Meng Li, who had just moments ago been so arrogant, instantly felt sweat drenching her back. She had just escaped, and yet she’d been found so quickly again. Meng Li could already imagine her future: wearing a collar, living as a domesticated pet.
“Is my life truly over now? To be summoned back and merged with my true body, to be kept as a pet until I’m utterly unable to leave her side…”
In those brief few seconds, Meng Li envisioned the rest of her life. Just as she was about to resign herself to her fate, Situ Xue showed no intention of making the next move.
“I thought when you got out, you’d go find your True Self. Instead, you’re here flirting intimately with a female disciple. It’s simply scandalous…”
“Eh… what…?”
Listening to Situ Xue’s words, Meng Li didn’t immediately process them. The next moment, Situ Xue tossed the jade box in her hand over. Meng Li reflexively reached out and caught it.
“If your True Body’s consciousness resists too stubbornly, merging won’t go smoothly. So, this is a Foundation Establishment Pill. If your power surpasses hers, the fusion will be more seamless…”
“Uh… okay…”
Seeing Meng Li agree, Situ Xue slowly swept her gaze over the girl before her. After a brief inspection, a trace of displeasure flickered in her eyes, making Meng Li tense up again.
“Why aren’t you wearing the equipment I gave you?”
“Ah, ah, I-I… that was…”
“If you don’t like that style, I can modify it…”
“I! I love the things Senior Sister gives me! I love them very much! How could I possibly not like them?! I-I was just… this, that, uh…”
Watching the incoherent Meng Li, the displeasure on Situ Xue’s face grew more pronounced. A flicker of panic arose in Meng Li, but she now understood what was happening here.
“That bastard Evil Self betrayed me and tried to sell me out! But it seems Situ Xue thinks I am my Evil Self…”
Meng Li thought rapidly for a few seconds, and a solution quickly formed in her mind. As long as she judged the situation correctly, she could easily bluff her way through this.
“So you threw away that Dharma Robe, did you?”
“How could I not properly treasure a Dharma Robe given by Senior Sister? Your Junior Sister simply put it away safely. How could I bear to throw it away~?”
“It’s good if you can use it…”
Hearing Meng Li’s reply, the slight displeasure around Situ Xue eased somewhat. She slowly turned around, as if she didn’t intend to linger.
“I just don’t want to confine you too much. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to let go completely. So, I hope you’ll exercise some restraint, little Junior Sister…”
“Ah? Restrain what?”
“Your intimate encounter with that female disciple today… Junior Sister’s wishes are not mine to question. But Situ Xue is sometimes prone to… impulsive actions…”
Leaving these words behind, Situ Xue dissolved once more into the air. Only the ink-wash Spiritual Power floating in the air proved she had been there. Seeing Situ Xue leave, Meng Li let out a long sigh and slumped weakly back into her chair.
“That Evil Self! She sold me out! She even planned to team up with Senior Sister to capture me!”
Meng Li furiously punched the chair beside her. But after thinking for a moment, a sudden realization struck her. That spectacular phenomenon in the sky earlier—could it have been orchestrated by her other self?
“After selling me out, that bastard gets all the good stuff! Equipment, pills… it’s infuriating!”
Meng Li looked at the jade box in her hand, practically seeing her Evil Self’s smug face. If she were captured, forget about a smooth fusion—she might not even get that. She’d probably be humiliated first.
“We’re the same person, yet she’s so ruthless!”
After safely stowing the pill, True Self Meng Li rose from her chair. It wasn’t safe to linger here. If she were discovered and confronted, she was absolutely no match for Situ Xue.
Meanwhile, Situ Xue’s form slowly emerged from a swirl of mist. As she exhaled a turbid breath, she seemed to be suppressing something. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she rubbed her aching forehead.
“In just half a day, she’s so indiscreet, having secret rendezvous with female disciples of the sect… Could it be that locking her up is truly the best choice…”
Situ Xue felt a deep tightness in her chest. It had only been a few days, and that little Junior Sister was already flirting with everyone in sight. She was clearly the one who came first, yet that little Junior Sister never sought her out. Sometimes, she even seemed to actively avoid her.
“Could it be… that we truly have no fate, no destiny…”
Situ Xue recalled the expression of pure infatuation on Meng Li’s face when she was praising the Eldest Senior Sister. And then there was the panic hidden in her eyes when facing her. A single impulsive act had planted a deep-seated illness.
“Junior Sister is still young. Perhaps my rash actions are what caused her to act this way…”
Situ Xue looked at the stockpile of high-grade pills stored in her spatial ring. She couldn’t help but muse that when she’d given just a single Marrow-Cleansing Pill, Meng Li had been so overjoyed. If she were to share her entire pill inventory with her Junior Sister, would she grow closer to her in return?
Situ Xue reached out, casually picking up one pill. No matter its quality or appearance, it was supreme. Yet Situ Xue shook her head. Between her thumb and forefinger, a pill worth a fortune in the outside world, a supreme treasure to Meng Li, crumbled to dust like worthless garbage.
“Such precious pills are so carelessly wasted in Junior Sister’s hands. If those outside begging for pills saw this, wouldn’t they die of heartache~?”
“What are you doing here…”
Sitting in her room, Situ Xue slowly turned her head, looking at the elegant figure entering through the doorway. Lotus blossoms seemed to bloom beneath her feet, and her voice was as alluring as polished jade. One knew who it was before even seeing her face.
“I simply missed my Junior Sister. Came to visit~”
“Senior Sister, if you lack pills, you could just send a message. No need to come in person…”
Situ Xue watched as Ye Qinglian took a few steps and arrived right before her. Her expression remained largely unchanged, as if she wasn’t entirely welcoming of this visitor.
“Junior Sister jests. Do you really not know the reason for my visit~?”
“I’m afraid I can’t guess Senior Sister’s intentions. And I don’t wish to try…”
“Sigh, fine, fine. What will I ever do with you~?”
Faced with Situ Xue’s cold indifference, Ye Qinglian acted as if it were completely normal. She didn’t seem inclined to continue teasing. With a flick of her finger, a nearby chair floated over. As the two sat down,
Ye Qinglian decided to stop beating around the bush. A pot of clear tea was brewed between them as she asked directly. Situ Xue, facing her direct Senior Sister, didn’t appear flustered.
“That Dharma Robe you’re wearing… you made it yourself~?”
“If Senior Sister likes it and wants one, it’s no trouble for me to make another…”
“Ah, that kind of thing can wait. Right now is serious question-and-answer time~!”
“Whatever.”
“As expected of the Ink Beauty, even your answers are concise~”
“Mere vanity titles. The judgments of others mean nothing to me…”
Ye Qinglian took a slow sip of her tea, observing Situ Xue’s reaction. Their calm conversation felt like a peaceful afternoon tea between Senior and Junior Sisters, stable and serene. But clearly, Ye Qinglian hadn’t gotten the answer she sought.
“Let me rephrase. That little Junior Sister… could I borrow her for a bit~?”
………
…
