The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 32

What was she going to take her to find today?

Chi Li watched Mu Zhi gently stroking the sachet and smiled. She took the other’s hand and asked in a warm voice.

“Do you remember what Immortal Venerable Shangling promised when you joined his sect?”

Mu Zhi’s gaze moved from the sachet to her hand, which was held by Chi Li. As the warmth from the other’s palm transferred to her, the stray hairs falling over her forehead concealed the emotions flickering in her eyes.

Seeing Mu Zhi staring intently at their joined hands, Chi Li thought she was uncomfortable and prepared to let go.

However, a snap-back Mu Zhi suddenly gripped Chi Li’s hand in return. Realizing she had been too eager, she feigned a look of pensive thought before answering Chi Li’s earlier question.

“Master told me to find time to go to the Artifact Pavilion and choose two items.”

Chi Li glanced at her hand, now held firmly by Mu Zhi, but made no move to pull away. She nodded and spoke.

“I will take you there now.”

As she finished speaking, Chi Li seemed to recall something. Her originally soft gaze turned dark, though only for a fleeting second, unnoticed by the person before her.

Chi Li knew that regarding the selection of Dharma treasures, Mo Fan would naturally have to choose his as well.

But during the days she had been away, she had learned from the disciple who had accidentally bumped into her that Mo Fan had not yet gone to collect them.

Clearly, the Heavenly Dao was waiting for her to personally lead him there to make his selection.

No matter when she was free, it would be deliberately arranged for them to go together.

The Heavenly Dao had even gone as far as letting those disciples collide with her just to remind her to bring Mo Fan along.

In that case, it was better to go now and get it over with, and perhaps “incidentally” take the items he intended to choose.

At this thought, a hint of darkness flashed in Chi Li’s eyes.

Mu Zhi looked up just in time to catch that flickering emotion.

In the distance, the last remnants of the sunset were being swallowed by twilight. The figure she had always looked up to appeared exceptionally lonely.

Mu Zhi knew that Chi Li rarely showed much emotion, but she didn’t want Chi Li to look like that.

Her Senior Sister should always be an existence that others gaze upon with reverence.

Feeling her arm being hugged by the person in front of her, Chi Li snapped back to reality. She lowered her eyes slightly, looking at Mu Zhi with tenderness.

The breeze brushed past, blowing a hair ribbon before her eyes. The fluttering arc seemed to carry a certain someone’s playfulness, making her heart lighten just by looking at it.

“Let’s go,” Chi Li said, the depths of her eyes now filled with warmth for the girl.

As the last smudge of dark red vanished from the mountain peak, two figures walked off toward an unknown destination. Their shadows fell close together, their movements particularly intimate.

Because Chi Li had brought Mu Zhi for a late night visit, the disciple guarding the pavilion came out yawning after hearing Chi Li’s voice through the transmission jade. Despite the annoyance of being disturbed, the disciple bowed respectfully and spoke.

“Eldest Senior Sister.”

Qi Yan’s eyes were heavy with sleep, but her interest piqued when her gaze landed on Mu Zhi beside Chi Li. She smiled and said:

“This must be Junior Sister Mu.”

Without waiting for Mu Zhi to answer, she excitedly circled the girl a few times. It wasn’t until Chi Li frowned in displeasure that she stood still in front of them again, smiling at Mu Zhi.

“Little Junior Sister has achieved Inedia (fasting) so quickly. You’re practically on par with how Eldest Senior Sister was back then.”

Mu Zhi lowered her head shyly and tugged on Chi Li’s sleeve. Looking at Chi Li with a gaze full of smiles, she replied:

“I still can’t compare to Senior Sister.”

“This is Qi Yan, she is in charge of guarding the Artifact Pavilion,” Chi Li explained to Mu Zhi.

Qi Yan chuckled. Seeing Chi Li’s icy expression instantly soften the moment she looked at Mu Zhi, her interest in the girl grew. However, after receiving a sharp glance from Chi Li, she helplessly restrained herself and straightened up.

“Why have you come so late?”

Chi Li didn’t answer, and Qi Yan didn’t expect her to. Qi Yan sighed and said:

“I know, I know. Squeezing in time during a busy schedule again, right? Next time, don’t pick such a ‘ghoulish’ hour. Even if Eldest Senior Sister doesn’t need sleep, your Little Junior Sister probably does.”

Saying this, Qi Yan, feeling her own life was quite bitter, looked at Mu Zhi with a hint of sympathy.

Mu Zhi immediately waved her hands and said:

“It’s no trouble at all.”

But Chi Li frowned slightly, as if seriously considering something. After a long moment, she said to Mu Zhi:

“Tomorrow, sleep a bit longer.”

Hearing Chi Li’s words, a flash of astonishment crossed Qi Yan’s eyes. She looked back and forth between the two with disbelief.

Mu Zhi usually slept until she naturally woke up anyway, so she was momentarily stunned by Chi Li’s remark.

Once she regained her senses, she pursed her lips, realizing Chi Li was telling her she didn’t need to get up early tomorrow.

“Senior Sister is so kind,” Mu Zhi smiled.

Qi Yan let out a deep sigh for herself and then opened the doors to the Artifact Pavilion.

Just as Chi Li was about to lead Mu Zhi inside, she paused, looking at the bored Qi Yan who was leaning against the door yawning. She asked:

“Has Mo Fan come?”

Upon hearing that name, a strange flicker passed through Qi Yan’s drowsy eyes, but it vanished instantly, even she didn’t notice it.

“Who?”

Qi Yan sounded utterly confused by the unfamiliar name. She thought for a long while before barely remembering such a person existed. She spoke dismissively:

“You mean the one your Master recently recruited? No, he hasn’t come. Your Master loves giving gifts when he takes disciples, and he loves giving them in pairs, but today only you and Junior Sister Mu showed up.”

Chi Li said nothing more, but the way she stared at Qi Yan made the other girl feel a bit uneasy.

Her mind suddenly flashed back to her previous life. Qi Yan had given everything in the pavilion to Mo Fan, allowing him to be saved by high-grade artifacts in every life-threatening situation. Even during the Immortal Sect Competition, when he was on the verge of surrendering, he won because he held a divine sect artifact. In the end, those very artifacts were used to forge evidence of her “betrayal” of the sect.

At this thought, Chi Li’s grip on Mu Zhi’s hand unconsciously tightened. The moment she led Mu Zhi inside, the flickering candlelight cast shadows across her eyes, revealing a chilling, heartless murderous intent.

The moment Mu Zhi looked over, the emotions in Chi Li’s eyes returned to normal.

Chi Li tilted her head slightly, a faint smile, the one Mu Zhi was most familiar with spreading across her face. Yet, her eyes remained like the surface of a still lake, unlikely to ripple again.

Almost instantly, Mu Zhi realized. Chi Li’s mood was wrong.

“Senior Sister.”

Mu Zhi called out softly. It was like a tiny pebble dropped into a lake, the ripples were nearly imperceptible, but it was enough to pull Chi Li’s thoughts back to the present.

“It is nothing,” Chi Li said, sounding as if she were soothing the person beside her, but also as if she were reassuring herself that things were different now than they were before.

Immediately, Chi Li’s gaze swept coldly across the pavilion. The immortal artifacts placed there were exactly as she remembered.

Her eyes darkened for a moment as she released Mu Zhi’s hand. Despite the turmoil in her mind, she tried her best to suppress the chill in her gaze, not wanting the other girl to detect even a trace of it. She spoke:

“Mu Zhi, go pick out something you like first.”

Chi Li’s words made it clear she didn’t intend to accompany Mu Zhi while she chose. However, Mu Zhi didn’t ask for a reason. Knowing in her heart that Chi Li would never harm her, she nodded with a smile.

“I understand, Senior Sister.”

Yet, the moment Chi Li turned around, a familiar warmth covered her wrist.

Before Chi Li could turn back, she heard Mu Zhi speak softly.

“Senior Sister, please don’t be unhappy.”

Unlike her usual spoiled acting, this sentence felt like a clumsy imitation of the way Chi Li always comforted her.

Chi Li hadn’t expected this. She thought she had hidden it well, but Mu Zhi had still noticed her emotional instability.

She let out a sigh and didn’t speak further, only gently patting the hand that was gripping her wrist.

The voiceless silence made the truth clearer to others than any repeated denial could. Mu Zhi didn’t push further; she let go of Chi Li’s hand and went to find what she wanted as instructed.

Chi Li didn’t wait at the entrance. Instead, under Qi Yan’s incredulous gaze, she shut the door.

Qi Yan: “…”

As the door closed, Qi Yan’s sleepiness vanished slightly, her eyes widening in disbelief. She stared at the closed door but didn’t step forward to reopen it. This wasn’t just out of trust for Chi Li, but also because she was too lazy to move, she simply leaned against the wall right there and started dozing off.

After closing the door, Chi Li set up an additional formation barrier. Only then did she begin searching inside with peace of mind.

Chi Li searched quickly, as if she already knew exactly where the item was. A few moments later, it was already in her hand.

It was a bead about the size of a finger joint. Held in Chi Li’s slender, fair hand and illuminated by the surrounding candlelight, one could see that the object was shaped like an eyeball.

In fact, it was an eyeball.

It came from a demonic beast that the sect had joined forces to slay years ago. Its eye possessed the power of clairvoyance, but unfortunately, only one intact eye had been preserved and placed here in the Artifact Pavilion.

The range of this item expanded with the user’s cultivation. Originally, it was meant to monitor the borders of the Demon Realm for invasions.

However, in the previous life, Mo Fan had taken it, and the person he used it to spy on became Mu Zhi.

Chi Li knew that Mu Zhi’s strength was already quite high at that time, to watch her without being detected, Mo Fan must have practiced spying on others first.

A treasure had been turned into a tool for his low-life tricks.

At this thought, the corners of Chi Li’s mouth, which had slightly curved up from Mu Zhi’s comfort, straightened into a flat line. Her entire body seemed covered in frost, and a surge of ferocity flashed in the depths of her eyes that the warm candlelight could not dissolve.

A moment later, Chi Li moved to another spot. In the original place of the eye, a look-alike bead appeared that was completely useless.

Chi Li arrived at another location. It was extremely remote and hidden, requiring her to pass through layers of various treasures. Finally, she stopped in an inconspicuous corner and reached out to rummage through an even more inconspicuous spot.

The item was hidden very deeply, as if it were intentionally avoiding discovery until the person truly meant to take it arrived.

Chi Li searched several times but still couldn’t feel it, causing her brow to furrow slightly. With a cold sneer, a chessboard enveloped in spiritual energy was forcibly pulled out from a pile of various objects.

The force was merciless. By the time it was in her hand, the darkness in Chi Li’s eyes had deepened.

On the board was a clear black and white endgame. Every chess piece seemed to contain spiritual power. Though it looked like a finished game, it was actually an array researched by a fallen Elder in their spare time.

It could trap demons… and it could trap people.

In her previous life, the reason Mu Zhi was heavily injured just as she was approaching the Golden Core stage was thanks to this very object.

At that time, Mo Fan was being hunted by a powerful demonic beast. His blood accidentally dripped onto the board, causing the array to manifest. While it trapped the beast, it also trapped Mu Zhi, who was fighting the beast, inside.

The interior was filled with crises. By the time the beast died, it took a massive effort to rescue Mu Zhi.

Chi Li closed her eyes, and Mu Zhi’s image appeared in her mind.

Her dress stained red with blood, covered in wounds, so weak she could only call out her name.

The surroundings had been noisy with the joy of the rescue, but only Chi Li knew that her Little Junior Sister had nearly died.

At that time, no matter how many apologies Mo Fan offered, she never chose to forgive him.

Whether it was unintentional or deliberate, what she wanted was never a light, breezy apology; she only ever wanted her Mu Zhi to be safe and sound.

Chi Li opened her eyes again. Reflected in the depths of her pupils was that chessboard. Hatred, murderous intent, and indifference were mixed within. Her spiritual power raged, and the board in her hand trembled. The moment cracks began to crawl over it, a single black piece fell out.

The sound was not loud, and silence soon returned. Because one “array eye” (core) had been destroyed, the chessboard had lost more than half of its effectiveness.

At this moment, Mu Zhi walked up behind Chi Li. She caught a glimpse of the single chess piece scattered on the ground, and something unreadable flashed in her eyes.

“Senior Sister, I’ve finished choosing.”

Hearing this, Chi Li put the chessboard back and turned her head.

Mu Zhi’s smile was bright. Chi Li found herself looking into those eyes that were like autumn waters, where her own reflection was clearly visible.