The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Chapter 109: A Strategic Retreat (An extra chapter today!)

As if seeing a savior, Xiaobai's crying immediately turned into even more aggrieved whimpers. She scrambled to her feet and stumbled towards Zuo Qingqiu, throwing herself into her arms. Her little hands gripped Zuo Qingqiu's clothes tightly as she cried out, "Sister! Sister! Waaaaah—that awful mirror spirit! She bullied me! She bullied Xiaobai! Waaaaah—!"

She buried her face in Zuo Qingqiu's soft and fragrant embrace, crying and trembling all over, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Zuo Qingqiu was slightly swayed by the bump, looked down at the little dragon crying in her arms, her eyes softened, but she did not just listen to Xiaobai's side of the story, but looked at the mirror with a question.

In the mirror, You Li's aura had subtly changed the moment Zuo Qingqiu appeared.

She was still standing there, but she seemed more "well-behaved" and "harmless".

Faced with Xiaobai's accusation, Youli did not immediately argue, but lowered her head slightly, making a slightly aggrieved and uneasy expression.

At the same time, she secretly clenched her fingers.

The virtual room's scenery changes instantly!

The cozy boudoir has vanished, replaced by a dilapidated street where the wind howls and snow falls heavily.

Virtual snowflakes fall, and the cold wind seems to blow through the mirror.

You Li's moon-white cloud-patterned fairy dress has been transformed into a tattered, thin, patched coarse cloth garment, revealing her wrists and ankles that are red from the cold.

Her once magnificent silver hair had become dry and disheveled, and several red marks resembling tear stains had appeared on her face. Her crimson eyes were filled with glistening tears, threatening to fall, making her look pitiful and endearing.

She raised her small face, filled with helplessness and grievance, and looked at Zuo Qingqiu in the mirror. Her voice trembled and choked with sobs as she preemptively "stated" that, "Master, please understand—it wasn't You Li who intentionally bullied Miss Yu Ling—it was just—it was just that Miss Yu Ling first brought many exquisite pastries to the mirror—and repeatedly showed them off, saying that You Li couldn't eat them and could only look on with envy—You Li felt sad, so—so I also conjured some pastries, just to—just to show that You Li could 'eat' what she liked in the mirror—"

She sniffed, tears finally streaming down her face, and continued, "Later, Miss Yuling said she wanted to play rock-paper-scissors, and Youli dared not disobey—but as a spirit, calculation and deduction are instinctive for Youli, and it's really—really impossible for her to deliberately lose the game—unexpectedly, after Miss Yuling lost, she burst into tears and even said she would smash the mirror—Youli was frightened, so she spoke up to explain—she had absolutely no intention of bullying—please, Master, investigate—"

Her words were half true and half false, full of emotion, and she adopted an extremely humble posture. Combined with her image as a beggar in the snow, she truly evoked pity in me.

In particular, the line "Calculation and deduction are instinctive, and it is impossible to intentionally lose" explains why Xiaobai lost so badly and also subtly points out the fact that Xiaobai cannot afford to lose.

A brilliant move of retreating to advance, the aroma of tea fills the air.

Zuo Qingqiu listened to Xiaobai in her arms sobbing and rambling, "She bullied me," "She conjured up lots of pastries to annoy me," and "She always won at rock-paper-scissors," and then listened to Youli in the mirror giving a clear and expressive "statement," and suddenly felt completely overwhelmed.

Upright officials can hardly break housework.

Even a true sage cannot judge the rivalry between lolis.

She gently patted Xiaobai's back and said softly, "Okay, don't cry, calm down for a bit."

Then, she looked at Youli in the mirror, her voice returning to its usual coldness: "Youli, why aren't you withdrawing your supernatural powers? What kind of behavior is this?"

"Yes, Master~" You Li responded obediently. The snowy street and beggar's clothes disappeared instantly, and she returned to her neat and elegant appearance as a silver-haired, red-eyed girl. However, her eyes seemed a little red, and she lowered her head, looking like she knew she had made a mistake and was waiting for punishment.

Zuo Qingqiu gently pulled Xiaobai away from her embrace, wiping away her tears and snot with her fingers, her voice softening: "Xiaobai, don't cry. I roughly know what happened."

Little Bai looked up with her tear-streaked face, her big eyes full of dependence and expectation, waiting for her older sister to "get justice" for her.

Zuo Qingqiu pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the two "children" in and out of the mirror, and made his judgment: "Both sides are at fault in this matter."

She first looked at Xiaobai in her arms: "Xiaobai, your mistake is twofold. First, you shouldn't have taken the initiative to provoke Youli with pastries, showing off that she can only look but not eat. This is rude. Second, if you lose a game, you lose. You can't cheat or cry, and you certainly can't threaten to damage things. Youli is indeed useful to me, and you should know the importance of that."

Little White's lips trembled, and it looked like she was about to cry again.

Zuo Qingqiu gently pinched her cheek: "Don't cry. I know you didn't mean to be mean, it's just your childish nature, playful and competitive. But a mistake is a mistake."

Little White sobbed and whispered, "—Little White knows she was wrong, please don't be angry, sister~"

Zuo Qingqiu then turned his gaze to You Li in the mirror, his eyes turning slightly stern: "You Li, as a spirit of the artifact, you are far older and wiser than her. Knowing that she is simple-minded, you deliberately flaunted your abilities with a virtual scene, inciting her competitive spirit. This is one mistake."

"In the game, if you know she is no match for you, you should know when to stop or find a way to guide her, rather than pushing her step by step until she breaks down emotionally. This is the second mistake."

"Afterwards, he used illusions to feign pitifulness in an attempt to confuse the public. Although he did not lie, he was still dishonest. This is his third offense."

You Li lowered her head even further, her voice respectful: "You Li knows she was wrong~ Please punish me, Master~"

"Punishment is unnecessary," Zuo Qingqiu said calmly. "Since you know you've made a mistake, you should remember it in the future. Xiaobai is pure of heart and has no ill intentions towards you. You should get along with her peacefully, instead of competing with her. If she has any faults, you can tell me directly or patiently guide her. You must not tease her like you did today."

You Li bowed: "Yes~ You Li will remember Master's teachings and will definitely get along well with Miss Yu Ling in the future~" Her attitude was extremely upright and sincere.

Zuo Qingqiu nodded and patted Xiaobai's head: "You too. Youli is not an enemy, she is our sister. You must not be unreasonable in the future. If you want to play, you must treat her with sincerity."

Although Xiaobai was still a little resentful, since her older sister had spoken, she could only nod dejectedly and say, "Okay, okay, sister—"

"Alright, go find your beautiful older sisters to play with." Zuo Qingqiu gave Xiaobai a way out, and also to distract her.

As expected, Xiao Bai was attracted, and a little bit of light returned to her big eyes. But she still didn't forget to turn around and, looking at You Li in the mirror, mouthed a vicious, silent "You annoying mirror spirit!" She even waved her little fist before running out of the room in a flash.

Once Xiaobai's footsteps faded into the distance, only Zuo Qingqiu and Youli in the mirror remained in the room.

The gentleness on Zuo Qingqiu's face faded, replaced by her usual cool and calm demeanor. She walked to the magic mirror and looked calmly at the spirit reflected in it.

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