Chapter 3 : Sister and Brother

The spring rain was gentle, with a soft patter.

Ji Yu groggily opened her eyes. Through the gap in the curtain lifted by the wind, she saw a light coming from a window that had been slightly opened.

Morning had arrived. Her hand lay weakly on the dark bedding, the skin on the back of her hand pale as ice and as fragile as glass. Upon waking, the pain in her body was as intense as ever, even worse than the night before, showing no signs of easing.

Ji Yu silently endured the familiar pain within her, staring blankly at the crack in the window, slowly understanding why she had been pulled into a dream so abruptly the night before.

She also recalled the figure on the bridge from her dream. Although she hadn’t been able to see his face clearly, she knew he had been watching her from afar as she left the dream.

Silent and still, just as every time she entered a dream.

“Young Miss, you’re awake?”

Hongxiao lifted the curtain. As a top-tier guardian trained by a family of demon hunters, her senses were extremely sharp. She noticed the slightest change in the room’s atmosphere when Ji Yu woke up.

Hongxiao proceeded to help Ji Yu with her washing and dressing, inquiring about how she had rested the previous night.

Having encountered several heads of long-necked, low-level ghosts in her dream and then walking by the shadowy river for a long time, Ji Yu had not rested well and appeared somewhat listless.

Hongxiao, observing her, grew increasingly worried, fearing that Ji Yu’s condition might have worsened.

Could the Young Miss’s illness have become more severe?

It was not until she turned around to get the food box that she discovered the window that was not closed tightly. Hong Xiao’s expression changed and she looked at the young master who was sitting there with more concern.

Ji Yu shook her head and said, “I’m fine.”

Hongxiao hesitated, then decided to keep her thoughts to herself, given their current situation at Yanyue Villa. She refrained from speaking further and continued to assist Ji Yu with her meal.

“Young Master, a servant came by earlier and said, ‘If you are okay, you should visit them.’”

Ji Yu listened quietly and hummed.

After breakfast, time was already late.

Ji Yu and Hongxiao left the guesthouse together.

As they left the guesthouse, I saw someone coming out of the yard next door. It was a disciple from the Xu family, and leading them was Xu Xiujue.

“Junior Sister Ji,” Xu Xiujue approached and, noticing her even paler complexion than the day before, asked with concern, “Did you rest well last night?”

Ji Yu nodded and replied, “Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Xu. Everything is fine.”

Xu Xiujue, however, was not convinced. As an demon hunter, he was well aware of the situation at Yanyue Villa. Although nothing significant had happened the previous night, it had not been peaceful. He couldn’t sleep well at all. Even after falling asleep, he would experience some difficult and evil demons in his dreams.

Fortunately, the dispatched members were all elite disciples from their family, and they managed to escape the dream without panic.

Xu Xiujue knew that, as the heir of the Ji family, Ji Yu must have protective items that would guard her from the spirits in dreams. However, enduring such experiences could still harm one’s body and energy. Strong and healthy individuals might not fear it, but Ji Yu’s frail condition made her more susceptible to such impacts.

Indeed, seeing her today confirmed his worries.

After exchanging a few polite words, they proceeded toward Taofeng Courtyard.

A servant awaited them near the guesthouse and led them toward Taofeng Courtyard upon learning of their destination.

The servants were actually puppets many demon hunter preferred to use them for daily tasks. Puppets were inanimate and lacked self-awareness, making them less likely to betray their masters.

Of course, puppets could only follow simple commands and were not as flexible or attentive as humans. Given the many secrets demon hunter had and their need for discretion, using puppets for service was ideal.

During the day, Yanyue Villa was also very quiet, with the spring rain continuing. The misty rain carried an obscure, creating an indescribable gloomy atmosphere.

Yanyue Villa’s courtyards were connected by long corridors. As everyone walked through them, a few fine raindrops occasionally drifted in and fell on them.

Just after turning a corner, a group of people came toward them.

Noting that they were all wearing matching red silk garments and adorned with green feathers, it was clear they were disciples of the Qingyu Chen family, and they too were likely heading to Taofeng Courtyard.

When Xu Xiujue saw a young man among the Chen family disciples, who looked about fifteen or sixteen and was strikingly handsome, his heart skipped a beat.

Not only Xu Xiujue but also the Xu and Chen disciples present were surprised. Their gazes shifted between Ji Yu and the young man, and they couldn’t help but pause.

The young man’s eyes immediately locked onto Ji Yu, his pupils narrowing slightly.

Ji Yu cast a faint glance at them, her gaze not lingering on any Chen family disciple, before casually shifting her eyes away, maintaining a calm and serene demeanor.

It was as if she was facing a group of strangers.

The young man’s anger flared instantly.

He scoffed, glancing sideways at Ji Yu with a sneer, and said sarcastically, “Is the Ji family so short on people that they send a worthless person here? Or are they so poor they can’t afford to feed the useless ones and want to save on expenses?”

The remark was quite harsh. Not only did Xu Xiujue and the others frown, but even the Chen family disciples felt somewhat awkward.

Hongxiao was so enraged that she immediately reached for her blade. If Ji Yu hadn’t looked over, she might have struck the insolent young man.

Chen Qingfeng, the leader of the Chen family delegation, quickly intervened, saying, “Qingzhe, stop speaking nonsense.” He then awkwardly tried to smooth things over, “Young Master Ji, Qingzhe is still young and speaks thoughtlessly. Please do not take offense…”

As he spoke, he himself felt embarrassed.

At fifteen or sixteen, one was no longer a child. For demon hunter, this was the age of formal training, facing numerous dangers, and few would retain a childish demeanor.

However, Chen Qingzhe’s position in the Chen family was special. Not to mention his relationship with the Ji family’s heir, they were close kin by blood.

So matters between them… well, were more like family affairs?

They really didn’t know how to interfere.

Ignoring him, Chen Qingzhe glared fiercely at Ji Yu.

Ji Yu spoke as he wished. “What’s happening to my Ji family is not something a bastard with a father but no father to teach me should worry about!”

Her appearance was remarkable, her voice clear and pleasant, her green attire bathed in misty hues, beautiful to the point that one would hesitate to look directly. However, her words were sharp and cutting, insulting without resorting to vulgarity.

Everyone present was momentarily stunned.

“Who are you calling a beast with a father but no one to teach him?” Chen Qingzhe roared with fury. “I was raised by my parents!”

Ji Yu replied calmly, “If you were truly taught by your parents, would you be so incapable of speaking like a human? Or are you a beast in human skin who can’t even speak properly?”

Her words were a blatant insult to his lack of upbringing, suggesting he was less civilized than a beast.

Although… the earlier comments had indeed been quite uncivilized, and deserved a reprimand.

The people present looked at her in astonishment, not expecting the Ji family’s young master to have such a temperament.

Given Ji Yu’s frail health, though she was the Ji family’s heir, she rarely ventured out for training and had little contact with demon hunter from other families. If not for her striking appearance and resemblance to Chen Qingzhe, her identity would not have been immediately recognized.

They only knew that Ji Yu was extremely beautiful but unfortunately lacked talent, being notoriously useless among demon slayer It was a pity that the Ji family had no successor.

What they didn’t realize was that when she spoke, she could deliver such sharp retorts that it left people feeling hurt.

Seeing Chen Qingzhe so enraged that he seemed about to explode, they worried he might lose control and resort to violence, possibly even harming his own kin.

Chen Qingzhe was indeed furious and on the verge of taking action, but Chen Qingfeng and the others quickly stopped him.

Moreover, Ji Yu had Hongxiao, the Xuanjia guard, by her side, who would not allow anyone to harm her in any way.

After saying her piece, Ji Yu ignored Chen Qingzhe and said to Xu Xiujue, “Brother Xu, let’s go. Don’t let encountering a foul-mouthed beast affect our mood.”

As for the Chen family disciples, Ji Yu didn’t even glance at them.

Xu Xiujue said, “…Alright, let’s go.”

She walked forward gracefully, her green skirt swaying slightly, and the hem of her dress, embroidered with dark blue thread, shimmered with subtle, flowing symbols, adding to her ethereal appearance.

Xu Xiujue glanced at the Chen family disciples, gave a bow to Chen Qingfeng, and led the Xu family disciples away.

The Chen family disciples felt somewhat conflicted, but seeing Chen Qingzhe in a furious state, they couldn’t help but sigh.

In their eyes, Chen Qingzhe resembled a spoiled child otherwise, how could he utter such hurtful words to his own blood sister who was related to her by blood?

Moreover, she was the Ji family’s young master. No matter how poor the Ji family was,  it was unacceptable for others to humiliate their young master in such a manner.

Chen Qingfeng, seeing Chen Qingzhe’s eyes red with anger and veins throbbing on his forehead, felt a headache coming on. He said, “Qingzhe, Ji Yu is your sister, your earlier words were indeed too harsh.”

Chen Qingzhe, fuming, responded, “She called me a beast. She’s too hateful! Ahhh!!!”

“Junior Brother Chen, it was you who first insulted her,” a female disciple reminded.

Chen Qingzhe retorted angrily, “But she is indeed useless! Why would someone like her come to a place like Yanyue Villa? She’s probably not even worth the demons’ time to devour.”

The people present actually agreed with this statement.

The Ji family actually sent her here, this move was indeed quite risky. If not for knowing the Ji family’s situation, one might think they were dissatisfied with Ji Yu as their heir and wanted to get rid of her to replace her with someone else.

—

Tao Feng Courtyard was not far from the guest courtyard, and they arrived quickly under the guidance of the servants.

Upon reaching the main hall of Tao Feng Courtyard, they found many people, there demon hunters from various regions, engaged in quiet conversation.

The main seat was empty, as the master of Yanyue Villa had not yet arrived.

Those who noticed the newcomers turned to look. When they recognized the disciples from the Cangzhou Xu family and the Ji family, they showed fear in their eyes.

The Xu, Ji, Chen, and Pei families held very high status among demon hunters. Disciples from these four families were seldom provoked when traveling.

Those sent here were undoubtedly elite members of their respective families, powerful and not easily trifled with.

However, when they saw Ji Yu, dressed in a green robe, entering gracefully and elegantly, they were stunned and showed expressions of confusion.

With such a unique appearance, one can tell her identity at a glance.

The Ji family sent their young master this time? Wasn’t this just delivering a head to the demons causing chaos in Yanyue Villa?