The next day, Lin Que woke up early. Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, his brows furrowed tightly, as if something was on his mind.
Whether it was because he had been frequently dreaming of his past with his senior sister lately, or because she had slept in the room next door just last night, Lin Que found himself recalling old memories once again.
He didn’t get up immediately. Instead, he lay there, thinking about the journey ahead.
“I’ll just have breakfast at the inn and then continue on the road,” Lin Que muttered to himself.
Though someone at his cultivation level could have long since stopped needing food, it was a habit he had built over many years, and he wasn’t planning to change it anytime soon.
Before he could rise, he suddenly heard the sound of chewing next to his pillow.
Turning his head, he saw it was the little demon who had stormed off in anger last time. Now, she seemed to be happily munching on something, clearly enjoying it. Her blood-red eyes were squinting in satisfaction.
“How did you get out of here?”
Lin Que was a bit surprised. Not just because the little demon had reappeared the very next day after storming off in a huff, but more so because this was the first time he had seen her appear outside of the Sword Seeking Sect.
“Since there’s good food, I’ll forgive you for now~” the little demon said cheerfully, wiping nonexistent crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
“Good food?”
Lin Que was momentarily stunned, then began checking himself to see if he was missing any body parts. Only after confirming that nothing had happened did he breathe a sigh of relief.
“Relax~ I’m not interested in your flesh,” the little demon waved her hand dismissively. “I just happened to feast on something really interesting.”
At her words, Lin Que blinked. He recalled that the little demon had once mentioned long ago that she fed on human desires. In the past, when Lin Que had “fed” her, it was mostly with killing intent. So much so that the little demon had even complained about getting sick of it.
“But what about you? You look like something’s on your mind. Don’t tell me… you had a nightmare?”
Perhaps because the desire she had consumed was especially delicious, the little demon uncharacteristically showed a bit of concern for Lin Que.
“It wasn’t exactly a nightmare. Just some old memories,” Lin Que sighed.
“Something to do with that girl next door?”
“You could say that.”
“Let me guess… you dreamed about the time you killed her enemy’s entire family? Makes sense. You were pretty ruthless back then. Even if you acted decisively, nightmares are bound to follow. After all, righteous cultivators aren’t supposed to kill the old and the young, right?”
“No. I’ve never once regretted killing them.”
Lin Que shook his head. “Before I made my move, I had already thought about one thing. When my senior sister was hunted back then, did her enemies ever consider that she was just a child?”
“The answer is no. If it hadn’t been for Teacher An’s rescue, she would’ve died long ago. There would’ve never been a day where she could live in hiding under a new name.”
“In that case, why should I show them mercy? Returning resentment with justice is the best way to resolve things.”
Hearing Lin Que’s words, the little demon nodded with interest. Then she asked again, “Returning resentment with justice? Hahaha! That’s an interesting take! So then, what’s your view on the saying ‘the innocent family should be spared’?”
“That saying only holds if blessings don’t extend to their families either. Since they already enjoyed the benefits that came from committing evil, then it’s only natural they bear the consequences as well.”
“Interesting, very interesting! Aside from your fake sense of righteousness, you’re full of good qualities,” the little demon chuckled. “Not only are you decisive in killing, but you also understand so many profound truths of the cultivation path. If you pursued the Path of Enlightenment instead, you’d probably achieve something remarkable too.”
“I’m not suited for the Path of Enlightenment.”
Lin Que shook his head and admitted frankly, “None of these insights came from my own realizations. I’m just standing on the shoulders of giants. If I had to figure it all out myself, I’d probably crack my head open and still come up with nothing.”
“Fascinating.”
That was who-knows-how-many times the little demon had said that now. Smiling, she looked at Lin Que and said, “So what’s really bothering you? Could it still be that incident where that cold girl next door locked you in the dark room?”
As she spoke, the little demon clicked her tongue twice.
“If that’s the case, then it’s no wonder you’re having nightmares. After all, you were still a fit and sturdy young man when you got locked up. By the time you escaped, you were so skinny you were unrecognizable. If not for our contract still being intact, I might not have even recognized you!”
What the little demon was referring to, of course, was the time when Lin Que had been locked in a dark room by Jiang Moqing and relentlessly drained day and night.
“Enough out of you!”
Lin Que reached out with a flick of his finger, aiming for the little demon’s forehead. He finally understood. She wasn’t trying to show genuine concern at all. This was clearly her way of getting back at him for making her cry yesterday!
“Ehehe~”
But the little demon was already prepared. Naturally, she wasn’t about to get flicked. She nimbly dodged Lin Que’s hand and disappeared on the spot, giving him no chance.
Victory strategy: land the blow, then run.
“Young man, you go figure out your own problems. I’m off to rest~”
“…You little—!”
Lin Que let out a laugh, both amused and exasperated by the grudge-holding little demon. Still, this sort of playful bickering and occasional comfort was common between them, so he didn’t take it too seriously.
After meditating briefly to regulate his energy, Lin Que got up.
Once he was dressed, he knocked on the door next to his.
“Senior Sister, it’s time to get ready to leave.”
Inside, it was completely silent. There was no response.
Faintly, Lin Que sensed the presence of a formation. It was a soundproofing formation he was very familiar with.
“Senior Sister, are you still in there?” Lin Que called out again to confirm.
Still, there was no response from Jiang Moqing.
That was a bit strange. Most soundproofing formations were unidirectional. While they blocked sound from exiting, those inside could still hear what was happening outside.
Based on what Lin Que knew of Jiang Moqing, she should have been up by now. In his memory, his icy Senior Sister had never been the type to sleep in.
Could it be that her words last night had become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and she had really run into… some kind of unexpected situation?
Lin Que frowned. With his left hand, he drew and gripped his sword tightly, while his right hand rested on the doorknob. “Senior Sister, if you still don’t respond, I’ll have no choice but to intrude.”
At the same time, he quietly extended a strand of divine sense into the room to assess the situation in advance.
However, the moment his divine sense touched the formation, it was blocked completely, leaving him no time to investigate further.
Fortunately, Jiang Moqing’s voice rang out just in time.
“I’m fine. I’ll be out soon.”
For some reason, her voice carried a trace of panic and fatigue.
Since Jiang Moqing had said she was fine and had dispelled the soundproofing formation, Lin Que naturally had no intention of forcing his way in. He simply sat at a table in the inn’s dining area and waited for her.
Before long, Jiang Moqing came quickly down the stairs, wearing a bamboo hat and a face veil, and sat down across from Lin Que.
Her movements were as swift and graceful as ever. The gaze beneath her hat was cool and composed, appearing no different from usual. But Lin Que still noticed a small detail.
The corners of her eyes were slightly red, as if she had cried the night before.
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