After a while, Su Qianqian came out, wiping her mouth helplessly, while Su Lingling held her head, having just been struck rather hard. But since their goal had been achieved, it was worth it!
“This really is strange. That Heavenly Medicine with enchanting powers from the Hehuan Sect isn’t with me, so why has it all developed into this…” Su Qianqian muttered softly.
Su Lingling heard her sister’s murmur, smiled, and hugged Su Qianqian from behind, resting her chin on her sister’s shoulder.
“Sister, have you ever considered that maybe it’s because you yourself are so charming?”
“There are so many beautiful people in the world if we only look at appearances…” Su Qianqian continued to mutter, confused.
“But charm isn’t just about looks, Sister. There’s something in you that has never changed, even after reincarnation—your soul, your personality, your actions, your warmth. These have nothing to do with your appearance, but they’re what make people unable to resist you…”
“And all of that is enough for many people to chase after you endlessly. Even if your looks changed, even if your gender changed, they’d still love you. That’s also… the reason I’ve always loved you, Sister.”
Su Lingling whispered softly in her sister’s ear, her words sincere and earnest, without the slightest trace of pretense. It even made Su Qianqian feel a little shy, her fingers unconsciously curling her hair as she hesitated, unable to find the words to reply.
Just as Su Lingling finished praising her, her tone turned gloomy: “But that’s also the downside, Sister. You’re so charming that you’ve attracted too many people. If not, you’d be mine alone—a treasure only I could find…”
Seeing the disappointment on Su Lingling’s face, Su Qianqian rubbed her little sister’s face with the back of her head, then replied seriously, “But I’ll always be your sister. You’ll always be the family I love most, and you can always rely on me.”
Looking at her earnest sister, Su Lingling went from sad to delighted, lips curving into a smile: “That’s right, we’re family… That’s exactly why no one can help but like you, Sister～”
The two didn’t speak much after that, and soon arrived at Sword Heaven Peak.
After greeting her sister and Master, Su Lingling left directly.
She’d moved out of her Master’s Cave Dwelling a few years ago and now lived nearby, only coming back to cultivate, for reasons that were obvious.
“Lingling still seems a little down. Is she still worried about the Heavenly Medicine in her body?” Lin Muxue asked with concern.
Su Qianqian sighed in response, “Probably…”
Lin Muxue nodded. The concern was understandable—after all, it was an abnormal situation that had never happened before, and she needed to pay close attention, since there was indeed a risk.
At that moment, Su Qianqian found herself recalling what Su Lingling had just said, torn about how to cut off Lingling’s inappropriate feelings.
Absentmindedly, she followed along into the bedroom. Suddenly, Su Qianqian realized she was being carried toward the bed.
After these few years, Lin Muxue was finally able to take good care of Su Qianqian’s stamina. Before Su Qianqian was completely exhausted, their passion subsided.
Wrapped in a blanket, Su Qianqian lay on the bed, mind blank.
She could feel the lotus pod inside her already filled with lotus seeds, her cultivation now complete and a breakthrough possible at any moment.
She’d suppressed the urge to break through for some time, so she turned to Lin Muxue, who was tidying up nearby, and said:
“Muxue, I’ll need to enter Retreat soon to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. I might be in Retreat for a long time, so I’d like you to look after Lingling, Nuonuo, and Siqian for me.”
“Already breaking through, are you…? Leave them to me. Just focus on your Retreat. I’ll take care of their safety and cultivation.”
Lin Muxue’s earnest response put Su Qianqian at ease. If there was one thing Su Qianqian felt most about Lin Muxue, it was trust and reliability.
Lin Muxue was someone who kept her word and took things seriously. With her around, Su Qianqian always felt at ease.
“Sorry, Muxue. Because of me, you probably haven’t had a chance to truly enter a proper Retreat for a long time, have you?”
“For me, whether I spend a few more decades or a few less in Retreat doesn’t make much difference. Tempering my heart in the mortal world, experiencing the real world, might actually be more important.”
“I see… That’s good then…”
Very soon, the tired Su Qianqian drifted off to sleep. Lin Muxue quietly watched her sleeping figure, eyes full of tender affection, her lips unable to suppress a smile.
“Your companionship over two lifetimes has changed me, letting me realize there’s more to this world than cultivation, Retreat, and the Sect. There are also lequ, street, and those we love…”
“Sleep well, sleep well, and live peacefully forever. Leave everything to me.”
Breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage could take years at the longest, a few months at the shortest.
To a cultivator, this amount of time passed in the blink of an eye, but Su Qianqian still couldn’t rest easy.
Before entering Retreat, she had to carefully remind the people around her.
First was her sister, who was both reassuring and worrisome: “Lingling, cultivate diligently and stabilize your realm. Don’t get too arrogant. If anything happens, go find Master right away. If Master is busy, look for Chu Youtong—she’s definitely got time.”
“Got it, Sister. Just focus on your Retreat. By the way, when you come out this time, will you already be at the Nascent Soul Stage? It feels like a lifetime has passed…”
“It still feels like yesterday that we were living together in that little city, but in the blink of an eye, you’re about to reach Nascent Soul, and I’ve already formed my Jiedan. When I first joined, I was so envious of those in the Foundational Establishment who could fly～”
Hearing her sister say that, Su Qianqian also felt how fast the world changed—in just a few short years.
Thinking of their cultivation speed, Su Qianqian suddenly remembered something important:
“Your talent is very high, and your current cultivation speed is even faster than in my last life. But that means your temperament will lag far behind your cultivation. That’s dangerous. Because I was a Wandering Cultivator in my last life, I had plenty of experience, but you, Lingling, might not even be able to kill a chicken without feeling guilty. Maybe you should go out to train a bit. Let Chu Youtong accompany you to keep you safe. I’ll contact you after I’m out of Retreat—and don’t you dare pick up any bad habits from her!”
“Go out and train, huh… I’ll think about it. Anyway, you just focus on your Retreat, Sister! You don’t have to worry about me!”
Su Qianqian nodded. Most of the time, Su Lingling was obedient and easy to handle.
Afterward, Su Qianqian also went to talk to Liu Qingyao and Su Changfeng in advance, to keep them from worrying during her years of seclusion.
Finally—
“Mommy, am I not going to see you for a long time again…” Luo Siqian asked, sounding lost.
“Don’t worry, it’ll still be a while. I heard your Mother will finish her business soon. When that happens, she’ll come get you. I’ll do my best to wait until after she takes you back before entering Retreat.”
“Really?!” Luo Siqian’s eyes widened. She truly missed her Mother! But soon, she asked pitifully, “After I go back, will I still get to see Mommy?”
Su Qianqian pinched Luo Siqian’s little face, answering gently, “Of course you can. Whenever you want to visit, you’re always welcome. After all, you’re also my most beloved daughter.”
Now, Su Qianqian called her ‘daughter’ with ease. When facing Luo Siqian’s small figure, her maternal instinct showed, and she spoke of her ‘most beloved daughter’ with complete sincerity.
Luo Siqian looked at her gentle mother, feeling completely at ease, then planted a light kiss on her mother’s cheek: “You’re my most beloved mommy too～”
……
A month later, Su Qianqian felt she could no longer suppress the urge to break through and had no choice but to begin her Retreat.
It was a pity that Luo Wuhen hadn’t managed to come and take little Siqian away before Su Qianqian entered seclusion.
……