"It's getting late. We should head back so Master doesn't have to wait."
I didn't say anything more. took her hand and continued toward the sect's gate.
When we returned to Heavenly Jade Peak, Yana was nowhere to be found.
I was completely baffled. Where the hell is my master?
I searched all over Heavenly Peak, finally discovering only a storage ring that she had left behind in the octagonal pavilion from earlier. Inside were massive amounts of cultivation resources.
Obviously, master had gone wandering again.
My face darkened. I could practically imagine Yana with her hands on her hips, grinning like she had zero self-awareness.
Anything remotely related to being a master? Yeah, she had absolutely no intention of doing any of it!
Though honestly, I wasn't much different... so whatever.
Sumin hung her head, looking dejected. The tears she'd barely managed to stop were threatening to spill over again.
I felt my head spinning.
Master runs off, junior breaks down, everything's happening so suddenly. Who could handle this?
I had no choice but to comfort my junior sister first. "Master probably had some urgent business. But she left us plenty of good stuff. If you don't mind, how about I teache you in her place for now?"
Sumin was deeply moved. Senior Sulan was so considerate, thinking of my feelings and even deciding to personally guide me.
But can I really live up to his expectations?
"Senior Brother... do I really deserve to be your junior?" The girl's voice was timid, full of doubt.
I clasped my hands behind my back, putting on the air of a wise master as I nodded firmly.
You bet you do! You're perfect! Where else am I going to find such a reassuringly hopeless junior sister?
Hearing this, Sumin made up her mind. Even if it was just to not let her Senior Sulan down, she had to try her best!
"This is all pretty sudden, so I need to plan out a proper curriculum for you. In the meantime, feel free to explore. There aren't any restrictions or taboos on Heavenly Jade Peak, just remember not to accidentally wander into Master's quarters. Speaking of living arrangements, if you don't mind, you can pick whichever room you like next to mine."
After settling these practical matters, I headed into the cave I used for cultivation and meditation.
Based on my experience, this girl wasn't going to make some miraculous comeback like those trash-to-treasure protagonists in the webnovels I'd read in my previous life.
Rock solid guarantee!
I'd managed to bring my junior back safely, but what exactly should I teach her?
I fell into deep thought again.
My own cultivation had been locked at Level 1 for years. In my attempts to break through, I'd tried countless techniques and methods, burning through massive amounts of time and energy. As a result, I'd neglected a lot of basic cultivation knowledge.
So I couldn't teach her actual cultivation, otherwise the truth would come out eventually. Once she started talking to other people, I'd probably get exposed on the spot.
And then it would be…
"Sulan's a joke of a senior brother! Can't even teach the basics properly. Classic case of knowing just enough to be dangerous. Total trash!"
Oh shit, game over!
Besides, my junior had trash spiritual roots. Teaching her real cultivation would be about as useful as teaching C++ to kindergarteners.
If I knew she was hopeless but still fed her motivational bullshit like "you can do it if you try hard enough" just for my own reputation and rewards, giving her false hope only to watch that pathetic hope shatter into pieces, that would be inhuman.
No decent person would do something like that!
Since she could only be a failure, I might as well teach her how to be a happy failure.
Having lived two lives, with plenty of cultivation novels under my belt from my previous world, I had more than enough material to bluff a teenage girl. No problem at all, hell, it would be overkill.
Since my junior had no hope of cultivation anyway, I didn't need to worry about teaching her wrong. I could totally let loose.
It's not like she is some hidden genius who'd suddenly take off just from my random teaching, right?
Hahaha. How could that possibly happen?
With my general direction set, my mind started racing.
Half an hour later, I strutted out of the cave with a mysterious smile playing at my lips.
I was feeling pretty damn confident.
Sumin had finished tidying her room and was now sitting on the grass, lost in thought.
The setting sun cast a soft, glowing halo around her.
It reminded me of the green sports fields from my previous life, lying or sitting with a few good friends, joking around and talking about our dreams for the future, those were my lost youth.
"Junior, how do you like Heavenly Jade Peak?"
Honestly, Heavenly Peak was a paradise, birds singing, flowers blooming, few people, simple relationships, abundant spiritual energy. Just living here could extend someone's lifespan.
Hearing my gentle voice, Sumin turned around. Seeing it was her senior, she actually smiled and her silver-white hair bouncing as she nodded.
The spiritual energy here was incredibly dense, at least twenty times stronger than the outside world. For any cultivator, staying on Heavenly Jade Peak would be a dream come true.
"It is great." she was pleased. My junior liked Heavenly Jade Peak and wanted to stay, that gave me the feeling that a good start is half the battle.
On the surface, I remained composed, gesturing for her to come over. "Come and sit."
Sumin obediently trotted over like a gentle deer and sat beside me.
"Junior, let me ask you something. Why do you want to cultivate?" I asked seriously.
Only by understanding my junior's motivation could I specifically enlighten her, helping her make peace with her trash spiritual roots and become a happy failure content with her situation.
After all, coming right out and saying "you suck, just give up" would be hard for anyone to accept. But through some skillful persuasion, slowly getting her used to the lazy lifestyle, that would be much more natural.
When Sumin heard this question, memories flooded back, all her experiences in the Xiao family, the sects that had coldly rejected her, the mockery and ridicule she'd endured throughout the Immortal Selection Assembly.
Lost in these memories, she clenched her fists with all her strength, her knuckles turning white.
"I want to become strong. I want to surpass everyone who looks down on me. I want to slap them in the face and watch them look shocked and regretful!"
Though her voice still carried some innocence, it was absolutely determined.
After asking my question, I had been carefully observing every tiny change in my junior's expression. I'd already guessed she'd had some unpleasant experiences, but I hadn't expected her resentment to run this deep.
What a shame. If she weren't cursed with trash spiritual roots, with this kind of drive, as long as she didn't die along the way, she'd definitely rise to become a powerhouse dominating this world.
Having such big desires without the ability to fulfill them, that was rough.
I wasn't some moral police. I especially hated those people who preached forgiveness without experiencing others' suffering.
I wanted my junior to let go of her obsession for practical reasons.
Setting aside my true motives, her trash spiritual roots were an insurmountable obstacle.
Letting her pin all her will to live on an impossible goal would be pure torture. If effort wouldn't lead to results anyway, why not just give up and chill?