The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 19

They stared at each other in silence, but Yan Qingshuang couldn’t see her and could only lower her gaze, feigning a pitiful, still-sickly demeanor.

Jian Li hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself, then wanting to speak again.

“Xiao Li, do you want to know why I was like that last night?” Yan Qingshuang finally broke the silence, her keen perception sensing Jian Li’s inner turmoil.

“Mm, it was just so strange. Sister Chang said you were unwell, so I got medicine from her. I thought you’d feel better after taking it, but it got so much worse,” Jian Li muttered, kicking her legs against the ground. “I must have bought fake medicine!”

“But if I hadn’t taken that medicine, I might have suffered even more,” Yan Qingshuang said weakly. “Thank you, Xiao Li.”

Jian Li waved off the thanks and asked, “Was that a precursor to a qi deviation?”

“No,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

Jian Li tenderly took her hand and rubbed it against her cheek. “Tell me, are you sick and just enduring it alone?”

Yan Qingshuang’s fingertip brushed against Jian Li’s fluffy cheek. “It’s a Forbidden Curse.”

Jian Li listened intently. “Tell me more.”

“It’s not complicated. Master told me this: When I was born, my appearance was twisted and pitch-black, unlike a normal infant. The skies darkened, and I killed my mother. Eight bolts of purple lightning struck from the heavens, blinding me.”

“The Heavenly Dao descended a seal to suppress the fiend within me.”

“The former Palace Master of the Grand Profound Dao Palace was one of the witnesses. She divined my fate, and the hexagram revealed that I am destined to bring misfortune to anyone I encounter.”

“Since then, the Forbidden Curse activates every full moon night.”

Yan Qingshuang recounted all this with a detached calm, her tone as natural as if she were narrating someone else’s story, as if she weren’t the protagonist or the one who murdered her own mother.

Jian Li stared blankly for a long moment, her eyes glazed over, a sliver of her pink tongue peeking out.

And here I was thinking the moon was so big and beautiful…

To think the full moon has such a devastating effect on Yan Qingshuang.

This is straight out of a villain’s world-destroying origin story! If she doesn’t become a demon, who will…?

What if she does this again next time…?

Thank goodness my maxed-out favorability with her is like a calming pill.

Last night, Jian Li had spent most of the time trembling in fear, which had drained her energy.

“I’m so hungry, Little Shuang,” Jian Li said.

Hearing this, Yan Qingshuang rolled out of bed and stumbled toward the door.

“Ahhh! Clothes, clothes!” Jian Li covered her eyes with her paw-like hand. “You’re still naked!”

Yan Qingshuang bit her lip, her head still spinning. She pulled a set of white robes from the wardrobe, lifted the damp ends of her hair from the back of her neck, and headed straight for the kitchen.

She warmed up the leftovers from the previous night and called Jian Li over.

Jian Li took a bite of rice and glanced at Yan Qingshuang, feeling an unprecedented pang of heartache for her.

Strictly speaking, neither of them had grown up under the care of parents. Jian Li thought that only she could truly understand the hardships Yan Qingshuang had endured.

Yan Qingshuang ate with her eyes lowered, taking only small bites and chewing each one thoroughly.

By the end of the meal, Yan Qingshuang hadn’t said a word. She didn’t disturb Jian Li, nor did she even glance in her direction.

When Jian Li said she was full, Yan Qingshuang asked quietly, her head still bowed, “Is it not to your liking? I can go buy you something else.”

Jian Li shook her head vigorously, placing her paw on her pink belly. “I’m stuffed! Feel for yourself.”

Yan Qingshuang took a deep breath. “That’s good.”

“I’m going to find Zhang Yuan later.”

“What for?”

“To learn about the Sect’s rules.”

“Spiritual Beasts are subject to far fewer restrictions than Cultivators. There’s not much to learn.”

Jian Li said earnestly, “I’m a Spiritual Beast with an Identity Token now. I want Zhang Yuan and the others to know that even with this, I can still cultivate.”

She had just realized that even with her poor spiritual root, she could still cultivate if she had enough money.

Yan Qingshuang’s expression remained cold. “If you’re going to cultivate, start with Qi Induction. I’ll teach you myself. There’s no need to trouble others.”

Jian Li feigned surprise. “I wasn’t asking anyone else to teach me. I just said I was going to ask her some questions.”

“You can ask me instead.”

Yan Qingshuang’s Master was a hands-off type, delegating all trivial matters to her disciples and rarely intervening unless it directly affected her own interests.

As a result, all the heavy lifting fell on Yan Qingshuang’s shoulders—organizing Mystic Realms, overseeing competitions, and guiding newly initiated Junior Sisters in foundational cultivation techniques.

Jian Li, her voice still childishly determined, insisted, “Let’s talk about it later. You need to rest. You’re more exhausted than anyone after last night’s ordeal.”

“Then take your Identity Token with you, to avoid misunderstandings.”

Yan Qingshuang was referring to the Spiritual Beast ID, a small wooden plaque inscribed with sect-specific runes that allowed Spiritual Beasts to move freely within the sect’s territory.

“Mm-hmm, I remember. Little Shuang, go wash the dishes and get some sleep.”

“Okay.”

From morning until now, Yan Qingshuang hadn’t initiated any physical contact with Jian Li, not even a pat on the head before leaving.

Jian Li felt a vague sense of disappointment.

But this time, she had money—a staggering 31,500 Spirit Stones—giving her newfound confidence.

She walked with the swagger of someone who had just won a billion-dollar lottery. Stepping outside, she activated her Spirit Mirror and summoned Xiao He.

She could have used her Teleportation Watch, but she couldn’t bear to waste a single Spirit Stone. After all, in her previous life, she had saved enough for a down payment on a house by being frugal and working diligently.

“Good morning!” Jian Li cheerfully climbed onto Xiao He’s back.

“You’re so energetic! What’s up at the Disciplinary Hall?” Xiao He flapped her wings and soared into the sky.

Though they had only just met, Xiao He instinctively felt that Jian Li was someone worth befriending.

Most Spiritual Beasts had simple, straightforward minds: they liked what they liked and disliked what they disliked.

“The fruits are ripe! Time to harvest them.”

“That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

“Hey, what about the fruit I gave you yesterday? Was it good?”

“I haven’t tried it yet. I’m saving it to share with my best friends.”

“Your friends will definitely praise you for being so generous!”

Xiao He happily darted up and down, quickly bringing Jian Li to her destination.

They agreed to meet at the Dining Hall around noon.

Clutching her Identity Token, Jian Li felt no apprehension. She peered around the entrance of the Disciplinary Hall, observing the comings and goings of personnel.

A disciple who had met Jian Li before approached her.

“Looking for someone?”

Jian Li opened her Spirit Mirror and typed: Zhang Yuan.

The disciple informed her of Steward Zhang’s location, advising her to wait, as the steward was currently interrogating a notoriously wicked Monster Beast.

Jian Li crouched in a corner, initially obediently waiting. But as she watched the minutes tick by on her Spirit Mirror, her patience wore thin.

Half an hour had passed. If she waited any longer, she’d miss lunchtime.

Noticing that the passersby paid her little attention, she boldly slipped into the cold, damp dungeon.

Jian Li’s heart ached for her paw pads, which were not only uncomfortable but also getting filthy from the stagnant water.

The stench was overpowering. Pinching her nose, she pricked up her ears.

Zhang Yuan’s voice echoed clearly through the cavernous dungeon, mingling with the clanging of chains.

As Jian Li moved closer, the sounds grew louder, escalating from metallic clangs to curses and shouts, punctuated by the sloshing of water.

The interrogation was brutal—likely water torture.