Zhu Zhao: “...”
It was a miracle that she, dense as she was, could actually sense that something was slightly off.
If she herself were to do the same, would Song Yao think nothing of it as well?
Song Yao rolled over and sat up, handing the control doll she had retrieved from under the blanket to Zhu Zhao. “I reckon it's still a problem with her love threads,” she said. “Most of them are probably inside this doll, but the main issue is that I don't know how to break it. If I destroy it by force, I don't know if her love threads will be damaged as well.”
Having already recovered from her initial shock, she nudged closer to Zhu Zhao. “Can you press Xie Zhou to look for a solution while he's at the Taiqing Pavilion? Please?”
Zhu Zhao: “...”
She didn't look at the doll. Instead, her gaze fixed on Song Yao's face with an indescribable expression. “You think she's treating you like this because she lacks her love threads?”
Song Yao blinked. “Otherwise?”
If it wasn't because she lacked her love threads, why wouldn't she torment or take revenge on her in some other way? Why resort to a self-sabotaging method that hurt herself just as much?
“...”
Suddenly, Zhu Zhao felt a strange pang of pity for Wen Tang.
At the same time, she found it utterly ridiculous.
Would they have to go all the way to the very last step—making her cry beneath them—before she finally realized what was actually going on?
Or even if they reached that point, would she still blink those innocent eyes of hers and desperately search for some high-sounding excuse for her junior brother and sister?
Would she find an excuse for her too?
Zhu Zhao was at a loss for words. She walked over to the wardrobe, pulled out a brand-new Daoist robe, and draped it over Song Yao's shoulders, carefully dressing her from the inside out. “Xie Zhou is already looking for a way. Let Wen Tang stay on the main peak. You should go to Mingjing Pavilion. She can't get in there, so she won't be able to force herself on you.”
Having put on her clothes, Song Yao had clearly thrown the previous incident to the back of her mind. She waved her hand and grinned. “It's fine. Fifth Junior Sister didn't actually do anything to me. Besides, we're both girls. It's no big deal if she touches me or even kisses me a couple of times. It's not a problem.”
Zhu Zhao: “...”
It was rare to see such a textbook case of someone forgetting the pain the moment the wound healed, and so quickly at that.
Then again, for Song Yao, it was entirely normal.
In the past, every time she was punished, she would cry and wail, promising to turn over a new leaf. Yet the moment she stepped out of the Discipline Hall, she would immediately turn around and torment the deacon elder who had ordered her punishment.
Under the current circumstances, this behavior was typical of her.
Zhu Zhao stared at her with dark, brooding eyes. Seeing her lean down to scoop up the puppy on the floor, she couldn't help but speak up. “If you keep tolerating them like this, they will only push the boundaries further.”
Song Yao truly felt wronged.
How on earth was she tolerating them?
She had already said no ten thousand times.
But with one of them missing her love threads and the other seemingly possessed, they probably couldn't control themselves either, which was why they committed these transgressions.
Besides, they were the junior brother and sister she had watched grow up. She had already tormented them plenty in the past; she couldn't very well fight them to the death now.
More importantly, she couldn't beat them anyway.
Holding Lin Shui in one arm, she sat cross-legged on the daybed. Looking up at Zhu Zhao, she asked in her still-raspy voice, raising an eyebrow with a smile, “Is Second Senior Sister feeling bad for me?”
Zhu Zhao: “...”
She really did forget the pain the moment the wound healed.
And she still seemed to think she hadn't provoked enough people.
Pouring a cup of tea in silence, she walked over and held it to Song Yao's lips, her eyes flickering slightly. “If I do feel bad for you, will you stay away from them? Please?”
Song Yao drank the water, and her dry throat felt a bit better.
Without a second thought, she stretched out her arm and seized the opportunity. “Of course! Just have Fusheng remove this mark for me, and I'll leave immediately. I definitely won't let them near me again.”
Her slender wrist still bore the red marks left by the threads, evoking a faint, dark impulse to bind her up as well.
Zhu Zhao glanced at her. “You know that's impossible.”
It was dangerous outside, and that so-called Immortal Venerable was still searching for her.
Without the mark, who knew if she would vanish without a trace again one day?
Song Yao hadn't expected it to work anyway. “Oh,” she murmured. “Is Fifth Elder awake yet?”
She changed the subject far too quickly. Zhu Zhao shook her head. “They said he won't wake up for the next couple of days. If he does, the people from Jiyue Peak will let us know. You don't need to worry too much.”
Having lingered here for a while, she added, “Since you have Wen Tang's control doll in hand, keep her in her own courtyard for now. Stay safe, and don't get too close to her. If anything happens, contact me through the longevity lock.”
Song Yao: “Will do, will do.”
The moment Zhu Zhao left, Song Yao slipped out right after her.
Just now, she had clearly seen Zhu Zhao holding a map of the Beiming Mountain Range.
Frost City was located in that general area of the Beiming Mountain Range.
The fact that she had taken the entire map suggested that the demon realm might have expanded again, perhaps even swallowing other cities and territories.
A size comparable to Frost City was already terrifying enough. If it expanded any further, the strength of the demons within would truly be unfathomable.
If they were to invade outward, it wouldn't be as simple as just one city falling.
Song Yao couldn't bear to stay on the main peak any longer.
Staying with Wen Tang and Xie Zhou was far more exhausting than dealing with demons.
She needed to go on a little vacation in the demon realm to relax.
She sent Lin Shui back to Baicao Peak, then rushed to the elixir room and stuffed a bunch of pills into her spatial pouch.
The disciple on duty was horrified. “Seventh Senior Sister, th-these were all just refined by Master! They belong to the sect and must be reported before they can be used!”
Seventh Elder rushed over. Upon seeing this bandit, he hastily held back the disciple. “It's fine, it's fine! Let her take them! She's just taking some pills to play with. It's not like she's blowing up the Pill Pavilion. It's really fine.”
The disciple: “?!”
Blow up the Pill Pavilion too?!
Staring at the completely ransacked room and the person who had vanished in the blink of an eye, he asked Seventh Elder in a stammer, “Seventh Senior Sister... why does Seventh Senior Sister bear such a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance...”
Seventh Elder laughed, “Haha, how could that be? You must have seen wrong. No matter, no matter. I'll just refine them again...”
Pocketing her essentials, Song Yao headed to Jiyue Peak to ask Fifth Elder's husband to make some pastries for her to take into the demon realm.
With Fifth Elder's accident, Fifth Elder's husband had also lost some weight, and several strands of his hair had turned white.
Seeing Song Yao, he managed to squeeze out a rare smile. “Just tell me what you want to eat. Everyone's appetite has been poor lately, and I haven't had a chance to show off my skills.”
Song Yao boldly ordered a massive pile of pastries. Helplessly, Fifth Elder's husband pulled out an entire jar of sugar and said with a chuckle, “How are you still so fond of sweets? Don't think that just because your cultivation constitution is special and you don't easily get toothaches, you can just do whatever you want. If you end up in pain later, you won't be able to eat anything.”
Song Yao paused, then leaned lazily against the door. “You know too? Aren't you afraid?”
The other elders had all been keeping their distance, neither denouncing her nor interacting with her. She didn't know what was wrong with them.
Fifth Elder's husband washed his hands and turned to look at her acting like a little adult. He laughed in spite of himself. “What is there for me to fear? Yao'ao enjoys my cooking more than anyone else. Knowing it's you, I couldn't be happier.”
He sized her up from head to toe. “You used to be so sturdy, able to fight with those kids from Jiyue Peak for two days and two nights straight. Now that you've ended up like this, you must not have been eating properly, have you?”
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