Haven't Been a Senior Sister for Many Years - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Secret Realm of Dingmi City

Shrouded in mist, a range of majestic mountains stretched endlessly. Nestled atop one towering peak sat a grand palace complex. Four Sword Pavilion disciples, each with their hair coiled into single topknots and dressed in white arch-sleeved uniforms, hurried through a moon gate, making their way toward the northeastern side hall of the Jade Purity Palace.

The leading young woman looked slightly annoyed and hastened her steps. “It’s all your fault! If we’re late, we’ll all be scolded!”

Trailing behind, Shangguan Yan tried to soothe her. “Senior Sister, say no more! Save your strength to hurry.”

Little junior sister Ye Ling’er covered her mouth and giggled. Beside her, third junior sister Lin Hongxue gave her a nudge to remind her to straighten her expression—Senior Sister was glaring at her.

Ye Ling’er looked up, only to see the back of Senior Sister Ding Ying’s head. She had been tricked.

She retaliated with an elbow jab, but Lin Hongxue dodged easily and retaliated with a pinch to her arm.

“Ow!”

Ding Ying scolded, “Quiet! We’ve arrived at the side hall. Watch your words.”

Lin Hongxue and Ye Ling’er lowered their heads in repentance. “Yes.”

A young attendant at the door approached them with a smile. “You must be the sisters from Yaoguang Hall. Please, come with me. Elders Liu Rushuang and Chu Yu are waiting for you inside.”

“We are deeply sorry to have kept the elders waiting.”

“No need to worry. The elders are not angry.”

Ding Ying straightened her wind-mussed hair and sleeves from the hasty walk. Once she was sure her appearance was tidy, she followed the attendant inside. Her three junior sisters mimicked her, quickly tidying themselves and entering the hall.

“I’ve brought them, Elders Liu and Chu.”

“Very well, you may go.”

“Yes.”

“You are disciples from Yaoguang Hall?” Elder Chu Yu asked casually.

As the eldest among the four, Ding Ying stepped forward and answered, “Elder, I am Ding Ying, personal disciple of Zhanxiang Zhenren of Yaoguang Hall. These are my junior sisters: Shangguan Yan, Lin Hongxue, and Ye Ling’er. We were delayed slightly en route and deeply regret keeping you waiting.”

The others knelt respectfully, heads bowed in silence.

Elder Chu Yu did not make things difficult. Instead, she smiled. “Do we look that frightening? You may rise.”

“Thank you, Elder.” The three younger disciples stood and subtly hid behind Ding Ying, trying to reduce their presence.

Chu Yu asked, “Your master should’ve informed you of your purpose in coming to Jade Purity Palace, yes?”

“Yes, Elder,” Ding Ying replied.

“Good, that saves us some explanation. Elder Liu and I will be leading the team this time. If anything arises, speak freely. Don’t let minor issues lead to major trouble.”

“We understand and will follow your guidance, Elder.”

Before departure, Elder Chu confirmed with them, “Do any of you still have belongings left behind? Once we leave the sect, there’s no returning to fetch them.”

Ding Ying shook her head.

“Then let us depart.”

As she spoke, a flying ship large enough to carry dozens appeared in the courtyard.

“This journey is long. Flying by sword would be too much for you. This ship will take us to our destination.” Elder Chu Yu and Elder Liu Rushuang leapt aboard and signaled the others to follow.

The four sisters barely had time to marvel before they vaulted onto the deck.

“Find yourselves a spot. Elder Liu and I will be at the bow. If you need anything—training-related or otherwise—don’t hesitate to approach us.”

“Yes!”

Elders Chu and Liu sat cross-legged at the bow. Powered by high-grade spirit stones, the ship slowly ascended, then flew toward the trial grounds.

Ding Ying and her sisters gathered at the rear, sitting in a circle.

“Though Elder Chu told us to speak freely,” Ding Ying said, “we’d best avoid bothering them unless necessary.”

Shangguan Yan nodded. “Understood.”

Ye Ling’er murmured, “Senior Sister, I’m a little nervous…”

Lin Hongxue teased, “Our fearless little junior sister is scared now?”

Ye Ling’er pounced, tickling her. “Don’t make fun of me! It’s my first time going so far for a trial!”

Lin Hongxue grabbed her hands, laughing breathlessly. “You dare tickle me? You’re asking for it! Take this!”

The two fell into a playful tussle. Their faces flushed with laughter, hairdos undone, uniforms rumpled—a complete mess.

Ding Ying rubbed her temples and pulled them apart.

“Can’t you two behave like Shangguan Yan? How old are you now? Still acting like children! Don’t disgrace Yaoguang Hall!”

“We’re sorry, Senior Sister…”

“Truly sorry…”

They let go of each other’s clothes and hung their heads.

Shangguan Yan tried to smooth things over. “Please don’t be angry, Senior Sister. It’s a rare trip. They just got carried away. They’ll be more careful next time.”

Ding Ying sighed. “You spoil them too much. Fine. But no more nonsense.”

Lin Hongxue and Ye Ling’er clapped. “Yay! We knew Senior Sister loved us best!”

Ding Ying glared. “Less flattery, more tidying. You look a mess.”

“Yes~”

The two helped each other fix their hair and soon returned to neat, proper appearances.

As the ship neared the sect’s protective barrier, the previously meditating sisters heard a commotion outside and opened their eyes, peering over the edge.

A crowd of cultivators had gathered outside Sword Pavilion, accusing them loudly of harboring the traitor Chu Zhiqin and questioning their sense of justice.

The gatekeeper remained unmoved, eyes cast downward, indifferent to their shouting.

Ye Ling’er murmured, “I wonder how Elder Chu Zhiqin is doing now…”

“Probably fine. Otherwise, those useless fools would’ve sniffed her out already,” Lin Hongxue said, glancing toward the bow to check if the elders had overheard. They remained silent, so she relaxed.

“I hope they never find her,” Ye Ling’er added. “Ever.”

Shangguan Yan teased, “Then you’ll never get to meet your idol again.”

Everyone in Yaoguang Hall knew that Ye Ling’er adored Elder Chu Zhiqin. She’d go on and on about her at any opportunity, to the point where everyone’s ears developed calluses. Some would even flee at the mere mention of “Chu,” afraid she was launching into another sermon.

Ye Ling’er cried, “No way! I haven’t even talked to her yet!”

“Dummy. Focus on your training first!”

“Oh, Senior Sister, what’s the place we’re going to again?”

“The Dingmi City Desert.”

“The Dingmi City Desert?”

“Yes.”

…

The Dingmi City Desert.

After a night’s rest, Chu Zhiqin and Leng Junzhu slowly made their way through the scorching heat toward the uninhabited zone.

Bundled tightly in sunproof cloaks and sand masks, the harsh environment had completely drained the energy from a certain green snake. She lay limply in Chu Zhiqin’s arms, too weak to even complain. Still, no matter how hot it was, Leng Junzhu refused to move from Chu Zhiqin’s embrace.

Chu Zhiqin, full of concern, used spiritual energy to shield her from the heat, even producing millennium-cold ice from her storage ring to cool her down. But Leng Junzhu—sensitive to both heat and cold—couldn’t handle the temperature swing and soon asked her to put it away.

“This is your fault! If you hadn’t sealed my demonic powers, I wouldn’t be suffering like this!”

After being fed a few ice-type spiritual fruits, Leng Junzhu regained some strength and began scolding.

Chu Zhiqin didn’t reply, silently channeling her energy to keep her cool.

“How much longer?”

“About two more days by camel.”

“Two days?! I’ll be a dried snake by then!”

Leng Junzhu widened her eyes in shock. She hadn’t expected it to take so long without flying.

“I offered to carry you with my sword, but you refused.”

“Hmph! Of course not! How could I let you serve me properly if we’re flying?”

Chu Zhiqin shook her head helplessly. She knew Leng Junzhu only acted like this to get a rise out of her—and if Chu Zhiqin got angry, she’d be happy.

In the beginning, Chu Zhiqin might have been hurt by Leng Junzhu’s hot-and-cold behavior. But over time, she learned to tune it out and calmly serve her regardless.

When Chu Zhiqin didn’t take the bait, Leng Junzhu grew bored and closed her eyes. A moment later, she smacked away a fruit Chu Zhiqin held to her lips. “Ugh, full of sand. I’m not eating it!”

Chu Zhiqin silently withdrew her hand. Even though she’d been using spiritual energy to block out all sand since entering the desert, she didn’t call out the lie.

As long as her senior sister stayed with her, she’d endure anything.

She hugged the person in her arms a little tighter and sighed inwardly.

Two days passed. Along the way, Chu Zhiqin dealt with several desert bandits. Just as Leng Junzhu was nearing the limits of her patience, the camel finally brought them near the entrance of the secret realm.

Golden sands stretched in every direction. Ancient ruins remained only as broken foundations and scattered bricks. A withered thousand-year-old poplar tree stood half-buried in sand, its gnarled trunk bearing silent witness to the ages.

Chu Zhiqin chose this spot to release the camel. She stroked its head in farewell. “Goodbye.”

The strong young camel, with plenty of water stored in its hump, grunted and walked off.

“Farewells done?”

“Mm.”

“Where’s the secret realm?”

“This way.”

As Chu Zhiqin led the way toward the ruins, the sound of a flying ship startled her. She immediately pulled Leng Junzhu behind some rocks to hide and observe.

A small flying ship landed, and six women stepped out—all dressed in white, arch-sleeved uniforms. Two tall, beautiful women led four younger-looking girls, likely their juniors.

Chu Zhiqin frowned and took two disguise pills from her storage ring, handing one to Leng Junzhu.

“Pick a plain-looking face. From now on, I’m Liu Sanqi, and you’re Liu Fuling. We’re wandering rogue cultivators, here to try our luck in Dingmi City Desert’s secret realm.”

Leng Junzhu asked, “Who are those people? You looked tense the moment you saw them. Don’t tell me you’ve been flirting behind my back?”

Chu Zhiqin shook her head with a bitter smile. “They’re from Sword Pavilion. Seems this secret realm won’t be peaceful. Let them go first. We’ll enter after.”

When she heard “Sword Pavilion,” Leng Junzhu raised a brow—old acquaintances, then.

“Fine. I’m just your pitiful little lover with nowhere else to go, after all. I’ll listen to you.”

Chu Zhiqin frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense. You know I never—”

Leng Junzhu cut her off. She knew what was coming: more “I never looked down on you” speeches she’d heard a hundred times.

“Yeah, yeah. Talking won’t kill me.”

Chu Zhiqin pressed her lips together, visibly displeased.

Her senior sister didn’t believe her.

Silence fell between them. Only after the Sword Pavilion group entered the secret realm did Chu Zhiqin finally speak.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright.”