Chapter 55

A few days ago, during the ceremony, Yu Tao had only glanced at her briefly. Her head had been dizzy, and she had been preoccupied with helping, so she didn’t pay much attention. But now that she looked again, she could definitely see a resemblance in their brows and eyes.

The woman wore a bright, lively red dress, not as extravagant as the one worn during the ceremony, but a more casual style.

However, whether it was Yu Tao’s imagination or not, it wasn’t just the appearance that seemed similar. She also felt that the way this woman spoke and carried herself was somewhat like her own mannerisms.

Especially when she smiled. The curve of her raised brows and eyes made Yu Tao feel like she was looking at her own reflection in a mirror.

This feeling… was strange, hard to describe.

It was just that last time they met with a disguise, but this time, they were meeting face to face in their true forms.

After all the thoughts and reflections over the past few days, Yu Tao had gradually come to accept the sudden appearance of a cousin.

No matter what had happened to her before or how she had come back to life, Yu Tao didn’t have any particular opinion about her. She smiled kindly and said, “I came here to see the place where my mother once lived.”

“I see,” Su Liuli smiled and nodded. “Well then, how about I show you around? I also wanted to have a chat with you.”

“I heard that you became my junior sister. I haven’t returned to Wuchang Sect in a long time, and there are many things I want to ask you.”

It was just a casual chat, so Yu Tao didn’t see any reason to refuse. She agreed.

“We can chat, but there’s no need to look around. I’m here with a friend and plan to leave Yaochi soon.”

Su Liuli’s gaze seemed thoughtful as she nodded to the Head Divine Attendant beside her. “Head Divine Attendant, I came here to ask about leaving. My cultivation is still shallow, and I need to return to Wuchang Sect to continue my training.”

“But don’t worry, I will always keep the position of the Goddess in mind and will return to Yaochi at regular intervals each month.”

This had been the condition discussed earlier by Su Liuli. Kou Yi, of course, didn’t say much in response but instructed, “The ceremony is over. As the Goddess, be cautious when you’re outside, and always mind your words and actions.”

Watching Su Liuli and Yu Tao leave Yaoguang Palace together, the atmosphere grew quiet, as if it had returned to its long-standing solitude and coldness.

Kou Yi’s gaze remained fixed on the distance when the young man walked out from behind a pillar. He teased, “Now that they’ve gone, if you really want her to stay, why not put on a show and cry? She’s soft-hearted—she might just stay and keep you company for a while.”

He lazily leaned against the pillar. “Let me think, what should I call you in this situation? Ah, yes… a retired elder waiting for their children to come home.”

“It seems that the Wuchang Sect has really been too idle lately, to let a sect master like you lounge around for several days.”

Kou Yi turned back, her tone sharp: “Now it’s time to settle things with you. You’ve known all along that she was Bai Yu’s daughter, yet you kept it a secret. If it weren’t for that person from the Su family discovering it, how much longer were you planning to keep it hidden? You know, the former Sect Master nearly…”

The young man raised both hands in surrender. “You’re wrongfully accusing me. I only found out because Su Chengfeng told me. I had no idea my sister even had a daughter, let alone that she coincidentally joined my sect.”

Kou Yi paused for a moment, realizing he probably wouldn’t joke about the former Sect Master’s life and death.

Originally, if Yu Tao didn’t come, she would have taken some actions to bring her here anyway, though that might have caused even more unpleasantness.

She sighed lightly, then suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Bai Zhu, it seems she has someone she likes. Go investigate and find out who it is, and whether they’re reliable.”

“No need,” Bai Zhu chuckled lightly. “I’ve already looked into it these past few days. It’s one of Xuan Yunzi’s disciples, Yu Li.”

“I even asked his senior brother, Hua Lian. The two are mutually fond of each other, sweet as can be. We old folks really don’t need to meddle in their affairs.”

Kou Yi knew of Yu Li, a young genius who had recently become quite famous in the cultivation world. It was said he was born with a sword bone, and at a young age, he had already reached the God Transformation stage.

As for his temperament… rumors painted him as distant, aloof, and rarely seen with female cultivators or involved in any romantic affairs.

Though Kou Yi was somewhat satisfied by this, her expression remained cold as she snorted. “As for your sect, of course, you’ll speak well of them.”

She raised an eyebrow. “But if he dares to hurt Yu Tao… I will not let him off.”

Bai Zhu laughed in spite of himself, thinking that not only would she not let Yu Li off, but after finding out that he had taken Yu Tao, he had sent him to deal with an invading high-level demonic dragon from beyond the domain. He probably was still fighting that dragon at this very moment.

But all he could do was play along. “Alright, alright. When the time comes, do as you wish. I won’t stop you.”

Kou Yi had other matters to attend to and left. Bai Zhu leaned against the wall, his expression darkening.

He was immensely relieved that Yu Tao had joined her sect. It meant he could still see his sister… or rather, his sister’s daughter.

His sister had once said she would never marry or have children. She never explained why, but her expression when she said that had been resolute.

For her to be willing to have a child for him, it must have been someone she deeply loved.

Bai Zhu’s hand fell weakly over his eyes, hiding the exhaustion from the past few days of running around.

Who could that person be…

On the way to Liuyue Residence, Su Liuli began chatting with Yu Tao.

“I’ve thought about it. After we return to Wuchang Sect, we’ll address each other as senior and junior sisters, but when we’re alone, we can call each other cousins. That seems more appropriate, don’t you think?”

Yu Tao nodded, feeling a bit awkward. “I’m fine with whatever.”

Su Liuli smiled. “It’s just a casual chat. No need to be so formal.”

“I’ve been away from the sect for several years, and I don’t know what’s going on there now. How is the master’s health?”

“Since I entered the sect, I haven’t seen the master. He’s still in seclusion. But there shouldn’t be any problems,” Yu Tao answered honestly.

“That’s good to hear.” Su Liuli continued, “What about the three senior brothers?”

Yu Tao replied, “They’re all doing well.”

Su Liuli then asked more about the current state of the sect, and Yu Tao answered each question. She gradually began to relax, until Su Liuli suddenly asked a strange question.

“So, has Senior Brother Yu Li had any female cultivators around him these past few years?”

Yu Tao was momentarily stunned. She turned to look at Su Liuli, whose expression was hard to describe—it seemed both melancholic and expectant?

This expression was different from how she had asked others earlier. A thought suddenly popped into Yu Tao’s mind. Could it be that… Su Liuli likes Little Senior Brother?

Seeing Yu Tao’s stunned look, Su Liuli smiled shyly and readily admitted, “To be honest, cousin, ever since I joined the sect a few years ago, I’ve had feelings for him. Unfortunately, after spending a few years together, he’s always been indifferent towards me. Later, I had an accident and…”

She lowered her gaze slightly, her expression filled with vulnerability. “Now, after all these years, I worry that someone else might have already come into his life, and I’ll never have a chance again.”

Yu Tao was completely stunned. It really was just as she had thought.

Her expression became awkward. How was she supposed to tell Su Liuli that Little Senior Brother actually already had another female cultivator by his side, and that cultivator… was none other than her?

Having never experienced something like this, Yu Tao had no idea how to respond. After hesitating for a long time without saying anything, Su Liuli suddenly realized something. “Right, you only joined the sect a few months ago, so it’s normal that you wouldn’t know about this.”

“It’s fine. I’ll find out when I go back,” Su Liuli added.

Yu Tao could only swallow her words and nodded lightly. “Mm.”

The two chatted about other things, and as they neared Liuyue Residence, Su Liuli bid her farewell. “I still have some other places to go, so I won’t be going back with you. We’ll see each other in the sect.”

Yu Tao returned to Liuyue Residence, where Zhu Mingyu and the others, who had been anxiously waiting for two days, rushed over as soon as they saw her, checking on her repeatedly to make sure she was okay.

Yu Tao explained the situation she knew to them, and upon learning that Yaochi had allowed her to leave at any time, the two of them sighed in relief.

“What about the ring? It must be very important, right? Would Yaochi really let you take it just like that?” Zhu Mingyu asked.

Kou Yi used an illusion spell on the ring. Although it was still in Yu Tao’s hand, it had become invisible and couldn’t be seen at all.

Yu Tao also explained the situation with the ring. “I’ll return it to them once I find a way to take it off.”

“Well, that’s one thing settled. What about your mother’s belongings…?” Lu Qingyu raised her eyes.

“Actually, my mother didn’t leave anything behind, except for a room full of books, which Kou Yi has already packed up for me.”

According to Kou Yi, after her mother left, Star-picking Cliff was sealed off and no one was allowed to enter, so it had remained exactly as it was when she left.

“Since that’s the case, let’s leave now.”

Lu Qingyu gently rubbed her head. “Although there were some unexpected events, Yaochi’s reputation over the past few thousand years is still reliable. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Zhu Mingyu said, “I think we should skip going to Jinling in the Central Plains. It’s better to return to the sect and rest. The ceremony the other day scared me when you suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, you’re okay.”

Yu Tao was taken aback, feeling a little anxious. “I’ve rested for two days, I’m fine now. Let’s still go.”

Zhu Mingyu gave a lazy smile. “So you want to go to the Flower God Festival, huh? Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Yu Tao thought that since Little Senior Brother had already said he liked her, what had started as her one-sided crush had turned into mutual affection. Sooner or later, they would have to know about it, so she decided not to hide it anymore.

She straightened up, her expression serious. “Classmate Zhu, Senior Sister Lu, I’m sorry for keeping this from you.”

“Back on Xuanyue Island, when you asked me what my feelings for Little Senior Brother were, it wasn’t just a brother-sister affection. It was…”

She paused, then continued, “It was the kind of affection you feel for someone you like.”

The two of them froze for a moment, their expressions quickly turning strange.

Zhu Mingyu groaned and tugged at her hair. “How did this happen again? You actually like him too?”

Lu Qingyu crossed her arms, nodded thoughtfully, then raised her head and asked calmly, “You’re confessing now because something has changed between you two?”

Yu Tao shyly looked down, fidgeting with her fingers, and softly nodded.

“About half a month ago, Little Senior Brother confessed his feelings to me and said he liked me. At the time, I was a bit stunned and didn’t know how to respond. After thinking it over for so many days, this time, when we go to Jinling, I plan to meet him and give him a response.”

The two of them fell silent after hearing this.

Zhu Mingyu, unwilling to give up, asked, “Yu Tao, why don’t you think about it some more?”

Yu Tao let out a soft “Eh?” and replied, “What more is there to think about? I’ve already thought it through carefully.”

Now that Su Liuli had returned, it meant that what was written in the book would happen. The two of them couldn’t just stand by and watch Yu Tao fall into such a situation.

They exchanged a look, and realizing that nothing had happened yet, they decided that the best approach was to nip this relationship in the bud.

In other words… they would have to make her upset for a short while.

But a brief sadness was far better than prolonged suffering.

Zhu Mingyu pulled out the book, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward her. “Take a look at this.”

Yu Tao glanced at the title. Why was she being shown a storybook at this time?

Although confused, Yu Tao obediently flipped the pages, and soon she realized that something seemed… off about this book.

The story in the book was eerily similar to what had been happening in real life…

She spent half an hour reading through it, and her expression grew somewhat dazed.

“This book is one I found in the Void Realm. Back then, it had already predicted our trip to Xuanyue Island, and now Su Liuli really has returned,” Zhu Mingyu said seriously.

“I was worried that the book might not be true, and I didn’t want to make you upset… so I didn’t tell you.”

The implication was clear: what the book described was indeed happening in reality.

Yu Tao’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. No wonder Zhu Mingyu had been so serious about teaching her how to recognize scumbag after they came out of the Void Realm—she had found it odd at the time.

No wonder they had specifically asked her whether she liked Little Senior Brother.

Yu Tao lowered her head and looked at the book, her mind racing as she recalled the words Su Liuli had said to her, which now aligned with the events in the book.

For a moment, she felt lost and unsure, and suddenly, she remembered the painting in his room—the woman in the red dress… Su Liuli was also wearing red today, and the book even mentioned that she liked wearing red skirts.

In a panic, Yu Tao took out the Liuli Mirror, almost dropping it in her haste. Her fingers trembled slightly as she sent a message to Hua Lian: 【Second Senior Brother, you asked me to pass on a message to Little Senior Brother about the painting. What was the painting of?】

The other party seemed somewhat confused but quickly replied: 【I wouldn’t exactly call it a painting, it’s some kind of array or restriction, strange and weird patterns, really hard to describe.】

【Junior Sister, did something happen all of a sudden?】

Yu Tao froze for a long time, then replied that nothing was wrong and placed the Liuli Mirror on the table.

The painting that Second Senior Brother wanted wasn’t that one, which meant that the painting could only belong to Little Senior Brother.

She didn’t like drawing attention to herself. Though she found red clothes beautiful and admired them, she had never worn anything red. She had always preferred simple, plain colors—ordinary and unremarkable.

Su Liuli looked stunning in red, like a flower blooming in a secluded valley—elegant and vibrant.

Yu Tao uncontrollably lowered her gaze, her fingers trembling.

So… she was just a substitute.

It was strange. Yu Tao lifted her eyes and saw Zhu Mingyu and Lu Qingyu looking at her with concerned expressions.

“Yu Tao…” Zhu Mingyu pursed her lips. “Don’t be too sad.”

“I know this might be hard to accept right now, but at least nothing has happened yet. It’s not too late to understand now. You still have time to think it through,” Lu Qingyu sighed gently.

“I…” Yu Tao moved her dry throat.

“I understand. I’ll think it over some more.”

She forced a smile and said, “Thank you both.”

It was strange, Yu Tao thought.

Master and Su Chengfeng both treated her like Su Liuli, and she never felt anything about it—she even comforted them in return. But when it came to Little Senior Brother…

…Why was it so painful?