The morning sunlight slowly streamed into the room. Yet Meng Li, lying in bed, sat up slowly with dark circles under her eyes, looking as if her entire body had been hollowed out.
After everything that happened yesterday, Meng Li had absolutely no idea what to do next. She had thought this was just an ordinary crossing-over, and that she could rely on her knowledge from the game to dominate everyone. But the moment she arrived, she ran straight into a Shizun who had returned from rebirth.
“Heh… hehe. Just end me. My Shizun is a reborn avenger right from the start. Did I transmigrate here just to be tortured?”
Although her mouth said that, Meng Li still obediently packed her bags. She touched the bandages on her neck. Only a tiny bit of blood had been drawn, but that three-foot blade of cold light still made her legs go weak.
“I could just run away…”
Meng Li looked at the bundle in her hands and couldn’t help spacing out. But then she reconsidered—where could she even run to? In this unfamiliar world, the strong defined the rules. Just as the game’s rules dictated, she could only survive by clinging to a powerful protector.
“As long as I survive. Right, just survive.”
After packing her things, Meng Li arrived at the foot of Jade Candle Peak. Looking at that mountain peak wreathed in Spiritual Energy, she felt it was even more oppressive than she had imagined.
This was one of the three major Spirit Peaks of the Yin Yang Immortal Sect. One housed the Main Sect Hall, one belonged to the Sect Master’s lineage, and Jade Candle Peak was occupied solely by Ling Qingyue and her two disciples. That she could possess an entire Spirit Peak with so few people spoke to the sheer weight of her title—the Immortal Lord of Myriad Worlds who could break ten thousand arts with a single sword.
“So I’ve become an Immortal Lord’s direct disciple… I guess this counts as finding a powerful backer, right?”
“I was just thinking how to come find you, Junior Sister. I didn’t expect you’d already packed your own bags~”
Just as Meng Li was about to start climbing the steps with her bundle, the moment her foot touched the first step, the weight of her luggage suddenly lightened, as if it had no weight at all.
“I didn’t get to look closely before, but Junior Sister turns out to be quite adorable, too~”
“!!!”
Meng Li was about to turn around when a pair of jade hands reached out from behind, gently stroking her face and pulling her entire body into a close embrace. The sudden change left Meng Li unable to react for a moment.
“Wh-Who’s there?! Who’s behind me?!”
Feeling the soft sensation at the back of her head and the fragrance wrapping around her from behind, Meng Li felt her mind relax, wanting to sink into this embrace forever.
“Junior Sister, even though this is our first meeting, it’s not the first time I’ve seen you. Last time you fainted, it was me who carried you back~”
The person behind her seemed to be deliberately teasing her, slowly bending down to whisper softly into Meng Li’s ear. The warm breath grazing her ear made Meng Li feel like her ear was going to melt.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. What fainting?!”
By now, Meng Li had a rough idea who this was, but she still pretended not to know. She struggled to break free, but the moment she exerted force, she ended up tumbling back into the other’s embrace.
“Aiya, Junior Sister, you’re so naughty. We’ve just met and you’re already acting spoiled like this~”
Meng Li’s face flushed as red as an apple. She scrambled out of the other’s arms and quickly put some distance between them. She had never felt like this in the game—after all, no matter how high a character’s level was, they were just text and images.
But right now, Meng Li still couldn’t forget that moment of sinking into the other’s embrace. The jasmine fragrance that washed over her felt like a full-body caress. And that sky-blue hair draped over her shoulders gave off the gentle aura of a virtuous wife and loving mother.
“Shi… Senior Sister, did Shizun send you to pick me up? I’ve troubled you…”
“Aiyo, I didn’t expect Junior Sister to be so shy. It’s rather cute~”
“It’s… it’s just that Senior Sister is too beautiful. I got lost staring for a moment…”
“Junior Sister has such a sweet tongue. I am Ye Qinglian, the Head Disciple under the Immortal Lord of the Banished Mausoleum. We should become much closer from now on~”
Looking at the stunning Ye Qinglian before her, Meng Li hurried to pull away, afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself. But Ye Qinglian simply scooped her up gently, and the petite Meng Li was held in her arms like a doll. Face full of black lines, Meng Li stared at her feet dangling in the air.
“Crap, I almost forgot. Right now, I’m still a kid…”
With a body resembling that of a loli, Meng Li now lay utterly helpless in Ye Qinglian’s embrace. Though she had fantasized about such a scene countless times, right now Meng Li couldn’t bring herself to make any perverted moves.
“I had a certain feeling the moment I saw Junior Sister~”
“A f-feeling? What kind of feeling…?”
“Although Junior Sister has already stepped onto the Immortal path, and age can’t serve as a standard of measurement… Sister, your eyes hold none of the look a child should have~”
“!!!”
That single sentence from Ye Qinglian instantly threw Meng Li into panic. Her gaze began to waver. Even though she had been constantly reminding herself to be cautious, she never expected to make such a massive blunder so soon. If Ye Qinglian could discover it so easily, then didn’t that mean…
The moment Meng Li thought of this, she seemed to see Shizun with the word 【Rebirth】 hovering over her head. Forcing herself to stay calm, Meng Li pondered how to bluff her way through. But when she turned her head, she saw that Ye Qinglian’s smile had already disappeared.
“Junior Sister, what do you suppose the reason is~”
“I… I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m a little…”
“But seeing a little grown-up like you has its own special flavor~”
“Eh?!”
Ye Qinglian gazed down at the tiny Meng Li in her arms and slowly raised her left hand, gently pinching Meng Li’s cheek. This made Meng Li even more flustered, fearing that Ye Qinglian knew something.
“Ye… Senior Sister Ye…”
“Seeing how well-behaved Junior Sister is, can Senior Sister pat your head~”
Meng Li looked at this overly familiar Ye Qinglian and felt a tiny sense of dissonance. Clearly in the game’s open world, she would occasionally tease, but she was always steady and dignified. Yet now, seeing Ye Qinglian closing her eyes and leaning in closer and closer…
“Aiyaya, I can’t take it anymore. Junior Sister is just too cute. How about letting Eldest Senior Sister give you a kiss~”
“W-Wait! Senior Sister Ye, you’re calling me cute, but you haven’t even opened your eyes!”
“Aiyo, this is just the cultivation art your Senior Sister practices~ Come on, don’t resist. Let Senior Sister kiss your little cheek~”
“N… No…”
Watching Ye Qinglian tease her relentlessly, Meng Li’s face was now as red as an apple. Facing Ye Qinglian who was holding her, the more that exquisite face closed in, the faster Meng Li’s heart raced. She thought to herself—why was she even resisting? Wouldn’t it be better to just give in? She was on the verge of surrendering when…
“So you’re here. Honestly, to make me come find you here…”
Just as Meng Li was fully prepared to give in and dedicate herself to the beautiful big sister, a slightly displeased voice rang out behind the two of them.
Ye Qinglian stopped her movements and slowly turned around. There stood Situ Xue right behind them, hands on her hips with an expression of pure annoyance, looking completely impatient.
“Si… Senior Sister Situ!”
“What do you mean by trying to walk up the peak yourself? I told you to move to the peak today…”
“S-Sorry…”
“But speaking of which, what are you two doing here?”
“N-Nothing! Senior Sister Ye was just about to show me around the sect, that’s all…!”
“You look pretty flustered…”
Situ Xue spoke as she slowly walked up to Ye Qinglian, looking at Meng Li huddled in her Eldest Senior Sister’s arms. Hearing this, Meng Li put on a wronged expression, hoping to use her childish charm to skate by.
“Forget it. Making me personally come find you has already wasted enough time. More importantly, why are you with Senior Sister Ye…”
After Situ Xue reached out and pinched Meng Li’s soft, squishy cheek, she finally raised her head to look at the Senior Sister who had been holding Meng Li and saying nothing from the start. Ye Qinglian slowly bent down and placed the Meng Li in her arms back onto the ground.
“I just heard that Shizun had accepted a new little disciple and got curious. I couldn’t resist coming to take a look~”
“Is that so? I really didn’t expect you, Eldest Senior Sister, to be interested in such things. But it’s fine. Let me handle taking Junior Sister to Shizun.”
“If Junior Sister Situ does it, one can naturally rest assured. But I was just getting along so delightfully with this little Junior Sister. I wanted to chat a bit longer~”
Now, an invisible pressure field seemed to exist between Situ Xue and Ye Qinglian. Meng Li was caught in the middle as their gazes shifted back and forth. Right now, Meng Li was like a pitiful little kitten, standing there helpless and weak.
“The task Shizun assigned me is naturally mine to carry out…”
“But I still want to take Junior Sister to see a few other places~”
“Eldest Senior Sister looking out for fellow disciples is naturally a good thing. But perhaps Junior Sister doesn’t want to go with you…”
“Hmm~ Indeed. I might have scared her earlier. After all, Junior Sister is just too cute~”
Watching the two argue in front of her, Meng Li remembered that in the game’s story, Ye Qinglian and Situ Xue were supposed to be extremely close. After Meng Li stirred up trouble, Ye Qinglian even blamed herself for causing Situ Xue’s Dao Heart to shatter.
Even now, Meng Li still remembered the scene when she had manipulated the protagonist: Ye Qinglian, consumed by guilt towards Situ Xue, fell into the Devil Path in a single night.
She later almost became a Devil Cultivator on the same level as Ling Qingyue, transforming from the original Celestial Sound Fairy into the Calamity-Sound Law-Destroying Dao Devil Lord.
As Meng Li was still lost in thought, she felt two figures step in front of her. She looked up in confusion and saw Ye Qinglian’s beaming smile and Situ Xue’s impatient expression standing before her.
“T-Two Senior Sisters… is something the matter…”
The pink ahoge on Meng Li’s head trembled. She had no idea why the two of them, who had been facing off just moments ago, had suddenly surrounded her.
“Something the matter? Heh, we’re here arguing and you’re just standing there so content…”
Situ Xue glanced at Ye Qinglian, who wore a smile beside her, then reached out and flicked the ahoge atop Meng Li’s head. She didn’t know why she did it, but she still looked thoroughly annoyed.
“I… After all, I just joined the sect. It’s better not to offend either Senior Sister…”
“You little…”
Seeing Meng Li lower her head with a “won’t say a word no matter what” expression, Situ Xue got so annoyed she wanted to pull that trembling ahoge on her head.
“If Junior Sister doesn’t want to choose, why force her~?”
Ye Qinglian was now acting every bit the caring big sister. She slowly crouched down. Her originally closed eyes cracked open a sliver, revealing a flash of blue light like sapphires.
“N-Not good…”
Even though Ye Qinglian only opened her eyes slightly, Meng Li felt as if her body was being controlled by someone else.
【Spirit Art: Pupil】
“Junior Sister, you must want to properly tour the sect with me, right~”
“I… want to… with Senior Sister Ye…”
Ye Qinglian watched as stars appeared in Meng Li’s eyes, confirming that she had fallen for the technique, before closing her eyes again.
Meng Li was now acting as if she were totally lovestruck, latching straight onto Ye Qinglian. She stood on her tiptoes slightly, pressing her face against Ye Qinglian’s abdomen with hearts in her eyes, constantly sniffing the fragrance from her body.
“Elder Sister Ye~ I really like you. Your scent is so nice. Let me grow up quickly, okay, Senior Sister~ ♡”
“Aiyaya, this seems a bit too much~”
Ye Qinglian looked down slightly at Meng Li rubbing against her constantly. That spoiled, coquettish look was incredibly cute—especially that ahoge bobbing atop her head. It made Ye Qinglian’s strange hobby almost awaken. At the same time, Situ Xue watched this extreme abnormality in Meng Li.
“Senior Sister, using an art on a fellow sect member is against the rules…”
“My hand slipped, ehe~”
Situ Xue didn’t waste words. She directly grabbed the trembling ahoge on Meng Li’s head while simultaneously snatching her by the scruff of her neck, peeling this little cling-on right off Ye Qinglian.
“No! No! I don’t want to leave Senior Sister Ye!”
“What a waste of time…”
【Spirit Art: Mind-Clearing Mantra】
“Who am I? Where am I? What did I just do… ababa…”
Meng Li stood there dazed, looking at the Ye Qinglian in front of her and the Situ Xue holding her in midair by one hand. She vaguely felt like she had just done something very outrageous.
“Too much time has already been wasted. Shouldn’t you compensate me…”
Situ Xue spoke while using her other hand to tilt Meng Li’s chin upward. Her flat tone was impossible to tell if it was anger, impatience, or simply stating a fact.
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time to interact in the future. In that case, let’s go.”
“Huh? Go? Go where?”
