Haven't Been a Senior Sister for Many Years - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Seven Drops of Memory
After the teleportation ended, the sight before them was a valley bursting with green.
To see greenery in the dead of a snow-covered winter was a luxury—let alone these weren’t ordinary herbs.
Chi Essence Mushroom, Dragon Vein Grass, Thousand-Gold Vine, Illusion Heart Herb—
Any one of them would drive countless cultivators to madness. In the Nine Provinces, most cultivators could not obtain a single such plant in their lifetime, yet here, they grew along the roadside like weeds.
At one frost-covered pond, Leng Junzhu even spotted clusters of Glazed Ice Berries. She began to suspect that the ones in Chu Zhiqin’s storage ring had come from here—how else could she have had so many?
Curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, “You got those berries from here?”
Chu Zhiqin paused, then chuckled. “Not all of them. Some I found while out training. I figured they might come in handy later, so I stocked up.”
She took Leng Junzhu’s hand and led her through the flourishing vegetation. After circling a cold spring, a lava pool, and several spiritual wells, they stopped in front of a small two-story wooden building.
Knock, knock.
Chu Zhiqin tapped on the wooden door.
“Come in,” came a clear, airy voice from inside. The tightly closed doors opened of their own accord.
Leng Junzhu followed Chu Zhiqin, only to be stopped by a barrier.
“……”
“I’ll be back soon,” Chu Zhiqin said with a calming smile. “You can wander around the valley—just don’t pick any herbs or fruits. If the valley master gets mad, we might be thrown out.”
Leng Junzhu waved her off impatiently, silently telling her to hurry up and go.
The door closed.
The valley fell silent. Bored, Leng Junzhu strolled through the area.
To be honest, she wasn’t particularly tempted by the herbs. Her earlier remark about bringing people to raid the place had just been to test Chu Zhiqin’s reaction.
Unfortunately, Chu Zhiqin only ever showed vulnerability when the topic touched on her senior sister.
Kicking at a stone on the path, Leng Junzhu aimlessly wandered the valley.
She thought to herself: What could Chu Zhiqin and the valley master be talking about in there? Why’s it taking so long?
As she walked, the herbs gave way to tall trees. In the quiet woods, the sound of running water grew louder. With nothing better to do, Leng Junzhu followed the sound into the dense forest.
Pushing aside some branches, her view was suddenly blocked by a thick mist. In the pool ahead, something hazy floated. She stepped closer to see more clearly—and when she did, her pupils shrank, face full of shock.
That was—
…
Inside the small building.
Wisps of incense smoke curled upward. The valley master of Hidden Mist Valley, Hua Ling, sat on a soft couch in a green dress, a white spirit fox nestled in her arms. She smiled warmly. “You’ve come.”
Chu Zhiqin replied coolly, “Mm.”
“What are you here to trade this time?”
“I’ve come to retrieve two items.”
Hua Ling’s smile faded. The fox in her lap, sensing her mood shift, licked her fingers in appeasement.
“You know the rules. Once something enters the valley, retrieving it comes at a different price.”
“I know.” Chu Zhiqin handed her a storage ring.
Hua Ling scanned it with her divine sense and was stunned by what was inside.
“You—”
“If it’s not enough, I can add more.”
“No need. It’s enough.”
More than enough, actually. The items matched perfectly the list she’d once given to the Sword Pavilion’s top disciple.
Over a century ago, Leng Junzhu—the Pavilion’s first disciple—had brought a little girl no taller than her waist to this very valley to seek medicine. Hua Ling had given her a list of items as a trade.
Now, the little junior sister returned with the exact list and ring to claim what her senior had once bargained for. How rare.
“What are you here to reclaim?”
“Her memories—and the spiritual sword in the back mountain.”
Hua Ling considered it. “You’re lucky. Both are still here. But are you sure you only want those two?”
Chu Zhiqin nodded. “Yes.”
Indeed, Hua Ling still had Leng Junzhu’s memories.
One drop per year—seven drops total.
Over a hundred years ago, Leng Junzhu had returned to the valley after seven years, carrying her junior sister.
That day, like any other, Hua Ling was tending the spiritual plants. The clingy spirit fox was rubbing against her legs when the valley’s outer barrier pulsed.
Someone had arrived.
The usually composed and graceful senior disciple burst in, hair disheveled, dark-robed, and panic-stricken, clutching a bl00d-covered figure.
“Save her, Hua Ling!” The once-cheerful junior sister lay deathly pale in her arms. Her breath was faint, her clothes soaked in bl00d.
Hua Ling immediately took her wrist to check her pulse, her brows furrowing deeply. “How did she end up like this? Never mind, bring her inside first.”
Inside, Leng Junzhu gently laid Chu Zhiqin down. Her chest barely rose and fell.
Hua Ling quickly pulled out a bottle of pills and fed her one. “All her meridians are shattered. Demon energy has invaded her body. Her divine consciousness is nearly gone. Don’t tell me the Sword Pavilion’s standards have dropped so far that you’re letting a mid-stage Golden Core fight demon cultivators.”
Leng Junzhu’s lips trembled, and finally, tears spilled out. “It’s my fault. I let my guard down. I didn’t see the one hiding behind me. She took the blow for me.”
They’d been out training when they were ambushed. Leng Junzhu had overpowered the first demon, but a second attacker emerged from the shadows. As he struck, Chu Zhiqin reacted faster than thought, shielding her with her own body.
By the time Leng Junzhu turned, she only saw her sister falling through the air. Her mind blanked. She chased her down, catching her mid-descent.
Bl00d flowed endlessly from Chu Zhiqin’s lips. Despite the pain tearing through her body, she forced a smile.
“Senior sister…”
I’m glad you’re okay.
Leng Junzhu wiped the bl00d from her mouth, but it kept flowing no matter what she did. She couldn’t hear the demon’s laughter, nor her sister’s reassurances—only saw red.
What happened next, she couldn’t remember. When she came to, the demons were dead.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you to Hua Ling. She’ll save you.”
She crushed a teleportation charm, landed at the valley gate, made a hand sign, and sprinted to the building.
Thankfully, Hua Ling did not disappoint.
“Only the Crimson Flame Earth out of the five-element spiritual treasures was left protecting her last trace of life. Once it fades, there’ll be no saving her.”
“What can I do?”
“Good thing you sealed her heart veins, stopping the demonic energy from reaching her heart. The pills you gave helped delay the damage. I can save her, but there are rules here—even for old friends.”
“But don’t worry,” she winked. “I’ll heal her first. We’ll settle the debt later.”
Leng Junzhu exhaled in relief. “I understand.”
“You wait outside. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“…Okay.”
Later, the dying junior recovered, and Hua Ling received her payment.
—Seven drops of memory.
“I was too curious about what made her so special that you’d do all this,” Hua Ling said, watching the glowing memories swirl in a vial. “Don’t worry—I’ll only look at what I need. I won’t pry into secrets you wish to keep.”
Leng Junzhu shook her head. “I trust you. Thank you.”
“It was a fair trade. Though I lacked one ingredient. I used another herb in its place, but the effect wasn’t ideal.”
“What was it?”
“Scarlet Mist Heart. With it, Chu Zhiqin can build a miniature five-element cycle in her body.”
“I understand. I’ll find it.”
She bent down to gently touch Chu Zhiqin’s cheek. Her pallor had lessened; her breathing had steadied. Her heart beat stubbornly on.
“Take good care of her.”
“Did you need to say that?”
Leng Junzhu smiled faintly. Her white robes were soaked in bl00d. The stains on her hands hadn’t even been washed.
“I’m going.”
“Be careful.”
That was the last time they met.
Later, Sword Pavilion sent over Leng Junzhu’s life-bound sword—Qing Shuang.
The blade was dim and cracked, as though it would shatter with a touch.
Its owner had vanished.
They said Leng Junzhu had died in some obscure secret realm, leaving nothing behind but her broken sword.
Hua Ling accepted the ruined weapon. The girl so dearly loved still lay unconscious, never knowing her senior had traded her life for hers.
A hundred years passed. That junior, now accompanied by a demon cultivator who resembled Leng Junzhu, returned to Hidden Mist Valley for the memories.
“You’re sure it’s her?”
“Yes.”
Hua Ling sighed. “You must understand, memories hold no emotion.”
Without the feelings behind them, memories are like illusions in water or flowers in the mist—empty. One who gains memories but not the bond cannot understand the choices behind the smiles, the frowns, the embraces.
Over the century, Hua Ling had watched the memories countless times. Even so, she still couldn’t comprehend why Leng Junzhu had been willing to give up everything.
But her caution could not change Chu Zhiqin’s resolve.
“I know. But I don’t have much time.”
“Come with me. Qing Shuang is in the back mountain spring.”
But when they arrived, someone was already there.
In the misty spring, soaked from head to toe, Leng Junzhu held Qing Shuang.
The eerie snake-pupiled eyes had been replaced by black irises. For a moment, she overlapped perfectly with the figure from a hundred years ago.
She looked at them, her face unreadable.
“…Hua Ling?”