On the second floor not far away.
Guang Ling leaned over the windowsill and said to Mo Ziqian, who had watched the whole thing as well, "The Meng brothers really are scum, to treat their own sister like that."
Mo Ziqian sighed in admiration. "This Princess Anli has some resilience. It is hard to imagine how she reached the North Sea after having her inner core dug out, or how she knelt in the North Sea for ten days and nights."
Guang Ling's dark brows furrowed slightly, his expression full of unwillingness. "I could do it too."
Mo Ziqian smiled helplessly. "What is there to compete over?"
Guang Ling gave a cold snort. "Naturally, I cannot lose to some little girl."
Mo Ziqian's smile deepened. "Mm, it would be best if you could surpass her in every respect."
"Of course."
Yuan Tuo brought Meng Anli to the Qin Zhai within the Arts Zhai.
This courtyard stood quite a distance from the neighboring zhai courtyards.
An ancient qin rested beneath a peach blossom tree in the yard.
The entire courtyard was arranged with fresh elegance, and the breeze carried music through it.
"This does not seem like the sort of courtyard an elder brother would live in."
"Is that so?" Yuan Tuo raised his brows and smiled. "Then whose courtyard should this be?"
"It seems like..." Meng Anli's mind conjured that transcendent, graceful face, and she said softly, "The Great Emperor Dangmo's."
"Very clever!"
Meng Anli was startled. What did that mean? The Great Emperor Dangmo was here too?
Then she saw Yuan Tuo walk to the door and bow respectfully. "Master."
She hurriedly followed suit, then felt that the bow was not grand enough and wanted to kneel.
A voice like spring water came from within. "Enter."
"Yes."
Yuan Tuo gestured for Meng Anli to go inside.
Meng Anli pushed open the door nervously.
The rear window of the room stood wide open. A peach blossom branch poked its head in, and petals occasionally drifted into the pool, sending ripples spreading across the water.
Before the window, a deity even more stunningly beautiful than the peach blossoms reclined at ease. He held a book in his right hand before that exquisitely sculpted face, while his left hand stroked the little lion.
The wind carried the fragrance of peach blossoms and stirred his black hair.
Meng Anli stared blankly for a moment. Only when the door closed behind her did she come back to herself, hurriedly lowering her head in greeting.
"Greetings, Great Emperor Dangmo. I offended you many times before out of ignorance. I hope you can be magnanimous."
"Heh!" Yun Jing closed the book and tossed it onto the small table. "What if I refuse to be magnanimous?"
Meng Anli jumped at his voice. Refuse to be magnanimous?
She looked herself over, agonizing over which part of herself she ought to chop off and give him.
She could not bear to part with any of it, so she simply bowed again. "I will accept whatever punishment the Great Emperor decrees."
"Raise your head."
Meng Anli raised her head, her gaze slipping toward the small table by the window. She saw that the book was titled "Water Arts."
Her eyes brightened unconsciously, and her heart pounded with excitement.
A faint smile appeared on Yun Jing's cold, stern face, but his words were utterly wicked.
"Your eyes are quite nicely grown."
Meng Anli's eyelid twitched. "They are beautiful because they are lively. If they were removed from my face and turned into dead things, they would be worse than dead fish eyes."
"I happen to have a way to preserve them intact."
Meng Anli's eyelids twitched again, and sweat beaded on her forehead in panic.
But necessity was the mother of invention.
She analyzed the situation rapidly.
Yuan Tuo had called him Master, and Yuan Tuo had been the one to bring her here. Therefore, he knew about and approved of everything Yuan Tuo had done for her today.
And now he had taken out a book called "Water Arts." Did he want to teach her?
Thud!
She dropped neatly to her knees, her peach blossom eyes gazing at him. "Please forgive me, Master."
Yun Jing's smile deepened. Clearly, he was very pleased with how quick she was to understand.
He asked, "You are no longer calling me Great Emperor?"
"Great Emperor is an honorific. This disciple feared that she was unqualified and did not dare call you Master. But since you have already guided me and sent Brother Yuan Tuo to resolve my predicament, it proves that you do not find this disciple too dull-witted."
"Yuan Tuo..." Yun Jing's smile vanished at once. "Brother?"
"Yes. Seeing this disciple's pitiful state, he accepted me as his sworn younger sister."
Meng Anli quickly gave him a brief account of what had just happened.
Yun Jing nodded slightly. "He was right. From now on, show a little backbone. Do not let others bully you and disgrace the name of my Beiming."
"Yes." Meng Anli's smile was radiant, light shimmering in her peach blossom eyes. Her master had acknowledged her.
"Thank you, Master!"
Yun Jing picked up the book. "These Water Arts are specially meant for water-element cultivators. They can be used regardless of rank. The higher your rank, the greater their power."
Meng Anli accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, Master."
"The Meng family will not let this go. Your rank is still too weak, so I will give you two rainbow feathers. They can speed up your movement, and as your abilities improve, they will become faster and faster."
Yun Jing lifted his hand. Two beautiful feathers lay in his palm.
Meng Anli pressed her hands together gratefully. "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure."
Yun Jing turned his lean wrist, and the two feathers fell into Meng Anli's hands before vanishing.
"I will teach you the hand seal and True Word Incantation."
"Yes."
Yun Jing taught her once, then waved his hand.
Meng Anli followed him into the courtyard.
"Give it a try."
Meng Anli formed the hand seal and recited the True Word Incantation. A pair of feathers suddenly appeared beneath her feet, carrying her into the air in an instant.
She had not expected to fly so fast and could not help crying, "Ahhh!"
Yuan Tuo came out and, seeing her like this, asked in surprise, "She learned it so quickly?"
Yun Jing watched the little girl being carried through the air by the feathers. "She has not learned it yet. After all, I only taught it once, and she has only tried it once."
"What?" Yuan Tuo was shocked. "Only once! Her talent is truly astonishing."
Yun Jing agreed deeply. "It is somewhat stronger than yours."
As the two spoke, the little girl shot through the peach tree and crashed into the qin.
Amid the discordant notes, she slowly fell to the ground.
Still shaken, she lay sprawled on the ground with her head raised, her face flushed bright red with embarrassment.
"Sorry, Master. It is not very easy to control."
Her hair was a mess, peach petals tangled in it, and dust had splashed onto her face when she landed, making her eyes appear even brighter.
She looked like a little lion that had rolled around in the dirt several times.
It made people unable to resist giving her a rub and brushing the dust from her body.
Before you continue