Hou Chi, who had never been good at verbal sparring and preferred keeping his thoughts to himself, finally snapped. He stopped holding back, beating his opponent until they couldn’t utter another word. Yet even that couldn’t curb the other’s enthusiasm for bragging about his younger sister—though he did condense his endless praises into a single phrase.
"You’re too weak in cultivation to defeat me. Give up!"
"But I have a younger sister!"
"You don’t understand formations. You’ll never escape this one."
"But I have a younger sister!"
"Our Jade Flower Sect has countless disciples. A lone fighter like you stands no chance."
"But I have a younger sister!"
"You lack skill in refining artifacts, and your weapons are too low-grade. Losing to me is only natural."
"But I have a younger sister."
"…" Slams table Is having a sister so great? Did you become the Demon Lord just by flaunting her?!
"But I have a younger sister!"
"…………"
He lost.
After dominating the cultivation world for so many years, Hou Chi never imagined he’d be defeated by sheer verbal stubbornness—drowned in the endless repetition of "younger sister." Those two words became a curse, etched deep into his mind.
Only when that idiot Demon Lord disappeared did his life return to its usual tranquility. The world lost a fool who constantly chattered about his sister, yet… Hou Chi found himself strangely unsettled. Thoughts like Was his sister really that amazing? Could any younger sister be so extraordinary, or was it just his? I wish I had one too. I really want to meet her… plagued him for a full century.
And then, he actually met her.
The first time he saw Shi Xia, she was covered in mud, filthy from head to toe. Despite having no cultivation, she dared to challenge a Golden Core-stage demonic cultivator. Truly siblings—their stupidity runs in the blood.
But soon, his understanding of her foolishness was rewritten. She boldly surrendered herself to the righteous sects, shamelessly declaring her identity without a hint of fear.
Hou Chi was convinced she’d get herself killed out of sheer idiocy. On impulse, he hauled her back, determined to scrutinize this girl—the one the Demon Lord had praised as "heaven-defying, earth-shaking, the most adorable in history, cherished like fragile treasure" (emphasis intended)—the sister he’d been curious about for a hundred years. What’s so special about her?
He stared unblinking for half an hour, the Demon Lord’s endless praises echoing in his mind. The longer he looked, the more he had to admit… this clean version of her… was actually… kind of… cute.
Why do I suddenly want to pinch her cheeks to see if they’re really that soft?
Hmph. Must be an illusion. He needed to cool off.
Two days later, he found her again, sitting in the grass munching on something, her cheeks puffed up like a rabbit’s. He recalled the Demon Lord’s words—My sister’s face is soft and squishy, perfect for poking—and before he knew it, his finger was prodding her cheek.
"What do you think you’re doing?" Shi Xia glared at the weirdo who’d appeared out of nowhere to poke her face. She’d only been starving and gnawing on some carrots. Is he here to settle a score for his disciple?
"Master, it’s her! She’s the thief!" The Xiuling Peak Old Man popped out from behind Hou Chi, pointing accusingly.
"I just ate a few carrots."
"Lies! What carrots?" The old man, who’d turned hostile the moment he learned her name, fumed. "Those were Violet Jade Ice Ginseng! My two-hundred-year-old Violet Jade Ice Ginseng! And you devoured them like radishes! You truly are a wicked demoness!"
"Oh, like you didn’t eat any!" Shi Xia pointed at his hand, still clutching half a "carrot."
The old man flinched and tossed it aside. "Th-this… this is a frame-up! I didn’t eat anything!"
Sure, those bite marks were made by a dog. "Got the guts to step out and say that? Hiding behind someone—aren’t you ashamed?" She’d ignore the absurd age reversal, but an old man tattling from behind his master’s back? Pathetic.
"I’m not coming out!" The old man harrumphed, then clutched Hou Chi’s sleeve, wailing dramatically—no trace of the dignified immortal sage remained. "Master, you must uphold justice! My Violet Jade Ice Ginseng… two hundred years of care! They were two days from maturity, and she gobbled them all! I checked the garden—not a single root left!"
Shi Xia felt like she’d stumbled into a scam. Never underestimate an old man’s pettiness.
"I really thought they were carrots," she sighed.
The old man grew even more indignant. "Don’t twist the truth! Apologize properly, or I’ll—"
"Sorry!"
"…" The old man choked. She apologized so shamelessly easily?! Fuming, he turned to his master. "Master, you must discipline her—"
"What do you even want?" This old man’s just milking it. She glanced at Hou Chi. "And you—plan on poking me forever?"
Hou Chi paused, finally retracting his finger, face impassive. But inwardly, bubbles of delight burst—That idiot was right. Her cheeks really are soft! Why’d she stop chewing?
"Master…" The old man bawled louder. "My precious ginseng!"
Violet Jade Ice Ginseng…
Hou Chi snapped back to reality and eyed Shi Xia. "You ate them?"
"Yeah." Shi Xia nodded honestly. "Thought they were carrots. Look, Hou Chi—ahem—Respected Hou Chi, I was starving. And for the record, you’ve got the wrong person. Maybe we can clear this up—"
"How many?" Hou Chi cut in, brows furrowed.
Shi Xia hesitated at his sternness, holding up all five fingers. "Uh… five?" Does the quantity affect my sentence?
"First time eating them?"
"Yep?"
"Any discomfort?"
"Huh?" What’s he getting at?
His frown deepened as he scrutinized her. "Violet Jade Ice Ginseng cleanses meridians. You—"
Gurgle—
Before he could finish, Shi Xia’s stomach roared with a dramatic, soul-shaking crescendo. A sudden, urgent pressure surged through her abdomen, bending her double. Something’s about to make a grand exit. Instantly, she understood Hou Chi’s concern.
Stomachache… bad.
Staggering, she grabbed his sleeve. "Please—where’s the nearest outhouse?!"
Damn it, old man! Those weren’t ginseng or carrots—you planted laxatives!
The old man from Xiuling Peak gloated with a cold snort, "Disciples of Xiuling Peak have long abstained from worldly needs for years. How could there be such a filthy place as a latrine here? I reckon the entire Jade Flower Sect only has one in Xiaoguan Peak, where the new disciples reside... Huh? Respected Hou Chi, where are you going?"
Before he could finish, Hou Chi had already grabbed Shi Xia and flown off—straight toward Xiaoguan Peak. The old man suddenly felt an illusion of falling out of favor. Weren’t they supposed to be here to settle things for him?
And so, on that day, all the attending disciples of Xiaoguan Peak witnessed an astonishing sight. Respected Hou Chi, the legendary and elusive Grand Elder of the sect, who rarely ever left Xiuling Peak, suddenly appeared in the backyard of Xiaoguan Peak. He stood solemnly like a towering pine, motionless for five full hours, just a dozen steps away from the latrine, until the sun dipped below the western mountains before finally leaving.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the Jade Flower Sect. Disciples couldn’t help but speculate about the Grand Elder’s purpose. After all, this revered figure seldom ventured out of Xiuling Peak—the last time he did so was to pursue the former Demon Lord. Surely, this couldn’t be a simple, meaningless act. There had to be profound significance behind his five-hour vigil at Xiaoguan Peak.
The patch of land outside the latrine must be extraordinary, they reasoned, perhaps even connected to the enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao.
The more they pondered, the more convinced they became. Word spread from one to ten, then ten to a hundred. Soon, hordes of disciples flocked to the spot, hoping to follow in the Grand Elder’s footsteps and stand where he had stood.
Before long, the area outside Xiaoguan Peak’s latrine became the sect’s most sought-after sacred ground for cultivation and divine insight. Every day, disciples crowded the place in an endless stream, fighting for a chance to stand there and absorb its extraordinary aura, just as Respected Hou Chi had.
Meanwhile, Shi Xia, who had spent five hours suffering from diarrhea and was now completely drained, could only think one thing: Could you all stop spectating me while I take a dump?!
Shi Xia had been hauled back unceremoniously. Unlike the last time when she had been carried like an unwilling cat, this time she felt a flicker of gratitude. After all, not everyone could remain unfazed while hauling someone who had just collapsed from exhaustion after a bout of diarrhea—even if she had already pulled her pants up.
For that alone, Shi Xia decided that Hou Chi was a far better person than that scammer old man—at least he didn’t extort her. Unfortunately, her gratitude lasted less than two minutes, because the next moment, she was unceremoniously tossed into a pond.
Gulping down several mouthfuls of cold water, her meager appreciation was instantly doused with a hiss. Only then did she belatedly realize—she didn’t know how to swim.
"Help!" she panicked, flailing her arms wildly. But the culprit on the shore had already turned and walked away, sleeves fluttering without so much as a glance back.
Holy crap, wait—
"Help... Hel—" She thrashed desperately, summoning all her strength to save herself. With one final kick—she stood up.
=_=#
Alright, she took back her earlier complaints. The water wasn’t even waist-deep. Whether it was from squatting in the latrine all day or not, she suddenly detected a peculiar fragrance wafting into her nose. Without hesitation, she stripped off her clothes and flung them onto the shore.
