Situ Xue spoke as she walked slowly forward. He Xian’er wanted to step forward and say something, but she met Situ Xue’s slightly hostile gaze. He Xian’er instantly didn’t dare to speak and obediently shrank to the side.
“Shi… Senior Sister! Wait! Wait a moment! There might be some misunderstanding here. Senior and I were exchanging insights on cultivation techniques, and I accidentally…”
“Indulging your own desires shows an unstable Dao Heart. Manhandling the Sect-Protecting Divine Beast shows improper conduct. I am only punishing you to reflect on your mistakes in my Cave Abode for ten years…”
“Th-This isn’t good, we can…!”
Meng Li’s sophistry was not even finished before Situ Xue appeared in front of her in a flash, so fast that Meng Li didn’t even have time to react. Watching Situ Xue appear before her in the blink of an eye, Meng Li once again recognized the gap in their strength.
Situ Xue’s eyes were ice-cold. She reached out to grab Meng Li. The powerful oppressive force left Meng Li with no room to react at all. Watching herself about to be grabbed and locked in a dark room, Meng Li frantically thought of ways to remedy the situation.
“Wait!”
Faced with this situation, He Xian’er, who had been standing to the side without speaking, finally couldn’t hold back. She flashed forward, blocking between the two of them. Facing He Xian’er’s sudden rescue, Meng Li was incredibly moved, while Situ Xue looked at the Sect-Protecting Divine Beast that kept pestering her with clear displeasure.
“You’ve already taken all the advantages, and now you still want to stop me…”
“Th-This Old One just wanted to get her Inner Core back from this junior, right? It shouldn’t cause you Senior Sister and Junior Sister to fight like this!”
“Who cares about that? Don’t you agree, Junior Sister…?”
Situ Xue’s eyes lifted slightly, looking at Meng Li standing behind her opponent. Just being glanced at once, Meng Li felt the other’s gaze like thorns piercing her back. Meng Li shrank back and hid behind He Xian’er.
“This matter was this Old One’s fault from the beginning. It’s this Old One’s problem. It shouldn’t cause a rift in the relationship between you Senior Sister and Junior Sister because of this small issue…”
“Senior Crane, if you step aside today, I can disregard what just happened. But if you continue to obstruct me, this junior will not hold back…”
As Situ Xue spoke, she drew the long sword from behind her. As ink-wash-colored Spiritual Power surged around her, she carried a hint of the aura of Ling Qingyue, who had once slaughtered her way across the world with a single sword. He Xian’er showed no sign of yielding and still blocked in front of Meng Li.
“This Old One will not move aside. Although this Old One admires you greatly, I cannot allow you to make things difficult for your own Junior Sister like this!”
As He Xian’er spoke, she closed her eyes as if in great pain. After all, next she would have to fight the contractor she admired most. Her mind instantly conjured images of a love-hate battle with the other.
“I never thought this day would finally come, having to fight Little Xuezi personally…”
After all, if this fight were to happen, forget the already slim chance of signing a contract, there might never be another opportunity. Though hesitant in her heart, He Xian’er still made up her mind and assumed a battle stance.
“Come, Little Xuezi, let this Old One…! Eh?!”
He Xian’er had just steeled her resolve and opened her eyes, ready to use her strongest mindset, but the figure of Situ Xue was nowhere to be seen before her. Looking back, even Meng Li behind her had vanished.
Still completely bewildered, He Xian’er looked at the empty Cave Abode, with only herself there. He Xian’er, full of confusion, ran forward a couple of steps, only to find that the two who had just been here were now gone without a sound.
“What?! Where are they? Weren’t they just here?”
He Xian’er walked two steps, looked down, and saw a note on the table. On a slightly yellowed piece of white paper, only a few characters were written. He Xian’er recognized Situ Xue’s handwriting at a single glance.
“Senior, you talk too much. I’m taking the person first.”
He Xian’er, who had just been steeling her resolve, looked at the note left behind by the two who had already departed. The emotions she had been brewing suddenly made the corners of her eyes moist. In just a moment, two pearl-like teardrops slid from the corners of her eyes.
“Ah! Little Xuezi, not listening to this Old One finish again!! I’m so angry!!”
He Xian’er lay directly on the floor, crying and throwing a tantrum. Every time she wanted to lecture about some great principles, Situ Xue would slip away when she wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes, she wouldn’t even leave a note.
“Ah, Little Xuezi is too mean! Ignoring this Old One again! Wuwuwu… This Old One, this Old One will definitely eat all your pills someday!!”
However, no matter how much He Xian’er cried and shouted now, the other party could no longer hear her. Because Situ Xue had already returned to Jade Candle Peak in the span of a few breaths, kicking open the Restriction on the door.
By this point, Situ Xue didn’t even have the mood to enter the password. Facing the Restriction she had set herself, she kicked out. The powerful force even made the Cave Abode tremble precariously. Meng Li, being carried by the scruff of her neck with one hand, was trembling with fear.
“Shi… Senior Sister, is something troubling you? You seem to be in a bad… not a good mood.”
“Are you asking me…”
Situ Xue glanced down at Meng Li, whom she was holding by the scruff. Her impassive expression revealed no inner thoughts, but Meng Li understood that the other party was simply in a state of anger—extreme anger, at that.
After all, in the game, Situ Xue’s emotions never showed on her face. Sometimes, the calmer she was, the more terrifying she was. Situ Xue’s favorite thing to do was listen to villains recount their life experiences, then crush them with a single strike.
“I can actually explain. I was returning the Inner Core at the time, and there was an unexpected situation during the process, so…!”
Situ Xue didn’t listen to Meng Li finish. She just casually tossed her, and Meng Li felt herself flying through the air before landing on the soft bed. Fortunately, Situ Xue still slept on a normal bed. If it had been an ice bed like Ling Qingyue’s, being thrown onto it like that would have hurt terribly.
“From now on, I ask, you answer… Understood…?”
Meng Li still hadn’t recovered. Situ Xue, who had just been gentle and amiable moments ago, was now interrogating her like a criminal, sitting before her. The black-and-white long sword in her hand seemed ready to stab her at any moment.
“Shi… Senior Sister, what do you want to ask? How could I not answer?”
“Although I am Shizun’s disciple, I am not skilled in using a sword. But often, the weapon one is least skilled in causes the most pain…”
A single sentence from Situ Xue made Meng Li obedient, not daring to play any tricks. Situ Xue said she wasn’t skilled with the sword, but after gracefully twirling the sword, she swung it at Meng Li.
Although it didn’t injure flesh, the large piece of clothing on her chest was directly torn to shreds. Before Meng Li could react, she was pinned onto the bed. Situ Xue’s current mood was unreadable, but the coldness in her eyes could be felt.
“What? That Spirit Beast can, but I cannot…?”
………
