Chapter 251: Junior Sister, Half-Understanding (4000)
Thirteen years ago, Winter Solstice—
The night sky was dimly lit by stars, and a crescent moon hung high at the horizon. White snow fell like catkins, dressing the mountains in a cotton coat.
On a side peak of the Hundred Lotus Sect, a side room of a mansion still had its lights on. The window was slightly ajar, and a close listener could hear the sound of flowing water from inside.
Huala Huala—
Xiao Die supported Pei Lianxue, who was only three years old, as she tumbled over the edge of the bathtub. However, as soon as her left foot touched the water, she quickly pulled it back. She turned to look at Xiao Die, silent but with pursed lips, looking pitiful.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Die, slightly confused, reached out to test the water temperature. As Pei Lianxue’s reaction suggested, the water was hot enough to boil an egg.
“Hiss… It’s this hot?”
With a gasp, Xiao Die immediately contorted her eyebrows and looked towards the boy on the other side of the bathtub.
The boy had chubby cheeks and had not yet shed his infant cuteness. His body had not yet opened up, and if one didn’t look at his little thing under the water, he was indistinguishable from a girl.
However, this four-year-old boy was now closing his eyes, calmly soaking in the scalding hot water.
She wondered how he could bear it.
Also, why didn’t he say anything earlier?!
Xiao Die pouted, sighed helplessly, and quickly walked over.
“Aiyo— Young Master! If it’s hot, don’t get in. I just thought you jumped in, and I assumed the water temperature was suitable.”
As she said this, Xiao Die grabbed the boy’s shoulder, wanting to pull him out of the bathtub.
“Get out quickly! If you get burned, Madam Ye will scold me again. I’ll add some cool water for you to soak in.”
However, Ye Anping immediately grabbed her wrist, opened his eyes, and shook his head, saying, “It’s not that bad. It’s not boiling, so it won’t hurt.”
“…” Xiao Die was speechless.
Ye Anping turned to Pei Lianxue, who was clinging to the edge of the bathtub, and said, “Junior Sister, you try it too. Endure it for ten breaths, and you’ll get used to it.”
Hearing this, Pei Lianxue slightly flinched her chin. She looked at the steaming bathwater and swallowed hard, seemingly very unwilling to get in. However, after a moment of hesitation, she finally bit her lip tightly and prepared to get in.
“Mmm…”
However, just as she was about to fall into the water, Xiao Die quickly pulled her back.
“Little Sister Pei, don’t get in. Didn’t you feel it was hot just now?”
“But…”
Pei Lianxue wanted to say it was the Young Master’s order, but before she could finish, Xiao Die interrupted her.
Xiao Die twisted her eyebrows and looked at Ye Anping, saying, “Little Young Master, if you like suffering, don’t drag Little Sister Pei into it. Little Sister Pei, wait a moment, I’ll add some cool water for you to soak in.”
Ye Anping shrugged slightly, saying nothing.
Xiao Die sighed again and hurried to fetch half a bucket of mountain spring water from the nearby water缸 and poured it into the bathtub.
Afterward, she reached in to test the water. Feeling it was about right, she then lifted Pei Lianxue, who was almost as tall as the bathtub, and placed her inside.
Splashing—
Then, Xiao Die fetched fragrant liquid and a handkerchief from the side. Once Pei Lianxue was seated, she began to help her wash her hair.
“Little Sister Pei, move back a bit.”
“Oh…”
Pei Lianxue obediently nodded, shifted her position, and sat in the bathtub with her head drooping, looking nervous.
Today was her second day at the Hundred Lotus Sect. She was unfamiliar with both Xiao Die and Ye Anping, who was facing her.
The only thing she knew was that Ye Anping seemed to be the son of Immortal Master Ye, a young master.
Before Ye Ao brought her out of the village, her mother had repeatedly warned her:
“When you go to the Hundred Lotus Sect, you must follow the rules. Never offend anyone. If you can, don’t speak. Do whatever others tell you, or they’ll kick you out, and you’ll be eaten by the wolves on the mountain, understand?”
Therefore, she was now constantly on edge.
She was afraid that one careless action would alienate this young master, and then she would be eaten by wolves.
Pei Lianxue bit her lips lightly. Her clear, orange eyes darted up and down, secretly observing Ye Anping, who was sitting in the other side of the bathtub, directly opposite her. Accidentally, she spoke her inner thoughts aloud:
“I’ll do whatever he says, or I’ll be carried away and eaten by wolves… I have to listen to him…”
“Hmm?”
Xiao Die, who was washing her hair, also heard her mumbling. She stopped what she was doing and saw Pei Lianxue’s nervous face and stiff shoulders. After thinking for a moment, she understood and comforted her.
“Little Sister Pei, don’t be so nervous, relax a bit. What wolves are you talking about? You’re at the Hundred Lotus Sect. The Sect Master and Senior Brothers and Sisters will protect you. How can they let you be carried away by wolves?”
“Ah… Yes, thank you.”
Xiao Die shook her head and continued, “Thank you… You’ve just arrived at the Hundred Lotus Sect and don’t know anything. If the weather is good tomorrow, ask the little young master sitting opposite you to take you around the Hundred Lotus Sect. If you have any questions, just ask him directly.”
“Mmm… I understand.”
Pei Lianxue nodded, her lips pressed together. After a moment of hesitation, she looked up at Ye Anping’s face again. She wanted to strike up a conversation with Ye Anping, but seeing Ye Anping’s expression that seemed to say, “Don’t bother me,” she swallowed her words.
“Gulp…”
“…”
Ye Anping sighed with a hint of helplessness. He opened his eyes again and looked at Xiao Die, asking, “Xiao Die, she just came to the Hundred Lotus Sect yesterday. Is it appropriate for you to let her bathe with me?”
Xiao Die frowned, suddenly puzzled.
In her memory, no one had ever told the Young Master about “the distinction between men and women,” so the little young master shouldn’t feel that bathing with Little Sister Pei was inappropriate.
Could it be that the little young master had secretly read some strange books?
He’s only four years old! This is terrible!
She narrowed her eyes and asked tentatively, “Little Young Master, why do you think it’s not appropriate?”
“…”
Facing the question, Ye Anping also realized that he should act like a four-year-old child. He found an excuse and retorted with a frown, “We’re not familiar with each other. For example, would you think it’s okay to bathe with a stranger?”
“So that’s how it is…”
Hearing this, Xiao Die’s furrowed brows relaxed, as if she had a great relief. Then she said, “Then consider it a way to get familiar. Little Sister Pei will be your junior sister from now on. You, as an elder brother, must take good care of her…”
As she spoke, Xiao Die lowered her head and continued to rub Pei Lianxue’s back hair.
But then, when she saw where Pei Lianxue’s gaze was directed, a question mark appeared above her head.
?
Pei Lianxue was now hugging her legs, her gaze angled downwards, intently staring at the space between Ye Anping’s two short legs under the water…
Xiao Die blinked blankly, then couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned close to Pei Lianxue’s ear and asked, “Pfft— Little Sister Pei, are you perhaps curious why you don’t have that little bit of flesh?”
“Ah…” Pei Lianxue nervously moved her gaze away, but after a moment of hesitation, she honestly nodded, “Mmm…”
Ye Anping was stunned for a moment after hearing Xiao Die’s words before he finally understood. He felt extremely awkward.
But he needed to maintain his persona as a four-year-old child.
So, he didn’t close his legs. Instead, he forced a “clueless” poker face, indicating that he knew nothing.
“…”
Xiao Die ignored Ye Anping and continued to explain to Pei Lianxue, “You don’t have that little bit of flesh because you’re a girl, and Young Master Ye is a boy, that’s why you’re different.”
“Girl… Boy…” Pei Lianxue nodded seriously, looking at Xiao Die, who was teaching her, with innocent eyes. “Mmm, I remember…”
“As for why you’re different…” Xiao Die pursed her lips, organized her thoughts, and then her eyes suddenly lit up. “When Little Sister Pei comes of age, Little Young Master will tell you through action.”
“?”
Xiao Die chuckled and looked at Little Young Master Ye’s little thing again, then raised an eyebrow and asked, “Don’t you agree? Little Young Master.”
?
Ye Anping was extremely embarrassed, but to maintain his innocent four-year-old boy persona, he kept a naive expression and tilted his head, feigning confusion.
“Mmm?”
“Alright~” Xiao Die waved her hand. “Some things, when you two grow up, you’ll naturally know. It’s your turn, Little Young Master. Come on! Come closer, I’ll help you wash your hair.”
…
…
“What’s going on these past few days? Miss San was just attacked a few days ago, and now it’s happening again today? How did that person get in? How were the Senior Brothers from Central Peak patrolling? How could they let someone in…”
“Who knows? My right eyelid has been twitching lately. Who knows what else will happen? Let’s keep looking.”
The idle conversation of two men drifted into her ears, mixed with the light sound of dripping water hitting stones.
Drip… Drip…
Pei Lianxue woke up from her dream, her mind blank. She opened her eyes, but it was pitch black. Only when her eyes adjusted to the darkness did she see that she was in a lightless rock cave.
The space inside the cave was very narrow, only about the size of a regular bed. It was surrounded by rock on all four sides, with no entrance or exit.
Where am I? How did I get here?
A hint of bewilderment appeared in Pei Lianxue’s eyes. Just as she was about to push herself up, she felt an arm resting on her side, as if someone was telling her not to get up.
She turned her head to look behind her.
A handsome youth with his eyes closed lay beside her, his arm gently around her waist. His lips parted and closed slowly with the rhythm of his breathing.
Senior Brother…
“…”
At this moment, scenes from the depths of her memory resurfaced.
While bathing with Yun Xi, Senior Brother suddenly rushed over, leading her to escape the pursuit of Sword Sect disciples and into the depths of the pine forest.
She used her spiritual energy to help Senior Brother suppress his Yang Energy. However, after suppressing the Yang Energy, she inexplicably felt as if she had been poisoned and suddenly felt very unwell, as if a wave of heat was rolling within her body.
Next, Senior Brother asked her a question and said he wanted to teach her something…
They did the things depicted in that book, “The Immortal Palace’s Amorous Illustrations”…
Her mind became a mess. Helpless, she collapsed into Senior Brother’s embrace…
Senior Brother draped his clothes over her, carried her to a rock face by the cliff, broke open a cave with magic, and led her inside to hide…
…
So, the thing Senior Brother wanted to teach her was what was depicted in that little picture book?
Pei Lianxue pursed her lips slightly, somewhat confused. However, recalling the strange feeling she couldn’t describe at the time, she felt her cheeks and earlobes burning up.
Looking at Ye Anping’s sleeping face for an unknown amount of time, Pei Lianxue remembered the conversation of the two men earlier and snapped back to reality.
The Sword Sect disciples were still pursuing Senior Brother!
Pei Lianxue quickly wanted to get up, but she found that her whole body was incredibly weak and could not exert any strength. So, she quickly leaned close to Ye Anping’s face and called out, “Senior Brother, Senior Brother…”
She tried her best to lift her hand and shake Ye Anping’s shoulder. However, Ye Anping slept like a log, showing no reaction at all.
It was at this time that the conversation of the two men could be heard from the other side of the rock wall.
“Senior Brother, are there traces of earth-element spells here? I just glanced at it, and I feel like it seems…”
Dong Dong—
Two light sounds came. One of them said with a serious tone,
“It’s hollow inside, Junior Brother! Take a step back, and I’ll cast a spell to smash it and see!!”
…
Hearing this, Pei Lianxue thought, “This is bad.” She instinctively looked at Ye Anping, wanting to ask what to do, but seeing Ye Anping’s sleeping face, her heart suddenly settled.
No, I’ve grown up. Senior Brother is very weak now, so I should be the one protecting Senior Brother.
Pei Lianxue frowned slightly and murmured, “What should I do… If it were Senior Brother, what would he do…”
She racked her brains to think. Seeing the storage bag on Ye Anping’s pillow, she had an idea. She quickly reached out and used her sword finger to retrieve two earth-element talismans from Ye Anping’s storage bag. At the same time, she calmed down, held her breath, and waited for the opportunity…
Boom—
Just as the two outside were smashing the rock wall with fire-element spells, Pei Lianxue immediately activated one of the earth-element talismans, dug a hole like a grave pit on the other side, and at the same time, forcefully rolled over and pushed Ye Anping down. Then, she used another earth-element talisman to seal the hole, leaving only a small hole for ventilation.
The sound of the earth-element spell was very loud, but it coincided with the sound of the two outside smashing the rock wall with fire-element spells.
Boom—
A second explosion sounded, and dust instantly filled the cave. Moonlight shone in.
The two Sword Sect disciples outside maintained their spirit-taming protective state, squinting as they looked into the cave from the entrance.
Seeing only Pei Lianxue lying on the ground inside the cave, they were startled and quickly entered.
“Martial Uncle Pei?! How are you…”
“…Cough, cough.” Pei Lianxue coughed from the dust and replied, “I’m fine. After escaping from that person, I dug out this cave and hid here to heal.”
The two of them did not doubt her. One immediately took out pills from his storage bag and handed them to Pei Lianxue.
“Martial Uncle Pei, take the pills to heal your wounds first. I’ll guard you.”
Then he turned to the other, “Junior Brother, go find the Senior Brothers from Central Peak and tell them we’ve found Martial Uncle Pei.”
“Yes!”
The other person dared not delay and immediately ran outside. However, Pei Lianxue pondered for a moment. If a Core Formation Stage cultivator came here, they might discover Senior Brother. So, she said,
“I’m fine. I’ll recover for a while and then return to Xi Ri Peak. There’s no need to call the disciples from Central Peak. Tell them to pursue to the south… That person is likely to have fled south.”
“Yes!!”
…
