Chapter 1: Little Junior Sister or Senior Sister?
“Have the flowers on the mountain withered?”
“They’re still blooming. Has Senior Brother forgotten?”
“…No.”
Chen Yin hadn’t forgotten.
It’s just that the summit of Mount Yu was perpetually shrouded in mist. Apart from the Mist Yu flowers, no other flowers could bloom in such a harsh environment.
The fog was so thick that often the flowers couldn’t be seen clearly.
“Why does Senior Brother seem strange?” the young girl inquired, tilting her small head, slender arms behind her back, blinking her eyes at him.
“Strange how? Do I look more handsome?”
“Not really… but Senior Brother has always been quite handsome.”
“Then, would Xiang’er want to be Senior Brother’s Dao Companion?”
Chen Yin said this with a grin.
But Yu Xiang’s face instantly flushed red, and she hurriedly waved her hands in panic:
“Se-Senior Brother, what are you saying! Didn’t Master say we’re not allowed to cultivate together before reaching the Cloud Ascending Realm?”
“Then, according to Xiang’er, does that mean you want to cultivate with Senior Brother after reaching the Cloud Ascending Realm?”
Yu Xiang couldn’t withstand Chen Yin’s teasing expression any longer and cried out in embarrassment:
“Senior Brother is so mean! I’m going to tell Master on you!”
“Haha, aren’t you afraid Master will betroth you to me on the spot?”
Before his voice faded, the shy little Junior Sister had already run away.
Watching Yu Xiang’s retreating figure, Chen Yin’s mischievous smile gradually faded, and he turned his gaze back to Mount Yu before him.
…Although strictly speaking, this was his tenth year living on Mount Yu.
But it wasn’t.
In his previous life, he also lived here for ten years.
Adding them up, it was twenty years.
Twenty years, the plants and trees on this mountain were deeply etched in Chen Yin’s heart.
After all, there were countless immortal mountains in the world, but few places were like Mount Yu, where only three people lived on a single peak.
Cultivation resources were precious. A single immortal mountain could often support an entire sect.
But for so many years, only three people had lived on Mount Yu.
Chen Yin, Little Junior Sister Yu Xiang, and their Master, Immortal Yu Ling.
Ten years ago, he and Xiang’er were brought up the mountain separately by Master Yu Ling and joined the Mist Spirit Sect. The days that followed were the happiest times in his memory.
He was the Senior Brother, Xiang’er was the Junior Sister, and they had a Master who wasn’t too strict with them.
Every day was simply a leisurely cultivation, exploring the mountains and rivers, teasing the adorable Little Junior Sister, and cleaning up the messes of their irreverent Master.
Chen Yin truly loved that kind of life.
If he could, Chen Yin wanted to live in such a carefree time forever.
But…
***
Once again, following the route in his memory, he returned to the summit.
The summit had been sculpted by his Master into a combination of courtyards and pavilions, a true immortal’s abode. The usually thin mist enveloped the gardens and waterside pavilions, making them appear dreamlike and illusory.
Chen Yin walked through the winding corridors and arrived at the main hall of the cave dwelling.
Today, his Master told him that someone from the main sect had come and wanted to see him.
Chen Yin knew what it was about.
In reality, Mount Yu was just a branch of the Mist Spirit Sect, managed solely by Master Yu Ling. Although they usually had little contact with the main sect, in principle, they were still a subsidiary mountain gate of the Mist Spirit Sect.
It was rare for people from the main sect to come to Mount Yu. In his previous life, when Chen Yin first heard that someone was looking for him, he was also curious.
However, at that time, he didn’t know what would happen next.
Collecting his thoughts, Chen Yin slowly pushed open the door of the main hall and walked in.
Inside, incense smoke lingered. A seemingly ten-year-old childish girl was sitting cross-legged on the main seat in an unladylike manner, lazily saying:
“Ah, you’re here.”
As her voice fell, a celestial woman as elegant and refined as a snow lotus, seated in the secondary position, also slowly shifted her gaze towards him.
“Let me introduce you. This is—”
“Presumably, this beautiful fairy is the chief disciple of the main sect, the personal disciple of the main sect’s Sect Master, Senior Sister Shen Shuanglian, right?”
The moment Shen Shuanglian saw Chen Yin, a strange glint flashed in her bright eyes, but after hearing his words, she quickly concealed it.
“What? So you knew.” Master pouted.
“As expected, you male disciples are all more attentive to beautiful fairies.”
Chen Yin respectfully cupped his hands: “I’ve long heard of Fairy Shen’s extraordinary talent. Having embarked on the path of cultivation for over ten years, you have already reached the Elder-level Boundless Realm. Who in the current cultivation world hasn’t heard of the Frost Moon Sword Immortal, Fairy Shen?”
Shen Shuanglian’s rosy lips parted slightly but made no sound. After a moment, her eyelids slowly lowered.
“…You flatter me.”
“Heh.” Master’s eyes twinkled with amusement and mischief. “It’s rare that you didn’t make any lewd remarks about a beautiful woman.”
“Since you know Fairy Shen’s identity, you should also know the reason for her visit, right?”
“I’ve heard a little.” Chen Yin nodded.
…It was nothing more than the main sect selecting disciples with decent aptitude from the subsidiary branches and absorbing them into the main sect.
Every sect was the same.
Actually, Chen Yin’s aptitude wasn’t considered excellent.
His root bone was a very ancient type recorded in ancient texts – the Boundless Root.
Although the name sounded grand, it was actually a useless root bone. The sect probably thought this kind of root bone was rare and, out of curiosity, wanted to take it back for a closer look.
Everything was slow with the Boundless Root.
Slow cultivation, slow learning of techniques, slow improvement of physique. Even the ancients who recorded this root bone couldn’t explain its purpose.
“That’s good, it saves me the introduction.”
Master lazily yawned, covering her mouth with her small hand, and said in a childish voice: “Dealing with this stiff girl is too tiring. Just give me a straight answer.”
“Do you want to go to the main sect for further training?”
Shen Shuanglian also looked at him.
There was an unreadable expression in her eyes.
Chen Yin met her gaze.
The moment their eyes met, overwhelming emotions surged uncontrollably in his mind.
Self-blame.
Regret.
Sorrow.
Everything began after he made the decision to agree to go to the main sect for further training in his previous life.
After composing himself, Chen Yin calmly cupped his hands towards Shen Shuanglian and said apologetically:
“I apologize, Senior Sister Shen.”
“This disciple is of foolish aptitude and shallow cultivation. Even if I go to the main sect, I would only be wasting the sect’s resources.”
“Please forgive this disciple for being unable to part with my Master and Junior Sister. I only wish to stay on Mount Yu and focus on my cultivation.”
After hearing these words, a trace of loneliness flickered in Shen Shuanglian’s eyes, and she almost subconsciously wanted to say:
“You… don’t want to go with me?”
Even Shen Shuanglian herself didn’t realize the meaning behind these words.
Chen Yin continued with an apologetic expression: “I’m sorry.”
“My Master is too casual. If there’s no one to take care of her, I’m afraid she’ll cause chaos; my Junior Sister is still young and naive, unable to care for Master.”
“With these concerns in my heart, I cannot travel far.”
Master suddenly giggled: “Although you seem to be taking the opportunity to slander me.”
“But it seems you have some filial piety.”
“That’s it. My boy can’t bear to leave me, his Master. You go back and tell that old geezer Wu Xun to find someone else.”
After saying that, she waved her hand dismissively: “We won’t see you out.”
Shen Shuanglian wasn’t embarrassed by Immortal Yu Ling’s dismissal. Her bright eyes couldn’t help but glance at Chen Yin. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly said:
“…Yes. This disciple will report back to my Master.”
“Then, Master, this disciple will take her leave.”
With a cupped hand gesture, Shen Shuanglian slowly backed out of the main hall.
As she passed by Chen Yin, she gave him a complicated look.
Chen Yin, however, acted as if he didn’t see it, maintaining a calm smile.
The two passed each other without a word.
***
After Shen Shuanglian left, Chen Yin’s expression instantly crumbled.
He lazily stretched and complained: “Whew… As expected of the number one beauty in the cultivation world. She only said two or three sentences the whole time.”
“She’s really cold.”
“Hehe. I thought with your personality, you’d be eager to follow such a stunning beauty.”
“What, don’t you have a thing for ice-cold beauties?”
Master Yu Ling also lay on her chair in an unladylike manner, her loose silk robe draped over her body, revealing her enticing, fair shoulders.
“Heh. Master, what are you saying?”
Chen Yin shamelessly leaned closer and massaged Master Yu Ling’s shoulders: “What bullshit fairy? Compared to Master, she’s just a little girl who hasn’t even grown her feathers yet.”
“Master is the true beauty, a national treasure, capable of causing the moon to hide in shame, flowers to lose their color, fish to sink, and geese to fall from the sky.”
“Even if I, Chen Yin, am lecherous, can I not tell the difference between a little girl and a true beauty?”
“Oh, oh, oh.” Yu Ling furrowed her delicate brows and pouted like a child. “What, are you mocking Master for being old?”
“Not at all… Master still looks like a child.”
“So, you’re a lolicon?”
“…Master, that’s a bit much.”
Yu Ling wrinkled her little nose and let out a dissatisfied humph.
“You brat. I raised you to cultivate and become an immortal, not to act like a hoodlum and lust after every beautiful woman you see!”
“That depends on the person.” Chen Yin became serious. “Except for Master, who is so incredibly beautiful that I can’t control myself, ordinary beauties aren’t qualified to make me lustful.”
Yu Ling raised her eyebrows and poked Chen Yin’s chin with her fair, tender, and slightly chubby finger, gently lifting it.
“Boy, are you flirting with your Master?”
“Aren’t you afraid that your Master will use you, a handsome and pure little virgin, as a cauldron, and then discard you after getting tired of playing with you?”
“Please do that to me,” Chen Yin said righteously.
Seeing that she couldn’t tease this thick-skinned disciple anymore, Yu Ling pouted in disappointment and muttered:
“Forget it. With your small physique, you’ll probably be drained dry in two seconds and never be able to get it up again.”
“Then the pet that I painstakingly raised for so long would have been raised in vain.”
Chen Yin chuckled: “But just now, Master’s pet was almost snatched away by the main sect.”
“That’s because your Master was certain that you wouldn’t betray me.”
Yu Ling raised her little head proudly.
“Then I should thank Master for her trust?”
Chen Yin was smiling, but his heart felt inexplicably bitter.
…In his previous life, he failed to understand.
The hesitant expression on Master’s face after he agreed to go to the main sect with Senior Sister.
Thinking about it now…
It was probably sadness.
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