Chapter 5 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

"Senior Brother..." "Hm? What senior brother...? Ah—" Bai Lian turned around in confusion but accidentally tripped over a protruding stone, landing face-first on the ground and stirring up a cloud of dust. Mu Jianli observed the scene with an odd expression on her face, before promptly stepping forward to help Bai Lian back up. "Senior Sister, are you hurt?" "You really are something; you're already a cultivator at the late-stage of the Heart of the Zither realm, yet you still trip over ordinary stones like a mortal?" "No, no problem... I didn't expect there to be a stone here; I wasn't paying attention..." Bai Lian replied awkwardly, a faint blush spreading across her fair, delicate face. Clearly, the thought of a cultivator like herself experiencing such a mundane mishap was embarrassing. "Junior Sister, you mustn't speak a word of this to anyone, otherwise... otherwise, I won't let you off!" she threatened Mu Jianli, albeit with more bark than bite. Sadly, her rosy, plump face already looked endearingly cute and now, smeared with dirt from the fall, she resembled more a celestial maiden touched by the mortal world than her usual dignified and unapproachable self as the senior sister. Mu Jianli found it quite amusing, staring intently at Bai Lian's face for a good while. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Bai Lian felt a touch of bashfulness under the scrutiny, leaning against Mu Jianli for support and turning her face away. "I just find it intriguing. The current image of you is so different from what I had in mind," Mu Jianli remarked. "Hmph..." Bai Lian snorted, replying, "You've only been here for a year and a half, and we've been acquainted for just a few months. How can you act like you truly know me?" "So, are you implying that my understanding of you is superficial?" "Think whatever you want." Bai Lian steadied herself against Mu Jianli’s chest and continued, "You should know that one can't truly understand another's heart." "You say the strict demands I imposed were to teach you, so you thank me. Little did you know, perhaps I was simply targeting you without any reason?" "Senior Sister's heart is pure and noble; surely, you wouldn't have such thoughts." Bai Lian couldn't shake the feeling that Mu Jianli was subtly mocking her and felt a bit irritated, waving her hand dismissively, "Forget about it. What were you trying to say earlier? I didn't catch it when I tripped." Mu Jianli hesitated, momentarily lost in thought. Bai Lian's unexpected fall had diverted her mind, and now she couldn’t seem to recall her earlier intentions or motivations. Casting a long look at Bai Lian, Mu Jianli eventually said, "Nothing much, I was just going to say that I’m a bit tired from the journey today. Perhaps we should rest first." "That works." Bai Lian nodded in agreement, "You're only at the fifth level of the Heart of the Zither realm and can't fly with a sword yet. Resting first is a good idea, my bad for overlooking that." Gu Qingqing had arranged for Mu Jianli to stay in a room next to Bai Lian’s. Bai Lian suspected this setup was her shifty master's way of probing her true identity through Jianli. But she couldn't voice any objections since her residence was indeed surrounded by many vacant rooms; the disciples of the Jovian Peak were typically too intimidated to reside near the revered senior sister, worried they might disturb her cultivation. Before long, Bai Lian situated Mu Jianli in the guest room adjacent to her own master bedroom, bringing along a set of clean bedding. "These guest rooms haven't been used in a long time, but the cleaning array has been continuously active, so there shouldn't be any dust." She placed the bedding on the bed and instinctively tidied the bed for Mu Jianli. "The sheets have been used by me, but they're washed and clean, they won't smell." "The bedding used by Senior Sister surely smells sweet even if it did have a scent," Mu Jianli chuckled, sitting on the bed and hugging a pillow. Her natural character resembled that of a sword—elegantly aloof and somewhat cold. However, she found herself smiling more today than in the past few years combined. Bai Lian couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. Where did this girl learn to talk so slick? Ah, it must have been from me when, "accidentally," I stumbled into Jianli's boudoir in the game and ended up sharing her bed for the night. So she learned it from me. That makes sense then. Damn, what a player! "Speaking of which... I never would've guessed that although Senior Sister seems so aloof, you're quite good at taking care of others in private," Mu Jianli noted, feeling the smooth bedding under her hand. "Could it be because you've done this often before?" Hearing the cool tone in Mu Jianli's voice, Bai Lian froze for a moment, her motion suspended. Indeed, she had often done these things! After all, in the game, her dual cultivation technique was extremely powerful, so after each session, the protagonist would faint from exhaustion, and it was up to her to carefully arrange the bedding and tuck them in for rest. Despite her caution all this time, she indeed let it slip on such a trivial detail! She let out a strained smile and replied, "I couldn't possibly compare to you, Junior Sister." "I was born amidst the commonfolk, opened my eyes to the bustle of the streets, unaware of my parents' identities. If I hadn't learned to fend for myself, I likely wouldn't have survived until the day I was taken in by our master." "I didn’t expect Senior Sister to have such a past..." Mu Jianli expressed a hint of regret; she hadn’t meant to bring up Bai Lian's possible past sorrows, being unaware of her history. Though Mu Jianli was orphaned herself, she had been adopted by a kindly teacher in her childhood, making her early years comparatively pleasant. "It's nothing at all. Now, get some rest. I'll be heading back to my room," Bai Lian smiled and shook her head. "Alright, goodnight, Senior Sister." ... "Sigh..." Returning to her room, Bai Lian collapsed onto her bed, burying her face deeply in the pillow and inhaling. Today had truly been exhausting. She had not expected Mu Jianli to return so suddenly, nor had she expected her probing to be so direct. Compared to Gu Qingqing's subtle investigations, Mu Jianli's were much more straightforward, nearly as if laying all her cards on the table. It seemed as though she had no intention of hiding the fact that she had been reborn, her words and actions openly inquiring into Bai Lian's thoughts, even daring to directly call her senior brother. If Bai Lian hadn't been quick to respond, she would have unconsciously reacted to Mu Jianli's initial call. Her mind had remained tense throughout the day, leaving her spent, and she ended up slipping while making the bed. Luckily, she managed to navigate through that situation. Facing the test from both her master and Jianli, she had no better option than to tackle them as they came, one at a time. With that thought, she heaved a weary sigh, forcing herself into a meditative sitting position despite her fatigue. However, when the moon reached its zenith, Bai Lian, in a meditative state, caught a faint whiff of something subtly intriguing. Although she did not immediately open her eyes, she was intensely alarmed within her heart. She recognized this scent all too well—it was the Bewitching Incense used by cult members in demonic caverns that Mu Jianli had eradicated! The incense was initially colorless and odorless, capable of stealthily incapacitating even cultivators adept at Cloud Riding. By the time its scent became noticeable, the incense's effects had already taken root within one's very essence, leaving no room for escape. Why would such a thing appear within the Taihua Sword Sect?! Bai Lian's mind raced, the image of Mu Jianli suddenly surfacing. Was it Jianli? Why would she have such an item? What was her aim? With turbulent thoughts, Bai Lian did not hesitate; she feigned having been knocked out by the Bewitching Incense, collapsing onto her soft bed. Before long, a figure quietly pushed open her door. Bathed in moonlight, Mu Jianli's eyes appeared particularly enigmatic and otherworldly.