Haven't Been a Senior Sister for Many Years - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Desert

The next day, as soon as Leng Junzhu recovered, she impatiently pulled Chu Zhiqin, eager to leave the valley. She had enough of Hualing’s sneering sarcasm—any longer, and she’d lose control of the demonic energy inside her and sew that woman’s mouth shut.

Fortunately, Hualing couldn’t wait to see them gone either.

Before they left, Hualing tossed Chu Zhiqin a storage ring. Chu Zhiqin caught it and looked at her in surprise.

“Don’t get the wrong idea—I’m just repaying a favor,” Hualing said awkwardly. “You’re heading into the desert, right? Inside are mostly rootless water and some antidote pills. Nothing valuable, just some odds and ends.”

“Thank you,” Chu Zhiqin replied.

Hualing snorted. “The best way to thank me is to get out of here.”

“Take care,” Chu Zhiqin said in farewell.

After the two had left, Hualing hugged her spirit fox and let out a long sigh. It’s you two who need to take care the most.

In just over a month, the Nine Provinces, which had been peaceful for thousands of years, were thrown into chaos. Hundreds of demonic cultivators surged across the land, leaving behind scars that would be hard to erase.

Now, whether they were righteous cultivators or demonic ones, they were all searching for Chu Zhiqin and Leng Junzhu. If the two were discovered, it would surely bring a massive manhunt upon them.

“What would you like to eat today, darling?” Hualing scratched the fox’s chin. She had done everything she could to help them—what came next was up to them.

The spirit fox narrowed its eyes and purred contentedly.

“Oh? Fish, is it? Then let’s go catch a few by the Ice Spring.” Hualing spoke to herself as her graceful figure disappeared into the dense forest.

Leng Junzhu turned into a green snake again, coiling around Chu Zhiqin’s wrist.

Leaving Hidden Mist Valley, the biting snow and wind clung to them. In such freezing temperatures, the serpent demon just wanted to curl up in bed and hibernate—not trek through a wintery wasteland.

As the Demon Lord, she had never once set foot outside in winter.

Though Chu Zhiqin wrapped her in spiritual energy, it had little effect. The green snake around her wrist kept tightening, as if trying to embed itself into her flesh.

Chu Zhiqin wasn’t ready to become a one-armed sword immortal, so she carefully moved the snake from her wrist to the warmth of her chest. That spot pleased the snake greatly—she curled up contentedly.

“Which desert do you want to go to?” Chu Zhiqin asked.

The snake didn’t respond.

Chu Zhiqin sighed. Fine, let’s just get out of here first.

When they came, she had walked most of the way instead of flying, hoping that retracing old paths might stir Leng Junzhu’s memories.

But now that she had seven drops of her senior sister’s memories, she didn’t want to waste time. She wanted to use what little time they had to take her around.

Chu Zhiqin summoned her Wuyou Sword and soared into the sky.

The snow-covered ground quickly receded behind her, along with the bitter cold. The snake curled up inside the cloak stirred, seemingly wanting to come out.

Chu Zhiqin opened the cloak, letting the snake return to her wrist.

Once it coiled around her wrist again, she asked, “Which desert?”

The snake hissed twice—and strangely, Chu Zhiqin understood her.

She immediately changed direction, heading east toward the most mysterious, dangerous, and expansive desert in the Nine Provinces—the Dingmi Desert, also known as the Sea of Deathly Sands.

Endless dunes. The jingling of camel bells.

Arriving at the desert, Chu Zhiqin changed out of her heavy winter clothes into something lighter and sunproof. Before entering, she bought a strong young camel from the locals.

To avoid suspicion, she also purchased dry rations and water. At the kind suggestion of a local, she added some cloaks for sun protection during the day and thicker garments for the cold desert nights.

She even bought a tent.

She could do without, but the snake on her wrist definitely couldn’t. If she didn’t pamper it properly, it would surely throw another tantrum.

“Young lady,” the elderly vendor warned, “don’t blame me for speaking harshly, but going into the desert alone is too dangerous. Forget the heat and shifting sands—those desert bandits are cruel and skilled fighters. A girl like you going in alone… it’s suicide!”

Such a lovely young woman—what a shame if she got caught by bandits.

Chu Zhiqin thanked him. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Seeing she couldn’t be dissuaded, the vendor sighed.

“Here—take this. Don’t die out there.” He tossed her a string of sea-buckthorn berries. “If you run out of water, this might just save your life.”

“Thank you.”

The vendor waved her off. “If you really want to thank me, come back alive!”

“I will.”

Chu Zhiqin led her camel, laden with supplies, into the desert.

The scorched earth radiated relentless heat. The sun above burned her skin, making her dizzy.

She had to circulate her spiritual energy to maintain her body temperature.

The camel trudged slowly through the sand. With her hood up and eating berries, Chu Zhiqin checked her map under the shade.

She remembered a secret realm hidden deep within the Dingmi Desert. The entrance was well concealed—if no one had guided her last time, she would never have found it.

Unfortunately, she had left in a hurry after retrieving the item she needed.

But this time, it would be a perfect place to relax and clear Leng Junzhu’s mind.

Thanks to the camel, she only had to steer occasionally.

The town behind her faded into the horizon, swallowed by the endless sands.

The camel bells jingled. From a nearby dune came the soft hiss of shifting sand.

“Big brother, do we really need to be this cautious for just one woman?” Hu Hetong asked, confused. She was alone—why was his brother so cautious?

Hu Fen glared at his younger brother. “The biggest danger in our trade is underestimating people. You think I’ve survived this long because of my cultivation? No—it’s because I know who to rob and who to avoid.”

“That woman is no easy target.”

Hu Fen had been a desert bandit for over a decade. He’d once belonged to a moderately notorious gang and had climbed the ranks with his mid-Golden Core cultivation.

Eventually, he split off on his own. When his younger brother joined him, they became a highly effective team.

Hu Fen had noticed the woman as soon as she arrived in Dingmi City.

Even in simple clothes, her stunning looks and poised demeanor stood out. And the way she spent money—he immediately added her to his robbery list.

But the more he followed her, the more he realized something was off.

No noble lady could ride a camel without flinching. No pampered girl could stay dry and composed under this scorching heat.

He’d misjudged her.

“Let’s go. She’s not someone we can mess with,” Hu Fen said.

Hu Hetong was shocked. He’d never seen his brother back off without even trying.

“We’re just gonna leave?”

Hu Fen smacked him on the head. “What’s the point of having loot if you’re dead? Let’s go before night falls.”

Rubbing his head, Hu Hetong grumbled, “Alright…”

The two vanished into the dunes.

“Hmph, you’re far too kind,” Leng Junzhu grumbled, appearing in human form. “They followed us all this way and you didn’t even lift a finger. If I still had my powers, they’d be crawling home.”

Chu Zhiqin gently draped a sun cloak over her head and adjusted their position so she could sit more comfortably.

“They didn’t attack. Why make trouble unnecessarily?”

“Such a saint.”

“Want a sea-buckthorn berry?”

A berry placed at her lips interrupted her spell. She chewed twice, and the sourness burst in her mouth, making her scrunch her face.

“You—!” she turned around and lightly punched Chu Zhiqin. “Are you looking for a beating?”

“Sorry, I just wanted you to try a local specialty.” Chu Zhiqin didn’t mind the punch and smiled brightly, holding her hand.

Leng Junzhu had seen her smile before—but always with bitterness or apology.

This was the first time she saw her smile freely, purely.

She was stunned for a moment, forgetting to pull her hand away.

Chu Zhiqin tilted her head. “What’s wrong? Feeling unwell?”

Leng Junzhu snapped out of it, yanking her hand back. “N-no! It’s just your berry—it’s so sour it gave me a headache.”

Chu Zhiqin frowned and began massaging her temples. “Still hurt?”

“It’s alright—use more force! What, haven’t eaten?”

“Ow, ow, that hurts! Are you trying to crush my skull?!”

“Sorry…”

“Hmph.”

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Let me think—”

Beneath the vast desert sky, a young camel carried two slender figures as they nestled together on the dunes. Bathed in the golden red hues of sunset, their silhouettes stretched long across the sand, like a vivid mural from the walls of Dunhuang.

That night, Chu Zhiqin set up the tent and laid out rugs.

The campfire kept the night chill at bay. Leng Junzhu, wrapped in thick woolen blankets, sat nearby to warm herself.

“This blanket is so itchy! Don’t you have anything better?”

Chu Zhiqin handed her a fox-fur cloak. “Layer this underneath—it should help.”

She put it on. “Much better.”

“Where are we heading next?”

“Here.” Chu Zhiqin pointed at a corner on the map. “There’s a secret realm here. The treasures inside are pretty high quality. Might be worth exploring.”

“Oh? I’ll look forward to it.”

“It’s chilly tonight. Get some rest.”

“Mm.”

Under the starlit desert sky, the two lay inside the tent. The fire outside still flickered, and Leng Junzhu pressed herself close, greedily soaking in Chu Zhiqin’s warmth.

In the deep of night, Chu Zhiqin opened her eyes, gazing at Leng Junzhu’s sleeping face with a heavy heart.

She took out the memory vial—the glowing memories inside flickered like fireflies.

If not for what Hualing had said that day, she would’ve already fed the memories to Leng Junzhu without hesitation.

But now… she hesitated.

She feared that if Leng Junzhu regained her memories, she might reject her new self and leave her again.

That was the one thing Chu Zhiqin couldn’t bear.

She closed her eyes, clutching the memory vial tightly.

Senior Sister… what should I do?