Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 26

Ji Weining leaned in close to comfort her, saying, “You did wonderfully this time, Junior Sister. You’ve already learned to breathe on your own.”

There was still a long, long road ahead. She could wait; everything could be taken slowly.

Su Jin’an looked up at the person beside her and asked, “Really?”

“Of course, it’s true,” Ji Weining replied, unable to resist gently kissing her forehead like a dragonfly skimming the water, then brushing the disheveled hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

Ji Weining whispered close to her ear, “Do you want to sleep a little longer?”

“Mmm.”

Ji Weining continued, “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Su Jin’an shook her head; there was nothing she wanted.

“How about I make you some red bean porridge?” Ji Weining thought for a moment and decided it would be just right for Su Jin’an at this time.

“Okay.” To her, it made no difference.

Ji Weining wrapped an arm around her waist, removed the extra pillow, and laid her down flat. Su Jin’an rested her head on the soft pillow and drowsily closed her eyes.

Just as Ji Weining finished cooking the porridge, she heard a knock at the door.

She returned to the room first and, seeing that Su Jin’an was still asleep, set down the freshly made red bean porridge and tucked the thin quilt securely around Su Jin’an’s stomach.

When she opened the door, she found Yu Qing. She hadn’t expected her to come looking for her.

Ji Weining asked, “What is it?”

“The local gentry who came to see you yesterday in town is dead,” Yu Qing stated bluntly, without any hesitation. There was no suspicion in her eyes; she had simply come to inform her.

The one who came to see her yesterday? Ji Weining was utterly confused. “What does that have to do with me?”

“The magistrate would like to invite you over,” Yu Qing informed her, then added, “That gentry was killed using Qingheng Mountain’s techniques.”

Only the two of them in this area knew Qingheng Mountain’s techniques, so both had become suspects.

“What, do you suspect me?” Of course, the most likely suspect should be Yu Qing, but no one here would believe she had killed the gentry. Similarly, no one would believe Ji Weining had done it either after all, the people she had saved thirty years ago hadn’t all left yet.

“No, it’s just that we need Senior Sister Weining to step forward,” Yu Qing replied, not daring to suspect her. More than anything, there was no one in this town capable of solving this problem. She knew Ji Weining was exceptionally skilled in medicine and hoped she could help uncover the truth, as Yu Qing herself only knew a little about exorcism. She needed Ji Weining’s assistance to get to the bottom of it.

Ji Weining said calmly, “Understood.”

“Alright.” If Ji Weining refused to come, Yu Qing had no way to force her. She could only ask. The death of one local gentry might be insignificant here, but what if next time it wasn’t just a gentry?

After delivering the message, Yu Qing left and headed to the magistrate’s office to discuss the matter.

Ji Weining returned to the room to find Su Jin’an already awake, eating the porridge she had left on the table.

“A local gentry has died, and they want me to take a look. Would you like to go out for a stroll, Junior Sister? I’ll take you out and stop by to check on things while we’re at it.”

Someone died? What does that have to do with Senior Sister? Su Jin’an quickly thought it over and felt there was something odd about the situation. She then asked, “If I told you not to go, Senior Sister, would you not go?”

“Of course,” Ji Weining replied. She had no interest in looking at dead people. Once someone was dead, she had no ability to bring them back to life.

“Let’s go,” Su Jin’an said, thinking it would be good to familiarize herself with the area. She set down the empty bowl of red bean porridge.

“Would you like to go out for a walk, Junior Sister?” Ji Weining’s eyes widened in surprise, having worried that her junior sister might refuse, especially since just days ago she had been wholly absorbed in cultivation.

“Mm.” Staying here would be pointless anyway; in her current state, even attempting to harness a significant amount of spiritual power was difficult.

“Here, put this on.” Ji Weining summoned an outer robe from her Qiankun pouch and handed it to Su Jin’an, saying thoughtfully, “The mornings are quite chilly. Stay warm.”

Her junior sister’s body was neither fully immortal nor entirely mortal, placing her in an awkward position something Ji Weining hadn’t encountered in all these years. She decided to wait until their master emerged from seclusion to ask if he knew more about such a condition.

The town wasn’t far from their courtyard, and the path was lined with snack stalls. They bought some treats to nibble on as they walked, arriving in town just as they spotted a hairpin shop. Noticing the plain hairpin in Su Jin’an’s hair, Ji Weining tugged her inside to pick out a new one.

“Why are you thinking of buying hairpins, Senior Sister?” Su Jin’an glanced at Ji Weining’s own simple hairpin, assuming she meant to buy one for herself.

Ji Weining reached out and removed the plain wooden pin from Su Jin’an’s hair, explaining, “The ones I’ve given you are too plain.”

So it was for her after all. Ji Weining wasn’t one for elaborate adornments herself, rarely seen dressing up finely.

Reflecting on how little she had bought for Su Jin’an recently, Ji Weining selected a jade hairpin carved into the shape of a pine branch. She pinned it into Su Jin’an’s hair, but finding it lacked vitality and seemed too understated, she swapped it for another, sifting through the nearby pins.

“Try some others.” Ji Weining replaced it with a golden butterfly hairpin, which she thought suited Su Jin’an perfectly after a thorough look.

The shop was crowded, and a shop assistant finally noticed them and hurried over.

Ji Weining then picked out a buyao, a hairpin with dangling pearls that swayed with every step. When Su Jin’an wore it, she instantly appeared more vibrant; paired with brighter colors, she would look even more striking.

“Do you usually wear buyao, Junior Sister? I think it looks lovely. How about we buy two?”

“Look, they’re identical, two of them.” Ji Weining picked up another golden buyao just like the first, adorned with pearls below. She mused that if they were bells, each step would chime, which would be quite amusing.

The shop assistant approached and said, “Are you two sisters? This buyao would be perfect for you.”

“We’re not sisters. She is my current beloved and future wife,” Ji Weining corrected the assistant’s assumption but agreed with the latter part. “The buyao is indeed suitable.”

The assistant paused briefly before recovering and introducing the hairpin: “This buyao was originally reserved for noblewomen in the capital, but now anyone can try it. It will look beautiful on both of you.”

“Good, then wrap up all of these.” Ji Weining waved her hand dismissively, unconcerned about the cost.

The assistant, relieved she wasn’t offended, packaged the selected buyao and hairpins.

“So, future wife already?” Su Jin’an tugged at Ji Weining’s sleeve, leaning in to whisper, her cheeks flushing. She hadn’t expected Ji Weining to declare it so openly; their relationship hadn’t even been formally acknowledged yet.

Ji Weining whispered back, close to her ear, “Isn’t that right?”

“If you say so, then it is.” Su Jin’an pushed her away and stepped outside for some fresh air.

“Is your sweetheart feeling shy?” The maid, having brought over the packaged accessories, noticed Su Jin’an standing outside the door and teased.

Ji Weining paid for the items and replied, “Yes, she’s quite bashful.”

Although at times she couldn’t sense it at all, now she realized that Su Jin’an was still just a young girl. Ji Weining took the packaged accessories and walked over to her, whispering softly, “It’s all bought.”

“Is that the county office over there?” Su Jin’an stepped out of the hairpin shop and, standing outside, spotted the government office in Taoyuan Town. “Shall we go take a look now?”

“Let’s go.” Ji Weining took her hand and added in a hushed tone, “There are many eyes and ears here. Since you’re not familiar with this place, I’ll guide you.”

Guide her to become well-acquainted with this place, and share all of her past with her.

“Immortal, you’ve finally arrived.” The constables had all heard of Ji Weining’s deeds and had even seen the portraits passed down through generations. They were astonished to see her but quickly composed themselves, saying, “Immortal Yu Qing is already inside.”

After all, official matters took precedence. Matters of magic and spells were beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals like them, and they had to seek the help of these immortals.

“Immortal Yu Qing?” Su Jin’an hadn’t heard the name before and stood to the side, asking.

Ji Weining explained, “It’s the former Cuizhu. After leaving Qingheng Mountain, she has been staying here ever since.”

Only then did Su Jin’an recall the stories Ji Weining had told her before stories about her, about her past.

A pang of bitterness welled up in her heart. In Ji Weining’s past, there was no trace of the person before her, and in her own past, there was no Ji Weining either. An unsettling restlessness filled her heart, and she found herself yearning for more.

With a sour heart, Su Jin’an muttered gloomily, “Senior sister sure knows a lot of people.”

“They’re merely acquaintances. As for someone like you, junior sister, you are the only one for me.” Ji Weining detected the unease in her tone and quickly tried to dispel her worries, gripping her hand tightly to prevent her from pulling away.

“Then from now on, I want senior sister to stay by my side every day.”

Since the past couldn’t be changed, she wanted Ji Weining’s future wanted her senior sister to belong solely to her.

“Alright, whatever you say, junior sister.”

Ji Weining felt she was beyond redemption. She couldn’t even bring herself to refuse the seemingly unreasonable requests Su Jin’an made, as if all she desired was for Su Jin’an to have everything she wished for.

“You’ve finally arrived.” The magistrate was relieved to see Ji Weining, with the troubled-looking Yu Qing standing beside him.

Yu Qing had thought she wouldn’t come. After all those events, Ji Weining had become reluctant to involve herself in such matters and had long wished to break away from Qingheng Mountain. Yu Qing understood her desire to leave, but since Ji Weining had grown up on Qingheng Mountain, the sect leader would never let her go easily. Later, Yu Qing learned that Ji Weining often enjoyed spending time in Taoyuan Town, and though she had some inkling of the complexities involved, she didn’t know how to offer comfort.

Most cultivators were born with a detached nature, but Ji Weining struck her as an exception. In Ji Weining’s bones, she sensed a fervent passion perhaps she was the destined immortal, the one fated to ascend.

If one were to abandon humanity, how could they bring blessings to all living beings? And how could they ever hope to ascend?

Yu Qing didn’t waste any time leading them to where the country gentleman’s body was placed. Along the way, she briefed them on what she had discovered so far: “After examining him, I found no trace of demonic energy. It was indeed the Qingheng Mountain technique the Spirit Fire Array that burned him alive.”

The Spirit Fire Array? How could it be the Spirit Fire Array? There were far too many doubts, no wonder Yu Qing had asked her to come and investigate. She truly had no leads.

Yu Qing added, “But someone witnessed him burning. I’ve already detained everyone who saw it to prevent the news from spreading.”

Upon hearing of the country gentleman’s death, Yu Qing had quickly taken control of those involved. If word got out, who knew what rumors might arise.

Ji Weining responded, “Mm.”

When they entered the room, they saw the charred, blackened corpse, barely recognizable as the man she had seen that morning. His son was also there nearby.

Ji Weining asked, “Were only these two from the family killed?”

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