Chapter Thirty-Four: Birthday

‘Once Senior Sister drinks this, she will fall unconscious. With her out of the way, I can finally…’

Inside the room, Su Yue meticulously sprinkled the fine powder into the water glass.

As she watched the powder slowly dissolve, her heart began to pound.

Soul-Bewitching Powder.

This was a pill recipe she had stumbled upon in an ancient text from the sect’s archives. Colorless and odorless when dissolved in water, it would induce unconsciousness within the span of a tea ceremony, the duration dictated by the dosage.

This particular step was absolutely essential to the success of her elaborate plan for tomorrow.

A soft creak echoed, and Su Yue, with a jolt of instinct, set down the glass and straightened her posture.

“What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”

Luochen’s brow furrowed, a silent question forming in her mind as she observed her Junior Sister’s furtive demeanor.

“No, nothing at all.”

Su Yue glanced up, and her gaze suddenly snagged.

Luochen had clearly just emerged from her bath, clad only in a thin, pale green robe. Her fair thighs, exposed to the air, were almost dazzling.

Damp strands of hair clung artlessly to her creamy skin, while un-wiped droplets of water slowly traced paths down her cheeks, curving gracefully at her collarbone before disappearing into the gentle swell of her chest.

Her fair complexion, now kissed with a delicate blush from the bath, resembled a begonia glistening with dew or a lotus rising from the water. This unexpected flush imparted a subtle, alluring charm to Luochen, who was usually so pristine and understated.

In the profound quiet of the room, Su Yue could distinctly hear the frantic thrumming of her own heart.

‘Senior Sister, do you truly not comprehend the extent of your own allure? Couldn’t you be a little more mindful?’

Tamping down the sudden warmth stirring within her, Su Yue extended the glass of water, now subtly infused with the powder.

“Senior Sister, have some water.”

“Thank you, Junior Sister.”

Luochen, using her spiritual energy to dry the lingering water droplets from her skin, then accepted the glass from Su Yue and drank.

“We’ll be descending the mountain soon. Junior Sister, is there anything you’d like to do?”

Amidst the encroaching darkness, Luochen’s voice resonated.

“Let’s go visit the orphanage first.”

Su Yue recalled those bittersweet days spent at the orphanage, a wave of nostalgia washing over her.

“Then we shall go to the orphanage first.”

“I’m a bit sleepy. Get some rest early, Junior Sister.”

As drowsiness overwhelmed her, Luochen’s voice gradually faded, becoming little more than a whisper by the end.

Su Yue gently shook Luochen: “Senior Sister?”

No response.

‘It seems the Soul-Bewitching Powder has finally taken hold.’

With that thought, Su Yue rose, an enigmatic glint dancing in her eyes.

She slowly reached her hand towards Luochen, and then…

…turned on the lamp beside her.

Carefully stepping over Luochen to dismount the bed, Su Yue retrieved the completed scarf, then drew an exquisite box from her storage ring.

Meticulously folding the scarf, she placed it within the box, then added a scattering of various decorative trinkets.

‘This should suffice.’

‘Tomorrow is Senior Sister’s birthday.’

‘I wonder if Senior Sister will truly appreciate the birthday gift I’ve prepared for her?’

With these thoughts, she gently pushed open the room door and stepped out into the encroaching night, descending the mountain path.

Back in the room, Luochen’s delicate brows were slightly furrowed, suggesting she was trapped in a nightmare.

‘This is… Qingniu Village?’

A quick survey of her surroundings confirmed Luochen’s recognition.

The silence around her was suffocating, and Luochen, casting wary glances, ventured further into the village.

Not a single soul was visible along her path.

The instant she stepped onto the plaza before A Gou’s home, a sudden chill snaked down Luochen’s spine, compelling her to turn.

There stood A Gou, Old Man Hu, and a multitude of other villagers.

Every single one of them was staring, their eyes glacial and unyielding, their faces ashen as fresh-fallen snow.

“Why didn’t you save us?”

A Gou’s eyes were utterly vacant, yet he continued to repeat the chilling phrase.

“Why didn’t you save us?”

The other villagers joined in, their voices steadily rising, threatening to overwhelm Luochen entirely.

“Why, why!”

As the villagers pressed in, Luochen found herself cornered, with no avenue of escape.

Her body jolted, and Luochen’s eyes snapped open, as though she had just been roused from a profound slumber.

Her back was drenched in cold sweat, and strands of her bangs clung damply to her forehead.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a modest patch of light upon the bed.

Luochen was alone in the bed; Su Yue had apparently risen at some point while she slept.

‘Was I… having a nightmare?’

A shiver ran through Luochen as she recalled the unsettling nightmare from the night before, leaving her with a lingering sense of unease.

‘Why did I dream of Qingniu Village? Come to think of it, ever since we returned, I’ve had a nagging feeling that something about this whole affair was amiss.’

‘Yet, it all went so smoothly, didn’t it?’

‘Wait, smooth.’

A sudden realization struck Luochen like a bolt of lightning.

It had been almost too smooth, hadn’t it? Nearly every step unfolded exactly as she had anticipated, as if both parties were simply following a pre-written script.

‘A seventh-rank expert, dying so carelessly?’

‘Was he truly just someone who had recently emerged from seclusion, his mind clouded by hatred?’

‘If not, what exactly does the Ghoul Sect hope to achieve by sending a seventh-rank cultivator to their demise?’

Her thoughts drifted back to the strangely behaving villagers, and Luochen’s brow furrowed even deeper.

‘In any case, after we descend the mountain, I’ll find an opportunity to investigate Qingniu Village.’

With that resolve, Luochen finally rose from her bed.

Pushing open the door, she squinted against the bright light, observing the sun already high in the midday sky.

‘Did I truly sleep all the way until noon?’

Rubbing her still-groggy head, Luochen decided her first order of business was to find her Junior Sister.

‘I slept so late today that I completely forgot to make breakfast for Junior Sister. I wonder what she’s doing.’

Luochen found Su Yue just outside the kitchen.

The flames from the stove emanated waves of heat as Su Yue busied herself, cooking something over the hearth.

“Junior Sister?”

Luochen called out softly to her.

Su Yue, clearly not expecting Luochen to awaken so soon, turned with an awkward smile. “Senior Sister, good afternoon.”

“Junior Sister, what are you making?”

Luochen attempted to lean closer for a better look, but Su Yue gently, yet firmly, stopped her, pressing her back into a seated position.

Su Yue offered no reply, merely continuing her diligent work.

“Senior Sister, could you step out for a moment?”

As she turned to retrieve something, her gaze fell upon her Senior Sister still seated in the kitchen, prompting Su Yue to politely usher her out.

“Oh, alright then,” Luochen conceded, a flicker of amusement in her eyes as she wondered what mischief her Junior Sister was concocting. She obediently stepped outside.

Gazng absently at the clouds drifting overhead, she finally heard the distinct sound of the door opening behind her.

Su Yue poked her head out: “You can come in now, Senior Sister.”

Luochen stepped inside, her curiosity piqued, only to find the small kitchen adorned with festive lanterns and colorful streamers. A banner proudly declared: “Happy 20th Birthday, Senior Sister!”

‘So, today is my birthday?’

Luochen found herself momentarily dumbfounded.

She had arrived in this world appearing as a thirteen-year-old at the Feibai Sect’s recruitment assembly, and thus, had no true birth date of her own.

When her Junior Sister had inquired about it previously, she had simply used the date of the recruitment assembly as a convenient, albeit false, birthday.

‘She actually remembered it all this time.’

Several exquisite dishes graced the dining table, each one, without exception, generously garnished with chili peppers.

Luochen had a fondness for spicy food, but knowing her Junior Sister and Master did not, she always refrained from adding chili to her own cooking.

Su Yue then presented a bowl of longevity noodles, a perfectly poached egg nestled atop the strands.

“Junior Sister, did you make all these?”

‘But I recall Junior Sister not knowing how to cook.’

Su Yue playfully stuck out her tongue. “As much as I’d love to claim credit, I actually went down the mountain and had a chef prepare them.”

Luochen picked up her chopsticks and savored a mouthful of the chili-fried pork.

‘Ah, this is the flavor!’

Observing Luochen’s utterly satisfied expression, Su Yue gently nudged the bowl of noodles closer.

“This one, however, I made myself. It’s my first time cooking.”

Luochen used her chopsticks to lift the strands of noodles, raising them higher and higher until she had to stand on tiptoe, almost unable to reach the very top.

With a determined resolve, she channeled spiritual energy to extend her chopsticks to the ceiling, finally managing to lift every single strand.

Having appeased her inner perfectionist, Luochen tentatively slurped a mouthful of the noodles.

Their texture was delightfully chewy and springy; for a first attempt at cooking, it was remarkably well-executed.

“How is it?”

Su Yue inquired, her voice tinged with both apprehension and eager anticipation.

As longevity noodles must not be broken, Luochen could only slurp them down, simultaneously offering a thumbs-up gesture.

After they had finished their meal, Su Yue, with an air of profound secrecy, produced a small box.

“Open it and see.”

A beautifully crafted scarf lay nestled peacefully inside.

It was, unmistakably, the very scarf Su Yue had been meticulously knitting for so long.

“So, this is for me?” Luochen asked, a hint of bewilderment in her voice.

“It was originally knitted for Senior Sister’s birthday.”

Su Yue explained softly, her expression tinged with a touch of playful grievance, as though gently chiding Luochen for only just now realizing the truth.

Luochen felt a wave of confusion wash over her. This marked the very first time she had ever received such a thoughtful birthday gift from someone other than her own family, and from another girl, no less.

She tried on the scarf; it felt wonderfully warm.

It was as comforting and warm as her Junior Sister’s embrace when they slept together at night.

“Junior Sister, thank you.”

Gently caressing the meticulously woven threads, each one a testament to time and dedication, Luochen felt a profound sense of emotion welling within her.

“I really like this gift.”

Stepping forward, she enveloped Su Yue, who had toiled tirelessly all morning, in a warm, heartfelt embrace.