Haven't Been a Senior Sister for Many Years - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Ten Thousand Characters Update 1.0

A powerful divine sense covered the entire Anning Town. Every move of the pedestrians on the street and the distinguished guests in the high pavilions was exposed to Chu Zhiqin’s strong and domineering divine sense.

No. No. Still no.

Chu Zhiqin couldn’t find Leng Junzhu anywhere.

She was surrounded by a sea of people. She smelled the fresh and elegant incense on the girls, the rich aroma of mutton soup and wonton noodles from the stalls, but she couldn’t smell the subtle, uniquely alluring scent of Leng Junzhu.

She was clearly no longer the little junior sister who couldn’t protect her senior sister a hundred years ago, but in reality, she couldn’t grasp anything.

Her neatly trimmed nails pierced the skin of her palm, and a dazzling red drop fell to the ground. Chu Zhiqin thought, perhaps she should find a chain to lock Leng Junzhu up and tie her by her side, so they would never be separated again.

She walked disconsolately down the street, thinking as she searched for that slender green back.

…

In a corner of the temple fair, people coming and going unconsciously ignored this spot, making it the only peaceful haven in the crowded street.

“Why are you looking for me at this time?” The person Chu Zhiqin had been searching for was sitting in the corner, drinking tea.

“Naturally, I have important matters to report to Your Excellency.” The black-haired, red-clad woman had a voluptuous figure and delicate features. Her soft body leaned against Leng Junzhu’s shoulder, and her fair fingers stroked Leng Junzhu’s face. She said coquettishly, “Can’t I come to you without an important matter?”

Leng Junzhu pushed her hand away, her tone very impatient: “What is it?”

“What a heartless woman.” The red-clad woman was pushed away but didn’t get angry. She twisted her waist and sat opposite Leng Junzhu, taking a sip of hot tea: “The scoundrels have started to reveal their true colors. The few people you asked me to pay special attention to have had many informants report that they’ve been in close contact privately, seemingly secretly plotting something. Unfortunately, although these scoundrels are foolish, they’re quite vigilant, so we haven’t yet found out the specific content of their plot.”

“As for Su Yuqiu, you mentioned, she hasn’t left her house, and no one has visited her mansion. However, it’s unclear if she’s secretly contacting others; currently, no informants have reported anything.”

The red-clad woman’s name was Mo Qianxue, one of the Twelve Demon Gods.

The throne of the Demon Realm had been vacant for thousands of years. For those millennia, the Twelve Demon Gods divided the Demon Realm into twelve towns and became Demon Gods.

When Leng Junzhu returned from hell, she brought only a few trusted confidantes and successively defeated the Twelve Demon Gods.

Disobedient? Just kill them; there were plenty of obedient people anyway.

Half of the Twelve Demon Gods were killed, and Mo Qianxue was one of the survivors.

As early as when Leng Junzhu led her people to attack the Demon God Hall, she defected to Leng Junzhu, becoming a tool in Leng Junzhu’s hand.

Watching her former allies reveal expressions of disbelief, Mo Qianxue laughed hysterically, seemingly finding their foolishness amusing.

In the Demon Realm, exceptional strength was important, but possessing a discerning eye for people could clearly lead to a longer reign.

Mo Qianxue didn’t become one of the Twelve Demon Gods purely by cultivation. She maintained her position as a Demon God through her ubiquitous network of connections. In the spiderweb she wove, no one could escape her eyes.

The first time she saw Leng Junzhu, Mo Qianxue knew that the throne of the Demon Realm belonged to her. The throne, vacant for a thousand years, finally welcomed its master.

So, before the war began, she brought her life’s fortune and defected to Leng Junzhu. Then, in the next ten years, relying on her sharp insight and connections that countless people coveted, she successfully became one of Leng Junzhu’s confidantes.

The other party knew what she wanted, so she gained an even larger spiderweb and higher authority, enjoying the thrill of controlling everyone’s secrets in the Demon Realm, and all of this was given to her by the woman before her.

This woman simultaneously possessed a lovable appearance that made people want to protect her and a ruthless cruelty that sent shivers down one’s spine. She was like a mysterious, eerie green glow in the abyss, drawing people to explore but freezing them to the bone with icy water.

She had never been able to see through Leng Junzhu.

Mo Qianxue knew countless things, but she didn’t know Leng Junzhu’s background. She only knew that the other party returned from hell, bringing with her a murderous aura and a strong scent of bl00d, disrupting the stable thousand-year pattern of the Demon Realm, and successfully standing at the top of the Demon Realm with a team of only a few people, becoming the new master of the Demon Realm.

The more mysterious Leng Junzhu was, the more curious Mo Qianxue became.

Unfortunately, Mo Qianxue didn’t want to become the next Shi Hexuan. No matter how curious she was, she never crossed the line.

Remembering Shi Hexuan’s fate, even Mo Qianxue, who had been in the Demon Realm for a hundred years, felt a chill.

She didn’t understand where Leng Junzhu’s hatred for Shi Hexuan came from, but she knew what to ask and what not to ask. Anyway, Shi Hexuan himself was rotten to the core, killing him could even be considered eliminating a public menace, although she didn’t know why a demonic cultivator would eliminate a public menace.

Mo Qianxue’s thoughts churned in her mind, but it didn’t show on her face. She quietly waited for Leng Junzhu’s next command.

Leng Junzhu said, “Hmm, Su Yuqiu continue staring.”

Mo Qianxue: “I’ll send people to keep staring.”

Although Su Yuqiu was not one of the Twelve Demon Gods, her status in the Demon Realm was not much lower than theirs. In the nearly hundred years before the Demon Lord appeared, she had subtly become the uncrowned king of the Demon Realm.

At that time, Su Yuqiu was regarded as a formidable opponent by Leng Junzhu, the opponent Leng Junzhu was most unwilling to face. Originally, she had planned to first bring the Twelve Demon Gods under her control and then tackle this toughest bone. Who would have thought, Su Yuqiu voluntarily surrendered, submitting to Leng Junzhu, and thereafter never left her mansion, only moving within her own residence.

During the period Leng Junzhu was imprisoned, her greatest fear was Su Yuqiu seizing the opportunity to usurp the throne and destroy her decades of work.

“Anything else?” Leng Junzhu asked.

Mo Qianxue shrugged: “The Twelve Demon Gods are still the same. Oh, Murong Su seems to have been somewhat swayed by those restless scoundrels, though overtly he’s still on your side.”

“Do I need to give him a warning? Or let him continue like this?” Mo Qianxue preferred the latter; that way, she’d have a good show to watch. Heaven knew how many good shows she’d seen during Leng Junzhu’s absence, simply inexhaustible, and she even wanted more.

“No need.” Leng Junzhu picked up a piece of pastry and put it into her mouth. The sweet taste instantly filled her entire mouth. She frowned and took a gulp of hot tea, saying, “Let him be. At most, we’ll just replace him.”

When Leng Junzhu said this, she didn’t even care about Murong Su’s life, treating him merely as something that could be disposed of at will.

“If there’s nothing else, you should leave first. Be careful not to run into Chu Zhiqin.” Leng Junzhu’s original intention was to prevent Mo Qianxue from encountering Chu Zhiqin, which would expose her secret contact with people from the Demon Realm and affect her subsequent plans. However, to Mo Qianxue, it meant something else.

She looked at Leng Junzhu as if seeing her for the first time.

Her face was no different from before, but the ruthlessness between Leng Junzhu’s brows had melted away like the last snow of winter silently melting in the warm spring sun. Even her hair tips revealed an indescribable tenderness.

“What are you worried about?” Mo Qianxue said, “The old you wouldn’t have cared about these things at all. What changed you? Chu Zhiqin? How long do you plan to keep playing this game with her? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who you are.”

In the past, even if Mo Qianxue had a thousand or ten thousand guts, she wouldn’t dare to speak to Leng Junzhu like that. She didn’t want to become a dry bone beneath the throne.

But now, Mo Qianxue had to remind Leng Junzhu not to forget her identity. Behind her, hundreds of thousands of demonic cultivators were waiting for their king to return and revitalize the Demon Realm.

In the Demon Realm, love was the cheapest thing. Mo Qianxue didn’t want Leng Junzhu to be deeply entangled in this love game.

Mo Qianxue looked directly into Leng Junzhu’s eyes: “When are you coming back? If you drag this out, I’m not sure I can suppress those bloodthirsty fellows.”

“I don’t like your attitude very much.” The golden snake pupils broke through Chu Zhiqin’s spell, looking at Mo Qianxue coldly, “But you are right about one thing, I should go back.”

“At the latest, in a month and a half. When you go back, tell them that their king will appear at the most anticipated moment.” The seductive charm on Leng Junzhu’s body instantly disappeared, replaced by the arrogance and confidence that Mo Qianxue was familiar with, belonging to the Demon Lord Leng Junzhu.

Mo Qianxue’s heart swelled with joy. She was willing to pledge allegiance precisely because of Leng Junzhu’s unrivaled arrogance and unique strength. Just now, her long-held belief had almost wavered, but fortunately, Leng Junzhu had given her the best answer.

“Thank you, Demon Lord, for your forbearance.” Mo Qianxue smiled. “I will tell them when I return.”

“Hmm, one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Three days from now, I want you to spread the news that Chu Zhiqin and I are in Anning Town.”

“Understood, Your subordinate.”

“Good, go back.”

“Yes.”

Mo Qianxue’s figure blended into the crowd and disappeared. Leng Junzhu finished the tea that had long gone cold and stood up to leave the teahouse.

The seal on her body hadn’t been completely lifted yet. A few days ago, thanks to the spiritual herb given by the Flood Dragon, the seal Chu Zhiqin placed on her body showed signs of loosening. Although she could only cast a few insignificant small spells now, it was already much stronger than before, when she couldn’t use any demonic energy at all.

Leng Junzhu understood that if she wanted to break free from the seal, she had to consume the remaining two spiritual herbs. Before recovering her strength and freedom, she couldn’t completely fall out with Chu Zhiqin. Playing the role of Chu Zhiqin’s amnesiac senior sister was the best choice.

However—

It was still possible to cause some trouble for Chu Zhiqin.

Leng Junzhu couldn’t wait to see if Chu Zhiqin, being hunted by the righteous path, could still maintain her annoying, dignified appearance.

Hmm, if Chu Zhiqin collapses, she’ll reluctantly save her. Her Demon God Hall just happened to be short of someone to warm the bed. Chu Zhiqin’s appearance and figure were both particularly pleasing to her. She could, for the sake of these two things, disregard everything Chu Zhiqin had done to her.

The little green snake hid in the crowd, waiting for its prey to deliver itself.

…

The temple fair gradually drew to a close. Splendid fireworks bloomed in the inky sky, illuminating the faces of everyone on both sides of the lake embankment.

Chu Zhiqin returned to her starting point amidst the grand fireworks.

Amidst the scent of food, a familiar aroma mingled. Chu Zhiqin suddenly looked up. A few paces away, Leng Junzhu was sitting at a small table at a mutton soup stall, drinking mutton soup.

Chu Zhiqin ignored the astonished glances of the people around her and strode over to Leng Junzhu. Her eyes were slightly red. “I’ve been looking for you for so long.”

Her tone sounded very pitiful.

Leng Junzhu, drinking mutton soup, said innocently, “I said I wanted to drink mutton soup. Who knew you’d be gone in a flash? I had to come and eat by myself.”

“Want a bowl?”

“Yes…”

“Boss, another bowl of mutton soup, add some chili.”

“Coming right up, customer.”

Soon, a steaming bowl of mutton soup with chili was placed in front of Chu Zhiqin.

She stirred in the chili, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and drank it in small sips.

The milky white mutton soup was delicious, the meat tender, the soup sweet, and the taste rich. With the spicy chili, it left a lingering flavor.

A few spoonfuls of hot mutton soup finally brought Chu Zhiqin’s reason, which was on the verge of exploding, back to normal. “Where did you go? I couldn’t find you.”

Her round eyes were full of grievance, accusing Leng Junzhu of abandoning her.

Leng Junzhu picked up a piece of mutton, dipped it in sauce, and put it in her mouth. “I just followed the crowd and wandered around. Later, I found it boring, so I came back here and ordered a bowl of mutton soup. You came shortly after I started eating.”

Chu Zhiqin grumbled, “Oh.”

Leng Junzhu raised an eyebrow: “Don’t believe me?”

Chu Zhiqin shook her head: “I believe everything you say.”

Leng Junzhu curved her lips: “That’s more like it. Let’s go back after this. It’s tiring and quite boring.”

Chu Zhiqin nodded: “Okay.”

After finishing the mutton soup and paying, the two decided to return to the inn to rest early.

This time, Chu Zhiqin held Leng Junzhu’s hand tightly, not letting go. Her hands, accustomed to holding a sword, were dry and warm, with calluses that felt slightly rough but also provided a strong sense of security.

Leng Junzhu was half a step behind her.

The fireworks blooming in the night sky cast colorful light on Chu Zhiqin’s head. Her thick eyelashes cast shadows, obscuring her eyes, making her expression hard to discern.

She lowered her head, their hands tightly clasped together, inseparable, just like lovers deeply in love.

Mo Qianxue’s words tonight had awakened Leng Junzhu.

She had been too deeply immersed in this act. Affection was permissible, concern was permissible, but only a little, not too much, not too little.

Too much, and she would easily fall; too little, and she wouldn’t be able to deceive anyone.

Leng Junzhu squeezed Chu Zhiqin’s hand back, and under the other party’s surprised gaze, she smiled: “Let’s prepare the second spiritual herb tonight.”

Chu Zhiqin nodded happily: “Okay!”

Back at the inn, Chu Zhiqin called for a few buckets of hot water. After she and Leng Junzhu had bathed, she took out the spiritual herb the Flood Dragon had given them.

“Eat it now?”

“Why not? I’m tired anyway. It’ll be perfect to eat it and then sleep.”

“Okay.”

Leng Junzhu took the spiritual herb and lay on the bed, closing her eyes to rest. Before long, a familiar drowsiness enveloped her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

…

Three months had passed since that thrilling night. Chu Zhiqin, who was severely injured at the time, had now recovered to normal, and even the wound on her throat had faded to a faint scar with the help of the ointment.

Leng Junzhu was anxious on the morning Chu Zhiqin woke up. When Chu Zhiqin opened her eyes, Leng Junzhu was both happy and worried.

Happy that she had pulled through the nightmare, but worried that the cruel experience would cause irreversible damage to the young Chu Zhiqin, causing her to lose her sanity.

However, reality always likes to play tricks.

The awakened Chu Zhiqin couldn’t speak, and her round eyes were filled with confusion, seemingly not understanding where she was or why she was there.

Leng Junzhu’s voice trembled as she asked, “Are you alright?”

Upon hearing the sound, Chu Zhiqin’s lifeless eyes turned to Leng Junzhu. She took a long time to react to the short question, slowly nodding.

“I know you don’t recognize me yet, but it’s okay, we can get to know each other again. I am Leng Junzhu, and from now on, I am your senior sister, and you are my junior sister.” Leng Junzhu tried to approach Chu Zhiqin. As soon as Chu Zhiqin showed any signs of resistance, she would stop.

To Leng Junzhu’s surprise, Chu Zhiqin did not resist her approach. When she sat on the edge of the bed and tidied Chu Zhiqin’s fringe, Chu Zhiqin even smiled at her.

Her round eyes regained a glimmer of their former light, becoming lively.

Leng Junzhu was delighted to see Chu Zhiqin recovering her vitality. “Do you want something to eat? Master said you can have some soft food now. I’ve stewed a pot of porridge on the stove. Shall I bring it to you?”

Chu Zhiqin painstakingly moved her injured hand to her stomach, feeling her growling stomach, and nodded.

Leng Junzhu patted her head, smiling gently: “Wait for me here, I’ll be right back.”

The warm white porridge had a little sugar added for flavor. The sweet taste quickly won Chu Zhiqin’s favor, and Leng Junzhu almost couldn’t feed her fast enough, having to speed up her spooning of the porridge.

After finishing a bowl of white porridge, Chu Zhiqin still wanted more and looked at Leng Junzhu with longing eyes, but Leng Junzhu refused her request.

“You can only eat this much. You can have the rest at noon.”

Chu Zhiqin knew that Leng Junzhu was doing it for her own good, so she didn’t throw a tantrum.

“Good girl. I’ll go tidy up first. If you’re bored, you can read a storybook. I’ve cast a spell on it, so it will turn pages automatically after you finish reading.” Leng Junzhu took a few storybooks suitable for children from the bookshelf and placed them next to Chu Zhiqin. The spell-bound storybooks didn’t require her to manually turn pages, perfect for Chu Zhiqin to pass the time now.

“Ah!” Chu Zhiqin made her first sound of the day. She seemed very interested in the storybooks.

When Leng Junzhu returned from tidying up, Chu Zhiqin was already engrossed in the storybooks, completely unaware of her presence.

“Do you… remember what happened?”

Xuan Qing had told Leng Junzhu that Chu Zhiqin, having suffered inhumane torture, might lose her memory and forget everything, and advised her to prepare for the worst.

What was the worst-case scenario?

Forgetting the past, forgetting everything, even forgetting herself.

Leng Junzhu didn’t want to reopen Chu Zhiqin’s wounds so quickly, but she had to confirm Chu Zhiqin’s current condition.

Chu Zhiqin blinked, then shook her head.

Leng Junzhu inexplicably let out a sigh of relief. She then asked, “Do you still remember your name?”

This time, Chu Zhiqin nodded.

Leng Junzhu comforted her: “At least we still remember our names. Let the past be the past! Maybe you’ll remember it someday!”

Chu Zhiqin said “Mm,” agreeing with Leng Junzhu.

Three months passed like this. Chu Zhiqin, who was once unable to speak, could finally speak normally and no longer needed to communicate with hand gestures.

“Junior Sister, do you want to go to the temple fair with your Senior Sister?” Leng Junzhu finished her daily morning practice and came to Chu Zhiqin’s room to ask her.

“Temple fair? What’s a temple fair, Senior Sister?”

Leng Junzhu propped her chin and struggled to explain, “Hmm… it’s probably a day where you can eat and play well, and also watch fireworks.”

“Then I want to go!” Chu Zhiqin raised her hand excitedly, “I want to go with Senior Sister!”

Leng Junzhu smiled: “Okay, we’ll go down the mountain together in the evening and won’t play with the other junior sisters.”

Chu Zhiqin nodded: “Mm-hmm!”

In the evening, Leng Junzhu secretly took Chu Zhiqin down the mountain, without letting Liu Rushuang and Chu Yu know.

Chu Zhiqin, “seeing” the foot of the mountain for the first time, widened her eyes, greedily taking in the bustling scene, unwilling to blink.