The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 43

Two figures streaked toward the depths of the forest. Though they moved in deathly silence, fierce beasts cowered and hid in the shadows wherever they passed, as if encountering something terrifying.

Neither was prone to chatter, and having only met a few times, they weren’t particularly familiar. Consequently, despite traveling a long distance together, they had exchanged few words.

Chi Li lowered her eyes, her falling hair obscuring her expression and hiding the dark, uncertain emotions swirling in her gaze. Through the gaps in her fingers, she caught glimpses of an object in her palm emitting a faint glow.

Her hand opened slightly, though her fingertips remained curled, just enough for Chi Li to see the intricate, archaic carvings on the object, it exuded an ancient aura.

“What are you holding?”

Sensing something, Xi Yu, who was beside her, turned her head with a hint of curiosity. But the moment she looked over, Chi Li retracted her hand. Xi Yu didn’t catch even a glimpse of the item.

Xi Yu: “…”

Ignoring Xi Yu’s expression, Chi Li calmly put the item away, her face remaining indifferent as she spoke slowly. “It’s nothing.”

Seeing Chi Li hide the item so thoroughly, Xi Yu snorted and spoke with displeasure. “I didn’t realize you were this stingy before, won’t even let me have a look.”

Chi Li’s expression didn’t flicker; she showed no sign of irritation at Xi Yu’s words. Her voice remained cold and detached. “You will find out eventually.”

Hearing this, Xi Yu grew even more puzzled. Chi Li’s words implied that she intended to use the object soon. Although Xi Yu hadn’t seen it clearly, she knew it was an extraordinary magical treasure. As for its purpose, she couldn’t guess it out of thin air.

At this thought, Xi Yu’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of reflection, she offered a well-intentioned warning.

“You are currently in the secret realm with only your primordial spirit. If you forcibly exert spiritual power, there’s no guarantee the realm won’t reject you. If that happens, even I won’t be able to save you.”

Something flashed in Chi Li’s eyes upon hearing this, but she did not respond.

Just then, footsteps approached from not far away. They were few, it sounded like only two people.

“Someone is coming.”

Vigilance flooded Xi Yu’s eyes, but Chi Li stepped forward to stop her. Chi Li looked toward the newcomers, her icy expression softening slightly.

“You know them?” Xi Yu asked suspiciously, noting the change in Chi Li’s demeanor.

“My Junior Sister,” Chi Li replied, her usual tone carrying a hint of tenderness.

Sensing the shift in her voice, Xi Yu felt a spark of novelty. Without waiting for Chi Li to stop her further, she looked toward the arrivals. The newcomers could not see them and were naturally unaware that two sets of eyes were fixed upon them.

Xi Yu didn’t know which one was the Junior Sister, but wherever Chi Li’s gaze landed, that was the one. She noticed Chi Li was looking solely at a girl with a charming countenance, her quiet gaze suggested that, in her eyes, there was no one else.

Taking in Chi Li’s behavior, Xi Yu’s gaze toward Mu Zhi turned playful. She was almost certain that this girl with the bright smile was the “Junior Sister” Chi Li spoke of.

Catching the flicker of emotion in Xi Yu’s eyes, Chi Li frowned. Deep in her eyes, a shadow loomed, and her words carried a heavy warning.

“Don’t touch them.”

Xi Yu turned and saw the cold murderous intent in Chi Li’s eyes, feeling a sudden, inexplicable dread. She spent her life in this secret realm, her cultivation was naturally above Chi Li’s, she was arguably nearing a Demi-God body. Yet, seeing Chi Li’s expression just now made her heart skip a beat, even instilling a sliver of fear.

After a long while, Xi Yu snapped out of it, looking at Chi Li with a strange expression. She believed that if she actually did anything, the person beside her would hunt her down relentlessly, regardless of the cost.

A chill ran down Xi Yu’s spine. She quickly changed the subject. “Still looking? Your eyes are practically glued to her. We get it, you like her very much, you care about her.”

As she finished speaking, she snapped her fingers.

The creatures lurking in the surroundings suddenly poked their heads out. Countless eerie eyes stared at them for a moment before crawling toward the figures that were about to disappear into the distance.

Seeing this, Chi Li’s gaze darkened. Her expression turned sharp as she summoned the Qing Shuang Sword. The blade gleamed with a chilling light, and its appearance brought an invisible pressure crashing down.

“What do your clansmen want to do?!” Chi Li’s voice was freezing.

Xi Yu blocked Chi Li’s sword and laughed. “I said I wouldn’t hurt them. I never said I wouldn’t protect them.”

This lunatic… Xi Yu thought. If anything really happened to that “Junior Sister,” this secret realm probably wouldn’t know a moment’s peace.

Hearing this, Chi Li’s brow relaxed slightly. She retracted her hostile aura and spoke with a hint of apology. “Sorry.”

Xi Yu: “…”

Despite the apology, Xi Yu still felt the underlying threat. Once Chi Li sheathed her sword, Xi Yu looked at the swarming snakes on the ground. Showing no resentment for Chi Li’s outburst, she said:

“They were idle anyway. I’m giving them something to do so they stop following us, it’s quite annoying.”

Then, remembering something, Xi Yu asked, “Is your Junior Sister afraid of snakes?” Having acted on a whim, she had forgotten to ask before sending her clansmen out.

Chi Li glanced at her, a look that still sent shivers down one’s spine and replied:

“She isn’t.”

In the Distance

As the two moved to leave, Chi Li paused. She tilted her head slightly, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the figures nearly hidden by trees. Only a fluttering hair ribbon of a vivid color stood out against the dark, terrifying forest.

Chi Li withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyes as the ribbon vanished into the darkness.

Over there, Mu Zhi seemed to sense something. She stopped abruptly and looked back, but saw nothing. Only a lingering, familiar clear fragrance remained in the air.

He Wen, beside her, also stopped and asked in confusion, “Junior Sister Mu, what is it?”

Mu Zhi frowned, hesitating before saying, “I thought I saw Eldest Senior Sister.”

He Wen frowned and looked in the direction Mu Zhi was pointing, but saw nothing. “You must have been mistaken. Eldest Senior Sister is already at the Spirit Severing (Hua Shen) stage, she cannot enter the realm.”

Mu Zhi looked away, but she had truly felt that familiar aura, leaving her brow furrowed. Before she could recover, He Wen suddenly pulled her behind her, staring coldly at the ground.

“Junior Sister Mu, be careful!”

Mu Zhi looked at the swarming snakes surrounding them. She grabbed He Wen’s hand, calmed herself, and observed for a moment. “Something is wrong.”

Although snakes were everywhere, they didn’t approach. Instead, they maintained a consistent distance, a distance that felt relatively “safe.” The way they encircled them looked more like a protective ring.

Mu Zhi’s eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her. She whispered to He Wen, “Sister He, take a step back.”

He Wen had also noticed the anomaly. She immediately backed up with Mu Zhi. The snakes followed suit, moving closer as they retreated. If they stepped back, the snakes stepped forward.

Mu Zhi pondered this for a long time. Only one person came to mind. “Can Eldest Senior Sister interfere with the secret realm?”

He Wen shook her head. “She shouldn’t be able to.”

But there was no other logical explanation for the snakes acting as guards. He Wen thought for a moment and added, “Rumor has it that when Eldest Senior Sister first entered the realm, she was separated from the sect. She didn’t reappear until just before the entrance closed. By then, she had already reached the Golden Core stage.”

Mu Zhi was surprised. The realm only allowed those below Golden Core to enter. If Chi Li emerged as a Golden Core cultivator, it meant she had broken through inside the realm due to some fluke.

He Wen continued, “However, Eldest Senior Sister never spoke of those days she was lost. No one knows what she encountered. This might be related to whatever happened then.”

Aside from that, they couldn’t think of another answer. But Mu Zhi’s frown deepened, her voice tinged with worry. “Could Eldest Senior Sister be in danger because of this?”

He Wen couldn’t answer that, so she offered comfort. “With her cultivation, she is extremely capable and deliberate in her actions.”

Mu Zhi bit her lip, murmuring to herself, “It’s too risky…” Her heart was a mix of heartache and anger toward Chi Li.

“She has a sense of proportion,” He Wen said.

Mu Zhi’s throat tightened. “Sister He doesn’t know, there is…” She stopped suddenly, her throat too dry to continue. Her eyes darkened for a moment, but when she looked up again, she forced a smile as if she had forgotten what she was going to say. “It’s nothing.”

She then ignored He Wen’s confusion and knelt. In an instant, something cool touched her finger, a small snake coiled around her wrist. It was pure white, translucent like jade, looking obedient and curious, completely unlike the venomous ones on the ground.

“Beautiful,” Mu Zhi praised.

“Be careful, Junior Sister,” He Wen warned.

Mu Zhi nodded. “You’re right, Sister He.” She then produced a porcelain bottle. As she shook it, the white snake curiously crawled inside.

She corked the bottle and stood up with a grin. “I’ll use this to make wine for Senior Sister Yun. Maybe she’ll give me more pills in return.”

The surrounding snakes seemed to understand her words. They hesitated, wanting to move forward but held back by some restraint, merely writhing in agitation. The sight of tens of thousands of snakes moving was horrifying.

Mu Zhi ignored them and noticed He Wen’s gaze. Feeling a bit guilty but wanting to keep Yun Xi’s secret, she smiled. “Sister He, keep this a secret.”

He Wen reflected. Yun Xi was a senior sister just like Chi Li, she had no right to interfere. She nodded silently.

“Thank you, Sister He. I’ll have them add another 500 spirit stones,” Mu Zhi added.

He Wen wanted to refuse, but remembering Chi Li’s instructions and Mu Zhi’s status, she simply nodded again in silence.

Mu Zhi looked toward the chaotic distance. The roars of fierce beasts echoed, shaking the trees. Her voice lost its playfulness. “That way sounds dangerous.”