Chapter 2

Luo Qingzhu had been the one to bring Qin Rou back.

Her impure spiritual roots had disqualified her during the sect’s recruitment. But she had knelt outside the mountain gates for three days and nights, until she fainted.

Luo Qingzhu thought her resolve extraordinary. Since Master was in seclusion, he had accepted Qin Rou on his behalf.

Within six months of arriving, she had won over all six of my fellow male disciples and our master. They put her first in everything and spoiled her into the sect’s little princess.

As for me, I went from a respected second sister to the vicious supporting character.

It all felt like a dream.

Qin Rou bit her lip, looking deeply wronged.

“But isn’t taking in six at once too many?”

She had barely finished speaking

when Ninth Sister dropped to her knees.

“Eighth Sister, please don’t send me away. My parents both died in the mortal world. If Second Sister hadn’t saved me, my uncle would have sold me. She only took me in because she’s kind. If you dislike me and drive me out, I might as well die! Boo-hoo…”

“Eldest Brother, please let me stay. I truly have nowhere to go if I leave the Cloudwater Sect. Please take pity on me!” Tenth Sister shoved Qin Rou aside with her hip and clung to Luo Qingzhu’s arm, shaking it.

Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Sisters swarmed him too, pleading piteously.

Surrounded by them, Luo Qingzhu flushed to the ears. He didn’t even hear Qin Rou’s delicate cry of pain.

“This is ridiculous. You…”

“Enough!”

Qin Rou had never been ignored like this. She stamped her foot and yanked Fourteenth Sister away in a fury.

With a cry, Fourteenth Sister fell to the ground and burst into tears.

My expression chilled. I helped her up tenderly and said, “Eighth Sister, how could you bully our youngest sister? Apologize to her at once.”

“Youngest sister? I’m the youngest sister! What right does she have to that title?” Qin Rou shouted furiously.

Mortals doted on their youngest children.

The Cloudwater Sect was no different.

Qin Rou clung so fiercely to her place as our youngest sister because it gave her every advantage.

Since she was the youngest, everyone had to give way to her.

If she made a mistake, her senior brothers and sister had failed to teach her properly.

If her cultivation was lacking and she neglected her training, we had to raid secret realms and kill demonic beasts to find treasures for her.

If she provoked someone and got taught a lesson, we were expected to fight her battles—even when she had started it—simply because she was the youngest.

My fellow male disciples were happy to let her use them.

I was not.

So my first task on returning was to drag her down from that privileged position and give her a taste of being a senior sister.

“Eighth Sister,” I said coldly, “these girls are younger and weaker than you. Do you realize that one careless tug could have killed our youngest sister? Do the bonds between fellow disciples mean anything to you?”

Sniffling, Fourteenth Sister exposed her bruised arm. “Second Sister, it hurts so much. Does Eighth Sister dislike me? I’ve upset her on my very first day. What am I going to do? I only want to stay alive. I’m not trying to take anything from her. Boo-hoo!”

“Enough, you bitch!” Qin Rou spat through clenched teeth.

“Rou’er, don’t.” Luo Qingzhu finally came to his senses and reprimanded her softly, before she could make things worse.

But Qin Rou was so accustomed to being indulged that all she heard was him scolding her.

Her eyes reddened. She stamped her foot lightly and said in wounded reproach, “Eldest Brother, even you’re taking their side. I… I never want to speak to you again.”

She rode away weeping on a seven-colored cloud.

Luo Qingzhu hurried after her in disarray.

I stared after that cloud, lost in thought, with an ache of loneliness in my heart.