A Gift Every Year, Junior Sister's True Gift

You Su's eyes snapped open, and he quickly sat up. Before him was that familiar swirl of mist.

He gasped for air, instinctively touching his neck, then pinching himself.

Completely fine... It hurt... Was that a dream just now?

Dreams can be this real?

You Su was still shaken, a few drops of cold sweat even breaking out.

He didn't understand why he'd have such a dream. This wasn't the materialistic society of his past life, after all. Was this bizarre dream just a nonsensical nightmare? Or was it a reflection of some inner thought, or perhaps a metaphor from fate?

You Su felt a little scared and began to miss his Master, who had left eight years ago.

In his memory, his Master was a sloppy but powerful person. During festivals, even the City Lord of Chuyun City would personally visit their dilapidated Sword Sect to pay respects to his Master. Although You Su felt unfortunate about his blindness, he also felt lucky to have met his Master.

He had intended to grow wild under his Master's protection and eventually live a carefree immortal life. Who would have thought that on his tenth birthday, after he had grown accustomed to life as a blind person, his Master would bring back a woman, tell him she was the Mistress and that he should take good care of her, but not to stop her if she decided to leave? And that he was about to embark on a long journey, one that would take ten years at the shortest, or a lifetime at the longest.

He said he was going to explore the true great secret of this world. If he succeeded, his name, Guan Chujun, would echo across the five continents, and their Mandarin Sword Sect would soar to new heights, no longer being the impoverished sect it was now.

Before You Su could even savor this grand promise, his Master vanished. It was one thing to vanish, but he even took all the valuables from their rundown sect, including the two pieces of cured meat You Su had smoked back then. If he hadn't known his Master's unpredictable nature, You Su would have suspected his Master had run off.

Speaking of the Mistress, she too was peculiar. For the eight years she had lived in the Sect Residence, she had spoken only a few words. She meditated in her room all day, eating and drinking nothing. Occasionally, she would read on rainy days, practice swordplay under the moon, and play the zither in the snow. You Su guessed she must be an extraordinary person, yet he couldn't sense any cultivation from her. She seemed more like a mortal than a mortal.

The Junior Sister's origins were also quite mysterious. When You Su was fifteen, a rogue girl suddenly appeared outside the sect, insisting on joining the Sword Sect. The girl refused to reveal her family background, only saying her name was Ji Lingruo and that she and her sister were the most beautiful women in the world. Using this as her reason, she asked You Su to agree to accept her as a disciple on his Master's behalf. Unfortunately, You Su, being blind, couldn't possibly accept someone of unknown origin based on beauty he couldn't see. After days of bickering, it was the reclusive Mistress who finally spoke, allowing this convenient Junior Sister to be accepted into the sect.

Interestingly, from then on, the Junior Sister's self-proclaimed title quietly changed from "the most beautiful woman in the world" to "the most beautiful girl in the world."

When the Junior Sister first joined, she was very eager to learn swordplay, and You Su taught her everything he knew. Who would have thought the girl's talent was so dull! After a year of teaching, there was no progress! In the second year, the girl completely gave up, resigned to her fate, and stayed up all night reading the romance novels he wrote to earn money. She would only practice swordplay if he threatened to withhold the latest chapters, but she still couldn't grasp its essence. You Su felt quite helpless.

However, he had to admit that Ji Lingruo's appearance did add a touch of vibrancy to his monotonous life. But when that vibrancy was overlaid with the face of the Junior Sister from his dream, You Su felt like a thorn in his back.

"Bang bang bang!"

The violent knocking on the door outside shattered You Su's thoughts. It felt like a giant bell striking his heart, and fear and tension surged back into You Su's chest.

Is this reality? Or am I still dreaming?

"I'm awake, thank you, Junior Sister."

You Su tried his best to maintain a calm tone, giving the same answer as last time, but he didn't get dressed and remained in bed.

"Senior Brother, come out."

Just as he expected! You Su's heart tightened. A normal Junior Sister would never call him Senior Brother. The person outside was that monster!

"Junior Sister, what's wrong? I'm feeling a bit unwell today and fear I might have caught a contagious disease. I don't want to infect you. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Ah? Can Spirit Platform Realm cultivators get sick? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor?" The Junior Sister's voice was full of concern.

"It's nothing. I'll be fine after a day of rest."

"But... I must deliver this today..." The Junior Sister's tone held a hint of regret.

'Must deliver this today? Why must that piece of meat be delivered today?' You Su couldn't figure it out.

"Do you have something for me? If not, you can leave it at the door, and I'll get it later."

"Oh, that wouldn't be the same. Never mind, I'm not afraid of getting infected by you. I'll come in myself!"

With that, he heard a violent kicking sound at the door. After two kicks, the bolt remained firm.

"Why is a grown man locking his door when he's sleeping?" the Junior Sister outside exclaimed in exasperation. "If you don't open it, I'm breaking in!"

You're already breaking in! You Su's scalp tingled. He hadn't expected things to develop this way and quickly said:

"Junior Sister, don't rush. I'll open the door."

"Hurry up, I still need to sleep," the Junior Sister said.

While quickly putting on his clothes, You Su desperately tried to recall the flaws in his dream.

Where did I go wrong for the Mistress in my dream to see through me?

He remembered the horrifying meat pieces and the swift sword strike from the tentacled Mistress. You Su took a deep breath and reached for the sword by his bedside as he got up.

If he had to fight the Mistress, he wouldn't even have a ten percent chance of winning, but he was certainly not one to wait for death.

However, his outstretched hand met empty air!

His sword, which he had used for nearly eighteen years and always placed in the same spot every night, was gone!

He remembered! The Junior Sister had borrowed his sword yesterday! She couldn't learn the sword moves and insisted it was the sword's fault, so she took it!

Was this a coincidence or a premeditated plan?

A chill spread from the soles of his feet to his entire body. A profound sense of powerlessness washed over him like the sea, suffocating You Su.

But there was no time for him to dwell in fear. The Junior Sister's impatient knocking sounded again:

"Knock knock knock!"

Each knock was like a soul-reaping chant, pulling him back into that bizarre dream.

You Su clenched his fists and walked to the door.

If I open the door, will I see it again? See this, the real world...

The young man numbly opened the door.

The gate opened.

The familiar mist in my eyes... it's still here!

Am I still blind?

Before You Su could recover from his surprise, he smelled a rich floral fragrance that swept over him.

He instinctively formed his palm into a sword, making a motion to block the incoming scent, but found that everything he touched was light. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a sky full of flower petals.

The fragrance was rich and faintly bitter, of his favorite wild chrysanthemums.

"Happy birthday, You Su!"

The delicate and translucent girl, like crystal, cheered playfully, continuously tossing pale yellow wild chrysanthemum petals from the basket at her waist.

"Hehe, I, Ji Lingruo, am quite useful, aren't I? If you're really touched, quickly hand over the second half of Lady White. It's not that I'm in a hurry to read it, I'll secretly tell you, it's the owner of the bookstore south of the city who wants it. I'm helping you, so I've only added a mere thirty silver. Then, I used this thirty silver to recast that broken sword of yours. Unfortunately, it will take some more time to get it."

"A gift for every year, a bit of joy for every inch. Birthdays are very important, they can't be taken lightly! You managed to muddle through the past two years, but today, your coming-of-age ceremony can't be sloppy! After today, you'll be an adult. As an adult, you have to let me have my way in everything, be patient with me, and no longer punish me. You also have to quickly teach me those hidden sword techniques of yours, understand?"

"Sigh... Before I came to this lousy Sword Sect, my birthdays were grand occasions, not like your perfunctory attitude. Why are you just standing there blankly? Don't blame yourself too much, I'm broad-minded, so hurry up and get better, then continue to serve me well."

The girl in the green dress put her hands on her hips, smiling charmingly. Compared to the faint orange glow of the newly appeared dawn sky, she was even more captivating.

"Junior Sister."

"What?"

"Stand still."

Ji Lingruo was a little confused, but she obediently stood in place.

You Su slowly raised his hands and, by feel, placed them in front of the girl. The girl didn't understand, but she wasn't wary, thinking her Senior Brother was going to perform some cliché trick again.

Pinch.

The sensation in his hands was tender and smooth, like a freshly peeled goose egg.

The girl leaped away like a startled fawn. The cheeks her Senior Brother had just pinched instantly flushed red. She covered her cheeks, her face filled with disbelief and indignant shame.

"I... I'm going to sleep! You sweep the floor yourself!"

With that, the girl buried her head and ran away quickly, constantly reassuring herself: This won't happen again, this won't happen again. Today he's the birthday boy... Honestly, if he wanted to pinch me, he could have just said so...

You Su turned his head in the direction Ji Lingruo had run off, recalling the absurd dream and the delicate touch in his hand just now. He guessed that his spoiled Junior Sister, while complaining, had patiently plucked these flowers one by one on the mountain. A conversation from long ago resurfaced in his mind:

"Hey, You Su, what's your favorite flower?"

"Wild chrysanthemums, I suppose. Chrysanthemums choose the frost and wind, not the spring sunshine."

"Ew, self-pity, aren't you ashamed! There are plenty of people worse off than you, and they're still living their lives diligently. If given a choice, who would want to choose frost and wind?"

"I never expected, Junior Sister, that you'd have such insight."

"Hehe, it's because you're stupid."

August 12th, the sunlight was just beginning to strengthen. You Su lay on his back, looking directly at the rising sun without any reservation. Even though his eyes were stinging and about to water, he still couldn't see the world before him clearly.

The young man lowered his gaze in dejection. It had been eighteen years since he'd arrived here. For the first time, he truly wished for a pair of normal eyes.

"I can't see now, but one day, I will see."

The young man made a firm promise in his heart.

And on the lotus seat in the main hall, the woman, as sacred as a deity, also slowly opened her eyes.