Volume 3, Chapter 137 – I Still Have Nine Good Sisters

“Nothing much, really. I just remembered something quite amusing!”

Cheng Hongling straightened her expression as she spoke.

“What amusing thing?”

Qi Huang pressed anxiously.

“Oh, nothing worth mentioning. If I told you now, it wouldn’t be a surprise later.”

Cheng Hongling deliberately kept her lips sealed.

Qi Huang’s heart churned with unease, but since the other refused to speak, she couldn’t very well pry her mouth open.

The next morning, as usual, Qi Huang inspected the greenhouse before quietly slipping out of the Honghua Sect. It had been some time since she last visited home, and now that she had the ability to come and go freely, she made it a habit to return often.

With her divine sense detached from her body and her speed pushed to the limit, Qi Huang reached Huadian Village in just two hours—a speed she had never achieved before. It truly proved the saying: pressure breeds motivation. There was no helping it—her main body now supervised her cultivation every night, leaving her no time to linger outside for long.

Upon arriving, Qi Huang first scouted the perimeter, effortlessly dispatching a few stray ghosts before visiting her family.

As always, she hid near the courtyard and extended her divine sense inside, allowing her to “see” everything clearly.

“Husband, have you heard? Huang Bo and his brother are getting married on the sixth of next month!”

Li Fen, who was picking vegetables, suddenly addressed Huang Kairong.

“Married? Why so suddenly? Weren’t those two girls dragging their feet all this time? It’s been two or three years—I thought they had other plans.”

Huang Kairong sounded surprised.

“Oh, they definitely had plans. Even a fool could see that. The reason they finally made up their minds, I hear, has something to do with our daughter-in-law.”

Li Fen explained.

“What does their marriage have to do with our daughter-in-law?”

Huang Kairong was baffled.

“Remember the last time our daughter-in-law came back? She brought five stunningly beautiful sisters with her. And since Qi Huang is Huang Long and Huang Bo’s elder sister-in-law, those two girls saw them and—well, don’t you think they’d panic?”

Li Fen revealed the hidden reasoning.

“Ah, so they were afraid someone else would snatch their chances first.”

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Huang Kairong let out a mocking laugh.

Qi Huang finally understood, torn between laughter and exasperation. Her unintentional actions had actually helped her two cousins.

“Exactly. Even though there are more men than women in this world, given their looks, marrying Huang Long and Huang Bo is already a decent match. If they’d waited a few more years, they’d be the desperate ones.”

Li Fen’s tone was dismissive.

“If I were Second Uncle, I wouldn’t agree to this marriage. Those two girls don’t seem like the quiet, obedient type. Who knows if they’ll settle down after marrying in?”

Huang Kairong sounded almost sympathetic.

“That unfilial son has nothing to do with us. Why waste your energy worrying?”

Li Fen scolded him lightly.

“True enough.”

Huang Kairong chuckled in resignation.

“Sigh. Other people’s sons are getting married, but what about ours? It’s been so long since he last came home—half a year, hasn’t it?”

Li Fen suddenly sighed.

“Yes. Who knows how he’s doing? We only ever get letters, never the man himself. Even though we’re not on good terms with his uncles, at least we haven’t broken ties completely. As their elder cousin, he really should return for their wedding.”

Huang Kairong’s voice was laced with worry.

For once, Li Fen didn’t argue—not because she agreed, but because she, too, wanted an excuse to see her son.

Hearing this, Qi Huang’s heart sank. In her current state, how could she return? Pretending to be her own fiancée wouldn’t solve the problem anymore.

“Instead of sighing here, why not go to the prefecture and look for him yourself?”

Just then, Huang Xinghu, the elderly patriarch, spoke up. He added, “If I weren’t so old, I’d have gone long ago.”

“You’re right! I should go find him. Otherwise, I’ll never rest easy.”

Huang Kairong made up his mind.

“But it’s too dangerous! The journey to the prefecture is long. For an ordinary person like you, it’ll take at least ten days round trip.”

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Li Fen fretted.

“To confirm his safety, I’d go even if it took ten years, let alone ten days.”

Huang Kairong was resolute. He reassured her, “Don’t worry. We still have the protective talismans our son sent. Didn’t he say the good ones can ward off most ghosts and demons?”

Li Fen tried to dissuade him several times but ultimately failed. Then she suggested, “What if I go with you?”

“And what about Father?”

Huang Kairong lowered his voice.

Li Fen glanced at her frail father-in-law and realized there was truly no way around it. Reluctantly, she asked, “Then when do you plan to leave?”

“The sooner, the better. Let’s say the ninth of this month. The round trip alone will take over ten days, and who knows how long it’ll take to find him.”

Huang Kairong finalized his decision.

‘The ninth? Today is the fourth—that’s only five days from now!’

Qi Huang’s face twisted into a bitter scowl. Her father going to the prefecture to search for her posed a massive problem. She’d have to protect him in secret, but how could she explain her prolonged absence from the Honghua Sect to her main body?

‘The only solution is a doppelgänger… but I know nothing about cultivating one. How am I supposed to learn?’

Utterly frustrated, Qi Huang returned to the sect, her mind in turmoil.

Once home, she headed straight for the greenhouse—only to freeze in shock. Her main body was standing right beside the dozen or so sprouts, scissors in hand, as if measuring where to cut.

“Wait! What are you doing?!”

Qi Huang stammered.

“What should you call me?”

Cheng Hongling’s willow-thin eyebrows furrowed.

“Sis—Big Sister…Your Majesty Big Sister, what are you planning?!”

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Qi Huang, too flustered to care about shame, blurted out the honorific.

“Dearest little sister, where did you go today?”

Cheng Hongling asked casually.

“I—I didn’t go anywhere! Just wandered around the sect, exchanging cultivation insights with my fellow disciples.”

Qi Huang lied haltingly.

“Oh? Then why couldn’t I find you anywhere in the sect?”

Cheng Hongling’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“……”

Qi Huang was speechless.

“Do you know what that ‘amusing thing’ I mentioned earlier was?”

Cheng Hongling abruptly changed the subject.

“Wh-what?”

Qi Huang asked cautiously.

“I think these tender sprouts look delightfully crisp. They’d be perfect for hotpot—fresh, tender, and refreshing.”

Deliberately, Cheng Hongling licked her lips, then moved the scissors toward one of the sprouts.

‘This is your idea of a surprise? More like a nightmare!’*

Trembling, Qi Huang begged, “Your Majesty, have mercy! Those are very important to me. Please don’t do anything rash!”

“Important? It’s just hair dye, isn’t it? Dearest little sister?”

Cheng Hongling eyed her with amusement.

Qi Huang opened and closed her mouth, finally snapping, “They’re worth money! Isn’t that important enough?!”

“Plenty of things in this world can be sold for money. You could grow ordinary tomatoes and sell those too—so it can’t be that important.”

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Cheng Hongling continued fishing for information.

“Just don’t eat them, okay? They’re poisonous! If you really want hotpot, I’ll buy you a few pounds of pea shoots. How’s that?”

Qi Huang ventured.

“No. I want these. Haven’t you heard the saying? The more poisonous, the more delicious—just like wild mushrooms in the mountains.”

Cheng Hongling insisted, as if teasing a child.

“A saying? More like a joke from the underworld!”

Qi Huang was at a loss for words. “What do I have to do for you to spare them?”

“Simple. From now on, you obey me without question.”

Cheng Hongling’s lips curled. “First, starting today, you must seek my permission before leaving. State the time, place, and purpose. Only if I allow it can you go out. Otherwise…”

She gestured meaningfully at the sprouts.

“Yes, yes, of course!”

Qi Huang agreed hastily, regret gnawing at her. ‘If only I hadn’t planted these right outside my home! I only worried about external threats—never imagined an “internal rebellion”!’

“Remember your promise. From now on, these dozen ghost tomato sprouts are my hostages. If you disappear without reason again, I’ll execute them.”

Cheng Hongling’s warning was icy.

‘What do I do? If I can’t leave, how will I learn the doppelgänger technique? Without a doppelgänger, I can’t deal with my parents. And if Father really goes—’

Qi Huang’s mind spun into chaos. The entire Honghua Sect only had one person who knew the method—her main body—and she couldn’t ask her.

‘If I can’t ask her, who can I ask? Should I take those pills and rely on dreams again? If the feminization continues, that’s one thing, but what if my consciousness vanishes completely?’

She was trapped in endless turmoil—until a realization struck.

‘Wait! How could I forget about them? I can’t ask the main body, but inside her Sea of Consciousness, there are still nine good sisters! They’ll definitely help me!’

The thought filled Qi Huang with sudden joy.