What Should I Do If My Junior Sister Is the Future Demon Emperor? - Chapter 3

The sun was still high in the sky when Lin Xi arrived at the Wanning Sect, and the disciples had not yet finished their afternoon lessons. After a brief moment of reflection, she decided to avoid meeting those old fellows from the leadership. If she ran into them, they would undoubtedly look at her with eyes full of guilt, fearing that another lapse in her judgment might spark chaos throughout the world once more.

She had already settled every debt of vengeance that needed settling, yet they still worried she might become a scourge upon the land. Was she really the type of person to hold such petty grudges?

As fate would have it, she ran into Qiu Yuebai at the sect cafeteria.

Qiu Yuebai was visibly surprised by her presence. Although Fengming Mountain technically fell under Wanning’s jurisdiction in the eyes of the public, the sect wouldn’t dare try to manage a titan like Lin Xi even if they were given a hundred times their current courage. Usually, Lin Xi only visited the sect to see a few seniors, or perhaps to catch a glimpse of Ji Ling during competitions by blending into the crowd. Her shadow was rarely seen within the sect walls.

“What brings the Immortal Master here?”

“I am buying buns for my junior sister,” Lin Xi replied. She truly didn’t understand why her little sister was so fond of these overly sweet little things. Although her storage bag possessed a preservation function, Ji Ling wouldn’t be back for at least half a month. Would they really still taste good by then? She briefly considered inviting the chef to move to Fengming Mountain, though she doubted the Sect Master would allow it.

Qiu Yuebai saw the calculating look in Lin Xi’s eyes and felt her eyelid twitch. Her fears were confirmed when Lin Xi spoke again. “Does the chef who makes these buns have any interest in seeking employment elsewhere?”

“No,” Qiu Yuebai blurted out instantly. She knew exactly which chef Lin Xi was targeting, and if that person were taken away, the remaining disciples would surely stage a riot.

Lin Xi looked slightly disappointed but changed the subject. “What brings Elder Qiu here at this hour? It isn’t mealtime yet.”

“Buying buns.”

Qiu Yuebai also loved the buns, which was all the more reason not to let Lin Xi lure the chef away. She had deliberately come at this quiet hour to avoid the crowds, only to encounter someone trying to poach the staff. Since the buns weren’t quite ready yet, the two women settled in for some idle conversation.

“How has Master Qiu been lately?” Lin Xi asked. A large reason she remained connected to the Wanning Sect was that these seniors were among the few living friends of her late grandmaster, Cinian.

“She is doing well. A few days ago, she insisted on drinking, but I managed to stop her.” Qiu Yuebai felt a dull throb in her head; her mother was doing fine, but it was making her own life quite difficult. She looked at Lin Xi with a hint of hesitation. “My mother wishes to see Immortal Master Shangsu.”

Lin Xi maintained a polite smile. “I will go and visit Master Qiu in a few days.” She didn’t give a definitive “yes.”

Qiu Yuebai nodded. “I will let her know.”

The air soon filled with the scent of fresh milk and dough. The previously idle Qiu Yuebai immediately perked up and rushed toward the kitchen. Lin Xi followed close behind and heard Qiu Yuebai pleading with the chef. “Give me eleven, please.”

The chef, whose hands were scrubbed spotlessly clean, didn’t even look up. “Five at most.”

“Why has the limit decreased again? Wasn’t it ten per person last month?” Qiu Yuebai looked miserable. “Sister, dear sister, just one more? Please?”

The normally dignified Qiu Yuebai now looked like a persistent rogue. The chef’s cleaver landed on the cutting board with a soft but firm thud. Qiu Yuebai immediately shrank back like a startled quail.

Lin Xi watched the exchange and decided this chef might not be a good fit for Fengming Mountain after all. “I would like five, please,” she said, appearing sweet and obedient, showing none of the aggressive energy she had used to crash the gates of the Sword Resonance Sect just days prior.

“Are you Ji Ling’s senior sister?” the chef asked, her tone softening considerably. When Lin Xi nodded, the chef packed six lava buns for her instead of five. Before Lin Xi left, the chef even asked when Ji Ling would be returning.

Lin Xi was once again reminded of her sister’s popularity. With such a lovely sister, how could anyone possibly dislike her?

Qiu Yuebai followed Lin Xi out while clutching her four buns and whining. However, the moment they stepped outside, she tucked the buns into her storage bag and instantly regained her aura of an elegant, transcendent immortal. Before departing, she suddenly remembered something. “Did you really smash the guardian array of the Sword Resonance Sect?”

That array had famously withstood invasions from the demon race two centuries ago, yet Lin Xi had broken it without a word. Lin Xi tucked her own buns away and replied nonchalantly, “I simply failed to restrain my strength.”

Since Fengming Mountain was not on the way to Qiu Yuebai’s residence, Lin Xi waved her off and ignored her lingering hesitation, choosing to head home immediately.

******

Something white flashed through the air and crashed into a nearby rose bush, scattering petals everywhere. Lin Xi reached in and pulled out a small, bound creature.

“A rabbit?”

The creature was a ball of white fluff with a large, bushy tail. If not for its bear-like face, those two long ears would have made it a perfect ringer for a rabbit. It looked dazed, its dark eyes filled with confusion. It had clearly just been passing through when it found itself tied up. It lifted a paw and gestured politely for Lin Xi to release it.

“Hello… please let me go. My master is waiting for me to eat.”

Lin Xi looked at it, and the smile on her lips faded slightly. Had the disciples been so lax in their training that they missed this little demon, or was this creature—whatever it was—possessing a concealment ability that even Wanning Sect disciples couldn’t detect? She was troubled by the idea that the sect had become a place where demons could enter and exit at will.

Ignoring its pleas, she grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and strolled away from the training grounds. The “rabbit” was shocked.

“Which sect do you belong to that you dare kidnap me? I am a demon—”

The little demon tried to threaten her, only to find it could no longer speak. After a moment of stunned silence, it began thrashing its body in a desperate attempt to escape. Once it had exhausted itself, Lin Xi lifted it to eye level. Her gentle smile remained, but to the little beast, she looked like a demon.

“Are you finished?” she asked, shaking the limp, playing-dead creature.

The demon glared at her with fury, its large tail swishing back and forth in defiance. Lin Xi chuckled and ignored it, intending to take it away from the Wanning Sect altogether. Humans and demons had been at each other’s throats for over two hundred years, and the deep-seated blood feuds were well known. This demon could not stay here; if someone else found it, it wouldn’t even have its hide left.

Just as she was about to use her spiritual energy to leave, a voice called out from behind. “Hey! Flying on artifacts is prohibited within the sect. Which peak do you belong to?”

She turned to see a disciple from the Discipline Hall staring at her with disapproval. Lin Xi was momentarily stunned; truth be told, she had never encountered such a situation. Whenever she came to the Wanning Sect, she went directly to see Master Qiu. Even though her public identity was merely “Ji Ling’s senior sister,” these mundane rules were quite foreign to her.

The disciple walked up to her and looked her up and down before scribbling in a notebook. “Not wearing a sect badge. That is a fine of five spirit stones.”

Lin Xi apologized with good grace. Seeing her sincere repentance, the disciple’s tone softened. “Are you a new recruit? It is normal not to know all the rules yet. I will overlook it this once, but do not let it happen again.”

Lin Xi hid the struggling demon behind her back and smiled. “My thanks.”

******

Fengming Mountain rarely saw visitors. At this moment, a woman in white sat at a stone table beneath a tree, sipping tea. Her expression was cool and her eyes were fixed on the rising steam. Strands of silver mixed into her dark hair served as the only markers of the passing years. A gentle breeze stirred her spotless robes, making her look like a banished immortal.

Lin Xi walked over without ceremony and tossed the white fluff-ball onto the table. She poured herself a cup of tea and smiled at her master. “Why does Master look like a lonely old lady from the mortal realm today?”

Cen Shangsu moved her cup away to prevent demon fur from landing in her tea. “What is this?”

“A rabbit,” Lin Xi said as if it were obvious. “I thought my junior sister would like it.”

The little demon silently rolled its eyes. You’re the rabbit; your whole family are rabbits.

Cen Shangsu thought for a moment and reflexively reached for a notebook at her waist. After flipping through a few pages, she nodded slowly. “It is indeed the sort of thing your sister would like. Where did it come from?”

“I found it by the side of the road,” Lin Xi replied airily.

The demon stopped playing dead and glared at her in disbelief, preparing to launch into an insult, but only a series of high-pitched squeaks came out. Lin Xi poked it with her finger. “Rabbits do not need to speak.” She had placed a silence charm on it.

Seizing a moment when she wasn’t looking, the little demon bit down hard on her finger. Cen Shangsu’s casual gaze instantly turned sharp. Her hair began to drift as if caught in a phantom wind, her calm demeanor vanishing instantly.

Lin Xi simply pulled her finger out of its mouth and calmly picked up a handkerchief. “Do your teeth hurt?” she asked with the same stable, smiling emotion. “What else can you do besides get saliva all over my hand?”

She held out her hand, showing only faint tooth marks on her fair skin that were already beginning to fade. The demon stared at her hand in shock. It was a demon, after all; how could biting a human leave its own teeth feeling sore and aching? It was stunned, confused, and utterly defeated. It changed its strategy, staring at Lin Xi with wet, pitiful eyes.

Cen Shangsu picked it up by the neck and placed it on her lap. “That trick only works when A-Ling does it,” she noted. She untied the ropes and instead wrapped a red cord around its neck, complete with a small cabbage-shaped jade pendant. The red string and green pendant looked quite adorable against the white fur.

Lin Xi watched as her master painstakingly adjusted the collar and added a defensive artifact to it. Even a small pendant like that would be a sought-after treasure elsewhere, yet Cen Shangsu placed it on a demon without a second thought.

Cen Shangsu scratched the creature’s chin, her tone half-joking and half-threatening. “Do not think about running away, little one. If you encounter anyone else, you might not be handled so gently.”

The creature shivered and relaxed its tensed hind legs, leaning into her hand to curry favor. “What is your name?” Cen Shangsu asked.

The little demon sat up and tried to push Cen Shangsu’s hand away, making a few urgent sounds and pointing an angry paw at Lin Xi.

“Acting tough because you have a protector,” Lin Xi scoffed.

The demon pushed harder, trying to look righteous, but a single glance from Lin Xi sent it scurrying back into Cen Shangsu’s arms.

“Why don’t you give it a name then?” Cen Shangsu suggested to Lin Xi, realizing they wouldn’t get an answer from the creature itself.

Lin Xi looked at the demon, which was currently hiding most of its head. “Let’s call it ‘Congxin’.”

Congxin—a play on the characters meaning “following one’s heart,” but also a pun on the word for “cowardly.”

To her surprise, the demon lunged at Lin Xi’s arm and began squeaking excitedly, its eyes wide with shock. Lin Xi forcibly shoved it back into her master’s arms. “I know you like it, but there is no need to be so happy.”

Cen Shangsu took the creature, whom she called Congxin, and turned to a fresh page in her notebook, sketching a shape that looked like a large white bun. Lin Xi rubbed her brow, suddenly thinking of the disciple who had given her a ticket.

Congxin leaned over to look and began heartlessly mocking Cen Shangsu’s drawing skills. Cen Shangsu remained unfazed and added three lines to the top of the white blob to represent ears and a tail, then calmly wrote the name “Congxin” beside it. She had defended the creature’s last shred of dignity with her actions.

Congxin, despite its apparent silliness, recognized its own name. It looked at the drawing, then at itself, repeating the process three times.

“It is quite lifelike,” Lin Xi noted.

“Is it not?” Cen Shangsu added two dots for eyes.

Congxin looked at the drawing for a long moment before covering the “bun” with its tail and bursting into tears.

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