Chapter 26: Memory: Sister, It Hurts Part 2

This wasn’t what she had expected, but her adaptability was strong. She considered whether to just go to sleep and postpone matters until tomorrow. Before she could decide, wisps of red mist suddenly appeared in the living room.

Before the red mist could take form, Ye Xi caught its familiar fragrance.

Shen Mingjin had also learned not to wait for her to open the door.

Ye Xi was just about to greet her when the wisps of red mist suddenly burrowed into her forehead. A faint pain accompanied a segment of memory that appeared in her mind—it was Shen Mingjin’s memory.

The Embracing Snow Clan was not as stable as the Moon Perch Clan. A group full of powerful, ferocious beasts meant endless strife; powerful demons would appear one after another, and none were easy to get along with. They were all ambitious schemers.

While the First Generation Leader was still alive, her high prestige kept competition within the clan relatively benign.

Everyone vied only for positions as close ministers.

Shen Mingjin’s Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan had provided successive clan leaders as the Leader’s close ministers. They were “successive” because even before the chaos arrived, their clan’s mortality rate was extremely high—not just because most members joined the military, but also due to issues with their bloodline.

Even the mightiest family bloodlines produced weak demons, but the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan had never produced a weakling.

This unique power came with a price. The Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan paid with severe emotional defects; nearly every one of them engaged in self-destructive emotions.

Among the snake clans, who were often driven by their heat periods to constantly change partners, the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan was the most devoted lineage—and also the craziest.

This obsession was not limited to romantic love; it extended equally to familial and platonic bonds.

When their affection peaked, they could sacrifice themselves and their lives for others. But once that love reached its zenith, they would hate to the point of wanting to drag the other into mutual destruction, monopolizing every shred of the other’s emotions—selfish and callous enough to demand they be the only one in the other’s life.

Obsessiveness was an innate trait of every Spirit-Devouring Snake.

They could not tolerate betrayal, nor could they tolerate betraying others.

Even without enemies to kill them, they would eventually kill themselves.

The Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan changed clan leaders frequently.

After the calamity a thousand years ago, once invaded by extradimensional demon poison, their defects worsened dramatically. In just five short years, hundreds of clan members dwindled to only three—a development no demon had anticipated, nor had the fallen First Generation Leader foreseen.

As fellow snake kin, they were the Holy Spirit Snake Clan’s most trusted vassals. This was why, before dying, the First Generation Leader entrusted her young daughter to them.

The Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan was powerful enough to protect the young heir.

Unfortunately, events did not unfold as planned. After a clan leader discovered her mother favored an illegitimate child and brutally hacked both mother and child into minced meat, the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan’s decline spiraled out of control. During that time, Shen Mingjin woke each day to the scent of her clansmen’s blood.

She was only five years old then, too young to understand anything but fear. Fortunately, she had her sister.

Shen Mingjin previously had an extremely good relationship with Shen Minghuan.

In the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan, where possessiveness reached insane levels, Shen Mingjin and Shen Minghuan were miracles. They never quarreled over whether their parents or others loved one more than the other; they always shared whatever resources they had. Even Shen Shuyun had said they were the best sisters the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan had ever produced.

Five years older than Shen Mingjin, Shen Minghuan took great care of her little sister. Shen Mingjin’s first luck cultivation was taught by her; she guided her through her first shedding, and even the first human food Shen Mingjin ate was made by Shen Minghuan herself… So, when Si Ruoling first arrived at their home, Shen Mingjin did not like her much.

Because after gaining an additional “big sister,” the time her real sister spent with her decreased significantly.

However, Si Ruoling was the descendant of the First Generation Leader.

The First Generation Leader, who had unified the clan to provide a safe haven for all and ultimately sacrificed herself, was the greatest hero in Shen Mingjin’s heart. She acknowledged the Holy Spirit Snake Clan’s bloodline, and Si Ruoling was gentle, never minding a child’s desire for her sister’s company—in fact, she joined Shen Minghuan in playing with her.

Gradually, Shen Mingjin came to see them not just as the best two sisters, but the best three sisters.

If only the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan had not declined.

If only the elders had not died so quickly, none of what followed would have happened.

The bloodline’s rapid decay overwhelming the clan was something three children could not halt. They could only strive to protect themselves from rampaging clansmen, avoiding becoming collateral victims slain in passing.

Si Ruoling was one year older than Shen Minghuan, and both were far more mature than Shen Mingjin, who was facing family decline after growing up pampered as a beloved child. So, Shen Minghuan and Si Ruoling took turns keeping watch at night. For years, they never slept soundly, while the young and sleepy Shen Mingjin, who didn’t need to stand guard, lived relatively well under their protection—until her parents’ deaths were thrust before her eyes.

Shen Mingjin’s parents’ death was the last internal strife of the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan.

Her father was an exceedingly weak man. Terrified by the successive deaths in the clan, he believed the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan was cursed and began harboring thoughts of abandoning the group.

After witnessing countless bloody scenes of spouses hacking each other apart, the beautiful and glamorous mother became a hideous and ugly “poison woman” in his eyes.

His escape naturally could not include her, but he felt a lone snake venturing into the human world would be too lonely, so he set his sights on Shen Mingjin.

Ever since the clansmen began falling one by one, her parents had ceased caring for them.

Shen Mingjin had always been cared for by two sisters—a foster sister who was gentle and patient, and a blood sister with extremely strong demon power. Under their meticulous care, Shen Mingjin had weathered the clan chaos while remaining relatively innocent and guileless—which made her father think he could take her away.

Their power was far inferior to adult demons. While her blood sister was out, the father injured both her and her foster sister before carrying her off.

Her mother’s demon power was even stronger, and she quickly caught up to them.

Sensing her husband’s loathing, the mother viewed her daughters as enemies too. She used her demon power to pry open Shen Mingjin’s eyes, forcing her to watch as she severed her father’s head. The blood-drenched head rolled to her feet, her father’s blood splattering across Shen Mingjin’s skin.

Blood flowed along the floor toward her feet.

Her bare feet felt the scalding heat of her father’s blood. Shen Mingjin felt as if her soles were about to be burned through, unable to say a word.

The mother felt this was not enough. She dug out the father’s heart and smashed it onto Shen Mingjin’s face, letting blood and tears mix on the girl’s face. Cruelly, she pressed the blade to Shen Mingjin’s neck: “Jin-er, your father loved you most in life. Now that he’s dead, why don’t you die with him?”

Her mother did not just want to kill the father—she wanted to kill her as well.

Of course, the mother did not succeed, because her sister struck first and killed the mother, saving her.

Among high-level demons, many developed auxiliary abilities. Shen Minghuan was a powerful great demon by nature; her auxiliary ability was Stealth. Though brief in duration, it was enough to assassinate a demon who was single-mindedly focused on killing her own daughter, heedless of her surroundings.

Ten-year-old Shen Mingjin watched her mother kill her father, then watched her sister kill her mother. The trauma scarred her young heart deeply.

Of course, this was not a reason for her to reject Shen Minghuan—after all, her sister had saved her.

The rift between Shen Mingjin and Shen Minghuan began when she awakened her Consoling Ability at age twelve.

War and chaos brought great trauma to every clan, including the human clan’s Daoist sects. While the Daoist sects were occupied consolidating their remaining inheritances and unable to intervene in each clan’s internal affairs, severe chaos erupted in all clans except the Moon Perch Clan. Their Embracing Snow Clan was one of the clans with the most serious internal strife.

This was because the Embracing Snow Clan had too many powerful demons.

After the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan’s swift decline, no one could suppress those demons. Not only did great demons devour lesser ones, but the clan even devolved into chaos with three self-appointed leaders.

If Shen Shuyun had not risen to a high position in the General Bureau by then and extracted them from the Embracing Snow Clan after all adult Spirit-Devouring Snakes perished, Si Ruoling—the princess left by the First Generation Leader—would likely have been assassinated or turned into a puppet.

Among them, the strongest, Shen Shuyun, lacked the Consoling Ability. Even if she returned to the Embracing Snow Clan, she could not claim leadership.

Si Ruoling had power and the Consoling Ability.

But her offensive power was not extreme enough, nor was her Consoling Ability. Though she had supporters, she lacked the charisma to win over rivals. She simply could not compete with those veteran demons vying for the throne.

Shen Shuyun’s method was to first lie low, wait for Si Ruoling to become powerful, then take back the position. Yet they all knew letting the chaos fester would doom the Embracing Snow Clan.

Moreover, while demon power could be cultivated, innate talent and foundations could not.

Si Ruoling’s talent was decent; in peacetime, she might have made a fine leader. But in turmoil, leadership was forged through battle—requiring overwhelming offensive and consoling power to dominate foes. No amount of time would suffice for Si Ruoling. Even if supporters bolstered her attacks, her Consoling Ability fell short.

Both Shen Minghuan and Shen Shuyun excelled in offensive power.

Shen Mingjin’s awakening of an extremely potent Consoling Ability shattered their impasse.

Because the Consoling Ability generally concentrated in the arms, and hers awakened in her right arm. Since Si Ruoling lacked such extreme power, to take enough from her to contend with competitors, they would need to dig out Shen Mingjin’s bone and transfer it to her.

But merging bloodlines between clans was risky and prone to mishaps.

In the worst case, they would both lose the right arm and suffer upper-body paralysis. The optimal solution was for Shen Mingjin to become Si Ruoling’s partner.

The Demon Clan also had precedents of a leader possessing extreme combat ability while their spouse possessed extreme Consoling Ability.

Such examples abounded; it was the perfect resolution to their dilemma.

Si Ruoling, intent on quelling the clan’s chaos without letting Shen Mingjin suffer unduly, naturally agreed.

Twelve-year-old Shen Mingjin still didn’t understand what love was. She only knew her aunt asked if she was willing to forever help Big Sister Ruoling secure her high position. Viewing Si Ruoling’s mother as a hero, and being carefully protected by her sisters, Shen Mingjin readily consented.

An immature little girl, she simply didn’t know what a “partner” was.

She only knew her aunt let them always live together, and Shen Mingjin originally wanted to always stay with her two sisters.

At that moment, Shen Mingjin had no inkling of the impending catastrophe. She only knew that late one night, Shen Minghuan gave her a piece of candy. After eating it, she fell asleep. When she awoke, she was bound tightly and placed at her mother’s gravesite. Beside her was Shen Minghuan, looking at her with bloodshot eyes.

She had never seen such an expression on Shen Minghuan’s face—eerie, obsessive, and brimming with madness. Her sister’s eyes… suddenly resembled their mother’s.

This terrified Shen Mingjin. She begged Shen Minghuan to untie her, but her sister refused.

Shen Minghuan knelt beside her and raised a dagger toward her.

The sharp blade sliced into her arm. The excruciating pain made Shen Mingjin cry out: “Sister, it hurts…”