Chapter 43: Only You
“Continue? Continues what?” Luo Jinxiao’s face was as red as fire, almost ready to pledge her life to prove her innocence.
“I just took a nap, and when I woke up, this is what happened.” Luo Jinxiao grabbed Qu Weiyin’s hand and pulled her into the room, dragging her towards the bed.
The young girl was still sound asleep. Luo Jinxiao grabbed a nearby blanket, held it far away, and tossed it onto the girl’s body. Only then did she tap her shoulder. “Hey, wake up!”
The girl jolted awake with a start, scrambling to her hands and knees. Her round eyes darted around fiercely, finally calming down when they landed on Luo Jinxiao. She knelt beside the bed and tried to throw her arms around Luo Jinxiao.
“Stop right there!” Luo Jinxiao pointed at the space in front of her and retreated behind Qu Weiyin. Peeking out from behind Qu Weiyin’s shoulder, she carefully studied the girl.
This expression, this posture… the more I look, the more familiar it seems.
At this moment, Qu Weiyin also noticed something unusual. She tilted her head slightly and, from the corner of the blanket, spotted a tuft of yellow fur. Surprise flickered in her eyes. She reached out with her hand, hovering it over the girl’s head, and extended her spiritual energy.
“It’s Qiongqi,” she said after a moment.
“Qiongqi? But she’s just a cub. How can she already transform into a human?” Luo Jinxiao was both surprised and delighted. She finally relaxed, stepping out from behind Qu Weiyin and clutching her chest.
Qu Weiyin was momentarily speechless, a touch of awkwardness coloring her expression. “Perhaps because she’s an inherently powerful beast, transforming into human form is no big deal,” she replied casually.
However, powerful beasts were typically driven by their primal instincts. It was rare for them to desire to take on a human form. For the years Qiongqi had been by her side in her past life, she had always remained in her beast form. It’s truly remarkable that Luo Jinxiao managed to raise a powerful beast with human nature, Qu Weiyin thought to herself.
She glanced at the completely naked girl again, feeling a wave of heat creep up her face. She turned away. “Have her change back,” she said.
Just now, the instant she opened the door, she could practically feel the shock in her mind, the sudden, sinking feeling in her heart. Now that she thought about it, it was both ridiculous and terrifying.
Ridiculous because of her absurd thoughts, terrifying because she actually had such a strong reaction.
Fortunately, she hadn’t let it show. Otherwise, she truly wouldn’t have been able to face anyone. Now, having calmed down a bit, she found her momentary thoughts utterly absurd.
Luo Jinxiao, standing to the side, couldn’t help but turn to look at Qu Weiyin. Seeing that she wasn’t acting strangely, she finally felt at ease. She swatted Qiongqi’s head in exasperation. “Hurry up and change back!”
Qiongqi wiggled her body, her wavy hair swaying with her movements. But after a long moment, nothing happened.
She wore a pitiful expression and tried to nuzzle closer to Luo Jinxiao. Luo Jinxiao hurriedly took a step back and turned to Qu Weiyin for help. “Junior Shishu, it seems she can’t change back. What should we do?”
Qu Weiyin frowned slightly, folded her hands behind her back, and coldly examined Qiongqi. It seemed she had only figured out how to transform into a human form on her own but hadn’t learned how to revert to her beast form.
Finally, she shook her head. “Find her some clothes first.”
Dressing Qiongqi proved to be another ordeal. Qiongqi hated having fabric draped over her body. She would bite at whatever they tried to put on her, and after several attempts, she even started throwing a tantrum. Luo Jinxiao was drenched in sweat by the time she finally managed to get a single undergarment on her.
Qiongqi, with a pitiful expression, leaned in to lick Luo Jinxiao’s face. Luo Jinxiao leaped back in fright, crashing directly into Qu Weiyin. Overwhelmed by the chaotic situation, she clung to Qu Weiyin’s shoulder, hiding behind her.
Qu Weiyin, with Luo Jinxiao pressed against her like that, felt as if she were being embraced. She cleared her throat, her gaze lingering on Luo Jinxiao’s slender fingers for a moment before she forced herself to look away.
Qu Weiyin opened her palm, and the Crescent Star Sword appeared, shimmering with a faint firelight. She raised her eyes to Qiongqi, her gaze as calm as a breeze, causing Qiongqi to freeze and sit up straight.
Her round eyes drooped, staring fixedly at her knees.
Only then was Luo Jinxiao able to successfully dress her in a complete set of light blue robes. Paired with her head full of brown hair, she actually looked quite pleasant. The tail, however, posed a bit of a challenge. After some deliberation, Luo Jinxiao could only tuck it into her skirt.
Luo Jinxiao had been busy for half the day and finally had a chance to sit down and rest. She sprawled out in a chair, fanning herself with her hand.
Qu Weiyin sighed and picked up the outer robe that had been delivered earlier. She walked over, and with a flick of her wrist, the robe unfolded in midair, draping itself over Luo Jinxiao’s shoulders. “Put it on properly. Look at you,” she said.
The robe settled onto Luo Jinxiao’s shoulders, bringing with it a gentle breeze. Although the garment had been washed, it still carried the lingering fragrance of the flowers that clung to Qu Weiyin.
Qu Weiyin bent slightly at the waist, her jade-like fingers, as delicate and white as spring onions, adjusting Luo Jinxiao’s collar. Luo Jinxiao’s face flushed, her heart pounding. She couldn’t help but raise her head to meet Qu Weiyin’s gaze.
No matter how many times I see her, she’s breathtakingly beautiful, Luo Jinxiao thought, dazed.
“Junior Shishu, you’re really beautiful,” she blurted out.
Qu Weiyin’s hand paused for a beat, her expression turning slightly unnatural. “Mm,” she murmured, taking a step back. “Why haven’t I seen you these past few days?”
“Junior Shishu is always busy. I didn’t want to bother you, so I didn’t want to bother you,” Luo Jinxiao replied, her heart secretly soaring. Qu Weiyin asking like that, could it be that she wanted to see me?
“So I had to personally deliver this to you,” Qu Weiyin said, her tone indifferent.
Luo Jinxiao’s fleeting joy was instantly extinguished. She pouted and fell silent.
Qiongqi, beside them, seemed quite pleased with her new body. She continuously tugged at her sleeves with her teeth, her face full of mischief. Luo Jinxiao couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ve delivered what I needed to. I still have matters to attend to. I’ll be on my way.” With that, Qu Weiyin turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, as if remembering something, she turned back, “These past few days, disciples have been disappearing from the sect. You’re living here alone, so you must be careful.”
“Disappearing? What do you mean?” Luo Jinxiao’s heart skipped a beat.
“They’ve gone missing,” Qu Weiyin clarified.
“The Wuhui Sect is suppressing the news to avoid causing panic. They’ve also recalled all the highly skilled disciples to strengthen the defenses. You should hear about it soon.”
“If anything happens, crush this.” Qu Weiyin retrieved a clear stone from her sleeve and handed it to Luo Jinxiao.
Luo Jinxiao accepted it carefully. The stone felt cool in her palm, like a gentle autumn breeze.
“Do all the disciples in the sect have one of these?” Luo Jinxiao asked.
Qu Weiyin met her gaze for a moment before turning away and walking out the door. Her figure gradually faded into the soft, yellow light.
“Only you,” she said, her voice carried away by the wind. By the time Luo Jinxiao processed her words, Qu Weiyin was gone.
Luo Jinxiao’s lips curved into a smile. She turned the stone over in her palm, carefully examining it as she pondered Qu Weiyin’s words.
The Wuhui Sect was a place of cultivation. If someone had gone missing, it shouldn’t be the work of demons or evil spirits. After all, this place was teeming with skilled cultivators. How could they not have noticed?
Unless… unless it was someone with cultivation comparable to the Demon Lord from her past life.
The day after Qu Weiyin informed Luo Jinxiao, the news spread throughout the Wuhui Sect. Disciples with lower cultivation levels were gathered together in one location, with high-level disciples patrolling the perimeter each night.
Initially, no one grasped the severity of the situation. They huddled together, chattering and joking. However, after two nights, a new disciple who had joined the sect alongside Luo Jinxiao went out for morning cultivation and never returned. Only then did everyone start to panic.
Rumors spread that a demon had infiltrated the Wuhui Sect, but despite the elders strengthening the barrier around the sect overnight and conducting a thorough spiritual cleansing, they found nothing.
While the Wuhui Sect was on high alert, trouble also arose in the mortal realm. The autumn harvest brought abundant yang energy, attracting a host of ghouls and evil spirits. A steady stream of mortals ascended the mountain, weeping and pleading for the cultivators to descend and subdue the malevolent beings.
The Wuhui Sect, sworn to protect the mortal realm, couldn’t refuse. However, in such extraordinary times, with all the skilled disciples occupied with patrols, sending someone to deal with the malevolent spirits posed a dilemma.
After much deliberation, the elders selected a handful of available disciples, forming a small squad, and dispatched them down the mountain. Two days later, news arrived: two were dead, one was injured, and the remaining two had vanished without a trace.
This news struck the Wuhui Sect like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone stunned. In the past, whether facing ghosts or demons, a few disciples could easily handle the situation. But this time, they had suffered a crushing defeat, striking fear into the hearts of all.
That day, Luo Jinxiao had barely registered this news when Lu Fanzhi added, “Junior Shishu Qu is leaving to eliminate the malevolent spirits tomorrow. With her high level of cultivation, she might even find the missing disciples.”
“Junior Shishu?” Luo Jinxiao muttered, frowning. “Don’t we have anyone else in the Wuhui Sect? Why does everything fall on Junior Shishu’s shoulders?”
“It’s because she’s incredibly powerful. No one in the sect can match her cultivation level,” Lu Fanzhi replied, her face filled with admiration.
This was true, but it didn’t sit well with Luo Jinxiao.
“She’s going alone?” Luo Jinxiao asked.
Lu Fanzhi nodded. “Are you heading back to Elder Liu’s today?”
“My master is back. He sent word for me to meet him this morning.” Luo Jinxiao shook her head. After bidding farewell to Lu Fanzhi, she left the gathering and made her way towards Elder Liu’s courtyard.
With everyone congregated in one area, the path seemed particularly desolate. The sky had already darkened, casting long shadows from the trees. Mist hung heavy in the air, creating an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere.
Occasionally, fallen leaves would twirl down, landing on Luo Jinxiao’s hair before gliding off strands.
Luo Jinxiao started at a brisk pace. But after rounding a few bends, she sensed something amiss. A faint, almost imperceptible surge of spiritual energy pulsed around her. If she hadn’t been paying close attention, she would have missed it entirely.
She instantly tensed, maintaining an air of ignorance as she cautiously continued forward.
At that moment, a wave of oppressive, murky, foul energy began to permeate the air. It carried the metallic tang of old blood, neither demonic nor ghostly, slowly closing in. The energy seemed to possess a disorienting quality, making it hard to think clearly.
Luo Jinxiao discreetly regulated her breathing, allowing her spiritual energy to envelop her body.
A subtle whoosh of displaced air sounded from behind. Her divine sword materialized, intercepting the attack. Luo Jinxiao swiftly grasped the sword, executing a graceful flourish. A blast of icy energy shot out, disappearing into the darkness.
No one there? Luo Jinxiao was taken aback. Then, another surge of chilling, malevolent energy descended from above. An icy cold washed over her from head to toe. Just as she prepared to dodge, a powerful force of spiritual energy erupted from the distance, shattering the attack. It spread with lightning speed, instantly purifying the surrounding area.
Elder Liu materialized before Luo Jinxiao, his expression grave, brows furrowed. He placed a hand on her head and, in the blink of an eye, they vanished into thin air.
thank you for the chapter ʕ•ᴥ•ʔノ♡