Chapter 18: Two Dreams- Part 5

A paper crane belonging to their former master’s contact method flew in from outside the window, hovering between Jiang Xuehe and Ti Ying, unsure which way to go.

This seems to indicate that Jiang Xuehe is indeed her senior brother.

Ti Ying, who has always had poor memory, vaguely remembers her former master comforting her to sleep, mentioning the eldest senior brother— 

but it was just a passing mention.

How could Ti Ying believe Jiang Xuehe’s words alone—that he wouldn’t harm his own junior sister?

So, with a stern face, Ti Ying said, “Give me the secret code.”

Jiang Xuehe raised an eyebrow.

Whether it was her imagination or not, her senior brother’s appearance had changed slightly—when his eyebrows moved gently, there was a kind of exquisite beauty reminiscent of startled butterflies skimming over water and spring snow melting on mountains.

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Jwv Kkydt Dwlbl’p hsknl alxykdle yp bwpju yp lhla: “Xjyu.”

Mk Zkdt’p hsknl oyp elzknyvl: “Mbl plnv.”

Kkydt Dwlbl: “Ckydpbyd Flnv.”

Mk Zkdt: “Nsnyvksd.”

Kkydt Dwlbl: “Mbl csaela clvolld Psdtgbsw yde Hbsdtgbsw.”

Mk Zkdt: “Ebyv kp vbl qsaxla xypvla’p dyxl?”

Kkydt Dwlbl: “Nkd Ckdtuydt.”

Mk Zkdt: “Flnsde pldksa casvbla…”

Jiang Xuehe spoke gently: “Bailu Ye.”

Ti Ying looked into his eyes, slightly distracted.

She didn’t know if she was distracted by looking at his lively features or by strange dreams… Anyway, her heart was beating a bit faster, her face was a bit flushed, and in her daze, Jiang Xuehe patiently waited for her. When Ti Ying snapped out of it, she felt even more uncomfortable.

Ti Ying thought to herself: What’s so special about that? Those villains who are chasing me—don’t they also know the names of my sect, master, and senior brothers…

Her displeasure was written all over her face.

Jiang Xuehe reached out and returned the three silver needles he had taken from her hand back to her.

Ti Ying stupidly looked up at him, and Jiang Xuehe leaned down to continue coaxing her, “I also know that your name is ‘Little Ying’, and now… you’re fourteen and a half years old, right?”

Ti Ying grumbled, “No!”

She lowered her head and counted on her fingers, “It’s two months more than fourteen and a half.”

Jiang Xuehe was momentarily taken aback, then said, “Senior brother remembers.”

But what did he need to remember this for?

There was a moment of silence between the two.

Ti Ying couldn’t bear this kind of silence.

She didn’t maintain her composure for long before blinking her eyes, “I’ve already left the sect. I talked to my former master, and we agreed that I would join a new sect… You’re not my senior brother anymore.”

Jiang Xuehe was prepared for this: “Master has instructed me that no matter where you go, if you call me’senior brother’, I will protect you. Would you like to call me senior brother?”

Ti Ying’s eyes sparkled like jade—bright, dazzling, and clear.

She pretended not to hear his words, turned her head away, and quickly hid the needles in her hand. She clasped her hands to her chest, slightly turning sideways, a gesture of avoidance and shyness.

Yet, despite her efforts, she couldn’t conceal her excitement—

Ti Ying: “Are you really my senior brother? Have you also been implicated by us and are being chased? Why do you have…?”

As she gestured, she suddenly paused, noticing that the scars on Jiang Xuehe’s face were gone. Those scars, concealed under his neck, disappeared into his collar, not reaching his chin…

Ti Ying froze.

In her confusion, Jiang Xuehe noticed that Ti Ying was less guarded against him, so he took her hand and led her away from the corner, making her sit down.

Jiang Xuehe chose his words carefully, “Are you asking about the ‘Tenfold Annihilation Curse’ on my body?”

Ti Ying was startled. He indeed knew about this curse!

Jiang Xuehe’s tone was calm: “This is a curse I placed upon myself.”

Ti Ying: “?”

She was terrified of the curse, and someone willingly placed a curse on themselves? Was he crazy?

Jiang Xuehe might have been amused by her expression.

This senior brother, gentle though he was and rarely smiling, chuckled at this moment.

He told Ti Ying—

“In the past, I wasn’t considered a good person. Any unforgivable deed, as long as someone asked, I would do it.”

Ti Ying was puzzled, “Like what? A killer?”

In the flickering candlelight, Ti Ying looked up at her senior brother. As he told her stories, she secretly blinked her eyes, comparing the current senior brother to the glimpses she caught of him before under his hood.

Her mind was elsewhere, and Jiang Xuehe’s words flowed past her ears like water containing grains of sand.

Jiang Xuehe told her that he used to belong to an organization, doing many bad things, engaging in various trades, and killing many beings. Those days had no future, and he didn’t think much of it at the time.

But one day, he realized he was living in hell. He didn’t want to continue like that; he wanted to save himself.

Jiang Xuehe reminisced, “I heard about the Tenfold Annihilation Curse from my master. I’ve always been adept at learning and grasping things easily, so I placed the Tenfold Annihilation Curse upon myself—

“All my vitality, all that was precious on my body, was sealed. I took on the sins I committed and sought to atone for them.

“This time, coming to the Five Poison Forest to find Suan Yu… On one hand, it was for my junior sister, and on the other hand, it was the sins on my body guiding me here, to kill Suan Yu and avenge those who were once killed by Suan Yu.”

“The Tenfold Annihilation Curse was placed upon myself by me. Every time I resolve the grievances on someone’s body, a portion of the curse will be lifted. Over these years, I have already lifted quite a few…”

As he spoke, Jiang Xuehe’s mood also lifted slightly.

He lowered his gaze. “I once thought that once I lifted all the curses and restored my true self, I would return to Qianshan to see my master, to see the little junior sister my master always mentioned, but I didn’t expect…”

He glanced down, his gaze warm, as he looked at Ti Ying.

Unexpectedly, before he could return, his little junior sister had already left Qianshan, traversing through the rugged mountains, and stood before him.

Afraid of being caught stealing glances at his face while lost in thought, Ti Ying didn’t catch what he was muttering. She interrupted him, saying, “If you weren’t a good person before, why did you suddenly wake up one day? There must have been some catalyst, right?”

Jiang Xuehe’s eyes flickered.

He spoke softly, “My fortune lies in meeting my master… and you.”

Ti Ying was stunned.

—

She stared blankly, looking up at him.

Perhaps it was true, as he said, that he hadn’t been a good person before, so there was always a perplexing sense of ambiguity in his overly tolerant good and bad boundaries.

He seemed to know everything, and could do anything.

He could read people’s expressions, coax her, and speak as sweetly as honey.

He was like the clean and pure snow between heaven and earth.

Perfect yet so artificial.

Yet Ti Ying fell for it—

She was too childish, too domineering, and too self-centered. She liked being pampered, and enjoying it was the most important thing.

—

While Jiang Xuehe was still trying to find a way to make her believe in him, he saw Ti Ying open her arms and smile.

She coquettishly asked him to hug her, saying, “Senior Brother!”

This “Senior Brother” was called with such sincerity.

With the warm little girl in his arms, Jiang Xuehe’s mood became slightly complicated: his little junior sister was indeed too “willful.”

—

In the midst of the Yujing sect, after the unexpected guest left in the night, the five elders discussed the matter of the four major sects joining forces for the disciple selection competition.

But perhaps more serious than selecting disciples was the concern that the arrival of the other three major sects might influence the selection of the next head of the Yujing sect.

With a slight misstep, the Yujing sect could become a puppet of another sect.

Elder Hua worried about this, while Elder Ge casually remarked, “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. The Yujing sect has been closed off for many years. It wouldn’t hurt to have some exchanges with other sects.”

Elder Chen retorted sarcastically, “You say that because your daughter married into the Changyun Sect. With Changyun Sect’s support, you could easily be elected as the head, right?”

Elder Ge provocatively added, “Isn’t Junior Brother Shen also on good terms with the current generation of disciples from the Guantian Sect? Just now, the chief disciple of the Guantian sect came. I saw him and Junior Brother Shen cooperating well. Maybe the Guantian Sect will support Junior Brother Shen as the head.”

He was referring to the person who had just persuaded everyone not to quarrel, the chief disciple of the Guantian Sect, Hang Guqiu.

Upon hearing Elder Ge’s remarks, Shen Xingchuan remained indifferent and silent.

His sister, Shen Yushu, chuckled. “Brother has been in seclusion for months. Tonight is the first time he has seen Brother Hang. There’s no need for everyone to harbor any thoughts about my brother. In my opinion—”

Her beautiful eyes fell on several points of the Big Dipper Formation in the hall. Moonlight streamed in from the skylight, and the figures of the elders were faintly visible within the formations with a ghostly aura.

Shen Yushu spoke softly, “Maybe the Wushen Palace also supports one of our elders, but everyone would deny it.”

The elders’ expressions changed, but none of them spoke.

At this point, the Yujing sect, Wushen Palace sect, Changyun Sect, and Guantian Sect, the four major immortal sects, had caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg.

Amidst the silence, Elder Hua spoke, “Forget it, what’s more important now is the disciple selection competition. If we can have a clear understanding of the new disciples before those sects arrive, that would be best—Junior Brother Shen, are you in charge of the disciple selection competition this year? You need to be prepared and not let other sects snatch away the good seedlings.”

Shen Xingchuan nodded.

After some discussion, their figures gradually faded, and they each departed.

Elder Hua sat alone in the hall. Lost in thought, he was interrupted by Hua Shi bursting in from outside. “Father, is there an unexpected guest…”

Elder Hua scolded, “What does it matter? What does it have to do with you? Focus on preparing for this year’s disciple selection competition. It’s time for you to officially join the sect!”

Hua Shi was taken aback for a moment, then shrugged. “What’s there to prepare for? If I participate, I’ll definitely be the chief of this generation… Father, once I enter the inner sect, I’ll ask Uncle Shen to be my master; you promised me that.”

Elder Hua teased his daughter, “Your Uncle Shen is a rare genius. He only takes in disciples who rank first. Are you really that confident?”

Hua Shi replied proudly, “Of course—”

She suddenly stopped talking, thinking of the hooded youth she had encountered in the Five Poison Forest.

Hua Shi lowered her eyes, her gaze murky: Could it be that person was coming to ask for a master?

No.

No one could take away her position as the senior disciple.

—

In the inn, Jiang Xuehe had been coaxing Ti Ying for a long time.

Ti Ying, who slept a lot during the day and now had a new senior brother, was extremely excited and refused to go to sleep.

Ti Ying clung to Jiang Xuehe, wanting to see what was in the big bag carried by her former master’s paper crane.

Jiang Xuehe then took out everything from the bag, one by one, and showed it to her.

He read aloud the letter from her master—it was just some cliché advice about taking care of herself.

Ti Ying was excited. “Is there more? Any other gifts?”

She also requested, “Can you tell me more of your stories?”

Jiang Xuehe complied at his own pace.

He did as she requested, turning away to find something new and interesting to entertain a child. But as he turned away, a beam of light flew out from the bag and entered Ti Ying’s sea of consciousness.

Jiang Xuehe instantly noticed it, but when he turned back to check, he was stunned—

Jiang Xuehe exclaimed, “Junior Sister!”

In the blink of an eye, his mischievous little junior sister had already sprawled on the bed, tearing her master’s letter into small pieces and playing with them haphazardly.

The bed was covered with a pile of paper, like a small mountain.

When Jiang Xuehe turned back, he saw her picking and choosing from the pile of paper, trying to piece together the crooked and twisted words—

“Senior Brother only dotes on Little Ying.”

Jiang Xuehe: “…”

Ti Ying propped her chin up, pretending to be innocent. “What’s wrong? I’m reading the letter!”

Jiang Xuehe thought to himself: Are you again just picking the words you like and randomly piecing them together to read?

Can you really read a letter like this?