The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 10

She stepped inside, intent on slapping that shameless face.

The late afternoon breeze swept through, carrying a bone-chilling cold that made the leaves of the surrounding thousand-year-old spirit trees rustle. The sound was as crisp as clashing jade ornaments, gradually converging into a melodious tune.

The newcomer’s footsteps were feather-light, almost silent. Her hem brushed against the dew that had condensed on the grass overnight, yet the dress remained dry, leaving her looking like a transcendent celestial being.

Approaching the small courtyard, she saw the flicker of candlelight within. A hollowed out lantern was held in one person’s hand, casting the silhouettes of two figures onto the ground, their shadows facing one another.

Chi Li’s eyes narrowed slightly. She would recognize the figure standing opposite Mu Zhi even if he were turned to ash. Her hand, holding something, tightened unconsciously, her knuckles turned a haunting white, as if she were exerting immense self-control.

Suddenly, a faint cracking sound echoed through the darkness. Though subtle, it pierced the silent night, making the tall figure appear like a wandering ghost.

Chi Li instinctively quickened her pace, but as she neared the courtyard’s edge, it felt as though her feet weighed a thousand pounds, preventing her from taking another step.

Feeling the surge of invisible pressure in the air, a familiar sense of control, Chi Li’s expression darkened abruptly. She closed her eyes to investigate why the barrier she had personally set was suddenly repelling her.

The next moment, Chi Li snapped her eyes open. Deep within her pupils lay a gaze as cold as an icy pool, enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

The barrier she set was still there, and it wasn’t repelling her.

This resistance could only mean that the Heavenly Dao was obstructing her.

Because she had previously disrupted their first encounter, the world was now forcing them to meet again. It went so far as to ignore her barrier and bypass the rules that should have prevented Mo Fan from breaking it, forcibly shoving him inside.

At this thought, the spiritual energy around Chi Li surged violently. A riotous aura swept forth, sending leaves fluttering behind her in a terrifying display of power. She tried to speak, but her throat felt blocked, she could open her mouth, but not a single sound escaped.

The two inside seemed oblivious to the commotion, never glancing her way. However, their conversation reached Chi Li’s ears with perfect clarity.

“Senior Sister… Mu, I know everything now.”

Mo Fan spoke cautiously, his eyes shimmering with a peculiar emotion. On his sallow, gaunt face, such an expression was nothing short of revolting.

Hearing Mo Fan’s words, Mu Zhi, who was holding the lantern and absent-mindedly playing with a strand of her hair, paused. Her eyes filled with confusion as she asked, “Know what?”

Mo Fan gazed at Mu Zhi under the warm yellow glow of the lantern, his eyes alight with a suppressed, manic excitement.

“The one who gave me the porridge that day… the one who saved me… it was you, Senior Sister Mu.”

As he spoke, hope flickered in his eyes, not the hope of gratitude, but of infatuation.

Mu Zhi stiffened. Her brows furrowed and a flash of horror crossed her eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm. The words Chi Li had spoken to her in that dilapidated alleyway flashed through her mind, sending a chill down her spine. Her hand tightened around the lantern handle.

She stared at the man who had trespassed, her charming face clouding with displeasure as she denied it. “I’m afraid you have the wrong person. I never saved you.”

At her denial, Mo Fan became agitated. His voice rose to a shrill, piercing pitch. “In Wuxu City, the Mu family was distributing porridge! It was you..”

Before he could finish, Mu Zhi cut him off impatiently. “My Mu family distributes porridge to the masses, not to save one specific person.”

Denied again, Mo Fan’s brow twisted, making his gaunt face look like a distorted, crawling wraith. He refused to give up. “Then why the porridge?! Dare you say it wasn’t because of me?!”

Stunned by Mo Fan’s sheer audacity, Mu Zhi’s brow locked tight. Just as she was about to speak, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes previously bright in the warm light became hollow, as if she were a puppet on a string.

Mu Zhi opened her mouth uncontrollably, on the verge of admitting to this absurdity.

At that moment, a crisp, cold voice rang out, shattering the eerie atmosphere.

“Mu Zhi.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it was like shards of ice chilling, yet tinged with a hint of hoarseness.

Mu Zhi’s pupils reflected the figure walking toward her. Chi Li looked as cold and pure as a lotus blooming on a snowy mountain, yet each petal was a sharp blade. A trace of red stained the corner of her mouth, a pale yet vivid contrast that was breathtakingly beautiful.

As Chi Li approached, her eyes were fixed solely on Mu Zhi, as if a celestial being had descended only for her.

The hollowness in Mu Zhi’s eyes vanished, replaced by life. When she regained her senses, all she saw was Chi Li standing protectively in front of her.

Mu Zhi’s unease instantly found an anchor. Standing behind Chi Li, she let out a cold snort at the ashen-faced Mo Fan. She tugged at Chi Li’s sleeve, eager to see what her sister had brought her.

“Senior Sister, you’re finally here.”

As Mu Zhi reached for the pastries in Chi Li’s hand, her gaze caught a smear of crimson. Her hand froze, and her eyes filled with worry. “Why is there blood? Did someone hit you?”

Chi Li didn’t pull away as Mu Zhi used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her lip. She simply said soothingly, “It’s nothing. No one hit me, and no one can.”

Hearing this, Mu Zhi still looked uneasy, whispering, “If you’re ever bullied, you must tell me. I’ll beat them so hard their own father won’t recognize them.”

“Alright,” Chi Li’s expression softened slightly.

Ignored by the two, Mo Fan’s expression grew even darker. However, the pressure radiating from Chi Li nearly forced him to his knees. He gritted his teeth and spoke.

“Great Senior Sister.”

There was no respect in his tone, only deep-seated resentment.

Chi Li ignored him. Beside her, Mu Zhi frowned and addressed his previous self-important question. “I am telling you clearly now, so don’t play deaf. First, my Mu family distributes porridge year round. Second, I was there to perform acts of kindness for my mother’s merit. How did it become ‘specially for you’ in your mouth?”

“I…” Mo Fan was speechless, unable to find an answer, and could only glare at them.

Chi Li’s gaze was freezing as she questioned him mercilessly. “This is my residence, protected by a barrier. Outsiders are not permitted. How did you break the barrier to enter?”

The pressure from Chi Li closed in step by step, causing an instinctive palpitation in his heart.

“I… I don’t know,” Mo Fan stammered.

Chi Li knew Mo Fan couldn’t have broken the barrier on his own, her words were a warning to let him know this was not a place he could set foot in. This was Chi Li’s home. Entering without permission especially for a newly joined male disciple would be incredibly humiliating if the word got out.

While Mo Fan was struggling to find an excuse, two disciples arrived carrying daily necessities. They had overheard Chi Li’s questioning of Mo Fan and, after exchanging glances, walked straight to Chi Li and Mu Zhi.

“Great Senior Sister, we have brought the items you requested via voice transmission.”

Chi Li nodded and turned to Mu Zhi, speaking warmly. “Take them and put the things in your room.”

Mu Zhi glanced at the dark-faced Mo Fan with concern, but she obeyed. “Okay. Be careful, Senior Sister.”

Mu Zhi’s parting words made Mo Fan look like a common criminal caught in the act. The expressions of the other two disciples shifted as well.

Once the others had left, Chi Li’s finger twitched. She spoke coldly, “Qingshuang.”

As the name left her lips, a sharp blade wrapped in frost swept forward, stopping just inches from Mo Fan’s throat. The distance was marginal. The overwhelming pressure was too much for him, his legs gave out, and he slammed onto his knees.

Chi Li looked down at him with icy indifference. Before he could concoct another excuse, she spoke tonelessly.

“I don’t care what means you used to break the barrier. It is the middle of the night. For a male disciple to enter a female disciple’s residence… have you no sense of shame?”

Mo Fan was left speechless by Chi Li’s rebuke. His face was livid as he lowered his head, looking aggrieved. Chi Li let out a short, mocking laugh.

The sword shifted slightly, the oppressive aura intensifying. Mo Fan struggled to look up, he couldn’t see her face clearly, feeling only as if a vengeful spirit were claiming his life. His body began to shake like a sieve. He bit his pale lip, suspecting that if he moved again, she would kill him without hesitation.

“Great Senior Sister… even if you are the Great Senior Sister, I am the disciple the Master just accepted…”

Hearing him try to use their Master to pressure her, Chi Li grew impatient. Her brow seemed covered in frost, and her voice was like a whisper from the God of Death.

“So what?”

The blade trembled, reflecting a terrifying, cold light.

“Get out.”

Mo Fan scrambled away, rolling and crawling until he disappeared into the night.

A sharp burst of sword energy accompanied a wind blade, and a thousand-year-old spirit tree in the distance crashed to the ground. Chi Li withdrew her sword. Her hand, hanging at her side, trembled uncontrollably, and the malice in her eyes deepened.

Suddenly, a warm hand grabbed her wrist. Fingers tucked themselves tenderly between hers, and she heard a worried voice.

“What’s wrong with your hand?”

The malice in Chi Li’s eyes vanished instantly. She said softly, “It’s nothing.”

Mu Zhi squinted at the fallen tree in the distance and said indignantly, “That man is so shameless, always flattering himself. And he couldn’t even leave properly, he had to knock down our tree on the way out!”

The two disciples had come back out. Hearing Mu Zhi, they looked at the fallen tree and then hesitantly at Chi Li.

“Great Senior Sister…”

“I’m sorry for making you come so late. You may head back now,” Chi Li said calmly.

The two disciples wanted to say more but didn’t dare. They bowed and took their leave.

Once they were alone, Chi Li said to Mu Zhi, “I was afraid you were hungry, so I brought some pastries. Eat your fill and go to sleep. Tomorrow, we go to the Sword Pavilion to choose your sword.”

Mu Zhi had been too angry to be hungry, but since Chi Li had brought them personally, her eyes lit up. She took the pastries from Chi Li’s hand. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Chi Li’s eyes softened. She watched Mu Zhi stuff her face like a little hamster and smiled.

After seeing Mu Zhi back to her room, Chi Li returned to her own room next door. But she did not sleep. She sat cross-legged, meditating, desperately trying to suppress her chaotic spiritual energy.

She had been so close to killing Mo Fan just now, but the moment her sword neared him, it had become uncontrollable, making her miss the opportunity. Chi Li forced herself to calm down, slowly soothing her rampaging energy.

A pale flash of lightning tore through the sky, followed by rolling thunder. Cold raindrops drifted in through the open window. Chi Li opened her eyes, stood up, and went to close it.

There was a knock at the door, followed by Mu Zhi’s voice, sounding close to tears.

“Senior Sister…”

Chi Li opened the door. Mu Zhi stood there in her thin inner robes, looking pitiful and fragile. The moment the door opened, Mu Zhi threw her arms around Chi Li.

“I’m scared.”

Mu Zhi had been just as scared when she first arrived in her previous life. Chi Li didn’t think twice; she naturally pulled the girl into her arms and whispered comforts. “Don’t be afraid, Mu Zhi. There’s really nothing to fear.”

Chi Li tirelessly comforted her, then turned her around, pointing toward the distant lightning. The lightning didn’t strike instead, it transformed into a brilliant display of fireworks, blooming amidst the misty rain with a unique sense of romance.

The fireworks were reflected deep in Mu Zhi’s eyes. Amidst the flickering light, other emotions seemed to be hidden.

“Senior Sister, I love it,” Mu Zhi whispered.