78 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter Seventy-Eight - Rebirth as the Villainous Senior Sister GL Fu Ling's smile was as radiant as a blooming flower, her eyes clear and innocent, untainted by any impurity. Fang Yuan Qing slightly exerted her fingers, clenching the rouge compact in her palm even tighter. Raising her head, her gaze settled slowly on that fair and delicate face, and the crease between her brows finally relaxed a little. "Thank you." Though it was just an ordinary box of rouge, she realized that revealing her thoughts yesterday had not been a mistake. Jiu Ying was insightful and dispassionate, while Fu Ling was pure and straightforward. These two were friends truly worth trusting. "Both Fu Ling and I will keep your secret. If you visit the Qingzhu Sect in the future, you can be introduced by your feminine name and wear women's clothing then, where you can use this box of rouge," Jiu Ying suggested softly. Even though her voice remained cold, a trace of concern was evident in her tone. It was indeed a good idea, and Fu Ling nodded in agreement. Fang Yuan Qing, who was naturally reserved and cautious, might have rejected such a suggestion without hesitation before. But now, facing these friends who genuinely cared for her, she found herself nodding instinctively. After all, what girl would want to forever be mistaken for a man? Yesterday marked the last day of the birthday banquet, and by late afternoon, everyone was set to depart from the Si family. As the medical practitioners of Yuchun Hall were preparing to leave, Fang Yuan Qing proposed taking Fu Ling to the northern courtyard to have Doctor Jiang look at her wrist injury again. Jiu Ying agreed, but mentioned she had other matters to attend to this time and wouldn’t accompany them. Ever since strange things began happening at the Jiang family, and the genealogy records at the Si family were destroyed, everything had radically changed from before. Who was that shadowy figure? What vendetta did they have with the Jiang and Si families? And where did that deficient dragon spirit originate from? Each of these questions unnerved her. Detecting a link between these events, she found herself unable to unravel the mystery shrouded in fog, leaving her unsure of which direction to pursue in her investigation. At this moment, it was midday, with most guests gathered in the main hall. The Si family’s rear courtyard and side halls were nearly deserted. Being the third son's birthday banquet, all attention was on the second madam, and Han Yan and Si Qi certainly wouldn’t want to be there feeling out of place. Compared to the exceedingly celebrated and beloved second branch, their mother and son held a low status within the Si family, with their residence even being in the southernmost part of the compound — the area with the worst feng shui. Reflecting on the rampant rumors, Jiu Ying even started to question whether Si Qi was indeed Si Yi Guang's biological son. Taking advantage of the commotion in the main hall, she concealed her presence and stealthily made her way to the southern courtyard. As she had suspected, Si Qi had not attended the third son's birthday banquet. At this moment, he was in his courtyard, amusing a small parrot in a cage with a young lady. The girl was graceful and elegant, every movement showcasing poise and dignity, indicative of her noble upbringing. She gently offered sunflower seeds to the parrot, handling it with utmost care. Even without seeing her face directly, Jiu Ying could guess from their intimate gestures that she was likely the third Miss Ruan, Ruan Xiu. The little parrot was exceedingly well-bred, not only gentle by nature but also exuding a certain spiritual charm. It could mimic human speech, a sign of the finest breed of Ring-necked/Golden-crested parrots. Si Qi and Ruan Xiu were absorbed in their interaction, completely oblivious to the figure hidden in the shadow of the high wall in the outer courtyard. Jiu Ying observed them from her hiding spot, scanning the courtyard but not spotting any trace of Han Yan. Si Qi had been gravely ill recently, but today he seemed remarkably recovered, moving steadily without the slightest hint of illness. Reflecting on the deficient dragon spirit, which was supposed to have perished but was reborn after absorbing energy from Jiang Xun, Jiu Ying could not help but form a dreadful suspicion in her heart. Though she didn't want to believe it, evidence forced her to. Given everything that transpired, Si Qi indeed seemed like a possible embodiment of that dragon spirit, and his mother, Han Yan, might be the shadowy figure that caused chaos in the Jiang household. Inside the courtyard, the two continued to play with the parrot, with Si Qi even opening the cage to let it fly onto his shoulder. Typically gentle, Golden-crested parrots rarely attack unprovoked, but as a spiritual beast, losing control is possible. Jiu Ying's gaze deepened, and suddenly, an intense chill emanated from her, and the next moment, two majestic golden dragon horns appeared on her forehead. The parrot, a low-level spiritual beast, could not even communicate with other species, but Jiu Ying deliberately revealed her dragon form, which—even from several miles away—the parrot detected. A gust of wind swept through, resembling a blade scraping the ground, producing a faint whistling sound. In a split second, not a single person noticed this sound. But the little parrot was frightened into a frenzy—only because it was the roar that could make every spiritual beast between heaven and earth bow in submission. Ruan Xiu, with limited cultivation, and Si Qi, who had none, were utterly unprepared for such an abrupt attack, even from a parrot. In mere moments, the obedient little parrot suddenly went berserk, pecking madly at Si Qi's face. Ruan Xiu scattered the seeds in her hand, futilely trying to drive the parrot away with her handkerchief, tears nearly spilling down her cheeks from anxiety. As several blood marks appeared on Si Qi’s face, someone stepped into the courtyard—the Si family’s first madam had returned from fetching dinner. Han Yan, who usually valued her son above all else, panicked upon seeing Si Qi attacked, abandoned her food carrier, and flicked a silver needle from her sleeve, instantly pinning the little parrot to the ground. The needle was tiny, piercing the most critical point. The little parrot lay on the ground unmoving, and it was unclear if it was dead. Ruan Xiu, startled, with teary eyes, was filled with remorse. She had specially brought the parrot to entertain Si Qi and could not comprehend why it had suddenly lost control. Feeling guilty, she wanted to explain but didn’t dare to, casting a glance at Han Yan, and seeing no reproach from her, she subtly helped Si Qi up and gently wiped the blood from his face. Jiu Ying witnessed the entire scene unfold. Her deliberate probing did not yield the desired outcome. Si Qi remained incapable of cultivation, and Han Yan appeared to be an ordinary person without spiritual power, merely skilled at deploying concealed weapons. It was inconceivable to link them with the dragon spirit and the shadow. Although the parrot incident originated from Ruan Xiu, she was a Ruan family miss, and her mother was a friend of Han Yan, so Han Yan naturally wouldn’t scold her. After removing the silver needle from the parrot's body, Han Yan handed the lifeless little thing back to Ruan Xiu, indicating she should handle it herself. The implication was unmistakably clear. Having injured Si Qi, it was no longer needed in the estate. Having assisted Si Qi back to his room, Han Yan did not emerge again. After lingering in the courtyard for a while, Ruan Xiu eventually wrapped the nearly lifeless parrot in her handkerchief, tears staining her eyes, and ran off alone. Jiu Ying contemplated Ruan Xiu's retreating figure, deciding to follow her. The parrot had been raised by Ruan Xiu; she couldn’t bring herself to kill it. Yet, with it having harmed Si Qi, she also couldn’t save it. After some hesitation, she found a secluded cave where no one ventured, leaving the parrot there to fend for itself. Jiu Ying had shadowed her the entire way, only retrieving the parrot after Ruan Xiu had left. The little creature was still clinging to life, with only a breath remaining. Having experienced much slaughter in her past life, life had lost its value in Jiu Ying’s eyes—she could remain indifferent even if a living person perished before her, let alone a parrot without spiritual awareness. Perhaps because of Fu Ling's influence, or maybe because the parrot was injured due to her actions, she ultimately decided to bring it back. Fang Yuan Qing and Fu Ling had returned by that time. The parrot was gravely injured, but Fang Yuan Qing knew some healing techniques and was adept with spiritual beasts, so soon enough, she managed to save it. Fu Ling, captivated by this beautiful parrot, momentarily forgot about her hand injury and immediately stroked it eagerly. "Senior sister, where did this parrot come from?" Naturally, Jiu Ying couldn’t claim to have taken it from Si Qi. After pondering for a moment, she said she had found it in the Si family’s back garden. Large families often kept such creatures to display their status, so finding one wasn’t surprising. Fu Ling didn’t suspect anything. The parrot was quite attractive, and Fang Yuan Qing took great care while treating its wounds. Considering Si Qi's continued interest in controlling Fu Ling, he would likely seek opportunities to visit the Qingzhu Sect. Jiu Ying worried that recognizing the parrot might make him suspicious about the previous day's events, so she gifted the parrot to Fang Yuan Qing. "If Miss Fang likes it so much, why not take it back to the Fuyang Sect?" Before Fang Yuan Qing could respond, a dissatisfied gaze immediately shot toward her. Jiu Ying pretended not to notice Fu Ling’s desire for the parrot, finding it hard to explain. "The Fuyang Sect is teeming with spiritual beasts, more suitable for them than the Qingzhu Sect." This reasoning made sense, as low-level spiritual beasts needed optimal living environments, especially such fragile creatures like Ring-necked/Golden-crested parrots. After much deliberation, Fang Yuan Qing did not refuse, taking the parrot with her when she left. Having resolved a potential issue, the courtyard still harbored another looming problem. To prevent the little troublemaker from throwing a tantrum, Jiu Ying had to recount everything she witnessed in the southern courtyard, naturally omitting the part where she used her dragon form to frighten the small parrot. Fu Ling had initially been upset that her senior sister had given away such a beautiful thing, but hearing about the parrot's potential to lose control made her start worrying about Fang Yuan Qing. "Could the parrot have injured Miss Fang too?" Hearing this, Jiu Ying couldn't help but smile, "An excellent beast tamer isn’t likely to be harmed by a spiritual beast she rears. She's the most outstanding beast tamer of her generation at the Fuyang Sect; you’d better worry about the parrot instead." Fu Ling realized her concern was misplaced, feeling a bit embarrassed for having shown her ignorance in front of her senior sister. Suddenly recalling something, a sly smile flickered in her eyes as she pulled out a small black mirror from her storage stone and held it up to Jiu Ying. "Senior sister, this is the Demon Subduing Mirror, I got it from Sister Yuan Qing on our way to the northern courtyard." The Demon Subduing Mirror was a tool specifically designed to imprison demonic creatures. Recently, many demons had escaped from the Endless Valley, so every disciple from the four sects carried a few Demon Subduing Mirrors for emergencies. Fu Ling's implication was clear—she wanted to rescue that charming little snake. Jiu Ying raised an eyebrow but did not respond— "Sister Yuan Qing? Weren’t you calling her Miss Fang just a moment ago?" ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Fu Ling: Senior sister, don't misunderstand, she really is just a sister. Jiu Ying: You sure have many sisters. Thank you to the little angels who voted or provided nourishing liquid between 2020-10-26 13:47:44 ~ 2020-10-27 21:03:58~ Special thanks to the little angel who sent the rocket launcher: Feng Zi 1; I sincerely appreciate everyone’s support, and I will continue to work hard!