Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I returned to my abode. The chickens were fine, the ducks were fine, and the vegetables were growing like crazy.

I let out a wicked chuckle.

My dear chickens, ducks, and veggies-I missed you all so much!

I immediately heated up some oil in a pan and started stir-frying chicken, roasting duck, and sautéing vegetables.

Just as I was eating with gusto, something fell from the sky and landed right in our pot with a thud.

Me: “My food!”

Fubao: “( ο`*))) Ah!”

Looking up at the sky, I saw Eldest Senior Sister flying past. She was probably in such a hurry that she didn’t even realize she had dropped something.

I looked at the object; it was a very beautiful jade pendant.

I fished the pendant out, performed a Cleansing Technique to tidy it up, and then scooped the vegetables that had been hit by the pendant into Fubao’s bowl.

Me: “Eat up. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Fubao: “(O_o)”

Then he started barking like crazy!

He rubbed his dog head against me, nudging me hard, and even pushed his bowl toward me, demanding I swap his food.

I was squeezed so hard I almost fell off my chair. I tried to rescue my rice bowl while fighting off the dog head.

“You silly dog, stop pushing! You’re going to knock over the rice bowl.”

“Fine, fine, fine. You eat this time, I’ll eat next time.”

“We’ll take turns, one for one. That’s only fair.”

“Eat, eat!”

“Woof woof woof woof!”

“Hahahaha!”

The noise of human and dog echoed through the Bixiao heights. Home really was the most comfortable place.

After finishing my meal, I went to return the jade pendant to Eldest Senior Sister.

Fubao led the way, wagging his tail. On the road, we encountered various Senior and Junior Brothers and Sisters. Some couldn’t help but stop to pat Fubao’s head.

If it was a girl, Fubao would stop and let her pet him.

If it was a boy, Fubao would flick his tail and leave arrogantly.

I hurriedly offered a friendly smile to my fellow disciples.

I never expected that I, who had been cautious and prudent my whole life, would raise a dog that stir up trouble.

Perhaps this is just fate.

I pinched Fubao’s ears.

“If you see a handsome one, stop and let them pet you, do you hear me?”

Fubao’s feet seemed to catch the wind as he suddenly dashed off and dragged a handsome guy over to me.

I took a look-it was a Senior Brother from the Enforcement Hall.

He frowned.

“Junior Sister, you really should manage your spirit beast better.”

In the end, I was handed a Discipline Hall Manual.

“‘Do not allow spirit beasts to run wild within the Sect, disturbing the peace of others’ cultivation…’ Did you hear that, Fubao? He’s talking about you.”

“Woof woof!”

A large, defiant dog head swung back and forth in front of me. His dark, beady eyes were full of: “Who are you talking about? Who? Who?”

“I’m talking about you.”

“Woof woof woof woof!”

“You silly dog, don’t bite my sleeve! No one’s going to sew it for me! Let go!! Let go already!”

After a bit of bickering and playing, we finally arrived at Senior Sister’s abode.

She was staring blankly at the edge of a cliff. The wind sounded desolate, her hair fluttered lightly, and her sleeves billowed. Her entire being was shrouded in a quiet melancholy, like a flower on a precipice-solitary and refined.

She turned her head, saw me, and offered a faint smile.

“Junior Sister, you’re here.”

I took out the jade pendant and returned it to her.

She froze for a moment, touched her waist, and seemed to only then realize she had lost it.

She reached out to take it and thanked me softly.

I thought for a moment and asked, “Senior Sister, why did you come back so early?”

Eldest Senior Sister paused, then said indifferently, “I felt it was quite boring, so I came back first.”

I gave an “oh” and turned to take my leave.

Eldest Senior Sister suddenly asked, “Junior Sister, what kind of person do you think I am?”

I didn’t know why she asked this, but clearly, the question was important to her.

I thought carefully about her past life.

Before meeting Mu Qingyang, she was the Sect’s Prodigy, respected wherever she went.

After getting engaged to Mu Qingyang, she became a woman people gossiped about for being jealous and petty.

Later came the Immortal-Demon War. She led the defense at Qianren Pass, killing hundreds of enemies, only to be murdered by a spy. Before her death, she self-detonated, buying time for the other disciples to escape.

She was the undisputed Eldest Senior Sister of the Sect, a model for our generation of cultivators.

In all honesty, I couldn’t have done what she did if I were in her position.

I said sincerely, “Eldest Senior Sister, I am proud of you. You are honest, bright, disciplined, and resilient. You aren’t the most naturally gifted of our generation, but you are the one who has walked the steadiest and most solid path. You have the Great Dao in your heart and a sense of justice. I truly admire someone like you. I could never do what you do; you are the kind of person I could never become in a lifetime.”

Tears glistened in the corners of Eldest Senior Sister’s eyes, and she let out a relaxed, shallow smile.

“Junior Sister, thank you. I feel much better now.”

Later, I learned that at the flower market, there happened to be an auction. There was a dress inscribed with a formation array that served as an excellent defensive Dharma treasure. Everyone planned to bid on it to give to Little Junior Sister, but they were short a few Spirit Stones.

Little Junior Sister declined, saying she didn’t want it.

The group looked toward Eldest Senior Sister.

Helpless, Eldest Senior Sister had to empty out all her Spirit Stones and Spirit Grass to make up the full price for the dress.

However, it meant she had no money left to repair the wooden puppet I had given her.

Because that puppet had blocked damage in the Mitian Secret Realm, its carved formations had vanished. She had intended to sell her Spirit Grass to hire an array master to repair it.

Because of this, she had hesitated for a moment and hadn’t handed over the money readily.

Even though she eventually paid, the other Senior and Junior Brothers still felt she wasn’t generous enough.

Mu Qingyang’s eyes had also been full of reproach.

He felt that Little Junior Sister’s defenses were lacking; if her defenses were better, she wouldn’t have been poisoned in the Secret Realm.

Compared to a wooden puppet, Little Junior Sister was obviously more important.

He felt that such a simple truth should have been obvious to Eldest Senior Sister. Why couldn’t she understand?

Eldest Senior Sister had been isolated, so she left in a fit of pique. Her heart was in such turmoil on the way back that she hadn’t even noticed her jade pendant falling…