Chapter 75: The Eldest Senior Sister Wants to Start a Business

Moonlight poured like water, spilling across the bluestone plaza and bathing the four people at the table in gentle silver radiance. Wine and takeout were laid out before them; Bai Yujing reclined in his chair, asking about their progress in cultivation and offering advice on what to be mindful of.

The atmosphere was harmonious.

Liu Shuangling glanced at Bai Yujing’s face, understanding well that his sudden display was likely prompted by loneliness.

She herself occasionally felt that way before. Sometimes, something would stir her emotions, and she’d wish to share her thoughts, only to look around and realize there was no one worth confiding in. Only that inescapable loneliness remained, winding tightly around her heart.

But she was lucky.

Since meeting Bai Yujing, that sense of loneliness almost never arose again.

Yet she was also unlucky.

For such a state of mind belongs only to the strong.

When a person becomes so powerful that those around them seem like a wholly different species, loneliness follows like a shadow.

Liu Shuangling would only regain that feeling after defeating Bai Yujing.

To achieve that, she had to finish her experiment as soon as possible.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Bai Yujing noticed her distraction and suddenly asked, “Have your little side projects yielded any results lately?”

Liu Shuangling snapped back to attention, her hand tightening slightly around her wine glass, but she quickly composed herself, careful not to crush it.

A smile blossomed across her refined oval face. “Master, you really do keep a close eye on our every move.”

“How creepy,” Tia remarked mercilessly, her cheeks flushed a charming red. She was one of those people whose face reddens with the slightest sip of alcohol. “This could count as a crime, couldn’t it? Constantly tracking the whereabouts of beautiful girls, occasionally spying in secret. In society, people like that are called perverts, creeps.”

Her clear, crisp voice and disdainful gaze would, to certain enthusiasts, sound less like an insult and more like supreme praise.

But Bai Yujing was clearly not someone with that sort of proclivity. With a solemn expression, he replied, “I hope you understand this as concern. As your master, I have to take precautions to prevent you from going astray.”

“Tch,” Tia clicked her tongue, but let the matter drop.

She had suspected for some time that Bai Yujing kept a watchful eye on her. When Zhu Ying was rescued from danger, those suspicions became reality. She’d long since come to terms with it; her earlier complaints were merely venting for the sake of it.

If she pressed the issue further, she’d only end up with her name marked in the master’s little black book.

Besides, Bai Yujing wasn’t really in the wrong.

Tia was well aware of her own temperament.

If Bai Yujing embodied a golden spirit of righteousness, then she was undoubtedly the incarnation of a pitch-black will. Without the deterrent of Bai Yujing’s ever-present oversight, she might well have tried some risky shortcuts. But some shortcuts, if tested, could truly lead to death.

Tia fell silent.

Liu Shuangling, all smiles, said, “Master, rest assured. Sooner or later, I will kill you.”

Her voice was gentle, as if inviting someone to afternoon tea; there was not a hint of murderous intent, yet it sent a chill through those who heard it.

Bai Yujing smiled at Liu Shuangling’s bold declaration.

After watching Du Yu’s battle on the arena, he’d become fascinated by the passion of fighting with all one’s might, burning oneself to the limit. It was a combat fervor he’d never experienced.

So far, none of his foes had ever posed a real challenge.

This unusual frustration, if shared with others, would likely be dismissed as mere boasting.

But Bai Yujing genuinely hoped for a battle where he could go all out.

He raised his glass. “Here’s to your dreams coming true!”

“Mm,” Liu Shuangling responded, lifting her glass.

Zhu Ying, expressionless, also raised her cup, though hers contained juice rather than wine. She felt underestimated. But at seventeen, she wasn’t allowed to drink. She glanced enviously at the wine in the others’ glasses, then downed her sweet juice in a single gulp.

...

The night deepened.

Moonlight streamed through the half-open sliding doors into the house, and Liu Shuangling’s figure appeared suddenly in the dim living room.

She walked straight to the bathroom, pressed the switch, and warm light instantly filled the space.

Turning the bathtub faucet, steaming hot water rushed in, vapor slowly spreading through the air.

Liu Shuangling left the bathroom, switched on the lights in the living room and bedroom one by one, soft illumination dispelling the gloom inside.

She entered the kitchen and rummaged in the cupboard for cake and red tea.

The dishes she’d eaten with Bai Yujing at Qingyun Sect were instantly digested the moment they reached her stomach, leaving not even a trace behind.

That was why she could snack again so soon after dinner.

Returning to the bathroom, the tub was nearly overflowing, steam swirling in the air and fogging up the mirror.

She turned off the faucet, swiftly shed her clothes, revealing skin as lustrous as jade.

Liu Shuangling raised her right leg and slowly entered the tub, warm water enveloping her body and bringing an indescribable comfort.

“Ah...” Liu Shuangling exhaled in satisfaction, sinking into the hot water with only her shoulders and above exposed.

She recalled Bai Yujing’s toast for her dreams, her beautiful phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.

Sooner or later, she would shatter Bai Yujing’s composure and confidence.

At that thought, a strange melancholy suddenly welled up within her.

If she truly killed Bai Yujing, what would she do then?

Rule the world?

Liu Shuangling had to admit—she’d lost interest in such things.

After defeating Bai Yujing, she would simply return to the emptiness of loneliness.

“What am I thinking?” Liu Shuangling patted her cheeks, dispelling the inexplicable gloom.

For now, she needed only to focus on her experiment.

Defeating Bai Yujing was still a distant prospect.

There’s no sense in popping the champagne before the game even begins.

...

As the steam dissipated, Liu Shuangling rose from the bath, crystalline droplets sliding down her skin.

She dried herself, changed into a black T-shirt and wide-legged pants in the bedroom, then pulled out her phone, fingers gliding across the screen to review the batch of citizen data she’d just purchased.

Thirty thousand entries crowded the display, a veritable ocean of data.

To sift suitable targets from among them would undoubtedly take a considerable amount of time.

Perhaps she ought to establish a group?

Liu Shuangling considered how her experiment would expand in the future, requiring even more wicked souls. If she relied solely on herself, how long would it take to find them all?

A team devoted to punishing evil and upholding justice...

She pondered, quickly settling on a name for the organization.

Recruitment could proceed gradually.

After all, Bai Yujing was aware of her little schemes yet had not intervened, tacitly approving her actions.

She could afford to be a bit bolder.