Something Unexpected

"Jingjing! It's me! Open the door for your brother! I've got good news!" he said excitedly, and soon he heard the door unlocking. Then, it opened, revealing his sister's worried little face.

"Brother!" she cried and ran to hug him as soon as she saw him, but her eyes were full of anxiety instead of the usual happiness. "Brother, you didn't get into trouble to get the spirit stones back, did you? Jingjing is fine, I don't need medicine, look!" she said quickly, stepping back and lifting her sleeve to show a little muscle… if one could even call that thin, pale arm a muscle.

When her brother found out his spirit pouch had been stolen earlier, he ran off in a panic. No matter how much she screamed for him to stop, he left anyway, assuring her he'd be fine.

She wanted to run after him and stop him, but she knew she wouldn't get far before fainting from the effort. She'd only end up bringing more trouble to her brother. So she had no choice but to stay home, desperately praying for him every second since he left.

Not that praying for him was anything new—after all, she did it every day while he was out, risking himself. But this time, she felt the danger was greater. Her brother had never been tricked like that before.

Bai Yan felt his heart tighten at the sight of his sister's worried face. He felt like he had failed as a brother.

Other children her age should be cheerful, lively, and fearless, like the little girl Lin Xiaoxue he had met. But his sister never had the chance to be any of that. She had always been sensible, never complained, and constantly smiled for him, silently hiding her own worries and sadness so he wouldn't see… What she didn't know was that he saw everything.

Every time she woke up at night quietly crying, he would hear her and cry too, hidden in his own corner. Every time she forced a smile to cheer him up, he'd force one back to say he was okay. And every time her faith broke… his broke too.

His eyes turned red at the memories. And in the face of the new hope he had found, he couldn't stop silent tears from falling, staining the smile on his face.

Seeing this, Jingjing felt a lump in her throat. And she did what she did best.

She smiled at him.

"Brother, don't worry. Jingjing is fine and doesn't need medicine. As long as you're with me, Jingjing is happy," she said gently, hugging him tightly again.

Bai Yan pulled her into a tight hug when he saw her like that. He knew she had misunderstood upon seeing his tears, thinking he hadn't managed to recover the spirit pouch.

But seeing her so calm in the face of death, still trying to cheer him up, made his heart ache more than ever.

He was only 16. And she, 11. They shouldn't have lived like this.

Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"Jingjing, you misunderstood. Your brother got the spirit stones back. And not only that — he joined a powerful sect and got free treatment for you." He pulled her small body back and looked her in the eyes with a smile.

Bai Jingjing was stunned by what she heard. Instinctively, she looked at her brother's clothes and only then noticed he was dressed differently — high-quality, luxurious gray robes, very different from what he used to wear.

"Brother, you…" she looked at him in surprise.

Jingjing knew her brother's spiritual root was bad. It was three times worse than a low-level single-element root. With luck, he might reach perfection in Qi Refining at eighty years old.

Ordinary sects wouldn't accept such talent even as an outer disciple. It was considered a waste of resources, and there were always better mixed roots available that cultivated faster.

At most, he could become a menial disciple, or a guard for some cultivator family.

So she was surprised that he had been accepted into a sect—especially one that would cover the cost of her treatment.

"It's a long story. Let's not waste time. I'll tell you the rest on the way," Bai Yan pulled her from her thoughts and bent down, offering his back.

Still stunned, she climbed on.

He started running, answering her questions along the way.

…

Before the immense flying ship of the Infinite Dao Sect, the Bai siblings couldn't help but marvel.

It was a colossal black monster floating calmly in the air, occupying an impressive area.

Swallowing hard, Bai Yan stepped onto the energy bridge extending to the ground. It was equally vast and imposing.

Occasionally, a few disciples walked up or down it.

As soon as his foot touched the bridge made of beautiful colored rays, his storage pouch vibrated. A gray token flew out, shone brightly, and seemed to communicate with the bridge before silently returning to the pouch.

The two siblings were stunned by what they saw. When Bai Yan came back to his senses, he blushed slightly, feeling like a country bumpkin.

But without hesitating any further, he walked up.

"What was that, brother?" Jingjing asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Because of her illness, she rarely left the house, so this adventure had visibly brightened her, making Bai Yan smile gently and forget his embarrassment over being dazzled by the bridge.

"I'm not sure, but I imagine it's some kind of identity check to prevent intruders from entering. What flew out of my pouch was my disciple token, bound by blood." He shrugged, explaining what he assumed it was.

Jingjing nodded, trusting that he was probably right.

Then, following the map he received through a jade slip — which he had already read earlier — Bai Yan made his way to the alchemy pavilion, feeling his nervousness grow as he watched the intense activity inside the enormous ship of the Infinite Dao Sect.

As he approached the pavilion, he saw a figure casually leaning against the wall — none other than Aotian.

Beside him, chatting cheerfully, was the little girl Xiaoxue, who turned her gaze toward them as soon as she saw them approaching.

Skipping over to the siblings, she looked curiously at the shy little head slightly hidden behind Bai Yan's back.

"Is this the special person you mentioned? Is she your sister?" Xiaoxue asked, blinking her big eyes full of curiosity.

"Yes, Senior Sister," Bai Yan replied respectfully, though helplessly.

He preferred to call her young miss as before, but with his current status, he could only force himself to use that title.

"Ohoho! Junior Brother, you've climbed up in my ranks." Xiaoxue laughed strangely, deepening her voice and stroking her long beard… or rather, her smooth chin, playing the role of a seasoned senior upon hearing the respectful tone.

Rolling his eyes, Aotian stepped up from behind and, using his spiritual energy, gently tugged the hair tie holding one of Xiaoxue's buns, making it fall and messing up her hair.

Caught off guard, Xiaoxue widened her eyes and turned around furiously, puffing her cheeks like a squirrel as she glared angrily at Aotian.

Aotian couldn't help himself when he saw her expression, and a wide smile spread across his face, infuriating her even more.

"Hihi…" Jingjing, on Bai Yan's back, couldn't resist the funny scene and let out a giggle.

But upon realizing what she'd done, she got startled and quickly lowered her head even further, hiding behind her brother.

From Aotian's point of view, all he could see were those big innocent eyes blinking up at him.

Smiling gently, Aotian looked at Bai Yan with more respect and kindness.

'Looks like he's a good brother, fighting for his little sister. I can respect that.'

Without delay, he turned and led the way.

"Let's go."

With that command, he entered the alchemy pavilion, followed by the two and a fuming Xiaoxue, who quickly fixed her hair and followed along.

Upon entering, the room held only a single empty counter. Without surprise, he took out his disciple token and placed it on the surface.

As soon as the token touched the counter, it glowed faintly with runes before returning to normal.

After storing the token, Aotian waited.

"Senior Brother Long, what was that?" Bai Yan asked, curious.

Aotian turned and raised an eyebrow.

"You will still receive certain instructions once the recruitment in this city is over. But while we're waiting here, there's no harm in talking." 

He thought for a moment before continuing.

"The elders are not always available to the disciples, so this is the method used to summon them. When they are free, they will come to you. But remember: try not to summon an elder and leave without waiting, disturbing them. Your name will be registered by the internal formations of the pavilion as soon as you place your token on the counter, and they will know it was you."

He explained casually.

Although he didn't need to go through this process to summon the elders, since they were his avatars, he still had to pretend in front of the disciples.

"I see…" Bai Yan nodded.

At that moment, an elder arrived through an inner door.

It was Yang Shi, the outer elder of the alchemy pavilion. Black hair and eyes, red robes, and a kind, sociable appearance.

Everyone joined their hands and bowed respectfully, including Jingjing, who had already climbed down from her brother's back.

Yang Shi waved his hand calmly.

"No need to be so formal." He smiled warmly, and everyone straightened up. "Now, tell me. How can I help you?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Bai Yan was surprised to see such an approachable and warm elder, but it wasn't the time to get distracted.

Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the floor in supplication.

"Elder, my sister was poisoned by the Waning Moon Poison of the Heavenly Venom Sect. Please, I beg you, save her," he pleaded, his face against the ground, discarding all dignity.

Jingjing, seeing her brother kneel so pitifully, felt her heart ache, but she wasted no time and imitated him, kneeling beside him and pressing her forehead to the ground. She couldn't interrupt her brother's efforts by screaming for him not to kneel or something like that.

Faced with the scene of the loyal brother and the sensible little girl, Aotian's heart softened. And that was reflected in the eyes of Yang Shi, who watched them with sympathy.

With a gesture, an invisible force gently lifted them.

"Don't do that. I was already going to help you with all my ability, even if you didn't kneel. But I don't know this poison. I need to check the girl's pulse to better understand what's going on," Yang Shi explained kindly and calmly.

His words, however, made Bai Yan's heart freeze.

"Y-you don't know what poison it is?" His hopes deflated like a popped balloon.

If the elder didn't even recognize the poison, how could he save his sister from such a vile toxin?

"No. Is it famous?" Yang Shi asked with a confused expression.

"It's the most powerful poison of the Heavenly Venom Sect. They say only the sect leader has access to it," Bai Yan explained, powerless.

"Oh… is that sect famous?" he asked again, with a completely clueless air.

"Uhh… it's well-known. It's a powerful demonic sect in the Foundation Establishment realm," Bai Yan answered, his lips twitching.

"Oh… must be very weak. Maybe that's why I've never heard of it. Is it in this domain? If it is, we can destroy it when we pass through," Yang Shi remarked, blinking with curiosity.

Bai Yan stared at him, speechless.

Ignoring his reaction, Yang Shi turned to Jingjing.

"Little girl, even without knowing the poison, I believe it won't be a problem for me to get rid of it. My alchemy skills are nothing to scoff at. May I check your pulse?" he asked kindly and warmly, crouching slightly to speak more gently.

Jingjing held her wrist, rocking her body slightly, a bit embarrassed.

She felt comforted by the kind elder, and she could see in his eyes that his kindness was genuine.

But even though she wanted to trust him instinctively, she looked at her brother for permission.

Bai Yan snapped out of his daze, and when he saw his sister's gaze, he hesitated.

There was a secret in her roots that he preferred to keep hidden, but thinking about the powerful Infinite Dao Sect and the hope of seeing her healthy, he clenched his teeth and nodded, making his decision.

With her brother's approval, Jingjing took a deep breath. Fighting her shyness, she took a small step forward and stretched out her pale little arm, head lowered.

With great care, Yang Shi held her wrist with two fingers, supporting her arm with his thumb underneath.

His energy entered her roots, and as he observed them, he saw something surprising.

"Oh… this is unexpected."

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I thought the arc was going to end in this one, but it turned out to be really long.

But the time skip plan should happen in the next chapter anyway; the ending of this arc should share space with it, and I imagine both will fit.