Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 59

The shopkeeper pushed the token back. “The hall master has gone out and won’t return until the Xu Ling Festival.”

The hall master wasn’t in?

“Then let me see whoever is in charge now.” If the hall master was away, there must be others left in charge. In any case, someone who could speak with authority would suffice.

“Oh, it’s Senior Sister Ji!” A young woman dressed in black, her long braid swaying, propped herself against the doorframe and spoke cheerfully.

The maids around her bowed. “Deputy Hall Master.”

Ji Weining vaguely recognized her but couldn’t recall her name…

A maid behind the deputy hall master pulled over a chair for her to sit. She reclined, rested her hand on the armrest, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Here to discuss the Xu Ling Festival?”

“Isn’t that what everyone’s here for?” If it weren’t for those matters, there wouldn’t be so much contention, and she had long grown tired of it.

The deputy hall master straightened up, leaned on the armrest, and stood again. “The hall master instructed me to wait here, and sure enough, you’ve come.”

“Follow me upstairs.” She glanced at the two of them and ascended the stairs to the second floor.

At the corner of the staircase hung a painting. The deputy hall master removed it, revealing a hidden mechanism behind. Without hesitation, she channeled her spiritual power in front of them to activate the device.

The mechanism opened, unveiling a hidden chamber with countless secret doors leading to unknown places. Ji Weining paid it no mind and didn’t follow further. She and Su Jin’an waited at the entrance. Soon, the deputy hall master reappeared, holding a scroll. Still a few steps away, she casually tossed it over. “This is the latest situation in the north. Your Qingheng Mountain surely doesn’t have such detailed information. Take a good look.”

Ji Weining caught it and asked, “What’s the situation with the Qian family?”

“Want to know why our hall is supporting them?” The deputy hall master immediately understood. She extended her hand, signaling. “Hall secrets.”

“Take it.” Ji Weining retrieved a pouch of spirit stones from her Qiankun bag and handed it over.

The deputy hall master transferred the stones to her other hand and waved dismissively. “Not enough.”

Ji Weining added another pouch of spirit pearls. “Then this.”

“Still not enough.”

Acquiring information from this hall was no easy task. Ji Weining had initially been willing, but now, she took Su Jin’an’s hand and turned to leave.

“Wait, you don’t want to know anymore?” The deputy hall master was taken aback, her eyes widening slightly. She watched them walk away, calling after them, “Didn’t you want to know?”

Why the sudden change of heart?

No matter what the deputy hall master said behind them, Ji Weining didn’t look back.

Su Jin’an, pulled along by her hand, asked once they were farther away, “Senior Sister, aren’t you going to find out?”

“No, we’ll go directly to the Qian family.” Ji Weining replied.

If they were meant to know, she could surely get the information from the Qian family themselves.

Su Jin’an remarked out of the blue, “Senior Sister, you’re truly interesting.”

“Hmm?” Ji Weining glanced back at her, puzzled.

By the time they reached the Qian family, the sun had already set. Without prior notice, Ji Weining approached the main gate. A maid standing at the entrance spotted them and hurried inside to report.

“There… there are immortals here.” The maid seemed unaccustomed to seeing people like them, suggesting that everything in the Qian household was as usual.

“Please wait a moment, Immortals.”

Ji Weining quickly surveyed the area and found that the entire Qian family possessed not a trace of spiritual power. How could they possibly participate in the Spirit Blessing Festival?

Wait—something wasn’t right. It seemed there had once been a Spirit Blessing Festival held for a clan completely devoid of spiritual energy. Was Luoxue Hall planning something along those lines? But that wouldn’t be easy. She vaguely recalled that the previous instance had been fraught with anomalies.

“Immortal, please follow me inside,” the maid reappeared, leading the two of them into the inner quarters.

Exchanging a glance with Su Jin’an, Ji Weining followed her in.

“Immortal Weining,” greeted Qian Yichun, the matriarch of the Qian family—a serene elderly woman. Setting down her teacup, she bowed respectfully with clasped hands. She knew that in terms of age, Ji Weining was far older than her. How could a mere mortal dare compare years with an immortal?

“Immortal, you wish to know why Luoxue Hall is supporting my Qian family?”

Ji Weining nodded. It seemed the master of Fengxue Hall had already communicated with the Qian family’s matriarch.

“This is something brought from the south.” Qian Yichun retrieved a small box from beneath the table beside her and handed it to Ji Weining. As Ji Weining accepted it, the elder said calmly, “See for yourself, Immortal.”

Ji Weining opened the box. A golden light emerged from within, and characters slowly materialized above it, accompanied by a voice that echoed directly in her mind, identical to the one she had heard before: “The Spirit Blessing Festival must be secured. The Qian family of Guangze must also be protected.”

Puzzled, she asked, “The Su family… a divine decree?”

This was her first time witnessing the true form of a Su family divine decree, though it was only a fleeting apparition. The golden light then retracted into the box, which closed on its own.

Qian Yichun replied, “Yes.”

“The Su family brought this here, demanding that we secure the Spirit Blessing Festival at all costs.”

However, the divine decree did not specify that the Qian family should secure it, but rather the Su family. The Su family would fulfill any demand of the divine decree, which meant the Qian family might not need to participate directly. Still, the Su family needed to obtain the divine decree—so Su Jia would secure it, representing both the Su family and Qingheng Mountain.

Since the Su family’s divine decree had already reached this place, it was certain the Su family wasn’t far behind.

Ji Weining asked, “When will the Su family arrive?”

“They will be here tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? She hadn’t expected them to come so soon.

After finishing her inquiries, Ji Weining left the Qian residence and turned to Su Jin’an.

“Junior Sister, the Su family is coming,” Ji Weining said quietly, hesitating before asking, “Do you still wish to stay here?”

Su Jin’an shook her head. “It’s fine. Perhaps it’s time I faced them.”

Seeing that Su Jin’an seemed unbothered, Ji Weining ventured further, “Then, Junior Sister, who do you think will come?”

“Most likely… my elder sister,” Su Jin’an murmured softly.

The most favored in the Su family was her elder sister, Su Tongjing, who had already reached the Nascent Soul stage and was now the most powerful junior in the family.

Ji Weining had also heard rumors of an exceptionally talented individual in the Su family—a mere twenty-five years old, with a future of limitless potential.

“Then, Junior Sister… do you aspire to be like her?”

Considering Su Jin’an’s progress, she was close to a breakthrough herself, lacking only the right opportunity to advance to the Nascent Soul stage.

Su Jin’an shook her head. “I don’t need to be like her.”

She had never wanted to be like her sister. In the future, she would inherit her mother’s position and contend with those people, while they, in turn, were merely nurturing her, awaiting her eventual demise.

She still remembered that day—the astonished looks in their eyes when they saw her. No one believed she could have killed Leng Qiudie, but when they noticed the demonic energy staining her hands yet leaving her unharmed, they hesitated and locked her away in that pitch-black place.

“Junior Sister, let’s go back.”

The remaining families would be dealt with by the Shen family, and there was no longer any need for her involvement.

“Junior Sister, you… you’re sweating.” Ji Weining took her hand, feeling the warmth and dampness in her palm.

“It seems I’ve never been as good as her in anything since childhood.”

She was a mere mortal, while the other was a cultivator. An invisible line had always separated them—she stood on this side, while they were all on the other.

She despised such a life.

Ji Weining tugged her hand, pulling Su Jin’an into her embrace. “So stop forcing yourself to hold on.”

Leaning against her shoulder, Su Jin’an finally broke down and began to sob.

Ji Weining tried to turn her head to wipe away her tears, but Su Jin’an buried her face stubbornly in her shoulder. “It’s ugly.”

She cared about how she looked in Ji Weining’s eyes.

She didn’t want her to see her like this—it seemed she was growing more and more concerned about her opinion.

“Alright, then wipe them yourself, Junior Sister.”

Su Jin’an snatched the handkerchief from her hand, but her tears continued to soak into Ji Weining’s shoulder.

“Actually, the last person I saw before leaving the Su family was her,” Su Jin’an whispered, her voice tinged with grievance. Su Tongjing was the sister she respected most and also her strongest support.

“She said Mother wanted me to leave, and if possible, not to return—to wait for them to come find me.” That was why she had come to Qingheng Mountain, wanting to help, to find that sword, and to uncover the truth. She didn’t want to be the one kept in the dark, deceived to the core.

“Find you?” How could they find a mere mortal like searching for a needle in a haystack? Ji Weining didn’t understand.

“The Su family’s Heaven-Calculation Art.”

They could calculate the heavens, the earth, and people—the Su family had countless ways to locate Su Jin’an.

Su Jin’an thought of something else and murmured, “If Mother has come too, it must mean everything has been settled.”

“They… had long wanted to eliminate those who wouldn’t obey.”

Her departure might have made it easier for them to act, whereas her presence had hindered their plans. Though they never discussed their schemes with her, she had figured it out.

“So, after you left, your mother seized the position of family head.”

“Family head?” They had already taken it?

Su Jin’an hadn’t heard any news from them in a long time. Had they managed it in just over a month? So her existence had only slowed them down.

Ji Weining nodded firmly.

Su Jin’an cried even harder.

Ji Weining patted her back helplessly, soothing her.

“Was it because of me that they took so long to secure the family head position? And could Leng Qiudie have died because of me too?”

She couldn’t understand how Leng Qiudie had died. Now that she had her sword, she still didn’t know how to interpret it.

“This sword is indeed hers.” She was certain.

“Senior Sister, am I just utterly useless?” Su Jin’an leaned weakly against her shoulder.

Ji Weining patted Su Jin’an’s back like a soothing cat, calming her down. She didn’t look at her tear-streaked face but instead drew closer, embracing her.

“Little Sister is perfectly fine. It’s them who won’t let you cultivate spiritual power, isn’t it?” Ji Weining recalled her saying this before.

Su Jin’an came to her senses and lifted her head. “Yes, why won’t they let me learn spiritual power?”

Why wouldn’t they let her learn? If she mastered it, wouldn’t she be better able to help them?

“Then, Little Sister, shall we wait for them to come and ask them directly?”

“Okay.” Only then did Su Jin’an emerge from her confusion.

Ji Weining carried Su Jin’an back to the Shen Residence.

The lights were still on at the Shen Residence.

“Senior Sisters, you’re back.” As soon as they entered, they saw Su Jia wandering around the courtyard, seemingly preoccupied.

Ji Weining set Su Jin’an down and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Zhao Mu and Ding Yun are here.” Earlier, Su Jia had mentioned that they should come to the North’s foremost family to seek the Ten Thousand Things Life technique. It seemed they had actually come looking for it.

Liu Xiling popped up from behind and asked, “Senior Sister, did you bully Little Sister?”

“Little Sister’s eyes… look a bit red.”

Su Jin’an loosened her grip on Ji Weining’s shoulder and shot a glare at Liu Xiling. “Senior Sister Xiling, you truly have sharp eyes. But how could my senior sister ever bully me? If anyone would, it’d be you.”

“Exactly, how could I ever bully my junior sister? Xiling, you should head back on your own.” Ji Weining chimed in, forcing an awkward smile before quickly picking up Su Jin’an and leaving the scene.

Liu Xiling was still too intimidating—she really couldn’t handle her.

Ji Weining swiftly took Su Jin’an away from that place.

“Feeling better now?” Ji Weining asked.

Su Jin’an had been burying her face in the crook of her neck, and Ji Weining could sense that her mood had improved compared to before.

“Better, but Senior Sister, close your eyes.”

Su Jin’an slipped out of her embrace, quickly found a bronze mirror, and checked her reflection. Hmm, her eyes were no longer red.

“Senior Sister, you can open your eyes now.”

“Little Sister is as beautiful as ever.”

Su Jin’an pressed her lips together, smiling, and soon fell asleep with a light heart.

Night fell, silent and still.

Ji Weining watched the person sleeping beside her, gently tucking in the blankets before carefully slipping out of bed.

A butterfly landed on her hand, transforming into a slip of paper. Ji Weining frowned as she unfolded it.

【Southeast corner of the courtyard, come out quickly. — Tong Liu】

Tong? Who?

For a moment, Ji Weining couldn’t recall who it might be.

So late, and they came looking for her?

With a wave of her hand, Ji Weining quickly set up an array around the sleeping quarters. Under the protection of the array, Su Jin’an would be safe.

“Southeast corner?”

It happened to be the direction from which they had returned earlier. She swiftly leaped over the wall.

A young woman in a light blue robe wearing a veiled hat stood there, her identity unclear.

Ji Weining asked, “Who are you?”

“Who are you? Where is my sister?” The woman lifted her veil, revealing an impatient expression.

“Ji Weining, head disciple of Qingheng Mountain.”

The person before her immediately understood and introduced herself, “The eldest daughter of the Su family, Su Jin’an’s sister?”

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