The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 24

An unnatural silence permeated the vast City Lord’s Manor. Servants were few and far between wherever one went, and the vines growing everywhere made the place look overly desolate and eerie. If not for the occasional person spotted in various corners, it would truly resemble an abandoned estate.

Unlike servants in ordinary households who busied themselves with cleaning and service, these individuals hid in corners, watching the unfamiliar figure moving through the manor. Their eyes held a faint, sinister alertness, which they quickly retracted into respectful, fawning smiles whenever she looked their way.

Chi Li knew she was being watched. Her eyes didn’t betray a single trace of fear as she looked down, scrutinizing Butler Zhang, whose body had stiffened upon hearing her answer. Butler Zhang felt a chill run down his spine, the invisible pressure caused him an inexplicable heart palpitation. He could only manage a dry laugh.

“Is that so? Then what did the Immortal Master see in the past?”

Chi Li let out a short laugh but did not answer. Her gaze swept across the surroundings as if by accident, sending another wave of cold through Butler Zhang.

The withered, yellowing vines emitted the scent of decay, filling the air with a faint, lingering stench like the rotting corpses of the dead placed everywhere the vines grew thickest. A bone-chilling wind blew past, and the dried leaves on the vines teetered before drifting down toward the figure walking ahead. Like countless murky eyes staring at her, they turned to ash soon after hitting the ground, heightening the desolate gloom.

It was uncanny and terrifying, as if one had stepped into the underworld itself.

The Manor as a Breeding Ground

Chi Li resumed her walk with a swift pace. Her composed demeanor made it seem as though she were strolling through her own garden, showing no intention of waiting for Butler Zhang, who was chasing after her and shouting.

Beneath the swaying light veil of her hat, her gaze inconspicuously scanned the environment. Having arrived ahead of schedule, Chi Li couldn’t be certain if things would be identical to her previous life, nor if the item she sought had already formed.

She didn’t ask for directions or head straight for the study. Instead, she deliberately ignored Butler Zhang, feigning being lost to intentionally walk every path in the manor. The withered vines covered the entire estate, making it look like a giant flowerpot specifically for cultivating them.

Chi Li knew they weren’t dying; they were Ghost Blood Vines that had absorbed too much nourishment. What she was looking for was the flower bud produced by these vines.

Though there were differences from her previous life, Chi Li was fairly certain: the Ghost Blood Vines had matured, and the precious flower buds should have grown by now.

At this thought, her eyes narrowed slightly beneath the veil. Her upturned brows gave her an irresistible aura of pressure. The servants who intended to block her path were instantly frozen in place as if turned to stone, allowing her to pass through unhindered. It was eerily quiet, as if she were the only person moving through the manor.

The Butler’s Panic

Butler Zhang, unable to keep up, stopped to gasp for air. His voice was raspy and his expression resembled a resentful demon, all traces of his initial politeness were gone.

“What are you standing there for?! Catch her!”

However, the servants’ expressions became vacant and hollow. They treated Butler Zhang’s words as wind passing through their ears. From an angle others couldn’t see, paper talismans on their backs fluttered in the wind, the inscriptions glowing with a soft, irresistible light.

Unaware of this anomaly, Butler Zhang grew furious when no one moved to stop Chi Li. His face darkened and became distorted with rage. But just as he was about to bark a reprimand, he caught sight of the familiar desolation nearby. His face turned deathly pale, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes as he muttered to himself:

“How did she end up here?”

Clearly, the figure ahead wouldn’t answer him. She pushed open the dilapidated courtyard gate. Her sudden appearance caused the surrounding vines to dance in the wind; the rustling sound was like a swarm of terrifying snakes hissing, gleaming with an eerie light.

Seeing Chi Li enter, Butler Zhang gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. He exhaled a breath of turbid air and followed with a somber face.

The Ghost Blood Vine

The small courtyard was remote and broken, seemingly abandoned for a long time. Yet, the vines here were brighter and more vibrant than those outside. The edges of the swaying leaves were as sharp as blades.

Chi Li stopped and lowered her gaze to something hidden beneath the vines.

“Immortal Master!” Butler Zhang’s voice was sharp, but he failed to stop her from reaching out.

Her hand was slender and elegant, making the emerald vines look even more vivid against her fair skin. However, the moment her fingertips touched the leaves, a sharp sting occurred. A bead of bright red blood welled up from the cut, looking strangely piercing against her finger.

The blood droplet slid off, adding a speck of crimson to the green. Chi Li narrowed her eyes, watching the red until it was absorbed and disappeared. She tilted her head, rubbing the tiny wound as she contemplated.

Before the panting butler could speak, Chi Li looked up, her gaze cutting off his words. Her voice was as cool as a spring breeze, yet her words induced guilt.

“The plants in your manor are quite sharp just like razor blades.”

It sounded like praise, but it carried a chilling pressure. Butler Zhang’s face darkened again, but he quickly masked it, feigning a wipe of cold sweat from his brow. He sighed with forced helplessness.

“The Immortal Master might not know, but our City Lord has grown very fond of these in recent years. By her command, the entire manor was planted with them.”

Chi Li’s eyes flickered. She glanced back at the withered vines outside and remarked thoughtfully, “Is that so?”

Butler Zhang frowned but pressed on. “Perhaps these vines from elsewhere didn’t take to the soil. Only this courtyard managed to survive.”

Chi Li’s gaze was colder than the wind, filled with deep scrutiny and a hidden trace of irony. She didn’t respond to his last remark, but instead asked:

“Excuse me, who did you say liked these?”

Confused but wanting to keep her calm, Butler Zhang answered honestly, “The City Lord.”

Chi Li laughed. The sound echoed in her chest without a hint of warmth, only a bone-chilling cold. “Does she really like them?”

Butler Zhang lowered his head to hide his malice. “Yes, the City Lord likes them very much.”

Chi Li didn’t reply. The coldness in her eyes deepened like a bottomless abyss. Suddenly, a violent, freezing wind swept through, sharp as a blade, as if it wanted to flay someone alive or as if it were dissatisfied with the butler’s answer.

Even sharper spiritual energy gathered around Chi Li, forming an invisible barrier that blocked the wind. Her simple robes fluttered with a sharp, arrogant edge, making her look formidable. She handled it with ease, her narrowed eyes seeming to see something through the unannounced gale.

She opened her mouth, her voice so soft it was swallowed by the wind. “Is she still here at this time?”

Butler Zhang was not as relaxed. Though he had no visible wounds, he knew the wind blades had bypassed his skin to scrape at his flesh. His face distorted in pain. He wanted to curse but held back due to Chi Li’s presence, his eyes fixed on the object hidden by the vines with hatred and rage.

“Immortal Master, there is nothing to see here. Weren’t you going to see the City Lord?”

Despite his attempt to hide it, Chi Li heard the gritting of his teeth. She didn’t care. She put on a confused expression, pretending she had just remembered.

“I almost forgot. Thank you for the reminder.”

She was polite and courteous, but she didn’t wait for a reply. She exited the ruined courtyard, leaving Butler Zhang to shout and scramble after her, fearing she would “lose her way” and circle the manor again.

The Mad City Lord

This time, Chi Li didn’t get lost. She walked straight to the City Lord’s study. As she reached for the door, a blood-curdling scream erupted from within. The shrill sound pierced the manor, causing Butler Zhang’s face to pale once more.

As he prepared an explanation, Chi Li turned around. Even through the veil, he could sense her furrowed brow. The screaming continued, making one’s skin crawl.

Chi Li spoke thoughtfully, “I had heard the new City Lord of Phoenix City was eccentric and moody, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.”

Hearing Chi Li assume the City Lord was beating a servant, Butler Zhang felt relieved. But before he could warn the person inside, Chi Li had already pushed the door. There was a crisp snap as the lock fell to the floor.

Butler Zhang tried to rush in but was hit squarely in the nose by the closing door. The intense pain made his vision go dark. When he recovered, he was facing a door he had partially broken with his own face. The “dying” vines nearby began to crawl up the door like snakes, seemingly mocking him.

His expression turned as black as a pot’s bottom. He snatched a vine and tore it apart, letting it rot in his hand. He shouted toward the room with no respect left:

“City Lord! An Immortal Master from the Cangqing Sect has arrived!”

He then threw the vine away and pulled out a jade talisman used by immortal sects, muttering something darkly into it.

Inside the Study

The study was in total disarray. Expensive porcelain lay shattered, and books were strewn across the floor in a mess. Chi Li scanned the room, comparing it to her memories. Unlike her previous life, her sudden arrival had caught them off guard; they hadn’t had time to hide the evidence, and the vines weren’t fully under control.

As for the source of the screaming…

Chi Li’s gaze fell on an expensive bookshelf. A rustling sound came from behind it. She bypassed the wreckage, her footsteps silent and her aura suppressed. As she drew closer, the smell of blood became nauseatingly thick.

A pool of blood appeared at her feet, staining the floor and the scattered items like a gruesome crime scene.

The figure behind the shelf was thin, making her luxurious robes look oversized. Her back was hunched and trembling in agony. Her pale wrists were wrapped in vines so dark green they were almost black, the leaves hiding purple bruises.

The person’s head was bowed, hair obscuring her face. In her other hand, she held a blade, looking like a manic wraith crawled out of hell.

Chi Li looked down with indifference, watching the woman self-harm. This person was a world away from the composed schemer in her memories. A vine tried to creep toward Chi Li from behind, but she crushed it under her heel without mercy.

When Butler Zhang’s voice called out from outside, the figure froze. Blood slid down the blade and dripped onto her dress like blooming flowers. She looked around blankly, only to have her skeletal wrist grabbed by Chi Li. The blood stained Chi Li’s fair hand, like mud on flawless jade.

Chi Li’s grip was firm, forcing the vines to retreat. The woman looked up with malice, seeing her own wretched reflection in Chi Li’s deep eyes. She suddenly burst into a raspy, ear-piercing laugh.

Chi Li waited patiently for the laughter to stop. The woman’s dry throat eventually gave out, leading to a violent coughing fit. When she finally caught her breath, the uninvited guest spoke. Her voice was like a clear spring or an elegant zither, yet it sent shivers down the spine.

“Long time no see, City Lord.”

There was no warmth of an old friend in Chi Li’s voice instead, it carried the killing intent of someone who had finally found her enemy. Chi Li tightened her grip, and the blade clattered to the floor.

The woman narrowed her eyes, asking in a voice full of hostility: “Do we know each other?”

“We don’t,” Chi Li said coldly.

According to the current timeline, they didn’t know each other. And if she had a choice, Chi Li would have preferred never to know this madwoman.