Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 36

Memorizing the patterns of the formation was something Ji Weining could accomplish with just a glance, making it the least of her concerns. However, the brush in her hand proved rather challenging to wield. After all, it was not her magical instrument, and the amount of spiritual energy she needed to channel into it far exceeded what its original owner would have required.

But now, as she infused her spiritual energy into the brush, she sensed something peculiar. The magical instrument was surprisingly obedient, offering no resistance. Ink flowed from it almost immediately, tracing the formation patterns as her hand guided it.

One symbol after another filled the cloth banner, forming layer upon layer of intricate designs.

Everything proceeded so smoothly that, just as the sun rose in the distance and the banner was completed, a ray of sunlight streamed into the room. The courtyard outside teemed with vitality tender leaves swayed lazily, and flower buds unfurled in response.

Observing the changes around her, Ji Weining had not expected the Demon-Transforming Brush to possess such wondrous capabilities.

She had never been particularly interested in artifact refinement, but now her curiosity was piqued. The creator of this brush was truly remarkable, capable of crafting such an exquisite tool.

Su Jin’an, noticing the transformation in the courtyard, set down her book and looked over. The only thing that could have caused such a change was the brush in her senior sister’s hand. “What kind of brush is this?” she asked.

“This should be the Demon-Transforming Brush,” Ji Weining replied. It was her first time using it, and she was surprised by how seamlessly it responded to her. Legend had it that high-level magical instruments housed brush spirits, and she wondered if one resided within this brush. “Would you like to try it, junior sister?” she asked.

“I’m afraid it might not be easy to handle,” Su Jin’an said, shaking her head as she watched Ji Weining wield the brush with effortless grace. She knew her own limitations, if she tried, the result might not be as smooth.

Ji Weining nodded in agreement. Some magical instruments were notoriously stubborn, and since this one did not belong to her, she could not force it to comply. “It’s alright. I can guide your hand. Nothing will go wrong.”

“See how obedient it is?” Ji Weining said, using her palm to maneuver the brush toward Su Jin’an. The Demon-Transforming Brush was carved from pure white jade, its body adorned with flecks of gold arranged in a segmented bamboo pattern.

“Take it, junior sister. Hold it firmly.”

Su Jin’an tentatively grasped the brush. Just as Ji Weining had said, it remained perfectly still in her hand, as docile as an ordinary writing brush. Had Ji Weining not mentioned its true nature, she would have assumed it was nothing more than a simple jade brush.

With Su Jin’an holding the brush, Ji Weining retrieved a sheet of paper from her Qiankun Bag.

She rarely used formation diagrams, but now seemed like the perfect opportunity. “Is there any formation you’d like to draw, junior sister?”

“Not really,” Su Jin’an replied. Even if she were to choose, she couldn’t think of any formation she particularly favored.

Ji Weining placed her hand over Su Jin’an’s, which held the brush. The amount of spiritual energy the brush required was beyond what Su Jin’an could easily supply, so Ji Weining channeled her own energy into it. Instantly, the brush released ink, its tip revealing hidden formation patterns.

The brush could even control the color of the ink.

After a moment’s thought, Ji Weining transformed the prepared black ink into a spectrum of colors.

Su Jin’an watched, fascinated by the shifting hues at the brush’s tip, yet she couldn’t shake a sense of familiarity. “How did you know the brush could change colors, senior sister?”

“Close your eyes, junior sister.”

Su Jin’an followed her instructions, closed her eyes, and made the corresponding movements. In her mind, arrays rapidly appeared one after another, and she could only recognize one of them as the Water Condensation Technique.

“This is the structure of this brush.”

It was composed of one array after another.

While Su Jin’an was observing the arrays, Ji Weining was not idle either. Holding her hand, she began to draw on the paper.

Ji Weining drew swiftly. By the time Su Jin’an opened her eyes again, she had already finished. A three-dimensional figure of a small person appeared on the paper, resembling Ji Weining.

Su Jin’an looked closely as the environment around the small figure began to change, depicting the four seasons.

On the paper, the figure held a brush, learning to write, read, and study just like mortal children. As her features gradually matured, Su Jin’an became certain that it was indeed Ji Weining.

The scenes continued to unfold, showing Ji Weining’s travels over the past two hundred years passing through lush valleys, scorching deserts, and endless oceans.

“This is my past,”

Ji Weining whispered softly beside her.

“And the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.”

The image froze on her current appearance without makeup, a gentle smile gracing her face.

Su Jin’an couldn’t help but laugh, tears welling up in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks.

Ji Weining reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. She didn’t know why she had made her junior sister cry again and quickly changed the subject: “This array is quite impressive, isn’t it?”

“What array is this?” Su Jin’an lifted her head to look into her eyes.

“This is called the Weining Jin’an Array, also known as the Ning’an Array.”

Su Jin’an shot her a glare. “Why are you teasing me again?”

“Alright, this is an array I came up with on the spot. I haven’t given it a name yet.”

Having the rare opportunity to use this brush, it was the perfect time to create an array that could preserve memories, so she improvised one.

“Does junior sister have any ideas for a name?”

Su Jin’an lowered her head in thought. When she looked up, she saw the frozen image of her smiling self before her. The array also contained elements of time and space, reminding her of Ji Weining’s fleeting memories from earlier.

Could she really stay by her side forever?

Time flies in an instant those memories, too, seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye. She might not be able to remain by her side forever.

She replied, “Flowing Light.”

“A good name. Let’s call it the Light Retention Array, to preserve time.”

Retaining light? Su Jin’an realized that Ji Weining’s interpretation was entirely different from hers. Ji Weining wanted to preserve, while she was thinking of what slips away.

Retaining light.

“Alright.” Deep down, she also wished to stay, to remain by her side forever and always. It seemed she truly liked her just as much as Ji Weining liked her.

[Affection Progress: 60%.]

Hearing the voice of the divine oracle, Ji Weining instinctively reached for Su Jin’an’s hand, intertwining their fingers. She noticed that Su Jin’an’s palm was sweaty. Was she afraid of something?

Ji Weining transmitted a subtle stream of spiritual energy, gently caressing her palm like a tickle. Su Jin’an turned and embraced her with her other arm. Caught off guard by the sudden hug, Ji Weining froze, unable to discern the reason for her actions. Of course, she also failed to perceive the palpitations in the heart of the person whose hand she held.

One cloth banner each day, and soon all eleven were completed.

Only about ten days remained until the New Selection Competition.

“Senior Sister Ji’s mastery of formations is truly effortless,” she sighed as she watched Ji Weining. Su Jin’an had been studying formations every day lately, and each attempt made her realize the gap between her current skills and Ji Weining’s.

It was so vast that she didn’t even know how to begin closing it.

That evening, a long-absent knocking sound came at the door.

Ji Weining opened it to find Yu Qing standing there and asked, “What brings you here today?”

Yu Qing’s face was flushed, her expression dazed and intoxicated.

“I wanted to ask, how did you end up with her?” Yu Qing pointed toward Su Jin’an, who had just approached Ji Weining.

Ji Weining was taken aback by the question. “Huh?”

“Hua Rong, she rejected me.”

“She said, she only ever saw me as an elder. She said what happened before was just a mistake she made while drunk. She said I was hard to control, so I made that rope.”

“You’re really drunk,” Ji Weining said, rubbing her forehead, unsure how to converse with someone so inebriated.

Su Jin’an walked over and, seeing Yu Qing’s flushed face, asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

Ji Weining shook her head helplessly. She knew nothing about the details between Yu Qing and Hua Rong, but she could tell Yu Qing had feelings for her.

“It’s my fault, I…” After being rejected, Yu Qing didn’t know how to face the situation.

The next moment, Yu Qing sat down right in front of the door.

“Can you bring her inside?” Su Jin’an nudged Ji Weining, glancing at Yu Qing. “It’s not good for her to stay at the door.”

Ji Weining remained standing outside, lost in thought about the relationship between the two.

“Sorry to disturb you, Immortal Master,” Hua Rong said as she rushed over to support Yu Qing. “Immortal Yu Qing is drunk. Please don’t take her words to heart.”

Ji Weining waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Just sort out your own matters.”

Hua Rong held Yu Qing and began pulling her away. Surprisingly, Yu Qing followed obediently.

Ji Weining caught a familiar scent in the air.

“Xu Huan,” she called out, recalling the fragrance she had encountered at the Hehuan Pavilion that day.

Hua Rong’s steps faltered slightly, and Ji Weining immediately noticed the reaction.

“So it was you.”

Everything suddenly made sense, the invitation placed in her room earlier, the box she was meant to open. Every single detail had been part of Hua Rong’s plan.

Hua Rong knew that once Ji Weining had made up her mind, there was no changing it. She adjusted her sleeve, using a medicinal jade to ensure Yu Qing remained calm and unconscious in her arms. Meeting Ji Weining’s gaze, she said, “My name isn’t Xu Huan. It’s Hua Rong.”

“There’s still one more banner I’ll need your help with,” she added, leaving no other choice.

“Still unwilling to tell me who the demonic cultivator is?” Ji Weining asked. “Won’t you regret this?”

What Hua Rong intended to do was a near-impossible, life-threatening endeavor.

Yu Qing buried her head against Hua Rong’s shoulder, and Ji Weining realized how tall Hua Rong had grown. Her eyes were identical to those of Xu Huan she had seen before, though Ji Weining didn’t know what method Hua Rong had used to alter her appearance last time.

She was certain the person she had seen before was indeed Hua Rong, but now she could no longer see through her.

“I won’t regret it. I just want Taoyuan Town to be safe, and for her to be safe,” Hua Rong said, her eyes reddening as she glanced at Yu Qing. “She never meant any harm. She’s just too naive.”

“My mother and I never blamed her.” Even that year when he died because of the monsters she attracted, Mother would not blame her, only the cunning of the monsters.

She had tried her best to save Taoyuan Town, but she simply couldn’t achieve perfection.

“Are you truly content with this?” Su Jin’an, understanding the implication, couldn’t help but ask aloud. Over the past few days, her understanding of sorcery had deepened, and she now knew exactly what the Demon Transformation Array entailed.

“Willingly and gladly.”

Su Jin’an pressed further, “What if there were a way to have both?”

With so many sorceries available, why resort to the Demon Transformation Array when there might be other solutions?

“Immortal Master, perhaps you should ask yourself: if it were between Immortal Master Ji and you, who would you choose?”

“The weight of all living beings is too heavy.” Hua Rong curled her lips into a faint smile, her eyes narrowing slightly. “If I could lend even a single arm’s strength, I would fight to the very end.”

“I beg the Immortal Masters to grant me this.” She met their gazes without a trace of fear.

“The spirit pearl for Immortal Master Ji, and the information Immortal Master Su wished to know, I have placed them ten li outside Taoyuan Town, at the Qiu family’s residence in Nanning Town. There is a protective array guarding it. By the time you two emerge, it will coincide with the new selection competition.”

Ji Weining vaguely recalled that Hua Rong had married into the Qiu family in Nanning Town and given birth to Hua Le. By now, she should have severed all ties with the Qiu family.

“The Qiu residence has long been under my control.” Hua Rong, aware of her doubts, saw no need to conceal anything further. “Qiu Chengkai died even before our marriage.”

Qiu Chengkai must have been her nominal, deceased husband. So, the later Qiu Chengkai had all been impersonators she hired?

Ji Weining couldn’t help but marvel, “You are truly audacious.”

“She said she didn’t want Lele to be without a name, so I agreed to it.”

Su Jin’an quickly caught on, “Who is ‘she’?”

Ah? And whose child is Lele?

“Immortal Master has met her, it’s Tan Yan.” Hua Rong explained without holding back. “To be precise, Lele should be called Xu Le.”

“She is the true child of Xu Huan.”

Su Jin’an was utterly shocked, momentarily unable to unravel the complexity of their relationships.

Ji Weining, having some understanding, grasped the situation but found herself at a loss for words. Hua Rong, without a shred of spiritual power, had accomplished so much and even manipulated Yu Qing with ease.

“I’m sorry, I truly loved her, but we likely have no chance left.”

“The answer is for the Immortal Masters to decide. Whether to grant it or not has long been predetermined. There is only one opportunity.”

Yu Qing, drugged by her, had long since fallen asleep on her shoulder. With surprising strength, Hua Rong bent down and lifted her, then turned to leave.

“She will never know that I have always remembered her.”

Hua Rong smiled, nuzzling her sleeping face, and whispered, “That time, I did it on purpose.”

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