The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 48

“She was looking for her today.”

Yun Xi’s words caused Chi Li to deliberate for a moment. Her gaze darkened, adding a layer of frost to her already indifferent countenance, making those around her instinctively tremble with fear.

As if sensing something, Chi Li looked into the distance. She didn’t seem to be looking at any specific spot, but rather searching for a sign within the void.

Watching Chi Li suddenly start stargazing for no apparent reason, Yun Xi knit her brows imperceptibly. She was about to voice a few more complaints when Chi Li interrupted her before the words could leave her mouth.

“Who are they?”

Chi Li’s voice was icy and devoid of emotion, yet it still made one’s heart skip a beat.

Yun Xi’s expression straightened immediately as she answered.

“You know how it is. Once I used the excuse that you were in meditative seclusion, who in the sect would dare disturb you?”

This was indeed common knowledge throughout the Cangqing Sect. Setting aside the fact that disturbing someone’s seclusion was looked down upon, Chi Li was the Eldest Senior Sister. Her strength was evident to all; no one dared to risk her displeasure at such a time.

Yun Xi pursed her lips and continued with a frown.

“These past few days, it’s been people from other sects. One after another, they’ve been asking about your whereabouts. They’re so synchronized it’s like they’ve all been possessed.”

Yun Xi gave a cold sneer and added:

“I truly never realized these disciples from other sects were such ‘caring’ types.”

Her tone was thick with sarcasm as her gaze drifted toward several cultivators from other sects guarding the entrance to the Secret Realm.

Chi Li’s brow furrowed slightly. She combed through her memories of the “original text,” but she couldn’t find a single passage corresponding to what Yun Xi had just described.

It was as if they had appeared out of thin air, catching her off guard.

However, Chi Li did not believe these deviations were meaningless. Much like what Mu Zhi had endured previously, the “Heavenly Way” was likely attempting to compensate for or complete something.

At this thought, Chi Li’s eyes grew heavy. Her deep pupils now resembled a terrifying abyss, and the unconscious pressure she radiated caused the surrounding air to ripple.

Chaos at the Entrance

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the Secret Realm.

Of the hundreds of cultivators who had entered, only a ragged few were limping out, and every single one of them was severely injured.

The disciple leading the Moon Echo Sect had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that none of his own sect members had appeared, his expression grew anxious. He grabbed one of the men who had just emerged and asked frantically:

“Little brother, have you seen the disciples of our Moon Echo Sect?”

The man grabbed was Mo Fan. He looked at his captor in panic. He knew full well that the Moon Echo disciples had all perished inside and that their deaths were largely tied to his actions.

Mo Fan’s face turned deathly pale. He cast a quick, nervous glance around. Seeing that others were too preoccupied to notice him, he relaxed slightly. He then knit his brows and spoke hesitantly:

“I’m not sure… but we are the only ones who made it out of the Secret Realm.”

Upon hearing this, the leader’s brow furrowed fiercely. He shoved Mo Fan aside and tried to charge recklessly into the still open entrance.

However, he was quickly blocked by the barrier. When he tried to force his way through, a powerful force sent him flying several meters back.

The man collapsed ungracefully, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His face was grim. Though he looked at the entrance with lingering resentment, he sensed the power of the barrier and gave up on a second attempt. After a moment of silent thought, he stood up shakily and turned to leave.

The remaining cultivators were somber. Once reunited with their respective sects, they couldn’t stop trembling from the lingering fear, their faces pale and haunted.

Once their disciples were settled, the various sect members began to whisper amongst themselves.

“Why was the Secret Realm so treacherous this time?”

“Perhaps the master of the realm is in a foul mood, or we offended something we shouldn’t have.”

“That may be, but why did the surviving disciples all say there wasn’t a single magical artifact inside?”

In previous Secret Realms, at least a dozen artifacts would appear. High-grade ones were rare, but they usually existed. This time was different, not only were the losses heavy, but they had found absolutely nothing.

Someone sighed and remarked:

“There must have been something. It was likely just too dangerous for anyone to search properly.”

With that, the crowd looked toward the closing entrance with eyes full of unwilling regret.

The Hiding Spot

Yun Xi glanced over and tilted her chin toward a certain figure, speaking to Chi Li with a half-smile:

“Your little Junior Sister is looking for you.”

The moment Mu Zhi had emerged, Chi Li had noticed her. However, she had no intention of going over; instead, she looked away, avoiding Mu Zhi’s gaze.

Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Yun Xi’s eyes. “What’s going on?”

Chi Li remained silent for a moment. Her eyelids lowered, the shadows of her lashes masking the guilt deep in her eyes. She finally spoke:

“She found out I entered the Secret Realm.”

Those few words left Yun Xi with a look of utter disbelief. She said incredulously:

“Are you… afraid of being scolded by your little Junior Sister?”

It was a joke, given Mu Zhi’s personality, it was impossible for her to scold Chi Li.

Yet, for some reason, the guilt in Chi Li’s heart intensified, though she kept her face expressionless. Seeing Chi Li remain silent, Yun Xi was about to tease her further when Chi Li turned to her with a look of such seriousness that Yun Xi instinctively straightened up.

“I need to trouble you with something.”

Judging by Chi Li’s tone, Yun Xi thought it was a matter of grave importance. “Speak.”

“Someone will come looking for you tonight. I want you to hide her in your wine cellar.”

Over the years, to avoid being caught by her master, Yun Xi had kept her wine cellar extremely well-hidden.

Yun Xi’s expression turned solemn, but she hesitated. “This person…”

Chi Li, knowing exactly what Yun Xi was worried about, cut in:

“She doesn’t drink. She’s just going there to sleep.”

The surrounding wind was biting, a sign that winter was approaching. Yun Xi thought for a moment, and though a realization seemed to cross her face, she ultimately agreed.

“Fine. Don’t worry, I’ll keep them well-hidden.”

Yun Xi already had a suspicion about who Chi Li was referring to, but she didn’t ask. She would wait for the person to arrive and then investigate for herself.

With the matter settled, Chi Li’s gaze returned to the figure in the crowd clearly searching for someone. She sighed helplessly and began to walk toward her.

Her expression remained as indifferent as ever, but her pace was much slower than usual. She kept her head slightly lowered, lost in thought.

The Confrontation

On the other side, Mu Zhi had been searching for Chi Li since the moment she came out. Finding no sign of her, the dissatisfaction in her heart grew.

“Junior Sister Mu, the Eldest Senior Sister is likely busy right now,” He Wen, who was standing beside her, said.

Mu Zhi knew He Wen was making excuses for Chi Li, but she nodded politely.

“Sister He should head back first. The items will be delivered to your residence in a few days.”

He Wen had nothing left to say and departed after a respectful bow.

Just as Mu Zhi was about to look elsewhere, she suddenly found her feet unable to move, as if she had been pinned to the spot by some force.

Then, a familiar and loathsome voice came from behind her.

“Sister Mu, I was looking for you the whole time in the Secret Realm. I was afraid you’d run into danger.”

Mu Zhi knit her brows and turned to look at the speaker.

Mo Fan was a mess. His clothes were torn to shreds and stained red with blood, whether his own or someone else’s. He gave off a pungent, metallic scent of blood.

Mu Zhi crossed her arms and let out a mocking laugh. Instead of answering him directly, she asked out of the blue:

“Junior Brother Mo, how do I look today?”

Mo Fan didn’t catch the sarcasm. He looked at Mu Zhi’s attire and immediately lowered his head, speaking in a small, shy voice:

“Sister Mu is, of course, beautiful.”

Mu Zhi felt a wave of revulsion, but she forced a smile, one that was purely derisive.

“I didn’t ask you to look at my dress. I simply wanted you to see that from the moment I entered the Secret Realm to the moment I left, I haven’t sustained a single scratch. You, on the other hand, are a tattered, bloody mess.”

Mo Fan looked at her in disbelief, his expression wounded. Just as he was about to speak, Mu Zhi cut him off.

“And don’t you dare say you got those injuries while looking for me.”

Having his excuse stripped away so bluntly, Mo Fan’s face shifted. He struggled to maintain his facade but found himself unable to say a word.

At that moment, a nearby disciple seemingly couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up:

“Junior Sister Mu, there’s no need to be so aggressive. We are all disciples of the same sect, it’s only natural for Junior Brother Mo to worry about you.”

Despite having made things perfectly clear, Mu Zhi was annoyed to have this “label” forced upon her by a bystander. Her expression darkened, and she said coldly:

“Senior Brother, you should look closer. I don’t need him to find me. I am doing perfectly fine on my own.”

The meddling disciple was silenced and wisely backed off. Mo Fan kept his head down, looking as though he had been deeply wronged.

A heavily injured disciple, who was being taken away to rest, suddenly stopped his companions. Pale and limping, he walked over and said:

“He even lost his spiritual power just to find you.”

Mu Zhi’s brow furrowed as she sneered:

“Is it not because he’s done too many shameful things and is now reaping what he sowed?”

“Sister Mu, how can you say that…”

Before Mo Fan could finish, a powerful pressure suddenly descended. The cold wind howled, stinging the skin and forcing everyone to squint. From a distance, an incredibly icy voice rang out:

“She does not require the search of idle people.”