Chapter 92: Kim Sisters
At Alchemy Peak's rear ledge, where jagged cliffs plunged into mist-shrouded voids, a hidden grotto mansion nestled within the rock, its entrance veiled by cascading vines and glowing moonflowers. Inside, the innermost chamber thrummed with latent power, its stone walls etched with faintly pulsing alchemy runes. The air shimmered with a heady elixir fragrance—sweet yet potent, like crushed herbs and molten gold—as the chamber's heavy iron door swung open with a low groan, releasing a wave of scent that swirled like a living thing.
From the haze stepped Kim Simona, her robes torn and smudged with soot, her raven hair a tangled mess. A fresh scratch—streaked with dark, charcoal-like residue—marked her cheek. Yet despite her disheveled appearance, her eyes blazed with victory. In her hands, she carefully cradled a luminous, pearl-like elixir, its glow soft yet brilliant, like a newborn star. Even beneath the grime and chaos, her delicate features remained striking, her beauty undimmed.
No sooner had she stepped out than her gaze landed on the elegant figure seated atop the main cushion—Kim Selena, her elder clan sister.
Bathed in the warm glow of surrounding candlelights, Selena was cultivation in a vision of celestial grace. Her moonstone hairpins glimmered like captured starlight, their delicate chains swaying with every subtle movement. She wore a rainbow-dawn gown, its silken layers shifting between hues of white and gold, as if woven from the sky's first light. Her features were flawlessly sculpted—high cheekbones, a porcelain complexion, and lips like rose petals brushed with morning dew.
Sensing the disturbance, Selena slowly withdrew from her meditative cultivation, her delicate fingers casting a few graceful gestures to cease her Qi circulation.
Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of lavender pupils, sharp and luminous, held an air of regal authority. But her serene composure quickly faltered, a flash of impatience crossing her delicate features as she took in Kim Simona's shabby appearance.
"Simona-chan, really?" Her voice, melodious yet edged with maternal exasperation, laced with exasperation, cut through the air. "Why must you always look like a beggar crawled from a furnace? Go clean yourself up—have some dignity!"
Kim Simona barely registered the reprimand. "Clan Sister, Selena-san, you're here?" Her voice bubbled with excitement, a grin breaking through her coal-smudged face. "Perfect timing—look at this!"
Before Kim Selena could protest, Simona thrust the elixir forward.
Selena scoffed, her lavender eyes narrowing with dismissive scorn. "A Jade Tempering Pill? Common enough." Her tone turned nagging, a sister's weary lecture. "Simona-chan, I repeat myself because you never listen! You're a grown woman—how can you be so unkempt, like some wild—"
Her words died as her gaze locked on the elixir pill, her breath catching. She snatched it from Simona's hands, her delicate fingers trembling as she held it to the candle light, scrutinizing its flawless clarity.