Stop pretending, the seemingly useless junior sister is the real boss.

After a flurry of frantic efforts, Bai Xiaobai finally managed to heat a whole tub of bathwater for her master without relying on spiritual power.

By the time Shen Ji was comfortably taking a bath in the thatched hut with the missing roof, she was completely exhausted.

Now that her spiritual power is sealed, she is just an ordinary person who has to rely on her own two hands to do everything.

But she didn't understand why her master had sealed her spiritual power alone.

You said that the senior brothers and sisters can go out to train, and even Xiao Qi was assigned to the task of gathering information at the village chief's house.

She, on the other hand, not only had her spiritual power sealed, but also had to suffer the misery of boiling bathwater, let alone undergo training and missions.

She was so tired that her arms and wrists felt like they were going to break.

Bai Xiaobai was not convinced.

She wants to protest.

But as soon as she reached the thatched hut where Shen Ji was, she received a gentle warning from her master.

"If you dare to peek again this time, you'll be stuck in this village as a mortal serving your father forever."

Bai Xiaobai stood outside, stomping her feet angrily. "There's not even a roof! I don't know what's so great about taking a bath here. Besides, what's there to see? Apart from having fair skin and a good figure, there's nothing to see. Master, this is unfair! Why did you seal my spiritual power? We were supposed to go on an expedition together, but all my senior brothers and sisters went out on their own, and even Xiao Qi has a mission. I'm the only one left here heating up the bathwater. I protest! I want to go on an expedition too! I want to do my mission too!"

Hearing Bai Xiaobai's protest, Shen Ji was in a good mood.

"Since I brought you to the mortal realm, you must adapt to mortal life. If you use spiritual power for everything, what is the point of coming to the mortal realm? As for why I sealed your spiritual power separately, it is naturally because you are my youngest disciple. What you are experiencing now, your senior brothers and sisters have already experienced long ago."

He paused for a moment at this point.

The thought of her face being smeared with soot like a kitten while she was starting a fire made me smile involuntarily.

"You're too weak to train alone. So for now, you should stay by my side and enjoy the simple pleasures of life."

Shen Ji's words were met with a series of cold snorts from Bai Xiaobai.

Shaking her aching arms, she stood outside the thatched hut, chirping loudly.

"Hehehe, enjoy? You're the one enjoying, I'm the one suffering. I've certainly felt the hustle and bustle of life, it's scorching hot and exhausting, so Master, you should enjoy it. Your disciple is tired and wants to rest. We can talk about it tomorrow morning, don't even think about ordering me around anymore."

After saying those last few words, she stormed off.

After closing the creaking, dilapidated wooden door that looked like it could collapse at any moment, Bai Xiaobai lay down directly on the pile of dry hay inside the house.

She took another look at the dilapidated thatched hut, which offered no shelter from the wind or rain and allowed her to enjoy the night sky without any obstruction. She chewed on a piece of dry grass that she had casually torn apart and sighed.

"Tell me, what is it that's so important that you had to keep it from me? Sister Changling, do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I'm easy to fool? This village is eerie everywhere, I've seen it all along. What is Master thinking? I'm at least at the twelfth level of Qi Refining now, does he really think I'm still that little snake that couldn't transform? I could smell the blood from far away. The mountain behind the village has the strongest smell of blood, that's where my senior brothers and sisters must have gone."

"He just looks down on my low strength, but everything takes time. I also want to form my core overnight, but is that even possible? Besides, how can I grow stronger if he won't let me train with my senior brothers and sisters?"

Since the red-clad sword spirit devoured the blood of Mu Yu's Yin Body, its body has become even more solid.

Hearing Bai Xiaobai's indignant complaints, the red-clad sword spirit imitated her actions and lay down casually on the haystack.

"The things in these mountains are not simple. Master Shen was probably worried that you wouldn't be able to handle them, which is why he sent your senior brothers and sisters. Anyway, now that you have your master and senior brothers and sisters protecting you, just focus on cultivating according to their arrangements. Why think so much? Do you really want to go to that strange mountain behind the village? Although it's very likely that you can find the answer to the strange things we've been encountering in these villages recently, with the protection of your sect, why worry about that?"

As soon as Changling finished speaking, Bai Xiaobai ripped the dry grass out of her mouth.

"You know we're bound by a contract now, and ever since you entered this village, you've been trembling with excitement. Do you think I didn't notice? The reason you've held back until now is because you're waiting for me to say these words. So, tell me, what are we going to do?"

With her thoughts exposed, the red-clad sword spirit no longer tried to hide them.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile curving her lips, and her voice remained that of a languid, mature woman.

"The little fellow has indeed grown up; he's not so easily fooled anymore, and his cunning has grown along with his body. So, do you know why I wanted to devour the vengeful spirit within the Flowing Moon Sect's bone whip before?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaobai propped her head up with her elbow and blinked her eyes.

"Didn't you say last time that swallowing that vengeful spirit would bring you closer to transforming into human form? So I'm not an idiot; I'm a little snake who's cultivated in the spirit world for over a hundred years. Just say what you mean, why beat around the bush?"

Upon hearing this, the red-clad sword spirit's lips curled up again.

"This sword was not forged by human hands, but rather a sword spirit born from countless life-and-death battles over millions of years, imbued with endless blood, killing intent, and obsession. Therefore, this sword lacks an innate Dao foundation and cannot absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate."

She paused for a moment, then continued, seeing that Bai Xiaobai showed no surprise or astonishment.

"Therefore, to condense a human form, it can only devour warm life essence and the lingering resentful souls of those who died in battle as nourishment. Only by constantly filling the sword embryo with blood and vengeful spirits can flesh and bones be gradually built up, cultivating a true human body. However, with each absorption, the murderous aura within the sword will deepen. Once greed spirals out of control, the sword will be devoured by resentment, completely turning into a ferocious creature that knows only slaughter."

After the red-clad sword spirit finished speaking, he stared intently at Bai Xiaobai, who was frowning in thought.

"So what? What are you trying to say? Do you want me to break the contract with you? Because you're afraid that the more you devour, the less control you'll have over yourself? Afraid of dragging me down with you? It does sound a bit touching, but this isn't like you, and it's definitely not something a Changling would do."

Bai Xiaobai stroked his chin and glanced indifferently at the red-clad sword spirit.

"So just tell me what you want to do. We've known each other for so long, don't I know you?"