After Forcibly Taking Senior Sister - Chapter 4

The system jolted sharply, feeling a chill sweep through its code. In disbelief, it looked toward Ji Linglu.

A cool breeze brushed past. Ji Linglu leaned lazily against the rocking chair, looking utterly absent-minded. Her long, thick lashes drooped, her eyes faintly rimmed red, and her delicate, fair fingertips circled round and round along the rim of the cup. She truly looked tender as water, deeply moved like Yunzhong Jun herself had been shaken.

“My temper is just bad. Senior Sister told me many times, but I still couldn’t change it.”

—As if!

She was just teasing a fool.

What Senior Sister always said was that Lulu was the best and most obedient child, the priceless treasure Heaven had bestowed upon her. Every year, she had to go to the temple to offer incense and pray, asking the Heavenly Goddess to protect her Lulu’s health and safety.

Ji Linglu might doubt anything, but she would never doubt Yun Ningqing’s kindness to her. That was the only thing she could firmly grasp in this vast, frightening cultivation world.

With Yunzhong Jun’s temper of Senior Sister being number one, herself being number two, and everyone else being trash, the fact that she was willing to put on an act was already impressive enough. Not to mention, the system had not realized she was pretending.

When facing Yunzhong Jun, who would rather break than bend and was arrogant and unrestrained, the system could curse loudly and even electrocute her when Yunzhong Jun remained obstinate and unrepentant. But the moment Ji Linglu softened, it began to wonder whether it had gone too far.

It quickly convinced itself.

That was true. In her previous life, from beginning to end, Yunzhong Jun only had Yun Ningqing by her side. She had no elders to protect or teach her, and could only stumble forward and grow savagely on her own. She had suffered so much malice in the cultivation world that she had become used to raising sharp thorns against all the world’s dark storms. Other than that, she did not know how to peacefully get along with anyone aside from Yun Ningqing. No one had ever taught her those things.

It was normal that Ji Linglu did not understand at first and resisted fiercely. Once she knew the system truly had her best interests at heart, she would be grateful to it.

It should give her a chance to turn over a new leaf. Was that not exactly its purpose?

Although the system had no heart, it still softened. It could not help declaring with heroic passion, [Host, don’t worry. I came here for you. I will definitely guide you onto the proper path!]

Came here for her, yet wanted to break her and Senior Sister apart, leaving not even a trace of joy in her long life…

What difference was there between Ji Linglu without Yun Ningqing and a walking corpse?

It did not know Senior Sister’s feelings, yet decided for her on its own. It knew Ji Linglu’s feelings for Senior Sister, yet still chose to ignore them. How lofty, how generous, how selfless!

Was that not selfless indeed? Taking her Senior Sister to please that so-called protagonist gong!

This hatred stretched endlessly, with no end in sight. Only by killing every last person who blocked her way could she relieve the hatred in her heart.

“The proper path?” Ji Linglu suppressed the mockery in her eyes. Her tone was light and airy, as if she were asking the system, and also questioning herself. “What kind of proper path?”

The system was greatly encouraged. It knew it. The vicious female supporting character was not born evil. She was only a little girl who had made mistakes and did not know how to turn back. She would definitely understand its painstaking good intentions!

Once Ji Linglu changed for the better, the protagonist shou would wait until the protagonist gong came to redeem her. By then, Ji Linglu would have two Senior Sisters doting on her. The three of them could live together happily and contentedly, joyfully wrapping dumplings together!

The system told Ji Linglu its thoughts from beginning to end. […You will become a winner in life admired and worshiped by everyone. You will never again end up tragically dying at Baima Pass. Once the protagonist shou finds her perfect match, you’ll have two older sisters treating you well!]

The corner of Ji Linglu’s mouth twitched. In the next moment, unable to resist her body’s reaction, she retched outright.

She clutched her heart in blank helplessness and murmured, “Senior Sister…”

The system thought she was happy. [That’s right! You’ll have two Senior Sisters.]

It thought someone as extremely starved for love as Ji Linglu must long most for someone to love her. After all, that was how the novels in its database were all written.

Ji Linglu closed her eyes and breathed hard. Senior Sister, hurry and take me away. Lulu is so scared.

She opened her eyes again and blinked. Bringing out the energy she used to act obedient and beg for mercy in front of Yun Ningqing, she fooled the ghostly thing and said carefully, “But I don’t know whether that protagonist gong you mentioned will like me?”

—Would she still like her when Ji Linglu killed her?

Ji Linglu tried hard to recall the figure and appearance of the woman before her fall in her previous life, but no matter how she tried, she could not remember. In her mind, there was only a blurry figure surrounded like the moon by stars. Clearly, her memory had been tampered with.

It seemed that although the ghostly thing was on her, its heart was with the protagonist gong it spoke of. Her Qingqing was nothing more than a gift used to please the protagonist gong.

[Of course she will!] The system was extremely excited and tried its best to promote its own slow-selling goods to Ji Linglu. [The protagonist gong is the best at cherishing beauties. She even feels heartbroken when she sees a little girl cry. How could she hate you? Besides, she’s only joining this family, not breaking it apart. Even if she becomes the protagonist shou’s lover, it won’t make you lose your Senior Sister.]

“…” Ji Linglu felt powerless, like she could not slap this ghostly thing even if she wanted to.

What sort of filthy things were they tossing into their home? Why not toss in some heavenly materials and earthly treasures instead?

Gritting her teeth, Ji Linglu forced herself to say those affected words aloud. “But even in ordinary mortal families, there are many frictions when people live together. Will Senior Sister still like me then?”

Her face was filled with fear and unease, and this truly was the question she cared about most.

If Yun Ningqing no longer liked Ji Linglu, then Ji Linglu would have no reason to live at all.

The system spoke recklessly. [Aiya, you have to grow up eventually. In the future, you definitely won’t be as intimate and inseparable as you are now. Your Senior Sister will definitely need her own private space.]

It had never dated anyone, nor had it ever seen anyone else date, but that did not stop it from pretending to be a master in front of Ji Linglu.

Unfortunately, although it was willing to keep pretending, Ji Linglu could no longer keep up the act. She shook her head. “Senior Sister only needs to have me.”

Her tone was very light, but it carried a resolve like she was ready to face death.

As a tiny little egret, if she could not land on Senior Sister, then she would rather burn together with jade and stone and never land again.

The system was shocked by her ability to turn hostile so quickly. [Why are you like this!]

The reason Ji Linglu had endured this humiliation so patiently was because she wanted to test whether the system could hear her inner thoughts.

Ji Linglu sneered. “I only wanted to know how determined you were to reform me.”

After being led around in several circles, the system finally reacted. [Judging a system’s heart with a petty person’s mind! I have no interest in eavesdropping on your thoughts. What else could possibly be in your heart besides your Senior Sister?]

Ji Linglu fell silent.

She laid the matter out plainly. “You can detect the thoughts in my heart?”

[This system disdains doing so!]

All right, in truth, it could not. But the system was unwilling to be inferior in front of Ji Linglu.

[What’s so interesting about eavesdropping? Do I not already know you? Senior Sister, Senior Sister, Senior Sister. Qingqing, Qingqing, Qingqing, Qingqing. Like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like…]

[I thought you had truly changed. In the end, it was all empty joy. If you keep tricking me like this, I really will increase the dosage and electrocute you, you bastard!]

The system flew into a rage. [—The protagonist shou and protagonist gong are the ones born to be a pair! What use is there in you singing and dancing here!]

Ji Linglu laughed wildly, so hard that her small canine teeth showed. She pointed at the sun in the sky. “I don’t understand this protagonist shou and protagonist gong you speak of. I only know that my oath is as bright as the sun, and I will follow it in life and death.”

Moths were destined to fly into the flame, and the egret would also chase after her Qingqing. There was no helping it.

Ji Linglu did not accept fate. She only accepted Yun Ningqing.

She was clearly only drinking tea, yet she seemed drunk in the spring breeze.

“If I live, I shall return. If I die, I shall long for her forever.”

She had returned, so the destined ending would have to change.

Yun Ningqing would no longer be a puppet manipulated by others.

The system began arguing with Ji Linglu. [This very stubbornness is exactly why I must reform you!]

Thinking of what it had said about protagonists and villains, Ji Linglu’s eyes suddenly flickered. She asked softly, “Can you introduce yourself to me again?”

The system had just been tricked by her once, and its anti-fraud awareness was currently at its peak. Hearing this, it could not help staring hard at Ji Linglu’s face, wanting to see what scheme this cunning woman was plotting now.

Surely she did not think it would fall into another pit so eagerly right after being tricked once, right?

…It did not see whether Ji Linglu was trying to trick the system again. All it could see was that this person’s appearance, bearing, and poise were all first-rate beneath heaven. Even sprawled there in that careless, devil-may-care manner, she was languid yet dashing, with graceful bones born from heaven itself and an extraordinary charm.

Yunzhong Jun had several hundred years of shrewdness in her. How could she possibly let others see through her thoughts so casually?

The system carefully thought it over. No matter how intelligent Ji Linglu was, no matter how demonically clever, no matter how tyrannically she dominated the cultivation world, could she possibly find her way to the Main God?

This was the perfect chance to put Ji Linglu in her place and stop her from not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth!

[Now you’re showing your ignorance, aren’t you? This system is the Vicious Female Supporting Character Reform System. I come from the Main God Space, a higher dimension than Yunyin Continent. All kinds of systems under the Main God stand ready for orders. At the Heavenly Dao’s invitation, we are responsible for pacifying abnormal incidents across countless small worlds. I am merely one of them.]

[Until the target is completed, there is no way you can get rid of me. Give up on that idea!]

Ji Linglu was curious. “Among the systems under that Main God of yours, what rank can you reach?”

The system: […]

Why did this person’s words have to sound so unpleasant!

It stammered, [I only just left the factory. You are my first host. You can’t judge whether I’m impressive based on that.]

Ji Linglu understood instantly. “Last place is still a place.”

She shook her head with great pity. To think that Yunzhong Jun was the most aloof and arrogant, so wildly proud that she regarded all as beneath her. Even as a villain, she had achieved a level more outstanding than evil cultivators and the demonic path, to the point where both righteous and demonic paths had to besiege her at the same time. Yet the ghostly thing attached to her body was so useless.

[Aaaaaaaaaah!]

The system understood her expression and screamed in protest.

[I am very useful! As long as you complete reform milestones, you can obtain corresponding rewards.]

Ji Linglu did not care.

Aside from Yun Ningqing, Yunzhong Jun truly had been alone, but she loved pleasure. What treasure had she not seen before? Even the Yunzhong Secret Realm coveted by all cultivators was nothing more than her back garden.

The system found its rhythm again. [You didn’t expect this, did you? Talents in alchemy, artifact refining, talismans, puppetry, and more can all become yours. You can become a genius without pain. Divine weapons, spiritual pills, miracle medicines, all information on every secret realm, treasures from beyond Yunyin Continent—even going to other small worlds after your reform is completely finished is not impossible… There is nothing you can imagine that I cannot do!]

As it spoke, it even opened the dusty-looking shop for Ji Linglu to see.

[As long as you complete the first reform milestone, the shop can open!]

[You can hold three thousand worlds in your palm and hide fourteen provinces in your sleeve. So what if heaven and earth are vast? As long as you want it, all treasures can belong to you alone.]

[Better to act than merely feel moved!]

The system thought the chance to set things right was right before its eyes and could not help burning with enthusiasm.

Ji Linglu glanced at it and sighed.

It seemed there was no saving her reform. She could only see whether there was some other way to rob this ghostly thing.

How did it have the nerve to flaunt its wealth in front of Yunzhong Jun?

Ji Linglu subconsciously swept her gaze over the furnishings and arrangements of Mingguang Peak, and could not help pressing down her brows.

She was no longer the little cultivator currently confined to Mingguang Peak. Judging by Yunzhong Jun’s eye from two hundred years later, Mingguang Peak was unsatisfactory from top to bottom. Everything in use was still old things from Mingguang Zhenjun’s time. Yet Zhenjun had been simple and frugal, never placing importance on external objects, so the items on Mingguang Peak were all very ordinary.

How could these things be worthy of Senior Sister?!

Ji Linglu had never liked her master in name, much less the things Mingguang Zhenjun had used.

In her previous life, Yunzhong Jun had collected all the treasures beneath heaven to support Yun Ningqing alone!

That was why Ji Linglu refused to accept the title of tyrant. It was because she believed all her actions had merely been for self-preservation and retaliation. Anything others could do, she could do too. But if someone called her a muddleheaded ruler, she would not have quite as many objections.

Of course, if anyone dared call Fairy Ningqing a seductive demon consort, Yunzhong Jun’s sword had not yet dulled. Harvesting a few heads was still very easy.

However, the reputation of the Senior and Junior Sisters in the cultivation world could be called one in the heavens and one on earth. The world condemned Ji Linglu in speech and writing, while endlessly praising Yun Ningqing. Naturally, they were unwilling to tie Fairy Ningqing and Yunzhong Jun together.

Each peak and each disciple of Qingxuan Sect had their own allotted shares and fixed rules. Servants, outer disciples, inner disciples, personal disciples, elders, peak masters… Different identities received different things, and the quotas were fixed to death. There would not be even one extra copper coin beyond the set amount.

Disciples without elders to protect them could eat their fill, but if they wanted to eat well, they had to find their own ways.

Besides, cultivators had countless methods of fasting. The most important issue was never food, but resources concerning their own cultivation.

Everything within the allotted share was common goods. As for good things beyond the allotted share, without a master to fight for them, that tiny bit of sentimental obligation could never compare to real, tangible benefits. Some things had already been divided up before Yun Ningqing and Ji Linglu even knew of them. Or perhaps they had never known from beginning to end. People even called it, beautifully, not wanting the two of them to encounter danger.

Yet the sect had already made an exception by allowing Yun Ningqing, whose cultivation was only at Foundation Establishment at the time, to inherit the position of Mingguang Peak Master. If she asked for too much more, it would inevitably make her seem greedy and insatiable, as though she were using past kindness to demand repayment.

The Peak Master of Mingguang Peak was Yun Ningqing, not Mingguang Zhenjun. If it truly became extravagant and wasteful, the reputation would not sound good once word spread.

The mortal world still had customs of mourning for one’s relatives. The cultivation world did not care about these things, but on the surface, they still could not go too far. Mainly, Yun Ningqing sincerely and wholeheartedly observed mourning for Mingguang Zhenjun, and Ji Linglu did not dare defy her dear Senior Sister.

—When Senior Sister was truly angry, she was very difficult to coax.

And regarding the matter of Qingqing and the poems, Yun Ningqing had not been angry at Ji Linglu. She had only been annoyed at herself for failing to set Ji Linglu a good example, and had reflected on whether some of her own actions had misled Ji Linglu.

Of course, that bit of annoyance and reflection quickly lost to Ji Linglu’s acting spoiled, and that night, Yun Ningqing let Ji Linglu climb into bed to sleep.

In her previous life, Ji Linglu had often been filled with indignation, feeling that the sect had raised her and Senior Sister like mascots. Whenever something happened, they would pull them out for the world to see, letting the cultivation world know that Qingxuan Sect had not mistreated the hero’s disciples.

She was unwilling to become a display piece for others’ performance. She refused to compromise and wanted to fight for freedom for herself and Yun Ningqing. From this, she developed a personality of fighting and snatching for everything. She also sincerely believed that all beautiful things in this world should belong to Yun Ningqing.

Arrogant and domineering, she naturally was not liked by others.

This was the behavior Yun Ningqing had mentioned many times but Ji Linglu had never changed.

As for her personality, in Yun Ningqing’s eyes, there was nothing bad about Lulu. What needed changing?

Having returned to this life, the Yunzhong Jun who was more than two hundred years old had become a little cultivator barely in her twenties and only just at the Foundation Establishment stage. She truly could not understand how she had endured letting herself and Senior Sister live such bitter days back then.

In the next breath, Ji Linglu let it go. When one had love, even plain water was filling. As long as she could be together with Senior Sister, everything was good.

Self-comfort was self-comfort. What else could Ji Linglu do? She could only think this way.

But the dusty-looking yet undeniably glittering shop interface kept swaying before her eyes. She decided not to continue this topic, lest several hundred years of cultivation be destroyed in an instant and she reveal a look of jealous hatred.

Ji Linglu could bend and stretch as needed. Her lashes lowered once more, and she asked with extreme disappointment, “How can I be the vicious female supporting character? Even when I kill people, there is always a reason. On Yunyin Continent, offending a powerful cultivator is a grave crime. No one could find fault with that. Surely I cannot let people bully me right to my face and simply wipe the spit from my cheek myself.”

Since they dared to gossip openly about Yunzhong Jun and Fairy Ningqing, they should be prepared for Yunzhong Jun to come knocking. Otherwise, how could anything be so convenient?

The system answered without thinking. [That’s how it was written in the book!]

“Can I read this book?” Ji Linglu closed her eyes briefly, her voice growing increasingly ethereal. “If possible, can Senior Sister and I have an ending?”

[Once you complete reform milestones, the original book’s contents will unlock little by little!]

The system did not conceal this, because this was something Ji Linglu would be allowed to see in the first place. There was no need to hide it.

If it could use the contents of the original book to keep Ji Linglu hooked, make her actively reform, and stop giving up on treatment, that would also be a great thing!

Of course, the parts Ji Linglu would be allowed to see would definitely be things safe and harmless to the protagonist gong and protagonist shou. After all, the system’s greatest purpose was to reform the vicious female supporting character and let the original book’s young couple love each other sweetly and stay together.

Ji Linglu propped her head up with one hand and rested her other hand on the armrest, her fingertips lightly tapping the spot at her temple. The smile on her face deepened. “Then to me, you have not the slightest bit of value.”

[Aaaaaaaaaah!]

[Why are you turning your back on this system so quickly!]

The fledgling little system witnessed the host’s wickedness and collapsed once more.

“Noisy.” Ji Linglu narrowed her eyes and looked toward Yun Ningqing, who was walking over against the light. The smile in her eyes grew much more genuine. “The original book’s contents? If it can be stirred apart by me, what kind of good thing could it possibly be?”

She would only do better than she had in her previous life.