My Sister Poisoned Me Into a Demon; Reborn, I Reclaim My Life

I failed to ascend and fell into the demonic path, and I was sealed at the bottom of the Eastern Sea for a full five hundred years.

Just as my soul was about to scatter,

my soul drifted free of my body, and I saw my sister Lucienne instructing her own children.

As long as the goal is reached, what do the means matter?

"The reason your mother could become the Flower Goddess is that I took your aunt's place."

One of the girls asked in a soft, childish voice:

"I heard my aunt was the recognized candidate for Flower Goddess among the Flower Fae. How did you manage it, Mother?"

Lucienne smiled smugly.

"I drugged her. She fell into the demonic path, and so the chance to ascend naturally passed to me, her sister by the same father and mother."

"And with it, the chance to marry into the Celestial Clan became mine too."

The girl asked next, "So where is my aunt now?"

"Her? Once she fell to demonhood, she could have been cleansed and purified by your grandfather's divine power."

"But I told her it was your grandmother who drugged her, that she had gone mad and killed someone by accident."

"Your grandfather flayed her and drew out her sinews, then sealed her in the Eastern Sea, where the fires of purgatory scorch her day after day."

"By my count, the day her soul scatters is only a few days off now."

Watching their family so happy together, basking in the offerings of the Six Realms,

my fingers dug hard into my palms.

If I could live this life over again, I would take back the life that was rightfully mine.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day before I ascended to become the Flower Goddess.

Mother carried a bowl of lily and lotus-seed soup into my room.

"Seraphelle, the Ascension Rite is tomorrow. Lotus-seed soup calms the spirit. Drink it and get a good night's sleep."

Looking at this bowl of lotus-seed soup Mother had cooked with her own hands, my nose stung and tears fell.

In my past life, Lucienne told me that Mother had drugged this bowl of lotus-seed soup, that it was what drove me fully mad, so that with my own hand I hollowed out Mother's inner core.

The desperate, uncomprehending look in Mother's eyes before she died still hangs before me.

I threw myself forward, holding Mother close, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Mother only assumed that, with my ascension so near, I couldn't bear to leave my family.

She patted my back over and over to comfort me. "Silly child, you're the most gifted fairy of the whole clan. Becoming the Flower Goddess is an honor bestowed by the Celestial Clan. I'm overjoyed as it iswhat is all this nonsense?"

I wiped away my tears, wanting to say a few more words to Mother.

Lucienne came in.

She balanced an incense burner on her fingers, feigning concern.

"Sister, this is Spirit-Calling Incense I went specially to the Hall of the Southern Sovereign to obtain. It can greatly increase your powersjust the thing for your ascension tomorrow."

Watching the smoke curl up from the burner, it suddenly hit me.

In my past life, this was the incense she had drugged.

I clenched my fists, forcing down the hatred surging up inside me.

I had not ascended yet; I couldn't turn against her now.

I formed a hand sign, and the fire in the burner went out.

"Thank you, Sister. This incense is precious, and I have no use for it. Keep it for yourself."

Lucienne's expression froze for a moment, then her voice softened.

"What a thing to say, Sister. I obtained this incense just for you. I don't have the talent to ascendit would only be wasted on me."

As she spoke, she leaned close to me, cajoling and wheedling.

"Sister, I know your cultivation runs deep and you don't need such outside help."

"But out of consideration for how I climbed all one hundred and one Celestial Steps and went to such trouble to obtain itjust give it a try."

In my past life, I couldn't stand against her.

When I woke the next day, my powers had indeed grown greatly, and I was deeply grateful.

But when the moment of ascension came, my once pale-golden spiritual energy suddenly slipped out of control and turned into great swaths of dark purple.

My mind, too, gradually grew clouded.

It must have been because of that incense.

I pushed the incense burner away and coldly refused.

"Sister, ascension is a great matter. To avoid any complications, I won't use this incense."

Lucienne's face turned ugly, and she raised her voice.

"Seraphelle, what do you mean by that?"

"We're sisters. I've thought of you at every turndo you really think I mean you harm?!"

Expressionless, I said flatly:

"Those are your words, not mine."

"If you have no wish to harm anyone, Sister, why get so worked up?"

Lucienne's face turned ashen in an instant.

The atmosphere in the room was terribly awkward, and Mother quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Lucienne, what Seraphelle says makes sense too. Ascension is a great matterit's best to be careful."

Lucienne stamped her foot in fury and flung out a line: "Mother, you've always played favorites, ever since we were little!"

Then she turned and left.

Inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. This time around, surely there wouldn't be any problems.

The next day, at the Ascension Rite, my parents and the clan elders waited for me in the Flower Fae Valley.

Lucienne came up to me the moment she saw me.

She pressed a Protective Charm into my hand.

"Little sister, this Protective Charm is for you. May your ascension go smoothly."

She sounded so sincere that I nearly reached out to take it.

Then I thought of the horror of falling into demonhood in my past life.

The whole Flower Fae Valley had once been ringed with birdsong, home to the most precious flowers and plants in all the immortal realm, and I had burned it until not a single blade of grass could grow.

My hand paused.

"No need. Keep these things for yourself, sister."

Lucienne's expression stiffened, and a trace of hurt crossed her face.

"Little sister, did I do something wrong?"

"Why are you so set against me?"

I glanced at the Timekeeping Chalice; the auspicious hour for ascension was almost upon us. I couldn't be bothered to waste more words on her, so I turned and walked toward the center of the altar.

But Lucienne wouldn't let it go, and grabbed hold of my robe.

Smiling brightly, she moved to hang the charm at my waist.

I tore the Protective Charm free and flung it to the ground.

"How many times do I have to say it? I don't want anything of yours before I ascend. Can't you understand that, sister?"

Lucienne stood frozen. She probably hadn't expected me, always so gentle, to reject her so harshly.

Mother couldn't stand by either, and urged, "Seraphelle, aren't you being too tense? Your sister only meant well."

Seeing us at an impasse, Father smoothed things over with a smile. "If Seraphelle doesn't want the Protective Charm, then she doesn't have to take it. Ascension is a great matter for the whole clan, so it's only natural to be cautious."

"The auspicious hour is nearly here. Go on, Seraphelle."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and used his spiritual power to weave a Hundred-Blossom Carpet leading to the altar.

My eyes stung.

This was the very father who doted on me and loved me so, and in my past life he had watched helplessly as his favorite little daughter fell into demonhood and killed his beloved wife.

How much pain, how much despair he must have felt then.

In this life, I would surely protect them, and protect myself.

I nodded to Father and stepped onto the Hundred-Blossom Carpet.

Suddenly, thousands of petals rose from the carpet, each one shimmering with gentle, soft, pale golden spiritual energy. The flowing light traced the veins of the petals, gently lifting me to the center of the altar.

I closed my eyes and gathered all my spiritual energy.

Pure immortal essence circulated within my body.

Countless pink petals bore me up into the air.

I pressed my palms together and silently recited the mantra.

Suddenly, eight sky-spanning rainbows descended from above, encircling me.

A surge of the purest divine power burst forth from my inner core.

My plain white robes flashed with pale golden light.

Pink petals sprouted from my fingertips, spreading rapidly across my body until they enfolded me completely.

A bright golden light poured from me, all but illuminating the entire Flower Fae Valley.

Suddenly, the petals burst apart.

The petals, imbued with spiritual energy, drifted toward the crowd below.

The clanspeople closed their eyes and drank in the spiritual energy from the petals.

My robes transformed into moon-white moonlight gauze, my whole form giving off the faintest pink-violet glow.

I slowly settled at the center of the altar.

Seeing this, the clanspeople knelt one after another and cried out:

"We welcome the Flower Goddess"

I let out a long breath of relief, and as I looked up, I caught a flash of envy and resentment in Lucienne's eyes.

In this life, the ascension was already settled.

No matter how unwilling Lucienne was, she could only accept her fate.

I walked slowly down from the altar, and the tension that had gripped my heart for so long finally loosened all at once.

When Mother saw me come down, she quickly handed me a bottle of Soul-Restoring Dew.

"Seraphelle must be worn out. Soul-Restoring Dew is the best for replenishing spiritual energy. Drink it quickly and restore yourself."

By then I was utterly spent, so I lifted the jade bottle and drained it in one gulp.

Father's face was full of relief, and he was nearly moved to tears.

"The chief deity of the Flower Fae has finally returned to her place!"

Hearing Father's words, I was at last absolutely certain that my ascension had succeeded.

My nose stung, and tears welled up, carrying with them the grievance, the heartache, and the lingering fear of two lifetimes.

Mother held me and comforted me. "Silly child, you've worked so hard. Thank goodness the outcome didn't waste all those years of your painstaking cultivation."

In this life, I had finally brought my life back onto its original course.

Just then, Lucienne suddenly spoke:

"Hm? My sister has ascended successfully, so why haven't the hundred flowers bloomed to welcome her?"

Only then did everyone realize what was happening.

With the return of the Flower Goddess, every flower in the world, whatever its season, would bloom in unison, proclaiming to the Six Realms that the chief deity had returned to her rightful place.

The clanspeople began to whisper among themselves.

"I thought it was strange too. The petals that fell from the ascension should have been full of spiritual energy, yet no matter how I circulated my power just now, I couldn't absorb any of it."

"Yes, same for me. It was as if that spiritual energy passed right by me and simply wouldn't stay."

"Seraphelle's cultivation isn't strong enough, so she's faking it to hold on to the Flower Goddess's position, isn't she?"

The doubts came surging in like a tide.

Even Mother and Father looked at me with a trace of uncertainty.

Lucienne stepped forward and made a false show of smoothing things over for me.

"The Flower Goddess can compel every flower to bloom. Since my sister has ascended to Flower Goddess, why not make all the flowers bloom at once? First, to celebrate the chief deity's return, and second, to silence the gossip of the Six Realms."

I quietly channeled my inner power and suddenly discovered that there seemed to be a fire hidden inside methe moment I used the Flower Goddess's power, I would fall into qi deviation.

What was going on?

This time, I had truly been so very careful!

Could it be the Soul-Restoring Dew Mother gave me?

My heart pounded like thunder, and I looked at Mother in nervous tension and asked:

"Mother, where did that Soul-Restoring Dew come from?"

Mother was startled, not understanding why I would ask that, and answered honestly.

"Your father and I refined it together with our combined spiritual power over forty-nine days."

Perhaps I really was too nervous; it's common for one's inner power to stagnate right after becoming a god.

I had just breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Mother added, "Don't worry. Your sister went to fetch it especially for you. It hasn't been in contact with anyone else, so there's absolutely no way anything could be wrong with it."

The heart I had just set at ease shot up in suspense again.

It really was her!

I clenched my fists and forced myself to stay calm.

My name had already been engraved on the Roll of Deities, and my successful ascension was a foregone conclusion. There was no way I could be stripped of my divine position over a few words from Lucienne.

Compelling the flowers to bloom should also be mine to decide; even if I refused, there was nothing she could do about it.

The demonic essence within me could be purified, given time.

What I needed to do now was buy time.

I took a deep breath and looked straight at Lucienne.

"Making all the flowers bloom at once violates the order of the four seasons. Sister, do you want me to do this so I'll be punished by the Heavens and drag the entire Flower Fae down with me?"

The moment I finished, everyone cast doubtful glances at Lucienne.

"The Flower Goddess's register has already been entered on the Roll of Deities. It almost certainly can't be fake."

"The real question is why Lucienne insists on forcing the Flower Goddess to compel the flowers, going against Heaven. She's bound to bring divine punishment down on herself."

"I've heard the chieftain has always favored the Goddess Seraphelle. I think it's just jealousya deliberate attempt to frame her."

Lucienne's face turned as ugly as could be, and she squeezed out two tears.

"How could my sister think of me that way?"

"I'm only worried that if the Flower Goddess takes her place without a hundred flowers to welcome her, you'll be laughed at by the Six Realms, and people will say your position as Flower Goddess was never rightfully earned."

"If my sister has nothing to hide, why is she so agitated?"

I looked coldly at Lucienne and exposed her without mercy.

"You needn't try to provoke me. I would never do a thing like defying Heaven to compel the flowers to bloom."

"My name as Flower Goddess is on the register of gods in the Heavensthat is proof enough. Who dares to doubt me!"

Just then my fianc, Emperor Aurelius of the Celestial Clan, arrived riding a fire qilin.

From far off came his hearty, roguish laughter.

"As expected of my future Empressevery word a gem."

In the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of me.

"Seraphelle's position as Flower Goddess was ordained by Sovereign Celestius and is already recorded in the Divine Registry. Is Lucienne questioning Sovereign Celestiusquestioning the Celestial Clan?"

Lucienne's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and tears streamed down.

"Your Majesty cannot shield Seraphelle just because she's your fiance."

Emperor Aurelius let out a cold snort. "I have come by Sovereign Celestius's decree, in person, to welcome my fiance."

"Lucienne keeps insisting that Seraphelle is not the true Flower Goddess. Does your empty-worded assertion carry more weight than Sovereign Celestius's divine decree?"

With that, Emperor Aurelius extended his hand to me, raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

"Little Seraphelle, come back to the Celestial Palace with me."

Lucienne bit her lip, a flicker of envious hatred crossing her aggrieved face.

"I have evidence!" she cried.

"Seraphelle is my sister. I can't bear to watch her stray down the wrong path. This is too great a matterI truly can't keep hiding it for her any longer."

The others exchanged looks, none of them knowing what great matter she meant.

She raised her hand, and the Mirror of Retrospection floated in midair, its surface turned toward me.

My memories surfaced within the mirror.

In the mirror, I sat cross-legged in cultivation, my whole body radiating the purple aura of the Demon Clan.

I froze where I stood, as if struck by thunder.

The person in the image looked exactly like me. The Mirror of Retrospection draws out the memories of the one it reflectsit cannot be faked.

But I clearly had never practiced any Forbidden Demonic Arts, so why were the memories it showed like this?

Emperor Aurelius's pupils shrank abruptly, and the look he gave me turned probing and dark.

Lucienne quickly hid the smugness in her eyes, her rims reddening, her voice choked.

"My sister's cultivation is nowhere near the level needed to become a goddess. She only used the Forbidden Demonic Arts to force her ascension because she didn't want to let down our parents and the clan. Please don't blame her."

As she spoke, she looked at me.

"Seraphelle, I wanted to cover for you, hoping you would turn back before it was too late, but you refused to stop."

"I truly can't bear to watch you fall into demonhood and endanger the Six Realms. Don't blame your sister."

The way my clanspeople looked at me turned to disgust and wariness.

"Seraphelle actually used such a crooked, evil art to ascend. If she manages to enter the Celestial Palace, the Heavens will send down punishment, and the Flower Fae will be guilty of a crime that could wipe out the whole clan."

"The spiritual power of a forbidden art is unstable. She could fall into demonhood at any moment, and by then Seraphelle won't even be able to control herself. That would be a slaughter, a catastrophe."

"How could she disregard the lives of the entire clan for her own selfish desires!"

Lucienne wanted to use the crowd's fury to force me to give up the position of Flower Goddess myself.

I drew a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

"I don't know what tricks you used, but the person in the Mirror of Retrospection is not me. I have never cultivated the demonic path."

Lucienne clutched her chest, the tears on her lashes trembling as if about to fall, and turned to look at Emperor Aurelius, the picture of piteous helplessness.

"The Mirror of Retrospection is an ancient divine artifact. With my cultivation, how could I possibly tamper with it?"

"Whether my sister has cultivated the demonic path or not, Emperor Aurelius can find out with a single examination."

Emperor Aurelius looked at me with a mixture of disappointment and inquiry.

He raised his hand, and a current of inner power moved to probe into the depths of my soul.

Instinctively I took a step back and warded it off.

"I can accept the examination, but it must be three days from now."

"The Soul-Restoring Dew Lucienne just had me drink was tampered with. Examining me now isn't fair."

The moment I finished speaking, the clanspeople broke into an uproar.

"What a joke. Soul-Restoring Dew does nothing but strengthen spiritual power. Talk of it being unfair is utter nonsense."

"Three days, and who knows what forbidden art Seraphelle will use to pull the wool over our eyes. By then the Heavens' punishment may already have come down, and the Flower Fae destroyed."

"We demand that Emperor Aurelius examine Seraphelle's soul now!"

They flung up their arms and shouted, standing on Lucienne's side and crying out for her.

Emperor Aurelius looked at me, then at Lucienne.

That once proud, untamed face turned grave.

"Seraphelle, I'm sorry. The safety of the Six Realms cannot be risked. I must examine your soul now."

Resigned, I closed my eyes and let Emperor Aurelius's inner power probe into my soul.

Before everyone's eyes, I was lifted into the air by Emperor Aurelius's divine power.

Thirty-six streams of spiritual power coursed through my body. I held myself rigid and unmoving, like a corpse.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, I settled steadily back to the ground.

Lucienne's eyes held excitement and triumph she couldn't hide.

She stepped forward and took my hand with false tenderness.

"Seraphelle, you've suffered, but you'll be well soon."

"Once your corruption is driven out, you'll still be our parents' good daughter and my good sister."

Then she held me tight and whispered in my ear in the lowest of voices.

"Seraphelle, your position as Flower Goddess is mine now."

The next instant, Emperor Aurelius announced in a ringing voice:

"Seraphelle's divine power is pure. There is no sign of demonic corruption whatsoever."