Senior Sister, Please Act Human! - Chapter 12

Yan’er came looking for Xiao Yuanzhi early that morning. The moment she entered the room, she found Xiao Yuanzhi sitting on a stool, her eyes lifeless, her chin propped on one hand as she yawned repeatedly.

“Little Junior Sister, today is martial arts class. What’s wrong with you?” Yan’er asked. “Did you not sleep at all last night?”

Xiao Yuanzhi waved her hand and yawned again.

“I slept. I’m just still a little tired.”

She had spent half the night chanting at the ceiling. Forget the beam—even a single splinter of wood had refused to fall. In the end, she had somehow fallen asleep while counting.

“Then hurry and wash your face. Master has always disliked people who are late. If we arrive after class begins, I’m afraid Master will punish us.”

With her eyes still closed, Xiao Yuanzhi nodded perfunctorily.

“All right.”

Unlike Xiao Yuanzhi, Yan’er was extremely anxious.

“There’s only enough time left to drink one cup of tea before martial arts class begins. Hurry, Little Junior Sister! It’ll still take us a while to get there.”

Xiao Yuanzhi reluctantly got up and went to wash her face.

Once she had finished getting ready, the two of them headed to the training grounds together.

As the name suggested, martial arts class taught martial arts.

Cangfeng Manor had three masters—Mu Jiu, Jiuji, and Taiheng. Each possessed different supreme skills, so the martial arts they taught also differed.

Originally, Xiao Yuanzhi would not have needed to attend.

After all, martial arts lessons had always been taught separately, with each master instructing their own disciples.

Unfortunately, before leaving, her bargain-bin master—whom she had never even met and who was apparently exceptionally skilled at tasting wine—had dumped her on Senior Martial Aunt Mu Jiu.

He had dignified the arrangement by calling it “entrusting her to someone’s care.”

Therefore, Xiao Yuanzhi had no choice but to attend as well.

By the time they reached the training grounds, all the other senior brothers and sisters had already arrived. Only the two of them had been missing.

Seeing that Master had not yet appeared, Yan’er immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness. We made it.”

Xiao Yuanzhi’s gaze wandered among the gathered disciples.

Unfortunately, one careless glance caused her eyes to meet Wei Zisu’s.

Wei Zisu still wore the same cold expression, but a complicated emotion flickered within her eyes, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Xiao Yuanzhi rolled her eyes dramatically and quickly looked away.

What rotten luck.

Why did she have to make eye contact with that black-hearted woman?

Meanwhile, Yan’er was keeping herself extremely busy. She dragged Xiao Yuanzhi around and began introducing her to the other senior and junior sisters, looking exactly like someone introducing one friend to another.

However, their reactions were nothing like Yan’er had imagined.

They were neither enthusiastic nor willing to let bygones be bygones.

Yan’er was deeply confused.

News had spread throughout the entire manor last night that Xiao Yuanzhi had personally declared she had no feelings for Qin Yiluo. These senior and junior sisters should all have heard about it.

A few of them were slightly more polite toward Xiao Yuanzhi, but most behaved exactly as they had before.

Nothing had changed at all, much less improved.

Yan’er could not understand why.

Instead, she became even more energetic, as though someone had injected chicken blood into her, and continued dragging Xiao Yuanzhi around.

Xiao Yuanzhi was completely bewildered and had no idea what Yan’er was trying to accomplish.

Not long afterward, a woman dressed in crimson robes appeared before everyone, finally rescuing Xiao Yuanzhi from Yan’er.

The disciples respectfully greeted her.

“Master.”

According to Yan’er, Cangfeng Manor had only three masters and one grandmaster.

The grandmaster had converted to Buddhism twenty years ago. Since then, he had withdrawn from the jianghu and stopped involving himself in any of the manor’s affairs.

As a result, all those responsibilities fell upon his three disciples—the three masters of Cangfeng Manor.

Mu Jiu was the eldest senior sister among them.

There was naturally no need to question her martial arts.

Since Jiuji was far too unruly and frequently left the manor to roam freely and enjoy himself, most of Cangfeng Manor’s affairs were handled by Mu Jiu and Taiheng.

Xiao Yuanzhi turned her gaze toward Mu Jiu.

She examined her from bottom to top, and the moment she saw her face—

Good heavens.

Xiao Yuanzhi’s eyes went completely wide.

What kind of breathtaking beauty was this?

She was far too gorgeous!

Mu Jiu noticed Xiao Yuanzhi staring at her. She nodded in acknowledgment and offered her a faint smile.

Xiao Yuanzhi’s heart immediately blossomed with joy.

A blush spread across her cheeks and continued all the way to the tips of her ears.

At that moment, Xiao Yuanzhi silently made a firm decision.

From now on, she would attend martial arts class every single day.

That way, she could admire this beautiful woman often.

While Xiao Yuanzhi remained lost in her blissful fantasies, Yan’er beside her appeared extremely nervous.

After all, the person Yan’er feared most was her master.

At that moment, she wished class would end immediately so she could turn around and run.

At the front, Mu Jiu taught the disciples martial techniques and the essential principles of their internal cultivation methods.

Her explanations were exceptionally clear and thorough.

Although Xiao Yuanzhi’s eyes followed her constantly, watching her every movement, she did not absorb a single word.

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, all of them along the lines of:

Why is Senior Martial Aunt Mu Jiu so beautiful?

Senior Martial Aunt Mu Jiu looks so elegant in everything she does. I’m in love!

I want a beautiful master like this too!

“I have long heard that Martial Uncle Jiuji’s disciple is clever and quick-witted. Why doesn’t Junior Sister Xiao step forward and demonstrate the technique once? It would broaden our horizons and allow us to witness Martial Uncle Jiuji’s usual instruction.”

The sudden voice snapped Xiao Yuanzhi back to reality.

She discovered that everyone’s gaze had gathered on her.

Even Master Mu Jiu was looking at her.

Xiao Yuanzhi’s face filled with question marks.

She looked toward the speaker.

It was the same senior sister who had deliberately caused trouble for her after class and inexplicably tried to smear her reputation.

Yan’er had mentioned this senior sister before. Her surname was Gao.

As for her full name, Xiao Yuanzhi had forgotten it.

She was an irrelevant person anyway.

This Senior Sister Gao had always disliked the original Xiao Yuanzhi. Unfortunately for her, the original owner had rarely paid her any attention, so she had never managed to cause much trouble.

What was this fucking idiot trying to do now?

During the chaos that day, when everyone had nearly fought one another, someone had apparently summoned the masters.

The masters arrived without asking questions, scolded everyone, and punished them severely.

Senior Sister Gao had received the harshest punishment of all.

Meanwhile, the true culprit who had caused everyone to draw their swords had escaped without suffering anything.

How could Senior Sister Gao not be angry?

So when she noticed Xiao Yuanzhi paying no attention in class, she decided to vent her resentment.

Even if she could not truly harm Xiao Yuanzhi, making her embarrass herself would still be satisfying.

“Could it be that Junior Sister Xiao doesn’t dare?” Senior Sister Gao asked. “I remember how ‘formidable’ Junior Sister Xiao was last time. Why are you suddenly so timid today?”

She glanced at the senior and junior brothers nearby.

Although they looked angry, none of them dared speak with Master present.

This strengthened Senior Sister Gao’s courage.

“Or are there too many people watching Junior Sister Xiao, making it difficult for you to properly ‘display’ your skills?”

Her mouth just kept running, provoking and mocking Xiao Yuanzhi without pause.

Had Xiao Yuanzhi really run away last time?

Of course not.

She had merely withdrawn to the rear so the senior and junior disciples could have the opportunity to “deepen their relationships.”

Xiao Yuanzhi secretly rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Senior Sister Gao certainly knows how to speak. You’re almost comparable to those rarely seen crows in the sky. If you didn’t look human, I might have mistaken you for one of their close relatives.”

“Pfft—!”

Yan’er failed to hold back her laughter.

The sound seemed contagious. Once she started laughing, the other disciples could no longer restrain themselves and burst out laughing as well.

Who could have imagined that Little Junior Sister was not only sharp-tongued but would also directly mock Senior Sister Gao without hiding it in the slightest?

Senior Sister Gao flew into a rage from humiliation.

“Xiao Yuanzhi, you—!”

Had Master not been present—and had the junior sister behind her not quietly grabbed her—she would have drawn her sword and challenged Xiao Yuanzhi to a fight on the spot.

Some disciples laughed while others became angry, but Wei Zisu remained unusually calm.

Xiao Yuanzhi’s words did not disturb her in the slightest.

“Martial Uncle Jiuji has only Little Junior Sister as his personal disciple. He must have devoted a great deal of effort to teaching you. Now that Martial Uncle Jiuji is away from the manor, Little Junior Sister represents his entire line. Why not take this opportunity to demonstrate your skills and allow the other junior brothers and sisters to witness the brilliance of Martial Uncle’s martial arts?”

The moment Wei Zisu spoke, Xiao Yuanzhi knew she was plotting something unpleasant.

As expected, she still wanted Xiao Yuanzhi to step forward.

If Xiao Yuanzhi exposed the fact that she did not know martial arts, Yan’er would be the first person who refused to let her off.

Never mind Senior Sister Gao, who already hated her, or everyone else.

Wei Zisu then addressed Mu Jiu.

“This disciple understands that Master may consider me impatient. However, Martial Uncle Jiuji has left and entrusted Little Junior Sister to Master. Master has always treated everyone equally and would certainly never neglect her.”

She continued, “Cangfeng Manor has always valued fairness and impartiality, especially during assessments. To preserve fairness, this disciple could think of no better method. I hope Master will forgive me.”

Mu Jiu nodded, accepting Wei Zisu’s suggestion.

If Xiao Yuanzhi learned all of Mu Jiu’s techniques, it truly would be unfair when the disciples competed.

After receiving Mu Jiu’s permission, Wei Zisu turned toward Xiao Yuanzhi.

“Little Junior Sister, please.”

Xiao Yuanzhi stared at Wei Zisu.

The word fuck nearly escaped her mouth.

Could Wei Zisu not do something that a normal human being would do for once?

Forget countering their techniques.

Even if Xiao Yuanzhi watched them, she still would not know how to perform them!

There was absolutely no need for this.

At most, she could stand nearby like a complete noob and shout, “Awesome!” or “So cool!”

Xiao Yuanzhi said, “Eldest Senior Sister is right. I completely agree.”

“Then, Little—”

Before Wei Zisu could finish, Xiao Yuanzhi interrupted.

“But I haven’t finished speaking.”

Wei Zisu did not become angry. She simply fell silent and waited for Xiao Yuanzhi to continue.

“Every disciple under Senior Martial Aunt possesses extraordinary skill. To have the honor of standing here today and listening to Senior Martial Aunt’s teachings alongside my senior brothers and sisters is all thanks to my master. It is also my great honor.”

Xiao Yuanzhi continued, “I would certainly like to demonstrate my skills, but in Senior Martial Aunt’s presence, displaying my meager abilities would be no different from brandishing a great blade before Guan Yu.”

Then she abruptly changed direction.

“Senior Sister Wei, however, possesses extraordinary martial arts and has received Senior Martial Aunt’s true teachings. No matter how one looks at it, Senior Sister Wei should be the one invited to demonstrate.”

“My master might currently be away, but he taught me never to steal another person’s opportunity to shine.”

Her junior brother truly did not seem like someone who would say such things.

Yet the disciple he had taught was remarkably modest.

As for this skill at flattering others—who had she learned it from?

Could it have been her junior brother?

Surprisingly, Mu Jiu did not find it unpleasant.

She glanced at Xiao Yuanzhi before shifting her gaze toward Wei Zisu.

“Zisu, you demonstrate.”

Wei Zisu’s brows furrowed slightly.

She remembered her injury.

But since Master had already ordered her, she had no choice but to proceed.

In any case, once she finished, Xiao Yuanzhi would have to demonstrate whether she wished to or not.

Wei Zisu wanted to see what other tricks she could use then.

As expected, the moment Wei Zisu stepped forward, everyone understood why she was considered so capable.

Her techniques were far too impressive to describe with the word handsome alone.

They also caused immense physical damage.

What had originally been a thick wooden post was sliced into thin wooden sheets beneath her blade.

Had Wei Zisu not constantly behaved like someone incapable of doing anything decent, Xiao Yuanzhi would have been frantically double-tapping the like button.

After the demonstration ended, thunderous applause filled the training grounds.

However, pain suddenly stabbed through Wei Zisu’s chest.

As she returned her sword to its sheath, she swiftly sealed several acupoints.

Her movements were extremely fast.

Unfortunately, Mu Jiu still noticed.

When Wei Zisu turned around, her expression appeared completely normal.

She addressed Xiao Yuanzhi.

“Little Junior Sister, it’s your turn.”

???

Xiao Yuanzhi stared at her in bewilderment.

Could Wei Zisu not understand human language?

Had Xiao Yuanzhi’s meaning not been obvious?

Wei Zisu was supposed to perform while Xiao Yuanzhi remained below as a spectator!

“I believe there are still other senior sisters who would like to try. Yan—”

Before she could finish, Xiao Yuanzhi turned around and discovered that Yan’er had already moved very far away from her.

When Yan’er saw Xiao Yuanzhi looking, she hurriedly crouched down and pretended she did not exist.

Senior Sister Gao said, “Why does Junior Sister Xiao keep making excuses? You have refused to step forward for so long. Could there be some unspeakable reason?”

Xiao Yuanzhi wanted nothing more than to tie her up, carry over a computer, open Spot the Difference, and let her search to her heart’s content.

No one would mistake her for a mute if she kept her mouth shut!

“Yuanzhi, there is no need to worry.”

Mu Jiu’s voice was gentle as she called Xiao Yuanzhi’s name.

“I also understand some of the techniques my junior brother practices. You may come forward without fear. If anything is incorrect, I will guide you.”

!!!

Imagine a beautiful woman softly calling your name in such a gentle and intimate tone.

What would you do?

Xiao Yuanzhi felt as though her heart was melting.

What kind of angelic senior martial aunt was this?

She understood that if she refused again, she would be betraying Senior Martial Aunt’s sincere goodwill.

Xiao Yuanzhi slowly walked toward Mu Jiu.

She could not bear to disappoint her beautiful senior martial aunt.

Therefore, she decided that even if she were mocked, injured, forcibly accused of crimes she had never committed, beaten without being allowed to fight back, or cursed without being allowed to answer—

She would still…

“Achoo—!”

“Achoo—!”

“Achoo—!”

Xiao Yuanzhi hurriedly covered her mouth and apologized to Mu Jiu.

“Senior Martial Aunt, I’m terribly sorry. I caught a cold last night, and I couldn’t hold it back, so…”

“Achoo—!”

“Achoo—!”

“Senior Martial Aunt, please move farther away from me. We might all practice martial arts, but I’m still afraid I could infect you.”

The moment she said this, many disciples immediately retreated several steps.

After all, even Xiao Yuanzhi, a martial artist, had caught a cold.

What if they became infected too?

“In that case, return to your room and rest properly,” Mu Jiu said. “You may attend class again once you have recovered.”

“Achoo—!”

Xiao Yuanzhi was overjoyed inside, but her face displayed nothing except regret.

“Thank you, Senior Martial Aunt.”