NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23: Two Junior Sisters
Chapter 23: Two Junior Sisters
At this point, You Su finally managed to dispel many of the doubts that had been weighing on his mind.
“How did you know that I had met that villain?”
This was the root of how his junior sister had known about the effects of the corrupted flesh he had consumed.
“Master’s wife told me… including the fact that her sword strike wasn’t meant to kill you, but because she had already noticed the other malevolent force on your neck.”
“Mm, I thought so.” You Su nodded.
“Does Senior Brother blame us? We knew you were in danger, but we didn’t tell you or help you.”
“I think there must have been a good reason for you and Master’s wife to act this way.”
You Su always spoke gently to those close to him. As he gazed at the monstrous figure of his junior sister, there was no trace of discomfort left in his eyes:
“Besides, one of you helped me eliminate a hidden threat, and the other gave me a miraculous pill. Both of you have done so much for me.”
“Senior Brother, you’re truly kind,” the junior sister said in a soft tone. Her voice evoked the image of a shy, blushing young girl. “It’s not that we didn’t want to help you – it’s that we couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t?”
“Master’s wife told me that consciousness can’t remain outside its origin for long. It’s like a wanderer who will naturally return home. The best way to delay that reunion is to prevent the separated consciousness from intersecting with reality.
In other words, the separated consciousness should act as an independent entity, preferably different from its counterpart in the real world. Senior Brother, haven’t you already noticed that my dream self and Master’s wife’s dream self are slightly different from our real selves?”
No wonder You Su had felt that the monster version of his junior sister was less tsundere and more honest compared to her real self. And though Master’s wife was always taciturn, her dream self seemed even colder.
The versions of his junior sister and Master’s wife that he met in his dreams were like avatars of their real selves, living inside his dreams just as a wise old man might live inside a protagonist’s ring.
After hearing this, You Su couldn’t help but admire Master’s wife even more. Despite being possessed by a malevolent force, she had ingeniously used its power to accomplish such an extraordinary feat.
“But Junior Sister, by explaining all this to me now, won’t it hasten your return?”
“Return”-a word that sounded warm and comforting, yet for the dream versions of his junior sister and Master’s wife, it meant a cold and irreversible disappearance. For their real selves, it would bring unimaginable suffering.
“Since I decided to confess everything to you during this meeting, I won’t regret it. After this, I’ll probably fall into a deep sleep and seal my consciousness. Similarly, Senior Brother, don’t mention anything about the malevolent forces to our real selves. From their perspective-the main consciousness-they think you don’t know about their possession. If they realize that you know, it will only cause them greater pain.
If the main consciousness becomes aware of its fragmentation, it will accelerate our return. You must continue to pretend that you don’t know, just as you have been doing. Only then can we buy enough time for you to find a way to save us. But don’t rush. Focus on healing your wounds and getting stronger – that’s what’s most important right now.”
Hearing this, You Su felt a sharp pang of anguish. Knowing the suffering they endured while he was powerless to intervene was unbearable. All he could do was silently bear the burden and work tirelessly to find a solution, however slim the chances might be.
“I will,” You Su said, his voice heavy yet resolute.
The junior sister stood up, her tone tinged with sadness. “Just thinking about not seeing you for a while makes me sad, senior brother. But I couldn’t bear to see you confused any longer, so I had no choice.”
The candlelight swayed gently in the breeze, casting flickering shadows of the monster. On that grotesque body, You Su saw no trace of evil – only a warm, sensitive heart hidden beneath layers of viscous flesh.
Can one cry in a dream?
You Su tasted the salty wetness on his lips and found the answer.
When the junior sister saw You Su’s reddened eyes, she hesitated, pacing awkwardly in place. She wanted to reach out and wipe away his tears, but she feared touching him with her monstrous form. In the end, she froze stiffly where she stood.
You Su wiped his arm across his face, regaining his composed and determined expression. He didn’t shy away from her trembling hand suspended in mid-air; instead, he gently pressed his own hand against hers.
Her fleshy arm, covered with tiny tentacles, shook slightly. Her hand was cold, slick, and sticky – but You Su didn’t feel the slightest revulsion. Instead, he embraced the sensation.
Reaching out, he grasped her hand firmly, unbothered by the oozing sores and slippery fluids. With the utmost solemnity, he declared:
“Junior Sister, believe me – I will definitely save you.”
This was a vow the young man had repeated to himself countless times in his heart, but this time he finally made the promise directly to her.
Beneath the candlelight and moonlight, they exchanged solemn vows as deep as the seas and mountains.
“I believe you.”
The junior sister no longer resisted his touch. Her spiraling mouthparts rotated faintly, as if she were smiling—or perhaps crying.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The candlelight slanted gently, casting their intertwined shadows on the floor.
In the end, it was the junior sister who broke away first. She stepped back awkwardly, then clumsily raised her right hand – just as she had forced herself to raise her sword with great difficulty before. This was her way of saying good-bye.
“Junior Sister…”
“Senior Brother, it’s time for you to wake up.”
Before You Su could protest, the colors in his vision began swirling together until they blurred into obscurity. A sudden sensation of falling jolted him awake, and the world he saw upon opening his eyes was once again the familiar haze of reality.
You Su pushed the thin blanket aside and sat up, intending to step outside for some fresh, cool air.
But something felt wrong. Before falling asleep, he had been leaning against the headboard of the bed. Why was he lying flat now, neatly tucked under the covers?
The answer came from Ji Lingruo’s steady breathing nearby.
It seemed that she hadn’t been able to rest easy after all. She must have sneaked into You Su’s room to keep watch over him through the night, only to succumb to exhaustion and fall asleep at the wooden table.
The leaves rustled in the breeze, and the night mist enveloped the bright moon, scattering dappled, shimmering light across the landscape.
A white-robed immortal maiden stood atop the branches of an ancient tree. Her figure was tall and graceful, her posture elegant and refined.
Her face appeared veiled by a gossamer mist, making it difficult to clearly discern her features. She evoked images of distant, lonely peaks and reminded one of clear autumn waters.
Her raven-black hair, tied into an elegant bun, fluttered gently despite being adorned with a simple green jade hairpin. Just like her unadorned, lotus-like dress, which exuded simplicity yet couldn’t conceal the stunning curves beneath.
She didn’t gain luster from the moonlight; rather, the moonlight seemed more beautiful because of her presence.
Grace and nobility surrounded her. She was like the first snowflake to descend upon the mortal realm – just looking at her made one feel like she didn’t belong here. She belonged on a mystical mountain shrouded in clouds and mist.
The immortal maiden gazed silently in one direction, holding a piece of jade that emitted a faint emerald glow now that it had cooled. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, resembling distant misty peaks.
At that moment, the elegant yet luxurious sword hanging by her side began to vibrate inexplicably, its frequency increasing rapidly.
The maiden took it in her hand and examined it closely. This sword… had no sheath.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the blade, shattering the still night:
“He Shutong, what the hell are you doing? Do you have any idea how close your disciple came to dying?”