Junior Sister, What's Going On With You? (Please Vote for This Story! Please Keep Reading! Please Recommend It!)

Su Ling'er made attempt after attempt.

Again and again.

She had the little insect hide inside tree trunks.

Or conceal itself above the beams.

She even had it crawl into the mouths of wild beasts.

But every time, she failed.

At last, she gave up struggling and slumped onto the straw, staring at the hole in the roof.

The sun had already set. The evening glow squeezed through the window cracks, staining the dilapidated thatched hut crimson.

That light was just like her state of mind now: utterly dead, with nothing left but ashes.

A patch of light also fell on the ground beside her.

In it, a few motes of dust danced silently, spinning before finally settling into stillness...

The Worry Flower she had brought back, however, had quietly bloomed with a faint glimmer of blue.

The settled dust reflected the hope she had burned away time and again;

the faint blue bloom shared in her sorrow.

But why?

How did they know where she had released the insects every single time?!

It happened every time!

And why hadn't they noticed right away when she first released the Spirit Contract Insect?

If they knew the insects were carrying messages, why hadn't they come straight for her, the source?

Besides, with Senior Disciple Brother Lin Qingfeng's methods and his readiness to kill, how could he have let her live until now?

It didn't make sense.

Su Ling'er lay on the straw, one arm dangling over her forehead.

Her red sleeve covered most of her face, leaving only a small portion visible.

Was it because she had activated them with her essence blood?

Or did the insect gu itself bear the distinctive Spiritual Power imprint of Qing Xu Temple, allowing them to detect it?

Or perhaps...

Whatever the reason, they could identify this "foreign object" that didn't belong to Gui Xi Sect.

But why?

Why did they keep eradicating this "foreign object" without ever coming after the one who released it?

She couldn't believe her hiding skills were good enough to fool the entire sect.

The only explanation she could think of...

Su Ling'er's pupils contracted.

She thought of the most cruelly manipulative plots in theatrical tales.

She thought of the smile on Lin Qingfeng's face: compassionate and serene, yet seemingly able to see through everything.

They were doing it on purpose!

They must have figured out somehow that she was releasing the insects!

They knew she wanted to escape, too!

But they neither stopped her nor exposed her!

They simply waited until she had rekindled hope, then personally snuffed out that little flame in the most spectacular fashion!

They didn't want to see her die!

They only wanted to watch her struggle again and again between boundless hope and despair!

They wanted to see her try to escape each time, only to smash herself bloody against a wall, then curl up in a corner and tremble!

"So this is what it means to toy with a mouse... Heh..."

She gave a weak, self-mocking smile.

The depletion of her soul and the crushing blow to her spirit came crashing down on her.

The world spun before her eyes.

The thatched hut, the straw, and the hole in the roof all blurred and twisted.

At last, everything sank into darkness.

She... had fainted...

She had no idea how much time had passed.

Knock.

Knock, knock, knock.

A rhythmic knocking sound entered her ears, almost as if it were keeping a beat.

Who was it?

Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocking grew more urgent, and the force behind it increased.

Outside, Lin Qingfeng frowned, his dark robe fluttering in the night breeze.

Junior Sister had already rested all afternoon. Why was she still sleeping here?

Junior Sister was being incredibly lazy today!

"Junior Sister!"

There was no response from inside.

Knock! Knock-knock! Knock! Knock-knock-knock! Knock!

Lin Qingfeng started drumming out a beat on the door.

"Junior Sister, get up! The sun's going to burn your backside! A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!"

Could Junior Sister...

Have been driven to despair by the sect missions and hanged herself?

Impossible!

With Junior Sister's willpower, how could a mere thousand or so sect missions break her?

No way!

So...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Junior Sister! If you don't open up, your senior brother's coming in!"

The violent shaking finally dragged Su Ling'er's consciousness back from the abyss.

She abruptly opened her eyes, her head still splitting with pain.

"Junior Sister! Open the door!"

Outside, that familiar, terrifying voice continued.

It was Senior Disciple Brother Lin Qingfeng!

Boom!

It was as if a bolt of heavenly thunder had struck Su Ling'er's mind, leaving it blank.

Had he found out?

Had the truth about the Spirit Contract Insect been exposed?!

He was here. He had finally come!

He must have grown tired of toying with the mouse and decided to clean house!

But...

Fight back?

What could she fight him with?

This wooden sword?

The wooden sword was certainly strange, but could it—and her Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivation—possibly stand against Senior Disciple Brother, whose cultivation was impossible to fathom?

It would be like an ant trying to topple a tree, or a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Su Ling'er gave a bitter smile.

But just then!

The knocking outside stopped!

Su Ling'er could almost picture Lin Qingfeng standing outside with that same compassionate smile on his face, his hand already resting on the ancient sword named [Hold On].

Was he waiting for her?

Waiting for her to open the door and walk to her death?

Or would he wait until he lost patience, kick down the flimsy door, and hack her into pieces?

What should she do?

What could she do?

Beg for mercy? Confess? Or play dumb?

Would a fiend like him listen?

Wouldn't that just get her killed even faster?

Besides, how could a cultivator of the Righteous Path act like that?!

Perhaps...

Perhaps he was just passing by, or had something to discuss with her. Maybe he hadn't discovered the secret of the Spirit Contract Insect?

A sliver of hope remained in Su Ling'er's heart.

Calm down. She had to stay calm!

The more dangerous the situation, the less she could panic!

She raised her hands.

Smack! Smack!

She slapped her cheeks hard with both hands.

The sting of her palms against her cheeks cleared her head a little.

She couldn't let him see how weak she was!

And she absolutely couldn't let him see how afraid she was!

Bracing herself against the wall, she swayed to her feet and straightened her disheveled clothes.

Finally, she took another deep breath and forced a few traces of languid confusion into her smile.

That was it.

Hold it together, Su Ling'er!

She slowly walked to the door. Even with her hand on the latch, she could feel her fingertips trembling.

Creeeak—!

The door hinges gave a faint squeal as she pulled it open.

Outside, the dark-robed figure stood quietly.

Su Ling'er lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.

"Senior Disciple Brother... What brings you here so late?"

"I... I just woke up..."

But Lin Qingfeng didn't follow up on what she'd said. Instead, he looked at Su Ling'er in confusion.

Hm?

Junior Sister's complexion...

"Junior Sister, what's... going on with you?"