The Heroine Made a Pact With Senior Sister (GL) Chapter 8

“What happened to Senior Sister?” Lin Qiudi watched Huixue fly away on her sword, looking as if she was angry. Then she saw that Mu Yinfeng was wearing Huixue’s outer robe and brocade silk. Her expression became a little strange. “Junior Sister Yinfeng, it cannot be what I am thinking, can it?”
…What had Lin Qiudi thought of?
Mu Yinfeng glanced at Lin Qiudi and weighed her words. After all, her canon pairing was still Chang Zui. If she changed too much all at once, it would be hard for people to accept.
“It is nothing,” Mu Yinfeng said softly. “Senior Sister Lin, right now we should look for Senior Sister Abi and Senior Brother Chang, as well as the villagers, and see if we can handle this…” She pointed at the place behind her where the original statue had shattered into ice powder, then coughed lightly. “Handle this properly.”
“What is this?” Lin Qiudi looked left and right but could not figure it out.
“The original Butterfly Goddess statue.” Mu Yinfeng was a little embarrassed. Although the statue was the source of disaster in the whole village, it still did not feel good to break apart a god statue the village had spent a great deal of money to build. They had to explain it clearly.
Seeing Lin Qiudi’s stunned face, Mu Yinfeng told her the whole story from start to finish. She only left out the matter of the Changyin Pearl and the fact that the Butterfly Goddess statue looked almost exactly like her.
“So, that emperor from the Ice Domain helped? But what does this matter have to do with him?” Lin Qiudi listened carefully and could not help asking.
“Probably Senior Sister told him about the Butterfly Spirit. Back then, the Emperor of the Ice Domain had quite a connection with the Butterfly Spirit.”
Lin Qiudi’s eyes moved. “What connection?”
Mu Yinfeng did not know how to answer. Lin Qiudi had always been more alert than the others. If Mu Yinfeng answered truthfully, Lin Qiudi would definitely ask how she knew. But these things were not something the current her should know. They were things Biyuntian casually mentioned later. That stretch of history had already been buried in the clouds of time. Even the oldest records did not mention it.
“I do not know,” Mu Yinfeng had to lie. “I heard it all from Senior Sister. Senior Sister Lin, you know what Senior Sister is like. Who would dare ask her?”
At the mention of Senior Sister Huixue, Lin Qiudi wilted. In all of Hanyou Valley, the disciples would rather ask Immortal Venerable Wanyue or Bing Ling’er these questions than ask Senior Sister Huixue one question. The name Huixue was a byword in Hanyou Valley for “strangers stay away.”
The two contacted Chang Zui and Abi. Then the four of them went together to the village head and explained the cause and result of this matter. Everyone in Enji Village thanked them again and again, full of gratitude. After Abi’s treatment, the girls who had lost their minds gradually improved. However, their marriage threads had already been cut and absorbed by the “Butterfly Spirit,” turning them into the Lonely Phoenix fate, doomed to be alone forever. If they forced themselves to marry, they might bring disaster to themselves or the other family. But these girls all accepted this reality. Some swore to serve their parents for the rest of their lives and never marry out.
The four stayed in Enji Village for almost half a month before finishing all the follow-up matters. Mu Yinfeng kept avoiding being alone with Chang Zui. She already could not wait to return to Hanyou Valley.
After returning to Hanyou Valley, the four followed the old rules and first went to Buyou Hall, where the Master of Hanyou Valley was, to report. Unexpectedly, the Valley Master happened to be in Buyou Hall. Huixue stood beside her, recording the distribution of spirit stones, spiritual herbs, and other resources for the month. Seeing the four arrive, the Valley Master asked a couple of questions about eliminating the evil creature. In the end, she kept Mu Yinfeng behind.
Mu Yinfeng did not know why Bing Ling’er had called for her, but she could only stay. She saw Bing Ling’er walk quickly toward her and order her to stretch out her hand. Mu Yinfeng obeyed. Bing Ling’er placed her fingers on Mu Yinfeng’s wrist and checked her pulse. Her expression turned surprised.
“Xue’er, did you really use your cold poison on her?”
Huixue’s voice was cold and calm. “At the time, I thought she was a creation of the illusion realm. I did not expect it to be because Master had once given her a spiritual object that concealed her aura. This disciple failed to notice. I ask Master to punish me.”
Bing Ling’er looked at her with bitter disappointment. “Xue’er, ah, Xue’er. I thought you always handled matters steadily. How could you do this? Do you not know the cold poison is a poison in this world without a cure? This, this…”
Mu Yinfeng was a woman with a primordial yin body, and Huixue was the most talented snow woman the Snow Domain had produced in hundreds and thousands of years. Both were rare geniuses in the world. Losing either of them would hurt Bing Ling’er deeply.
“The cold poison has no cure, but it can be suppressed.” Huixue continued in her cold tone. “If it could not be suppressed, Third Junior Sister would already be a corpse.”
Mu Yinfeng glanced at Huixue and thought, When Huixue had first arrived at Enji Village, she had seemed perfectly fine. Why did she now look so full of bitterness and hatred?
“Then how do you suppress it? The cold poison is a secret poison of your Ice and Snow Domains. You understand it best.” Bing Ling’er asked helplessly.
She could feel that Mu Yinfeng’s pulse was chaotic and weak. It was clear the cold poison had already entered her heart meridians and bone marrow. Mu Yinfeng seemed in good spirits, but who knew whether she was already an arrow at the end of its flight, barely holding on?
“With spiritual energy. If spiritual energy is continuously poured into her body, the cold poison’s outbreak can be suppressed.” Huixue spoke slowly. “That is why I left Tianbing with her.”
Only then did Bing Ling’er notice the Tianbing silk wrapped around Mu Yinfeng’s waist. For a moment, she was speechless. “Xue’er, if you give Tianbing to Yinfeng, what will you use?”
Huixue looked at neither Bing Ling’er nor Mu Yinfeng. She continued calculating this month’s spirit stone expenses, and while she calculated, she said, “I still have Liufei.”
“Liufei?” Bing Ling’er was startled. “Did you not dislike using a sword before?”
“I changed my mind.” Huixue pushed the abacus aside and quickly wrote a number on the paper. “Although Liufei is a life-bound spiritual artifact like Tianbing, Liufei’s sword energy is sharp and its coldness is deep. Third Junior Sister cannot bear it.”
Mu Yinfeng looked at Huixue. At that moment, Tianbing carefully burrowed into her palm. Its tassels curled over and rubbed the back of her hand, as if it had suffered a great grievance.
“But you…” Bing Ling’er had never been able to outtalk Huixue, so she could only sigh. “I have a medicine in my hands right now called Snow Mountain Stamen. It can temporarily suppress the cold poison, but its nature is unusual. After taking it, within each twelve double-hours, it can suppress the poison for only eleven.”
Huixue lifted her eyes. “So Master wants me to suppress it for Third Junior Sister during that remaining double-hour?”
“That depends on what you think.” Bing Ling’er had heard the rumors that Mu Yinfeng and Huixue did not get along, so she spoke tactfully.
“That is fine.” Huixue considered it and still agreed. “But is that double-hour fixed or random?”
“There is no fixed time. So you and Yinfeng must not separate. Otherwise, Yinfeng’s life will be in danger.” Bing Ling’er turned to Mu Yinfeng and asked in a consulting tone, “Yinfeng, Tianbing is a treasured heirloom of Xue’er’s Snow Domain lineage. It can only be given to one’s destined person as a betrothal gift or dowry. Look, would this arrangement work?”
Bing Ling’er meant for her and Huixue to be inseparable? Mu Yinfeng’s heart jumped. She instinctively wanted to agree, but when she glanced at Huixue’s frost-like face, she swallowed the words she had been about to say.
Huixue definitely would not agree. Huixue disliked her. She knew that.
Yet, to her surprise, Huixue coldly said that she agreed. Mu Yinfeng faintly felt as if Huixue’s gaze had fallen on her, but when she looked at Huixue, Huixue was only focused on organizing those lists.
Perhaps it was only her imagination. Mu Yinfeng gently stroked Tianbing, and Tianbing gently rubbed back against her.
If only Huixue were as gentle as Tianbing, Mu Yinfeng thought.
“In that case, you sisters can live in one room. Xue’er, your original Reed Snow Residence is fairly spacious. Let Yinfeng move there. In the future, Yinfeng can also help you handle some of the valley’s affairs, so you will not be so tired.”
Huixue only nodded lightly. Mu Yinfeng did not know whether Huixue had truly listened.
But after Huixue finished checking every account book in her hands, she did indeed bring Mu Yinfeng to Reed Snow Residence. Reed Snow Residence, where Huixue lived, was an independent courtyard, elegant and quiet beyond compare. There was a cold pond in the courtyard, which was highly beneficial for cultivation by someone like Huixue, whose spiritual root had a cold attribute.
They were clearly disciples of the same master, so why was the treatment so different? Mu Yinfeng thought back to her original lodging and could not help sighing. The treatment of the direct-line eldest disciple really was good. How could someone like her compare?
“You will stay in this room. It used to be my study.” Huixue led her to a room. “But do not touch my books. There may be talisman spells or arrays inside. If you trigger them, forget me; even Master may not be able to save you.”
Mu Yinfeng nodded obediently. Huixue’s study was spotless. A meditation cushion lay on the bed, used for sitting meditation. Although the furnishings were simple to the point of plainness, to Mu Yinfeng, as long as she could live in the same house as Huixue, she could endure even a thatched hut or stable.
“There is one more thing.” Huixue gently placed her hand on Mu Yinfeng’s shoulder, leaned close to her ear, and asked softly, “Yinfeng, if you can suppress the cold poison for so long, you could have used that time to expel it completely, could you not? Can you tell me why you are doing this?”