My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 9

As soon as Du Yunge spoke these words, she felt something was off. It wasn’t until she met Xue Shuyan’s gaze that she realized.

Her aversion to He Zhenzhen had been far too obvious.

The psychological trauma from her previous death was so profound that even after being reborn, the lingering shadow continued to loom over her. As a result, whenever she spoke, especially on matters related to He Zhenzhen, she unconsciously revealed a great deal of negative emotion:

This wasn’t just the kind of aversion that came from “not wanting to marry.” It was more like facing some life-threatening flood or ferocious beast.

Yet, at this point, He Zhenzhen hadn’t shown even a hint of her ambition openly. She was still the widely praised “young hero,” the master of the He Manor, admired by so many that they could practically join hands and circle the manor, though even more people adored Du Yunge, enough to circle it ten times over. Du Yunge’s fear of He Zhenzhen seemed utterly unreasonable.

While Du Yunge was still mentally scrambling to justify her reaction, she noticed that Xue Shuyan’s mood was completely different from what she had anticipated not hesitant at all, but rather softened, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible hint of joy.

Utterly bewildered, Du Yunge thought to herself: ??? What are you so happy about, Senior Sister Xue???

Such joy was exceedingly rare for Xue Shuyan. By the time Du Yunge focused her gaze again, it had vanished like morning dew or a night-blooming cereus fleeting and ephemeral swiftly replaced by Xue Shuyan’s usual icy demeanor.

As if to prove that the earlier gentleness wasn’t just Du Yunge’s imagination but had truly existed, Xue Shuyan’s hand hesitantly reached out and gently patted Du Yunge’s head, careful not to disturb her hair bun. It felt like comforting a young girl, devoid of any ulterior emotions, yet inexplicably bringing a sense of reassurance after all, this was Xue Shuyan, known for “never making promises lightly but always keeping her word.”

“Alright.”

Xue Shuyan gazed deeply at Du Yunge. “You must remember what you said.”

Her tone was slightly peculiar as she spoke, but Du Yunge, focused solely on survival, couldn’t discern such subtle differences. She could only nod repeatedly, agreeing in a flurry:

“Alright, alright, whatever Senior Sister says goes! Whatever you want later, I’ll definitely give it to you!”

Xue Shuyan cast one last glance at her, then turned and leaped onto the martial arts platform without looking back. Her landing was as light as a falling leaf or a petal alighting on still water as if she had no weight at all, not even stirring a speck of dust. Just from this display of agility, it was clear that the woman in the dark blue, close-sleeved robe was no easy opponent to contend with.

To be fair, Xue Shuyan wasn’t as beautiful as Du Yunge or rather, most ordinary people would pale in comparison to Du Yunge. Still, Xue Shuyan was a striking beauty from beyond the Great Wall, with well-defined brows, deep-set eyes, and sharp facial features. It was just that, under the influence of traditional Central Plains aesthetics and especially when contrasted with Du Yunge, the number one beauty in the martial world, she didn’t stand out as much.

As far as Du Yunge knew, quite a few people privately admired Xue Shuyan though not in a romantic sense. If one had to describe it, it was more like seeing her as someone to catch up to and surpass. In simpler terms, Xue Shuyan was the legendary “child from another family.”

Thus, it was no surprise that when Xue Shuyan leaped onto the stage, she was met with waves of exclamations, gasps of amazement, and even praise:

“As expected of the top talent among the younger generation in the Central Plains martial world! Her lightness skill is so refined, it’s like treading on water or floating as lightly as a swallow. An ordinary person would probably need decades of training to achieve even a tenth of her level!”

“Oh heavens, good thing I didn’t go up earlier. This is Xue Shuyan we’re talking about! Aside from the master of the He Manor, who might barely hold their own against her, who else could possibly withstand her? Just thinking about it gives me chills.”

“Wait, why is Xue Shuyan going up? Isn’t this the Bride-Selecting Martial Arts Contest for the sect master of Miaoyin Sect? What’s the senior disciple of Miaoyin Sect doing meddling in this? Could it be that she and the sect master have already been secretly involved, and this contest is just a front to make their relationship public?”

This speculation caused an uproar, immediately sparking a heated new round of discussion: “If that’s really the case, then that’s just too dishonest! Are they making fools of all of us?”

“Exactly! Don’t they know travel and meal expenses are costly?”

“I can attest those two are actually incredibly close. I just saw Xue Shuyan stroking Sect Master Du’s hair!”

At that, everyone’s gaze turned toward Du Yunge, who sat poised on the high platform. Though Du Yunge was too far away and her martial skills too weak to hear what was being said, the collective weight of so many stares was impossible to ignore. She had no choice but to turn to Feng Chengchun beside her and ask, “Guardian Feng, can you make out what they’re saying? Why is everyone looking at me?”

Feng Chengchun gave her a complicated look. “Sect Master, perhaps you should think about it yourself?”

Du Yunge actually did think it over seriously and, thanks to her uniquely imaginative thought process, came up with two things:

First, Xue Shuyan wasn’t much older than her. For her to comfort Du Yunge by patting her head like that earlier, it was just too much! It was as if she were treating Du Yunge like some little girl, an intimacy that seemed entirely out of character for the usually aloof and detached Xue Shuyan. Second, this was a Bride-Selecting Martial Arts Contest.

A Bride-Selecting Martial Arts Contest. The emphasis wasn’t on the “martial arts” but on the “bride-selecting.”

In a sudden flash of insight, Du Yunge understood: Oh, so that’s it. The moment Xue Shuyan stepped onto that stage, anyone with a normal train of thought would assume she was there to win Du Yunge’s hand in marriage. Alas, heaven has forsaken me!

She endured the complex gazes from all around, which seemed to say things like, “Why is Miss Xue so desperate?” “Is this an open act of insubordination?” “You two are even engaging in internal affairs? Then what’s the point of this competition? Don’t you know how expensive travel and accommodation are for those who’ve come from afar?” She wished she could bury her face in her hands, thinking with deep sorrow:

Senior Sister Xue, I’m truly sorry. To save the life of your sweet and adorable junior sister, your reputation will just have to be sacrificed for now.

However, Xue Shuyan, standing on the stage at that moment, was completely unaware of Du Yunge’s despair and desperate will to survive. Slowly, she drew the saber from her waist, bowed slightly to the smiling He Zhenzhen before her, and epitomized the phrase “economical with words”:

“Master He, please.”

He Zhenzhen’s expression instantly darkened as she looked at the saber in Xue Shuyan’s hand. A faint, murderous intent flickered in her charming, expressive eyes. Had there been no one watching, she might have lunged at Xue Shuyan right then and there, ready to fight to the death.

Everyone in the Central Plains martial world knew that Xue Shuyan was a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy.

What did it mean to be a true prodigy? The cruel reality that others could achieve in one day what took ordinary people ten days, or that someone so young could already rival the martial arts masters, was merely the baseline. What was even more infuriating was that these prodigies possessed such immense talent that they could grasp anything they learned almost instantly, quickly progressing from mere beginners to masters proficient in all eighteen types of weapons.

Did you think that was the end of it? That these prodigies, relying on their natural gifts, would slack off, allowing you to bridge the gap through relentless hard work and accumulated experience?

Not at all. Once these prodigies discovered their talent, they became as if possessed, diving deeper and deeper into the world of martial arts. The further they went, the more fascinating they found it, and the more fascinated they became, the more they wanted to train. Over time, they fell into an inescapable cycle obsessed, neglecting food and drink, single-mindedly devoted to martial arts, with a fervor that even nine oxen couldn’t pull back.

And as luck would have it, Xue Shuyan was precisely this kind of “martial arts fanatic.”

Everyone knew that Xue Shuyan of the Miaoyin Sect was both highly skilled in martial arts and fiercely loyal, as if there was nothing she couldn’t master. Yet few knew that she had a favorite weapon:

The Yanling Dao (Goose-Quill Saber).

Her swordsmanship was taught by the Winter Guardian of the Miaoyin Sect, her martial arts theory was learned alongside Du Yunge from the Spring Guardian, Feng Chengchun, and she had even practiced paired swords with Du Yunge, the sect leader, for quite some time. Logically, the longsword should have been her most familiar weapon. However, she was of Hu descent and had never bothered to conceal her origins. The nomadic tribes beyond the frontier adhered to the law of the jungle, and every herdsman on the vast grasslands was a hero capable of wielding spears on horseback, traveling far and wide, and skilled with blades and spears even before reaching maturity. For a Hu to be unskilled with a saber would truly be strange.

Yet no one had ever learned the name of Xue Shuyan’s Yanling Dao, for it was the most ordinary kind, the type sold in street stalls for just a few dozen coins.

A blade doesn’t need to be famous in its own right as long as its wielder is renowned, that’s enough. Take Xue Shuyan and her Yanling Blade, for example. Both were rarely unsheathed, yet the mere sight of the blade was enough to strike fear into hearts, for it was unmistakably tied to her.

He Zhenzhen inwardly grumbled a million times about Xue Shuyan’s inexplicable intensity today: Has she lost her mind? Why is she going all out like this?! Anyone would think this is just a martial arts contest to win a bride, but looking at her, you’d swear I had some deep-seated vendetta against her like I’d killed her father or stolen her lover! She’s practically declaring us mortal enemies!

But as the shrewd master of the He Manor, she quickly composed herself, adjusting her expression and mindset. Smiling at the silent Xue Shuyan standing before her, she said lightly:

“You can’t be serious, Senior Sister Xue, are you here to compete with me for someone too? What’s going on with you all? This isn’t fair, really not fair at all.”

As her gaze drifted, it naturally fell upon Du Yunge, seated gracefully on the high platform. She cast a flirtatious glance her way, expecting to see the young Mistress of the Miaoyin Sect blush prettily. Instead, Du Yunge averted her eyes as if she’d seen a ghost, her expression cool and reserved at least, that’s how it appeared to outsiders, a look that could captivate anyone.

He Zhenzhen sighed inwardly in disappointment. It seems I can’t make Du Yunge fall for me at first sight and lure that martial maniac Xue Shuyan away. No matter there will be other opportunities. I’m confident in my charms. With enough persistence, no wall is unbreachable. Given time, I’m sure I can win Du Yunge over and take her away from the Miaoyin Sect.

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she snapped back to reality, only to meet the icy, murderous gaze of Xue Shuyan, whose killing intent seemed to have intensified exponentially.

A sinking feeling washed over He Zhenzhen: Huh? Wait, what did I even do???

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