There Is No Romance Between Me And My Junior Sister - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Unfamiliar with the paths inside Tianwaitian, Wan Shao took a deep breath only after leading Shang Can behind a large rock and confirming no one was around.

“…What is going on?”

Before she could express concern for Shang Can, who had suddenly coughed up blood, she heard the other woman, leaning against the rock, speak first. Her voice was slightly hoarse, her tone heavy.

“You… even if you ask me…”

Wan Shao, who had only known the situation about ten minutes longer than Shang Can, was equally clueless. She frantically recalled the list of participants from Qingyu she’d scouted before coming; by no means did the name ‘Yun Duan’ appear on it.

“Originally, the only one from Qingyu who was supposed to lead the team and recognize you was Chu Ming—I don’t know what happened either!”

Looking at Wan Shao’s bewildered expression, Shang Can struggled to swallow the rising metallic taste of blood in her throat and stood up straight.

“I’m withdrawing from the Discourse Assembly.”

“Wha—What?!”

Startled by the shocking statement, Wan Shao’s voice spiked before she hurriedly lowered it, frantically blocking Shang Can, who was already preparing to walk out.

“What nonsense are you talking! Things have come to this, and just because Yun Duan is participating—”

“I can’t fight her.”

Usually full of smiles and jokes, Shang Can was uncharacteristic. She had no violent reaction; she spoke plainly, as if stating a simple fact, her glazed eyes looking candidly at Wan Shao.

“Staying is just a waste of time. I won’t win the top spot.”

Seeing her like this, the panicked Wan Shao suddenly calmed down. She stared fixedly at Shang Can, her tense shoulders slumping in defeat.

“…I don’t know the history between you two, and it’s your business if you don’t want to face her. But that Heart-Dao Lotus Seed…”

Wan Shao’s expression turned complex, her voice softening.

“We’ve known each other for so many years; I don’t want to watch you die, Shang Can.”

“You can’t wait another nine years.”

Shang Can pursed her lips, wanting to say something witty to change the subject, but Wan Shao cut her off, her eyes flashing with pity yet remaining stubborn.

“—Besides, she should have forgotten you completely by now.”

“All your special treatment of her… is just you looking for trouble for yourself.”

Shang Can remained silent. She cast a glance at Wan Shao and was immediately glared back at. Wan Shao held a stoic face for about three seconds before it quickly crumbled into a miserable pout.

“Worst case scenario, if you actually have to face Yun Duan in the arena, I’ll find a way to disguise myself as you and fight in your place, you ancestor!”

…What a terrible idea. Truly a mindless Demon Lord.

Shang Can curled her lip. The heart that had been thrown into chaos by Yun Duan’s sudden appearance had gradually calmed down after this conversation, giving way to a hint of hesitation.

Wan Shao wanted to say more, but a long bell toll suddenly echoed through the air. After twelve rings, a loud voice resonated throughout Tianwaitian.

“Fellow Daoists who have passed the Heart Inquiry may wait at the mountain gate. Those who have not finished, please hurry. The preliminary matches will begin in one hour.”

Wan Shao, who certainly couldn’t complete the Heart Inquiry, looked resentfully at her own wooden token, then darted a wary look at Shang Can, testing: “…Are we going?”

Shang Can pulled out her own token. The originally plain wood was now faintly glowing with green light—proof that she had passed the Heart Inquiry.

She stared at it for a long while before letting out a long sigh.

“Let’s go and take a look first.”

That night, Shang Can lay awkwardly in the guest room provided by Tianwaitian. She rolled around miserably twice before decisively sitting up.

The preliminary match wasn’t worth mentioning. With so many cultivators, talent was bound to be uneven. Shang Can happened to draw a low-level opponent; before she could even calculate whether to throw the match, the opponent was knocked off the stage in a single move. The sword she had specifically bought to hide the fact that she usually didn’t use weapons didn’t even have time to leave its scabbard.

And so, she smoothly passed the first round and gained qualification for the Discourse Assembly—a fact that made Wan Shao very happy. Even as Wan Shao left with the eliminated and unfinished cultivators to another residential area, she practically bounced away, standing out among the dignified cultivators.

But Shang Can’s mood was not so beautiful.

She thought it over and felt that staying like this was improper.

Just the thought of Yun Duan being so close made her heart burn with restlessness.

Distance is fine, closeness is fine, but this “neither far nor near” state is the most agonizing.

It wasn’t that she wanted to run away; she just wanted to wander around Tianwaitian… maybe look for where the Heart-Dao Lotus Seed was kept? Maybe she’d get lucky and just steal it directly?

Convincing herself with this logic, Shang Can crouched low and slipped out of the bedroom, utilizing her light-body techniques to soundlessly scale the wall.

It was nearly the hour of the Ox (2 AM). Tianwaitian was silent. Aside from the lanterns held by patrolling disciples, only a few dim lights remained; everywhere else was pitch black.

Although she had visited Tianwaitian for study years ago, the place was massive. Back then, her activities were restricted to the main mountain. This area for guests was new to her.

Shang Can squatted on the roof like a large cat, timing her movements during the gaps in the patrolling disciples’ vision.

Her light-body skills were excellent; her feet made no sound. She managed to map out about seventy to eighty percent of the area without alerting anyone.

Having a general idea of the terrain, Shang Can held her breath and landed lightly. Just as she prepared to head toward the main mountain, a cold female voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Stop.”

Two plain words, yet they hit Shang Can’s ears like a thunderclap.

This voice. She had heard it for the third time today.

It was only after her feet had already begun the motion of fleeing that Shang Can belatedly realized this was a terrible idea. Just as she was vexedly planning to halt her momentum, the sound of breaking air came from behind. Shang Can twisted her body sharply; a dazzling sword light cut through the dark night, accompanied by a melodious hum as it brushed past her ear and swerved back toward her.

Shang Can didn’t want a pointless struggle. As she twisted to avoid the pursuit, she pushed the sword’s hilt with her palm. The sword’s momentum stalled, it spun rapidly in the air, then dropped straight down, unceremoniously piercing the bluestone ground three feet in front of her. It sank more than half a meter into the stone as if cutting through tofu, buzzing incessantly, the red tassel on the hilt swaying gently.

The blade was extremely thin, appearing blurred as if shrouded in a cloud. It slowly breathed out a freezing sword intent; one didn’t even need to touch it to feel its extraordinary sharpness.

Shang Can subconsciously looked down. Her gaze slowly swept over the two familiar characters on the hilt, and a sharp, dense pain bloomed in her chest.

Wuyou Carefree.

“Don’t move.”

The voice behind her spoke again, flat and devoid of emotion. A normal person might have felt they were being interrogated, but Shang Can suddenly felt an inappropriate urge to laugh.

Yun Duan had always been a woman of few words.

When Shang Can picked Yun Duan up and brought her back to Qingyu, Yun Duan was only thirteen. Even then, she acted like a little adult—her expressions were rare, her words as precious as gold. Coupled with her cold beauty, people often misunderstood her as being difficult to get along with.

Shang Can was a few years older, and her personality was the polar opposite of Yun Duan’s. She was naturally playful and cheerful, with a knack for laughing and joking with anyone. Yet, she frequently hit a “soft wall” with her only junior sister, which had caused the young Shang Can a great deal of distress for a while.

But she was persistent, growing more courageous with every setback, daily and tirelessly provoking Yun Duan. As a result, she skipped her own classes and delayed Yun Duan’s cultivation, which so angered their master, Wang Yue, that she gave Shang Can a thorough scolding. Shang Can was punished by being sent to sweep the leaves of the Muyin Tree at the entrance of Yuheng Peak, and after that, she had to go back and copy the heart-mantras ten times.

Shang Can had leaned gloomily on her broom. The Muyin Tree had actually tried its best to drop fewer leaves to reduce her workload, but that consideration didn’t help much when the wind blew. The tree could only rustle a sorrowful tune to apologize, and Shang Can would sigh, patting its trunk and telling it it was okay.

Thus, she swept from dawn until dusk. Just as she set the broom aside and sat under the tree to rest, Yun Duan—who had been missing all day—suddenly appeared.

‘Senior Sister.’

Yun Duan still had that expressionless look. She handed over a thick stack of papers. Shang Can took them blankly and flipped through; they were covered in familiar, elegant handwriting—exactly ten copies of the heart-mantras.

‘…Master punished you too?’

Hearing the question, Yun Duan shook her head seriously and said solemnly:

‘She only punished you.’

…Well, okay, that wasn’t Master being biased; after all, Yun Duan really was just being unilaterally pestered by her.

Shang Can blinked, suddenly realizing the meaning of the gesture. But seeing that Yun Duan didn’t continue, Shang Can grew anxious and directly shook the papers, asking:

‘Then this is…?’

‘I copied them for Senior Sister.’

After answering, Yun Duan fell silent again. She just stared at Shang Can with her misty, ink-colored eyes, her elegant face devoid of ripples.

Shang Can was used to her behavior, but she wasn’t quite used to this sudden action. She hesitated, lost in thought.

…Does this mean their relationship had improved? Or was Yun Duan just helping because she felt sorry for her? And did Yun Duan know… that with this completely undisguised handwriting, Wang Yue would know the truth with one glance?

As Shang Can frowned over these trivialities, she suddenly realized that for however long she had been thinking, Yun Duan had been staring at her. Shang Can looked over in surprise; Yun Duan flinched the moment their eyes met and stiffly looked away.

That was probably the first time that, although Yun Duan’s expression didn’t change, Shang Can felt certain she was nervous.

Thinking that if she waited for Yun Duan to speak first she might die of old age, Shang Can simply asked: ‘Are you nervous?’

Yun Duan’s long eyelashes fluttered. She awkwardly moved her gaze back, her slender fingers quietly tightening.

‘A little.’

Perhaps because sitting and looking up at Yun Duan provided a clearer view, Shang Can saw her movements perfectly. She wondered how she hadn’t noticed these little habits before and suddenly found it quite amusing. She condemned her own wicked sense of humor but continued to press: ‘Why?’

‘I’m afraid Senior Sister will be angry.’

Yun Duan’s tone was still flat, yet for some reason, Shang Can clearly felt her unease.

Angry…? Why would she be angry at Yun Duan?

The moment that question surfaced, a flash of realization struck Shang Can’s mind. The answer she sought became clear, surging into her heart along with a wave of joy.

Shang Can grinned, tucked the papers Yun Duan had copied into her robes, and reached out to tug at Yun Duan’s sleeve. With just a little force, Yun Duan obediently leaned in and sat down beside her as requested.

The originally neat silk robes became slightly messy with the movement. Shang Can tilted her head, reached out, and smoothed Yun Duan’s collar. Yun Duan didn’t move an inch; throughout the process, she just stared expectantly at Shang Can.

‘Are you afraid I’ll stop looking for you because I got punished?’

‘Yes.’

The honesty was startling. Yun Duan nodded almost the instant Shang Can finished asking. This left Shang Can stunned, but the “ask and you shall receive” nature of the situation sparked her playfulness again. She asked mischievously:

‘So Duan-er likes playing with Senior Sister.’

This time, there was no answer for a long while. Shang Can thought she’d gone too far and hurriedly sat up straight to lean closer.

‘I’m sorry, I—’

‘…Yes.’

Before the words “spoke without thinking” could leave her mouth, Shang Can heard a response as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.

She almost thought she had hallucinated it. She looked at Yun Duan uncertainly, only to see the tips of her ears turning bright red through her falling hair. Noticing Shang Can’s gaze, the other girl hurriedly turned her body away, then thought about it and turned back to add:

‘…I like it.’

Incredible! Yun Duan said two sentences in a row!

Even now, Shang Can could recall her shock at that moment.

It was also from that day forward that she gradually began to understand Yun Duan’s expressions of emotion. Just like now—when she said “stop,” she really just wanted her to stop; when she said “don’t move,” she just didn’t want her to run away.

Yun Duan didn’t recognize her.

This was natural, Shang Can thought. She was currently wearing the mask Wan Shao had made. In truth, even if she wasn’t wearing it, it probably wouldn’t matter, since they hadn’t seen each other in nine years—

—Since Yun Duan had already forgotten her completely.

Shang Can suddenly had an urge to turn around.

She thought it, and so she did it. Even though Yun Duan had just told her not to move, Shang Can felt she couldn’t care less. At worst, she’d be stabbed by Wuyou. Right now, she just… no matter what, wanted to see Yun Duan.

Shang Can slowly turned her heels. There was no shouting, no sword light—only a woman so beautiful she seemed inhuman standing there, watching quietly.

She was dressed in plain white silk robes, neat and spotless. If not for that waterfall of black hair, she would have looked like a person sculpted from snow. The frosty moonlight poured down from above, making her appear as bright as the moon itself, as if she shouldn’t have much connection to this mortal world.

She was far more vivid than in any hallucination, looking as if she were within reach.

Seeing Shang Can turn around, Yun Duan blinked slightly. There was no ripple on her peerless face. Shang Can didn’t speak, and neither did she, as if patiently waiting for Shang Can to open her mouth.

It used to be like this. Yun Duan spoke little, so she relied on Shang Can to speak more; it was never boring. Back then, she would even worry about Yun Duan being alone with others, fearing she would be misunderstood, so she was always inseparable from her.

In reality, it was just her overthinking. Yun Duan was just introverted; as long as people spent time with her, anyone could realize her nature wasn’t as cold as the rumors suggested. It wasn’t that she had to have Shang Can by her side.

Look, nine years have passed. Without her company, Yun Duan is doing just fine.

Though still a woman of few words, she was now a famous cultivator in the immortal realm. Everyone praised her beauty and could not ignore her strength. Even if Shang Can were in the underworld, she would occasionally hear people speak respectfully of the “Lord of the Clouds.”

Shang Can felt like laughing again. She curled her lips, yet felt she couldn’t manage a smile.

“I was startled just now.”

“I did not realize it was the Lord of the Clouds. My apologies.”

Yun Duan remained the same as always; it was she, Shang Can, who had changed.