My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 48

When Qin Shanshan woke up, she was immediately met by Xue Shuyan’s expressionless face. For someone who, before passing out, had been scheming about how to kidnap someone, there was truly nothing more terrifying than opening her eyes to find the protector of her intended target standing right in front of her alive, cold, and imposing.

If she had to think of something even more frightening, it would be the sight of this person meticulously and expressionlessly polishing a blade beside her.

Xue Shuyan polished her blade with such intense focus, as though it were the most important task in the world, with nothing else mattering. She managed to make an ordinary Yanling saber, the kind commonly found in blacksmith shops or roadside stalls, gleam with a sharp, dazzling brilliance, exuding an aura that suggested she was fully prepared to cut all ties and commit murder without hesitation. Enough, the more she thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

Noticing Qin Shanshan had awakened, Xue Shuyan slammed the blade heavily against the bedside, jolting Qin Shanshan with a shudder. Only after Qin Shanshan had fully shaken off the lingering dizziness did Xue Shuyan coldly ask:

“What are you doing here?”

Qin Shanshan couldn’t help herself and immediately cursed in the Hu language, uttering something rather unpleasant, roughly meaning: “How unlucky to be caught red-handed by this coffin-faced woman! If you hadn’t interfered, I’d have already taken the little beauty back beyond the frontier to live a blissful life together.”

Although Xue Shuyan had been away from the frontier for many years and spoke the Hu language with a Central Plains accent while her Central Plains speech carried a hint of Hu influence, making her a bit of a hybrid she had no trouble understanding such remarks, having spent so many years among the Wuzaka tribe. Without a word, she pushed the blade forward slightly, making her intent perfectly clear:

If you don’t start telling the truth, I’ll resort to force.

After staring each other down for what felt like half an incense stick’s worth of time, the esteemed Saintess of the Wuzaka tribe suddenly felt a surge of bitter resentment well up inside her:

Why is the gentle, beautiful, cultured, and refined young sect leader so affectionate toward this dead-faced woman, yet avoids someone as lovely as me like the plague? It’s not fair! This is unbearable!

The faint blood relation between Xue Shuyan and Qin Shanshan worked perfectly at that moment. Just by looking at Qin Shanshan’s conflicted expression, Xue Shuyan knew exactly what her cousin was thinking. With an impassive face, she added fuel to the fire:

“Speak quickly. Once you’re done, I’m taking Yunge away.”

Qin Shanshan struggled to rein in her emotions: I need to stay calm, I need to control myself. I’m a mature adult weighing over a hundred jin now,I can’t act like a child, crying and throwing a tantrum to get what I want.

Xue Shuyan had never known the meaning of “showing mercy” when facing those who tried to forcibly take Du Yunge away unless Du Yunge was willing to go with them. But judging by the situation, it was clear that Du Yunge had been taken by force. Under normal circumstances, Xue Shuyan would have already charged in with her blade, making sure the other party suffered a fair share of physical pain. However, this person was her cousin, making it inappropriate to resort to physical violence. Yet, she couldn’t just let it slide either. So, Xue Shuyan began subjecting Qin Shanshan to a form of psychological torment that could only be described as merciless:

“Why waste your efforts? Yunge isn’t going to follow you. See? All your scheming has come to nothing.”

She even shook her head with an air of seriousness, but paired with her expressionless face, the gesture lacked any semblance of persuasion. Instead, it radiated a sarcasm so sharp it could drive anyone mad:

“After all these years, you still haven’t improved one bit.”

Qin Shanshan: I can’t take it anymore! I’m going to make a scene! Maybe if I cause enough trouble, I can draw the young sect leader in and let her see just how infuriating her dear senior sister is acting!

Acting on impulse had always been one of Qin Shanshan’s few virtues. Just as she had tirelessly worked toward her goal of “taking the Misty Sound Sect Leader to the frontier,” no matter how far-fetched the idea, she would at least give it a try.

So, without further hesitation, Qin Shanshan began rolling around on the bed. To prevent her from escaping, Du Yunge had tied her up from head to toe before going downstairs to fetch Xue Shuyan, leaving her looking like a giant caterpillar. And now, this oversized caterpillar was thrashing wildly on the bed, wailing at the top of her lungs without a shred of dignity:

“Young Sect Leader, save me! Your senior sister is trying to silence me!”

Xue Shuyan desperately wished she could gag her. Coincidentally, both of them knew Du Yunge’s temperament all too well she was kind-hearted and would never stand by and watch an innocent person suffer. The former Qinhuai Branch Leader had committed suicide by poison, a consequence of her own corruption and betrayal. But if it were someone like Qin Shanshan, with whom she shared past ties and who might have hidden reasons for her actions, Du Yunge would never remain indifferent after hearing such heart-wrenching cries. She would definitely come to check.

Xue Shuyan’s heart sank. If Du Yunge really showed up, wouldn’t that mean Qin Shanshan’s plan had succeeded? That absolutely could not happen!

Sure enough, before Xue Shuyan could stifle Qin Shanshan’s screams by covering her mouth or stuffing a cloth into it, a polite knock sounded from outside the door exactly three knocks, no more, no less. Then, Du Yunge’s voice followed:

“Is Senior Sister inside?”

Xue Shanyan responded before Qin Shanshan could let out another wail:

“Yes.”

So concise, so sparing with words! What a perfect embodiment of the reliable, action-oriented yet reticent senior sister figure in the Central Plains martial world!

Qin Shanshan recalled the scene just moments ago when Xue Shuyan had coldly mocked her, and she couldn’t help but think that this person was a god-tier hypocrite, so adept at putting on a facade. In comparison, her own skills in this area were far from sufficient. She really should have Du Yunge come in and see her dear senior sister’s true colors. But before she could speak, Du Yunge spoke up again:

“Since Senior Sister wasn’t harmed, I’ll take my leave now.”

Qin Shanshan: ??? Wait, isn’t this going in the wrong direction??? So you weren’t here to check on me, Little Sect Leader?!

Xue Shuyan also froze for a moment, then a faint, gentle smile appeared at the corner of her lips, nearly infuriating Qin Shanshan on the spot:

“Alright.”

What pleased Xue Shuyan was almost certainly something Qin Shanshan disliked; what made Qin Shanshan happy would undoubtedly displease Xue Shuyan. These two, who were nominally cousins, had hardly ever gotten along peacefully since they first met. The only time they briefly formed an alliance was during the internal strife in the Wuzaka tribe, when they fled together to Mount Wangyou. But once they reached the mountain, they were at odds again, even competing over Du Yunge, their mutual playmate.

If they were ordinary girls, they might have simply found another playmate or bought an extra copy of whatever they wanted. If all else failed, there was always the virtuous tale of “Kong Rong giving up the larger pear.” But Xue Shuyan was of mixed Hu and Han heritage, so between her and Qin Shanshan, the concept of yielding simply didn’t exist. Time and again, Qin Shanshan, relying on her status as a pure-blooded saintess, her youth, and her favored position, had snatched away many things that rightfully belonged to Xue Shuyan.

Thinking back carefully, the only thing that hadn’t been taken from Xue Shuyan over all these years was Du Yunge. No wonder Qin Shanshan was so fixated on Du Yunge, to the point of obsession.

So obsessed that she was willing to writhe and twist herself right off the bed just to lure Du Yunge inside.

Du Yunge had been about to leave when she suddenly heard a loud thud from inside the room. Startled, she wondered if the captive had broken free and started fighting Xue Shuyan. In her panic, she pushed the door open and rushed in:

“Senior Sister? Are you alright?”

Then Du Yunge was stunned by the sight of Qin Shanshan, half her body propped on the bed and the other half sprawled on the floor. She had never before witnessed such determination to discard all dignity and image for the sake of beauty. It took her a moment to process the scene, and she instinctively moved to help Qin Shanshan up. But then it occurred to her: if she ended up snatching Qin Shanshan away right in front of Xue Shuyan again, not only would Xue Shuyan likely feel aggrieved, but she herself would be furious. So she quietly shuffled back toward the door and said:

“Senior Sister, isn’t this your cousin? Why not lend a hand and help her up?”

Xue Shuyan had no choice but to help Qin Shanshan, who was tied up in a long bundle, sit upright on the bed. At first glance, anyone unaware of the situation might have marveled at the seemingly affectionate sisterly bond between them. However, this otherwise warm and friendly scene was completely ruined by the two women’s expressions:

The runaway mixed-blood descendant of the Wuzhaka tribe and the pure-blooded saintess glared at each other with such intensity that it seemed they would fight to the death. If Du Yunge hadn’t been standing at the door and if they weren’t worried about accidentally hurting her, they would have immediately started brawling.

Surprisingly, it was Qin Shanshan who first averted her gaze. After all, according to her philosophy of prioritizing beauty, a girl as lovely as Du Yunge was a sight to be savored every moment revealing a new facet of her charm. Who in their right mind would waste such an opportunity to admire such beauty by engaging in a glaring contest with a stone-faced rival?

Even tied up as she was, Qin Shanshan’s determination to flirt with Du Yunge remained undiminished. Boldly ignoring Xue Shuyan’s murderous glare that screamed, “I’m about to give you a thrashing, cousin,” she winked at Du Yunge and said:

“Little Sect Leader, have you come to check on me? I’m so delighted.”

Du Yunge: .Sorry, can we pretend I never came in? I’m genuinely afraid my senior sister might pull out her sword and slice you into minced meat.

In the end, the three of them sat down to talk, if sitting at opposite corners of the room, separated by the entire length of the diagonal, could be considered a normal conversation setup.

After all, as long as Qin Shanshan was alive, she remained the saintess of the Wuzhaka tribe. No matter how much Xue Shuyan secretly wanted to beat her up and throw her back to her tribe, she could never actually do it. Mistreating the saintess would hand the Wuzhaka tribe a perfect excuse to declare war on the Han people akin to personally handing their enemies a blade coated in deadly poison.

In recent years, the Wuzhaka tribe had grown increasingly powerful, and the younger generation had become more restless. More and more voices clamored for a repeat of the “glorious past of breaching strategic passes, crossing the Great Wall, and conquering the Central Plains.” However, as long as Qin Shanshan, the foremost advocate for peace, remained in power, no matter how much the hotheads below stirred up trouble, they could never unleash a true storm.

Within the Wuzaka tribe, few knew that their clan’s public rise was credited to Qin Shanshan, while in reality, it was the Miaoyin Sect that had provided the crucial support. The Miaoyin Sect had no intention of broadcasting this fact far and wide otherwise, if any trouble arose among the tribes beyond the Great Wall, they would all come trekking thousands of miles to seek help from the sect, and that would be unmanageable. Those who were aware of the truth had either died of illness or old age after all, a nomadic life spent on horseback, wielding weapons, meant that the elderly among the tribes did not live as long as their well-cared-for counterparts in the Central Plains. Others had lost their authority and could only watch helplessly as ambitious younger generations clamored for war. The few remaining elders who still held influence and remembered the Miaoyin Sect’s kindness had all pledged their allegiance to Qin Shanshan. This was the reason why, despite the Wuzaka tribe’s vast power and wealth over the years, they had never once dared to encroach upon the Central Plains.

This was a chasm known as “knowing propriety and understanding shame.” As long as Qin Shanshan and those who grasped the principle of “repaying kindness” stood firm, the Wuzaka tribe would remain, in the eyes of the Central Plains, a wolf locked in a heavily secured cage. No matter how hungry or fierce it became, it could never bare its fangs or claws at the Han people outside the cage, who were like sheep and cattle.

Du Yunge was completely unaware of all this, but Xue Shuyan understood it well. The books Feng Chengchun read daily covered everything under the sun from astronomy to geography, from the gossip of the northern frontiers to the strange tales of the southern seas. The books given to Du Yunge had been carefully screened, but those given to Xue Shuyan were different. Moreover, as a mixed-blood of Han and tribal descent, Xue Shuyan’s situation would have been extremely difficult if she weren’t on Wangyou Mountain. Learning more about such matters was, in any case, beneficial for her.

So, when Xue Shuyan realized she had been knocked out by incense and the girl from Tian Zaishui came to complain and seek help, she immediately sent a carrier pigeon to all the Miaoyin Sect-owned establishments along the routes to the frontier:

“If you see an exceptionally beautiful girl, one who can captivate people’s gaze even with a hat and veil that is our sect leader. If the sect leader comes to your place later and asks for food, supplies, or clothing, send everything in two identical sets. The red set should contain nothing added, while the other set should include a non-lethal poison that causes dizziness. Don’t ask why the sect leader has her reasons.”

This was the simplest, most straightforward, yet most effective method Feng Chengchun had repeatedly emphasized to her and Du Yunge before descending the mountain. After all, the Miaoyin Sect had extensive resources. Who would have thought it would actually come in handy?

Sure enough, the restaurant next to this tribal inn was a Miaoyin Sect business. Once they finally spotted their sect leader, they coordinated seamlessly with Du Yunge, delivering a bowl of almond tofu made with bitter almonds on one side laced with a non-lethal, dizziness-inducing toxin and sweet almond syrup on the other. Unfortunately, during delivery, the bowl encountered a minor issue and couldn’t withstand the jostling along the way. A bit of the juice from the bitter almond side, containing trace amounts of the toxin, seeped over to Du Yunge’s side.

Du Yunge detected something off with her portion from the very first bite. Having been raised in privilege since childhood, with access to the finest food, clothing, and accommodations, her palate was naturally far more discerning than most. What Qin Shanshan described as “only slightly bitter” syrup tasted to her like chewing raw bitter herbs or gnawing on a piece of tree bark. Yet, to avoid arousing Qin Shanshan’s suspicion, she forced herself to finish it without so much as a frown. After successfully drugging Qin Shanshan according to plan, she tied her up and waited upstairs for Xue Shuyan, enduring waves of dizziness.

If she had fled recklessly, Xue Shuyan might not have been able to catch up, and they could have missed each other entirely just as Qin Shanshan had wildly imagined. In these turbulent times, a beautiful young woman traveling alone was simply unthinkable. And given Xue Shuyan’s nature, she would have started searching the moment she realized Du Yunge was missing. As long as Du Yunge hadn’t discarded the sachet containing the tracking incense, Xue Shuyan would surely find her.

For some reason, Du Yunge trusted Xue Shuyan unconditionally. Even now, when Xue Shuyan said, “Interrogate her properly to find out what she really wants,” instead of immediately taking her away, Du Yunge felt that every action Xue Shuyan took was justified.

“You’d better tell the truth.” Seeing that Qin Shanshan was about to spout another round of her “beauty theory” to deceive Du Yunge, Xue Shuyan had no patience for further games. She drew her Yanling blade and slammed it into the center of the table with a thud. The blade sank deep into the wood, stopping just short of splitting the table apart, a testament to her impeccable control.

“If you speak even half a word of nonsense, this table will be your fate!”

Qin Shanshan finally sobered up. Her face, distinctly non-Han in features, now showed a trace of unease. She clasped her hands together and bowed toward Du Yunge, struggling to perform the gesture despite her bound limbs.

“Young Sect Leader, I truly apologize.”

“In recent years, the warmongers within the Wuzhaka tribe have grown increasingly influential. Even if I wished to suppress them, I feel increasingly powerless. If we don’t act soon, I fear these radicals will one day rally the entire tribe, join forces with other ambitious clans, and march straight into the heartland, repeating the tragedy of the Five Barbarians’ invasion!”

Before Du Yunge could process how pacifying the Wuzhaka warmongers related to her, she heard a soft, bone-chilling laugh from Xue Shuyan.

It was rare to hear Xue Shuyan laugh like that. No matter how others viewed her as a cold-faced executioner or an unsociable martial fanatic to Du Yunge, Xue Shuyan had always been a quiet, reliable, and comforting senior sister.

Du Yunge felt that this arrangement was fine, even good it truly gave her a sense of security. So, they continued to interact this way. Over time, she had almost been fooled by the harmless demeanor Xue Shuyan consistently displayed in front of her, genuinely believing that her senior sister had, through her long life on Mount Wangyou, shed all the sharp claws and fangs inherited from her Hu ancestry.

But at this moment, even Du Yunge dared not breathe heavily, let alone the terrified Qin Shanshan. The silence and stillness in the air seemed to condense into tiny, needle-sharp icicles, piercing deep into one’s very pores!

Xue Shuyan’s gaze toward Qin Shanshan was icy, tinged with a hint of disappointment and frustration, as if lamenting her failure to meet expectations. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh and said in a low voice:

“…I was so foolish. To think I took you as a serious rival, huh.”

Before Du Yunge could even process this, Xue Shuyan cut straight to the point:

“You want to take Yunge beyond the Great Wall, don’t you? So that your people from Wuzhaka will know that the greatest treasure of the Central Plains the legendary hidden treasure of the Miaoyin Sect and the only person capable of reading the treasure map, the sect leader are already in your hands. There’s no need to waste effort crossing the Great Wall, right?”

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