Sister

The patrol squad was arranged by Lianying Hall, but it was actually composed of disciples sent by various sect forces.

So, although they wore the uniform clothing of Lianying Hall while working here, disciples from different sects still carried the emblems of their respective sects.

Fellow sect members were still easy to recognize.

When Yuan Qing passed by the second patrol squad, he indeed spotted the emblem of the Heavenly Mystic Sect among them.

But he didn’t see any familiar faces.

However, since there was still a long time before the Talisman Masters’ Assembly began and ended, he wasn’t in a rush.

After confirming that the Heavenly Mystic Sect had arrived in Banxiang City, Yuan Qing began strolling around the city to survey the terrain and routes, while also gathering news about the Talisman Masters’ Assembly.

After all, he had promised Lin Xiao and the others that he would act as their guide—he couldn’t break his word.

Yuan Zhiyun, noticing that his earlier state of being slightly alert and seeming to search for something had shifted into the relaxed, normal demeanor of someone gathering information, decided to approach and greet him.

When she saw Yuan Qing turn into a relatively secluded alley, she immediately quickened her pace to follow him. Seeing that the place was empty, she stepped forward and lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Little brother?”

Startled that someone had come looking for him, Yuan Qing turned around in surprise and saw Yuan Zhiyun’s familiar face. He subconsciously murmured:

“Sis…”

After saying this, he suddenly remembered that he was currently disguised. Fearing someone might overhear, he shut his mouth and walked toward the city outskirts.

Seeing how wary he was of being recognized, Yuan Zhiyun didn’t say another word. She simply frowned slightly and followed at a close but not too close distance.

Watching Yuan Qing’s thin back, Yuan Zhiyun felt a pang of pity.

She and Yuan Qing were not blood siblings. Yuan Qing had lost his parents at a young age, and Yuan Zhiyun’s mother, feeling sorry for him, had taken him in to raise for a while.

Yuan Zhiyun had always been an only child, so when her mother suddenly brought home a brother nearly twenty years her junior, she found it quite intriguing. She spent her days teasing him and concocting all sorts of quirky little toys for him.

Throughout the entire Yuan family, the person who treated him the best was Yuan Zhiyun.

She had also been the one to teach Yuan Qing how to channel qi into his body for the first time.

Later, when the Heavenly Mystic Sect recruited disciples and allocated slots to the Yuan family, Yuan Qing’s spiritual root evaluation in this generation was just within the limit of available slots. Thus, at under ten years old, he was sent to the Heavenly Mystic Sect.

Although the Yuan family matriarch had taken him in for a time, he wasn’t a biological child, and as time passed, their bond naturally faded. While he never lacked the same provisions as the other Yuan family disciples—and the matriarch might even have supplemented some from her own pocket—she didn’t really give him much affection.

Yuan Qing understood this himself. Therefore, when anything happened in the sect, he never told the Yuan family. Every six months, the letters he sent home were always upbeat, never mentioning his troubles.

Only Yuan Zhiyun, an elder sister from a distant branch of the family, would visit him at the Heavenly Mystic Sect every now and then, bringing him nice things.

But as the Yuan family heir, Yuan Zhiyun had too many duties and too much to learn. Taking time to see him once every couple of years was already a rare gesture.

For the head of the Yuan family and his household, Yuan Qing felt nothing but deep gratitude.

The time he spent being raised by Yuan Zhiyun’s mother was one of the few happy periods in his short life.

The two walked one after another, at a distance, strolling casually to the city outskirts. Yuan Qing wound through paths and finally reached a secluded dense forest. Only then did he turn to face Yuan Zhiyun, who had been following him. He lifted his disguise, removing the mask from his face, and said:

“Sis… long time no see.”

The last time they had met was over a year ago.

Yuan Qing’s address of her as “Sis” was something Yuan Zhiyun had insisted on, because it made her feel like she truly had a younger brother.

Looking at his pale, clearly recovering face, Yuan Zhiyun frowned and asked:

“What happened to you? Did someone bully you?”

Yuan Qing wasn’t good at lying, but he didn’t really want to tell her the truth.

He knew Yuan Zhiyun’s temper all too well—if she heard the real story, she would surely want to stand up for him.

But this involved the Heavenly Mystic Sect. As the Yuan family heir, interfering in internal sect conflicts would invite criticism and easily incur the sect’s displeasure.

After all, even though the Yuan family was a major clan in Yuanling City, they still depended on the Heavenly Mystic Sect for their survival.

So he remained silent for a long time, racking his brain until he finally came up with an excuse:

“I… I ran into a pack of ferocious demon beasts while out on a mission. They chased me down, so… I used the secret technique you taught me—burning my essence blood to escape…”

Yuan Zhiyun, who had been tailing him most of the day, naturally didn’t believe this. But seeing his reluctance, and suspecting it might involve the Heavenly Mystic Sect, she chose not to press further. Instead, she said:

“Where are you staying now? Since we haven’t seen each other in so long, why not come stay with me? The cave dwelling next to mine is still empty and hasn’t been rented out.”

Because he still had things to do, staying next door to her would make his comings and goings too obvious and inconvenient. Yet he truly wanted to be with his sister. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke:

“Sis, I recently promised a couple of fellow cultivators to act as their guide. Right now, I’m living with them. How about this: once they’re familiar with Banxiang City and the Talisman Masters’ Assembly, I’ll come find you. Is that okay?”

Yuan Zhiyun observed his expression for a moment. This explanation seemed sincere, so she nodded decisively:

“Since you’ve made a promise to others, you must honor it first. Come to me when you’re free.”

With that, she gave him the address of her cave dwelling.

By the time Yuan Qing and Yuan Zhiyun returned to Banxiang City, Lin Xiao and the others had already brought back today’s bountiful spoils to their lodging.

The moment Yuan Qing entered the cave dwelling, he saw Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu lounging on the couch, half-lying at ease, each with a bucket of hot water on the floor, soaking their feet.

At this sight, Yuan Qing froze for a moment. It took him a while to find his voice:

“What… exactly are you two doing?”

Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu sprawled lazily against the couch, with a large basket between them filled with all sorts of snacks, while a small table nearby held a pot of brewed tea.

The buckets on the floor, three-quarters full, had hot water gurgling and bubbling inside—not because it was boiling, but because of a mini-massage array that Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu had recently devised specifically for foot massage.

Their feet relaxed in the water, bobbing up and down as the heat swirled around them. Weariness showed on their faces as they nibbled on snacks and sipped tea at their leisure.