What Should I Do If My Junior Sister Is the Future Demon Emperor? - Chapter 5

A thick lump of blood stuck in Ji Ling’s throat as she stared in despair at the massive creature before her. She could hardly believe that a single training trial could result in so much wretched luck. First, she had been betrayed by the very comrades she tried to save, and after wandering the hidden realm for a circle, she had stumbled into a pack of demonic beasts. She had spent the entire night fleeing, only to find the leader of the pack standing directly in her path.

Having been busy all day, “Master” Ji Ling simply wanted to die.

She stood back-to-back with Shen Xun’an, gripping a cyan sword that flickered with a faint, dying light which is a clear sign that her spiritual energy was nearly exhausted. The sound of rushing water began to gather in the air once more as transparent, silkworm-like insects slowly congregated to surround them. In the distance, a massive blob of grey liquid was encased in a translucent membrane, through which one could faintly see the fish it had swallowed thumping against the inner walls.

This was the entity that had refused to give Ji Ling even a moment of peace. It undulated its bloated body with leisurely ease, yet its amber eyes remained fixed on the two girls. It was waiting for Ji Ling’s strength to fail completely so the insect swarm could surge forward and devour them both.

Suddenly, thousands of silk threads manifested around the girls. Wherever they touched, the insects were instantly frozen into blocks of ice, and even the air began to sparkle with frost crystals. Sensing danger, the aquatic beast churned the lake water to dive, but the silk threads cut off its escape. It let out a piercing shriek, struggling with its massive weight, but more threads quickly wrapped and tightened around it. They formed a thick cocoon of ice that trapped the giant insect inside, leaving it with no hope of liberation.

As the sharp cries of the insects made Ji Ling’s head throb, a pair of hands gently covered her ears and pulled her into an embrace that carried a faint scent of osmanthus. Her eyes reddened instantly. she turned and hugged the newcomer, finally finding a place to pour out the grievances of the past two days.

“Senior Sister…”

Lin Xi stroked her hair with a tender gaze. “Mhm. I am here.”

The silk threads dissolved into a shower of spiritual light that scattered with the wind. The demonic insects at their feet remained frozen like ice sculptures, reflecting the warm orange glow of the setting sun’s final rays.

Shen Xun’an stood by awkwardly. This was a situation where a third person felt entirely out of place. Suddenly, she looked up to see a demonic beast that looked like a large white bun running toward them with huffing breaths. Her gaze sharpened with wariness as she studied the panting creature, calculating her chances of a successful escape.

The beast stared blankly at the two women embracing before launching into a high-pitched, emotional tirade. Shen Xun’an couldn’t understand the words, but she knew they weren’t pleasant. She tried to take a few quiet steps back, but the “white bun” familiarly attempted to jump onto her head, giving her a fright. With its stature, how was jumping on her any different from being hit by a boulder? She was still young and had no desire for an early grave.

Because of that small retreat, Congxin completely lost its composure and stared at her in disbelief. The little demon, which had been dry-heaving without a single tear moments ago, suddenly began to shed massive droplets. It wailed and grabbed onto her leg, crying as if its world were ending and refusing to let go.

The howling was so intense that even Ji Ling, tucked into Lin Xi’s arms with red eyes, looked up to see what kind of divine being could produce such a bizarre sound.

Congxin was in the middle of its crying fit when it realized several gazes were fixed upon it. It blinked and looked up, meeting the equally red eyes of Ji Ling. It let out a joyful cry and dropped Shen Xun’an’s hem to pounce on Ji Ling, only to be flicked away by a silk thread and sent tumbling to the ground. Shen Xun’an, finally free of her attachment, retreated immediately.

This was the final straw for Congxin. It lay on the ground throwing a tantrum, but the ice beneath it melted from the heat of its thick fur, causing the wet hair to stick to its body so it couldn’t pull itself free.

“Senior Sister, is this your pet?” Ji Ling asked with a touch of hesitation.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to keep a rabbit?” Lin Xi replied. She pointed at Congxin. “Long ears, white fur, four legs.”

“So you think it is a… rabbit?”

Lin Xi smiled. “Albeit a somewhat stupid one.”

Ji Ling watched the little demon as it piteously rubbed against Shen Xun’an and nodded. “Fair enough.”

Shen Xun’an truly didn’t know what to do with it, so she reached out to help pluck the frozen insect shards from its fur.

“And who might this be?” Lin Xi asked, her gaze falling on Shen Xun’an.

Shen Xun’an seemed to feel an immense pressure. She stood up stiffly and bowed. “Greetings, Master. I am Shen Xun’an, an outer sect disciple of the Wanning Sect. I wandered into this hidden realm with Junior Sister Ji by mistake. It was only thanks to her that I survived.”

“It was actually thanks to Senior Sister Shen,” Ji Ling corrected. “If she hadn’t helped me when the Qingya Wolf tried to bite me, you wouldn’t be seeing me at all. I used a teleportation charm afterward, but I didn’t expect to be sent to this awful place and chased by water slugs all night. I am exhausted.”

Lin Xi nodded to Shen Xun’an. “I am grateful for your help.”

Shen Xun’an’s heart tightened, and she offered a shy smile without speaking.

Ji Ling proceeded to recount her experiences of the past two days in a single breath. Lin Xi listened quietly at first, but her eyes turned cold when she heard that the group had abandoned her sister to flee. She had known Ji Ling was left behind, but she hadn’t realized her sister had fallen into danger specifically to save another disciple. She thought that perhaps she should have simply strangled that lead elder to death earlier.

Before Ji Ling could get too emotional, Congxin couldn’t hold back anymore. It hugged Ji Ling’s leg with eyes full of heartache, wailing as if it were at a funeral. The mournful atmosphere was instantly ruined by the interruption. Ji Ling tried to shake her leg, but the creature wouldn’t budge.

“This rabbit is quite… forward,” she noted.

Congxin was offended by the description and tugged on her skirt while squeaking a long, impassioned explanation. Ji Ling looked lost. “Huh?”

Lin Xi chuckled and picked Congxin up by the scruff of its neck. “Have you seen her before?”

Congxin nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Ji Ling shook her head. The human and the demon stared at each other.

“Have I seen it?” Ji Ling asked blankly.

Lin Xi maintained her gentle smile and let go of the creature without hesitation. Congxin rolled across the ground like a ball and began to scold her.

“I don’t know it, and I’ve never seen it. Let us go,” Lin Xi said.

They did not leave immediately. The hidden realm was quite large, and since they were already there, it was a stroke of fortune. It would have been a waste not to explore and compensate themselves for the hardships they had endured. Ji Ling laid out her spoils from the past few days to show Lin Xi.

“I found this feather on the road. Is it pretty?”

Lin Xi nodded. “It is.” It was just a feather from a common bird, essentially useless, but it was pretty. They would find a place to display it back home.

“And this one—a stone with a feather pattern.”

Lin Xi leaned in to look. “It looks very similar to the feather from just now. We can display them together.” She then pulled a blue crystal from her own storage bag. Inside it was a crescent moon. It was a stone that most cultivators would find useless, but Ji Ling’s eyes lit up. “I found this on the road earlier.”

Ji Ling had always loved collecting strange, useless things, especially stones. From the priceless Cloud Mist stones to pebbles by the path, if Ji Ling liked it, it would find a corner for itself on Fengming Mountain.

Lin Xi held her tea cup and watched with a smile as Ji Ling touched the blue crystal and even pressed her face against it with a look of pure delight. The afterglow of the sunset painted Ji Ling’s face, making her look exceptionally soft.

Shen Xun’an stirred her milk tea, feeling more and more like she shouldn’t be there. The atmosphere between the two women was not meant for a third person or beast. She glanced over to see Congxin gulping down a large mouthful of milk tea before holding its cup out to her. After a moment of hesitation, Shen Xun’an toasted the creature. It was a remarkably ceremonial little demon. Congxin gave her a brief look of disdain before pulling at Lin Xi’s sleeve and holding its cup out to her as well. Lin Xi refilled it with an expressionless face.

They spent the next half month exploring every corner of the hidden realm. Lin Xi already possessed most of the items found there and didn’t think much of them. Ji Ling only cared for things that looked unique. This left Shen Xun’an feeling quite embarrassed to be taking so much for herself.

Lin Xi took Ji Ling’s hand and toyed with her fingers, her gaze lowered. “Since you saved my sister, you may have whatever you wish. There is no need for such restraint.”

As Shen Xun’an opened her mouth to decline, Lin Xi cast a casual glance her way. The look held no specific emotion, yet it made Shen Xun’an feel as though the gentle woman saw through every thought in her mind. She lowered her head, a faint, unnoticeable smile touching her lips. She had thought a lot when she chose to save Ji Ling. It was a gamble of “success or death.” She was lucky; this time, she had bet correctly.

Before Lin Xi arrived, Ji Ling had been timid and cautious. Now, she was like a wild horse off its tether. She fought every beast she encountered; if she couldn’t win, she ran, and if she couldn’t run, she called for her “parent.” Lin Xi simply watched her go wild with a smile, never stopping her.

Congxin insisted on perching on Shen Xun’an’s shoulder, which made the girl too stiff to move. The little thing looked weak, but it belonged to Lin Xi, so she didn’t dare push it off. Eventually, she simply grew used to it.

Ji Ling took a bite of a warm custard lava bun. “Ah, this is the life. A few days ago I was being chased by insects, and now everything is so peaceful.”

The wooden table was covered in snacks. She reclined in a grand armchair, sipping tea and watching the sunset as the mountain breeze rustled the leaves. It was an incredibly comfortable existence.

“Shall we head out?” Lin Xi asked as she rubbed Congxin’s belly.

Shen Xun’an looked to Ji Ling, waiting for her decision. Ji Ling thought for a moment. “Yes. It is time to settle the score.”

Lin Xi scratched Congxin’s chin. Her tone was calm and her smile was in place, but her eyes were dark. “Do not worry. Not one of them will escape.”

“How do we get out?” Shen Xun’an asked softly, raising a crucial point.

Lin Xi looked toward the horizon. This realm was somewhat tricky; one had to break the formation to exit. Ji Ling’s eyelid twitched, and she pressed down on Lin Xi’s restless hand. “Senior Sister, I don’t think we’re in a hurry. Why don’t we try the conventional way?”

She didn’t understand formations, but she understood her senior sister. Lin Xi might look like a composed strategist, but if she could use her hands, she had no desire to use her brain. Ji Ling understood that with Lin Xi’s strength, there were few things worth thinking over. Usually, she just threw Qinshuang out and resolved every obstacle. However, hidden realms weren’t meant to be “one-time use” locations; it was better to leave them for the future.

Lin Xi withdrew her hand with a hint of regret and led them out of the realm the honest way. Ji Ling had expected it to take two days to solve the formation, but they were out in less than an hour. She looked at Lin Xi. “Senior Sister, how many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about?”

She knew Lin Xi was strong, but she hadn’t realized she was skilled in formations as well. Lin Xi offered a faint smile, carrying the effortless air of a hidden master. “I know a little.”

As for how much “a little” truly was, that was another question entirely.

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