Chapter 1: After the Demon Massacre

After a demon ravaged our village, I encountered my senior brother and master. Later, a younger disciple joined us. Although we bickered constantly, our bond was strong—because our eldest senior brother was truly remarkable. During one demon-slaying mission, he gave his life to protect us. Though my junior and I were not especially gifted, by a stroke of luck, we managed to kill that demon and avenge him. It was a pity that after all those years of cultivation and care, our master was left with no disciple to rely on in his old age.

On an otherwise ordinary night, a wave of demonic energy crept into the village with the evening breeze. Dogs barked one after another, waking the villagers from their sleep.

Groggy and still half-asleep, the villagers stepped out of their homes—only to be met with the sight of a towering beast, jaws wide open and eyes glinting with hunger. To it, the village was a banquet waiting to be devoured.

The alarm bells rang through the village as people ran in all directions seeking shelter.

But to the monster, the chaos only whetted its appetite. It lunged toward the ground, and when it rose again, several villagers were crying out from inside its mouth—along with mangled limbs spilling across the earth...

After the monster swept through, calm returned—but the air was thick with the stench of blood, a silent testament to the horror that had unfolded.

When daylight returned, two figures arrived at the edge of the village. The younger one gasped, covering his mouth:
"Master... this demon was truly ruthless..."

The older man, a Daoist, murmured, "We were still too late..." His voice held a hint of regret. They began carefully searching the ruins—looking for survivors and collecting the scattered remains of the villagers.

I heard a noise nearby and pushed off the debris crushing me. All around were dismembered limbs—some belonging to family, others to friends. I stifled my sobs, afraid the demon would come back and find the only one left alive.

A shadow fell over me. My heart froze. I turned, resigned to my fate—only to find a handsome young man in Daoist robes looking at me in surprise.
"Was that you crying just now?"

I stared blankly at him. After what happened the night before, I’d forgotten how to speak. I opened my mouth, then shook my head, mind still in chaos.

The youth called out excitedly,
"Master, there's someone alive!"

In a flash, a middle-aged man with the aura of an immortal appeared by my side. He checked my pulse and examined my body, then gently patted my head.
"We’re here now. That demon won't hurt you anymore."

At the mention of "demon," images from last night surged in my mind. Tears poured out as I threw myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

And so, they brought me back to their sect. From then on, I had a master and a senior brother.

Later, my senior brother began traveling down the mountain, leading other disciples to slay demons. My master remained behind, teaching me Daoist knowledge and techniques.

As I grew older, the injuries my senior brother brought back lessened. Still, his body bore many scars, each telling a story.

He never let me see them, saying, “Men and women should maintain boundaries.”

But it was my junior brother who told me about them—after I traded him the snacks our senior always brought me from his travels, despite our sect's strict rules.

Ah, right. My junior was like me—his home was destroyed by demons. He was brought back by our senior brother and begged our master to take him in.

“Senior Brother, you were gone so long this time!” Junior tugged his sleeve playfully. “Were the demons especially tough?”

I walked over and smacked Junior’s head.
“Our senior is so powerful, demons run the other way when they hear his name. They tremble at the mention of him!”

Yes, Senior Brother is incredibly respected now. Common folk seek him out to slay demons. I heard from one of the senior sisters who went with him that villagers even line the streets to welcome him.

“Junior Sister, you’re exaggerating,” he said with a warm smile, ruffling my hair. “I’ve still got a long way to go to match Master.”

I pouted.
“Master’s been in seclusion to prepare for becoming sect leader. Now that you’re back, you can see how much Junior and I have improved!”

Eager to show off, Junior performed a full set of punches before our senior.

“Well? Pretty good, right? Can I join you on your next trip down the mountain?”

Senior smiled warmly, but I caught the hesitation in his eyes.

I shoved Junior aside and stood between him and Senior.
“Seniority matters! I should be the one to go with Senior Brother first!”

Junior pouted and stammered, “You… you… you!” Then he turned to complain to Senior Brother,
“See? She bullies me whenever you’re gone!”

Hmph. I turned my head away. That little tattletale! All I did was report him for slacking off when Master made me copy texts as punishment…

Still, I did share my snacks with him. I even patched his training robes when they tore—though I’m not great at sewing...

At least I was raised by Senior Brother. Junior only survived this long because he’s stubbornly resilient.

Though I call him “Junior,” he’s only a few months younger than me. Master nearly refused to take him in, and only agreed because of Senior Brother’s relentless begging.

Originally, Master intended to have only one disciple—Senior Brother—and pass down all his knowledge to him.

As for Junior and me, Master just wanted us to grow up safely. He never planned for us to inherit his legacy.

“All right now!” Senior stood and patted Junior’s head (which only reached his chest).
“A real man doesn’t argue with a girl!”

Then he turned to me with a glare.
“And your sister’s just trying to train you. One day, she’ll be your right hand.”

His look made me lower my head. I didn’t dare meet his eyes.

A shadow loomed over me. I looked up—it was Senior Brother. I stared at his chin. He’d grown even taller than me.

“Haven’t been eating properly, have you?”
His voice came from above.
“When we first took in Changheng, you were taller. Now he’s nearly caught up.”

Yes—Changheng is Junior’s name, given by Master. I’m Changxuan, and Senior Brother is Changyun.

I pinched my cheek—just skin and bone. There was no use denying it. I dropped my gaze in silence.

“Senior Brother, she gave her food to me,” Junior cut in, shoving his round cheeks in Senior Brother’s face.
“See? I’m white and chubby—she feeds me well!”

I smacked the back of his head.
“I’m not raising a pig!”

Changheng, that big dummy!

I walked to the door.
“Didn’t we say we’d show Senior Brother our progress? What are you waiting for?”

Junior scurried after me and grabbed Senior Brother’s arm.

The three of us went to the bamboo grove where we usually trained. Senior Brother stood outside the ring while Junior and I bowed, then began sparring.

Since I’m a girl, Master taught me gentler arts—like talisman crafting and sealing.

Junior trained in brute strength—to directly overpower demons.

He held back, always careful not to strike my vital points.

I didn’t return the favor. I dodged while drawing seals and casting fire or lightning spells to restrict him.

Master said: mercy would only dull my edge. So I gave it everything I had.

In the end, I lost—my body simply gave out.