Versatile Sword Cultivator

Chapter 42 – Sister asking for help

"Junior brother, Senior Sister has something to discuss with you. Are you there?"

The voice grew closer, accompanied by the increasingly clear sound of bells.

Lin Jichen looked down the mountain and saw Nangong Yue running up with light steps. The bells on her deerskin boots swayed with her movements.

Along with the bells, the mounds on Nangong Yue's chest also swayed slightly...

The sight made Lin Jichen feel a bit dizzy.

Nangong Yue's face lit up with joy when she saw Lin Jichen.

A smile spread across her face, like ripples in a clear spring, overflowing from the dimples on her cheeks and spreading across her entire face.

"Junior brother, what a coincidence! I just came to find you and here you are. I thought you might be asleep and was about to look for you in your quarters."

Lin Jichen smiled and cupped his hands, "It is a coincidence. What brings you here so late, Senior Sister?"

Nangong Yue raised an eyebrow, put her hands on her hips, and said playfully, "Can't I come to see you just because I want to?"

"Of course you can. If Senior Sister wants to see me, even if I'm sleeping or in the bathroom, I would come out to meet you without hesitation," Lin Jichen joked.

Nangong Yue burst into laughter, both amused and annoyed. She pinched her nose and teased, "You stinky junior brother, saying such gross things. Who wants to see you in that state?"

Lin Jichen chuckled awkwardly, "It's just a metaphor. Maybe my wording was a bit off. So... should I come out without putting on my pants?"

Of course, he only said the last part in his mind.

"Alright, alright. I'll let it slide this time. I do have something important to discuss with you."

"Please go ahead, Senior Sister."

Nangong Yue explained, "All disciples of the Sword Sect, whether in the outer temple, branch temple, or inner temple, must complete at least three tasks during each major realm. The difficulty varies."

"They are categorized as ordinary, difficult, and extremely difficult. After reaching the Crystal Realm, I haven't completed any tasks. Now I feel like I'm about to break through to the Golden Core Realm. If I don't finish the tasks, I'll be punished by the sect."

Lin Jichen asked curiously, "Why haven't you completed the tasks?"

Nangong Yue blushed and smiled sheepishly, "I was too busy having fun, hiding away and reading romance novels... I just forgot..."

Lin Jichen couldn't help but laugh. He didn't expect Nangong Yue to have such a hobby—reading mortal romance novels? Quite surprising for a cultivator.

"That's not important. What's important is that if I don't finish the tasks soon, my father will burn all my treasured romance novels when he returns."

Nangong Yue's face was filled with despair as she seemed to imagine the horrifying scene.

"Alright, so how can I help you?" Lin Jichen asked.

Nangong Yue immediately replied, "I've already rushed through the ordinary and difficult tasks for the Crystal Realm. Now, I just need to complete the extremely difficult one, which is a demon-slaying task. The task requires two people to complete."

"Me? I'm only in the Qi Refining Realm..." Lin Jichen smiled bitterly.

Even Foundation Establishment tasks were challenging for him, let alone Crystal Realm tasks.

Crossing two major realms, even if he wasn't an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, it would still be impossible to complete a Crystal Realm task.

Nangong Yue reassured him, "Don't worry. The two-person requirement isn't really for help. It's just that extremely difficult tasks are risky. If something goes wrong, one person can escape to seek help from the sect. It also serves as supervision to prevent some disciples from using unscrupulous means to complete the tasks."

"Junior brother, I know your cultivation is still shallow, but I promise to protect you. You just need to stay behind me or hide nearby where you can see me."

Nangong Yue patted her chest and confidently boasted, "Besides, I'm already at the peak of the Crystal Realm, with one foot in the Golden Core Realm. Crystal Realm tasks are a piece of cake for me. No, not even a piece of cake, maybe half a piece!"

Lin Jichen didn't agree immediately. Instead, he curiously asked, "There are so many inner temple disciples. Why not ask someone else? Any of them would be much stronger than me and could help you better."

Nangong Yue's face fell, and she pouted, "I want to, but no one is willing to go with me."

"Huh? Senior Sister... do you have such poor relations with others? Or do you owe them money?" Lin Jichen joked.

Nangong Yue glared at him with her big, bright eyes, "You're the one with poor relations! You're the one who owes money!"

"Then what's the reason?" Lin Jichen was puzzled.

Given Nangong Yue's beauty, many inner temple male disciples would probably jump at the chance to help her.

Nangong Yue sighed and explained, "No one wants to offend Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother?"

"Yes, Senior Brother Chu Tianhan. He's the most promising disciple in the inner temple, already at the late Golden Core Realm at a young age, and highly respected among the disciples."

"And what does that have to do with this? Did you offend him?" Lin Jichen asked suspiciously.

Nangong Yue shook her head, "I didn't offend him; I rejected him."

"To be honest, Senior Brother has been pursuing me. He even offered to accompany me on this task. But I don't like him, so I refused."

Lin Jichen suddenly understood. No wonder Nangong Yue didn't ask any of the stronger inner temple disciples and came to him instead.

It turned out that Senior Brother was pursuing her, and Nangong Yue rejected him. Who would dare to help her and risk offending Senior Brother?

This left Nangong Yue with no one to invite, so she had to come to Lin Jichen.

"If I agree to help you, won't I also offend Senior Brother?" Lin Jichen smiled bitterly. He didn't want to make enemies either!

Whoever wants to be a scapegoat can be one.

Nangong Yue smiled awkwardly and said, "You won't. You're the Sect Master's last disciple. Senior Brother wouldn't dare to mess with you. Besides, your cultivation is so low that he wouldn't feel right bullying you."

Lin Jichen rolled his eyes, "Is that supposed to be comforting or insulting?"

Nangong Yue laughed foolishly and pleaded, "Junior brother, please help me. If I don't complete the task, my father will burn all my romance novels. Can you really bear to see me in such pain?"

"It's not that serious. It's just a few romance novels. You can always buy new ones," Lin Jichen said, not believing her.

"It's not just that. My biggest hobby is reading romance novels. My collection is all rare editions that you can't find in Fengqu City. Once they're burned, they're gone forever," Nangong Yue said seriously.

"Even so, I can't help you. You should find someone else. I'm sorry, but I can't agree," Lin Jichen refused.

He wasn't going to risk offending a late Golden Core Realm cultivator for a few romance novels.

"Woo... No one is willing to help me. Why am I so unlucky? Even junior brother won't help me, despite how good I've been to you. Woo..."

Lin Jichen didn't expect Nangong Yue to start crying after he refused.

And it wasn't fake crying; she was shedding real tears.

She had probably been rejected many times and had placed her last hope on him.

Used to being adored by everyone, Nangong Yue's mood plummeted, and she cried like a pear blossom in the rain, unable to speak.