Chapter 117 - 102: From Now On, I Am Your Senior Sister

Three days after the Bailu Academy selection, Xiao Mo received his letter of acceptance.

In three months, he was to report to Bailu Academy.

Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue were in no hurry.

The two of them journeyed toward Bailu Academy at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sights along the way.

Xiao Mo took Bai Ruxue to see the Qianbai Temple in the Chu Kingdom, crossed green mountains with her, and waded through countless rivers.

They stopped and started all along the way, looking nothing like students on their way to school.

When Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue arrived at Bailu Academy, it was precisely the day of registration—not a moment too soon, not a moment too late.

"Junior Brother Xiao, we meet again."

Xiao Mo had just stepped through the mountain gate when he heard a woman’s pleasant voice.

Shang Jiuli walked toward Xiao Mo with a friendly smile on her face.

"Miss Shang." Xiao Mo bowed with his hands clasped.

"From now on, you’ll have to call me Senior Sister, you know," Shang Jiuli said happily. "I’ve always wanted a junior brother, and my wish finally came true."

"Senior Sister Shang, you mean...?" Hearing her words, Xiao Mo had a good idea of who his new master was.

"From now on, you’re Mr. Qi’s disciple," Shang Jiuli said with a smile. "Including you, Mr. Qi has three disciples in total. There’s me, and then there’s our Cold-faced Senior Brother, whom you met during the assessment."

"From this day forward, the three of us will be studying together." Shang Jiuli, rather unreservedly, reached out a slender hand and patted Xiao Mo’s shoulder. "Don’t you worry, as your senior sister, I’ll definitely take good care of you."

Just as Shang Jiuli took another step closer, Bai Ruxue pulled Xiao Mo behind her.

She glared.

Bai Ruxue stood in front of Xiao Mo, her peach-blossom eyes fixed warily on the beautiful woman who was being so incredibly friendly to him.

"Eh?" Shang Jiuli blinked, looking at the silver-white-haired woman in the white dress. "Xiao Mo, is this a member of your family? To think a woman could be this beautiful."

"Thanks!" Despite the compliment, Bai Ruxue wasn’t happy at all. Like a dog guarding its food, she kept Shang Jiuli from getting any closer to Xiao Mo. "I’m Xiao Mo’s childhood sweetheart! We grew up together! He’s here at Bailu Academy to study, and I’m here to take care of him!"

Shang Jiuli looked up at Xiao Mo, as if asking if what the woman said was true.

"It is."

Xiao Mo nodded with a smile. Before coming to Bailu Academy, Bai Ruxue had proposed that their relationship be defined as "childhood sweethearts," and Xiao Mo hadn’t refused.

"Senior Sister Shang, allow me to introduce you. This is my childhood sweetheart, Bai Ruxue. We come from the same fishing village.

"Ruxue, this is a disciple of Mr. Qi. I met her once during my assessment."

"Hmph!" Bai Ruxue straightened up and puffed out her chest—so much so that she couldn’t see her toes—as if declaring her sovereignty.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Bai."

Shang Jiuli greeted her with a clasped-hand bow.

Being a woman herself, how could Shang Jiuli not understand the intentions of Xiao Mo’s childhood sweetheart?

But Shang Jiuli didn’t mind. ’It’s not like I’m trying to steal her man.’

"Ruxue, Senior Sister is greeting you," Xiao Mo said, gently patting her head.

"A pleasure, Senior Sister Shang."

Though somewhat reluctant, Bai Ruxue still curtsied in return.

"Let’s go," Shang Jiuli said with a smile. "I’ll take you to your residence first."

"We’ll be troubling you, Senior Sister."

Xiao Mo bowed with his hands clasped.

"Not at all, not at all. You’re my junior brother, after all. Of course I’m going to take good care of you," Shang Jiuli said warmly.

"Hmph," Bai Ruxue grumbled, puffing out her cheeks and glancing at Xiao Mo beside her.

Xiao Mo felt like he was caught in the crossfire for no reason and could only pretend not to notice.

Before long, they were led to a private courtyard halfway up Yumo Peak.

The courtyard wasn’t large, containing only two rooms and a small front yard.

However, its charm lay in its quiet elegance and the faint, scholarly scent of ink in the air.

Shang Jiuli patiently explained to Xiao Mo, "This is Yumo Peak, where Mr. Qi resides. The only people living on this peak are myself, Cold-faced Senior Brother Luo, and the two of you.

"I live on the north side of the mountain, and your Senior Brother Luo lives halfway up the south side.

"If you have any problems, you can find us anytime.

"Your Senior Brother Luo may be cold, acting like everyone owes him a thousand pieces of silver, but he’s actually a pretty good person."

Xiao Mo nodded, indicating that he understood.

"By the way, your name has the character ’Mo’ in it. It must be fate that you’re with Mr. Qi." Shang Jiuli turned and handed the courtyard’s nameplate to Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo didn’t reach out to take the nameplate.

Bai Ruxue glanced at Xiao Mo, then contentedly took the nameplate on his behalf and offered her thanks.

Shang Jiuli paid no mind to the young couple’s actions. "Let’s go, Xiao Mo. I’ll take you to meet our master. Since he’s accepted you as a personal disciple, there’s a formal ceremony.

"Normally, given Master’s seniority, it would require a grand ceremony.

"But Master dislikes all that fuss, so you just need to serve him three cups of tea.

"You don’t need to be nervous. Our master is very easygoing. I’m sure you’ll like him."

"Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way, Senior Sister." Xiao Mo nodded and then glanced at Bai Ruxue.

"It’s fine, you go ahead. I’ll wait here. It’s a perfect chance to tidy up the courtyard for you," Bai Ruxue said sensibly.

Although she still felt a little uneasy about Xiao Mo being alone with Shang Jiuli.

But Bai Ruxue also understood etiquette and propriety. It would indeed be impolite for her to tag along.

"Okay." Xiao Mo looked directly at Ruxue. "I’ll be back as soon as I can."

"It’s fine, don’t rush." Bai Ruxue smiled. "We’re in the academy. It’s not like I have to worry about you never coming back, right?"

Xiao Mo smiled, said no more, and followed Senior Sister Shang up the mountain.

At the summit of Yumo Peak, Xiao Mo met Mr. Qi and his other senior brother.

Under the watchful eyes of his senior brother and sister, Xiao Mo served tea to Mr. Qi, formally becoming a disciple of his lineage.

Mr. Qi didn’t say much to Xiao Mo. After instructing him to study diligently and not to slack off, he sent Xiao Mo down to rest, telling him that classes would begin the day after tomorrow.

Afterward, Senior Sister Shang took Xiao Mo to register his name at Bailu Academy, get his academy token, and explained the institution’s rules.

Xiao Mo committed every rule to heart.

"Is there anything you don’t understand about what I’ve told you? Or rather, if there’s anything you want to ask, feel free to ask me."

Shang Jiuli asked just before Xiao Mo was about to return to his courtyard.

Xiao Mo thought for a moment, then bowed with clasped hands. "Actually, there is one thing I’m curious about that I’d like to ask you, Senior Sister."

"Just ask away, Junior Brother." Shang Jiuli wasn’t afraid of him having questions; she was afraid he wouldn’t have any.

’If my junior brother doesn’t have any questions, how can I prove my worth as a senior sister?’

"To be honest, Senior Sister, I grew up in a fishing village and once witnessed a Flood Dragon Crossing the Tribulation. It ended up perishing, and the sight left a deep impression on me. I was wondering if the academy has any books about the tribulations of the Flood Dragon Species. I’d like to read them in my spare time to satisfy my curiosity," Xiao Mo said in a slow, earnest tone.

"You’ve asked the right person," Shang Jiuli said with a smile. "Go to the third floor of the Library Pavilion. The leftmost bookshelf has books about the Flood Dragon and Snake Races. And... as your senior sister, I can let you in on a little secret about the Flood Dragon Species."

"A little secret?" Xiao Mo asked, his curiosity piqued.

A smile played on Shang Jiuli’s lips. "Junior Brother, do you know why it’s so difficult for the Flood Dragon Species to cross their tribulations nowadays?"