Chapter 9
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Chapter 9: Your Way and My Way Will Intersect
At dusk, the chirping of the birds carried a faint sense of melancholy.
Starting from the left, Bai Lian went door to door, knocking on the rooms of her Martial Sisters and the jade rabbit.
She didn’t linger long at each door. On average, she stayed for just three minutes.
But don’t underestimate those three minutes.
Three minutes was plenty of time for Bai Lian to accomplish many things!
After a series of heartfelt conversations, everyone wore contented smiles.
“So that’s how it is,” they thought.
Shifu had been delighted to receive the gifts and had asked Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian to express her gratitude on her behalf.
Unexpectedly, Shifu turned out to be shy!
“For the New Year, let’s prepare even better gifts,” the younger Martial Sisters resolved in unison.
Even the jade rabbit was astonished.
She had been at a loss for what to gift Shifu. Surely, she couldn’t offer herself as a meal! In the end, she had settled on a pair of smooth, plump radishes.
Though she had grown them herself, her offering felt almost embarrassingly simple compared to the gifts the other Martial Sisters had prepared.
To her surprise, An Lan genuinely liked the radishes and even asked Bai Lian to thank her for them.
“Sob…”
The jade rabbit wiped her eyes, overwhelmed by emotion.
She vividly recalled how desperate and miserable she had been when she first left home.
An Lan could be a little “bad” at times, but if she hadn’t taken her in, the jade rabbit might have perished alone in the wilderness.
Mmm.
Deep down, An Lan was a good person.
Clenching her tiny fists, the jade rabbit vowed, For the New Year, I’ll grow an even bigger and thicker radish for Shifu! She’ll love it for sure.
…
“Phew~”
Leaning against a crooked-neck tree in the backyard, Bai Lian exhaled deeply, finally relieved.
She had finished her exhausting task.
Initially, she thought Shifu had personally sent thank-you messages to her younger Martial Sisters. But after some investigation, she realized that wasn’t the case.
To preserve harmony between Shifu and the younger Martial Sisters, she had to fabricate a story.
Pretending to act on Shifu’s instructions, Bai Lian expressed gratitude on her behalf.
Of course, she phrased it tactfully. If Shifu found out, Bai Lian might not escape a month’s worth of punishment in bed.
After all, that was just the kind of woman An Lan was.
Still, there was something to celebrate.
Shifu now had four disciples, but she sent a message only to Bai Lian afterward. That alone showed Bai Lian held a unique place in Shifu’s heart.
Not even Martial Master Yan Yue enjoyed such special treatment.
“All my efforts haven’t been in vain,” Bai Lian thought with satisfaction.
Orga Itsuka once said:
[As long as we don’t stop, the road will continue.]
Bai Lian firmly believed that her path would one day converge with Shifu’s.
They would support each other, growing old together after countless years.
Just the thought made her clench her fists with determination.
“Big tree, big tree, don’t you think so too?” Bai Lian asked the crooked-neck tree.
Though it couldn’t speak, the evening breeze rustled its branches and leaves.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said cheerfully.
Not at all!
At that very moment, An Lan lay hidden beneath her quilt, clutching the clothes Bai Lian had gifted her.
Her gaze burned into the pillow, which carried Bai Lian’s faint scent.
Rebel! Who asked you to thank those disciples for me? Do I not have legs and a mouth? Do I need yours to speak for me?
What a waste!
And Bai Lian actually suggested that she would be shy.
“Haha… How ridiculous!”
“Was I shy when I kicked the Ancient Domain Master down from his throne in front of thousands of people?”
“Was I shy when I cruised through the domains under my control?”
Absolutely laughable.
Young people these days were truly ignorant.
“For the sake of these two outfits, I’ll let this slide today. Otherwise, I’d have given you a good beating to make you cry your eyes out!”
An Lan smirked and continued lying down.
Soon, Bai Lian would come to help her bathe and massage her.
Truth be told, it was quite comfortable. An Lan didn’t even feel like “recovering” anymore.
Whenever Bai Lian’s fingers pressed down on her back, a tingling sensation spread across her body, leaving her tempted to let out a soft sigh.
No one else could make her feel this way.
It had to be said—Bai Lian’s skill in this area was remarkable. Even her former maids couldn’t compare.
It was still early in the morning when Bai Lian arrived at the cave, right on time.
However, today was different.
After carefully massaging and pressing on An Lan, who appeared to be asleep, Bai Lian didn’t immediately leave.
Instead, she said softly, “Shifu, I’ll be leaving the Duxian sect tomorrow. If all goes well, I’ll return in half a month. If things go awry, it might take a month or two. But don’t worry, I’ve asked the jade rabbit to look after you while I’m gone…”
She didn’t finish her sentence.
At that moment, An Lan, who had been “sleeping soundly” on the bed, suddenly bolted upright.
“You’re going out again?”
She tried to glare at Bai Lian but quickly realized her reaction was far too intense.
It wasn’t entirely her fault, though.
She was genuinely terrified!
Whenever Bai Lian ventured out, she seemed to attract more ominous events and dangers. Who could possibly endure that?
Moreover, as Bai Lian’s master, it was her duty to show more concern for her first disciple. If she didn’t, her reputation as a Heavenly Lord would surely take a hit.
Bai Lian was startled. “Shifu, you weren’t asleep?”
She almost blurted out, pretending to sleep, but stopped herself just in time.
Thankfully, she hadn’t done anything strange while An Lan was “asleep”—like using a rubber band to snap against her… ahem.
An Lan quickly denied it. “I was asleep! You woke me up with your loud talking!”
Really? Why don’t I believe that?
Bai Lian looked at the tasks that appeared before her and hesitated.
[Task 1: Shout at An Lan, “Stop pretending!” (Reward: Gold Jade Iron Head Skill)]
[Task 2: Remain silent. (Reward: Soft Skill +1)]
Well, if she chose Task 1, Bai Lian couldn’t even imagine the consequences!
Bai Lian wasn’t foolish. Of course, she wouldn’t dare contradict An Lan.
Dealing with someone as awkward as An Lan was like running a marathon—you needed careful preparation before launching your attack.
Thus, Bai Lian immediately chose to apologize. She lowered her head, drooped her eyebrows, and softly murmured “sorry” three times.
By now, Bai Lian had mastered this set of tricks when dealing with An Lan.
Whether An Lan had seen through her or not remained a mystery, but it was clear An Lan enjoyed it.
She nodded approvingly. “At least you understand!”
After a moment’s pause, An Lan asked, “Where are you going?”
“The Thunder Swamp,” Bai Lian answered truthfully.
“What for?”
“To search for medicine.”
Naturally, she wouldn’t admit she was going there to find a new disciple for An Lan. If An Lan knew, she’d certainly stop her.
An Lan blinked, seemingly weighing her words, before deciding against trying to persuade Bai Lian to stay.
She couldn’t come up with a good reason.
She couldn’t very well say, I’m not sick. Can’t you just stay and take care of me?
So, the thoughts in her heart condensed into a simple phrase: “Be careful on your journey.”
Bai Lian, sitting on a stool, was genuinely touched.
She remembered what An Lan had said the first time she went down the mountain to bring back her second Martial Sister:
“Go ahead. It’s not like you’ve been doing anything useful lately!”
Though the words sounded indifferent, Bai Lian now understood that An Lan was simply suppressing her emotions.
She had long since mastered the art of “pretending.”
“I will,” Bai Lian replied earnestly.
Then, without thinking, she held An Lan’s hand.
“Huh?”
Startled, An Lan quickly slapped Bai Lian’s hand away.
After the slap, she felt a twinge of worry that she’d been too forceful. Sneaking a glance at Bai Lian, she saw she was fine.
An Lan crossed her arms and huffed, “Humph! You can leave if you want. There’s no need to report everything to me.”
“Yes, Shifu.”
I’ll bring you back a new disciple!
With that, Bai Lian left.
Before departing, she visited her second Martial Sister.
The sect’s new trial was approaching, and Bai Lian wouldn’t be accompanying her this time.
“Now that you’ve broken through to the Golden Core Stage, don’t let it go to your head,” Bai Lian advised. “Always act within your capabilities. Don’t be reckless.”
“Also, look after the third and fourth Martial Sisters in my absence. You’re representing Qiongming Peak now.”
She handed over a set of carefully refined seal characters and Magic Formation Flags.
“And one more thing—”
Before she could finish, Xiao Jinse suddenly stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Bai Lian’s waist and burying her face in her chest.
“Thank you, Elder Martial Sister.”
Xiao Jinse’s voice was muffled, but her gratitude was unmistakable.
Bai Lian couldn’t help but feel that Xiao Jinse might be harboring some less-than-pure intentions.
But coincidentally, so was she!
“Younger Martial Sister…” Bai Lian whispered as she embraced her in return.
The second Martial Sister would be eighteen in just six months.
Eventually, Xiao Jinse let go, smiling confidently as she walked away.
One day, she vowed, she would stand above her Elder Martial Sister—not to suppress her, but to protect her!
