What Should I Do If My Junior Sister Is the Future Demon Emperor? - Chapter 11

The sect’s spirit formations were finally reactivated.

The disciples looked as if they had never seen the world before, touching this and peering at that. The entire atmosphere of the Wanning Sect became exceptionally lively. This was especially true for the disciples of the herb fields; even though they no longer had to carry heavy water buckets, they stood fixed upon the ridges of the fields. They watched the flying artifacts shuttle between the spirit herbs like dragonflies, spraying medicinal water and eliminating the pests that had caused them so many headaches.

Who dared say these formations were no good? They were magnificent.

The elders’ expressions grew uglier by the second. To satisfy their own unspeakable sense of superiority in years past, they had recruited wave after wave of outer disciples. Now, forced to spend money to maintain these students who no longer performed manual labor, they felt a pain worse than death. The disciples had become a “hot potato” in their hands. Unfortunately, the sect rules explicitly stated that unless a disciple committed a fault, they could not be expelled from their peak. They didn’t dare drive people away openly, as Lin Xi now stood firmly behind these youths.

The day after that grand assembly, Xing Yun led a contingent to “raid” Ziyun Peak, giving Elder Xiao Sheng no time to react. She didn’t explicitly ask Lin Xi to provide muscle; instead, she sent a paper crane message to Fengming Mountain, claiming she wanted Ji Ling to accompany her for “courage.”

Ji Ling had a good rapport with most people in the sect. From the moment she joined, Xing Yun had looked after her, even turning a blind eye to minor rule-breaking. So, the request wasn’t abrupt, but…

“Does she truly need me?” Ji Ling asked, tugging at the wings of the paper crane. Did she really have that much “face”?

Cen Shangsu smiled but did not answer. Lin Xi understood the subtext; she flicked her sleeves, ready to go watch the fun or rather, to uphold justice. Lin Xi hadn’t hidden the details of the Great Hall meeting from Ji Ling; since the girl had already tasted the treachery of the cultivation world, one more lesson wouldn’t hurt.

When Lin Xi arrived, Xing Yun was at the foot of Ziyun Peak. She was surrounded by a chattering crowd of Discipline Hall disciples. Seeing Lin Xi, Xing Yun felt a secret wave of relief. Crashing a party was always better with an elder backing you up.

The disciple who had once cited Lin Xi for a violation was among the crowd. Upon seeing her, the girl—Xiao Yu—silently tried to shrink back behind Xing Yun.

“Xiao Yu, you’re stepping on my foot,” a disciple behind her whispered. Everyone’s eyes swiveled toward her, including Lin Xi’s. Xiao Yu looked utterly despondent.

Lin Xi walked over with a light chuckle. “I am not the type to hold a grudge.”

Xiao Yu nodded vigorously, though Xing Yun shot Lin Xi a look that said, As if.

Ji Ling crowded close to Lin Xi, her eyes full of curiosity. Up on Ziyun Peak, Xiao Sheng’s teeth were nearly grinding to dust with resentment, yet she was forced to put on a smiling face.

“The disciples are living quite well here,” Xiao Sheng noted. “Surely Elder Xing won’t disturb the peace for no reason?”

“I won’t. I am merely here to promote the Discipline Hall,” Xing Yun replied. “Our workload is heavy, and we usually ignore outside rumors. However, now that our manpower is growing, I can spare the time to clear the Discipline Hall’s name.”

Lin Xi leaned against a tree to lower her presence, a faint smile playing on her lips as she glanced at Xiao Sheng. These elders had relied on their seniority to bully the younger Xing Yun, dumping all the thankless, grueling tasks on her. Did they never consider that she might one day come looking for trouble? Xing Yun had some history with Fengming Mountain, yet these people acted as if Lin Xi were dead.

Xing Yun began listing the Discipline Hall’s benefits and compensation one by one. The Discipline Hall disciples, who had initially felt a bit guilty about “rebel-rousing” on someone else’s turf, straightened their backs as they saw the envious looks from the Ziyun Peak disciples.

“I don’t even get a monthly stipend,” Ji Ling’s pained whisper reached Lin Xi’s ear.

Lin Xi glanced helplessly at her junior sister. The treasury doors at Fengming Mountain didn’t even have a lock; Ji Ling treated the treasures inside like pebbles to skip across a pond.

Once Xing Yun finished her long list of perks, she asked, “So, does anyone wish to join the Discipline Hall?”

Silence fell. The disciples hesitated. While the Discipline Hall was a prestigious destination, the friction between peaks was constant. They were Ziyun Peak people; moving to the Discipline Hall carried the taint of “serving two masters.” If the Discipline Hall staff isolated them, they would be truly stranded. Moreover, this recruitment was only for “external” disciples; they would only be officially admitted after a probationary period. Their life at Ziyun Peak was stable, and they lacked the courage to gamble their futures.

Suddenly, Shen Xun’an stepped forward. She knelt before Xing Yun. “This disciple is willing to exert her utmost efforts for the Discipline Hall.”

The crowd erupted in whispers. Joining the Discipline Hall was no easy feat. If the Hall Master didn’t keep her and only used her as a temporary worker, she would have nowhere to go in two years. Even if the Hall Master had helped her sister, there was no need for her to throw away her future just to show support.

“You!” Xiao Sheng had been smugly enjoying the silence, but Shen Xun’an’s move was a direct slap to her face.

Xing Yun smiled at Xiao Sheng. “A fine bird chooses its tree. I trust Elder Xiao is a person of great principle and can understand the disciples’ choices.”

Ji Ling nudged Lin Xi’s palm and whispered, “Elder Xing’s smile makes her look like a villain from a storybook.”

Xing Yun shot her a look; the person in question was right here, could she not show a little restraint? Ji Ling offered an apologetic grin. Lin Xi stroked her sister’s head, though she didn’t mention that she looked exactly the same when facing those elders.

Xiao Sheng snorted and flicked her sleeve. “Very well. It seems my Ziyun Peak cannot hold such a ‘great Buddha’ after all. Once you leave, do not blame your former Peak Master if you encounter any bullying in the future.”

“Elder Xiao must be joking,” Xing Yun countered. “Once she enters my Discipline Hall, she is under our protection. We wouldn’t let some random ‘cat or dog’ bully our own.” She pointedly looked at Xiao Sheng as she spoke.

Xiao Sheng gripped her nails in fury, but upon meeting Lin Xi’s smiling, calculating gaze, she ultimately looked away and said no more. For years, they believed Lin Xi didn’t care for her slight connection with Xing Yun. After all, Lin Xi had killed the Lord of Penglai, who had practically raised her for a century and acted as a half-master without hesitation. They thought she was cold-blooded and ungrateful. They hadn’t expected her to personally show up for a minor sect squabble just to help Xing Yun poach talent.

Internally, Xiao Sheng cursed Lin Xi, wishing such a treacherous person a swift death, yet her face remained smiling. She turned to her disciples and gently asked if anyone else wanted to go, though she cast warning glares where Lin Xi couldn’t see. The Ziyun disciples shook their heads in unison.

Xing Yun looked slightly disappointed but could only leave with her lone “catch.” The younger disciples swarmed Shen Xun’an to give her parting gifts, leaving the girl looking flustered. Xing Yun smiled and signaled for her to accept. In truth, the atmosphere in the Discipline Hall was excellent; the disciples weren’t the cold-blooded schemers rumors suggested. They were simply so busy they had no time to manage their public image.

******

“The results for those two from the Medicine Peak are out,” Xing Yun noted as they walked.

Shen Xun’an’s ears perked up. The group shifted to give her a spot beside Xing Yun.

“That Elder Yang discovered Shen Ning’s Ethereal Grass. He dropped several hints that she should hand it over, but Shen Ning refused. Harboring a grudge, he and Li Feng decided on a petty revenge. Li Feng stole the Silver Cloud Grass in the middle of the night and planted a leaf in her cabinet while she was working.”

“Framing her with just a leaf? How stingy,” Ji Ling couldn’t help but comment.

“They wanted to pocket the Silver Cloud Grass for themselves,” Xing Yun explained.

Ji Ling was speechless. “They wanted the prize without even using proper bait? Such a setup is clearly a frame-up; how could anyone believe it?”

“Jueming doesn’t manage things. Elder Yang has been the sole authority on the Medicine Peak for years. Using private torture is second nature to them. While such a clumsy trick is easily seen through, they never intended for the matter to reach the Discipline Hall. They didn’t count on you showing up; once you did, they couldn’t suppress it.”

Shen Xun’an frowned. “My sister isn’t one to show off. How did he find the Ethereal Grass?” The grass was a rare medicine for nourishing the soul and veins; Lin Xi hadn’t wanted it in the hidden realm, so Shen Xun’an had taken it. She knew Shen Ning was smart enough to keep it hidden in a storage bag.

Xing Yun rubbed her nose, looking a bit incredulous. “He smelled it.”

To have such a talent and use it to squeeze disciples for their belongings—the group fell into a brief silence. Without talent, one wouldn’t reach the position of second-in-command at the Medicine Peak, but he had clearly lost his way.

“How will the Medicine Peak be handled?” Lin Xi asked, changing the subject. She had no interest in the “wasted talent” debate. Jueming was clearly checked out, and the peak needed someone in charge while Elder Yang served his reflection sentence.

“Jueming still refuses to take over. Qiu Yuebai has arranged for someone new to manage things. She picked the person herself and requires regular reports; it shouldn’t be an issue.”

Qiu Yuebai was thorough in such matters. Entrusting it to her provided a resolution for the disciples of the Medicine Peak. Realizing the conversation was moving into higher-level politics, the younger disciples slowed their pace to gossip among themselves.

“I’ve discussed it with Qiu Yuebai,” Xing Yun continued. “The Discipline Hall’s missions will be reopened to disciples from other peaks. It’ll prevent them from going a month without a single spirit stone and starving to death.” No matter how much the Peak Masters clashed, innocent disciples shouldn’t pay the price.

Lin Xi nodded. Sect missions were a standard practice; restarting them wasn’t difficult. Previously, with the formations closed, everyone was tied up in manual labor, leaving the Discipline Hall short-handed. Now, it would ease the burden on everyone.

She thought for a moment and said to Xing Yun, “If you run into trouble, you can come to me.”

Xing Yun looked up at her. “You seem to have changed a lot.” She paused, her expression turning slightly sentimental. “A hundred years ago, you wouldn’t have cared about such things.”

Lin Xi looked toward the distance where Ji Ling was surrounded by her peers. She smiled and said softly, “These matters are naturally of no consequence to me. But for A-Ling, it is different.”

Ji Ling was very much like those two on Fengming Mountain; she loved everyone around her and sincerely wished for them to thrive. As her senior sister, Lin Xi would protect that wish.

“I do not care about the power struggles between elders, so long as they do not harm mortals or those A-Ling cares about.”

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