The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 26

Where did she promise to leave today?

The night was thick. The vast estate remained unlit, draped in total darkness.

The howling wind sounded like the wailing of ghosts, as if thousands of spirits were shrieking. The swaying shadows of the trees in the courtyard were jagged and frightening, like claws and fangs reaching out in the dark.

A few sparse stars flickered in the sky, their faint afterglow insufficient to reveal the estate’s full layout. Instead, it added a bone-chilling desolation to the empty grounds.

Faint footsteps echoed from a corner of the estate. In the gloom, one could barely discern a tall, lean silhouette standing in the shadows.

The sudden appearance of a figure in the darkness should have been terrifying. However, she radiated a strange sense of calm, making even the ghost-like rustling of the branches seem like mere noise.

After standing still, the figure’s indifferent gaze swept over the surroundings, finally landing on a rockery.

A cold wind brushed past, bringing a chill through the fabric of her clothes, but the person’s expression remained unchanged. The coldness in her eyes was several degrees sharper than the wind nipping at her sleeves, enough to make anyone shudder.

A slender, fair hand rose, a talisman held between her fingertips at some unknown moment.

The talisman swayed gently in the wind. Its cinnabar runes were complex and shimmering faintly, appearing to contain a surge of powerful spiritual energy.

“Too strong…”

The person’s brow furrowed slightly as she muttered to herself.

Then, with a slight pressure of her fingertips, she imperceptibly pinched off a corner, causing the spiritual energy gathered on the talisman to instantly weaken by more than half.

Seeing this, her brow finally smoothed over, and a look of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.

The moment the talisman left her hand, it seemed to be blown by the wind onto the rockery. Once the glow extinguished, it vanished into the night, making it impossible to detect that anything had been added.

After a long moment, the figure in the corner looked up. Her emotions were swallowed by the darkness; one could only see her indifference, unable to glimpse anything deeper.

Her pale lips parted soundlessly. It was unclear what she incanted, but spiritual energy began to pulse in the air, gradually weaving into an invisible barrier that enveloped the estate.

“…The array is set.”

As her cool voice fell, the talisman on the rockery flickered once before disappearing completely. An “eye” of the formation was established.

The array was weak, it wouldn’t stop anyone but that was exactly what Chi Li wanted.

Chi Li turned her gaze toward the outer walls. Confirming that no one had arrived yet, and having no intention of waiting around, she turned and headed back to her own room.

The moment she stepped through the door, the candle on the stand flickered to life as the wind blew in. The warm light wavered, casting shifting shadows.

A single candle wasn’t enough to illuminate every corner of the room, but the dim yellow glow was sufficient to reveal a figure sitting in meditation.

The air in the room carried a slightly cloying, sweet scent. Besides the solitary candle, the table was piled high with various pastries, arranged skillfully so that not a single gap remained.

Feeling the warmth from the jade pendant at her waist seep through her clothes, Chi Li slowly opened her eyes. A voice filled with undisguised joy and laughter rang in her ears.

【Senior Sister, how is your stay there? If it’s not good, I’ll have someone find you another place.】

Hearing Mu Zhi’s cheerful voice, the light in Chi Li’s eyes softened unconsciously under the candlelight. Her tone was gentle yet helpless.

“There’s no need for such trouble. It’s quite fine here.”

As soon as Chi Li spoke, though she couldn’t see it, she could imagine Mu Zhi pouting. Then, she heard Mu Zhi speak again, still with a smile.

【Finding a place for Senior Sister isn’t a trouble. My family has so many estates, it’s better if Senior Sister takes her time to choose.】

Mu Zhi’s words caused the corners of Chi Li’s mouth to curl into a faint arc, hiding her indulgence for the other girl.

Then, as if remembering something, Mu Zhi spoke again.

【I had them prepare the best pastries in Phoenix City. Which kind does Senior Sister like?】

Hearing this, Chi Li, who hadn’t eaten any, didn’t answer immediately. Nor did she brush her off with a perfunctory “they’re all fine.”

Chi Li frowned slightly. She turned to glance at the mountain of pastries on the table. After a moment of thought, she got up from the bed and picked up the nearest one.

An excessive sweetness spread through her mouth, making Chi Li cough twice. She looked for water to wash down the cloying taste, only to find that the table held nothing but pastries.

Chi Li looked at the vast array of sweets in silence, her gaze eventually falling on the small bite she had taken.

Sensing the silence on Chi Li’s end, Mu Zhi asked hesitantly:

“Senior Sister?”

Mu Zhi’s voice brought Chi Li back to her senses. After thinking for a moment, she replied:

“The green one is quite good. Very sweet.”

Hearing such a vague answer, Mu Zhi pondered for a moment before humming thoughtfully.

【I see. When Senior Sister returns, I must personally make some for you to try.】

Listening to Mu Zhi, Chi Li felt strangely relieved that she hadn’t said “they’re all fine.”

After setting the pastry down, Chi Li hesitated for a long time. In the end, she didn’t stop Mu Zhi, only saying softly:

“Alright. I’ll return as soon as I can.”

Next, Mu Zhi chattered about things that had happened at the Cangqing Sect since Chi Li left. In her cheerful words, there was an unmistakable longing for Chi Li, which, though not explicitly stated, was clear as day.

Chi Li listened patiently and quietly, making no move to stop her. She even responded occasionally to let the other girl know she was listening.

【Senior Sister should remember, that day I promised to bring wine to Senior Sister Yun. Yesterday, my people disguised the wine as herbs and brought it up. When I went with Senior Sister Yun to fetch it, that Mo Fan appeared again.】

Mu Zhi’s tone turned indignant and full of dissatisfaction.

【He insisted that once one enters an immortal sect, worldly things should be discarded. Then why doesn’t he stop eating food?】

Hearing this, Chi Li’s brow furrowed. The image of Mo Fan’s self-righteous face appeared in her mind, making her feel a wave of disgust. However, her tone remained gentle when speaking to Mu Zhi.

“Even with Yun Xi there, he still insisted on stopping you?”

Yun Xi’s reputation in the Cangqing Sect and the entire cultivation world was no less than Chi Li’s. Furthermore, she was notoriously sharp-tongued, no one dared provoke her. After Yun Xi had embarrassed Mo Fan last time, Chi Li thought he wouldn’t dare seek trouble again.

If Mo Fan forcibly blocked them, it would be an overstep that would surely anger Yun Xi.

At the mention of that man, Mu Zhi became grumpy.

【Senior Sister Yun was afraid of being discovered, so she said those were herbs for alchemy.】

【Once he heard they were herbs, he immediately stepped aside. You’d think he was the one guarding the gate.】

【That would have been fine, but after the servants brought them in, I heard him speak.】

Mu Zhi paused. When she spoke again, her voice was laced with loathing.

【He said… that Senior Sister Yun got those herbs specifically to refine healing pills for him.】

Chi Li could easily imagine Mo Fan’s arrogant expression. She hadn’t realized his shamelessness had already reached such heights.

“He is thick-skinned,” Chi Li said calmly.

Mu Zhi immediately nodded in agreement, her voice still filled with anger.

【He is so annoying. Does he watch too many plays or listen to too many storytellers? Does he really think a lady from a great family would fall for a beggar?】

Chi Li comforted her with a few more words. Then, as if remembering something, her tone became serious and earnest.

“Mu Zhi, if I were to take you away from the Cangqing Sect to cultivate, would you be willing to leave with me?”

Leaving the Cangqing Sect meant giving up the majority of the sect’s treasures and artifacts. Chi Li couldn’t even guarantee what opportunities they would find.

Mu Zhi went silent for a long time. Finally, when she spoke, her voice was even more radiant with laughter, as if she didn’t care at all.

【I’ll go wherever Senior Sister goes. My family has so many houses wherever we go, we can just stay in one of them.】

Hearing this, Chi Li’s features softened further. She looked out into the darkness of the window and said:

“Wait a little longer.”

She would take Mu Zhi away and free her from her predetermined fate.

【Senior Sister, it’s raining here again,】

Mu Zhi said, her smile fading slightly compared to before.

The figure under the oil-paper umbrella looked up, her pupils reflecting the blurred curtain of rain. Her fingertips felt the sting of the cold drops, causing a shiver, yet she thought of something and smiled slightly.

Through the jade pendant came the sound of pitter-pattering rain. Chi Li sensed the change in Mu Zhi’s mood. Even though she didn’t sound as scared as she had that night, Chi Li instinctively spoke in a gentle voice:

“Don’t be afraid.”

Mu Zhi let out a soft chuckle. When she spoke again, her voice was so light it seemed to melt into the rain, yet it felt like a whisper right next to Chi Li’s ear, making her heart skip a beat.

【I’m not afraid. Senior Sister is always by my side.】

Chi Li frowned, but before she could process the strange sensation she just felt, she heard a rustling sound from outside.

A chilling wind blew past. The candle lit by the talisman fire wavered slightly but showed no sign of going out.

Chi Li glanced toward the source. With a flick of her finger beneath her wide sleeve, the candle went out. The room plunged into a pitch-black, eerie silence.

In the darkness, Chi Li returned to the bed. The jade pendant in her hand emitted a faint glow through the gaps in her fingers.

Chi Li thought for a moment, then spoke with a hint of drowsiness:

“I’m a bit weary. You should rest early too.”

Chi Li had never shown fatigue in front of Mu Zhi before, leading Mu Zhi to believe that cultivators didn’t need sleep. Hearing Chi Li speak in such a tone for the first time, Mu Zhi was stunned for a moment. Recalling the tired lilt at the end of Chi Li’s sentence, Mu Zhi’s heart began to beat uncontrollably, like a drum without a rhythm.

Mu Zhi suppressed her racing heart and tried to maintain her cheerful tone.

【Then Senior Sister should rest early too. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have them send breakfast over.】

“Alright, I’ll eat it.”

As the words fell, the faint glow of the jade pendant vanished. The surroundings were plunged into total darkness. Outside the unclosed window, the cold wind howled like a ghost.

The outer barrier was shattered. It was as fragile as a layer of hardened syrup, causing the intruder to hesitate for a moment, though they ultimately attributed it to the caster’s low spiritual power.

The door was pushed open. The “creak” failed to wake the person inside.

Footsteps as light as a ghost’s approached the bed. Eyes glimmered with a sinister intent hidden in the gloom.

However, the figure lying with her back turned only lowered her gaze, she did not close her eyes. She clearly felt the figure standing behind her.

After a long while, she finally closed her eyes slowly, remaining motionless as if she had fallen into a deep, death-like sleep.

“With such weak spiritual power, she really is a fake,” the visitor spoke in a raspy, eerie voice.