Chapter 61: “You Should Call Me Eldest Senior Sister.”

Ever since Yuan Yi was injured by Nangong Yin in the Immortal’s Cave Abode last time, his wounds had shown no sign of improvement.

Bu Donghou had dismissed him from his post and sent him to the Back Mountain Forbidden Ground to reflect on his mistakes.

By sheer coincidence, the cave used for this reflection was the very same one where Yan Yuanqing had been imprisoned back then.

The cave was completely empty, nothing but four bare walls, dark and damp.

In the deepest corner, a rough stone platform had been hewn from the rock, and upon it lay a simple woven straw mat.

As Yuan Yi sat in meditation upon this mat, he couldn’t help but think: three hundred years ago, when Yuanqing was confined here while pregnant, subjected to interrogation and torment, her situation had been a hundred times more miserable than his own.

At times he was overcome with sorrow, guilt-ridden for failing in his duty as an older brother to dissuade her, leading to the great catastrophe Yuanqing had caused.

At other times he flew into rages, condemning the man he was three hundred years ago—unable to prevent the tragedy, forced to watch his sister die before his eyes, swallowing his pride, weak and incompetent.

Because of the Gag Order placed on him by Bu Donghou, a Seal was branded onto his tongue. He couldn’t speak a word of the secret from three hundred years ago to anyone.

Maintaining a cold, distant facade and severing their relationship was the only way he could think of to ensure Yan Zhao’s safety.

He wondered where Yan Zhao had gone now.

Thinking back to his recent experience in the Immortal’s Cave Abode, Yuan Yi gave a bitter smile and let out a long sigh. “Yuanqing, ah, Yuanqing. Even after death, you were still planning for Ah Zhao’s future. Three hundred years. As her uncle, I’ve been utterly useless. Can you ever forgive me?”

His sigh echoed through the cave, startling birds outside into flight.

“A dignified Immortal Venerable, what could cause such deep sighs and lament?”

An unfamiliar tone drifted in from outside the cave. Yuan Yi thought to himself, stuck in this godforsaken place, could someone actually be visiting him?

But reality quickly slapped him in the face.

The visitor wore a badge of an Immortal Alliance Deputy Envoy at his waist. He wasn’t here to visit; he was clearly here to cause trouble.

Yuan Yi remained seated on the straw mat. When Xie Xinrong stepped into the cave, Yuan Yi even leaned sideways, propping himself against the stone platform.

Before Xie Xinrong could speak, Yuan Yi said, “I was injured while battling a Fiend. My wounds are severe and I am unable to rise to greet you. I hope the Deputy Envoy will forgive me.”

Xie Xinrong was not angered. “Immortal Venerable Yuan Yi’s health is of utmost importance; proper rest is only natural. This envoy came today simply to ask the Immortal Venerable a trivial question. I will leave as soon as I’m done.”

Cornered, Yuan Yi met the man’s gaze. “What matter does the Deputy Envoy wish to discuss?”

Xie Xinrong then repeated the purpose of his visit. When he asked about the treasure stolen by Yan Yuanqing, somehow, Yuan Yi immediately thought of Yan Zhao.

The treasure left behind by Yan Yuanqing—aside from that Immortal Abode—had to be Yan Zhao.

And also, the Divine Origin sealed within Yan Zhao.

Yuan Yi remained silent.

Seeing his reaction, Xie Xinrong immediately sensed something unusual and pressed further. “Does the Immortal Venerable have any leads?”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi let out a cold laugh and raised a hand, gesturing to his current living quarters. “I’ve been slow-witted since childhood. Whether it was talent or ability, I was always beneath Yuanqing. With her around, as her older brother, I was constantly suppressed.”

“Yan Yuanqing has been dead for three hundred years, and I’m still being blamed by the Sect Master for failing to protect her abode. Deputy Envoy, though Yuanqing and I were siblings, we treated each other like enemies. How could she possibly have confided her secrets to me?”

Xie Xinrong fell silent, squinting as he scrutinized Yuan Yi, trying to gauge the truth of his words.

But before he could raise a question, Yuan Yi continued:

“However, I do know of one person. Three hundred years ago, when Yan Yuanqing was punished for violating sect rules, the person responsible for interrogating her was Daoling, the Peak Lord of Xuanjing Peak in Fuyun Sect. The Deputy Envoy could perhaps seek him out and see if any clues can be gleaned from his mouth.”

Xie Xinrong’s eyes flickered, and he offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Where is this person now?”

Yuan Yi lowered his head. Loose strands of hair fell forward, concealing the cold sharpness in his eyes. “Before I was imprisoned, I heard he was heading to the Medicine God Sect to seek medicine for the Sect Master’s Direct Disciple.”

Having obtained a lead, Xie Xinrong took his leave from Bu Donghou that very day and set off for the Taiyan Immortal Domain.

As the mountain gate of Fuyun Sect receded into the distance, the smile vanished from Xie Xinrong’s face, and a cold light poured from his eyes. “Fuyun Sect… very well. Do you take This Seat for a rattan ball? Kicked back and forth between you at will?”

Once he uncovered the truth, none of those involved would escape.

·

The forest outside the small tower fell silent.

Yao Shenzi sped at full speed towards the Sect Main Hall.

Shortly after he left, a mountain breeze swept through the woods. A figure appeared in an instant.

It was none other than Immortal Venerable Daoling, who had bid farewell to Yao Shenzi earlier, claiming he would go on ahead.

Immortal Venerable Daoling had turned back, his gaze filled with profound meaning as he stared at the mountain tower like a venomous snake.

His figure flickered. In the next moment, he appeared right outside the courtyard gate.

But before his foot could step into the yard, a person suddenly materialized on the roof.

The newcomer donned a black robe, a solitary arm their only limb. They stood silently atop the pavilion’s roof, looking coldly down at Daoling.

Immortal Venerable Daoling’s pupils constricted as he saw Nangong Yin raise that lone arm.

Her fingers plucked at the empty air, and it was as if the sound of a zither echoed from the void.

Without the slightest hesitation, Daoling shot backward and retreated. As he landed, he pivoted on one foot and dashed into the woods, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

If he clashed with Nangong Yin here, it would surely draw Yao Shenzi’s attention. Before securing the Yang Marrow Pill, he couldn’t afford to antagonize Yao Shenzi.

Yet, after putting distance between himself and the tower, Daoling suddenly frowned.

Nangong Yin… why was she here?

Like a startled bird, Daoling shot into the forest.

Nangong Yin stood on the rooftop for a while longer, her eyes closed, listening to the wind blowing through the woods, and to the brief contest between the human and the fox inside the house, and Yan Zhao’s faint, mumbled murmurs.

Yan Zhao had agreed to read the book, but she couldn’t recognize all the characters in the Alchemy Book. Skipping four or five words per sentence, guessing and filling in the blanks, she completely failed to grasp the meaning of those words and phrases.

Consequently, after barely flipping two pages, her head began to bob, and she started dozing off.

Watching Yan Zhao pick up the book with initial enthusiasm, then slowly lose steam, and finally become completely drained, the little fox was speechless.

Ren Qingyue was growing anxious, feeling this approach was getting them nowhere.

Yan Zhao had finally overcome the first mental barrier and was willing to read. But without guidance, this learning opportunity would likely be wasted entirely.

Seeing Yan Zhao drifting off, the little fox’s eyes darted around before her gaze landed on the red fox beside her, who was also bored to the point of drowsiness.

Bai Jin’s little head was drooping; she was incredibly sleepy but was trying hard to stay awake, waiting for Fox Immortal Sister to come play with her.

In her drowsy state, she suddenly caught a glimpse of the White Spirit Fox walking towards her from the corner of her eye.

Her spirits lifted instantly, and she wagged her tail from side to side like a dog, happily trotting over to meet Fox Immortal Sister.

Fox Immortal Sister actually didn’t reject her closeness! As she rubbed her head against Fox Immortal Sister’s neck, Bai Jin felt as if she were floating on cloud nine, her Primordial Spirit seemingly leaving her body and soaring into the heavens, witnessing the beautiful scenery of the Nine Heavens.

Thump.

The red fox collapsed to the ground in a daze, her mouth open and a pink tongue lolling out.

The White Spirit Fox grabbed her by the tail and dragged her into a corner. She pulled over the blanket Yan Zhao used for sleeping and threw it over her, then cast a spell to turn the fox tail sticking out from underneath white.

Having done all this, the little fox looked back. Yan Zhao’s back was to her, still dozing, completely oblivious to everything happening around her.

Quietly, the little fox leaped onto the windowsill, nudged the window open a crack, and slipped out.

A moment later, the door creaked open.

Yan Zhao’s head suddenly drooped violently, smacking hard against the low table. She jolted awake.

A shadow fell over her. Someone was standing in front of her.

She looked up. The visitor looked familiar. It was the person she had met before: the Eldest Senior Sister of Tianzhu Peak.

The Eldest Senior Sister wore a sky-blue robe, her bearing elegant and cool, like a lotus blooming atop a snowy mountain peak.

The last time Yan Zhao had seen her was in the Immortal’s Cave Abode.

Yan Zhao muttered inwardly: She promised back then not to drag me back to Fuyun Sect. I wonder if that promise still holds?

She lowered her head and her eyes darted around furtively, searching for her little fox.

It didn’t take long to find her.

That mischievous little fox was currently bundled under a blanket, fast asleep, with a snow-white fox tail poking out.

That naughty thing was even lazier than her. Told her to study, but went off to sleep instead.

Yan Zhao grumbled internally.

Suddenly, a hand reached over and pressed down on the Alchemy Book in front of her.

Yan Zhao was forced to shift her gaze to that hand.

Ren Qingyue’s hand was long and slender, her skin texture delicate and lustrous like white jade. It was clearly beautiful.

But the moment Yan Zhao remembered how this person always used this hand to grab her collar and lift her up like a little chick, it no longer seemed beautiful.

Unaware of Yan Zhao’s thoughts, Ren Qingyue sat down in front of her and flipped open the Alchemy Book on the table.

Yan Zhao was bewildered and looked at her in confusion.

Immediately, she heard Ren Qingyue say: “I will teach you. Repeat after me.”

Yan Zhao pursed her lips, unimpressed.

Ren Qingyue pointed to the text in the Alchemy Book and read it aloud to Yan Zhao, word by word.

After she finished, Yan Zhao didn’t open her mouth to follow.

She looked up at Yan Zhao.

Sure enough, Yan Zhao’s mind had wandered. Things went in one ear and out the other; she paid no heed to her words.

Ren Qingyue didn’t get angry. Her tone was flat, emotionless. “If you refuse, I’ll hide your fox so well you’ll never find her.”

“!”

Yan Zhao was stunned. Her eyes widened as she stared at this Senior Sister, who looked so beautiful yet was so wicked inside.

The corner of Ren Qingyue’s lips curled up slightly. Her cold, aloof demeanor softened just a little. Two parts of roguishness leaked from her eyes without reason, and her nose hummed: “Hm?”

That tone, tinged with a hint of nasal resonance, seemed to carry a hook, its tail curling upwards, brushing past Yan Zhao’s ear like a fox’s tail. It was a bit ticklish.

Pouting, Yan Zhao reluctantly repeated after her: “When Heaven and Earth first parted…”

The first part of the book mainly discussed the origin of Alchemy Dao, followed by an introduction to some common medicinal ingredients.

As Ren Qingyue taught Yan Zhao to read, she also explained the content of the Alchemy Book to her.

At first, Yan Zhao wasn’t very focused, but after repeating a few sentences, she gradually concentrated, showing interest in learning, whether intentionally or not.

Seeing this, Ren Qingyue felt deeply gratified.

Suddenly, her hand paused while turning a page.

Ren Qingyue raised an eyebrow and pointed to a medicinal herb drawn on the page. “Do you recognize this?”

Yan Zhao had rarely encountered a question she could answer and replied enthusiastically: “It’s a medicinal herb!”

Ren Qingyue pointed to the annotation beside it. “Stasis-Clearing Herb.”

Yan Zhao habitually repeated: “Stasis-Clearing Herb.”

Ren Qingyue moved her finger to the smaller text below and explained the herb’s properties. “Applied externally or taken internally, it promotes blood circulation and relaxes the muscles. It is warm in nature. Contraindicated for those with severe external injuries, as it may lead to unstoppable bleeding.”

Yan Zhao finished repeating the words, her eyelashes fluttering.

Ren Qingyue, seeing her expression, knew she hadn’t connected this medicinal property to her past misdeeds at all.

Yan Zhao was still waiting for Ren Qingyue to turn the page, wanting to finish the recitation quickly so she could go hug her little fox.

Unexpectedly, Ren Qingyue suddenly produced a full set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. She ground the ink and stuffed the writing brush into Yan Zhao’s hand.

Yan Zhao: “?”

“Copy the properties of the Stasis-Clearing Herb one hundred times,” Ren Qingyue said mercilessly.

Yan Zhao: “…”

At that moment, Ren Qingyue seemed to remember something. Her hand continued to grind the ink, but her eyes lifted to meet Yan Zhao’s. “Do you know who I am?”

Yan Zhao met her gaze, thought for a moment, but couldn’t come up with a name.

However, displaying a rare moment of quick wit, she answered: “Senior Sister.”

“Which Senior Sister?”

A smile appeared on Ren Qingyue’s cold, elegant face, but her words pressed relentlessly.

“…”

Yan Zhao’s cheeks puffed out.

Before Yan Zhao could figure out how to answer, Ren Qingyue stood up and circled around behind her.

Yan Zhao turned her head, not understanding what she intended to do.

Ren Qingyue stopped behind her, then leaned over her arm and grasped the hand holding the brush.

The posture made it seem as if she were embracing Yan Zhao from behind.

It felt like someone was breathing on the back of her neck. The intimacy was too much. Yan Zhao felt uncomfortable but dared not move.

A strange and novel feeling arose in her heart.

The last time she’d felt this emotion was when her mother held her.

One moment, Yan Zhao’s thoughts were wandering; the next, she was pulled back to reality by the sensation of her hand being held firmly.

Ren Qingyue gently held her hand, guiding the tip of her brush down.

The ink bloomed onto the paper, gliding gracefully.

Leaving behind three characters in a fluid script.

“My name is Ren Qingyue.”

Senior Sister read these three words aloud, ensuring Yan Zhao could learn them.

Then she said, “You should call me Eldest Senior Sister.”