The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 26

Jian Li: “Fine, just tonight then. You’re a grown woman—do you really need me to sleep with you? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “A little.”

 

“You get embarrassed too? Ha ha!” Jian Li leaped out of Yan Qingshuang’s arms and hopped onto the stove. Her paw accidentally brushed against the scorching-hot pot lid, and she immediately yelped, “Ah, hot hot hot!”

 

Yan Qingshuang quickly scooped her up. “Which paw got burned?”

 

Jian Li extended her perfectly unharmed front paw, whining pitifully, “This one! The one Du Xiaqing stepped on. Poor me…”

 

Yan Qingshuang set her on a small stool and told her to wait. She turned to fetch water. As Yan Qingshuang carried the basin back in, Jian Li clutched her paw and deliberately cried out in pain.

 

After all, it would be completely healed in just a few more seconds.

 

Yan Qingshuang gently massaged her paw pad as she soaked it in cold water. “Does that feel better?”

 

In the water, the skin of Yan Qingshuang’s slender, pale fingers flushed red from the cold. Jian Li wrapped her arms around Yan Qingshuang’s hand.

 

“Little Shuang, I’m still really bothered about those ten thousand Spirit Stones. You only earn a hundred Spirit Stones a month! You gave her your entire savings! It’s so unfair!”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “It’s not hard to earn more. I participated in the Sect Competition before and won first place, which earned me thirty thousand Spirit Stones.”

 

Jian Li flipped over like a carp, accidentally kicking Yan Qingshuang’s leg in her excitement. She didn’t even notice. “Then how did you only save ten thousand Spirit Stones? Ah, Little Shuang, you’re such a spendthrift!”

 

Yan Qingshuang frowned, enduring the heavy kick. “When we go down the mountain for training, expenses are high. As the Head Senior Sister, I naturally have to shoulder more of the costs.”

 

Jian Li: “Shouldn’t the Sect reimburse those expenses? How could they be short on funds?”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Master’s expenses are also substantial.”

 

“Ah, what does He Guhua have to do with this?” Jian Li couldn’t understand how her Master was involved and pressed Yan Qingshuang for a clearer explanation.

 

It turned out that He Guhua’s living expenses, clothing, and travel arrangements were all of the highest standard. While the Sect allocated Spirit Stones impartially to each peak, the amount He Guhua received was still limited.

 

He Guhua’s cultivation relied heavily on external resources. Advancing to the next stage required vast quantities of materials, leaving him perpetually short on funds.

 

From childhood until now, Yan Qingshuang had spent most of her time descending the mountain to search for rare treasures for her Master or attending auctions at merchant guilds.

 

After over twenty years, it was already remarkable that she had managed to save ten thousand Spirit Stones.

 

Jian Li listened, dumbfounded, her features twisting into a bitter expression. “My heavens! There’s no disciple in this world more of a sucker than you. Hey, Little Shuang, were you brainwashed as a child?”

 

Yan Qingshuang chuckled softly. “Master raised me. It’s only right to treat her like family.”

 

Jian Li had never experienced being raised by someone. She had grown up wild, eating anything that wouldn’t kill her.

 

Apart from venting her frustration with a few sharp words, she didn’t have the right to complain too much. If Yan Qingshuang took offense, losing Favorability would be a greater loss.

 

The aroma of the porridge filled the room, steam swirling through the air. Yan Qingshuang ladled out a bowl, let it cool slightly, and offered to feed Jian Li first. Jian Li insisted on watching her eat.

 

After Yan Qingshuang finished her small bowl, Jian Li showed no restraint, devouring the entire pot of porridge.

 

Still feeling unsatisfied, the lingering taste of Spirit Rice in her mouth, Jian Li showered Yan Qingshuang with praise. “From now on, anyone fortunate enough to become your Dao Companion will die without regrets in this lifetime.”

 

Yan Qingshuang wiped a grain of rice from Jian Li’s lip and pressed her finger against her mouth. “Children speak without thinking. Don’t say such things again.”

 

Jian Li, oblivious to the real meaning behind Yan Qingshuang’s words, swatted her hand away and retorted bluntly, “I mean it! Who could ever become your Dao Companion? They’d just get to be treated like royalty every day!”

 

“Alright, alright, little princess,” Yan Qingshuang chuckled. “Go to sleep now.”

 

After eating her fill, Jian Li was drowsily carried to bed by Yan Qingshuang. Even as she slept, Yan Qingshuang had to massage her belly to help her drift off peacefully.

 

Stroking Jian Li’s fur and listening to her contented snores, Yan Qingshuang recalled the morning’s events.

 

Jian Li had wanted to visit Spirit Taming Peak, and Yan Qingshuang knew she disliked being followed.

 

Xiao Li was, after all, still just a young beast. The Sect was a place of many hands and mixed motives, where the strong preyed on the weak.

 

When Yan Qingshuang finished her cultivation, she went to find Jian Li. She found her covered in dirt, but laughing and chatting animatedly with Hua Feiyi, their spirits clearly aligned.

 

Everyone admires strength, and Spiritual Beasts are no different.

 

Yan Qingshuang waited until late, then approached Jian Li. But in her eyes, she saw a flicker of reluctance, even fear. Was Jian Li afraid of her? Or simply unwilling to see her?

 

She remembered Jian Li saying that visiting Spirit Taming Peak felt like coming home. But later, Jian Li had shifted her tone, declaring that they were family.

 

Hua Feiyi had a kind nature, a warm personality, and striking beauty, making her popular among cultivators and spiritual beasts alike. Many were eager to chat and befriend her.

 

Yan Qingshuang thought that, in Jian Li’s eyes, anyone close to her counted as family.

 

After returning, Yan Qingshuang should have gone to the back mountain to cultivate and accelerate her recovery. However, sensing Jian Li’s vulnerability that day, she felt uneasy and stayed in the courtyard.

 

As expected, she vomited a considerable amount of bl00d during her cultivation. After washing and hanging her clothes to dry, her weakened body collapsed, and she fainted on the spot.

 

If Jian Li hadn’t arrived, Yan Qingshuang might not have woken until dawn.

 

Yan Qingshuang got out of bed and walked to the stone slab by the door. Jian Li had brought it back. She traced the numbers carved into the stone, noting that the previous ones had been crossed out and new ones added, along with the characters for “dress” and “clothes.”

 

“Dress… clothes…” she murmured softly.

 

Jian Li rolled over, her ears twitching involuntarily. “Little Shuang, what’s that? A dress?” she mumbled, still half-asleep.

 

She groped around the bed with her eyes closed, finding only cold sheets. Annoyed, she patted the mattress with her paw, grumbling, “Where is she? Where is she?”

 

Yan Qingshuang returned to the bed, wrapped her arm around Jian Li, and gently stroked her fur. “I’m here, darling.”

 

Jian Li whimpered and instinctively burrowed into the soft, plush bedding. “Mmm, you sleep too,” she mumbled.

 

“Mm,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

Jian Li slept soundly through the night, completely oblivious to the previous night’s incident.

 

Yan Qingshuang remained awake all night. Once Jian Li was sound asleep, she rose quietly to prepare breakfast, keeping it warm in a pot of hot water.

 

At dawn, a faint blue light pierced through the misty sky.

 

Yan Qingshuang dressed and departed for Sect Master Peak to attend the Immortal Alliance Deacon Meeting. Before leaving, she left a note instructing Jian Li to eat the steamed buns upon waking.

 

Many Sect disciples were fond of sleeping in, but there were also those who began their cultivation practice at the first hint of dawn. The wide platform buzzed with the chatter of disciples.

 

Yan Qingshuang walked openly along the main path, making no attempt to avoid anyone. However, her distinctive appearance—white silk blindfold and Bamboo Staff guiding her way—made her impossible to miss.

 

Those who recognized her greeted her respectfully with “Good morning, Senior Sister.”

 

Since yesterday’s incident, public opinion had shifted. Some claimed she had obtained a great opportunity, while others whispered of her awakening Demonic Bone, fearing she would bring chaos to the world.

 

The rumors were a mixed bag of praise and suspicion.

 

There was even discussion about Jian Li.

 

“Senior Sister Yan’s Spiritual Pet may be a bit unconventional—shifty-eyed and already selling performances for money at such a young age—but she’s undeniably adorable.”

 

“Senior Sister Long is quite short-tempered, though…”

 

Long Qianmeng, the subject of their gossip, overheard several disciples chatting over breakfast, daring to gossip about her temper.

 

Fine, I won’t disappoint them.

 

Without a word, she used her Spiritual Power to shatter their breakfasts into crumbs from a distance.

 

“One more word, and your Golden Cores will meet the same fate as this Spirit Bean Cake!”

 

With that, the Spirit Bean Cake in her hand vanished into dust.

 

The disciples nodded and bowed apologetically, terrified out of their wits.

 

Yan Qingshuang, having witnessed this scene, continued toward the Sect Master’s Council Hall, her Bamboo Staff in hand.

 

Long Qianmeng hurried after her, still chewing on a newly retrieved pastry. “Hey, Yan Qingshuang, why are you pretending not to know me?”

 

Yan Qingshuang moved further away. “Senior Sister Long, we shouldn’t walk so close.”

 

Long Qianmeng bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you getting arrogant now? Do I stink or something?”

 

Yan Qingshuang shook her head. “If others see us chatting so amicably, it might bring trouble to Senior Sister Long.”

 

Long Qianmeng’s True Dragon Aura flared, her voice rising sharply. “Who dares to mess with me?!”

 

Yan Qingshuang said calmly, “The Sect Master is here today.”

 

It had to be said, Yan Qingshuang had a knack for precisely gauging people.

 

Long Qianmeng looked up and immediately spotted Sect Master Xue Jinyan playing with a Celestial Crane in front of the Sect Master Hall.

 

She was dressed in her most formal attire: a deep purple robe with a black sash.

 

Long Qianmeng immediately froze, not daring to even breathe. She stuffed the pastries back into her Storage Ring and brushed the crumbs off her clothes.

 

“Yan Qingshuang, check me out. Do I look presentable?”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “I’m blind. I can’t see.”

 

Long Qianmeng frowned. “Why aren’t you using your Spiritual Sense?”

 

Yan Qingshuang replied tersely, “Conserving it.”

 

Long Qianmeng choked for a moment. “…You really should bring your Spiritual Pet here. Where is it anyway? Did it abandon you?”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Sleeping.”

 

A clueless beast, Long Qianmeng thought. While other Spiritual Beasts diligently cultivate, this one’s still asleep at this hour. She couldn’t bring herself to point it out directly.

 

Instead, she simply said, “Lucky thing,” as they approached the Sect Master. “Good morning, Sect Master.”

 

Xue Jinyan hummed in acknowledgment, glancing at them without shifting her gaze. Her eyes lingered on Long Qianmeng, scrutinizing her. “What brings you here? To play around, or to annoy me?”

 

Long Qianmeng had been picked up by Xue Jinyan on her way down the mountain. Though she hadn’t formally become Xue Jinyan’s disciple, the Elder of Bailian Peak, who was Xue Jinyan’s younger sister, had taken a liking to the little dragon and insisted on keeping her as her last personal disciple.

 

The little dragon had a fiery temper and dared to challenge anyone, even the Sect Master.

 

What nonsense! Long Qianmeng thought. The Sect Master couldn’t possibly be unaware of today’s council meeting.

 

“Sect Master, you’re being so formal! It’s only been a few days since we last met, but I’ve already missed you terribly!”

 

Xue Jinyan gestured with her chin. “If you missed me so much, why did you stir up so much trouble? They’re all inside, waiting to settle scores with you.”

 

Long Qianmeng wanted to drag Yan Qingshuang into the mess. She pointed a finger. “It’s not entirely my fault, is it? I simply didn’t want anyone disrupting our peaceful cultivation grounds. Besides, Junior Sister Yan was being bullied. I just… accidentally became the first to speak up.”

 

Yan Qingshuang chimed in, “Senior Sister Long speaks the truth.”

 

Xue Jinyan nodded at Yan Qingshuang before entering the hall. She turned to scold Long Qianmeng, “Oh, so you knew who her mother was and still acted recklessly? You’re too spoiled.”

 

Though her words were stern, Xue Jinyan straightened Long Qianmeng’s collar with the tenderness of an old mother.

 

Long Qianmeng stood grinning, showing no deference to Xue Jinyan.

 

Yan Qingshuang followed quietly and slowly behind, her expression calm and composed.

 

Xue Jinyan turned back and said, “Junior Niece Yan, I’m sorry about the Golden Core matter. You’ve been wronged.”

 

“Thank you for your concern, Sect Master,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

“Mm,” Xue Jinyan nodded. “I’ll have some Profound-Grade medicinal herbs sent to you later.”

 

Yan Qingshuang thanked her again, her tone indifferent. “It’s just a minor injury. There’s no need for the Sect Master to waste resources.”

 

Xue Jinyan paused before responding simply, “Alright. Let me know if you need anything. As for that flashy Master of yours… forget about it.”

 

Long Qianmeng glanced at Yan Qingshuang, unable to comment on their exchange.

 

To be fair, Xue Jinyan had stabbed Yan Yu with her sword several times.

 

Yan Yu was Yan Qingshuang’s mother. Even though Yan Yu was the fallen former Demon Venerable, it was understandable that her child would feel conflicted upon learning the truth.

 

However, Yan Qingshuang’s temperament was neither joyful nor sorrowful. She treated everyone the same, except perhaps for that short-legged Spiritual Beast, which seemed to elicit a hint of human warmth from her.

 

Xue Jinyan left ahead to attend to other matters. As the Sect Master’s figure receded into the distance, Long Qianmeng turned to Yan Qingshuang and said, “Don’t forget what we agreed on yesterday.”

 

“Mm,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

Hua Feiyi had been watching them from afar near the entrance of the Council Hall. She had refrained from approaching earlier due to the Sect Master’s presence.

 

“What did you two agree on?”

 

Long Qianmeng glared at Hua Feiyi’s flamboyant attire, her irritation rising. “Hua Feiyi, are you a dog with those ears? Listening to everything! You’ll rot your ears off!”

 

Hua Feiyi, far from being angered, chuckled. She bent down, pressed her ear close to Long Qianmeng, and said, “Come on, check if my ear’s rotting. If it is, it’s from your snake-tongue bites.”

 

Long Qianmeng raised her fist and jabbed Hua Feiyi’s temple. “You flashy butterfly! Who are you dressing up for? I’m a dragon, not a snake! Are you as blind as Yan Qingshuang?”

 

Hua Feiyi nimbly dodged the blow. “Missed me! Senior Sister Yan, she’s insulting you indirectly. Don’t you have anything to say?”

 

Yan Qingshuang replied, “Nothing.”

 

She brushed past the bickering pair and strode into the Council Hall alone, leaving the two to their endless squabble.

 

Hua Feiyi was utterly bewildered. “What’s gotten into you? What did I do to offend you?”

 

“You have a convenient memory,” Long Qianmeng retorted, glancing quickly at Yan Qingshuang’s slender retreating figure. “Suddenly activating the Spirit Mirror without warning? Didn’t you consider my reputation? I still have some dignity, you know.”

 

Hua Feiyi grabbed Long Qianmeng by the shoulder and draped an arm around her. “Dignity? What’s dignity worth? You can’t eat it! Come on, tell me all about your glorious exploits from yesterday.”

 

Long Qianmeng shoved her away. “Stop pawing me! The meeting’s about to start. What’s there to tell?”

 

Hua Feiyi scoffed. “You can’t expect pearls from a dog’s mouth. Stop saying ‘sh1t’ all the time! Show some cultivation etiquette.”

 

Long Qianmeng’s face darkened instantly. She retaliated immediately, summoning her Dragon Whip and lashing it across Hua Feiyi’s heavily made-up face.

 

 

The Deacon Meeting concluded near noon. As Yan Qingshuang had anticipated, Vice Alliance Head Shen, driven by personal motives, assigned several of the Immortal Alliance’s most pressing and troublesome tasks.

 

Yan Qingshuang took charge, handling everything herself.

 

Long Qianmeng, seeing her still relying on her Bamboo Staff to walk home, felt a pang of guilt. “Why don’t I give you a ride on my sword?”

 

Hua Feiyi let out a teasing “Oh?” “So kind all of a sudden? Did you have a change of heart?”

 

Long Qianmeng rolled her eyes. “Do you get itchy if I don’t scold you? Weren’t you whipped enough earlier?”

 

Yan Qingshuang declined, noting she had overheard their idle chatter during the meeting. Ignoring their protests, she found a quiet spot away from the crowd.

 

After waiting a while without anyone arriving, she activated her Spirit Mirror and listened to a message from Jian Li:

 

Little Shuang, it’s getting late. Why aren’t you back yet? I’m just a poor Snow Leopard longing for Qingshuang’s return.

 

The image of Jian Li idly lounging at home flashed vividly in Yan Qingshuang’s mind. Just as she was about to reply, a voice pulled her back to reality.

 

“Senior Sister Yan, have you been waiting long?” Chang Chi hurried over, travel-worn and dusty.

 

Though it was an ordinary day, Yan Qingshuang sensed something was off in Chang Chi’s voice. Without pressing further, she simply replied, “I just arrived.”

 

Chang Chi produced a small pouch of Aromatic Pills. “Senior Sister, each pill lasts a day, and this pouch contains half a month’s supply. Come find me when you run out.”

 

Yan Qingshuang took out a Spirit Stone. “Alright.”

 

Chang Chi pushed the Spirit Stone away. “Senior Sister Yan, these pills cost next to nothing. Just take them as a gift.”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Why?”

 

Regarding the reason, Chang Chi was immensely grateful that Yan Qingshuang was blind. The dark circles beneath her eyes, a clear sign of recent exhaustion, would have been impossible to hide otherwise.

 

Lowering her voice, she said, “About Xiao Li’s fruit… could I have two more?”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Fruit?”

 

Chang Chi pressed urgently, “Yes, the fruit! I’ll come back with you and pay for them.”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Hmm, let’s go to the Dining Hall first.”