How to Be the Perfect Junior Sister to a Reborn Villain - Chapter 27

Chapter 27 

At dawn the next morning, the disciples of Yunxiao Sect were busy packing their belongings.

Li Xi and Yan Jiuzhi had just returned from purifying the village with another round of spiritual cleansing rain.

Along the way, her senior brother patiently explained the difference between heretics, demon cultivators, and the demon race.

By the end of it, Li Xi was numb. Surviving in this cultivation world is really no easy feat…

It seemed that becoming stronger wasn’t just an option it was a necessity.

The grand ancestor Chengyuan had said she was a good seedling for the path of a healer, and Elder Gao had once mentioned wanting to pass his legacy to her.

But in her previous life, there was a saying Those who persuade others to study medicine should be struck by lightning. Now that she was living in a world where lightning tribulations were a real thing, learning medicine might literally get her struck by lightning!

Still, she was genuinely more interested in alchemy.

She didn’t dislike healing others, but she didn’t want to deal with doctor-patient disputes or the messy emotions that came with them.

She wanted to be an alchemist who could fight.

Senior brother,” she said earnestly, “can I focus on alchemy instead? Being a healer sounds so complicated, you have to manage people’s complaints and temperaments. I’d rather refine pills.

She truly liked alchemy. The feeling of a pill gradually taking shape in her hands brought her a deep sense of accomplishment.

Alchemy also requires a foundation in medical knowledge, Yan Jiuzhi replied calmly. “But you don’t need to think too far ahead right now.

He didn’t believe Li Xi had to become a healer specifically. She was still young it was far too early to decide between the paths of medicine or alchemy.

Li Xi thought of the woman who had lost her child yesterday and tugged on his sleeve. Her dewy eyes blinked up at him.
Senior brother, I want to learn that searching spell you used yesterday.

She was still frustrated at how useless she’d felt at the time.

That technique may seem simple, Yan Jiuzhi said, “but it involves deduction and divination. You’ve only been cultivating for a year you haven’t learned those yet. Don’t rush.

What? Is it that complicated?  Li Xi drooped, her expression instantly wilting.

Yan Jiuzhi smiled slightly. “We’re heading to Taixian Sect soon, aren’t we? You’ll learn everything there in time. Don’t worry.”

Well… she couldn’t hurry the process anyway.

Elder Gao stood in the courtyard, addressing the mortal disciples of Yunxiao Sect.

In the past, when he thought his lifespan was nearing its end, he hadn’t taken in any disciples with spiritual roots.

He only wanted to teach ordinary people a skill that could help them survive.

Now that they were leaving, he had so many things he wanted to say even if he’d already said them countless times before.

“When you practice medicine in the future,” he instructed sternly, “never trust only what the patient tells you.

Observe look, listen, question, and check the pulse. Don’t skip a single step. Some patients will hide their symptoms, especially women.

But as physicians, you must be clear-headed. You know how to ask properly I’ve taught you all this.”

“And don’t go around giving free treatment out of misplaced kindness. That’s extremely important.

Our free clinics before were just to build people’s trust and give you experience. But from now on, you must never diagnose or treat someone for free.

Even if they pay with chores, or vegetables, or water it doesn’t matter. Just don’t do it for nothing. Do you understand?”

Elder Gao looked every bit the fretful old father, as if he wanted to repeat his warnings ten thousand more times.

The disciples below listened with tears in their eyes, nodding fervently. They would remember every word their master had taught them.

Li Xi thought his advice made perfect sense.

People don’t value what they get for free it only breeds entitlement. No wonder there’s a saying: A favor as light as a grain of rice becomes a grievance when it grows into a sack.

Everyone continued bustling about with their final preparations.

Yan Jiuzhi dispelled the spirit-locking array and replaced it with a stronger concealing formation.

From now on, this would be a place for mortals. Concentrating too much spiritual energy here would only cause trouble.

It was better to let the nascent spirit vein grow naturally perhaps in a thousand years, it would form into a true minor spirit vein.

Lin Shanlai left behind a spirit-testing disk. He’d wanted to pass on a cultivation technique as well, but now that they knew the Xiaoyao Art was the Taixian Sect’s entry-level method, that wasn’t appropriate.

Yan Jiuzhi, understanding his master’s intent, added a basic cultivation manual and a few beginner spells instead.

Li Xi and Elder Gao also left behind a collection of low-grade pills.

When everything was finally ready, they set off for the Taixian Sect the next morning.

Li Xi thought they’d be traveling by spirit boat after all, that’s what always happened in the novels.

But Elder Cang Min simply flicked his sleeve, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing before the gates of Taixian Sect.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed, at the majestic entrance towering before them.

The plaque above bore three bold characters: Taixian Sect, written in strokes that flowed like iron and silver, strong, fluid, and carrying an indescribable charm.

It was said that some geniuses could even attain enlightenment just by staring at those words.

Li Xi froze. I really am a country bumpkin who’s never seen the world!

She turned to look at her master and senior brothers and sisters. Thankfully, she wasn’t the only bumpkin everyone else looked just as awestruck.

Only her third senior brother remained calm as ever. But then, he was a bigshot of course, he was used to this.

Elder Cang Min instructed a disciple to lead the Yunxiao group to the Path of Seeking Immortality.

“This is the sect’s rule,” he explained. “No matter who you are, to enter Taixian Sect, you must first walk the Path.”

Taixian Sect valued temperament and heart more than raw talent.

From what he’d observed recently, the Yunxiao disciples all had good hearts, even if their aptitudes varied. Their reputation among nearby towns was solid. There shouldn’t be a problem.

And if someone did fail… well, they could always return to Yunxiao Sect.

Everyone gazed up at the mist-shrouded path that seemed to stretch into infinity.

Not one of them backed down; they all stepped forward to face the trial.

Li Xi found the legendary Path of Seeking Immortality utterly fascinating.

She became completely absorbed as she walked, stepping through one scene after another many of which she had already forgotten.

In her previous life, she had been an orphan who died in an accident not long after starting college. There weren’t many regrets or attachments. Those images flashed by quickly.

In this life, she had lived comfortably as the Li family’s eldest daughter no major heart demons there either.

She even found it amusing when she saw an image of her father’s face turning purple with rage, his mustache trembling.

The illusions that appeared most often were of the woman who had lost her child, the battle against the heretic, and her moments helping villagers.

Again and again, within the illusion, she reaffirmed her resolve: She must become stronger only then could she control her own fate.

Yan Jiuzhi’s heart, meanwhile, was as steady as stone.

Having endured countless heart-refining illusions in his past life, he walked through every vision of his destroyed sect, his past and present trials, without hesitation or pause.

The others passed smoothly as well even little Cui completed the path within the allotted time.

Inside Taixian Sect’s main hall, the sect master and elders finally relaxed as they watched the reflections in the Water Mirror.

It wasn’t every day that the elusive grand ancestor decided to accept an entire small sect not as an affiliate, but as direct disciples of Taixian Sect itself.

They dared not guess at the old ancestor’s motives; they could only pray these newcomers would all pass.

Thankfully, the outcome was good.

“They all have steady hearts,” one elder said with relief, stroking his beard with a smile. “It seems fate truly connects them with our Taixian Sect.”

“Indeed,” another agreed. “I’ve been anxious this whole time. If they’d failed, how could we have explained it to the old ancestor?”

After all, the Path of Seeking Immortality was no easy trial.

During recruitment, thousands walked through it, yet only a hundred or so were usually accepted.

Not because others lacked talent but because Taixian Sect valued heart and fate above all else.

And fate… was the most mysterious thing of all. Those who passed the path were destined to belong to Taixian Sect.

Chengyuan, however, hadn’t worried at all. Worst case, he would’ve secretly helped them along the final stretch.

Either way, he was going to bring them in.

Now that they’d passed without his interference, it was clearly the will of heaven, as he’d said.

“Why are you so determined to bring these people in?” Elder Dikun asked, clearly unconvinced by his easygoing tone.

After all, Chengyuan had never cared much for that disciple in the past barely even acknowledged him as one.

“Ah, isn’t it all fate?” Chengyuan said with a grin, spreading his hands innocently. “These disciples of mine are destined to be part of Taixian Sect.”

Elder Dikun scowled, unable to stand the man’s smug face any longer, and vanished in irritation.

Elder Cang Min lowered his gaze, pretending to see and hear nothing, and respectfully escorted his master back to his palace atop the mountain peak.

From the heights, Chengyuan gazed into the distance, his eyes falling on a slender young man standing below upright and calm, like a pine among bamboo.

In this life, he thought silently, all those you care for are safe and well.

Now, you stand under the full support of a great sect, with every resource at your disposal.

What will you become this time?

Will you fade into mediocrity spoiled like Xia Mengxue once was?

Or will you grow to shine even brighter than in your previous life?