“Master, what kind of pill?” Shen Qingci pressed.
“The Bone-Shaping Appearance-Changing Pill,” Jinglian said. “A pill recipe from the Western Region, Mystic-grade Mid-rank. Taking one pill keeps the medicinal effect active for half a year. It slowly reshapes the bone structure and facial features to resemble the target appearance.”
Shen Qingci's eyes turned cold.
One pill every half year coincided perfectly with the frequency of the manager's visits. They fed her a pill before his arrival, causing the child's appearance to gradually drift toward their Eldest Senior Sister's.
A three-year-old child had been fed medicinal pills since she was in swaddling clothes, just to make her look like someone else.
Once the time was ripe, she would kneel before the mountain gate and call Eldest Senior Sister “Mother” in front of the entire sect.
Then the Soul-Severing Restriction would detonate, killing both mother and daughter. With no witnesses left alive and their souls utterly destroyed...
Who would care whether the child was of true bloodline or false?
The people would be completely dead, and even soul-searching wouldn't yield anything. Achieving the desired effect was enough.
“Mumu still has residual effects in her body,” Shen Qingci said, suppressing her surging hostility. “I need to ask my aunt to completely purge them for her. Having taken the Bone-Shaping Appearance-Changing Pill for three consecutive years, I fear her foundation has already been damaged.”
Jinglian said gently, “Your aunt has a Void Refining stage cultivation. This small amount of residual toxin is nothing to her.”
Shen Qingci fell silent for a moment. When she looked up again, the gloom in her eyes had suddenly vanished.
“Master.”
“Hmm?”
“Earlier, I was somewhat annoyed with myself, thinking that Senior Sister and I had busied ourselves for nothing and been played for fools.”
She curled the corners of her mouth. “But not anymore.”
“Master, you've kept this trump card hidden for a century. The Sect Master has been kept in the dark for a hundred years, treating that fake essence blood like a treasure, searching for rogue cultivators, and administering pills. All his busywork for so long has been entirely in vain.”
“Just thinking about this makes me feel much better—even more satisfying than giving him a beating myself.”
Jinglian looked at her youngest disciple's smug face. Unable to resist, she raised her hand and flicked her forehead.
“Mischievous.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Chi Yuan staring fixedly at the youngest disciple, her eyes filled with tenderness and pity. Her expression made it look as if she, their master, had struck her with immense force.
Jinglian clutched her chest, feeling a sudden pang of frustration.
“A-Yuan, I merely tapped her with my knuckle. It wasn't as if I hit her with a sword hilt.”
Chi Yuan withdrew her gaze, her expression unchanged. “I know, Master. It's just that A-Ci has spent a lot of vitality soaking in medicinal baths lately, so I was merely looking a bit closer.”
Jinglian's mouth twitched.
Merely looking a bit closer???
That look was clearly saying, “Master, how could you hit her so hard?!”
She had finally realized that her second disciple's heart had long since biased toward the youngest disciple, and there was no turning it back.
Losing interest in idle chatter, she planned to call Chi Yuan over alone in a couple of days to give her a detailed explanation regarding the Sword Tomb.
“Forget it. You may leave.”
How could Shen Qingci not notice her master's protective, slightly jealous maternal vibe? She pressed her lips together tightly to keep from laughing.
She was in no hurry to leave, sorting through today's events from the beginning in her mind.
“Master, I made a mistake today.”
Jinglian raised her eyes to look at her.
“When something happens, I should report it to you first. I shouldn't take everything upon myself and let you be the last to know.”
“If I had let you know about Qian Chuan'er and her daughter's origins a step earlier, we wouldn't have had to go through such a convoluted process in the residence.”
Jinglian's expression softened. “A-Ci, I am very pleased that you can reflect on this.”
“I know you want to protect our sect with all your heart, unwilling to let me and your two senior sisters face danger. But currently, you only have a Qi Refining cultivation. Even if you possess outstanding talent and a deep family background, you shouldn't carry all the heavy burdens alone.”
“As your master, it is my duty to protect my disciples. If I cannot protect you all, what use am I as your master?”
Shen Qingci lowered her eyelids. “I understand what you mean, Master. I've just been used to overthinking things since I was a child.”
Jinglian glared at her. “Living like that is too exhausting. You must change!”
Chi Yuan softly defended her from the side, “Master, A-Ci is already changing.”
“Changing?” Jinglian raised an eyebrow. “This habit of hers is more deep-rooted than her sword forms. As her senior sister, don't just focus on coddling her; you must discipline her when it's time to do so.”
“I will keep that in mind,” Chi Yuan replied.
Seeing her senior sister speaking up for her, Shen Qingci took over the conversation. “I know my mistake, and I will definitely change in the future.”
“However, with the Sect Master plotting against us twice in a row, I am unwilling to continue backing down.”
“The Shen family has always strictly abided by the rules established between the great families and the sects, yet he keeps pushing his limits, constantly testing our boundaries. This time, he didn't even hesitate to use a child as a pawn. No one can guarantee that his next target won't be you, Master.”
Speaking of this, a chill gradually seeped into Shen Qingci's eyes.
“The Sect Master dares to do this simply because he believes my entry into the Azure Cloud Sect is merely a move by the Shen family to expand their influence in the Southern Region. He thinks I wouldn't break the rules for the sake of my sect.”
“Master, during the journey to the Gu family's birthday banquet in a few months, it will be the perfect time to strike. We should cut the Gordian knot and put an end to these insidious schemes once and for all.”
Chi Yuan looked at her sideways, worry surfacing on her face.
Jinglian sat cross-legged on her futon, her expression tightening slightly. “A-Ci, the top sects of the Four Regions are all wary of great families interfering in sect affairs. If the Shen family openly takes action, it will inevitably draw criticism.”
“Have you thought this through?”
“I have thought it through very clearly,” Shen Qingci said calmly. “If they have doubts, they are welcome to visit the Shen family estate to argue their case. The elders of my family will surely have a good chat with them.”
These words were spoken with absolute confidence.
Jinglian suddenly burst into laughter. Her laughter was clear and resonant, filled with genuine relief and satisfaction.
“Good. I will handle and stabilize the various factions within the sect, while the Sect Master, my senior brother, and his confidants will be left to you, A-Ci. I shall wait to see you prepare a new Sect Master robe for me.”
Shen Qingci immediately grew excited. “I know Manager Qian of Yunshang Pavilion. I can have them custom-make a few sets for you, using premium celestial silk...”
Before she could even finish her sentence, the smile on Jinglian's face vanished instantly.
Whoosh—
Her sword intent coalesced into a bamboo switch.
Chi Yuan was quick to react, stepping forward to shield her junior sister. “Master! A-Ci doesn't know that Yunshang Pavilion is Martial Aunt Liu's property. She didn't mean to tease you.”
Shen Qingci was completely stunned.
“Isn't Yunshang Pavilion run by an inner sect elder of the sect?”
Jinglian snorted coldly. The bamboo switch spun half a circle around her fingertips, but she ultimately did not strike.
Chi Yuan turned her head and explained via voice transmission, “Yunshang Pavilion is Martial Aunt Liu's private property, registered under Biluo Peak. Its daily operations are managed by an inner sect elder on her behalf.”
“You immediately suggested finding Manager Qian of Yunshang Pavilion to make a Sect Master robe for Master. If Master actually wore it, on Martial Aunt Liu's side...” Her senior sister didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
Shen Qingci took a couple of seconds to process this, then turned to look at her master with an earnest expression. “Master, I truly didn't know. How about we switch to another shop? The Furong Merchant Alliance's would work too.”
Jinglian dispersed the bamboo switch expressionlessly. “Leave.”
“Your disciples shall take their leave.”
Sensibly, Shen Qingci took her senior sister's hand, and the two of them walked out of the side hall one after the other.
The doors of the hall closed gently. Jinglian sat alone on the futon, raising her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.
After a long while, she muttered to herself, “She was clearly doing it on purpose, that little rascal.”
“I haven't seen her for a few days, and she's only grown more vexing.”
“She looks intelligent, but her temperament is incredibly mischievous.”
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