What Should I Do If My Junior Sister Is the Future Demon Emperor? - Chapter 7

Lin Xi considered herself to be quite magnanimous. She glanced at Ji Ling, and seeing that her sister had no objections, she offered a polite nod to the Sect Master before leading her party away.

As the others dispersed to receive their respective punishments, Xing Yun suddenly remembered the mountain of dossiers piling up on her desk and hurriedly chased after Lin Xi. Seeing that the excitement had concluded, Qiu Yuebai simply dusted off her sleeves and departed as well. When the Discipline Hall disciples moved to escort Xu Wenchang away, the Sect Master raised a hand, signaling for them to leave. The disciples exchanged looks, but since their own Hall Master was absent, they followed the order and withdrew.

Eventually, only the Sect Master and Xu Wenchang remained in the silent hall.

Finding the Sect Master unresponsive, Xu Wenchang crawled on his knees toward him, clutching the hem of his robes while weeping bitterly. “Cousin, cousin! You must save me! I did all of this for your own good.”

Seeing the Sect Master look his way, Xu Wenchang assumed there was still hope and poured his heart out. “The elders of this sect all act according to Lin Xi’s whims. They don’t care about you as the leader at all. Lin Xi treasures that junior sister of hers above all else. If… if Ji Ling were to die, it would surely shatter Lin Xi’s spirit. You could have used that opportunity to reclaim the power that rightfully belongs to you!”

He grew more animated as he spoke, failing to notice the Sect Master’s face darkening with every word.

“Even if Lin Xi is honored as an Immortal Master, she is merely borrowing the glory of those two on Fengming Mountain. At her core, she is just a Nascent Soul cultivator. Even with the protection of the one on the mountain, she cannot surpass you. Why must you hand out such a severe punishment? Why flatter her so? If this continues, how can the sect ever respect you as its leader? One day, when Lin Xi usurps your authority, no one will stand by your side!”

The Sect Master stared at him without blinking. Just as Xu Wenchang thought he had successfully moved the other man, the Sect Master swung his arm in a wide arc and sent him sprawling to the floor with a powerful blow that knocked out two of his teeth.

“Do you truly believe Lin Xi cares about the Wanning Sect?”

When the great war first settled into peace, the cultivation world had attempted to form an Immortal Alliance to appease Lin Xi’s fury, even offering her the position of Immortal Lord. She had responded by slicing the agreement in half with her sword. She was relentless in her pursuit of vengeance, hunting down every single person she intended to kill. Had it not been for an old friend of Cinian emerging from seclusion to talk her down, every sect would be burning twice as much ritual paper for their dead every year.

“You shall live in the back mountains from now on,” the Sect Master said, his voice suddenly calm and cold.

Xu Wenchang pleaded incessantly. The back mountains were devoid of spiritual energy, perpetually covered in snow, and filled with a bone-chilling cold that he, in his current state, could never hope to endure. The Sect Master said nothing more and summoned disciples to drag the man away.

******

Outside the gates, Lin Xi turned to Shen Xun’an and handed her a jade pendant. “I am grateful for the care you showed my sister these past few days. Please, accept this as a token of my thanks.”

Shen Xun’an reflexively took two steps back. “I have already received so many things from the Immortal Master. I cannot be so greedy as to take more.”

Standing behind them, Qiu Yuebai felt her breath hitch. Had there not been so many people watching, she might have reached out to take it herself. This was no ordinary jade; it was “Lingxiang,” a high-grade defensive artifact personally forged by Immortal Master Shangsu. One could see the faint golden patterns flowing across its surface, marking it as a rare treasure that money simply could not buy. Though Qiu Yuebai did not lack for artifacts, she felt a twinge of envy that an outer sect disciple was receiving something so priceless.

As an elder, however, she could only offer a dignified nod of approval. “A gift from a senior should not be refused. Accept it.”

She understood Lin Xi’s intent. By taking the gift, the debt was settled, and it served as a subtle warning not to use the “life-saving favor” to make future demands. Shen Xun’an lowered her head and finally accepted the pendant. “My deepest thanks to Immortal Master Mingchen.”

Lin Xi took Ji Ling’s hand and looked at the lingering Qiu Yuebai. “Do you have nothing better to do?”

Qiu Yuebai nodded. As long as Lin Xi wasn’t causing a major scene, the disciples could handle most matters, allowing her to enjoy a bit of leisure. However, Xing Yun, who was just about to head back to the Discipline Hall, turned around and grabbed her. “If you are so free, come and help me process these dossiers.”

Qiu Yuebai shook her head vigorously. “No! I just remembered I have things to do… let go of me!”

Lin Xi gave Shen Xun’an a nod of farewell. Congxin, which had been pretending it didn’t exist, let out a remarkably human sigh. It rubbed against Shen Xun’an’s chin before hopping out of her arms. Unfortunately, Shen Xun’an was too busy saying her goodbyes to pay it much attention, which caused the creature to flick its tail in annoyance.

Lin Xi cast a warning glance at the little beast as it tried to jump onto Ji Ling’s shoulder. Ji Ling picked it up instead. “You are far too heavy.” Congxin struggled until it was set down, then turned its head away in a huff. But as the two women began to walk away, it realized it had no choice but to hurry after them.

*****

“They don’t seem to know your true identity, Senior Sister?” Ji Ling asked with a hint of confusion once they were alone.

“I rarely interact with the Wanning disciples. It is only natural they wouldn’t recognize me.”

Ji Ling shook her head. The reputation of “Immortal Master Mingchen” was quite different from the “Lin Xi” they saw. Mingchen was a topic of constant discussion—a taboo subject that disciples wanted to talk about but didn’t dare mention aloud.

“Why not tell people that you are the famous Mingchen?”

“Is your senior sister so embarrassing that she must stay hidden?” Lin Xi teased.

Ji Ling shook her head. Mingchen’s status was so high that if people knew Lin Xi’s identity, her interactions with others would lose their purity. Even if she didn’t mention it, she would constantly wonder if people were approaching her only because of her sister. Such sycophantic behavior would be exhausting. If one couldn’t make friends based on their own merit, what was the point? Besides, she didn’t need to cultivate connections for resources; Lin Xi was her greatest pillar of support.

Lin Xi let out a helpless sigh. “As you wish. However, if you are ever mistreated again, you must not keep it from me.” She felt she had been inconsiderate in allowing Ji Ling to be ostracized during the trial. If there were a next time, she would personally ensure the others understood the consequences. Though, if she had her way, she would simply go along with her.

“Then again, why is Senior Sister so low-key…” Ji Ling corrected herself. “Well, perhaps ‘low-key’ isn’t the right word, considering you just smashed the Sword Resonance Sect’s gate. The spirit network is still buzzing with the news. I even heard about it while I was out on the trial.”

“Whether those people respect me or fear me, I will not change because of their opinions,” Lin Xi said. “The high-level leaders of the sects know who I am, so they won’t cause trouble. As for the others…” she thought for a moment. “They pose no threat to me, so whether they know my name or not is of no consequence.”

Ji Ling nodded. “I see. The weak are not worthy of knowing your name.”

Lin Xi glanced at her. While the sentiment was accurate, the delivery was perhaps a bit too blunt. She considered herself to be a very subtle person, after all.

“But after this incident, you are likely going to be quite famous at the Wanning Sect. I doubt we can return to our quiet life,” Ji Ling noted, pulling on Lin Xi’s sleeve. Despite her words, she didn’t seem worried at all.

“If you truly don’t want them to know, I can speak to Xing Yun. I am aware of my… reputation… in the cultivation world.” It wasn’t exactly a glowing one. Since most of the people in the hall today were from the Discipline Hall, they already knew who she was. Warning them not to spread rumors would be a simple task.

Ji Ling shook her head. “Let them be. If people distance themselves from me because of who you are, then they weren’t worth befriending anyway. I suspect I might actually have more people around me now that they know.” She took a quick step forward and turned to face Lin Xi with a smile as bright as a blooming magnolia. “After all, my senior sister is the most impressive person in the world!”

Lin Xi was charmed by the compliment, and her lingering gloom finally vanished. Ji Ling was right; no matter how much the world whispered about her cruelty, there would always be those who sought to get close to her sister for the sake of resources. Lin Xi didn’t mind this. If a few benefits could make people treat Ji Ling with genuine care, she was happy to allow it. In her eyes, relationships built on mutual interest were the most stable and easiest to control.

With the exception, of course, of her junior sister.

******

On Fengming Mountain, Cen Shangsu was still sitting beneath the osmanthus tree, sipping her tea.

“Master! I’m back!”

Ji Ling ran to her side. Seeing the blank look on Cen Shangsu’s face, she turned to Lin Xi with a pout. “Master has forgotten me again.”

Cen Shangsu pulled out her notebook. On the first page was a drawing of a feather and the name “Ji Ling” written in large letters. Beneath it, a line of small script read: Second disciple. Enjoys collecting strange stones.

Understanding returned to Cen Shangsu’s eyes, and she offered a tender smile. “Welcome back, Little Feather.”

“Master, my name is A-Ling. Please stop calling me ‘Little Feather’.”

Cen Shangsu only smiled in response. Ji Ling added fresh tea to her cup and poured two more for herself and Lin Xi. “Master’s memory loss is getting worse. I’ve only been gone for less than a month, and she has already forgotten me.” She took a sip of the tea and frowned. “Why is this tea so bitter?”

“It is getting quite serious,” Lin Xi agreed as she took the cup.

Cen Shangsu looked dazed but nodded anyway. “It does seem a bit serious.”

“There is no need to worry,” Lin Xi said as she poured a tiny amount of tea for Congxin, who had been insisting on a taste. The creature took a single lick and immediately began to tear up from the bitterness. It pushed the cup away and hopped into Cen Shangsu’s lap, burying its head like an ostrich. Cen Shangsu sighed and stroked its fur.

Ji Ling rested her head on the stone table. “I only fear that one day, it will become so bad that you will forget Senior Sister too.”

Cen Shangsu suffered from a form of amnesia that caused her to lose segments of her memory periodically. Because no outsiders ever visited Fengming Mountain, they hadn’t noticed it at first. It wasn’t until the fifth year of Ji Ling’s apprenticeship that she had approached her master to act spoiled, only to be gently pushed away and asked who she was. A terrified Ji Ling had called for Lin Xi, whom Cen Shangsu still remembered perfectly.

Lin Xi had tested her with other names. Some Ji Ling recognized, and some she didn’t, but Cen Shangsu remembered them all. However, when the name of “Immortal Master Cinian” was mentioned, her master’s expression became utterly blank. Ji Ling still remembered Lin Xi smiling that day and saying it was better that she didn’t remember, even though her eyes held a loneliness and sorrow Ji Ling had never seen before.

Lin Xi hadn’t called for a healer, claiming that no physician could cure this. Since then, Cen Shangsu had carried the notebook with Ji Ling’s name in it. Now, the notebook held three names, plus the little demon Congxin. Cinian’s entry was only a name; since she couldn’t remember his face, she could only write the characters on the page.

As for Lin Xi’s entry, it was a drawing of a sword. Ji Ling had been confused by this at the time, as she had never seen Lin Xi use a sword. Lin Xi had simply said that her sword was broken and had yet to be repaired.

Cen Shangsu’s memory loss used to occur every ten years, but now it happened every two or three. It was clearly accelerating. Hearing Ji Ling’s words, Lin Xi paused for a moment before taking a sip of tea. Her tone was light. “If that day truly comes, it simply means our destiny as master and disciple has come to an end.”

Cen Shangsu looked up, her voice sincere. “I will try my best not to forget you.”

Support What Should I Do If My Junior Sister Is the Future Demon Emperor?