novelraw Chapter 62 : Little Senior Sister
Chapter 62 : Little Senior Sister
Chapter 62: Little Senior Sister
A huge crowd surrounded the martial training grounds. Disciples stood on tiptoe trying to look inside. Some shouted praise while others jeered and stirred up noise.
The crisp clang of weapons colliding and the explosive booms of techniques rang out from time to time.
Wave after wave of cheers rose continuously.
The crowd was packed so tightly there was barely room to breathe.
Fang Chang loved watching lively spectacles.
Grinning, he walked over and stopped at the edge.
Sunlight leaked through the cracks in the clouds, illuminating the puddles across the grounds until they gleamed brightly. Reflections shimmered across the water before the puddles burst apart.
Two figures, one in black and one in white, crossed paths and separated.
The former’s palm strikes howled with the heavy force of earth and stone, charging forward without hesitation.
The latter’s sword blazed with surging flames vast as an ocean, sweeping outward and turning the entire arena scorching hot.
Both possessed respectable cultivation. The latter was in the Fourth Realm Sitting in Forgetfulness, while the former was in the Third Realm Guarding the One.
After this exchange,
large sections of the black-clothed cultivator’s garments had been burned away, revealing a strong, dark upper body.
Sweat appeared upon his forehead as he froze in place, slowly revealing a look of sudden realization.
The white-robed female cultivator wore a faint smile, her face beautiful as an immortal’s.
The flames upon her sword dissipated. She spun the blade in a graceful flourish before resting it behind her back, sword light scattering like snow.
Ordinarily speaking,
Fang Chang had only entered the sect a few days ago, so he should not have recognized any cultivators aside from Cheng Hua and Cui Wenxi.
Yet at this moment,
he truly did recognize one of the people in the arena.
Fang Chang could not help curling his lips upward. Truly, the two of them were fated.
“OHHH——”
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
People nearby discussed in hushed voices:
“Senior Sister Cui Shuyu truly deserves praise. She advanced to the Fourth Realm at such a young age, obtained a spot for the Direct Disciple Trial, and even takes the time to guide us disciples at the martial training grounds.”
“Senior Sister Shuyu is beautiful and approachable. Compared to the other Cui Family cultivators, she’s completely different... ah~~ Senior Sister Shuyu, look at me~~”
“I heard Elder Xuan Shui praised her before, saying she possesses the bearing of this generation’s senior sister!”
Fang Chang listened from the side.
He repeated the name ‘Cui Shuyu’ several times under his breath.
Then he quickly gave up.
——He had no impression whatsoever of this name.
That could only mean one thing: you were not an important character in 《Fallen Immortal》.
At least, not important to him.
“Elder Xuan Shui said that!? Right now the sect master is in secluded cultivation, and all affairs within the mountain are handled by Elder Xuan Shui. Saying something like that... isn’t it practically a hint?”
“My guess is that since Senior Sister Wenxi ended up like this, they deliberately said it to placate the Cui Family Third Branch.”
“That makes sense. Even if Senior Sister Wenxi lost her cultivation, it still wouldn’t necessarily be her turn. Senior Sister Cui Yinqiu and Senior Brother Cui Jianghan are the ones with the greater chances.”
“What do you mean by that? Speak properly if you’re going to speak. Why praise one while insulting another? Did my Senior Sister Shuyu eat your rice or something!”
The noise of arguing gradually rose.
But it was quickly drowned beneath even more chatter.
“Forget Senior Sister Cui Yinqiu. That one’s just an illegitimate daughter the Cui Family Fourth Branch found in the mortal world. Her position is improper.”
“I’ll always love Senior Sister Wenxi forever!”
“Senior Sister Wenxi is great too, but Senior Sister Shuyu’s cold personality is also really attractive sometimes~ Twin senior sisters, step on me~~”
It seemed that whether they were rogue cultivators or sect disciples,
the degree of madness among these NPCs was more or less the same.
Fang Chang silently moved farther away.
Right then, he happened to hear a young girl beside him mutter, “Putting on airs.”
Fang Chang turned his head to look.
He saw a little girl as delicate as carved jade clenching her tiny fists, dissatisfaction written across her face.
She looked around ten years old. When she noticed Fang Chang looking at her, she showed no fear and instead blinked her large black eyes while staring back at him.
Fang Chang cupped his hands together. “Greetings, Little Senior Sister.”
She copied the gesture exactly. “Greetings, Great Junior Brother.”
Fang Chang smiled.
“Little Senior Sister seems to have some grievances against the Cui Family.”
The little girl opened her mouth slightly. The word ‘yes’ nearly came out before she suddenly inhaled sharply and swallowed it back down.
Her little face reddened as she countered with a question, “What’s your surname?”
“This one is Fang Chang, an outer sect disciple who entered the sect several days ago.”
“Yes, I do!”
The girl visibly relaxed before firmly declaring her dissatisfaction.
“The Cui Family cultivators never do good things and always put on airs!”
“Oh?”
“They exclude cultivators with outside surnames like us! My senior sister was injured because of them!”
“I have heard of the Cui Family’s so-called pruning-the-branches theory.”
“You don’t like them either, right? I can tell.”
“They’re alright, I suppose. Though most people don’t like me either.”
The little girl looked surprised and shook her head.
“How could that be? You’re handsome.”
Fang Chang laughed. “This Senior Sister Shuyu is also beautiful, yet people still dislike her.”
The girl thought about it and felt that made some sense.
“Then I’ll like you instead, Great Junior Brother.”
“Thank you. I’m rather fond of you too, Little Senior Sister.”
Fang Chang enjoyed chatting with children.
They were innocent and free of ulterior motives.
As they spoke,
another wave of cheers erupted from the martial training grounds.
This one was even louder than the cheers for Cui Shuyu.
“Senior Brother Lei Zhuo is here!”
“It’s Senior Brother Lei!”
“The Cui Stars Tremble While the Yinghuo Rises High — It Is the Night Senior Brother Lei Sharpens His Blade! Senior Brother Lei! Seize that damned position from the Cui Family cultivators!”
“Senior Brother Lei, you absolutely must win that Direct Disciple spot and bring glory to us!”
Fang Chang looked up and saw a tall, powerfully built cultivator striding over with flamboyant steps and a fierce expression.
Lei Zhuo greeted the surrounding cultivators amiably.
But when he turned to look at Cui Shuyu,
his expression immediately changed into one of mockery.
“Cui Shuyu... now that Cui Wenxi is crippled, you’re the one replacing her?”
“......”
Cui Shuyu wanted to remain expressionless.
But her composure was insufficient, and her face tightened visibly with an ugly expression.
Lei Zhuo’s tiger-like eyes flashed as they landed upon the sword in her hand.
“That isn’t the sword you usually use, is it?”
Cui Shuyu stiffened slightly. “My cultivation has improved, so I switched to a better sword. What of it?”
“There are only a few days left before the Direct Disciple Trial. Changing swords at the last minute — how much advantage could that possibly give you?”
“That has nothing to do with you!”
Senior Brother Lei shook his head.
“Cui Yinqiu and Cui Jianghan are acceptable enough. But you? Heh heh heh...”
He truly had only come to exchange a few words.
As he spoke, his scrutinizing gaze lingered briefly before he walked past her, turning away without another glance as the crowd surrounded him and departed.
Leaving behind only Cui Shuyu standing frozen in place, unable to control her expression.
“Crashhh——”
It began raining again.
Though cultivators were unafraid of rainwater, the spectacle had already ended. The cold mountain rain extinguished everyone’s enthusiasm, and the crowd gradually dispersed.
The rain also extinguished Fang Chang’s interest.
He casually found a nearby roof eave to shelter beneath.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Still, watching the rain was rather pleasant.
The little senior sister shouted strange noises as she hurried over to Fang Chang’s side, also taking shelter beneath the eaves.
“Great Junior Brother, my shoes got wet.”
“Oh.”
“My senior sister is going to scold me.”
“Then don’t listen.”
“Oka~y.”
As she spoke,
she leaned against him and grabbed Fang Chang’s sleeve while balancing on one leg like a golden rooster. Water dripped continuously from her soaked shoes.
Maintaining her balance like that, she happily entertained herself.
Fang Chang ignored her.
He lifted his gaze once more toward the martial training grounds in the distance.
Cui Shuyu still remained where she stood. She neither sheltered from the rain nor used any method to block it.
Filled with dejection and anger, both shoulders drooped heavily as her figure was swallowed by the torrential curtain of rain.
Fang Chang watched silently for a moment.
In the end, he slowly formed several hand seals, condensing a black seed within his palm before casually pushing it toward her from afar.