Chapter 15
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Chapter 15: Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian? Younger Martial Sister Bai Lian!
“Master~”
As soon as the soft voice escaped, Bai Lian was completely taken aback.
Wait. This doesn’t make sense!
Why did her words suddenly become garbled?
And why does her master seem so much more “inflated” than before?
“Hmm…”
If we had to explain, Bai Lian realized her perspective had shifted.
For the past one and a half months, every time she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a tightly closed door. But now, the “family portrait” hanging on the wall greeted her.
Her position was… a bed!
Yes. This was her bed.
But how did her master throw her onto it?
Bai Lian paused.
She unconsciously raised her hands.
Once her eyes cleared, she was shocked.
What in the world?
Is this really a child’s hand?
Her hands were fair and pristine like snow, plump in appearance.
Hastily, Bai Lian looked at the rest of her body.
“…”
As expected, her chest had completely disappeared. Instead, a vast expanse of faint Tao Halo filled her vision!
At that moment, she was sitting on a hard bed in a duck-like posture, her body no larger than a nine-year-old’s, dressed in a water-blue dress.
This dress was clearly too big for her. The sleeves almost reached halfway down her arms. Every time she stretched out her hands, the sleeves drooped further down.
The skirt was long, naturally spreading across the bed, resembling a blooming lotus in watercolor.
Who can explain all this to me?
Bai Lian started to reminisce.
That should have been last night, when she was admiring the clear summer night sky.
The starry night of the East Divine Land had mesmerized her.
This was a magnificent sight she had never seen before in her past life.
It was a beautiful scene she had never taken the time to appreciate until now.
In that moment, Bai Lian’s emotions shifted.
In the past, she had always felt like a clockwork doll with a wind-up key. If she wanted to break free from her inevitable fate, she had to be brave and charge ahead.
Now, she suddenly realized that staying in one place could also be a wonderful thing.
Not everything needed to be handled by her alone. During the time she was away, her master and Martial Sisters had taken great care of the Qiongming Peak.
The reason she had come so far wasn’t just because of the system helping her earn skill points. It was also because of the support from those around her. She had only done a little bit of work.
As long as the Martial Sisters were still there, even if she had lost her Innocent Heart, she could still make it through the rest of her journey.
Keep going, Bai Lian!
The only thing that can truly defeat you in this world is the cowardice born in your own heart.
Just as Bai Lian was mustering her courage, hurried footsteps approached the doorway.
“Hmm?”
Bai Lian quickly turned her head, but suddenly, a thick fog swirled around her, clouding her vision.
She couldn’t see anything.
Someone approached her, said nothing, and then rolled up her sleeves before knocking her out cold.
Then…
Bai Lian remembered nothing.
She lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself in this strange new form.
So, it was the master who restored her physical body?
But why would it be in the form of a child?!
Bai Lian was dumbfounded.
To make matters worse, this body was a bit smaller than her previous one.
An even bigger issue was that her body felt weak and fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
What happened to all her prideful Hard Skills?
Cheer up, Little Bai Lian!
Bai Lian was eager to check the system panel for her status.
Before she could act, An Lan, clearly charmed by the word “master”, quickly approached.
“How lovely!”
An Lan gently stroked Bai Lian’s occiput, her eyes twinkling with a smile.
“…”
Bai Lian froze.
Get away, you stupid woman! How old do you think I am?
I… I don’t even have a chest anymore!
Damn it!
Bai Lian let her hand drop after lifting it in frustration.
She was weak and delicate now, incapable of defeating the fifth Martial Sister, let alone going up against the Grand Demon King An Lan.
Fortunately, An Lan seemed to care about her image.
Though she wanted to cuddle Little Bai Lian in her arms, she released Bai Lian immediately, realizing that such an act might damage her master’s dignity.
Serious.
Very serious.
An Lan looked at Bai Lian with that gentle smile.
Then, she patted Bai Lian on the shoulder, her voice filled with warmth.
“Welcome back!”
The sound was soft, like a trickle of water, carrying a weight that seemed to link past and present.
Yes.
I’m back.
I returned from that hell.
Bai Lian slightly squinted her eyes and opened her mouth, revealing her pearly white baby teeth.
“Master~”
Summer afternoon.
The two gazed at each other.
The whole world seemed to fall silent.
As Bai Lian’s voice fell, only the wind, sneaking through the doors, turned the pages of a book.
Page after page, each one was a story written in Bai Lian’s imagination about her and An Lan, never revealing the true identities of either.
Dreams and reality intertwined.
Bai Lian seemed to see her master from the Past World, and An Lan seemed to see Little Bai Lian from the same era.
Long time ago.
An Lan sat beside the bed.
She reached out a hand.
“Hmm?”
Bai Lian looked confused.
An Lan pulled her foot out without asking permission.
“Let me help you put on your shoes.”
A short wooden clog appeared in An Lan’s other hand.
Perhaps due to her smaller body size, Bai Lian found her body’s sensitivity heightened.
She quickly said, “Umm… I can do it myself.”
Because she couldn’t control her spirit Qi, she wasn’t able to use the spells to control her facial expressions, causing her neck to flush pink.
“Just you?”
An Lan smiled, shaking her head.
Instead of giving in to Bai Lian’s protest, she carefully placed the clogs on her feet, all while talking.
“This was an unexpected situation. There weren’t enough Spiritual Herbs, and by the time I realized it, it was too late to reverse the transformation. I’m sorry you have to keep this appearance for now.”
“Oh.”
Bai Lian nodded faintly, accepting the explanation.
Her alchemy skills were mediocre, so she didn’t suspect her master was lying.
So this was why she had turned into a child. What bad luck!
But…
It wasn’t too bad.
Better than being trapped under that green light, unable to move.
Bai Lian smiled.
“A little itchy.”
She pulled her foot back quickly.
An Lan chuckled softly, pulling Bai Lian’s foot back gently.
“Actually, you don’t need to worry. This condition won’t last long—at most three months, and you’ll be back to your original self.”
That was a relief!
Bai Lian let out a sigh of relief.
She stopped resisting, allowing An Lan to put on her shoes and shorten the length of her skirt and sleeves.
“I can’t find clothes that fit you right now, so you’ll have to wear these for now. I’ll get new clothes for you in two days.”
An Lan decided to make a dress for Bai Lian herself.
Her mood was lifted now.
It felt like receiving a favorite gift on her birthday.
She thought to herself.
A hundred years from now, she would never forget those eleven years spent with Little Bai Lian in the Past World.
The only regret was that everything was fake.
That false Bai Lian, so tender it made her heart flutter.
Though Little Bai Lian knew that once An Lan left, she would disappear, she had still said, “You can go now.”
“Because the real me needs you even more, Master.”
Yes.
This Bai Lian needed me more.
But even so, An Lan still longed to say that she loved those days, those nights, the land, the flowers, and everything there.
Why?
Because that was everything that belonged to her and Bai Lian alone!
No one else was there to disturb them, and they could focus solely on each other.
Now…
An Lan gently massaged Bai Lian’s toes.
“Haven’t we been alone like this for a long time?”
“Hmm.”
Bai Lian replied softly.
The last time could be traced back to the night before she went to North Luzhou, almost two months ago.
That time, she had a different purpose. But now, they were together just to be together.
Time always has a way of tormenting people.
Bai Lian nervously twisted her body.
“Don’t move!”
An Lan stopped her and took out a pair of earrings that sparkled like the night sky.
“These will help hide the Tao Halo on your body.”
An Lan knew how attractive Tao Halo could be to other cultivators.
She didn’t want to risk her life becoming a continuous cycle of “Master, Elder Martial Sister has been taken again.” If that happened, she would probably go mad.
Bai Lian stayed still.
She watched as An Lan smoothed out the creases of her clothing and then lifted her off the bed.
“Take a look around,” An Lan said.
Bai Lian nodded, thinking her master was making a big deal out of a small thing—wasn’t it just a new pair of shoes?
She stepped confidently toward the door.
Oh, shit.
In that moment, Bai Lian suddenly found that all the strength in her right foot had vanished.
Before Bai Lian had time to react, she fell to the ground with a loud thud.
“…”
(ಥ﹏ಥ)
She was completely flabbergasted!
┓(´∀`)┏
“I specifically warned you,” An Lan said, smiling.
An Lan reached out, pulling Bai Lian up gently. “Your soul hasn’t fully bonded with this new body yet. Don’t run around these last couple of days. If you fall and die, all the medicine I used will be wasted.”
“Yes.”
Bai Lian looked at An Lan, embarrassed. She had completely forgotten about that.
How utterly embarrassing!
Luckily, only Master saw it. If the Martial Sisters had seen her, her dignity as their Elder Martial Sister would have been lost.
“Come with me first. I’ll take you to meet your Martial Sisters and explain the situation to them.”
“Yes.”
Bai Lian nodded again.
Given her current condition, even if she wanted to take the mountain road, she was incapable. She had no choice but to let An Lan carry her to the Cold Pond at the back of the mountain.
This was all wrong.
Though she was eager to be closer to her Master, not like this.
Isn’t this the person who is being controlled by someone else?
Bad luck!
How did the physical remolding process go wrong?!
Bai Lian felt a surge of frustration.
Especially when she saw the strange looks from the Martial Sisters and the jade rabbit—Tong Yao and Lu Wantong—her body felt even weaker. She could fall flat again at any moment.
You’re telling me this is Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian?
Xiao Jinse’s gaze kept flickering between Bai Lian and An Lan.
This figure is smaller than the Fifth Martial Sister.
Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian ( × )
Younger Martial Sister Bai Lian (√)
If there hadn’t been so many people around, she would have rushed over and pinched Bai Lian’s cheeks.
That’s just too cute!
An Lan said flatly, “Though your Elder Martial Sister has woken up, it’s best not to disturb her for now. Let her adapt to her new body first.”
“I understand.”
The reply came in unison.
Afterwards, Ling Xuan raised her hand.
“Master, I still have a lot of clean clothes in my room. Why don’t we give them to Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian?”
An Lan waved her hand dismissively. “No need. I’ll take care of it. You stick to your cultivation.”
“Oh.”
Ling Xuan lowered her hand.
She watched as An Lan and Bai Lian flew off toward the top of Qiongming Peak.
The others were restless the entire time.
Lu Wantong’s eyes flashed with a calculating glint.
There are still three months before Bai Lian fully recovers. If she doesn’t find any flaws during this time, getting the Ten Thousand Poison Pearl will be incredibly difficult.
Lu Wantong glanced covertly at Su Youwei.
In terms of strength, even ten of her would be no match for Su Youwei.
“I still need to find those people to help me.”
As evening drew near, Lu Wantong found an excuse and slipped away from the Duxian Sect.
She contacted the leader, hopeful, but to her disappointment, she waited for half an hour at the Guangtong Sect without receiving a reply.
“What’s going on?”
With no other choice, she had to leave, but her frustration didn’t fade.
She went to the Guangtong Sect’s garrison every chance she got, but each time she returned empty-handed.
This isn’t normal.
In the past, when she sent a message, the leader would respond immediately.
Lu Wantong wasn’t worried about the leader’s safety. What really concerned her was that her father might be in danger.
That was her entire burden.
The worry sat heavily on her heart.
This continued for four days after Bai Lian “woke up.”
Lu Wantong was startled when she was called for the night class.
“Do I have to go too?”
Tong Yao sighed. “Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian asked me to summon you. Honestly, I think Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian is being reckless. She can’t even use her spirit power right now, so she should be resting.”
Lu Wantong nodded, silently agreeing.
She didn’t feel comfortable offering her opinion, after all, she wasn’t very close with Bai Lian.
Their relationship was built on those meager Spirit Stones, and it could easily break with a small effort.
From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the night class resumed in Bai Lian’s room.
After a two-month hiatus, this night’s class was different. Bai Lian had canceled the part where she presented her Tao Halo.
It wasn’t because she was hiding anything from Lu Wantong.
It was well known that to demonstrate her Tao Halo, she had to take off her shoes and socks. For the Martial Sisters to see clearly, she also had to walk back and forth.
Take off her shoes and socks? No way!
As soon as she glanced at her short legs, Bai Lian dismissed the idea.
Cough.
She sat on the small stool—its legs were purposely sawed off so her legs wouldn’t dangle.
She tapped the blackboard lightly with her master’s cane and said, “Tonight’s focus isn’t on me, but on you all. You can talk about the problems you’ve encountered in your cultivation, and we’ll work together to find solutions.”
“Huh?”
“Haw?”
Don’t even mention Xiao Jinse. Even the jade rabbit looked disappointed.
What?
Unfortunately, there would be no Tao Halo tonight.
Such a pity. Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian’s feet had been seen and even touched, but Younger Martial Sister Bai Lian kept herself so tightly wrapped up that they couldn’t see a thing.
Bai Lian didn’t care about their thoughts.
On one hand, she couldn’t use her spirit Qi for a demonstration. On the other, she thought this was a shortcut to help the Martial Sisters become better friends.
[Having the whole family neat and tidy is a must!]
She pointed at the Second Martial Sister. “Let’s start with you.”
“Ah, me?”
“You can think it over first and speak after you’ve figured it out.”
“This…”
Xiao Jinse hesitated. After a moment of staring at Bai Lian, she gave up.
Bai Lian’s gaze wasn’t intimidating.
Her eyes were clear and limpid, like a calm reservoir with soft spring water.
It was the gentleness of her gaze that overwhelmed Xiao Jinse completely.
Alright… since you asked me sincerely, I’ll comply.
“The problem I’ve been facing recently is…”
With Xiao Jinse speaking, Bai Lian’s room came alive.
Though Bai Lian didn’t have much theoretical knowledge on cultivation, when faced with problems, she guided the Martial Sisters to figure things out themselves. If they couldn’t resolve it, she brought everyone together for discussion.
If they found a solution, great. If not, she’d note it down to ask her master or the Blood Tree Patriarch later.
“Let’s wrap it up for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
Bai Lian stretched.
The two consecutive classes had worn her out, and she could barely hold on now. She didn’t want to fall asleep in front of her Martial Sisters.
“Yes, Elder Martial Sister.”
Xiao Jinse and the others bid farewell and left one by one.
Lu Wantong was no exception. She said goodbye to Tong Yao and set off towards Qingyu Peak alone.
But after walking only a few hundred yards, she heard soft footsteps behind her.
“Wait for me, Martial Sister Lu!”
The soft voice echoed through the night.
Lu Wantong quickly turned around and saw little Bai Lian running, her feet splayed out in a hurried shuffle.
Pat Pat Pat.
The sound of clogs echoed on the stone steps.
“Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian?”
“I… panting…”
Bai Lian stopped in front of Lu Wantong, bent over with her hands on her knees, panting heavily.
Damn.
This body is so weak!
It took her half an hour to recover. When she finally raised her head, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, “A few days ago, I noticed that you seemed troubled by something, always frowning.”
“Huh?”
Lu Wantong widened her eyes.
She thought she had hidden it well, but Bai Lian noticed it immediately.
She hadn’t expected Bai Lian would come looking for her about this.
Does she expose herself?
Bai Lian gently said, “Is something wrong? If you don’t mind, you can tell me. It’s always better to solve problems sooner rather than later.”
“I…”
Bai Lian’s enthusiasm left Lu Wantong bewildered.
“You don’t need to worry that this will cause trouble for me. What really bothers me is that you can’t focus on cultivation right now.”
“…”
The evening wind brushed across their faces.
Lu Wantong stayed silent, so Bai Lian quietly waited.
At first, Bai Lian hadn’t intended to ask right away. She was already exhausted, but then the system issued a task.
[Task 1: Ignore Lu Wantong (Reward: Hard Skill +5)]
[Task 2: Immediately ask Lu Wantong about her troubles (Reward: Soft Skill +1).]
What do you think?
Choose Task 2!
Bai Lian would usually choose the task with more skill points, but now it wasn’t feasible because she was too weak. The risk of 5 Hard Skill points was enough to crush her.
“Something has happened at home.”
After some thought, Lu Wantong spoke.
Bai Lian asked softly, “Is it about your father?”
Lu Wantong nodded silently.
Every family has its own struggles.
Bai Lian pointed to the blue stone near the cliff and said, “Let’s talk there.”
Lu Wantong didn’t object. The two sat down on the stone, side by side. Bai Lian spoke first.
“Did something unexpected happen? You mentioned before that your father’s injury was under control.”
“Hmm.”
Lu Wantong’s voice was almost inaudible.
“That’s just right.”
Bai Lian pulled out a small bottle from her chest.
“This is spirit liquid my master brewed. It’s miraculous for healing wounds. Martial Sister Lu, you take it.”
She handed the bottle to Lu Wantong.
Lu Wantong quickly tried to refuse. “No, no. This is too valuable. I can’t accept it.”
Bai Lian smiled. “Take it. Consider it borrowed, just like those Spirit Stones. You can pay me back later.”
“But…”
Bai Lian held onto Lu Wantong’s hand.
Her hands were small, and Lu Wantong didn’t dare to use force, fearing she might hurt her.
Bai Lian said earnestly, “Nothing much to say. Cherish those around you. Don’t regret when it’s too late.”
“…”
Lu Wantong opened her mouth.
In the end, she slowly slipped the bottle into her wide sleeve.
She couldn’t refuse. She lowered her head, afraid to meet Bai Lian’s gaze, lest Bai Lian see she was lying.
“Thank you, Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian.”
Bai Lian stretched her legs, facing the evening breeze. She spoke slowly, “No need to thank me. When I saw you, I remembered my Third Martial Sister.”
Lu Wantong was startled. “Elder Martial Sister Su Youwei?”
“Yes,” Bai Lian said. “Just like you, she’s from the Sand Region and has someone she cares about.”
Bai Lian shared stories about Su Youwei and her aunt who adopted her.
These stories were well-known on Qiongming Peak, so Bai Lian had no qualms speaking about them.
She then mentioned the Sand Region’s traditional festival: the Sacrifice to King Daming.
Three thousand years ago, an Immortal bearing the Ten Thousand Poison Pearl arrived in Mingzhou, and ever since, the region has been known for its sandstorms.
Though Mingzhou has turned to dust, the Sacrifice to King Daming remains.
Every July, the Sand Region celebrates this festival with more fervor than the New Year.
Bai Lian said, “I’ll definitely go see it if I get the chance.”
“It’s nothing special.”
Even though Lu Wantong said that, she still explained the customs of the Sacrifice to King Daming.
Once she finished, she began sharing her experiences at the festival.
“My father takes me every year, once… and once more… Actually, Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian, if you ever want to go…”
Huh?
Lu Wantong’s voice trailed off.
She realized Bai Lian hadn’t spoken in a while.
Turning her head, she saw Bai Lian, who had been talking just moments ago, was now asleep.
Had she been that tired?
Lu Wantong blinked, smiling.
The little girl’s eyes were tightly shut, her tiny nose scrunched up slightly, and her head drooped.
She occasionally moved her head up and down with a light “mmm” sound.
She was deeply asleep.
At that moment, Lu Wantong realized she could have easily killed an Immortal Emperor with just one light touch.
She held her breath.
But soon, she laughed.
What was she thinking?
How could she do such a thing?
Turning back, she hugged her knees, mimicking Bai Lian’s posture, and rested her chin on them.
The night was cool as water.
And in Lu Wantong’s heart, a small flame of warmth flickered.
It was that flame that lit her heart.
She was probably born a bad person.
