Chapter 32: A Sister’s Fury, A Brother’s Gambit

Yu Lingyue, whose perception of her surroundings was far keener than most, naturally noticed Hua Yaoyao’s pointed gaze. Ordinarily, true to her nature, Yu Lingyue would have averted her eyes, shying away from Hua Yaoyao’s direct stare. Yet, on this occasion, for reasons unknown even to herself, she chose not to recoil. Instead, her gaze met Hua Yaoyao’s unflinchingly, devoid of any apprehension. Indeed, any discerning observer could easily perceive the deep affection her Senior Sister held for their esteemed Senior Disciple Brother. However, at this pivotal moment, Yu Lingyue had a profound realization: matters of the heart knew no rule of ‘first come, first served.’ Her own happiness was a prize she had to claim for herself!

Witnessing this unexpected defiance, Hua Yaoyao paused, momentarily stunned. She had never imagined her junior sister possessed such a spirited nature, but then again, Hua Yaoyao herself was hardly one to meekly concede.

‘A mere junior sister, daring to challenge her Senior Sister?!’

Standing nearby, Qian Xiaoyu acutely sensed the unfolding drama, as if invisible bolts of lightning were crackling between the two women’s gazes.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

‘Senior Disciple Brother is truly a man of remarkable charm.’

Meanwhile, Qin Yangjun remained oblivious to the silent standoff unfolding beside him.

His sister had placed both hands on his shoulders, slowly increasing the pressure.

Pinned to the chair by his sister’s grip, Mu Xianxian leaned down, her head tilting to whisper into Qin Yangjun’s ear, a truly “benevolent” smile gracing her lips.

“So that’s the truth,” she purred. “You trust that little girl Yu Lingyue more than your own sister, do you?”

Mu Xianxian’s voice carried an indescribable nuance.

He wondered if it was merely his imagination, but Qin Yangjun distinctly perceived a trace of jealousy in her words.

Yet, this fleeting thought was promptly banished from Qin Yangjun’s mind.

‘What nonsense was he thinking? This was his sister, after all.’

‘Even if they weren’t blood-related.’

‘But her grip was incredibly strong; it truly pained him….’

As Qin Yangjun’s elder sister, Mu Xianxian had always presumed she understood everything about him.

However, ever since their last spar, a subtle unease had settled in her, a growing suspicion that Qin Yangjun was concealing something from her.

This realization vexed her; it felt as though her own brother was guarding secrets from her.

And now, not only had he kept his plans from her, but he’d even enlisted that girl, Yu Lingyue, to fully assist him.

‘Was Yu Lingyue, then, truly more trustworthy than his own sister?’

The thought left Mu Xianxian with an increasingly bitter taste, an unfamiliar sensation she hadn’t experienced in centuries.

She couldn’t quite name the feeling, but it was profoundly unsettling, a rising tide of vexation spreading through her very core.

Involuntarily, she cast a sidelong glance at Yu Lingyue.

‘What exactly was so special about this girl that her brother would place such immense trust in her?’

Pinned to the chair, Qin Yangjun felt his sister’s pressure intensify, his bones audibly protesting with creaks and groans, the agony causing his lips to twitch uncontrollably.

His sister’s logic was always so eccentric, her reasons for anger so refreshingly unconventional.

‘No, this was unbearable; he was going to perish! He had to reveal his ‘trump card’.’

“Sister, how could you say such a thing?” he managed to gasp. “Isn’t your little brother merely trying to alleviate your burdens?”

With a wince of pain, Qin Yangjun forced out the words through gritted teeth, then lifted his hand, revealing a folded slip of paper.

“This is a surprise for you, Sister.”

“A surprise?”

Those two words jolted Mu Xianxian back to reality. She released Qin Yangjun’s shoulders, accepted the slip of paper, and unfolded it to reveal a crude ink wash drawing.

“What is this?”

Mu Xianxian couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

The lines were crooked and messy, neither truly characters nor a proper drawing, but rather resembling the whimsical scrawls of a three-year-old.

She couldn’t fathom why Qin Yangjun would present her with such a thing.

As if sensing Mu Xianxian’s unspoken thoughts, Qin Yangjun let out two rather embarrassed coughs.

There was simply no helping it; he truly was not accustomed to using a calligraphy brush.

“Ahem, Sister,” he explained, “this is a map. See, it has markings.”

At Qin Yangjun’s words, Mu Xianxian examined it more closely, and indeed, it appeared he was right.

“This is… the riverside area to the east…. And what is this circle in the center?”

“The main headquarters of the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect.”

Qin Yangjun spoke the four words dispassionately, yet they sent a jolt through Mu Xianxian’s entire being. Nevertheless, she swiftly regained her composure.

“Is this truly real?”

For a century, she had received countless such reports, only to be met with disappointment every single time. Consequently, upon hearing such news now, her immediate instinct was to question its veracity.

Qin Yangjun nodded with absolute certainty.

“I would never joke about something like this with you, Sister.”

Qin Yangjun was well aware that his sister had been seeking the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect’s hidden stronghold for over a century, yet success had always eluded her.

Even with soul-searching techniques available, every disciple of the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect appeared to be bound by a dark spell; any attempt to extract even the slightest detail about their headquarters would result in the immediate self-destruction of the disciple’s soul.

Were it not for this insidious measure, the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect would have been utterly annihilated by Mu Xianxian ages ago.

“Excellent! I trust you, little brother!”

The Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect, like a persistent grasshopper, had vexed her for over a century, becoming a thorn in her heart.

This persistent affliction had, in fact, stalled her cultivation at the seventh stage of Tribulation Transcendence.

Now, with the object of her relentless desire suddenly within reach, a surge of unexpected excitement coursed through her.

Mu Xianxian then tucked away the paper and turned her gaze to Mo Feiyu, who remained kneeling.

“I shall investigate this location myself,” she declared. “As for the others, Little Jun, you may handle them as you see fit.”

With a swift turn, Mu Xianxian opened a spatial rift, stepped through it, and vanished without a trace.

The disciples of Qingluan Mountain, still kneeling, collectively exhaled in relief.

Their gazes shifted to Qin Yangjun, their fates now entirely in the hands of the Chief Disciple.

Qin Yangjun, however, remained lost in thought, staring in the direction where Mu Xianxian had vanished.

The notion of negotiating with the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect Master was now utterly out of the question. He could only bypass that entirely and focus on bringing his sister some joy.

He simply hoped his sister would retrieve the item after vanquishing the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect Master; perhaps then he could find an opportune moment to discreetly ‘borrow’ it.

Naturally, this was merely a tentative thought; if the item proved unobtainable, he would simply let it go.

With a decisive shake, Qin Yangjun cast the jumbled thoughts from his mind.

He then cast a glance at the Qingluan Mountain disciples, who remained prostrate on the ground.

“Alright, rise,” he commanded. “As I stated earlier, I bear you no ill will. You are dismissed to attend to your duties.”

Mo Feiyu felt as though he had been granted a grand pardon.

“Thank you, Chief Disciple!”

Qin Yangjun waved a dismissive hand with a smile, then rose and stretched his shoulders.

The very next instant, he felt his left hand enveloped in a soft grasp. Turning his head, he discovered it was Hua Yaoyao.

“Senior Disciple Brother,” she said, “with everything that’s transpired today, you must be weary. Allow me to escort you to the cabin for some rest.”

“Ah, no, I’m not…”

Before Qin Yangjun could even complete his sentence, his other hand was gently taken by Yu Lingyue.

“Senior Disciple Brother, you must be famished,” she offered. “I have some refreshments in my room; perhaps you’d like to try them?”

“I actually…”

At this sight, a subtle twitch played at the corner of Hua Yaoyao’s eye. She forced a smile, turning her gaze to Yu Lingyue.

“Junior Sister, please don’t tease,” she said, her voice strained. “Senior Disciple Brother requires rest.”

Yu Lingyue, however, met Hua Yaoyao’s gaze with utmost seriousness.

“No, Senior Sister! There’s a mortal saying: ‘Man is iron, food is steel’ (TL Note: A Chinese proverb meaning food is essential for strength and survival). Consuming sustenance aids in faster recovery.”

“If that is so, then let Senior Disciple Brother make his own choice.”

“Very well.”

Both women simultaneously turned their expectant gazes to Qin Yangjun….

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