Chronicles of Heaven's Chosen - Chapter 51

After Xiao Lingwei finished treating Yuan Yao’s wounds, she made her lie down and rest.

Just as Xiao Lingwei was about to leave the cabin, Yuan Yao suddenly remembered someone.

“Second Senior Sister.”

Xiao Lingwei looked back.

Yuan Yao gazed at her. “A few days ago, Master accepted another personal disciple. She came with us and is outside right now.”

Xiao Lingwei was mildly surprised. Why had Master taken a disciple so suddenly without informing any of them?

“All right.” She nodded, then noticed the worry in Yuan Yao’s eyes.

Before she could ask, a knock sounded at the door and pulled her attention away.

Xiao Lingwei opened it, instinctively using her body to block the view into the cabin.

“Second Senior Sister.” The visitor was Lu Xiangxiang. She greeted Xiao Lingwei softly, then asked with concern, “Is Sixth Senior Sister all right?”

Xiao Lingwei paused. Only then did she realize that this was Master’s new personal disciple, Lu Xiangxiang.

Lu Xiangxiang was beautiful, with delicate features, willow-leaf brows, large eyes, and pale lips. She gave the impression of being gentle yet cool.

“No,” Xiao Lingwei answered.

It would be a lie to say that nothing was wrong.

Lu Xiangxiang’s expression grew grave. “Then may I go in and see Sixth Senior Sister?”

Xiao Lingwei was about to decline politely when Yuan Yao’s voice came from behind her.

“Is that Junior Sister Lu?”

“Yes.”

“She can come in.”

Xiao Lingwei looked back at Yuan Yao in disapproval. Rest was the most important thing for her now.

Yuan Yao blinked playfully.

Xiao Lingwei sighed inwardly and let Lu Xiangxiang enter.

“You two talk. Call me if you need anything.”

“Of course, Second Senior Sister,” Lu Xiangxiang answered obediently.

Inside the cabin, she walked to Yuan Yao’s bedside.

Yuan Yao smiled. “Junior Sister Lu, did you need something from me?”

The sight of that smiling face left Lu Xiangxiang dazed for a moment. She could not help remembering that she, too, had once been this lively and cheerful.

But she could never return to the person she had been.

In her previous life, she had lived for more than a hundred years.

Her state of mind had long since changed.

“Sixth Senior Sister, I saw that you were badly wounded earlier, but there were too many people and everything was too chaotic for me to ask after you. I hope you won’t think me distant because of it.”

Yuan Yao teased, “We were never close to begin with. How could we grow distant?”

Lu Xiangxiang’s face stiffened. Then she followed Yuan Yao’s lead. “You’re right, Senior Sister.”

After a pause, she looked at Yuan Yao. “Senior Sister, I feel as though Youngest Senior Brother doesn’t like me very much. Could you put in a good word for me?”

“No.” Yuan Yao shook her head.

Lu Xiangxiang’s eyelid twitched. “Why not?”

Yuan Yao explained, “I’ve only known you for a few days, and I haven’t seen any good qualities in you yet. I can’t praise you against my conscience.”

Lu Xiangxiang forced a smile.

Yuan Yao stared directly at her. “You don’t like Eldest Senior Brother and the others, do you?”

Meeting Yuan Yao’s bright gaze sent panic through Lu Xiangxiang.

Had Yuan Yao seen through her? Had she made it too obvious?

“No.” Lu Xiangxiang denied it, deliberately adopting an aggrieved, pitiful look. “Senior Sister, you must never let them hear you say that. Otherwise, no matter what I say, I’ll never be able to explain myself.”

“Oh.”

They looked at each other in silence, and the cabin grew still.

Lu Xiangxiang rose and smiled. “Senior Sister, you should rest.”

She soon left the cabin.

Yuan Yao was alone again.

Lying in bed, she became increasingly troubled. She could not kill the female lead, Lu Xiangxiang, yet she had to keep living alongside her.

If this continued, would Eldest Senior Brother’s and the others’ Awakening Values fall back to 0? Would they fall deeply in love with Lu Xiangxiang as System 250 had said they did in the previous life, only to be dragged once more into that cycle of tragedy?

The possibilities filled Yuan Yao with frustration. It felt as though an enormous weight pressed against her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She sat up.

From now on, she needed to watch Lu Xiangxiang closely and prevent her from plotting against her senior brothers.

With that thought, Yuan Yao lost all desire to rest.

Without another word, she crossed her legs on the bed, closed her eyes, and let her hands rest naturally upon her knees. She adjusted her breathing and quickly entered a state of complete absorption, devoting herself fully to cultivation.

About fifteen minutes later, ripples disturbed the formerly calm aura surrounding her, growing more violent with every passing moment.

At the same time, the meager spiritual energy in the air rushed toward her.

At first, the flow was confined to the cabin. As time passed, however, even the spiritual energy outside the sealed door poured frantically through the cracks. It all surged into Yuan Yao’s body and vanished.

Song Yan and the others on the deck of the spirit vessel noticed at once. They exchanged glances.

Xiao Lingwei frowned.

Cang Li put on a stern face. “Which one of you drove Little Junior Sister to this? She’s gravely wounded, and she’s still cultivating! It wasn’t me! My cultivation is low, but every one of you is so strong. Do you have any idea how much pressure that puts on Little Junior Sister?”

“Heaven is my witness—you people are absolute monsters!”

Cang Li pressed his palms together and heaved a profound sigh.

No one paid him any attention.

“Wasn’t Yaoyao supposed to be resting?” Ying Wuji asked.

“I’ll go look.” Xiao Lingwei turned toward the cabin.

“Lingwei,” Song Yan called, stopping her. “Yaoyao is cultivating. If you go in now, you’ll disrupt her rhythm.”

Xiao Lingwei halted.

Lu Xiangxiang glanced toward the cabin and remarked as if in passing, “Wasn’t Sixth Senior Sister said to dislike cultivation? Why has she suddenly taken to it?”

In her previous life, Song Yan and the others had never mentioned Yuan Yao abruptly becoming diligent. Lu Xiangxiang could not help wondering whether Yuan Yao knew something—or whether someone had taken over her body through body possession.

The second possibility was unlikely.

How could someone who stole another’s body escape Qian Jueshan’s discerning eyes?

Could Lu Xiangxiang’s own appearance have imperceptibly altered the course of Yuan Yao’s life and allowed her to survive?

It was possible.

According to the course of her previous life, Song Yan and the other four should have suffered devastating losses inside the Wuduan Secret Realm. When they returned to the Xiaoyao Sect, they should have found only Yuan Yao’s corpse.

But on this journey, not only had the five of them escaped without devastating losses, they had gained a great deal instead. It was almost as if Yuan Yao had suffered the injuries originally meant for them.

The thought left Lu Xiangxiang deeply aggrieved.

She had planned to have them killed inside the Wuduan Secret Realm, only to end up helping them instead.

And the worst of them all was Ying Wuji!