Chapter 18 - Transmigrated as a Fake Daughter in Cultivation Novel

Chapter 18 In the following days, Song Zhi Xia spent her mornings sparring with Song Wei Zhi, while in the afternoons, she continued to absorb spiritual energy from her surroundings for cultivation. As the days passed by, the birthday of Song Wei Zhi quickly arrived, which also happened to be Song Zhi Xia's birthday, albeit with no one paying any attention to the latter. Song Ru Hai delegated all the arrangements for Song Wei Zhi's birthday celebration to Song Chao Yun. In the past, Song Wei Zhi's birthday banquets were grand events, but this year, in order to showcase himself, Song Chao Yun set the preparations in motion early. The decorations in the Song Family estate were so festive that anyone unaware might mistake it for Song Ru Hai's grand seventieth birthday celebration. Song Wei Zhi couldn't be bothered with any of it. Her focus was on helping her little sister in actual combat practice. Since the day she had cried her heart out, her little sister had become increasingly courageous and could now handle over a dozen moves from Song Wei Zhi, much to her satisfaction. During these days, Song Zhi Xia would also occasionally visit the scripture tower. It wasn't enough to just master the Flame Sword technique; she needed to familiarize herself with some of the other arts within the Song clan. After the incident where Song Wei Zhi stood up for Song Zhi Xia, the attitudes of the disciples towards Song Wei Zhi underwent a significant change. What used to be attempts to stomp on him turned into respectful distance. At least no one dared to bully him anymore, and he found himself with leisure time to peruse the various scriptures in the tower. Song Zhi Xia was engrossed in what she was reading when she overheard the hushed discussions among other disciples: "Hey, did you see Zhao Xuan Kun from the Zhao family this morning? He's our senior sister's future partner." "Future partner? I heard senior sister said she wanted to annul the engagement that day." "No way, is it true? Zhao senior brother has already achieved the initial stage of the Ascension Realm. Look around the young generation in Laihai City; there aren't many who have reached that level." "Exactly, and Zhao senior brother has a handsome appearance. Senior sister's requirements are too high. If it were me, I'd rush to get married early." "Who do you think you are? Always daydreaming." "Ah, I'm just thinking. A man like Zhao senior brother isn't within my league anyway." As the whispering faded, Song Zhi Xia hadn't absorbed a single word from her book. Her eyes were filled with disappointment. She couldn't understand why, but the thought of her senior sister having a future partner made her deeply uncomfortable. Her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn’t focus on her book. Frustrated, Song Zhi Xia decided to use the sword her senior sister had given her, flew back to her residence, and began to meditate to calm her emotions. Despite Song Wei Zhi's diligent practice in the past few days, she still couldn't sense the threshold to the Nascent Soul Realm. Thinking that her and Song Zhi Xia's birthdays were on the same day, she was indifferent towards birthdays. After all, having witnessed everything in the modern world, she was even more disinterested in such matters in this new life. But her little sister was different. Song Wei Zhi thought that her little sister had probably never had a decent birthday celebration before. Deciding that her little sister should have what others had, she flew on her sword to the market in Laihai City. The market mainly sold spiritual instruments, treasures, and medicinal materials, most of which were low to mid-tier, with few high-tier spiritual instruments available. Song Wei Zhi browsed the market, realizing she seldom had the chance to choose gifts for others. In the past, when it was her friends' birthdays, she would simply send them red envelopes. Her friends often criticized her for being too straightforward, but she found it practical and time-saving. Nevertheless, to delight her little sister, she spent a long time sifting through the market until she finally stopped at a stall. Inside a wooden box lay a white jade hairpin with an adorable little bunny crafted on it, resembling her little sister. Immediately, Song Wei Zhi asked, "Boss, what kind of spiritual instrument is this bunny hairpin? How much is it?" Pleased at having a potential customer, the boss smiled and responded, "You have a good eye. This is a storage hairpin, a mid-tier spiritual instrument that can hold many items. It's not expensive, just 100 mid-grade spirit stones." With an abundance of spirit stones, Song Wei Zhi paid for the hairpin and kept it in her storage ring, envisioning how lovely her little sister would look with the delicate bunny hairpin adorning her hair. On her return, Song Wei Zhi noticed her little sister sitting at the stone table lost in thought. The little girl seemed engrossed, oblivious to her return. Approaching quietly, Song Wei Zhi reached out and ruffled her little sister's hair, prompting Song Zhi Xia to finally notice her arrival. "When did you come back, senior sister?" Song Zhi Xia hadn't quite shaken off the distress of knowing about her senior sister's future partner, making her demeanor somewhat absent-minded. "What are you thinking about? You seemed so lost; I've been standing behind you for quite some time." Song Wei Zhi laughed softly. Song Zhi Xia's eyes shifted uneasily as she murmured, "N-nothing." Observing her little sister's unsteady state, Song Wei Zhi intended to be a caring elder sister and inquire about her troubles. However, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of several inner disciples waiting outside the courtyard. Song Wei Zhi assumed they were there to invite her to the birthday banquet. She found Song Ru Hai's approach quite amusing—in such cases, a simple communication charm could have sufficed, yet he preferred to send disciples to formally request her presence. Walking up to the courtyard gate, she met Tian Ming, Song Ru Hai's trusted disciple, who bowed to her and said, "Senior sister, your birthday banquet is ready. Xuan Kun and the others are also here. Master has sent us to invite you; please join us." "Is it just me you're inviting?" Song Wei Zhi wanted to gauge how much her father, Song Ru Hai, remembered about his biological daughter. "Yes, is there anyone else we should invite?" Tian Ming asked, puzzled. Song Wei Zhi sneered. She shouldn't have harbored any illusions about her bio-dad—the man hardly considered her his daughter. All he cared about was the family's interests. "You all can go ahead. I'll follow later." With that, she dismissed the disciples and headed straight for Song Zhi Xia. Although Song Zhi Xia was unenthusiastic, she kept an ear out for the commotion at the door. It came as no surprise that Song Ru Hai had forgotten about her in favor of arranging a birthday banquet for her senior sister. After all, it was common knowledge that he had no intention of acknowledging her as his daughter, so she didn't find it astonishing. However, when she heard Zhao Xuan Kun's name, a prospect emerged—this was her senior sister's future partner, wasn't it? The thought of her senior sister going to meet her future partner made Song Zhi Xia unexpectedly despondent. While she had been alone on her past birthdays, the current scenario left her with a peculiar sense of discomfort. She couldn’t fathom why she felt this way when her senior sister's company was now reserved for someone else. The conflicting emotions left her heart heavy. Song Wei Zhi noticed her little sister's distracted state and decided she would return early in the evening to celebrate with her. She comforted her, saying, "I won't be gone long. You'll be fine on your own, dear." Without meeting Song Wei Zhi's gaze, Song Zhi Xia replied, "Senior sister, go on. I'll be fine by myself. I-I'm used to it." "Stop talking nonsense. It does matter. You are the most important person to me. I promise I'll be back to celebrate with you," Song Wei Zhi reassured her gently, ruffled her little sister's head, and left. Watching Song Wei Zhi's departure on her sword, Song Zhi Xia's eyes grew slightly teary, resembling a forsaken little bunny. If her senior sister had a partner, would she still care for her? Did this mean she was unwanted? In a daze, Song Zhi Xia returned to her room and summoned her soul beast, a chicken. They exchanged glances, both bearing a look of uncertainty. The chicken, oblivious to the world's complexities, only wished to play with its owner, prancing over to Song Zhi Xia and nuzzling her fingers, eager for her attention. Letting out a sigh, Song Zhi Xia spoke to the chicken by her side, "Chicken, what should I do? If my senior sister has a partner, I won't have anyone again, and we'll be homeless once more." Her eyes turned misty. Though the chicken was naive, it noticed its owner's lack of affection and gazed up at her with concern, patting her hand with its little wings like an attempt to comfort her. Song Zhi Xia slouched onto the table and met the chicken's eyes, "Chicken, what am I going to do? I don't want to leave my senior sister. How could she have a partner? If only she didn't have a partner, I could be with her always. But no, I can't think like that. My senior sister has always been good to me. I can't wish for her not to have a partner. You just don't understand anything, do you?" With tearful eyes, Song Zhi Xia rubbed the chicken, feeling desolate and in anguish. When would her senior sister return? Was she going to stay with her future partner tonight? How many conversations would she have? The entire night passed with Song Zhi Xia feeling restless, unable to focus on meditation. By the time Song Wei Zhi arrived at the grand hall, it was already filled with the Zhao family members and other prominent figures from Laihai City. Everyone who was anyone had graced the occasion. Song Wei Zhi found her seat and cast a cold gaze over at Song Ru Hai, who purportedly intended the celebration to be for her, but in reality, was merely seeking sponsorship under her name. Once the guests had nearly all arrived, Song Ru Hai delivered a lengthy speech. Song Wei Zhi was on the verge of dozing off when she finally heard her name mentioned. “Ah, I’ve spoken so much. Now, let our birthday star, Wei Zhi, say a few words,” Song Ru Hai announced, signaling Song Wei Zhi to speak. Song Wei Zhi wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. She still needed to return to accompany her little sister. She had no time to socialize with a group of old men.