aren’t available on Qingheng Mountain.” This place was near the sea, abundant with aquatic products, unlike Qingheng Mountain.

“Then I’ll go buy some to cook for you later.”

“Alright.”

Ji Weining took out her Qiankun pouch and handed it to Su Jin’an, it was something she had grabbed before leaving. “I’ve also brought all these books over.”

Leading Su Jin’an to the study, Ji Weining found a desk for her to sit at. “You can handle the books inside however you like. Read whatever interests you.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

“Then I’ll head out?”

Ji Weining walked toward the door again.

The courtyard was still some distance from the town, but the path was lined with flourishing peach blossoms. Ji Weining picked a few along the way.

“I’ll use these to make some peach blossom cakes. Younger sister is sure to love them.”

Ji Weining pondered for a moment, then gathered a large basketful. Realizing her Qiankun pouch had been given to Su Jin’an, she carried the peach blossom basket back.

Suddenly remembering something, she began to cast a spell.

Her romance novels were still inside the Qiankun pouch she desperately hoped her junior sister wouldn’t open it. If Su Jin’an discovered them, she would be utterly doomed.

“Junior sister, would you like some peach blossom cakes?” Ji Weining pushed open the study door, only to find Su Jin’an holding a book titled The Domineering Senior Sister and the Charming Junior Sister.

Support Even If You’re My Senior, It’s Still Forbidden