“Fourth Senior Sister was the earliest among us to receive Master’s true inheritance and bestowed treasures. Moreover, she has never slacked in her cultivation. Her ability to control that artifact has likely reached a point where no one can match her.”
Chi Ming sighed with emotion, her voice filled with respect for the Fourth Senior Sister who was now known as the “Child of the Wind God.”
‘Listening to Chi Ming, is the fourth disciple also a cultivation maniac?’
After the topic shifted to this fourth disciple, the expressions of the other disciples present became subtle and varied.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if it were just the antique lute Master gave to Fourth Senior Sister, but I don’t think that other thing can be called an ‘artifact’ at all. Just thinking back to that day makes the hair on my body stand on end.”
Huang Doudou hugged herself, unable to stop shivering.
“Fourth Junior Sister is… too strict when she gets serious. Of the cultivation missions she assigned in the past, only Little Junior Sister could persevere until the end. The disciples of the Fengqing Sect must certainly be under her discipline as well. It’s a miracle they can endure it,”
Blue Ling’er lamented.
As Yu Yi listened to their evaluation of the fourth disciple, no memories were triggered.
However, an image of a serious person with a harsh attitude began to form in her mind.
“That Fourth Sister? What kind of person is she?”
Yun Qianxue asked curiously.
“And that artifact, it sounds like it might be quite terrifying?”
Whew…
Fortunately, there was an “outsider” like Yun Qianxue by her side who could ask about the things Yu Yi didn’t know.
“Qianxue will meet her sooner or later, so let us introduce her first,”
Yu Yi said.
Blue Ling’er nodded and began her explanation.
“Although Fourth Junior Sister joined the sect later, she is the oldest among the seven of us. Setting aside seniority, she is a gentle elder sister to all of us, but…”
She hesitated as she spoke, which only piqued Yun Qianxue’s curiosity.
“But what?”
“But under certain circumstances, Fourth Junior Sister suddenly turns into a demon. Because of this, she was the instructor specifically responsible for supervising our cultivation within the sect.”
Blue Ling’er recalled the past and said,
“I remember one time when everyone gathered to practice. Fourth Junior Sister was playing the lute and composing music on the side. Halfway through, because Third Senior Sister dozed off, the originally melodious music suddenly became frenzied, as if filled with murderous intent. Fourth Junior Sister grabbed Third Senior Sister and left. Later, whenever we gathered to practice, Third Senior Sister never dozed off again.”
“I can’t imagine what Third Senior Sister went through… Even I didn’t dare to slack off on my own to enjoy Fourth Senior Sister’s ‘affection.’ It’s truly terrifying.”
Huang Doudou shivered once more.
“Then… what is that terrifying artifact?”
Yun Qianxue swallowed hard, driven by her curiosity to continue asking.
“That thing cannot be called an artifact at all,”
Huang Doudou repeated what she had just said.
“Fourth Junior Sister has two artifacts in total. One is the Lü Qi Lute, which shares her name and was bestowed by Master. As for the other one…”
Blue Ling’er paused.
“The other is an existence known as the God-Shocking Fingers.”
“That name sounds more like a technique,”
Yun Qianxue said, confused.
“How could it be an artifact?”
“God-Shocking Fingers was the title of the old Lute Demon, Dugu Ling. The first time Fourth Junior Sister disguised her identity and joined the Righteous Faction’s suppression army, it was to suppress Dugu Ling,”
Blue Ling’er explained.
“After Dugu Ling died, his physical body dissipated, but he left behind ten fingernails. Those were the source of his power. Later, Fourth Junior Sister took those ten fingernails, pulled out all of her own, and attached them one by one.”
Hearing this, Yun Qianxue finally couldn’t take it anymore.
Her delicate body trembled, and she murmured, “Just hearing about it makes my fingers start to ache…”
“Later, Fourth Junior Sister’s flesh and blood finally fused with Dugu Ling’s fingernails. After gaining that power, she didn’t even need to play the lute; she could take a life using a single strand of hair as a string.”
The ten fingers were connected to the heart.
If the fourth disciple had always coveted Dugu Ling’s power, she must have been prepared to endure such pain beforehand.
“But… doesn’t Big Sister possess many rare and exotic treasures? Why did she have to pay such a price to obtain the Lute Demon’s fingernails?”
Yun Qianxue couldn’t quite understand.
“Master could indeed have given Fourth Junior Sister something better, but the Lute Demon’s power is truly complementary and a perfect fit for the Lü Qi Lute.”
Blue Ling’er sighed and explained,
“Fourth Junior Sister was actually the one with the least talent among the seven of us. She didn’t want to fail the precious lute Master gave her and wanted to push its potential to the limit. That’s why she decided to replace her nails with those of the Lute Demon, Dugu Ling.”
Hearing this, the words spoken by her fourth disciple, Lü Qi, seemed to echo in Yu Yi’s mind.
“Disciple is untalented, yet Master bestowed such a Heavenly Rank treasure upon me. As long as I can exert the power of this lute to its limit, what does it matter even if my body is shattered once? I cannot fail Master’s expectations. I cannot allow this lute to be wasted.”
‘This could be considered a form of respecting the Master’s path. In a sense, this fourth disciple is also a ruthless person.’
“I… I have a question.”
Yun Qianxue politely raised her hand.
“But I don’t know if I should say it.”
“If you have something to ask, then ask,”
Yu Yi said calmly.
She roughly knew what Yun Qianxue wanted to ask.
As a bystander listening to Blue Ling’er and the others recount the past of the fourth disciple, Lü Qi, Yun Qianxue would naturally have one question.
And that was —
“To us, is that Fourth Sister an enemy or a partner now?”
As if gathering her courage, Yun Qianxue asked this serious question in front of Yu Yi, the Master, and the other sisters who had lived with Lü Qi day and night.
The air suddenly fell into silence.
The Third Disciple, Ye Qingluan, had left the sect and spent several years outside, yet she still maintained contact with Among the Colorful Clouds.
However, since Lü Qi left, her fame in the Righteous Faction grew greater and greater, yet she had never sent a single letter to Among the Colorful Clouds.
Although the Fengqing Sect she belonged to was not publicly an enemy of Among the Colorful Clouds, she had not cleared the eyes of the righteous people who were deceived by rumors to prove her Master’s innocence.
What exactly was Lü Qi’s stance?
If her purpose for joining the Righteous Faction was to purge the Demon Sect, would she one day be determined to eliminate the “Lady Demon Yu Yi Jue”?
While everyone was lost in their thoughts, it was as if an electric current surged through Huang Doudou.
Her whole body shook, breaking the silence on the field.
“Master, it seems someone has arrived!”
She sensed that someone was once again attempting to touch the Mountain-Protecting Array of Among the Colorful Clouds.
“Ling’er.”
“Disciple is here.”
“Go down the mountain and see who is visiting.”
“Yes.”
Blue Ling’er bowed, respectfully withdrew, and hurried down the mountain.
‘At this time, who could be visiting so suddenly?’