Haven't Been a Senior Sister for Many Years - Chapter 42
Chapter 42: Dreamscape
The war in Dingzhou City was intensifying. Wealthy families in neighboring cities, fearing the collapse of the defense line, quickly packed their valuables and fled to regions far from the border.
Ningtong Village, remote and surrounded by the Youzhou mountain range, was a small yet blessed town with a population of less than fifty thousand.
Many fleeing families chose to settle in Ningtong, buying up land deeds and building grand estates.
Elders in the town began warning their young children not to wander too far, for fear of being kidnapped and turned into alchemy ingredients.
In just a few days, the once-bustling streets became eerily quiet.
On one such empty street, Gu Zelan strolled with a basket of herbs on her back.
Due to the war, medicinal herbs across the continent were becoming scarce. To survive the hard times, many small pharmacies began sourcing herbs from individual gatherers.
As Ningtong had a small population, it only had two clinics—one in the east, and one in the north. They did not interfere with each other’s business.
The northern clinic was called Hexu Hall, run by a middle-aged woman named Yan Wanyong, who had moved from another province ten years prior.
Doctor Yan was gentle, sincere, and exceptionally skilled in medicine. Many villagers secretly called her Immortal Doctor Yan, believing she was a divine being sent to heal their ailments.
Unaware of the nickname, Yan Wanyong simply treated patients, dispensed medicine, and enjoyed her own brewed herbal tea in peace.
Gu Zelan loved the tea from her clinic. Unlike the usual bitter medicinal drinks, this one was mildly sweet, with a refreshing aftertaste that invigorated the body.
This fondness led Gu Zelan to prefer selling her herbs to Yan Wanyong, often staying to sip tea and chat whenever business was slow.
Today, after seeing a few patients come and go, Yan Wanyong was ready to pour Gu Zelan her usual cup of tea—only to be surprised when she declined.
“Huh? Zelan, you’re not staying to chat today?”
“Not today, I have something else to do. See you later, Sister Wanyong!”
“Alright then, if you’re busy I won’t hold you back. But do come visit me next time you’re free.”
“Will do~”
With a bright smile, Gu Zelan hoisted her herb basket and hurried out of town.
Ningtong was nestled within the Youzhou mountains, shrouded year-round in mist. The forests teemed with beasts, and deeper in, even rare spirit creatures and mystical plants.
Gu Zelan didn’t live in town. Instead, she had built a small bamboo hut near the mountain’s edge, close to Ningtong.
The hut was modest, with a living room and kitchen. A stream flowed past the front, and further ahead was a waterfall—where Gu Zelan often bathed.
Upon returning, she pushed open the door to find the sparsely furnished room much as she’d left it. A folding screen stood by the window, behind which lay a bamboo bed—with someone on it.
The person on the bed had a pale, almost translucent complexion. Her long lashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks, and her barely-rising chest proved she was still alive.
Gu Zelan had found her at the base of the waterfall.
Months ago, wounded and despondent, Gu Zelan had planned to live out her final days in Fusian Town. She thought dying beneath the snow would be a poetic end.
But fate had other plans.
In her last month, she met her savior—Chu Zhiqin.
At first, she hadn’t recognized her. It was only after a tavern owner’s casual comment that she connected the girl who gave her healing pills with the famed “First Sword Immortal of Jiuzhou.”
Jiuzhou was vast, and Gu Zelan could not find Chu Zhiqin to thank her. So she wandered until settling in these mountains, quietly cultivating, hoping that one day, if they met again, she would be worthy of her kindness.
Between cultivation, she sold herbs to experience a different life.
She thought life would continue on peacefully—until the day she found Chu Zhiqin, gravely wounded and unconscious in the water.
That day, as usual, she was catching fish near the waterfall when she noticed faint bl00d streaks in the clear stream.
They were nearly invisible, quickly dissipating.
She looked toward the waterfall and saw something floating behind the rocks. Approaching cautiously, her unease grew with each step. When she got close enough, she realized—it was a person!
In panic, she rushed forward, lifted the person’s head, and checked for breath.
The moment she saw the face, her knees buckled. It was Chu Zhiqin!
Soaked, freezing, her face bloodless, hair clinging to her cheeks. The sword wound on her chest had gone pale and ragged from being underwater too long.
After confirming she was still breathing, Gu Zelan carried her home, frantically tending to her injuries.
It had now been five days, and Chu Zhiqin remained unresponsive. If not for her faint breathing, Gu Zelan might’ve thought she had quietly passed away.
“How did you end up like this?” Gu Zelan murmured as she brushed the hair from her forehead. When treating her, she’d noticed a strange green aura protecting her wound—likely the only reason she was still alive.
“Please wake up soon. So many people are waiting for you.”
But Chu Zhiqin remained motionless.
Gu Zelan gazed at her for a while longer before stepping outside to continue her chores.
What she didn’t know was that the woman behind her, still lying unconscious, was lost in a dream—one she did not wish to wake from.
…
“Hiss—”
A sharp pain in her left shoulder pulled Chu Zhiqin from unconsciousness. She groaned and blinked against the blinding light until her vision adjusted.
She slowly sat up, her mind sluggish from days of sleep. As she looked around the room, a sense of familiarity struck her.
She had a wild guess.
To confirm it, she threw off the blanket and began to get out of bed.
Just then, the door opened.
“Ah! You’re finally awake, junior sister. How’s your shoulder? Still hurting?”
A woman stepped in, dressed in flowing robes, her long black hair loosely pinned with a jade hairpin. Her face lit up with joy upon seeing Chu Zhiqin awake.
Chu Zhiqin froze in disbelief. “Senior Sister…?”
Leng Junzhu smiled and gently touched her forehead. “It’s me. Still groggy? You look so dazed.”
Though their skin was the same temperature, Chu Zhiqin felt her senior sister’s touch burning into her soul. Her eyes stung with emotion.
She leaned into Leng Junzhu’s shoulder, choking out, “It hurts, Senior Sister…”
It wasn’t the physical pain—it was her heart that ached. As if a knife had pierced through it and twisted deep inside.
Leng Junzhu knew Chu Zhiqin could be affectionate, but she’d never seen her this fragile—crying like a porcelain doll.
She patted her trembling back and soothed her, “It’s alright now. Don’t be scared, I’m here.”
After some time, Chu Zhiqin calmed down. Realizing how she must’ve looked, she blushed and refused to lift her head.
Seeing this, Leng Junzhu teased, “Why so shy? Come now, let me see your face.”
Chu Zhiqin buried her head even deeper, ears turning red.
“Careful! Mind your injury!” Leng Junzhu exclaimed, gently checking her wound. “Do you even want to get better?”
Chu Zhiqin sniffled. “How did I get this wound?”
“You really are out of it,” Leng Junzhu chuckled, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. “Don’t you remember? A few days ago, you clashed with Su Yan near the cliff, took a hit to the shoulder, and both of you fell.”
“Thankfully someone found you in time, or who knows how long you’d have been lying down there.”
With her memory jogged, Chu Zhiqin suddenly remembered everything. She’d gone out for training, met Su Yan, fought intensely, and fallen off a cliff with him.
“I must’ve hit my head or something,” she muttered, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
“You silly girl,” Leng Junzhu tapped her forehead fondly. “No scolding for now—you just woke up. I’ll go fetch your medicine.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Leng Junzhu smiled and left.
In the following days, Chu Zhiqin would walk around the courtyard for recovery exercises. Whenever she could, Leng Junzhu visited to keep her company during the dull healing period.
Today, Leng Junzhu came carrying a small basket covered with cloth. The scent of flowers wafted through the air.
“Wow, that smells amazing! What did you bring today, Senior Sister?” Chu Zhiqin had just finished training when she noticed her sister carrying the fragrant bundle.
Leng Junzhu revealed the contents with a grin. “I asked around—your condition’s good enough for a little wine.”
She loved drinking. With her sister finally cleared for alcohol, she brought her homemade peach blossom wine. The fragrance was unmistakable.
“Then I’d better drink my fill today.”
“Nope. Just two cups.”
“Senior Sister—”
Chu Zhiqin tugged her sleeve, pouting. Usually, it only took a few seconds of this before Leng Junzhu would give in.
But today, she just looked at her with eyes full of sorrow and affection.
Chu Zhiqin noticed the change and let go.
They said nothing after that, quietly unpacking the food and drinks onto the stone table. Leng Junzhu urged her to eat something first.
Chu Zhiqin obediently took a bite of meat. The familiar flavor brought tears to her eyes for reasons she couldn’t explain.
Leng Junzhu poured a cup of wine. The peach trees around them were in full bloom. A single petal floated down, landing gently in the cup, causing ripples.
“…It’s time to wake up, isn’t it?” Chu Zhiqin whispered, sniffing.
Leng Junzhu looked at her sadly and said nothing—only pushed the cup toward her.
Chu Zhiqin raised the cup. The blossom inside swayed gently.
Raindrops fell into the wine.
She tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp.