The Sect Leader's Seat (5)

The white light swept Lin Qianshuang toward the hillside outside Wenze Cave. A gentle breeze stirred through the blooming peach grove, its petals drifting as Xiao Lanle struggled under Lin’s weight. They tumbled onto the emerald grass, crushed beneath a cascade of velvety pink blooms. Delicate stamens trembled, brushing their cheeks and releasing a faint, sugary scent.

Xiao Lanle sat up cross-legged, massaging her arms with a mock grimace. “Senior sister,” she huffed, “you look so small and frail—why are you heavier than a sack of rocks?”

Lin Qianshuang brushed herself off, her voice cool as frost. “Junior sister, do you not use true qi while flying on your sword?”

Xiao Lanle grinned, sidling closer. “Ah, but you’re different from others. Our relationship is good, so of course, I have to treat you differently!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Lin shot back. “I’ll bet you did it on purpose.”

Lin Qianshuang pursed her lips, letting out a scoff. “Hmph. Got true qi and not using it? Isn’t this just messing with people?”¹

She cast another glance at Xiao Lanle—the girl’s serene face like flowers reflected in clear water, her slender frame as delicate as willows in a breeze.

“A girl as fragile as she trying to carry an adult? Her back would snap!”

“But thanks for saving me in the Wenze Cave.” Though it was utterly pointless.

Lin Qianshuang tugged at her wild head of hair matted with green leaves, the sensation of something crawling on her scalp making her shudder. With a horrified grimace, she rubbed at her tangled strands—and suddenly her mouth was filled with cool leaves, minty and sharp: insect-repelling Bailing Grass.

Xiao Lanle shoved another leaf into her own mouth before digging fingers into Lin’s thick hair. With a deft flick, she yanked a green caterpillar from a drooping branch and dangled it inches from Lin’s face, pretending it came from her hair.

Lin Qianshuang’s scalp prickled at the sight of the wriggling green caterpillar, its movement making her skin crawl. The thought of the mischievous little thing slithering onto her made her stomach churn, and the itch from where it had brushed her sent her scratching reflexively.

“Senior sister, you’re way too popular with bugs. These creepy-crawlies just love clinging to you.”

Xiao Lanle flicked the caterpillar away with a twist of her finger, her tone sharpening as she leaned in. “What kind of person do you think Liang Senior Brother is? Haven’t you seen through him already? Are you honestly that clueless—still clinging to some fantasy about him?”

Lin Qianshuang recited her rehearsed reply: “He’s still my junior brother and Master’s favorite disciple. Even if he messed up, his sins don’t warrant death.”

Xiao Lanle’s delicate features darkened as she closed in, her voice cutting. “Then do you even realize—if Liang Jingxuan hadn’t kidnapped you, releasing him from the cave would’ve doubled your guilt. You’d be just as culpable as him! And yet… you’d still try to save him?”

“I value my life too much for that.”

Lin Qianshuang replied honestly, taking a few steps forward to place a hand on Xiao Lanle’s shoulder. She’d always felt uneasy around her for no reason, so she made a quick excuse with a smile. “Junior sister, I have a betrothal appointment with Senior Brother Chen. I’ll take my leave first.”

Xiao Lanle grabbed her wrist as she turned to go, her clear eyes narrowing. Stepping in front of her, she snapped, “You’re going after that Chen Shangying? I forbid you to see him!”

“Junior sister, I’m already betrothed to the Chen family. What’s the matter now?” Lin Qianshuang frowned and shrugged off Xiao Lanle’s grip. Suddenly locking eyes with her, she let a sly smile creep across her face. “Lanle, the sect leader hasn’t mentioned your own betrothal to Junior Brother Chen yet. Maybe by then, we’ll celebrate two weddings at once.”

Seizing the pause as Xiao Lanle faltered, Lin shook free completely. She knew Xiao clung to her feelings stubbornly, but love required mutual passion. Watching Xiao act out her unrequited devotion like a lone performer… eventually, even the most devoted soloist grows tired of the stage.

“Lin Qianshuang,” Xiao Lanle blurted, voice trembling, “I still can’t stop asking you…”

Xiao Lanle’s abrupt question halted Lin Qianshuang mid-step. The junior sister rarely used her full name, making it sound oddly formal.

“You once said you regarded me as a cherished little sister—so you’ve never felt even the slightest attraction toward me?”

A flicker of mixed emotions crossed Lin Qianshuang’s eyes, but her lips curved into a distant frown. “Junior sister, you know the answer already. My feelings for you are those of a fellow disciple—nothing more. Where did this misunderstanding come from? By the time we left the Nine Cauldrons, I’d learned you’d already bonded with the Tianshu City Lord as Taoist partners. And I have my own betrothal. Why ask such a leading question?”

Xiao Lanle fell silent.

Senior Sister didn’t dislike her. That night at Jinshui Lake, she’d already extracted the truth from her. All these refusals were just pushing her to see reality.

Even if they confessed now, fate would never let them be together.

She had indeed overlooked too much. Between them stood mountain after mountain—barriers no mere “love or not” could resolve.

A caged canary’s wings grow frail in the storm; its world shrinks to the confines of its cage. To fly free, it must find a new protector—or starve or freeze alone.

Such a timid fledgling, clinging to borrowed safety, lacks the strength to guard a relationship—or endure love’s bitter toll. What’s the point of fighting for a doomed union now?

Lin Qianshuang’s heart stirred uneasily. Xiao Lanle’s silence gnawed at her conscience. After all, in their time together, she’d often been thoughtless, fueling misunderstandings that poisoned their bond.

Yet she reviewed her words and found no fault. Turning away, she offered a contrite smile. “Junior Sister, I spoke harshly.”

Xiao Lanle released Lin Qianshuang’s hand, gave her a long look, and said, “I understand.”

Lin Qianshuang heard the words and felt a weight lift from her chest. Junior Sister Xiao must have realized there was no future between them—retreating when faced with impossible odds was the sensible choice.

After all, Lin was a demon cultivator. She didn’t want to become Xiao Lanle’s weakness down the road, nor did she wish for her to turn into the lovesick fool described in the original novel.

With the male protagonist absent, the Penglai Immortal Sect settled back into calm. The forbidden zones reopened, and disciples brought captured ghosts to Buddhist cultivators for exorcism. Those beyond redemption were sealed in tomb clusters using spells. The damaged sect’s magic array was gradually repaired under the elders’ guidance.

The top spot on the sect’s ranking list kept shifting. Xiao Lanle’s rank climbed steadily, while Lin Qianshuang skipped monthly exams for every excuse she could find. She spent her days loafing with the outer disciples who hauled water and chopped wood, teaching them basic cultivation techniques now and then—anything to avoid looking like she cared too much.

After getting acquainted with the outer disciples, she secretly scouted out the mountain’s spiritual energy-rich zones.

On the surface, she taught sword techniques to her juniors, but in truth, she was channeling the mountain’s ambient energy to nourish Xuan Luowan’s spirit within the Cold Cicada Zither.

Lin Qianshuang reasoned that the Beast Emperor’s rescue mission had sealed Xuan Luowan’s name as a clue—only by reviving her could the system possibly update the task. Besides, Xuan had ended up trapped in that state to save her, so both duty and guilt demanded action.

Lately, Xu Zheng hadn’t contacted her. Her family head clearly prioritized her arranged marriage, but she wasn’t rushing. Of the three names on the Tianshu City Lord’s list, only Chen Shangying posed a challenge. Drawing on past mission experiences, completing those tasks would boost Mu Weiyin’s favor and trust. Aligning with the City Lord would also aid Xiao Lanle’s questline without drawbacks.

Still, Lin Qianshuang couldn’t shake her worry over Xiao Lanle’s situation.

Soon her worries eased. Since the heated exchange with Lin Qianshuang on the day Liang Jingxuan left, Xiao Lanle had grown distant. She frequently left the sect for training, returning with a cooler demeanor toward their shared quarters in Xiaoyao Cave’s small estate. Though they shared the same roof, their once-intimate bond had frayed.

Xiao Lanle erected a carved wooden bookshelf between their beds, its hollow frames clearly meant to create distance. Yet she’d developed an odd habit: every night, she’d light candles, lie sideways facing the bookshelf, and pore over secret manuals until dawn approached before extinguishing the flames.

Tonight, Lin Qianshuang’s fingertips brushed the Cold Cicada Zither’s frost-bright surface. Under moonlight, its seven strings shivered like ripples across a pond, each note lingering long after her touch ceased.

A book clattered to the floor as Xiao Lanle shifted restlessly. Startled, Lin pulled her hands away - surely her playing had disturbed her roommate. But Xiao didn’t glance over. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulder, eyes fixed on Lin through the bookshelf’s latticed openings. Every movement, every posture, laid bare under that unblinking gaze.

She picked up the book she’d tossed aside and said, “Senior sister, why’ve you stopped playing? I remember back when I was locked in the library copying texts as punishment, your Phoenix Seeks its Mate left me spellbound for ages.”

Lin Qianshuang felt a flutter of pride. Her own so-so zither skills usually just scraped by with normals, but being praised by Xiao Lanle—a prodigy who’d mastered arts like calligraphy and music since childhood—was a whole different honor.

She called across the bookshelf, “Want me to play something?”

“Hmm.”

Xiao Lanle sat demurely, propping her head up with one hand. Her eyes sparkled like stars caught in candlelight, shimmering vividly in the flickering glow.

Lin Qianshuang’s fingers plucked the Cold Cicada Zither’s strings lightly. Suddenly, she noticed Xiao’s sideways posture—so innocent, staring up at her like a little kid. It hit her all of a sudden… Damn, she’s adorable.

The zither’s melody had a lulling effect, and as Lin Qianshuang played, her eyelids grew heavy. Suddenly, a private transmission scroll flickered and burned out beside her. The grave voice of Du Shuang, Yixiang Tower’s current deputy leader, cut through the haze:

“Jieyu, the Tianshu City Lord commands you to report immediately. Don’t forget your token.”

Why’s Du Shuang the one contacting me?

Lin Qianshuang jolted awake, darting a glance at Xiao Lanle slumped behind the bookshelf. She worried the girl might’ve seen the order while conscious.

Xiao Lanle appeared asleep, books scattered around her like fallen leaves. She lay sprawled under a tangled quilt, still wearing her hair ornaments.

Seeing her soundly asleep, Lin Qianshuang fired off a reply. Tiptoeing to the bed, she gently removed Xiao’s headpieces and tucked the quilt around her. “Don’t want you catching a chill tonight”, she thought, smoothing the fabric with practiced care.

From what can be seen in the Heart Demon Illusion Realm, Xiao Lanle is easily the most pitiable female supporting character in the entire story. Fatherless and motherless, she was manipulated as a purification tool that split her psyche, all while bearing the weight of her family’s massacre.

Lin Qianshuang wasn’t certain if romance-obsessed Xiao Lanle knew the truth behind the massacre that claimed her family—but she and Mu Weiyin agreed some truths were best kept buried. For a junior sister grappling with enough pain already, a kind lie held more value than harsh reality.

Several scrolls littered the floor. Lin knelt to gather them, stacking the volumes neatly before returning them to the shelf. As she lifted one ancient manual, a stray flip revealed an explicit page—causing a sudden flush to creep across her cheeks.

The text was a dual cultivation manual, its illustrations depicting intimate yin-yang entwinement…

“This must be the manual the city lord mentioned Xiao mistakenly took,” she realized, tucking the scroll away with a faint blush still lingering.

Lin Qianshuang flipped through the pages again and found that this book had been slipped between the mental technique manuals—and the specific manual it was tucked into was the very one Xiao Lanle read every night.

She suddenly recalled how Junior Sister Xiao, during her late-night study sessions, would sometimes fix her with those lingering, loaded looks. Could she have been…?

No. How could she assume the worst of her junior sister?

Lin Qianshuang slapped her own forehead. Besides, her plain, unremarkable looks couldn’t hold a candle to the City Lord’s beauty anyway… uh. Though granted, the City Lord was still a kid.