How to Be the Perfect Junior Sister to a Reborn Villain - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

It was early autumn, but the weather was still stiflingly hot. Cicadas screeched relentlessly in the trees, their cries piercing the heavy air.

In the backyard of the wealthy Li family’s residence, in the remote town of Ang City.

Li Xi’s eyes were wide enough to pop out of her head, her youthful face full of disbelief.

This damn ancient society! She hadn’t even reached the age of coming of age, and her family was already arranging a marriage for her?!

Her mother, Madam Yu, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. She twisted her handkerchief and nagged on endlessly.
Lixi, Young Master Xu is a perfect match for you. Our families have known each other for years. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

Fine, my ass!

“What’s so ‘perfect’ about it, huh? His face looks like a stuffed rice dumpling, and his waist is as thick as an iron barrel!”

Li Xi’s eyes practically sparked with fury. “Mother  Madam Yu, how much silver did they give you to sell me out like this?”

Madam Yu looked awkward. Yes, the Xu family’s young master was somewhat unattractive.

But the Xu family’s business was much larger than theirs, and when her husband heard about the proposal, he was immediately tempted. He’d practically forced her to convince their daughter, Lixi.

You can’t just look at a person’s appearance, Madam Yu muttered weakly. “You should also consider his family background and character.

“Ha! So it’s really the family background that matters,”

 Li Xi sneered.

 Trying to reason with her mother, this woman who treated her husband like the center of her universe, was pointless.

Every time she tried to lecture her daughter about “female virtue” or “womanly conduct,” the girl would turn around and beat up her younger brother under the pretense of “teaching him how to be a five-star gentleman.”

If she was this angry now… she couldn’t be going to beat Li Nan again, could she?!

A small crowd scrambled after her, only to find that Li Xi had dashed into her father’s study instead.

When Madam Yu heard the report, she let out a long sigh of relief and downed several cups of tea in one go. Thank goodness. Not  Li Nan this time.

She’d told her husband all along that the Yu Young master wasn’t a good match. He was too ugly, of course, their daughter wouldn’t agree! Well, let him deal with this mess now.

Inside the study, Master Li was happily flipping through the ledgers with one hand and clicking an abacus with the other, his face glowing with satisfaction. His whiskers even trembled .

 BANG!

The door slammed open so violently that it bounced on its hinges.

Startled, Master Li nearly jumped out of his chair and instinctively clutched the golden abacus to his chest, heart pounding.

When he saw it was his daughter, he let out a breath of relief, but his tone quickly turned stern.
What kind of behavior is this? You’re a young lady of good family, where’s your composure?

Li Xi had no patience for pretense. She went straight to the point.
“Father, I’m not agreeing to the Xu family proposal!”

Master Li felt a headache coming on. He tried to keep his expression composed.
“Marriage is decided by the parents and arranged through a matchmaker. Right now it’s just an introductory meeting. If that goes well, then we’ll talk about engagement. The wedding’s still far off.

And besides, the Xu family’s a good match. Their business has branches all over other towns. They’re quite successful.

So their business is big, and that means you can sell your daughter off for profit? 

Li Xi’s anger flared.

 She slammed her hand on the desk so hard the hairpins in her hair jingled.

She knew her father too well. Clearly, he’d been blinded by the Xu family’s wealth. Once she went to that.

Master Li’s face darkened. Look at yourself! What kind of attitude is that? My decision is final, the Xu family is.”

“Fine! Great! Just you wait!” Li Xi snapped, trembling with fury.

From that day on, Li Xi turned the Li residence upside down.

She grabbed a wooden staff and practiced in the courtyard every day, each swing fierce, each strike ruthless. The sound of wood hitting the straw dummy echoed through the house like thunder.

The sight alone terrified her two brothers, especially the youngest, Li Nan.

He crouched by the door, peering nervously through the crack.

He sucked in a breath. It’s over. She’s lost her mind.

Every time his sister hit the dummy, his body flinched in sympathy.

From experience, he knew before that stick ever found its way to Young Master Xu, it would probably land on him first.

Don’t be fooled by his sister’s sweet and gentle looks; when she hit someone, it hurt.

No, he had to save himself.

“Big Brother,” he whispered.

We need to talk to Father. That turtle faced Xu brat isn’t worthy of my sister. People will laugh us to death if this goes through.

Being laughed at wasn’t even the real concern. The real problem was that their sister looked ready to beat the Xu boy to death!  Li Nan shivered.

Father, I’ve been thinking, she said seriously. 

The Xu family must be our enemies. You’re marrying me off to destroy them from within, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll do my best.

Her two brothers froze in horror, eyes wide. They turned toward their father with expressions that said, You’re even more vicious than we thought!

I’m not! I didn’t! Don’t make things up! Master Li was nearly in tears.

No marriage, all right? I’ll send word to the matchmaker right away. I’ll find you someone better good family, good looks, you’ll be happy, I promise.”

I don’t want to marry anyone! 

Can’t I just stay home and be a spinster? Li Xi took her chance to bargain. She had zero desire to marry, especially in this archaic era.

“Absolutely not!” Master Li’s voice shot up an octave. 

What proper young lady doesn’t marry? His tone softened slightly. She becomes an immortal cultivator.

“Wait, what?” Li Xi blinked. “An immortal cultivator?”

There were cultivators in this world?!

Her heart thumped wildly as she stared at her father, voice trembling with excitement. Father, what’s an immortal cultivator? How does one become one? Where can I learn? I want to be one.

Master Li gave her a long, skeptical look. Cultivators can summon wind and rain, soar through the skies, and traverse the earth. Do you really think ordinary folk like us can be that? 

Only those with a destined connection to the heavens,  spiritual fate can become one. And you? Forget it. No one in our family’s ever had such luck.

Li Xi’s eyes lit up. So this was a cultivation world!

How do you know I don’t have spiritual fate? 

You haven’t even let me try! I’m going, no matter what.

How could she not have a spiritual fate? She was a transmigrator. Would someone without destiny manage to reincarnate in another world?

She’d originally thought this was some typical ancient setting—maybe a farming or business-empire kind of story. She’d already been training for that, reading account books and practicing calculations until she was better than her brothers even before reaching adulthood.

But now? Turns out she was the cultivation novel’s female lead!

Her golden finger hadn’t shown up yet, but surely she had spiritual roots… right?

Master Li sighed. “Fine. I’ll let you see for yourself. There’s a sect called Cloudsky Gate not far from Ang City. We’ll go there tomorrow and have them test you.”

He figured a little reality check would cure her delusions. Once she realized she had no spiritual roots, she’d calm down and accept her fate in marriage.

How strong is Cloudsky Gate? What’s their ranking?  Li Xi asked eagerly. If she was really going to cultivate, she’d better join a big sect!

Keep dreaming.

 That’s the only sect nearby. If you don’t like it, too bad! You’re not going any further.

Master Li’s chubby face scrunched into a scowl, ready to retract his offer at any moment.

“I’ll go! I’ll definitely go!” Li Xi said at once.

Whatever the sect, anything was better than getting married. And besides been dreaming of sword flight for years.