There was a hollow in his heart, and he could only fill it with his own imagination. This feeling was novel—as if the person in his heart had been meticulously sketched by his own hand, entirely his own.
Until she appeared before him, alive and real. His first thought was that the figure he had painted in his heart had come to life. Flesh and blood, finally someone he could talk to.
But soon, he realized this younger sister was no longer just a shadow existing solely in his heart, belonging only to him. Because she was the Demon Lord’s sister.
This feeling was unbearable! He hated it. Why?! The person he had imagined for a hundred years—how could she belong to that stupid, incompetent Demon Lord whose cultivation was a complete mess?
Why did he get to have a sister, while he didn’t? This was absolutely unacceptable.
If only she weren’t the Demon Lord’s sister. If only she were his sister.
Once this thought took root, it spiraled out of control. A sister would be wonderful—soft, gentle, and so satisfying to pinch. How could that idiot Demon Lord possibly protect such a good sister?
So, to prevent her from being led astray, to save this one-of-a-kind sister, and for the peace of the cultivation world, he decided to steal her away.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was the right decision. The reason she was a little silly—almost getting herself killed just by eating a carrot—must be because of her foolish brother’s terrible upbringing. He was different. With his comprehension, talent, and cultivation, all a hundred times better than that idiot’s, he would undoubtedly do a better job. Yes, this was for her own good. He definitely wasn’t jealous of the Demon Lord.
At first, she might not adjust well, but that was fine. Given time, she would surely realize that he was the best brother for her and forget about the old one.
More importantly, if Shi Xia’s brother were him, then all the taunts the Demon Lord had thrown at him in the past would be reversed. Those lost verbal battles would no longer hold.
With these thoughts in mind, Hou Chi immediately set out to abduct her—and succeeded effortlessly. Now, there was only one problem left:
—How exactly does one be a brother?
The scriptures on immortal techniques didn’t cover this. He reviewed all the cultivation manuals he knew but found not a single clue. Unexpectedly, the Demon Lord’s bragging words echoed in his ears:
"Let me tell you, my sister Shi Xia loves listening to my stories. Every night, she can’t sleep unless I tell her one. Have you ever told your sister a story? Of course not—you don’t even have a sister."
He trimmed the fat from this statement, distilled its essence, and arrived at the answer:
Sisters like stories.
Well then, why not start with bedtime stories?
And so, under the cover of night, the esteemed Grand Elder of the Jade Flower Sect climbed through a window to tell stories…
The price of Shi Xia throwing away her dignity was that Hou Chi actually began teaching her self-defense techniques.
"Among the cultivators of this world, aside from spirit cultivators, Buddhist cultivators must accumulate merit through long journeys, which isn’t suitable for you."
"Mhm, mhm, mhm."
"Ghost cultivation is a path for spirits, even less fitting."
"Mhm, mhm."
"Therefore, the only path left for you is martial cultivation—refining the body to enter the Dao."
"Mhm."
"Martial cultivation requires immense perseverance to succeed. You must devote yourself to rigorous training."
"……"
"Of course, if you truly cannot endure, you need not force yourself."
"……"
"Do you have any other questions?"
"Just one…" Shi Xia twitched her lips and raised a finger.
Hou Chi nodded. "Speak freely."
"Can you stop pinching my face while you talk?" Damn it, this guy had been squeezing her cheeks all morning. Did he think she was a dumpling? Was face-pinching during lessons some kind of trend in this world?
She turned to the old man idling nearby with a questioning look—What’s wrong with your master?
The disciple averted his gaze. Don’t look at me. I’m just a discarded, pitiful disciple.
Hou Chi stiffened slightly, reluctantly retracting his hand with a solemn expression. His sister was so adorable—even her anger was cute. He really wanted to squeeze, pinch, and hug her.
Shi Xia’s face darkened. "Just tell me what I need to do. Where do I start?"
"Martial cultivation naturally focuses on martial arts. There are countless styles and schools—you may specialize in one." Hou Chi’s voice was grave. "I’ve encountered some martial cultivation techniques before. You may choose one to learn."
"Great!" Shi Xia’s eyes lit up.
"However…" He frowned. "The techniques I know are limited. I’m not sure if any will suit you…"
"No problem! Anything’s fine. I’m not picky!"
"Tch, don’t get cocky." Bi Hong suddenly cut in, shooting her a resentful glare. "Every technique my master knows is one in ten thousand. Getting even one is a stroke of luck." Why hadn’t he gotten this treatment when he first joined? Biting handkerchief in envy…
Shi Xia ignored the sour grapes. "Let’s begin, Hou—" A chilling aura radiated from the man, forcing her to swallow the next word and hastily correct herself, "—Brother."
"Mn." Satisfied, Hou Chi nodded. With a flick of his fingers, a formation appeared above the three of them. "Since you lack spiritual energy and cannot use mental cultivation techniques, I’ve converted the methods into books. Unfortunately… the selection is small. Study them carefully."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Xia heard a rustling cascade—blue booklets poured from the center of the formation, burying the three under an avalanche of texts. And the books kept falling.
Shi Xia: "……" This is a small selection? Did you bring the entire library?
Bi Hong: "……" Back then, Master only gave me one technique… I really am not the favored disciple.
"Choose one. If none appeal to you, your brother will find more." Hou Chi maintained his serious tone.
Thud! Another book smacked Shi Xia squarely on the head. To avoid being crushed to death, she grabbed the first one within reach. "No need! I’ve already picked."
"This one will do?" Hou Chi’s frown deepened.
"Yes, this one!"
"Won’t you browse further? Your brother has many more. ＜(￣︶￣)＞"
"No need!" If I keep browsing, I’ll be buried alive.
Only then did Hou Chi reluctantly agree. "Very well." A flash of white light later, the mountain of books vanished, leaving only the booklet in her hand.
Shi Xia finally exhaled in relief.
"This technique focuses on internal energy," Hou Chi explained. "It’s among the finest in martial cultivation. At its peak, it can rival a Golden Core cultivator."
"Rival a Golden Core?!" Bi Hong’s eyes widened. "Martial cultivation has techniques that powerful?" In the eyes of cultivators, martial artists were little more than skilled fighters—barely useful among mortals, utterly outmatched against even Qi Refining cultivators. Yet this technique could stand against a Golden Core!
"Mn." Hou Chi nodded. As expected of his sister—she had picked an excellent one right away. A surge of pride welled in his chest.
"That sounds amazing!" Shi Xia was excited and touched the cover of the book. "Can I start learning now?"
Hou Chi reached out and patted her head. "If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your brother." He touched her head—success! (^o^)/
"Okay!" Shi Xia nodded vigorously, her heart swelling with enthusiasm as she flipped open the book. Once she mastered this, she wouldn’t have to fear being chased down anymore. Even if she couldn’t win a fight, she could always run. She made up her mind—she would study hard, focus intently, and…
Snap!
Shi Xia slammed the book shut, her mind flooded with a stampede of mental curses.
"What’s wrong?" Bi Hong glanced at her in confusion.
"N-nothing!" Shi Xia forced a stiff smile. No, no, she must have opened it wrong. There was no way she couldn’t understand the words inside! It had to be a mistake.
Carefully, she turned the pages again—one, two, three…
The pages were filled with bizarre, squiggly characters that seemed to greet her enthusiastically.
Splash! It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head, chilling her to the bone.
"You… can’t read?" Bi Hong stared at her in disbelief.
Shi Xia froze. "Hahaha… you’re joking. Of course I can read!" She had graduated from university, for heaven’s sake. How hard could one book be?
She glanced down at the text again. "Um… is this the standard script of the cultivation world?" Was there a translated version? Even English would do!
"You can’t read." A definitive statement.
The word "illiterate" dropped from the sky and splat—landed squarely on her head.
"Fine, I can’t read…" ┭┮﹏┭┮
They all spoke the same language, so who would’ve guessed the writing system was different?! What kind of ridiculous setting was this?!
To all her teachers, from kindergarten to university—she had failed them!
"HAHAHAHA—!" Bi Hong burst into earth-shaking laughter, his mockery dialed up to the max. He clutched his stomach, nearly rolling on the floor. "You—you can’t read?! A grown adult like you, illiterate?! Hahaha… even ten-year-olds in the Jade Flower Sect can read… and you dared to pick a cultivation manual?! HAHAHA—!"
"Hey, that’s enough!" This was a cultural gap, not a personal flaw!
"Hahaha…" He could laugh about this for a year. Suddenly, all his grievances felt avenged.
Shi Xia felt utterly defeated, her soul crushed under 10,000 points of damage. She turned pleading eyes toward the person beside her. "Brother…"
Hou Chi’s heart melted instantly. He shot a glare at the enemy, activating his protective mode. "Shut up!"
Bi Hong flinched and immediately silenced himself. Ah, the perils of overindulging in joy—now Master was scolding him. Was this it? Was he being abandoned?
"It’s fine if you can’t read," Hou Chi said gently, trying to soothe her. "It’s just a cultivation manual. I can read it to you. As for this martial arts technique, I…" Well, he hadn’t practiced it either.
"But don’t worry. You can take your time to grasp it. Martial techniques are usually derived from the form and meaning of the characters, so even if you can’t read…" Wait, no, that actually wouldn’t work.
o(╯□╰)o
Why were martial arts so troublesome? Did she have to be literate? #
