What Should I Do If My Junior Sister Is the Future Demon Emperor? - Chapter 2

Lin Xi did not harbor much affection for the Sword Resonance Sect. In fact, this was her first visit to their grounds in nearly a century. To put it more accurately, she disliked most people in the cultivation world, and she held a particular distaste for this specific sect.

The city walls surrounding the sect’s mountain gate were high and imposing. In the center of the gatehouse, the three characters for “Sword Resonance Sect” were written in a bold, flowing script that contained a sharp, oppressive sword intent. A disciple guarding the mountain called out to Lin Xi with an air of arrogant superiority.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass upon the Sword Resonance Sect?”

Lin Xi looked at him with a flash of confusion. She hadn’t actually trespassed yet. If she truly intended to break in, would she be standing here quietly listening to him speak?

The disciple’s gaze shifted down to her right hand. He pressed three fingers together and rubbed them in a universal gesture for payment. Lin Xi let out a soft, dry laugh.

“You want spirit stones?” she asked. Had the Sword Resonance Sect truly fallen into such a state of desperation?

The disciple jerked his head around to check his surroundings. Seeing no one else nearby, he relaxed slightly, though his expression turned vicious. “Do not choose the hard way over the easy one. Without my report, you will never set foot inside this sect as long as you live.”

Lin Xi decided she was finished dealing with him. She simply raised her eyes and cast a cool, indifferent glance his way. Morality was clearly declining, and each new generation of the Sword Resonance Sect seemed worse than the last.

The disciple felt a sudden chill under her steady gaze. He began to regret his decision to judge her solely by her appearance. Nowadays, when great masters of the immortal path traveled, they were usually preceded by a trail of disciples and rode upon grand magical artifacts. This woman had arrived alone and possessed no visible spiritual aura. She appeared to be nothing more than a mortal with a refined temperament, yet the pressure she exerted was immense.

He opened his mouth to apologize, but Lin Xi was no longer looking at him.

The Qinshuang ribbon flew from her hand and slammed directly into the sect’s protective array. The collision of spiritual energies sent a ring of brilliant light rippling through the air. An ancient bell tolled across the peaks of the Sword Resonance Sect, startling the celestial cranes in the forest. High above, every disciple of the sect rose into the air on their flying swords. They held their spirit blades at the ready, standing in a state of high alert.

Lin Xi watched the scene without a hint of fear. Instead, a flicker of excitement danced in her eyes. Was a fight finally about to break out? She had been dissatisfied with these sects for far too long.

*****

Inside the sect, Ning Wu felt a sudden wave of daze upon hearing the bell, which had not rung in over a hundred years. She stood up and hurried toward the mountain gate. Along the way, she stopped a frantic disciple to ask for a report.

“A woman in cyan arrived alone,” the disciple explained. “She is the one who triggered the guardian array.”

The combination of the words “cyan” and “woman” caused a dull ache to throb at the back of Ning Wu’s head. “Where is the Sect Master?”

“The Sect Master has already called a meeting in the Great Hall.”

Ning Wu’s headache intensified. By the time they finished their deliberations, the sect would be wiped out. The Sword Resonance Sect could not afford to be destroyed just yet.

When Ning Wu arrived at the gate, she found Lin Xi sitting calmly in a chair and sipping tea. Despite the swarm of disciples hovering in the sky above her, Lin Xi remained perfectly composed. It was unclear where she had even found a table and chairs. Who in their right mind brought tea supplies to a confrontation?

Ning Wu signaled for the disciples to stand down before stepping forward. The disciples hesitated but ultimately obeyed. Since Ning Wu’s return, her temperament had become increasingly unpredictable, and they did not understand her motives. However, as the direct disciple of the former Sect Master, her strength and status were undeniable.

Lin Xi looked up at the newcomer. The woman seemed familiar, though Lin Xi did not know her personally and sensed a faint trace of hostility radiating from her. Lin Xi continued to drink her tea, completely unbothered by the hundreds of eyes fixed upon her. It would have been more surprising if these people didn’t resent her.

“Ning Wu, a disciple of the Sword Resonance Sect, pays respects to Immortal Master Mingchen.”

A wave of hushed shock rippled through the gathered disciples. This softly-spoken woman with the gentle demeanor was the “Mad Dog” of the cultivation world they had heard so much about? She didn’t look the part at all.

The guard who had stopped Lin Xi earlier collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with despair. He realized too late that he had offended a titan.

Lin Xi poured the dregs of her tea onto the ground and set the cup down. The porcelain made a sharp, clinking sound against the table. She felt a small pang of disappointment that someone recognized her; it seemed there would be no fight today after all.

“It has been a long time since I visited your esteemed sect,” Lin Xi remarked. Her voice was sweet, but her words were laced with thorns. “I had begun to think everyone here had already ascended to immortality, leaving no room for us mere mortals to enter.”

Ning Wu cast a cold glance at the trembling guard before turning back to Lin Xi with an apology. “This disciple is new and was unaware of your identity. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him.”

Lin Xi looked past her at the crowd. “And are all of those people new as well?”

The disciples who had just been pointing their swords at her looked on in terror. Ning Wu replied without missing a beat, “Yes, they are all new.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. Most of the elders who truly knew of Lin Xi’s reputation were already dead.

Lin Xi did not press the issue further and followed Ning Wu into the sect grounds. “Where is Sect Master Mo?”

“The Sect Master and the elders are waiting for you.”

“Are they discussing how best to kill me?”

“You must be joking,” Ning Wu replied, feeling an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. She wondered why she had to be the one to deal with someone so powerful yet so unreasonable. She silently recited a heart-calming mantra as she led Lin Xi to the council chamber.

Inside the hall, Lin Xi saw faces that were both familiar and strange. Ning Wu had been right; there were very few old acquaintances left.

“Immortal Master Mingchen,” the group rose to greet her. Their minds were racing with calculations, yet they maintained a facade of harmony.

Lin Xi took an empty seat, skipping the usual pleasantries. “The demonic beasts have been causing chaos lately, and the common folk at the foot of the mountain are suffering. Does the Sect Master intend to simply sit by and watch?”

The Sect Master offered a strained smile, wishing only for this troublesome guest to leave. “The disciples have been diligent in their studies and busy with their cultivation. There may have been some oversight.”

Lin Xi smiled and toyed with her tea cup. “I have no particular grievance with you. However, the Sword Resonance Sect once promised Immortal Master Cinian of Fengming Mountain that you would ensure the safety of the people. I worry that if the sect fails to keep its word, it might hinder the cultivation of your disciples.”

She knew these people were experts at making excuses. They were arrogant and held the lives of mortals in low regard. If she didn’t have to look out for everyone, she wouldn’t have bothered to come here and pressure them.

The Sect Master realized that Lin Xi would not leave until he took action. He turned to Ning Wu. “A-Wu, go and find out how many towns under our jurisdiction are being attacked. Send the disciples down the mountain to eliminate the beasts and restore peace as soon as possible.”

“As you command,” Ning Wu replied with a bow.

Since the order had been given, Lin Xi decided to show them a bit of grace. “In that case, I shall leave it in your hands.” She stood up, having no desire to linger.

The Sect Master prepared to see her out, but Lin Xi stopped him. “The Sect Master is busy, so perhaps you should spend more time overseeing your disciples’ lives. I was unaware the Sword Resonance Sect had fallen into such a predicament that its members must beg guests for passage money.”

She offered a gentle, mild smile. “I have always been on good terms with your sect, so I won’t make an issue of it. But if you had encountered someone with a shorter temper, a fight might have broken out right then and there. That would certainly be bad for your reputation.”

The Sect Master’s smile faltered. He wished someone would strike her dumb; she was far too articulate for her own good. Lin Xi gave them a final nod and walked out of the hall, ignoring the colorful expressions on their faces.

She wasn’t worried about the sect breaking its word. Killing a few beasts was an easy task for a major sect, and they had no reason to offend her again. Furthermore, her visit today would soon be common knowledge. Other sects would likely clean up their own territories to avoid a personal visit from her. These organizations were ultimately cowards who valued their public image above all else. Lin Xi reflected that her century of “madness” had been quite effective, as the leaders of the cultivation world now feared to cross her.

Ning Wu followed Lin Xi in silence. Given that the sect had been forced into high alert twice because of her, Ning Wu wondered how Lin Xi could claim they were on “good terms” with such a straight face.

“I have seen you before,” Lin Xi said suddenly.

Ning Wu felt the headache returning. No one knew that she had spent most of her life living in Lin Xi’s shadow. From the moment she joined the sect, the elders told her that her purpose in life was to surpass Lin Xi. For the first hundred and fifty years, she viewed Lin Xi as a rival, and for the last century, the sect had taught her to see Lin Xi as an enemy. Yet Lin Xi only remembered her as someone she had “seen.” It seemed that Lin Xi had never truly acknowledged her existence.

“I am but a person of modest talent,” Ning Wu replied. “I was the champion of the last Four Realms Assembly. I imagined you might have heard of it.”

The assembly was a major event in the cultivation world, where everyone hoped to prove their worth. Lin Xi had been the champion of the assembly before that, and Ning Wu’s goal had been to defeat her and become the new legend. But Lin Xi hadn’t shown up that year, leaving a knot of resentment in Ning Wu’s heart.

Lin Xi didn’t respond. At the time of the assembly, she had been too busy killing people to care about a competition. But that wasn’t what she wanted to talk about.

She noticed the jasmine pattern embroidered on Ning Wu’s sleeves and caught the faint scent of the flower. It was the exact same scent she had smelled on someone else. She stopped and looked Ning Wu in the eye. “Tell me, where is You Su?”

Ning Wu’s pupils contracted, but she chose to play dumb. “What are you talking about?” The name hadn’t been spoken in over a century, and hearing it now made it difficult for her to breathe.

“I’ve seen you,” Lin Xi continued. “You were one of the people following You Su…” She struggled to find the right word. Admirer? Lover? Neither seemed quite right.

Ning Wu reacted as if she had been insulted. “I have seen you out,” she said coldly. “Safe travels.”

Seeing that she wouldn’t get an answer, Lin Xi let the matter drop, though she left with a warning. “Do not let me find out that the Sword Resonance Sect had anything to do with You Su’s disappearance.” She had no interest in other people’s dramas, but she still intended to find the friend of her master, Cinian.

******

When Ning Wu returned to the hall, the elders had already left. The Sect Master sat alone at the head of the table. “Is she gone?”

“Yes,” Ning Wu replied respectfully.

“She is indecisive and soft-hearted,” the Sect Master sneered. “Only someone like Lin Xi would care about the lives of those ants. Those with weaknesses are destined to fail. Your opportunity has come, A-Wu.”

Ning Wu lowered her gaze. “I will personally kill the enemy and avenge my master.”

Just then, a disciple rushed in, his voice filled with shock. “Sect Master! The guardian array… it’s broken.” They had discovered cracks that had spread until the damage was irreparable.

“Broken again?” the Sect Master roared, losing his composure. “That mad dog! Does she have any idea how many spirit stones it costs to repair that? She destroyed it again!” It had taken them years to fix the damage she caused two centuries ago.

Ning Wu’s expression cleared instantly. “Shall I go and fight her then?”

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