A Sister’s Method: Divination and Unspoken Debts

Soon after, Yu Qingxuan returned to the dilapidated temple, her white dress unsullied by even a single drop of rain.

“Junior Brother, I haven’t sensed anything unusual within a hundred-mile radius.”

She spoke, her gaze fixed on Qin Yan before her.

“Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister.”

Qin Yan nodded, offering his reply.

Now that the tiger demon was dead and the trail had gone cold, unmasking the mastermind behind it seemed almost impossible. Should they return to report to the sect?

“Senior Sister…”

Just as he was about to speak,

“Junior Brother, you’re thinking of returning to the sect to report this, aren’t you? Relying on the sect’s power to investigate would certainly make things much easier,” Yu Qingxuan said, having clearly discerned Qin Yan’s thoughts. “However, I, your Senior Sister, have a method.”

“Oh?”

Qin Yan appeared somewhat surprised.

“Junior Brother, didn’t you have that demon’s core earlier? Give it to me, and I can likely deduce the tiger demon’s karma using divination.”

Yu Qingxuan spoke with a smile.

Hearing this, Qin Yan felt a pang of awkwardness. The tiger demon’s core was useless to him, and considering the Spirit Solidifying Pill Xiao Miao had given him earlier, she was clearly someone who repaid kindness. Why not do her a favor?

“Senior Sister, I gave it to Xiao Miao,” Qin Yan confessed, adopting a docile expression as he looked at Yu Qingxuan.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingxuan didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. After all, she knew her Junior Brother’s character well, and he had shown a certain concern for the girl named Xiao Miao. That he would give her the demon core was entirely predictable.

Yet, the fact that her Junior Brother had sincerely told her about it prevented any feeling of displeasure. It was, after all, a sign of her Junior Brother’s trust.

Qin Yan, for his part, didn’t think it was a big deal. A secretive attitude would only breed misunderstandings. Besides, would Senior Sister not notice the dilapidated temple beneath them while scouting the surroundings?

While it might sound like Yu Qingxuan was deliberately making things difficult for Qin Yan, could she really go directly to Xiao Miao and say, “I just spied on you two, and my Junior Brother gave you the inner core, so now give it back”? That would be far too demeaning.

Yu Qingxuan would certainly not let her Junior Brother do something as uncouth as asking for a gifted item back.

She approached Xiao Miao, who was currently circulating her cultivation to heal her injuries, forcing the girl to stand up with a wary expression. The two stared at each other until Yu Qingxuan was the first to speak:

“You, Xiao, you heard what I said earlier, didn’t you? My Junior Brother gave you that inner core; hand it over so I can use it.”

Xiao Miao heard her, her brow furrowing slightly, before she turned her gaze to Qin Yan.

Just then, Shizun’s voice echoed in Xiao Miao’s ears: “Xiao Miaozi, slaying demons is our duty as cultivators. Don’t be so petty; let her use it.”

For her Shizun, this was a sight she was quite pleased to witness.

In this world, a woman could live without familial affection, without friendship, without love, but she absolutely could not live without a rival. The white-robed woman before them was precisely what Xiao Miao needed to temper her disposition.

Upon hearing her Shizun’s words, Xiao Miao took a deep breath, then retrieved the inner core from her storage ring and handed it to Yu Qingxuan.

Yu Qingxuan took the inner core without a word, then moved to the center of the dilapidated temple. From her storage ring, she produced spirit stones and an assortment of formation flags, arranging them into a formation resembling a Bagua.

Placing the demon core within the formation, she began to activate it. Instantly, the surrounding spiritual energy became intensely dense.

Witnessing this, Xiao Miao was filled with wonder. She then used her divine sense to inquire of her Shizun: “Shizun, what kind of formation is this?”

“It appears to be a formation for investigating karma, though regrettably, I am not skilled in such arts. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this formation consumes a great deal, and its value is at least a thousand times that of this inner core!”

These words, reaching Xiao Miao’s ears, left her with no choice but to sigh in admiration. The disciples of these major sects truly possessed immense wealth.

In mere moments, Yu Qingxuan observed the ground strewn with pulverized spirit stones. She reached out with her divine sense, picked up the inner core, and flicked it towards Xiao Miao, who caught it instantly.

Her Junior Brother had given this to Xiao Miao, and she would certainly not cause him to lose face over a mere inner core.

She was not so petty as that.

Yu Qingxuan turned her head, her gaze meeting her Junior Brother’s. ‘That move must have left a deep impression on Junior Brother,’ she thought to herself, then spoke with a cheerful laugh:

“Want to learn? Junior Brother, I’ll teach you.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Qin Yan replied.

Yu Qingxuan then noticed Xiao Miao’s gaze from the side. She let out a soft huff. Of course she could teach her Junior Brother, but how could she possibly impart such knowledge to Xiao Miao, an outsider?

“Junior Brother, we’ll head northeast.”

Yu Qingxuan announced.

“Northeast?”

Qin Yan was somewhat taken aback. They were already nearing the borders of the Qin Kingdom; venturing further would likely take them into the territory of the Zhao Kingdom.

“The information from the divination points in that direction. If we leave the Qin Kingdom, this matter will become far too complicated, likely beyond our ability to resolve…”

Yu Qingxuan, too, wore a thoughtful expression.

Just as there were borders between kingdoms, so too were there between sects. Each had its own territory, and rashly entering another’s domain could lead to being collectively attacked.

After speaking, Yu Qingxuan observed Qin Yan’s pensive expression. As the Senior Sister, she was the anchor of their group; she could not afford to falter.

“Even so, there’s no need to worry unduly. As the saying goes, ‘the boat will naturally straighten when it reaches the bridge.’ We’ll investigate first; if we encounter trouble we can’t resolve, it won’t be too late to report to the sect.”

As Yu Qingxuan spoke, her fingers quickly formed a hand seal, and a teal bird materialized in her palm before swiftly flying out of the dilapidated temple.

“I’ve already reported our situation to Shizun; consider it a heads-up.”

“In that case, we have no further worries.”

Qin Yan nodded. His Senior Sister truly handled matters flawlessly.

Listening to their conversation, Xiao Miao found herself pondering for a moment. Her small, delicate hand clutched the demon core, and she observed the pair before her. By all accounts, they were a perfect match of talent and beauty.

“Immortal Qin… is there anywhere I, Xiao, can be of assistance?”

Just then, Xiao Miao suddenly clasped her hands in a respectful salute and asked.

“Xiao Miaozi? Why are you wading into these troubled waters? Is it because of this Immortal Qin?” Shizun’s somewhat surprised words reached Xiao Miao’s ears.

“Shizun, didn’t you say so yourself? Slaying demons is the responsibility of us cultivators.”

Xiao Miao replied via divine sense, leaving her Shizun momentarily speechless.

“You?”

Hearing Xiao Miao’s words, Yu Qingxuan looked at the young girl before her with some perplexity. What use could a cultivator who hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment be?

Xiao Miao, sensing the disdain in Yu Qingxuan’s eyes, remained silent. Instead, she turned to Qin Yan, wishing to repay his kindness through this matter.

Naturally, if Qin Yan also deemed her a burden, she would not utter another word.

Qin Yan was currently deep in thought. He had never intended to cross paths with these powerful female protagonists, but fate had a peculiar way of intervening. He could largely guess Xiao Miao’s intentions; she was, after all, just a sixteen-year-old girl, far too easy to read. She wished to repay him.