Volume 1 Chapter 32: Comforting the Injured Senior Sister Bai (Part 1)

Volume 1 Chapter 32: Comforting the Injured Senior Sister Bai (Part 1) 

In the game, the quest titled “Comforting the Injured Senior Sister Bai” was a simple and short one. All you had to do was bump into Senior Sister Bai near the disciples’ quarters on Sky Cloud Peak to trigger it.

After that, you'd place a small gift outside her room for three days in a row, and on the fourth day, she’d finally come out, allowing the player to turn in the quest.

The three gifts were:

• A jar of osmanthus wine

• A handmade cloth doll

• A box of sticky rice cakes

Ye Anping had actually prepared all three of these in advance.

But now, looking at Bai Yuelin—so lost, so broken—he realized that if he just threw these items at her like in the game, it probably wouldn’t be enough to cheer her up.

Besides, he wasn't exactly good at comforting people.

“Ugh…”

Ye Anping sighed and gently pulled down the outer robe of Bai Yuelin, revealing her delicate, fragrant shoulders.

He activated the calming incense in the room with a bit of spiritual energy, then dipped his fingers into a soothing massage oil he had mixed himself. His fingers moved with precision, gently kneading the spiritual acupoints on her back with a practiced touch.

At first, Bai Yuelin was clearly tense, her shoulders tight and stiff.

But the calming effects of the incense slowly took hold, and soon she found herself completely relaxed, her thoughts drifting into emptiness as she surrendered herself to Ye Anping’s expert massage.

The night wind rustled the paper windows, creating a soft white noise that filled the room. Within moments, the bitterness on Bai Yuelin’s face seemed to melt away.

Seeing she had calmed down, Ye Anping finally spoke.

“Senior Bai, why are you dressed like this? I didn’t even recognize you at first.”

“...I’ve left the sect,” Bai Yuelin replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m no longer a disciple of the Profound Star Sect.”

“...Huh?!”

Ye Anping nearly jumped in shock.

Bai Yuelin had quit the sect?!

Wait—what about his discount voucher?! That thing was only valid because she’s part of the sect! He was counting on that to get his supply costs down!

“Senior, are you sure about this?” he quickly asked, trying to talk her out of it. “There’s no going back from something like that. Once you leave the Profound Star Sect, you’ll be blacklisted. No other cultivation sect will take you in either.”

“Mm…” Bai Yuelin gave a faint, bitter smile. “I’ve made up my mind. Someone like me isn’t cut out for cultivation. I’m planning to settle down in a small town somewhere… open a little shop with my savings… find a husband and make lots of kids...”

Ye Anping paused, letting his hands still.

He then forced a sigh and wore an intentionally melancholy expression.

“If someone like you—with your incredible talent and singular spirit root—says you’re not worthy of cultivating, then what about me? I’ve got dual spirit roots. Doesn’t that mean I’ve got even less of a right to continue?”

“…Something must’ve happened today, didn’t it?”

Bai Yuelin was quiet for a long moment.

Finally, her shoulders sagged again and she let out a deep sigh.

“…During today’s sparring trial at the Profound Star Sect, I ran into two people,” she muttered. “Both of them had lower cultivation than me, and they hadn’t been training as long as I had, but…”

‘Two people…’

Ye Anping’s brow twitched. In the game, Bai Yuelin had been mentally shattered after losing to Feng Yudie. But if there was a second person…

“Who were they?” he asked gently.

“One was a girl named Feng Yudie—a white-haired little brat. The other was named Pei Lengxue, some junior with a trinary spirit root. Losing to Feng Yudie, I could still rationalize, but losing to someone like Pei Lengxue… How can I possibly show my face in the Profound Star Sect again? I’m a cultivator with a rare singular spirit root, and I lost to someone with a trinary?!”

Her voice cracked—and tears welled up in her eyes.

She turned her head toward Ye Anping, looking at him like a lost puppy. Even her bottom lip curled up so much it looked like it might swallow her nose.

Ye Anping, meanwhile, was trying to hold in the urge to cringe.

Right. He completely forgot about that.

Feng Yudie was supposed to be Bai Yuelin’s examinee in the sparring trial.

As Feng Yudie’s “attendant,” Pei Lengxue would’ve definitely faced Bai Yuelin during the trial too.

He really should’ve warned his junior sister before she left the Hundred Lotus Sect—to hold back during the trial and lose on purpose.

“How is that fair?! I can understand losing to someone with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but how can even a girl with trinary spirit roots be so strong?! I’ve been following my master’s instructions diligently for decades, not missing a single day of training—how could I still lose to someone like her? The heavens are just too unfair!”

“Uh… well… maybe that Pei Lengxue girl just had some kind of special… fateful opportunity?” Ye Anping offered weakly.

“But she’s still just a trinary spirit root cultivator!!” Bai Yuelin snapped back.

Ye Anping gave a dry, awkward smile, then tried to offer her some encouragement.

“But, Senior, you can’t just give up like this. If you run away now, won’t that be like admitting defeat? People in the Profound Star Sect will say you got scared off by two junior girls! And what about your friends in the sect? Won’t they be heartbroken if you leave without a word?”

“…”

Bai Yuelin pursed her lips. She couldn’t find a good rebuttal—but after a moment of hesitation, she flopped face-down onto the bed again.

“I already submitted my resignation letter. It’s not like I can go back now. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’ll just live my new life.”

“Senior, if you’re saying that, doesn’t it mean that deep down, you don’t actually want to leave the Profound Star Sect? It’s still not too late, you know.”

“…”

She didn’t respond.

And with her being silent, Ye Anping found himself unsure of how to proceed. So he simply continued the therapeutic treatment quietly.

Another fifteen minutes passed in silence. The treatment came to an end.

“All done. How do you feel?” he asked.

“Mmm… my meridians feel much more relaxed,” Bai Yuelin nodded. “How many spirit stones?”

“No charge,” Ye Anping waved it off. “I haven’t officially opened for business yet. Consider this my way of repaying a favor. You helped approve my shop permit application before—I never got to thank you.”

Bai Yuelin looked at him for a moment, then silently pulled a small bag from her waist and tossed it toward him.

“Business is business. Take it. And… I’m leaving now.”

As she spoke, she began re-tying the bag around her waist and gave Ye Anping a respectful fist-and-palm salute, clearly preparing to leave.

Ye Anping stood there, hesitating for a second.

He couldn’t just let Bai Yuelin go.

And it wasn’t just about that precious 20% discount voucher he’d been planning his purchases around for days.

He wasn’t a disciple of the Profound Star Sect, which meant he had no direct way to enter the sect’s gates. In the future, if he wanted to contact his junior sister, he’d need someone on the inside to help deliver letters.

Bai Yuelin was kind-hearted, harmless, and a little slow on the uptake—easily trustworthy. She also had a decent standing on Sky Cloud Peak. She was basically the perfect mail runner.

Ye Anping quickly stepped forward and tugged lightly on her sleeve with a cheeky smile.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Ah, Senior,” Ye Anping said with his best polite tone, “it’s already so late. Why not stay here for the night and leave tomorrow? Flying on a sword while upset… might be dangerous, right?”

“…”

Hearing his invitation to stay the night, Bai Yuelin immediately grew wary.

But then she looked at Ye Anping’s still-youthful face—one that hadn’t even finished growing—and listened to his voice, which hadn’t gone through puberty yet. Slowly, her wariness faded.

— And… if he really did have any bad intentions… maybe… it wouldn’t be so bad…

— I mean, I’m no longer a Profound Star Sect disciple anyway…

— And he’s quite handsome… the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, too… plus he’s been sweet, and his personality seems decent…

— If he really does try something, then maybe I’ll just latch onto him! We can open a shop together—doesn’t sound too bad…

“No no no!! What am I even thinking?!”

Suddenly, Bai Yuelin slapped both of her cheeks and started frantically shaking her head.

“???”

Ye Anping stared, completely baffled.

“…Senior?”

“Ah—” Bai Yuelin finally snapped out of it. She hesitated for a moment longer, glanced out at the night sky, and then muttered, “It is getting late. Staying the night… wouldn’t be too much trouble, would it?”

“Not at all, not at all,” Ye Anping said quickly.

“Then… where am I sleeping?”