How to Be the Perfect Junior Sister to a Reborn Villain - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

When Li Xi returned to Cloudsky Sect, she looked around at the simple huts and plainly dressed disciples. 

For a long moment, her mind felt like it was overgrown with weeds.

Her father’s heart was really too big, she thought bitterly. How could he just dump his daughter here without a second thought?

Junior Sister, let me show you around,

Lin Shanlai said with a warm smile, taking her hand and leading her through the small sect grounds.

She was a cheerful, straightforward woman, but as she glanced at her new junior sister dressed in a fine silk gown, delicate and beautiful, she couldn’t help sighing inwardly. I really hope she can adapt to this kind of frugal life.

The sect’s layout was modest, more like a medium-sized courtyard estate, two sections deep, with front and rear courtyards and about twenty rooms total.

To someone used to living in the spacious and elegant Li Manor, it all felt painfully shabby. They finished the tour rather quickly.

Along the way, Li Xi also learned that all her fellow disciples had been adopted by her new master, Lin Shanlai, and Elder Gao.

No wonder everyone’s surname was either Lin or Gao.

So… I’ve basically joined an orphanage?

She ignored the rows of drying herbs in the back courtyard; her eyes were fixed instead on the chicken coop in the corner, where several hens were happily scratching at the dirt for bugs.

This is supposed to be a cultivation sect?

Are we sure it’s not a countryside farm?

Her smile stiffened. With clear doubt in her tone, she asked.

 “Senior Sister… what realm is our Master at?”

Noticing her junior’s skeptical expression, Lin Ruo, “second Brother,” immediately tried to salvage the sect’s dignity.

Our Master is a Core Formation stage sword cultivator, and Elder Gao is a Foundation Building stage healer at full completion.

So, they were at least slightly stronger than the smallest, most struggling sects out there.

Li Xi quietly let out a breath of relief. 

Not completely hopeless. I can still survive here.

Forget everything else.

Step one: reach the Qi Refining stage. Without that, even leaving the mountain would be unsafe.

“Senior Sister,” she asked eagerly, “when can I start cultivating?”

Lin Ruo blinked, surprised by her enthusiasm. You’re really diligent. Well, since you’re so eager, let’s go ask Master for your cultivation technique.”

Though astonished that her new junior sister wanted to start training the very first day, Lin Ruo still led her straight to their master’s quarters.

Lin Shanlai (Head of Cloudsky sect) had just been about to meditate when he saw Lin Ruo bringing his newest disciple over.

The little girl was bright-eyed and graceful, with a lively charm and a faint dimple when she smiled, adorable, really, and her talent was remarkable. The more he looked at her, the more satisfied he felt.

He took out an old, yellowed book from a wooden cabinet and handed it to her. This is our sect’s cultivation method, the Art of Carefree Flow. You have a good aptitude if you study seriously; you should be able to draw spiritual energy into your body soon.

Li Xi carefully accepted the book and opened it. The paper was so fragile it seemed ready to crumble at the slightest touch. She hardly dared to breathe, afraid it would fall apart in her hands.

Clearly, this was an ancient text  old, but filled with diagrams and notes that made it look fairly straightforward to learn.

Lin Shanlai pointed to the illustrations, briefly explaining how to meditate and guide spiritual energy through the meridians.

“Ah Ruo,” he said, turning to Lin Ruo, explain the meridian points to your junior sister in more detail.

“Yes, Master,” Lin Ruo replied obediently, though she muttered inwardly, Master’s always so old-fashioned. When I was her age, Elder Gao taught me all that himself!

She brought Li Xi back to her room and carefully explained the important meridians, how to sense and absorb spiritual energy, and the things she needed to watch out for during cultivation.

“Thank you, Senior Sister,” Li Xi said earnestly. It didn’t sound too hard, actually. Her eyes shone with anticipation. I’ll try it right now.

Her new room was modest compared to the luxurious chambers she’d had back home. There were no decorations, not even a dressing table, but at least it was clean and airy, with sunlight streaming through the paper windows.

A low wooden platform served as a bed, square and plain, with a futon placed neatly on top.

Li Xi walked over, sat down cross-legged, and settled onto the cushion.

“Wait, hold on!” Lin Ruo called, startled. I haven’t even finished telling you about the sect yet.

Li Xi sighed and paused, giving her senior sister a look that said, Fine, go on.

Lin Ruo quickly continued, Cloudsky Sect has existed for over fifteen hundred years. 

Currently, aside from Master and Elder Gao, there are only five disciples in total.

Five? Li Xi blinked. Didn’t I see more than ten people earlier?

Lin Ruo smiled wryly. Those were outer disciples and helpers. Only those with spirit roots can become official disciples. The rest just learn martial arts or medicine so they’ll have some way to make a living later.

Li Xi: 

So this really is a glorified charity school, huh?

She had been too naive, she thought a sect with a dozen members was already small enough. Who would’ve thought there were only five official disciples?.

Your third senior brother, Yan Jiuzhi, is currently away for training. You haven’t met him yet, Lin Ruo said with a light laugh. When she thought of that handsome junior brother of hers, she couldn’t help smiling wider. Her new little junior sister would definitely like him.

But then she remembered that he’d been gone for several months without a single letter, and her heart tightened with worry.

Training, huh? Could he actually be… working as a bodyguard somewhere?

Li Xi was already losing faith in this sect.

After collecting her thoughts, Lin Ruo sighed and spoke carefully. “Little junior sister, you have excellent aptitude. If, in the future, you wish to join a larger sect, we won’t stop you. For example, your fourth senior brother has a fire spiritual root. He’s only six now, but in a couple of years, Master will take him to one of the great sects for their disciple selection. It’d be a waste for you two to stay here forever.

Lin Ruo herself only had three spiritual roots, and their second senior brother, Tao Wen, had four, barely enough to be an outer disciple at a big sect, or worse, just a menial one. Going to a small sect wouldn’t make much difference; she’d rather stay in Yunxiao Sect, the place she’d come to love.

Li Xi was completely dumbfounded.

The next morning, Li Xi woke up early. She spent a while watching her fellow disciples practice sword techniques in the courtyard before finally seeing her maid Xiaocui arrive along with her tearful mother.

Madam Yu’s face was streaked with tears as she clutched Li Xi’s hand tightly, trying to pull her away. “Lixi, if Young Master Xu isn’t good enough, we can find you another one! Someone you actually like! Mother won’t allow you to become a Daoist priest!”

A good woman should marry, raise a family, and teach her children that was the life she believed her daughter should have. How could her daughter become a Daoist? And worse, her husband had agreed to it!

Madam Yu had cried all night, and now she was determined to take her daughter home no matter what.

The disciples of Yunxiao Sect exchanged helpless glances, watching the mother and daughter tug back and forth. None of them dared step in.

“Mother, I’m not going back. I want to become an immortal cultivator!” Li Xi said firmly.

She was not joking; she’d finally gotten the chance to cultivate immortality, and she’d rather die than give it up.

She used to think poverty was the scariest thing in the world. Now she realized that being trapped in a courtyard for life, spending her days teaching stepchildren and maintaining appearances, was far worse. The thought alone sent chills down her spine.

Sure, she hadn’t managed to sense any spiritual energy last night, no matter how long she meditated, but that couldn’t possibly mean she lacked talent. It was definitely just her mind wandering too much.

The mother and daughter pulled at each other for quite some time. Li Xi refused to leave, and Madam Yu could only cry harder. Just look at this place, so poor, so shabby!

Those so-called immortal masters weren’t they just people wearing rough-edged robes? They didn’t even look as well-off as the servants back home!

But her daughter had always been strong-willed, and there was no changing her mind. Maybe after a few days of hardship, she’d realize her mistake and come home.

Resigned, Madam Yu could only bow respectfully to Lin Shanlai. My daughter was spoiled since childhood and has never suffered before. I hope you can be patient with her, Immortal Master.

If he found her too troublesome, he could always send her back.

Lin Shanlai nodded repeatedly. “Of course, of course. I’ll make sure she’s properly guided.”

With nothing else to do, Madam Yu finally left, weeping as she went.

Watching the carriage disappear down the mountain road, Li Xi let out a long sigh of relief.

Her maid Xiaocui, a sturdy fourteen-year-old girl who’d practiced martial arts, carried in the luggage two large bundles, one in each hand. The other disciples quickly came to help as well.

Rice, flour, oil, and smoked meat Li Xi told them to bring all that straight to the kitchen.

The rest were her personal belongings, mostly clothes, shoes, and bedding enough to fill several large bundles.

Leaving Xiao cui to unpack, Li Xi sat down under the eaves with her copy of the Carefree Scripture, studying it intently.

She read it several times over, carefully recalling everything her master and senior sister had taught her the day before.

By the time she was done, she was certain she really did understand it.