Early the next morning, Lin Wuming carried his junior sister on his back and arrived at the village entrance.
The autumn chill had deepened.
Without any cultivation to resist the cold, the wind felt quite sharp.
Lying against her senior brother’s back, He Yingying could feel his warmth in front of her and felt a strange flutter in her chest.
This was the second time Lin Wuming had carried her like this.
As a royal princess, she could tolerate being served meals, but being carried on someone’s back—this was an experience she had never imagined.
At first, she felt shy and embarrassed, but she knew she couldn’t walk, and this was the only way.
Truthfully, she was just being a burden to her senior brother.
So, she said nothing.
She quietly lay on his back, silently savoring the strange but subtle feeling.
“You’re here?”
Senior sister had already been waiting at the village entrance.
She had a cloak in hand and, upon seeing Lin Wuming, immediately draped it—over He Yingying’s back.
Bai Bingyun didn’t speak, but her face clearly showed irritation.
“This time, I won’t be going with you. Take care of yourselves on the road. Winter is coming, and both of you are just ordinary flesh-and-blood mortals now. Stay warm, alright?”
She helped Lin Wuming fasten the cloak as she spoke.
“Uh…”
Lin Wuming found her words a bit strange.
‘Both of you are flesh-and-blood mortals?’
As if she wasn’t one too.
Still, this was a farewell.
He didn’t overthink it.
He just felt a bit reluctant to leave the village… and his senior sister.
Newbie Village was remote.
Now that he was setting off to officially begin his cultivation journey, who knew when he’d return?
By then, some of the village elders might no longer be around…
This thought made him feel even more melancholic.
Looking at his gentle and kind senior sister, thinking back to the days spent in the village, Lin Wuming opened his mouth… but didn’t know what to say.
Meanwhile, Bai Bingyun was nearly jumping in frustration.
She had no idea how many pending matters were piling up on the demon side.
News from the outside world didn’t reach Newbie Village—who knew what major events had occurred in the past year?
She couldn’t afford to delay even a moment longer.
But her junior brother was dragging this out with sentimentality, which made her both angry and helpless.
Holding back her irritation was harder than her last battle with that old man from the Taixu Hall.
“Alright, go already…”
She finally waved him off, though she still wore a warm smile and didn’t show a trace of impatience.
He was her junior brother, after all. She could spoil him a little…
As for that little junior sister? She was already holding back from punching her!
“Then… senior sister, I’ll be off now…”
Lin Wuming took a deep breath.
He was a man, after all—being overly emotional wouldn’t do.
Besides, this was only a temporary parting.
They’d meet again.
By then, he might already be a powerful cultivator.
He’d be the one taking care of and protecting his senior sister.
He gave a final wave and walked off without looking back.
Bai Bingyun watched his departing figure.
As a demon empress, she suddenly felt a pang of discomfort in her chest.
Of course, part of the reason was also that he was still carrying that girl on his back…
“This brat… really didn’t look back.”
As the young man disappeared into the distance, the cool and aloof white-robed empress resumed her usual demeanor.
But then, Lin Wuming suddenly turned around at the edge of the path and gave her a silly smile.
Bai Bingyun’s icy face melted instantly, the corners of her lips curling up ever so slightly, warmth spreading through her chest.
“This little brat…”
Time was short.
She turned back toward the village, but halfway down the path, she suddenly slipped into a small alley.
In the next second, she was gone.
***
Outside the village, Lin Wuming fell deep into thought.
His senior sister made it sound easy—but where should he go now?
Other than the time he’d run away from home and wandered a bit, he’d always stayed put.
Now, he didn’t really know where to begin.
Maybe he should head home first?
[Host has exited Newbie Village. New mission unlocked.]
Suddenly, a flood of notifications rushed into his mind.
[Mission: Junior Sister Rescue Plan]
[Objective: As a senior brother, how can you allow your junior sister to remain crippled? Find a way to heal her injuries and reconstruct her meridians.]
[Reward: Depends on how little gratitude your junior sister shows. The less grateful she is, the better the reward. Max reward: Primordial Chaos Body Technique]
[Note: In the beginning, there was neither being nor non-being. The primordial breath of chaos gives birth to the indestructible body and eternal soul that transcends time.]
“Holy sh*t…”
This Primordial Chaos Body Technique sounded even more broken than the Creation Saint Dao Technique from before!
What was “Primordial”?
It was what came before all things—even before chaos.
The origin of all existence.
Those who could cultivate it would become ultimate body cultivators, saints of the flesh, immune to tribulations, and eternal across eras.
Last time, he got unlucky.
But this time?
This mission was fully within his control.
As long as he healed his junior sister while keeping her ungrateful, he’d get the reward!
Worst case, he could just apologize later.
Lin Wuming was feeling very confident.
When it came to being a straight-up jerk, he feared no one!
This time, he had it in the bag.
As he thought this, his mouth moved instinctively.
“From your bearing, junior sister, you were born into a wealthy family, right?”
“Huh? Mm… I guess so.”
He Yingying wasn’t sure why her senior brother was suddenly asking this, but she nodded.
Being royalty counted as rich, didn’t it?
“I thought so. That’s why you’re so pampered. Typical spoiled rich girl.”
Lin Wuming snorted coldly, face full of disdain.
If he wanted her to not be grateful, he had to start now—no more playing the caring older brother.
Time to let her know: she and that technique were not on the same level.
His words shocked not only He Yingying, but also Bai Bingyun—who was hiding in a nearby bush, ready to sneak after them—into momentary confusion.
What happened last night?
Why was he suddenly so cold to her?
The little fox tilted her head, a big question mark on her tiny face.
Wait a minute…
Could it be?
Could it be that this little brat never liked that girl?
That he only pretended to get along for her (Bai Bingyun’s) sake—to make her feel at ease?
Bai Bingyun looked at the now-irritated Lin Wuming and grew more and more convinced. Her mood immediately brightened.
She knew it!
A flat-chested little brat like that?
How could she ever compete?
This little junior brother really cared—he even tricked her!
He was totally worth doting on!
Funny how she didn’t even leave