My Cold Senior Sister Keeps Flirting with Me - Chapter 12

The three-month course passed in the blink of an eye, like a white horse galloping past a crack in a wall.

During this time, An Ran primarily focused on theoretical knowledge, while her practical training was mostly conducted under her Master’s guidance.

Throughout this process, her Master not only urged An Ran to diligently practice swordsmanship but also taught her numerous other cultivation methods, leading to a significant improvement in her cultivation level.

In addition, her Master imparted knowledge of basic Formation Arrays and the use of Talismans.

His meticulous guidance made her deeply appreciate his painstaking efforts.

Every day, An Ran’s cultivation schedule was meticulously organized, compact yet fulfilling.

After each day’s training, she often collapsed into a deep sleep from exhaustion.

What pleased An Ran most was that since Sister Cat began wearing the exquisite jade pendant given by Gu Ruohan, she had stopped sleepwalking at night and now slept much more soundly.

As a result, An Ran could finally rest easy, no longer worrying about Sister Cat wandering out alone at night and facing potential dangers.

During their free time after classes or on rest days, An Ran and Sister Cat frequently visited the Scripture Pavilion, spending most of their time searching for clues about demon beast cultivation.

What puzzled them was why such a vast Sect had no documented records of demon beast cultivation methods.

One day, An Ran entered the Scripture Pavilion as usual and, without lingering, hurried straight to the Second Layer.

Running too quickly, she collided with a figure at the corner of the staircase.

It turned out to be an elderly man—the same old sweeper she often encountered in the Scripture Pavilion.

To be precise, this elder was the Scripture Pavilion’s librarian.

An Ran noticed that she saw him almost every time she visited the pavilion, either sweeping the floors or organizing books.

The elder wore neat Sect robes, devoid of any rank insignia.

Having encountered him so often, An Ran had grown somewhat familiar with him over time.

Whenever she arrived at the Scripture Pavilion, she would greet him with a smile and a respectful bow.

Due to the sudden collision, the book the elder was holding fell to the ground.

An Ran quickly crouched down, picking up the books while apologizing, “I’m so sorry, Senior.”

The old man seemed momentarily taken aback but remained silent. Only after An Ran had gathered the books and handed them back did he nod.

An Ran felt a little awkward; this was the first time she had made such a mistake in front of the old man.

Just as she was about to take her leave, her eyes suddenly caught sight of one of the books.

The title read Phantom Cat Cultivation Manual.

An Ran’s eyes lit up with excitement, as if she had discovered a hidden treasure. She blurted out, “Can I borrow this book?”

The old man’s face showed clear hesitation, as if the question troubled him. After a moment’s pause, he finally replied, “This…”

Seeing his reaction, An Ran’s heart tightened with worry. “Is it difficult?” she couldn’t help but ask. “Is it because I don’t have the authority to read this book?”

The old man slowly shook his head, sighed, and explained, “This book belongs to the Third Layer. Given your current cultivation realm, you likely wouldn’t be able to comprehend it yet.”

With those words, the old man carefully cradled the book in his hands, turned, and slowly ascended to the Third Layer.

An Ran watched his retreating figure disappear into the Third Layer’s entrance, then watched the ancient door slowly close, a sense of loss washing over her.

Now seated on the Second Layer of the Scripture Pavilion, she found herself unable to focus on her reading. The Phantom Cat Cultivation Manual kept swirling in her mind.

At the same time, Sister Cat was squirming in her arms, meowing incessantly.

Since she couldn’t concentrate on her book, An Ran decided to return it to the shelf. Cradling Sister Cat, she turned and headed downstairs.

She hadn’t gone far when the door to the Third Layer suddenly opened, and the old janitor emerged.

He glanced down the stairwell, where An Ran was descending with Sister Cat in her arms. Half his face was obscured by shadows, making it impossible to discern his expression.

Back in her room, An Ran immediately affixed a soundproofing talisman to the door.

Ever since An Ran learned to draw talismans a while ago, she had been worried about their conversations with Sister Cat being overheard. Every day, she would stick a Soundproofing Talisman inside her room.

These talismans weren’t easy to draw. Each one lasted for six hours, effectively blocking all sound from escaping during that time.

Only after applying the Soundproofing Talisman would An Ran begin chatting with Sister Cat.

“Why do you think that old man brought the Third Layer books down here?” An Ran wondered aloud, her mind racing as she spoke.

Sister Cat found it equally strange. “Yeah, he was clearly heading downstairs, but he turned back after bumping into us. So weird!”

Frustrated, Sister Cat pounded the table with her soft, fleshy paws. Though the blows were silent, her anger was unmistakable.

“Let’s sneak up to the Third Layer tonight,” An Ran suggested.

Sister Cat leaped onto An Ran’s shoulder, scolding her. “Do you not value your life? What if we get caught?”

An Ran remained unfazed. “Even though this is an Immortal Cultivation World, that old man is just a Sweeping Monk. He probably doesn’t have any real skills. Besides, there’s no one guarding the place at night. I don’t think there’ll be any trouble.”

Sister Cat glared at An Ran. “I said no, and I mean it. That old man sweeping the floor may look ordinary, but what if he’s actually a hidden master? Have you forgotten the Sweeping Monk from wuxia films?”

An Ran quickly tried to soothe Sister Cat’s anxiety. “I was just thinking out loud. Of course I know how powerful the Sweeping Monk is. Alright, alright, let’s focus on what to do next.”

Sister Cat shook her head and sighed helplessly. “Alright, alright, patience is key. We’ll visit the Scripture Pavilion more often and look for opportunities. Or we could focus on improving our cultivation and reach the Third Layer through our own strength.”

An Ran’s face fell, her expression gloomy. “But to reach the Third Layer, we need to reach the Spirit Transformation stage! Who knows how long it’ll take us to cultivate to that level?”

“We have three other options,” Sister Cat said mysteriously.

“What are they?”

“First, we could try to win over the Sweeping Monk and get him to bend the rules for us.

Second, we could ask your Eldest Senior Sister to borrow the books for us.

Third, we could ask your Master to borrow the books for us.

You can choose any of these options, or even combine them.”

Hmm… An Ran fell into deep thought. Which path should she take?

Sister Cat continued her analysis: “Your Master, that old fox, may look like she’s only in her thirties or forties, but she’s probably hundreds of years old. If you ask her to borrow a book, she’ll likely dig deep and demand a full explanation.”

An Ran nodded in agreement, but then asked with concern, “So how are we supposed to communicate with Eldest Senior Sister?”

Sister Cat speculated, “Judging by her appearance, Eldest Senior Sister looks to be around twenty years old. She should be easier to talk to. But how long has it been since you last spoke with her?”

An Ran stroked her chin. “I haven’t seen her since that incident at Back Mountain. It feels a bit awkward now. She only taught one introductory class that day, and then another teacher took over.”

Sister Cat recalled the day she had transformed back into a kitten and woken up in An Ran’s arms. Gu Ruohan, who had led them out of Back Mountain, had a face as cold as ice. She couldn’t help but shiver at the memory.

Sister Cat suggested, “Why don’t we try pestering the Sweeping Monk? He might agree to help.”

An Ran considered it for a moment. “Alright, I’ll start with the Sweeping Monk.”