Chapter 205: Big Lazy Pig
How should she even begin to process this? Rovel had executed the mission with obvious efficiency, yet Red Kite couldn't help but wish he harbored just a fraction more reverence for human life.
At the very least, he could have left an intact corpse, she thought, her gaze lingering on the absolute devastation before them. A quiet, nagging worry took root in her chest. What if this casual brutality was the seed of a future demon? She watched him brush the dust from his sleeves, his demeanor entirely unbothered. For now, he seemed perfectly stable. She would simply have to keep a close eye on him, gently guiding his moral compass before he strayed too far into the dark.
While Red Kite wrestled with her internal turmoil, the heavy wooden doors of the compound creaked open. Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru, having heard the devastating commotion, cautiously slipped out into the cool night air. The two girls stood close together, projecting a fragile bravado.
"We are the Holy Maidens of the Holy Fire Cult," Jiang Wanxi declared, her voice trembling only slightly as she eyed the strangers. "Who are you? And where is the Holy Lord?"
"Over there." Rovel didn't even turn his head. He casually raised a finger, pointing toward a massive, smoking crater that dominated the courtyard. As if on cue, a single, charred shred of a white robe drifted lazily down from the sky, settling into the center of the blackened pit.
A heavy silence fell over the courtyard. Jiang Wanru's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she immediately shrank back, hiding her small frame behind her older sister.
"Their aptitude is decent," Red Kite murmured, her sharp eyes scanning the two trembling girls. She could sense the latent energy within them. While their innate talent might not rival the monstrous potential of Su Mei or Rovel, it was still exceptionally rare. "Let's take them with us."
Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru offered no protests. They exchanged a brief, hollow look. As orphans adrift in a chaotic world, the concept of home was a luxury they had long forgotten. One roof was much the same as another.
"And what about her?" Rovel asked, shifting his finger toward the shadows.
Huddled quietly behind a shattered stone lantern was another girl, her large eyes observing them with an eerie detachment. Red Kite's breath hitched, her pupils contracting slightly. A suffocating, highly concentrated aura of Honkai Energy radiated from the small child's body, chilling the surrounding air. In a terrifyingly real sense, this quiet girl felt far more like a true Herrscher than Yan Shiluo ever had.
"You are..." Red Kite took a slow, measured step forward, her voice softening.
"She's very strange," Jiang Wanxi interrupted, keeping a wary distance from the lantern. "She doesn't acknowledge anyone at all. Not even the cult members."
Jiang Wanru nodded vigorously, her small hands gripping her sister's sleeve. "She... she won't answer you. She never speaks."
The girl sat motionless on the cold dirt. She wore an oversized robe that swallowed her small frame, the hem heavily stained with ash and dust from dragging across the floor. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, her head bowed, completely sealed off from the world around her.
"...What is her name?" Red Kite asked, her gaze locked onto the child. For a fleeting, painful moment, the immortal warrior saw a mirror image of her own ancient, isolated past reflected in that small, lonely figure.
"Her name?" Jiang Wanxi tapped her chin, searching her memory. "I think it was..."
"Cheng Lingshuang!" Jiang Wanru chimed in, finishing the thought.
The journey back to Taixu Mountain was swift. By the time their boots touched the familiar stone steps of the peak, the moon hung high and pale in the midnight sky. Despite the late hour, the heavy courtyard doors swung open, and Lin Chaoyu hurried out to greet them, a lantern swaying in her grip.
"Master, you've returned," Chaoyu said softly, before her gaze drifted downward. "These three children..." A warm hint of curiosity softened her usually disciplined expression.
"My name is Jiang Wanxi!"
"My name is Jiang Wanru!"
"Greetings, Sister Chaoyu!" the two sisters shouted in perfect, ringing unison, bowing deeply.
During the journey, Rovel had given them a brief rundown of the hierarchy on Taixu Mountain, ensuring they recognized the diligent Eldest Senior Sister the moment they saw her.
"Chaoyu," Red Kite instructed, her tone returning to its usual calm authority. "Take them to wash up and find them some clean clothes. I will begin teaching them the Sword Heart Mantra tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Master," Chaoyu replied, bowing her head respectfully.
Only after Red Kite's silhouette vanished into the main hall did Chaoyu finally release a long, pent-up sigh of relief. The rigid tension bled from her shoulders as she turned her full attention to the group.
"Rovel, was your sword trial successful?" Chaoyu asked, her brow furrowing with genuine concern as she inspected him for wounds. "The rumors in the martial world claim this Yan Shiluo was the Second Under Heaven. You weren't injured, were you?"
"Thank you for your concern, Eldest Senior Sister. I'm perfectly fine," Rovel replied, offering a light, easy smile that didn't betray a hint of exhaustion.
Jiang Wanxi crossed her arms, her tone deadpan. "He's definitely fine. The Holy Lord, on the other hand, is very much not."
"Mm-hmm," Jiang Wanru nodded sagely. "The Holy Lord was beaten into ash. Actually, no... there's probably not even any ash left to sweep up."
Chaoyu's lip twitched. She stared at Rovel, reevaluating her junior brother. It seemed she had vastly underestimated his monstrous strength. Because Rovel had not yet formed a proper Sword Heart, she had spent the entire evening pacing the courtyard in a state of anxious dread. Hearing the twins' blunt summary, the heavy stone of worry finally lifted from her chest.
Still, a different kind of concern replaced it. She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a gentle, sympathetic whisper. "If you feel uncomfortable about taking a life, you can tell me. Don't try to endure the psychological burden all by yourself."
Chaoyu vividly recalled the miserable, trembling state she had been in after killing a corrupted madman for the very first time. She had violently emptied her stomach for two days straight and couldn't even look at a plate of meat for over a month. Projecting her own past trauma, she offered the comforting words to her junior brother.
Jiang Wanxi tilted her head, giving Rovel a skeptical side-eye. "Would he feel uncomfortable? I really can't tell."
"We literally just saw him smiling at a crater," Jiang Wanru pointed out, her voice dripping with childhood innocence.
Rovel sighed inwardly. This pair of sisters were already proving to be absolute experts at roasting people without even trying.
"I really am fine. Senior Sister, please take them to wash up. I'll go get a few of the empty rooms ready for them," Rovel said, shaking his head in mild amusement.
"Alright, then I'll leave the accommodations to you," Chaoyu agreed. She turned to the girls. "You three, come with me for now."
Her gentle gaze naturally fell upon Cheng Lingshuang, who was still hiding silently at the very back of the group. Without pushing, Chaoyu softly took the girl's small, cold hand and led the three of them toward the hot springs at the back of the mountain. Chaoyu was already well accustomed to new disciples being traumatized and unwilling to speak; Su Mei had been exactly the same way when she first arrived.
A short while later, Rovel was deep in the throes of domestic labor, dragging heavy wooden futons across the tatami mats.
"Second Senior Brother, you're back," a groggy voice mumbled from the doorway. Su Mei stood there, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her hair a messy bird's nest. "It's so late, and you're still not sleeping. What on earth are you tinkering with in here..."
Rovel's less-than-graceful commotion while airing out the bedding had completely shattered her peaceful slumber.
"Don't call me Second Senior Brother," Rovel corrected automatically, tossing a pillow onto the bed. "Master brought back three new junior sisters, so I'm getting their rooms ready. If you've got nothing better to do than stand there, the room next door is yours to handle."
"Goodnight, Senior Brother!"
The moment the word 'handle' left his lips, Su Mei spun on her heel. She slipped away into the dark corridor without a single backward glance, her sleepy sluggishness instantly vanishing.
Left entirely to his own devices, Rovel could only shake his head and finish the chores himself. Fortunately, Chaoyu was careful about maintaining the estate. She regularly swept and aired out the vacant rooms, meaning there wasn't much accumulated dust to deal with. After clearing out a few stray practice swords and laying out the fresh bedding, the rooms were warm, inviting, and ready for use.
The following morning brought a bizarre sight to the Taixu courtyard. Su Mei had actually gotten out of bed early and was actively practicing her sword forms in the crisp morning air.
Watching from the porch, Rovel narrowed his eyes. He had no idea what kind of devious scheme she was cooking up. Under normal circumstances, Su Mei only ever rolled out of bed after Chaoyu had finished plating breakfast.
As the morning sun crested the peaks, the three newcomers stepped out of their rooms, blinking sleepily at the bright courtyard.
Seeing her audience arrive, Su Mei paused her forms, adopting a look of perfectly feigned surprise.
"Eh? Are you the new disciples Master took in last night?" Su Mei asked, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she elegantly sheathed her Xuanyuan Sword.
Jiang Wanxi stood straight. "Yes. My name is Jiang Wanxi. I am the fourth disciple."
Jiang Wanru mirrored her sister's posture. "Yes. My name is Jiang Wanru. I am the fifth disciple."
When Su Mei turned her expectant gaze toward Cheng Lingshuang, the youngest girl simply kept her head bowed, staring intently at the dirt without uttering a single syllable. Su Mei didn't let the awkward silence deter her. She flashed a dazzling, picture-perfect smile.
"Then I will be your Third Senior Sister from now on! My name is Su Mei. It is a pleasure to meet you all."
Jiang Wanxi's eyes lit up with sudden recognition. "Oh! So you're the 'Big Lazy Pig' Senior Brother Rovel mentioned!"
Jiang Wanru nodded solemnly, pointing an accusatory finger. "He said you like to slack off during training and specifically told us never to learn anything from you."
Su Mei's dazzling smile instantly shattered, freezing into a mask of pure betrayal. A vein pulsed faintly at her temple. She never expected Rovel to ruthlessly assassinate her character behind her back before she even had a chance to establish her authority.
"Ah... hahaha!" Su Mei forced a laugh, her eye twitching. "Second Senior Brother just loves to joke around! Don't listen to his utter nonsense. I am incredibly diligent in my training. In fact, my Sword Heart is already on the verge of breaking through to the Wuchen realm!"
She quickly cleared her throat, leaning in conspiratorially. "Meanwhile, Second Senior Brother still hasn't even formed a basic Sword Heart yet. So, if you think about it, he's the real Big Lazy Pig here. Don't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."
Panicking, Su Mei desperately tried to salvage her shattered image while smoothly throwing Rovel under the carriage in passing.
Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru slowly turned to look at each other, their expressions completely flat. They didn't say a word, but their silence spoke volumes.
At the very least, Rovel had stayed up late to clean their rooms and prepare their beds last night, all while this supposed 'diligent' Third Senior Sister was snoring away. Based on that hard evidence alone, Rovel's credibility was already lightyears ahead of Su Mei's.
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