Taking No Responsibility

Black Bird: “...”

No way.

Did she think it actually knew?

Did she even treat it like a bird??

Ultimately, considering that this child might truly not know the way, the Black Bird resignedly flew off with the spirit stones in its beak. Within just a few breaths, it returned, carrying a transmission talisman.

Song Yao pondered for a moment and decided to send the transmission to the Great Elder.

She described the situation here in detail, reminding him to keep a close eye on the movements of the Taiqing Pavilion and the Beiyao Sect in the coming days. She also asked him to find a way to restore Wen Tang to normal as soon as possible.

After extinguishing the transmission talisman, she waved her hand at the Black Bird. “Alright, you can head back now.”

The Black Bird blinked its eyes, gently nipping at Song Yao's collar with its sharp beak, and rubbed its fluffy wings against her.

Song Yao smiled and shook her head. “I'm not leaving just yet. If I go back to the sect, I'll have to study. No way, no way.”

The Black Bird had no choice but to let go. With a gentle flutter of its wings, a paper-wrapped parcel fell into her arms. Then, with a sharp cry, it turned and flew away.

Song Yao looked down and untied the string on the paper parcel. Inside, round, sugar-frosted hawthorn balls almost spilled out.

Song Yao found it quite amusing.

Instead of bringing her wine, the Black Bird had actually brought her a bag of sweet treats.

Oh well.

It was better than nothing.

She popped them in two at a time, leisurely walking back as she ate.

By the time she reached the outside of the main hall, she had finished the sugar-frosted hawthorns. She stuffed the paper wrapping into her spatial pouch, but as she thought of something, her footsteps paused slightly.

Logically speaking, at this hour, Wen Tang shouldn't be visiting her room again.

But one could never be too sure.

If Wen Tang discovered that she had slipped out, she might fly into a frenzy again.

Song Yao's heart leaped into her throat. She leaped over the wall and quietly made her way to the innermost courtyard.

After observing from the top of the wall for a moment, she saw that the courtyard was perfectly quiet. The red thread was still tied to the rocking chair, and everything seemed normal.

Song Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Landing on the ground, she swept her fingers together and transferred the red thread back to her ankle.

But of all things.

Why wouldn't it tie tightly?

She raised an eyebrow, squatted down, and manually tied the red thread into a very crooked, tight knot around her ankle.

Mm.

This should look more or less the same as before.

Considering how emotionless and detached Wen Tang was now, she probably wouldn't notice such minor details.

She gently flicked the golden bell. The moment its crisp ring echoed, a cold voice drifted down from above: “What are you doing?”

Without even looking up, Song Yao complained, “Fifth Junior Sister, you walk far too quietly. Can you step a bit heavier next time?”

Before she could finish, a forceful grip hoisted her up from the ground.

Song Yao had no choice but to stand straight, forced face-to-face with Wen Tang.

At such close proximity, Song Yao could clearly see Wen Tang's porcelain-white skin. Her ink-black eyes were bottomless, reflecting not a single speck of light.

The cinnabar mole on her forehead was like a red plum blossom fallen on snow, accentuating a face so breathtakingly exquisite and beautiful, yet also so cold it lacked any sign of life.

Song Yao's attention drifted inexplicably. “Fifth Junior Sister, did you grow taller?”

Wen Tang paused for half a second, her voice turning even colder. “No.”

Song Yao: “No? Then maybe I shrank.”

When this body was young, it had suffered from severe malnutrition. Though things improved as she grew up, even with her best efforts to eat well, she had only reached a little over 1.6 meters.

Wen Tang repeated, “No.”

Song Yao blinked. “What do you mean, no?”

Wen Tang: “You didn't shrink.”

Song Yao was taken aback, then smiled. “How do you know I didn't?”

Wen Tang: “...”

Of course she knew.

She had stood by Song Yao's side countless times. No one knew better than her how tall Song Yao used to be and where she reached against her own height.

She had measured their heights countless times, wondering over and over when she would grow taller, when she would be taller than Third Senior Sister, and when she could make Third Senior Sister rely on her.

She had finally grown taller.

She had finally become stronger.

Yet Third Senior Sister had turned around to go to another man, casting her aside over the slightest disagreement, and in the end, she had vanished completely without even saying goodbye.

She remembered every single time they had stood together.

But Song Yao didn't.

Song Yao never cared about such trivial details.

She was always so busy.

She always had so many people to deal with.

She would always turn around and leave, carefree and untethered, never staying for anyone.

Much less would she remember if she had grown taller.

Just like now.

Song Yao had only asked in passing, not even caring if she answered. Her attention was immediately drawn to a bird hopping onto a tree branch. She marveled, “Since this little bird could pass through Black Cloud Mountain's Mist Realm to get here, it probably won't be long before it gains sentience and cultivates into a minor spirit, right?”

She walked eagerly toward it, letting out a melodious whistle.

Attracted by the sound, the bird with indigo wings fluttered down and landed on her shoulder, chirping incessantly.

Song Yao's eyes crinkled into crescents as spiritual energy surged from her hand. “Let me help you out this once. How about I give you a name?”

The wood spiritual root represented life force. It was said that the spiritual energy channeled from a God-grade wood spiritual root could help minor spirits and demon beasts cultivate into human forms.

Song Yao had never tried it and thought it would be fun.

But before she could act, two red threads shot out. One wrapped around Song Yao's waist, and the other bound her wrist, dragging her back with brute force.

Startled, the little bird fluttered and fled in a panic.

This time, the two of them were even closer, practically face-to-face.

Wen Tang gripped her wrist. “You help it become a minor spirit, and then what?”

Song Yao had no idea why she was angry again, her eyes filled with confusion. “Then what? What do you mean, ‘then what’?”

Wen Tang pursed her lips, staring intently at her. “And then you just leave it here, taking no responsibility for it?”

Song Yao was shocked. “I have to take responsibility?”

Wen Tang gritted her teeth. “If you bestow your charity upon it, of course you must take responsibility.”

Song Yao was even more flabbergasted. “It's not like I'm marrying it! What responsibility do I have to take?”

Wen Tang: “...If you are not willing to take responsibility, it would be better if you didn't get close to it in the first place.”

Song Yao felt like there was a deeper meaning behind her words. She scrunched up her face in confusion, her cheeks puffing out slightly. “Fifth Junior Sister, I told you to stop listening to the Teaching Elder's lectures. You sound just as bizarre as him now.”

Wen Tang: “...”

She must have been out of her mind to talk so much with Song Yao.

At such close proximity, a faint, sweet aroma wafted from Song Yao's mouth whenever she spoke.

It was the scent of sugar.

Only an hour ago, she had promised that she would absolutely not eat anything given to her by others.

Yet now, she had already thrown that promise to the wind.

She was simply incapable of learning her lesson. As long as she was left outside, she would go around flirting and causing trouble.

Only by locking her up could she be kept well-behaved.

The red threads suddenly bound Song Yao even tighter. Wen Tang stepped into the room. “Starting today, I will sleep with you.”

The red threads left marks on Song Yao's fair wrists as she was pulled along into the room.

Upon hearing this, she nodded again, saying good-naturedly, “Sure, sure. Senior Sister will sleep with you. Will that make you feel a bit happier?”

Wen Tang: “...”

Song Yao seemed to find absolutely nothing wrong with sleeping alongside a junior sister whose root of emotion had been gouged out and who had turned into a puppet.

She still wasn't afraid of her. Climbing onto the bed and wrapping herself in the quilt, she leaned against her and fell into a deep sleep in no time.