The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 47

The realization begins today.

Thick mist spread like a blanket of darkness, making the surroundings appear exceptionally eerie and sinister.

A figure approached gradually, seemingly oblivious to the danger ahead. Moving numbly like a marionette, she followed unseen strings into a pre-arranged scene.

In the haze, a familiar voice echoed in Mu Zhi’s ears. It was ethereal, sounding as if it came from miles away, a hallucination so surreal it felt fake.

However, the moment she heard it, Mu Zhi’s steps halted abruptly. Her expression grew even more vacant as she tried to locate the source of the sound. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to turn around, it felt like a futile effort.

Her sudden pause made the voice in her mind grow urgent, constantly prodding her.

[You have to save him…]

[You love him…]

The persistent voices felt like a hypnotic trance, forcibly planting foreign emotions into her heart. It wasn’t anger, nor was it calm, it was a feeling that brought joy at the mere thought of him…

Love.

The moment that word surfaced, several figures flickered in her mind. Amidst the blur, the figures merged until only one remained.

“Mu Zhi.”

The familiar voice, tinged with anxiety, reached her ears again. This time, even the wind could not drown it out.

Mu Zhi looked up. Though she hadn’t fully regained her senses and remained dazed, she saw the figure appearing within that mass of black mist clearly.

It was Mo Fan.

Subconscious resistance flared. Mu Zhi frowned, wanting to step back and distance herself from the figure that felt like an ill omen to her.

But she found she could not move backward. She could only move forward, toward where Mo Fan stood.

This discovery frustrated her immensely. Her desperate desire to leave was fruitless, and her feet began to move forward once more against her will.

Not far away, the moment Chi Li shook off the intense pain, she saw the figure about to walk into the formation as the black mist surged.

Chi Li’s pupils contracted. Memories of her past life flashed through her mind, causing her heart to stop for a beat. Without a second thought, she leaped from the treetop, rushing toward the girl with desperate urgency.

As a familiar scent drifted through the air, Mu Zhi’s footsteps faltered again.

Mu Zhi tried to turn her head but felt a powerful pressure forcing her to look away. However, even though she couldn’t turn around, the moment the familiar aura drew near, she felt her arm being grabbed and pulled back with force.

The person’s movements were frantic, causing Mu Zhi to stumble before falling into a warm, familiar embrace. Then, a panicked voice reached her ear:

“Don’t go.”

The tone held a worry that could not be hidden.

Chi Li held her tightly, still trembling with lingering fear. She pulled Mu Zhi back several paces, only to realize the black mist was spreading uncontrollably and the formation within was becoming unstable.

Realizing who the culprit behind all this was, Chi Li’s expression darkened instantly.

Mu Zhi was held firmly, as if the other person feared she would do something dangerous again. Her hollow eyes slowly regained focus. Looking at the person in front of her, she frowned, trying to recognize her, before speaking in disbelief:

“Senior Sister…”

Chi Li’s brow remained furrowed as she looked warily at the formation. But when she looked down at Mu Zhi, her gaze softened. She spoke gently, as if to soothe her:

“Yes, I’m here.”

“You…”

Before Mu Zhi could finish, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Mu Zhi had lost consciousness.

Chi Li looked silently at the girl fainting in her arms. When she looked up again, the warmth was gone, replaced by a chilling frost. She lifted Mu Zhi without hesitation and signaled to Xi Yu, who had just arrived. Once Xi Yu nodded in understanding, Chi Li carried Mu Zhi away.

On the way, she ran into a frantic He Wen.

Seeing Chi Li carrying Mu Zhi, He Wen looked surprised but bowed respectfully. “First Senior Sister.”

He Wen glanced at the unconscious Mu Zhi and asked hesitantly, “Junior Sister Mu, she…”

Chi Li’s expression was icy as she suppressed the murderous intent in her eyes. Without answering, she asked coldly, “Why was she here?”

The overwhelming pressure made He Wen’s heart skip a beat. Recalling the events, she replied, “I went to handle some matters and told Junior Sister Mu to wait for me. I didn’t expect her to be gone when I returned.”

Knowing that Mu Zhi had been forcibly controlled by the “Way of Heaven” to save Mo Fan, Chi Li’s expression grew even more somber. However, she knew she couldn’t blame He Wen.

“We leave tomorrow. Do not let anything else go wrong.”

With that, Chi Li handed the unconscious Mu Zhi over to He Wen.

“Understood, First Senior Sister,” He Wen replied.

Chi Li lowered her eyes, looking at the sleeping Mu Zhi. The scene from moments ago flashed in her mind, sending a wave of sharp pain through her heart.

Although she had prevented Mu Zhi from being sucked into the chessboard in Mo Fan’s hand, the Way of Heaven clearly didn’t want to give up on having Mu Zhi seriously injured in the secret realm, even resorting to forced control.

At this thought, Chi Li’s hands clenched hidden beneath her sleeves, her knuckles turning white. Her fingernails dug into her palms, but the physical pain wasn’t enough to offset her emotions.

After a long silence, Chi Li reached out to stroke Mu Zhi’s cheek. As her fingers brushed the girl’s eyelashes, a slight tickle made her heart skip a beat.

He Wen called out to her several times before Chi Li snapped back to reality. Realizing she had lost her composure, she said apologetically, “I’m sorry.”

Chi Li placed a jade green flute into Mu Zhi’s hand. Since the girl couldn’t hold it, she tucked it into the silk sash around her arm. After one last look to ensure Mu Zhi’s breathing was steady, she nodded slightly and departed.

A full hour after Chi Li left, Mu Zhi finally woke up.

She opened her eyes to an environment that was still gloomy and strange. Remembering something, she sat up abruptly and looked around. Not seeing the figure she expected, a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.

“Junior Sister Mu, are you feeling better?”

Hearing He Wen’s voice, Mu Zhi snapped out of her thoughts and asked, “Where is First Senior Sister?”

He Wen’s expression remained unchanged. After a moment of thought, she replied, “First Senior Sister is not in the secret realm.”

Mu Zhi frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. She stared at He Wen, trying to find a crack in her expression, but found nothing but polite courtesy.

“Is that so?”

Mu Zhi scanned the surroundings again. Though she didn’t see Chi Li, the aura of the woman still lingered faintly in the air.

“Yes,” He Wen insisted.

Mu Zhi didn’t push further. However, as she looked down, she noticed something wrapped in her silk sash. Her eyes filled with confusion. Unwrapping it, she found a flute made of green jade and a familiar, exquisite food box.

She opened the box. As expected, it contained her favorite snacks, prepared with great care.

Mu Zhi stared at the pastries. Something flickered deep in her eyes, and her grip on the box tightened until her fingertips turned white.

Noticing the change in her mood, He Wen frowned and asked, “Junior Sister Mu, do you want me to dispose of these items like before?”

Mu Zhi regained her senses, looked at the box with a complex expression, then pulled it into her chest.

“No need.”

She looked away, her eyes unreadable. She seemed slightly displeased, yet she restrained her temper in front of others.

At that moment, the shrill roar of a beast echoed from afar. A sharp wind blew past, sending leaves falling like rain. Mu Zhi knit her brows and looked down at the food box, murmuring under her breath:

“I told you not to come…”

Her voice was so quiet that even He Wen couldn’t hear her.

“Junior Sister Mu, we can leave tomorrow,” He Wen reminded her.

Mu Zhi nodded. “I know.”

Although they had gained almost nothing from this trip to the secret realm, they hadn’t entered it to find treasures in the first place.

Mu Zhi then looked at the flute wrapped in the silk. The golden halo surrounding it and its powerful aura made it clear exactly what kind of treasure it was.

Outside the secret realm, the glow of the formation gradually faded. The figure sitting in the center slowly opened her eyes, which looked like mist over a glacier, unfathomable.

Then, a slightly tired but teasing voice reached her ears.

“You’re finally willing to come out.”

Chi Li looked toward the source of the voice with a cold expression.

“Mm,” she replied briefly. She looked pale.

Yun Xi frowned with a hint of annoyance. “While you were away, people kept coming to look for you. I almost couldn’t keep the secret anymore.”

Hearing this, Chi Li’s expression shifted.

She knew that because she often went into secluded cultivation, the Immortals Yi Lin and Shangling wouldn’t disturb her. If someone was constantly asking for her whereabouts, it could only be one person.