Chapter 2

From a distance, she spotted several tall, slender figures approaching along the main road.

Her eyes lit up. She rushed forward in a single bound and reached out to grab one of them by the arm before she could even see the person’s face clearly.

The other party was remarkably agile, deftly dodging her outstretched hand. Yao Qingyue grasped nothing but air and abruptly stopped.

Looking up, she saw a senior sister dressed in yellow.

Within the Zhuyue Sect, higher-ranking senior sisters wore yellow robes, while ordinary disciples wore green. The distinction between ranks was clear. By rashly reaching out to grab this senior sister’s arm, she had probably come across as rather disrespectful.

Yao Qingyue composed herself and said seriously, “Senior Sister, there’s a junior sister in danger in the dense forest ahead. Please hurry and come with me.”

“What did you just call me?” the yellow-robed senior sister asked, her expression somewhat strange, with a hint of scrutiny in her gaze.

Before Yao Qingyue could answer, the two junior sisters standing behind the yellow-robed woman couldn’t help speaking up.

“Yao Qingyue, what are you up to this time?”

The other sneered, “Last time, you threatened to jump off a cliff, crying and wailing and making a huge scene about killing yourself. How many more times are you planning to pull that stunt?”

“Eldest Senior Sister and the rest of us have a mission to carry out. We don’t have time to play along with your theatrics!”

Hearing this, Yao Qingyue suddenly understood. No wonder this senior sister had been acting so strangely toward her.

Only then did she take a closer look at the woman in yellow.

This rumored girlfriend of the original owner was remarkably elegant and dignified. Perhaps because she rarely smiled, her brows and eyes carried a sharp intensity that inspired fear at a single glance.

She had only just run into the original owner’s romantic rival, and now, barely a moment later, she had encountered her rumored girlfriend. What a cursed coincidence.

If the other party wasn’t going to treat her kindly, she certainly wasn’t going to grovel for approval.

But she didn’t want her own circumstances to delay someone’s rescue, either. Her eyes darted as an idea suddenly occurred to her. She deliberately sneered and said, “So Eldest Senior Sister is the kind of person who cares more about her reputation than actually doing good.”

“What did you say?!”

To save time, she didn’t wait for anyone to argue back. Instead, words poured from her mouth like beans spilling from a sack.

“I know Eldest Senior Sister has a problem with me and thinks nothing I say can be trusted. But they say a prodigal who turns over a new leaf is worth more than gold. Why can’t Eldest Senior Sister believe that I might be that reformed prodigal?”

“Are you really going to let your prejudice against me delay someone’s rescue? Eldest Senior Sister, who has always been so upright, honorable, fair, and impartial, won’t your conscience trouble you?”

“Why, you little—” The two lower-ranking disciples flew into a rage and were about to curse at her.

“Silence.”

Ji Yueming’s brows drew together deeply. After reprimanding the two disciples, she turned a stern gaze on Yao Qingyue.

Yet Yao Qingyue merely stood there with her hands clasped behind her back. Her delicate face was framed by a pair of clear, almond-shaped eyes that met Ji Yueming’s gaze openly and without the slightest hesitation.

Ji Yueming couldn’t help pausing in surprise.

Junior Sister Yao seemed a little different.

She didn’t dwell on it. Turning to glance toward the depths of the forest, she said in a low voice, “Let’s go take a look.”

As a disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, maintaining peace and order within the sect was one of her daily responsibilities. Even if Yao Qingyue was lying, she would rather investigate a false alarm than ignore a genuine emergency.

Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Yao Qingyue finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

However, when Ji Yueming and the other two reached the forest, there was no one there.

The three searched for a while but couldn’t find the slightest trace of a struggle.

That left only one possibility: Yao Qingyue had been lying.

One of the disciples said angrily, “Eldest Senior Sister, I knew Yao Qingyue couldn’t be trusted!”

The other chimed in, “Eldest Senior Sister is just too softhearted. That’s why Yao Qingyue keeps making a fool of you over and over again. Eldest Senior Sister…”

Ji Yueming carefully examined the surrounding vegetation, deep furrows forming between her brows. She [read the original at bailiantales.com]raised a hand and rubbed her forehead.

“Forget it. We’ve only wasted a little time.”

What was truly ridiculous was that she had actually thought Yao Qingyue seemed different.

After greeting the workaholic neighbor next door and having the door shut in her face, Yao Qingyue returned to her own courtyard looking rather dejected.

Squatting in the courtyard was a short, squat little child, painfully thin and dark-skinned.

The child looked only three or four years old. She squatted on the ground, staring with a pair of tiny, beadlike black eyes as she expressionlessly counted ants.

Yao Qingyue suddenly bounded over, rested her head against the child’s, and grinned mischievously.

“Doudou, what are you playing?”

The child slowly lifted her heavy head. Although her little face remained expressionless, it practically radiated contempt.

Watching ants move house. Can’t you tell?

Yao Qingyue wasn’t bothered in the slightest and continued teasing the child with a cheeky grin. But Yao Doudou was resolute. She remained completely unmoved, her little face as wooden as ever as she continued entertaining herself.

Looking at the child’s slightly fuller cheeks, Yao Qingyue couldn’t help feeling sentimental. She remembered what the little girl had looked like when they first met.

Back then, she had only just transmigrated into this world. The moment she opened her eyes, she had been greeted by a face that was half one color and half another, nearly scaring her to death.

Although the little girl looked only three or four years old, she was actually already six. She was so small and thin only because she had spent years without enough to eat.

In just a few short months, the little girl had visibly gained weight, though she was still far too frail compared to other children her age.

As night fell, Yao Qingyue carried Yao Doudou to her little bed and began their daily bedtime story.

“Today, we’re going to tell a story about a Wangliang spirit.”

“Wangliang.”

The young woman’s voice was clear and melodious, like pearls and jade striking together.

Accompanied by the soft rustling of snow outside the window, a shapeless mass of pitch-black darkness began spreading down from the windowsill like filthy water.

The shadow fell onto the floor and gradually solidified into a human form. The enormous figure lowered its head and knelt at the young woman’s feet with utmost respect and humility.

The young woman was draped in a white fox-fur cloak, her slender, pale fingers idly toying with a sprig of plum blossoms.

Her delicate hand brushed over the petals, filling the room with their fragrance. She turned her face slightly, revealing stunning, foxlike features. Yet her eyes and brows were exceptionally cold, and her expressionless beauty made her resemble a gorgeous ghost utterly devoid of life.

“Go investigate that Yao Qingyue. Find out everything about her background,” the young woman said indifferently.

The figure bowed respectfully and answered with a quiet “Yes.”

Its human form dissolved back into a puddle of filthy water, which slipped through a crack in the room and disappeared.

As something occurred to Hua Yurong, a flash of vicious hostility passed through her dark, phoenix-shaped eyes.

That day, Yao Qingyue had been the only person to enter the forbidden read the original at bailiantales.com Demon Subduing Valley. She was the sole unpredictable factor.

If Hua Yurong’s plan were exposed, she would die a horrible death, without even a place to bury her remains.

Therefore, it was better to kill an innocent person by mistake than to let a potential threat escape.

Light footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.

Hua Yurong’s cold expression changed instantly, and her emotionless eyes gradually filled with a shimmering layer of moisture.

A young maid pushed open the door. Seeing the scene before her, she hurried over and shut the wide-open window.

“Miss, it’s so cold outside! Why didn’t you close the window?” she chided.

Hua Yurong casually set the plum blossom sprig on the tea table. Raising a loosely clenched fist to her lips, she coughed several times. A sickly flush spread across her cheeks, and her expression turned desolate.

“I only wanted to admire the snow. With a body like mine, how many more snowfalls will I live to see?”

The young maid’s heart immediately filled with pity.

Their poor young mistress.

She had been born crippled, unloved by her father and neglected by her mother. Although she was called a young mistress in name, her life was actually worse than that of the maids who served her.

Their young mistress was kindhearted and always treated the young maids gently and pleasantly. She had never once shown them a cold face, unlike the Second Young Miss.

If only someone would come along one day and rescue their young mistress from this life of suffering.

The young maid sincerely wished for that day to come.