Not long after the Star-Pointing Gathering began, Ming Li went into seclusion. It was said that when Senior Sister was in seclusion, not even Master and the others knew where she would be.
For the sake of cultivation, Zhou Zixi found a seemingly dangerous place where people rarely came. He enjoyed being alone at Falling Star Pool.
Unexpectedly, one evening while practicing in the cliff pool, he happened to encounter Ming Li emerging from seclusion.
The sudden meeting momentarily flustered Zhou Zixi. After coming out of the pool, his first action was to properly put on his upper garment.
Ming Li asked him why he was there. Zhou Zixi hadn’t seen her for some time, and as soon as his senior sister began to question him, his mind had already prepared countless responses.
Upon learning that her junior brother was participating in the Star-Pointing Gathering and would face Senior Brother Fu Yuan, Ming Li agreed to spar with Zhou Zixi for practice.
This was Zhou Zixi’s first time sparring with Ming Li.
Unlike fighting with the Book Saint, which brought immense pressure, making it hard to breathe, and didn’t stir his killing intent or resentment.
Ming Li handled his attacks with ease, pointed out his flaws precisely, and told him the direction for improvement, making Zhou Zixi feel only gentleness and patience.
Zhou Zixi fell helplessly deep into this experience.
And so he lost the match against Fu Yuan, and used this as an excuse to ask his senior sister to help him practice until one day he could be faster than the Eight Eyes Demon Pupil seal.
Ming Li seemed unaware of her junior brother’s little scheme, and Zhou Zixi began openly visiting Ming Li’s courtyard every day.
When others asked, he answered confidently, saying his senior sister was teaching him.
Dong Yeyun sat under the eaves, watching the two sitting side by side on a bamboo mat in the courtyard, fiddling with star lines. He peeled an orange and ate it, occasionally looking up at the two people in front, feeling something wasn’t quite right.
He asked Ming Li, “Why don’t you teach at the practice arena? The space is larger, with more training spirits.”
Zhou Zixi’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He looked up at Ming Li, listening to her say, “Anywhere is fine for me.”
Dong Yeyun looked at Zhou Zixi, clearly waiting for his answer. Zhou Zixi said, “There are too many people at the practice arena. If Senior Brother Fu Yuan finds out I’m secretly learning from Senior Sister how to defeat him, it would be quite embarrassing.”
You’re not even the type to feel embarrassed!
Dong Yeyun ate his orange, looking suspicious: “If you feel embarrassed about secretly learning from your senior sister, why not learn from your master? A master teaching his disciple is perfectly natural.”
Zhou Zixi: “…”
Just be quiet, please.
“The point isn’t who he’s learning from,” Ming Li said. “It’s that he wants to defeat Senior Brother Fu Yuan without Fu Yuan knowing he’s secretly working hard.”
Dong Yeyun had a moment of realization: “Oh—”
Zhou Zixi: “…Senior Sister is right.”
Soon, everyone knew that Zhou Zixi greatly admired Fu Yuan, viewing him as a driving force and role model on his cultivation path, pursuing Senior Brother Fu Yuan’s footsteps.
After hearing this, Fu Yuan stroked his chin and said: “Zixi does have good taste.”
Chen Zhou: “Heh.”
When his own junior brother’s admired senior brother wasn’t himself, Chen Zhou unilaterally severed ties with Zhou Zixi for three days.
*
Although Ming Li left North Dipper infrequently, she did so a few times each year. This day, she was going to attend a gathering of Pilgrims in the Imperial Capital.
Zhou Zixi casually asked: “Are you going to meet other Pilgrims?”
Ming Li nodded, sitting at her dressing table, supporting her chin with one hand, her gaze sweeping over various jewelry boxes on the table, seemingly deciding which one to wear.
“When will Senior Sister return?” Zhou Zixi asked, standing at the doorway.
“Hard to say,” Ming Li tilted her head to look at him. “If I haven’t returned by nightfall, practice with Senior Brother. He’s close to the Divine Luminescence Realm, and sparring with each other will help both of you make breakthroughs.”
Zhou Zixi agreed, but his gaze lingered on the tips of Ming Li’s hair.
Ming Li met his gaze, blinking, and slightly lowered her head to see what Zhou Zixi was staring at, asking: “Is something wrong with my hair?”
Zhou Zixi shook his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing momentarily. Gathering great courage in his heart, yet smiling on the surface, he calmly suggested: “Senior Sister, may I help you braid your hair?”
Ming Li seemed surprised by his offer. Looking at her junior brother standing in the doorway, Zhou Zixi was backlit, with a trace of a smile on his handsome face.
His gaze was almost reverent, and Ming Li felt he probably hadn’t realized this.
It was truly difficult to refuse.
Ming Li graciously said, “Sure, but do you know how?”
Zhou Zixi said he did, stepping into the room. Only one door panel was open, with the morning light falling behind them. Ming Li watched in the mirror as those well-defined hands picked up her long hair, intertwining strand by strand.
Ming Li seriously observed her junior brother braiding her hair. Unlike her loose braids, each section looked exquisite.
“Aren’t you going to the Imperial Capital today? On your way, help me—” Dong Yeyun hadn’t expected to see this scene when he entered.
Ming Li turned to look at him. Zhou Zixi’s heart trembled, as if caught doing something wrong, taking a dull moment before slowly turning his head.
Dong Yeyun looked at his sister’s braided hair, then at Zhou Zixi holding the braid, with an expression that said “I understand” and said: “You finally couldn’t stand your senior sister’s self-braided hair, right?”
Ming Li smiled slightly: “I’m not going to the Imperial Capital. You go yourself.”
Dong Yeyun came in and patted Zhou Zixi’s shoulder, then looked down, “Isn’t this much better than what she braids herself?”
Zhou Zixi said, “It’s just that Senior Sister’s hair is naturally beautiful.”
Ming Li glanced at the strand of hair Dong Yeyun had picked up, giving an almost inaudible snort.
Even an Eight Meridians Full Realm Pilgrim, a top expert of the continent, had things she wasn’t good at.
From that day on, Ming Li’s braids were always beautiful and neat, never as messy as before.
*
One year, Ming Li and the senior sisters from North Dipper’s seven academies arranged to play in Seven Star City. As they played, they all entered Seven Star City’s largest gambling hall, Listening Wind Tower.
The most timid Tianji sister hesitated before entering: “Is it appropriate to go to such a place?”
“I’ve never been. Qing Ying looked eagerly at the sign. “It sounds exciting.”
Ming Li was reading the rules posted outside while the manager enthusiastically introduced them.
Tianxuan’s senior sister pointed at the rules: “No using star power?”
The manager nodded repeatedly: “For fairness, cultivators are not allowed to use star power inside.”
Yuheng’s senior sister fearfully hugged Tianquan’s junior sister, “If we lose, will it be like in the picture books, where you sell people to—”
“Miss, you’ve greatly misunderstood!” The manager was sweating profusely, shaking his head like a rattlesnake, hurriedly explaining, “We run a legitimate business, not that kind of nonsense. What era do you think this is? Such things are impossible!”
Tianquan junior sister reassured Yuheng senior sister: “Senior Sister, why fear? They couldn’t beat you anyway.”
Yuheng’s senior sister: “Oh, right.”
Kaiyang junior sister felt the senior sisters were too timid, so she boldly slapped the table and pulled Ming Li inside: “I don’t believe our seven academy sisters could fall into such a place!”
Ming Li, pulled along for courage: “Eh?”
Listening Wind Tower deserved its reputation as the most bustling gambling hall in the north. It had everything imaginable, all kinds of games that dazzled the young women’s eyes.
The previously hesitant Tianji junior sister became increasingly bold after playing a few rounds, becoming comfortable with the rules, frequently changing tables, and enjoying herself immensely.
The hall had both men and women. When some gamblers, blinded by beauty and feeling bold, caused conflicts, Listening Wind Tower’s guards would intervene. The situation was resolved before Qing Ying could even act.
The manager, wearing his trademark smile, said: “We run a legitimate business, so we protect every customer. As long as everyone enjoys themselves, we’re happy too.”
Ming Li stayed at one table playing dice. In the end, everyone at her table had left, leaving her alone, staring thoughtfully at the empty table before her.
It wasn’t that she had won everything, but rather that everyone had lost everything, so they dispersed.
The continent’s top Pilgrim, caught up in the competitive spirit, had forgotten that her junior brother was waiting for her return in her courtyard.
As North Dipper’s sisters became familiar with the rules, they became more engrossed, playing until they forgot the time. Without using star power, they all ended up losing everything.
When each academy received news of their sisters losing money at Listening Wind Tower, they hurried over to take them back.
The night wind rustled as Fu Yuan asked Tianji junior sister, “How much did you lose?”
Tianji’s junior sister weakly indicated an amount. Fu Yuan, expressionless, said: “No more playing. Come back with me.”
Tianji junior sister pulled at him: “Senior Brother, just one more—”
Fu Yuan pulled her forward: “No.”
“Senior Brother—”
“No.”
Chen Zhou asked Qing Ying what games she had played. Qing Ying counted on her fingers. Chen Zhou then asked what she lost the most on. Qing Ying weakly said, “Dice.”
“You couldn’t even win at that?” Chen Zhou said disdainfully. “Later, let Dog Yun teach you.”
Qing Ying: “Then I’ll go back and practice a few times first—”
“Stop right there.” Chen Zhou, smiling without mirth, caught the person trying to escape. “First, go back to North Dipper and earn back what you lost tonight.”
Qing Ying hung her head, not daring to resist.
Chen Zhou asked again: “How much did your senior sister lose?”
Qing Ying pointed in a direction: “Senior Sister didn’t lose.”
Chen Zhou was speechless as he looked at Ming Li buying snacks at a street stall.
Ming Li said to Zhou Zixi beside her, “I won back what I had lost earlier, so I guess it doesn’t count as losing.”
As she spoke, she spread her money pouch in her palm, searching through it.
Zhou Zixi asked: “Senior Sister, what are you looking for?”
“I feel like I forgot something, like a gold leaf I left on the table,” Ming Li said, frowning.
Zhou Zixi, eating the meat skewers she bought, said languidly: “Senior Sister, what you forgot was me.”
Ming Li looked up at him. Zhou Zixi smiled slightly: “I waited for you all day. If the other sisters hadn’t lost everything, would you have continued playing, completely forgetting about me?”
Ming Li: “…”
She had remembered before going in, but after entering—
Ming Li silently bought another handful of skewers for Zhou Zixi and handed them to him.
Qing Ying, still being held by Chen Zhou, saw this and exclaimed with wide eyes: “Senior Sister, I want some too!”
Ming Li was about to pass what she had in her hand, but then heard Zhou Zixi say: “I didn’t eat all day waiting for Senior Sister to return.”
So the extended hand made a turn and gave them to the person beside her instead.
Zhou Zixi bit into a skewer, slightly lifting his eyelids to look at Qing Ying.
Qing Ying: “…”
That rascal.
She watched helplessly as Zhou Zixi led Ming Li away to buy other things. A moment later, Qing Ying looked up at Chen Zhou beside her: “Senior Brother—”
Chen Zhou reluctantly took her to buy some.
*
Zhou Zixi and Ming Li walked among the bustling crowd, stopping here and there along the street, pausing at another food stall, waiting for the owner to cook fresh food.
Chen Zhou and Qing Ying caught up and also bought two portions. Qing Ying asked Ming Li which flavor was delicious.
As Ming Li began to speak, there was a brief pause. Only Zhou Zixi noticed the subtle change in the realm’s circulation at this moment. The shadow reflected on the ground wavered, informing him of the Divine Oracle’s descent.
But the Divine Oracle wasn’t attacking him; it was attacking Ming Li.
A force invisible to everyone, never perceived, impossible to sense—those residual obsessions from the distant past attempting to control and occupy Ming Li’s consciousness and self.
Ming Li continued explaining to Qing Ying while simultaneously resisting the Divine Oracle.
This wasn’t the first time. Whether inside or outside North Dipper, the Divine Oracle had never given up, especially attacking suddenly when she was outside North Dipper.
The people around her had never noticed. If one day Ming Li lost, she would no longer be herself.
Zhou Zixi was the first person to discover Ming Li resisting the Divine Oracle.
He could hardly believe it.
Could there be a Pilgrim in this world who would resist the Divine Oracle’s consciousness?
Would a Pilgrim who resists the Divine Oracle’s consciousness accept someone like him, a ghost-person?
Ming Li said, “You go ahead, I’ll wait here.”
Qing Ying and Chen Zhou noticed nothing unusual and went to a shop that was about to close, making their selections. This time, Zhou Zixi didn’t stay behind but followed Chen Zhou.
However, after walking just a few steps, he couldn’t help but look back. In the bustling crowd, he saw Ming Li standing in place, slightly raising her head to look at the stars above.
The night wind blew, lifting her clothes and hair, as Ming Li glanced at the sky.
A contemptuous glance.