Chapter 108: Senior Sister, I fell down by myself. It has nothing to do with Senior Brother.
As he lay in bed recovering and processing the original Yu Rui’s memories along with the future storyline, Yu Le continuously refined his own plan.
At the moment, the plot had yet to start; the female lead, Bai Feishuang, hadn’t met the male protagonist yet.
But it would be soon.
Yesterday, Senior Brother Meng Qing had come to bring him some medicinal pills and mentioned that, in two months, a secret realm on Mount Meishou would open. He urged Yu Le to focus on his recovery so that he could seize the opportunity to enter the realm for training.
It was in this very secret realm that Bai Feishuang would be transported by a natural teleportation array to the place where the male lead, Changque, was sealed. She would be deceived into releasing him.
For Yu Le’s plan to succeed, he needed to stay by Bai Feishuang’s side at all times, ensuring he got teleported with her to Changque’s sealing site.
Therefore, in the next two months, he had to close the gap between him and his Senior Sister, so that when the time came, he could stick to her without raising suspicion.
In the past, although Yu Rui had secretly admired his Senior Sister, his immature personality led him to cause trouble as a way of getting her attention, much like a mischievous child.
Their relationship had not been close.
However, now was the perfect opportunity to draw closer.
Yu Le sent out a letter, contacting one of Yu Rui’s “friends.”
No matter how bad-tempered or annoying someone might be, they would always have one or two bad company friends. What’s more, Yu Rui was the personal disciple of the peak master. Even though he had a bad temper, there were plenty of people willing to flatter him.
The person Yu Le contacted this time was Wei Tianchang, an ordinary inner disciple. He understood Yu Rui’s intentions and was good at talking, so he often associated with Yu Rui.
This time, when Yu Rui trespassed into the forbidden area of the back mountain, Wei Tianchang was with him. However, Wei Tianchang was more cunning and perceptive. When he saw Yu Rui causing a big commotion while capturing a spirit beast, he feared they would both be caught, so he ditched Yu Rui and slipped away first.
Wei Tianchang hid outside for a few days, and as soon as he returned, he received the letter from Yu Le. Reluctantly, he came to the Wutong Courtyard to visit.
He had heard that Yu Rui had been punished with thirty lashes of the soul-crushing whip by the senior brother, and he felt both fear and regret in his heart.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have encouraged that brainless fool to capture the spirit beast, which had led to his punishment. Would Yu Rui be furious and seek revenge on him out of shame?
“Junior Brother Yu Rui, I heard you were punished, and I’ve been so uneasy about it. I spent the last few days searching everywhere for a suitable healing medicine, but unfortunately, I don’t have many spirit stones and my cultivation is low. All I managed to find is this Green Cloud Spirit Grass.”
Wei Tianchang put on a worried and guilty expression, though he felt the sting of the loss in his heart.
The Green Cloud Spirit Grass wasn’t much to those wealthy personal disciples, but for him, it was a rare medicinal herb.
To calm Yu Rui down, he had no choice but to give it away, no matter how much it pained him.
Thinking of all the pills he had received from Yu Rui in the past, Wei Tianchang’s expression finally showed a bit more genuine concern.
As long as he could win him over, the good things he gave away would eventually come back to him many times over.
Yu Le, knowing the personality of the original owner, exchanged a few insincere pleasantries with the fake-looking Wei Tianchang.
He was naturally adept at reading people’s minds, and Wei Tianchang’s greed hadn’t escaped his notice.
After combining his observations with the original owner’s memories and getting a clear grasp of who Wei Tianchang was, Yu Le steered the conversation towards the matter of trespassing into the forbidden area of the back mountain.
“That blue fox that broke into the forbidden area still managed to escape—just barely!”
Seeing that Yu Le was still hung up on the matter, Wei Tianchang quickly reassured him, “It was just a blue fox. You can always find a better one later. I think a white fox would suit you better than a green one.”
Yu Le, with a tone of dissatisfaction, replied, “But Senior Sister Shuang prefers blue foxes. If I’m giving her a gift, it has to be a blue one!”
Not wanting to upset him further by arguing about the color of the fox, Wei Tianchang quickly switched to a topic he thought would make Yu Rui happy. “I heard Senior Sister Bai has been visiting you frequently these days?”
“Hmm, I am still Junior Brother to Senior Sister Shuang. Of course, she cares about me,” Yu Le said, flawlessly mimicking Yu Rui’s prideful but secretly pleased demeanor.
Wei Tianchang smiled and added, “It seems that misfortune has turned into a blessing, allowing you to spend time with the one you care about every day, Junior Brother Yu Rui…”
Yu Le cut him off, clearly displeased, “What do you mean ‘the one I care about’? What nonsense are you talking about!”
Wei Tianchang was taken aback. He knew Yu Rui’s feelings well—whenever he brought up this subject in the past, Yu Rui would only blush and hum in acknowledgment, secretly delighted, never refuting it.
Before Wei could think any further, Yu Le angrily continued, “I only see Senior Sister Shuang as my own elder sister and just want to make her happy. What kind of filthy thoughts are you entertaining? I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Leave immediately!”
With Yu Le’s outburst, Wei Tianchang hurriedly agreed, “Alright, alright, I was wrong. I misunderstood you. Please calm down.”
After a few more apologies, Yu Le, pretending to be upset, finally managed to send him away.
As soon as Wei Tianchang left, Yu Le hobbled his way outside. When he reached the tree in the courtyard, he noticed a small bell swaying after being triggered. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
The timing had been perfect. It seemed his senior sister had already heard those words, saving him the trouble of figuring out how to get that message to her.
Yu Rui had gone to the back mountain to capture a blue fox spirit beast just because his senior sister had mentioned liking blue foxes. In chasing the fox, he had trespassed into the forbidden area and ended up being punished.
Although this had nothing to do with Bai Feishuang, someone as kind and soft-hearted as she was would naturally feel a bit guilty knowing someone was punished, even if indirectly, because of her.
Yu Le wandered slowly around the courtyard for a while and, as expected, Bai Feishuang soon arrived.
She carried a food box in her hand, filled with snacks she had made herself.
Cultivators who reached the Spirit Refining Realm no longer needed to eat three meals a day, occasionally just tasting tea or wine.
Yu Le’s body, however, was still at the Qi Condensation Realm, so he could feel hunger. But there was no one here to cook, and the only thing available was bigu pills.
Back when he lived with his fourth brother, he could enjoy delicious meals carefully prepared every day. But ever since he got here, he had to gnaw on bigu pills every few days. While they kept his stomach full, they did nothing for his craving for real food.
Luckily, there was Senior Sister Bai Feishuang, whose pastries were simply exceptional. For this reason, Yu Le genuinely liked her and called her “Senior Sister” with heartfelt sweetness.
“Senior Sister, you’re here!”
“Why are you walking around the courtyard?”
“I’ve been lying down for so long inside, I needed to stretch my legs.”
Yu Le pretended not to notice the hint of complexity in Bai Feishuang’s eyes and eagerly took the food box from her hands.
As he ate the pale green lotus seed and lotus leaf cakes, Bai Feishuang finally asked in a probing tone, “Junior Brother, I haven’t asked yet, but why did you enter the forbidden area of the back mountain?”
Yu Le paused for a moment, his gaze drifting as he avoided looking directly at her. “I was just being playful and ignorant. I wanted to go in and take a look. I know I was wrong now. I really won’t do it again next time.”
Hearing that he still wanted to hide the truth, Bai Feishuang didn’t expose him. Her gaze softened as she pushed the food box closer to him. “If you like it, have some more.”
“Take good care of your injury, or you won’t be able to go to the secret realm on Meishou Mountain in two months.”
“Senior Sister Shuang and Senior Brother Meng are taking such good care of me, I’ll definitely recover quickly,” Yu Le said obediently. “I’ve never been to the secret realm on Meishou Mountain before. What’s it like? Does it also have a lot of spiritual herbs and beasts like our back mountain?”
Bai Feishuang patiently explained, “That secret realm opens once every ten years. It’s not very dangerous. Besides us, a few other sects will also send their young disciples there for training.”
“Most of the spiritual herbs and beasts inside are of low rank, so they’re quite suitable for you. When the time comes, you can go with me, and if there’s anything you want, I’ll help you get it.”
That secret realm had been relatively safe in the past, but this time…
Yu Le’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Great! I’ll go with Senior Sister. When we’re there, I’ll catch a spirit beast for you too! I remember you said you liked blue foxes!”
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Bai Feishuang’s gaze softened even more, and she reached out to gently ruffle his loose hair. “You haven’t fully recovered yet. Just take care of yourself.”
*
In just over a month, Meng Qing had noticed that his little junior brother had grown particularly close to Junior Sister Feishuang.
When he came by to deliver pills to his junior brother, he had seen him eating the pastries Feishuang had made, and even caught her giving him pointers on his cultivation.
And his junior brother seemed more affectionate toward Feishuang than toward him, his own senior brother.
Today, when Meng Qing visited the Wutong Courtyard again, the little boy sweeping leaves in the yard told him that his junior brother had gone to play at Feishuang’s Songxi Residence.
Meng Qing: “…”
He had heard that their senior brother had gone down the mountain to exorcise demons over a month ago and was due to return in the next few days. Every time he returned, he would visit Junior Sister Feishuang. Could it be that he might run into them?
*
Bai Feishuang’s Songxi Residence was peaceful and tranquil. Yu Le found it more comfortable than his own courtyard.
He sat on a strange rock by the stream, with the sound of the wind rustling through the thick old pine trees overhead, and next to him was the spiritual tea his senior sister had brought. He felt completely at ease.
The only downside was that his cultivation was progressing too slowly. Even after a long time, only a thin wisp of spiritual energy had entered his spiritual aperture.
In such a dangerous world of cultivation, living comfortably required great power. However, the original owner’s cultivation level wasn’t high, only at the late stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.
In the path of cultivation, the stages were Qi Condensation, Spirit Refining, Void Return, and Nine Tribulations.
His senior brother and senior sister had all reached the Spirit Refining Realm, and Senior Brother Mo Cunzhi had reached the late stage of the Spirit Refining Realm, just one step away from the Void Return Realm, ready to break through at any moment.
Currently, the strongest cultivator in the Five Peaks Immortal Sect was the sect leader, who had already passed three of the Nine Tribulations in the Nine Tribulations Realm.
It was said that once all Nine Tribulations were overcome, one could ascend to immortality. However, throughout thousands of years, only a few had successfully passed all Nine Tribulations.
The original owner’s cultivation level was low, with mediocre aptitude, and due to a lack of diligence in cultivation, it had been stuck in the Qi Condensation Realm for a long time without breaking through.
Yu Le couldn’t stand the slow pace of cultivation. Accumulating spiritual energy bit by bit like this, who knew how long it would take to progress? He preferred to find a shortcut.
As his thoughts wandered, the flow of spiritual energy within his body dispersed.
Unable to sit still, Yu Le glanced at Bai Feishuang, who was sitting calmly beside him. Holding his aching body, he stood up.
Bai Feishuang opened her eyes and, with concern, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Le lowered his eyes and said obediently, “Senior Sister, I’m hungry.”
As expected, instead of telling him to eat bigu pills, Senior Sister stood up and said, “I’ll make you something to eat.”
“The wind has picked up outside, and your body hasn’t fully recovered. Go wait for me inside.”
Such a considerate senior sister.
Yu Le smiled and agreed, walking into Bai Feishuang’s room.
Her room was simply decorated. Apart from the dressing table, which had a touch of feminine charm, the rest of the furnishings were natural and unadorned.
Even the bed only had a bamboo pillow and a meditation mat, hard and lacking any mattress or blanket.
It seemed that Senior Sister spent her nights cultivating without sleeping.
After wandering around the room for a bit, Yu Le found a wooden stool and sat down.
Suddenly, a noise came from the courtyard outside. Through the half-open wooden window, Yu Le glanced over nonchalantly and saw that the visitor was none other than Senior Brother Mo Cunzhi.
Yu Le’s eyebrow twitched as a mischievous smile spread across his face. He deliberately lay down on the bare wooden bed, which had nothing but a simple frame, and let out a loud groan of pain.
Standing in the courtyard, Mo Cunzhi hadn’t seen his junior sister yet. His ears perked up when he heard a man’s voice from inside.
The door was wide open, and when he stepped inside, he saw a man lying casually on his junior sister’s bed, with his back facing him.
“Who are you, and why are you lying there?” Mo Cunzhi demanded.
Yu Le turned over, flashing a wide grin. “Oh, it’s Senior Brother.”
Mo Cunzhi recognized him, but his frown didn’t ease in the slightest. In a cold voice, he said, “Get down.”
Yu Le, feigning innocence, replied, “Why can’t I lie down on Senior Sister’s bed? She’s not here anyway.”
Without further words, Mo Cunzhi raised his sword sheath and in an instant, flicked Yu Le off the bed.
Yu Le “fell” to the ground, immediately putting on a pained expression.
“What’s going on? Senior Brother, Little Junior Brother?” Bai Feishuang walked up to the doorway, carrying a food box, and saw the two facing off.
Mo Cunzhi coldly explained, “He was lying on your bed.”
Yu Le, with reddened eyes, looked up and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Senior Sister. You told me to wait in your room, but I suddenly felt pain in my back and couldn’t sit still, so I lay down on the bed for a moment.”
Bai Feishuang understood. Senior Brother must have come looking for her, saw their junior brother lying on her bed, and considered it disrespectful, which was why he threw him off.
She helped her little junior brother up from the floor, letting him sit back on the bed, and gently reassured him, “It’s alright. I told you to make yourself comfortable. How’s your back injury?”
Yu Le lowered his head in silence, merely shaking it, as though he had been frightened by Senior Brother Mo.
Bai Feishuang glanced again at the cold and distant Senior Brother Mo.
“Senior Brother, Yu Rui is still young. You’ve already punished him before, and his wounds haven’t fully healed. Please be more lenient with him now.”
Seeing a hint of reproach in his junior sister’s eyes, Mo Cunzhi: “……”
Meanwhile, the little junior brother, who appeared to be utterly wronged, sat on his junior sister’s bed behind her, flashing an innocent smile at Mo Cunzhi.
