Senior Sister Went Mad After My Fake Death Chapter 37

“Daoist, I am from the Bright Snow Sect.” A travel-worn male cultivator arrived, revealing his jade seal as proof. “I have come on my master’s orders to deliver an invitation.”
The female cultivator guarding the mountain gate gave him a faint glance, not taking the jade seal he offered. She only repeated, “You are from the Bright Snow Sect?”
The male cultivator nodded, still eagerly holding his jade seal out for her to inspect. “Yes, I am from the Bright Snow Sect. This is my jade seal.”
Seeing his eagerness, the female cultivator finally deigned to glance at the jade seal. Seemingly confirming its origin, she said, “Understood.”
“May I enter?”
“Yes, you may enter,” the female cultivator said indifferently, but she turned and called someone over. “Zhuzhu, take him to see Master.”
The female cultivator called “Zhuzhu” looked over at her call, letting out a puzzled “ah,” as if she didn’t understand what her senior sister was saying.
A different expression finally appeared on the female cultivator’s composed face. She lifted her lips and raised an eyebrow in a subtle hint.
This time, Zhuzhu understood.
She smiled and beckoned the male cultivator from the Bright Snow Sect. “Come with me.”
Watching Zhuzhu and the male cultivator leave together, the first female cultivator lowered her gaze and murmured as if a great weight had been lifted, “They’re finally here.”
“Eh? What happened?” A clear and beautiful voice came from nearby. Looking toward the sound, it was Jiang Chunai.
A flash of embarrassment crossed the female cultivator’s face before she quickly said, “Chunai, you’re here.”
Jiang Chunai, still wearing a friendly smile, looked strangely at the figures of Zhuzhu and the man. “Beside Zhuzhu… is that a man?”
It had been so long, she had almost forgotten that “men” existed.
She felt as if a piece of memory was suddenly missing from her life—
She couldn’t have just grown up for no reason. She only remembered surviving a harsh winter famine, and then in the blink of an eye, she had grown from a child to her current age.
This isn’t realistic, Jiang Chunai had thought, and she had also asked her senior sisters, like Chang Xin.
But no matter which senior sister she asked, there was no fixed answer to this question, as if it were a deep-seated taboo.
Over time, Jiang Chunai stopped asking, but she knew she must have missed something.
Or perhaps, she had lost something out of thin air.
“Yes, that’s a male cultivator from an outside sect,” the female cultivator shrugged, quite nonchalantly. “After all, we have no men in Yanqiu.”
Jiang Chunai: “Then why did he suddenly come to our sect? Who is he looking for?”
“I don’t know what he’s here for. Perhaps he has business with Master.” The female cultivator wasn’t interested in this topic and quickly changed it. “By the way, Chunai, have you gone to the Jade Pool for the blood test? Did they find anything?”
The Jade Pool was the very core of Yanqiu. They were currently preparing for a formation and needed every cultivator to give a drop of blood for testing, to select the most outstanding among them for what was to come.
As for what was to come, most people in Yanqiu didn’t know, but they knew that everything their Master did was to secure the future of Yanqiu.
The prophecy from Si Tian Que was deeply ingrained in the heart of every Yanqiu cultivator.
Jiang Chunai shook her head. “Eh, I haven’t been to the Jade Pool yet. Have you gone? What were the results?”
The female cultivator sighed. “I went, but the results were not as good as I’d hoped…”
After speaking, she continued to urge Jiang Chunai to go, pushing her in another direction—away from where Zhuzhu had gone.
Being pushed by her, Jiang Chunai could only agree repeatedly. “Alright, alright, I’ll go now, I’ll go now!”
She knew in her heart that her senior sister was urging her to leave so that she wouldn’t stay here and find out what Zhuzhu and that male cultivator were up to.
Aren’t they just going to see Master?
The ever-obedient Jiang Chunai still complied with her senior sister. However, after she was out of her senior sister’s sight, she turned, hesitated for a moment, and then headed toward the Azure Sky Hall.
Zhuzhu led the male cultivator from the Bright Snow Sect to the Azure Sky Hall and met Yu Lingzi.
The moment the male cultivator stepped into the great hall and saw the magnificent constellations hanging from the ceiling, he was instantly filled with a sense of solemnity. Seeing the imposing figure of Yu Lingzi, he bowed deeply. “Greetings, Immortal Venerable.”
Yu Lingzi, seated in her high position, merely glanced at him faintly, still pinching a flower in her hand. “Cultivator of the Bright Snow Sect, you may rise. We are all fellow Daoists; there is no need for such ceremony.”
Only then did the male cultivator rise shakily, his eyes not daring to wander.
Seeing that she had brought the person, Zhuzhu’s mission was complete, and she prepared to take her leave.
Unexpectedly, her Master stopped her. “Zhuzhu, when you came, were you alone?”
Zhuzhu hesitated for a moment, then quickly realized what her Master was asking. “Yes, I was the one who brought this cultivator here.”
The male cultivator was completely baffled, listening to the conversation between the master and disciple in a daze. He finally concluded that he must be some important figure to receive such a reception.
Otherwise, why would Yanqiu send someone specifically to escort him, and why would Immortal Venerable Yu Lingzi even care to ask if he had come alone?
He became smug, thinking he would have more confidence when he returned to see Senior Brother Jing Shun.
“You may go,” Yu Lingzi waved her hand, signaling for Zhuzhu to leave. “Tell the disciples at the foot of the mountain not to let anyone else in.”
With a “yes, Master,” Zhuzhu left the great hall and headed down the mountain.
At this point, the male cultivator finally felt some confidence and slowly began to explain his purpose for coming.
He first showed his jade seal to prove his identity, then went on about a bunch of things, finally getting to the main point.
“Immortal Venerable, our sect has come to specially invite you and Daoist Chang Xin to a banquet to attend the wedding of my sect’s Senior Sister Han Xiao and the Wunian Sect’s Young Master, You Qian.”
Yu Lingzi’s expression remained unchanged. “Inviting me and Chang Xin?”
“Yes, my sect’s Senior Brother Jing Shun was once companions with Daoist Chang Xin, so he wishes to invite her. As for you, Immortal Venerable…” Here, the male cultivator fell silent, his expression changing to a fawning smile.
Outside the window lattice, Jiang Chunai held her breath, listening intently to their conversation.
—It’s just a marriage between someone from the Bright Snow Sect and the Wunian Sect. Why do Master and my senior sisters have to keep it from me?
Jiang Chunai couldn’t figure out the reason, so she had to come and listen to the details.
So she continued to listen.
“Good. In today’s world, with disasters rampant and demons appearing frequently, even the immortal sects need to hold some joyous events to make everyone happy. After all, we are all just cultivating to become immortals, not yet true immortals. It is only natural to find a Dao companion. I understand this point,” Yu Lingzi said with a smile, before her tone shifted.
“However, I appreciate your sect’s kind intentions, but I am unable to attend. Chang Xin, on the other hand, should be able to go.”
The male cultivator’s expression froze. He finally realized that he had been rejected by the Immortal Venerable.
But while the Immortal Venerable had refused, she hadn’t completely refused. She had only said she wouldn’t go, but her disciple, Chang Xin, would.
The mission was half-completed, so the male cultivator said no more and rose to take his leave.
Yu Lingzi had someone escort him out, all the way to the foot of the mountain, far away from Yanqiu.
It was as if she were afraid he would come into contact with someone along the way.
…They’re definitely hiding something from me, Jiang Chunai thought.
On her way back, Jiang Chunai ran into Chang Xin.
Strangely, yet with a kind of tacit understanding, neither of them greeted the other much when they saw each other.
It seemed they were both hiding something.
And what they didn’t know was that the secret they were both hiding was that they were destined to meet.
Jiang Chunai quickly made up her mind. She went to find Zhi Zhi.
When she pushed open Zhi Zhi’s door, Zhi Zhi was still in her original form, perched on a beam, spinning a web when she had nothing else to do.
Seeing Jiang Chunai suddenly enter, she had no time to change her form. She could only hang upside down from a single strand of silk, dangling down and chirping a welcome to Jiang Chunai.
The usually good-tempered Senior Sister Chunai was uncharacteristically urgent today. “Zhi Zhi, hurry up and talk to me, stop playing around! I have something to discuss with you!”
Zhi Zhi had no choice but to abandon her difficult maneuver, transform into her human form, and pull up a stool to sit beside Jiang Chunai. She asked, puzzled, “Senior Sister Chunai, what’s happened?”
What could have happened to make Senior Sister Chunai so anxious?
Jiang Chunai’s expression was grave. “Zhi Zhi, can you promise me one thing?”
“What is it? Senior Sister Chunai, you’ve been so good to me. Even if it means going through fire and water, I’ll go with you!” Zhi Zhi patted her chest with great bravado. “Alright, but there’s no need to make a spider do something so difficult, right?”
“There’s no need to go through fire and water,” Jiang Chunai denied.
What is it then? Hearing that she didn’t have to do anything so dangerous, Zhi Zhi was even more relieved.
“I need you to accompany me down the mountain. I’ve never been down the mountain before.”
When Jiang Chunai said this to Zhi Zhi, Zhi Zhi’s initial alertness immediately turned to relief. “It’s just going down the mountain. Senior Sister, have you really never been down the mountain?”
In the past, Jiang Chunai would have definitely said she had been, but at this moment, she said, “I probably have been down the mountain, but… the place we’re going this time will be a bit farther.”
Zhi Zhi was puzzled. “Where are we going?”
Don’t be fooled by her being a spider; she had been to many places.
“I want to go to Mount Shu, to the Bright Snow Sect.”
The moment she heard the words “Mount Shu,” Zhi Zhi’s hand trembled. When she heard the words “Bright Snow Sect,” her face turned ashen. She immediately wanted to spin a web, transform, and flee, but Jiang Chunai was one step ahead, grabbing her wrist.
“Good Zhi Zhi, you just promised me. You can’t go back on your word.”
Zhi Zhi was on the verge of tears, which quickly welled up in her eyes. “Senior Sister, what are you saying! That’s the Bright Snow Sect! You want me to go there?!”
Oh, Lady Nuwa, I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to serve you in this lifetime!
Jiang Chunai looked at Zhi Zhi with equally pleading eyes, meeting each of her four eyes in turn. “I’m begging you.”
Zhi Zhi pouted, but in the end, she agreed.
“Alright, I’ll pack my things tonight. But I need to get a veil that can’t be torn, preferably one that’s wrapped tightly around me.”
Mount Shu was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners. Embroidered silks were draped over branches, and red ribbons fluttered everywhere, creating a festive and joyous atmosphere.
Gongs and drums sounded on the mountain, and the air was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter. The people of the Wunian Sect had been here for a long time, and had rehearsed many times. Now, with the order from the elders of both sects, they let loose, celebrating with great intensity.
Their young master was only getting married once. How could they not make it a grand and glorious occasion?
Speaking of which, their young master had previously been involved with an exiled cultivator, a matter that was unmentionable among the Wunian Sect disciples.
After all, it was said that Han Xiao was dedicated to her cultivation. To put it more crudely, this was still Han Xiao of the Bright Snow Sect’s first love!
In this matter, their Wunian Sect was at fault.
The wedding day was fast approaching. As per the procedure, Han Xiao was taking a leisurely stroll around the mountain.
It was already snowing. The deep, rich red mixed with the pure white snow, stretching to the horizon, like a boundless, joyous feast.
But Han Xiao was in no mood to look at the fluttering red ribbons. She quietly watched the burning sun.
It was nearing noon, and the sun should have been fierce, but it was winter.
After winter… it will be spring again, she thought numbly.
For so many years, she had never cared about the passage of time. The changing of the seasons had nothing to do with her.
But not anymore.
Now, in the dead of night, she would count the days on her fingers, one by one, to pass the boring time.
Until the meaningful day arrived.
“Han Xiao, what brings you out today?”
Han Xiao was stunned. She turned to see that it was Dao Lord Qiming.
She was all smiles, her eyes filled with joy, as if she had been infected by the color of the boundless red ribbons.
Han Xiao bowed slightly in greeting. “Dao Lord.”
In truth, the two had not interacted much. On the contrary, when Immortal Lord Yang Nian was still alive, Dao Lord Qiming had often been at odds with her because she was the Immortal Lord’s head disciple.
After all, such an outstanding disciple belonged to the neighboring Immortal Lord Yang Nian, not her. It was a regretful matter no matter how you looked at it.
For a long time, Han Xiao had believed that Dao Lord Qiming did not hold much goodwill towards her.
However, the Dao Lord affectionately took her hand and said with a beaming smile, “Oh, still so distant!”
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow imperceptibly. “Distant?”
What did “distant” mean? She could be considered “distant” from everyone in the Bright Snow Sect.
No one is not distant with a snake, she thought.
However, Dao Lord Qiming’s subsequent warmth exceeded Han Xiao’s imagination.
Behind the Dao Lord was a group of elders. At this moment, they were all looking at Han Xiao with burning gazes, wanting to see what this young person who was about to be married, this pillar of the sect, was like.
Since this matter had been more or less settled, Han Xiao had been actively participating in sect affairs, acting like a junior elder. Now that she was forming a pact with the Wunian Sect’s young master, her status was sure to rise again.
“Yes, look at you. Isn’t this being distant?” Dao Lord Qiming said cheerfully. “Zhuyun passed away early and tragically. It’s a shame she couldn’t see your wedding day. As her fellow disciple, and now the sect master, it’s my duty to look after you for her. I must do at least this much!”
So that was the connection.
A familiar, fake smile appeared on Han Xiao’s face.
These past few days, she had practiced this smile to perfection.
With her transcendent immortal air, no one would doubt that she would one day become an excellent Immortal Lord.
“But, after all, I’m not your master. In the past, if I had something to say, I didn’t have the standing to say it. Now I finally have some. Han Xiao, in the future, when you are with the Wunian Sect’s young master, you must be a good Dao companion to her. We are a major immortal sect, after all…” Dao Lord Qiming continued to chatter, still holding Han Xiao’s hand.
Her hand was so warm. Han Xiao frowned slightly, not taking the Dao Lord’s words to heart.
Form a pact, for a long, long time?
Possible.
But with the Wunian Sect’s young master?
That’s impossible.
The Dao Lord chattered on for a long time until finally, Zhang Ziga, standing to the side, couldn’t take it anymore and came over to pull her away. “Alright, alright, Fuguang, don’t say anymore. Han Xiao hasn’t even formed the pact yet, and you’re already holding her hand like this. What if you scare her off from it?”
“If you say all this, how is she supposed to reply? What if you scare Han Xiao during the pact ceremony? The bride can’t be frightened!”
This remark made everyone roar with laughter.
Han Xiao was as beautiful as a painting. No one doubted how stunning she would be in a fiery red wedding dress.
Han Xiao smiled and said the elders were teasing her.
“Hahaha, a person only has this once in their life. It has to be lively, right? And this time, it’s especially meaningful!” a white-bearded old man said with a grin, stroking his long beard.
Han Xiao nodded lightly. Just as she was about to speak, she unexpectedly met Mei Shengchi’s gaze.
…She would actually join in this kind of excitement?
Mei Shengchi usually hated such noise. She had even made a fuss before because the Wunian Sect people were too loud. Unexpectedly, she was here today.
Probably the same as Dao Lord Qiming, Han Xiao thought.
No matter what, she was still Immortal Lord Yang Nian’s head disciple—everyone would care about her.
Passing by Mei Shengchi, Han Xiao also bowed. “Cliff Master.”
A rare smile actually appeared on Mei Shengchi’s usually gloomy face.
She also followed Dao Lord Qiming’s example, taking Han Xiao’s hand and saying to her, “Little friend Han Xiao, in three days, you will be married. I, the Cliff Master, have nothing to give you. You know, I’m just a useless person who stays on Reflection Cliff all day…”
“Ai, what should I give you? I can only give you some tips on how not to make mistakes and end up on Reflection Cliff.”
Han Xiao chuckled. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Forming a pact… happy wedding,” Mei Shengchi said, gripping her hand tightly, inch by inch.
Her hand was even warmer than Dao Lord Qiming’s, so hot that Han Xiao almost wanted to pull away.
Everyone used some small spells to ward off the cold. Clearly, Mei Shengchi had used one.
Mei Shengchi seemed to have found some release.
Han Xiao was momentarily dazed. At this point, she didn’t dare to meet those sincere eyes. She was afraid of being questioned.
She would always feel a guilty conscience.
Han Xiao pulled her hand back, her damp palm dripping with cold sweat.
She was a snake. Her blood was cold, and so was her sweat.
She took her leave from the council of elders.
As she strode away, Han Xiao felt the fine lines under her eyes begin to spread and grow wildly again.
How strange. Since Jiang Chunai’s death, she had never felt this sensation again.
This feeling, it was as if she were about to pass on.
Yes, I will pass on, Han Xiao silently affirmed.
Not only did she think so, but the giant python in her sea of consciousness thought so too.
“Little friend Han Xiao, in a few days, we’ll have to change how we address each other,” Youye said, smiling at Han Xiao with narrowed eyes.
The youth—at least in appearance—gently picked up the gold-embroidered wedding dress with slender, handsome fingers, her gaze fixed on it.
Han Xiao’s figure was tall and slender, her hair dark and thick, half of it resting on her shoulders, the other half falling over the front of her wide, snow-white robes.
“Is this the wedding dress Han Xiao is to wear?” she asked.
Youye nodded, saying her niece would also wear the same wedding dress, but the embroidery on their clothes would be different.
After all, they came from different sects, so they naturally had to have different symbols.
“But both wedding dresses have a pattern of paired phoenixes,” Youye explained. “I hope that after you form your pact, your feelings for each other will be deep…”
“I called you over tonight to see if this dress fits. Do you want to try it on?”
Han Xiao just rubbed the fabric with her hand. “That won’t be necessary.”
She naturally knew whether she could fit into this dress.
Youye didn’t insist, just stared at her fluttering long lashes and suddenly said, “A’Qian has already tried it on. She thinks it fits.”
Han Xiao waited silently for her next words.
“The wedding dress can be tried on in advance, but some things cannot. Our Wunian Sect also has something to offer you. This is our tradition. In addition, my sister only has this one child, she will certainly not treat her poorly.”
Everything Youye said was pointed.
Han Xiao understood her meaning.
She finally replied that the Bright Snow Sect also had a tradition—
Before forming a pact, one must tour the mountain on a sword. Of course, this act had a bit of a show-off feel to it.
The mountain tour on a sword was done twice: once by oneself, and the other time accompanied by one’s Dao companion.
Jiang Chunai and Zhi Zhi, one person and one spider, put in a great deal of effort, finally crunching through the snow to arrive at the Bright Snow Sect.
When they reached Mount Shu, Jiang Chunai finally understood the meaning of a great sect.
The Bright Snow Sect in winter truly lived up to its name. The golden light made the white snow sparkle with a brilliant glow. The land was covered in a silver blanket, crystal clear.
Suspended red-lacquered bridges connected the northern and southern peaks. Following the river upstream, one could see many snow-covered, green-tiled pavilions, scattered at different heights along the mountain’s slope.
Because of the joyous occasion, the mountains and plains were filled with fluttering flags and banners, a truly eye-catching and peaceful scene.
“Truly a great sect… what a wonderful thing it would be to be able to cultivate here!” Jiang Chunai murmured.
Zhi Zhi, however, was filled with fear, following behind Jiang Chunai and muttering, “Senior Sister, if you like cultivating here, then you can cultivate here. But I will absolutely not cultivate here!”
Their journey here had not been easy!
“Alright, alright, we won’t cultivate here. Just wear your veil properly and don’t let your aura leak out,” Jiang Chunai said, unable to do anything about Zhi Zhi but coax her with kind words.
Zhi Zhi pulled her veil down further, covering her face completely.
“Wow!”
Suddenly, a wave of cheers reached their ears, followed by a whistling gust of wind.
Zhi Zhi quickly pulled her veil down again, so scared that she hid behind Jiang Chunai. “What, what! Senior Sister, what’s that in the sky!”
Startled by Zhi Zhi’s sudden fright, Jiang Chunai quickly grabbed her sleeve. “It’s alright.”
The two looked up at the sky together—
It was a person flying toward them on a sword from not far away.
The person was dressed in moon-white, flowing immortal robes, her figure tall and elegant. Her hair was as black as ink, her brows like distant mountains, her eyes like cold stars, every part a masterpiece.
Her immortal air was graceful, like an immortal from a painting.
Not only that, but several snow-white owls circled by her side.
From a distance, she truly looked like a goddess descending to the mortal world with her spiritual pets.
It was nearing sunrise. The sky was filled with crimson clouds and golden light.
The sunlight shone on her, like a cascade of brilliant morning clouds. The sky was just beginning to brighten, but the person who had arrived was even more dazzling.
In the blindingly bright light, Jiang Chunai had the absurd illusion that this entire journey through mountains and rivers, through wind, rain, and snow, was all just a prelude to this moment.
She had not come to attend a joyous feast, but merely to worship a descending god.
Jiang Chunai was stunned. And Zhi Zhi, out of fear, hid behind her, trembling.
The reason was simple: this woman flying on a sword, how did she attract so many people!
Wherever she flew, a tide of people on the ground followed!
Oh, mother, this spider demon has never seen so many demon-slaying cultivators! She was terrified that with one careless moment, her aura would become unstable, and she would die here.
“Senior Sister Han Xiao! Senior Sister!”
“Senior Sister!” an ardent follower shouted Han Xiao’s name, continuing to run after her down the mountain, which was in Jiang Chunai’s direction.
Zhi Zhi’s grip on Jiang Chunai’s skirt tightened, unwilling to let go. “Sob, sob, Senior Sister, protect me!”
Jiang Chunai was completely bewildered. “What’s wrong?”
Han Xiao? She couldn’t hear what the crowd was shouting at all. Were they asking the woman on the sword to smile?
But, “Han Xiao” (meaning “to smile”) didn’t sound like a blessing at all.
The woman, as noble as a banished immortal, never stopped, her sword’s path aimless.
All that was left was a wave of sound that grew louder and louder. Those people, they seemed to be her followers, willing to bow before her.
So when the woman on the sword was almost above her, Jiang Chunai and Zhi Zhi became completely out of place with the fervent followers around them.
“Senior Sister Han Xiao! Senior Sister Han Xiao! When you tour the mountain on your sword later, will you bring your Dao companion?”
“That’s right, that’s right! First, you tour the mountain by yourself, and then with your Dao companion!”
In a daze, Jiang Chunai finally understood what was happening.
But… a shadow suddenly fell over her. The woman who had been flying so steadily just a moment ago, never stopping, had actually come to a halt right in front of her!
A layer of frost covered the woman’s beautiful face, her aura cold and distant. Her deep, ink-black eyes cast a faint gaze, but it did not fall upon her.
Her gaze was as cold as the snow on a deep mountain. Meeting it again, it was like an unsheathed dagger, its edge sharp and exposed.
She was scrutinizing her, sizing her up.
Jiang Chunai felt Zhi Zhi’s hand, which was gripping the corner of her robe, tighten even more, unwilling to let go.
“Chunai, Senior Sister Chunai, she, that person, why isn’t she moving in the air!” Zhi Zhi called out anxiously.
Completely unaware of the danger and weight of the two words she had just called out.