Fish-Goose Twin Flight

The Women's Court was where the female disciples of the Upper Court lived. To any male disciple of the Upper Court, it was a completely unfamiliar place shrouded in mystery. In the past, male disciples had entered the Women's Court, only to be beaten into amnesia and expelled from Sword Gate.

Such incidents happened once or twice every year. Though quite a few male disciples still yearned for the Women's Court, its dangers were common knowledge. Even if they had a sweetheart among the female disciples, they could only wait outside for her to come out on her own. None of them dared enter.

"Brave warrior, have a good journey!" several male disciples outside the court jeered gleefully.

Zhong Yue had only recently become a disciple of the Upper Court. One incident after another had happened ever since, and no one had told him that male disciples were strictly forbidden from entering the Women's Court. Thus, he walked in openly, yet no one stopped him.

"The Women's Court really is different from our Men's Court. The scenery is pleasant and breathtaking."

He walked along, taking in the sights around him. The Women's Court was beautiful, with flowers blooming in profusion along the road, green mountains, blue waters, and azure skies. The lake and sky blended into one. Little boats drifted across the water, while cormorants and mandarin ducks played in the lake. The singing of women drifted over, graceful and ethereal, the lingering notes circling endlessly.

Zhong Yue stopped to watch. A woman sat at the bow of a boat, singing a tune in a clear voice. The water rippled, and several girls emerged dripping wet from beneath the lake, clinging to the side of the boat as they listened in silence, their fragrant shoulders exposed above the surface.

"There's a man peeping at you while you bathe!" the woman on the boat suddenly spotted Zhong Yue by the lakeside and cried out.

The girls in the water shrieked and hurriedly dove beneath the surface, churning up several waves.

Zhong Yue quickly left. The girls dove to a small island in the middle of the lake, swiftly put on their clothes, then came striding across the waves with their almond eyes blazing in fury, searching for Zhong Yue.

However, Zhong Yue's steps were extremely quick. They had also been delayed by putting on their clothes, and by the time they came out, he had already gone far away.

"A man has broken into our Upper Court, and he even peeped at our sisters while we bathed!"

"Notify the other sisters! Find him at once!"

"What astonishing audacity! He dared break into the Women's Court, and even dared peep at our sisters while they bathed! Find him and break three of his legs!"

Zhong Yue strolled through the Women's Court as if taking an idle walk, thinking, Where exactly does Junior Sister Qingyan live? The Women's Court is so large, and there are so many female disciples. Finding her won't be easy. I should ask someone...

"Junior Brother Zhong, what are you doing here?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from ahead. Zhong Yue looked toward it and saw Ting Lanyue carrying a flower basket, dressed like a village girl. The basket held flowers of every color, and she was looking at him in astonishment.

"You're quite bold, daring to barge into the Women's Court!"

Ting Lanyue hurried over, then suddenly realized something. With a hint of shyness, she said, "You risked entering the Women's Court—did you come looking for me? I haven't changed clothes yet..."

Zhong Yue smiled. "Senior Sister, you've misunderstood. I have an old acquaintance in the Women's Court named Shui Qingyan, from the Shuitu Clan of the Weishui Tribe. I once promised to visit her, but I didn't have the time these past few days. I finally had time today. Senior Sister, do you know Junior Sister Shui?"

"So you didn't come looking for me..."

Ting Lanyue felt a little disappointed, then smiled. "Junior Brother, you came looking for Junior Sister Shui Qingyan? Could she be your little sweetheart?"

Before Zhong Yue could refute her, Ting Lanyue hurriedly grabbed his arm and dragged him toward her courtyard. "You're far too bold! If people found out you had broken into the Women's Court, you'd be in for it. Come hide in my courtyard first! By the way, did anyone see you come in?"

Zhong Yue answered awkwardly, "I saw someone singing by the lake, and other people bathing. They noticed me, so I left..."

Ting Lanyue rolled her eyes at him, caught between laughter and tears. "You're doomed. One of those bathing girls was Senior Sister Yu, the Women's Court's senior-most disciple—the granddaughter of the patriarch of the Youyu Clan, one of the Ten Great Clans. The Youyu Clan takes Yu as its surname and ranks second among the Ten Great Clans. Senior Sister Yu is publicly acknowledged as the strongest person in the Women's Court, with abilities nearly on the level of a qi refiner. Her temper is explosive. You actually dared watch her bathe? You're dead for sure! Hide in my room first. Once the commotion dies down, I'll secretly send you out."

Zhong Yue explained, "I didn't mean to watch her bathe. I was simply entranced by the singing."

"That singer wasn't an ordinary person either. She came from the Taolin Clan, ranked third among the Ten Great Clans—Tao Daier. Her singing is the most moving of all. Her father is an enforcement elder of Sword Gate. You may have seen him when you joined the sect—the elder who always wears a black face and looks at everyone as if they had killed his father."

Ting Lanyue felt a headache coming on. She pressed her Upper Court Token against the door and said, "If you're discovered, you really will be dead... I'll go find Junior Sister Shui, but you two aren't allowed to fool around in my courtyard or do anything shameful!"

Zhong Yue asked, puzzled, "What shameful thing could Junior Sister Shui and I do?"

Ting Lanyue glared fiercely at him, flustered and angry. "In any case, you're not allowed to fool around in my courtyard!"

Before long, Ting Lanyue returned, but Shui Qingyan was not with her. She shook her head at Zhong Yue. "Your little sweetheart came up the mountain a few days ago and was summoned by a qi refiner of the Shuitu Clan. After she returned, she entered seclusion. I went to see her just now, but she said she didn't want to see you. Did you two have a quarrel? Her complexion looked rather poor. I casually mentioned that you nearly lost your life in the Demon Ruins, but she barely reacted..."

Zhong Yue was slightly stunned. Junior Sister Shui has always been gentle, and I've never offended her. Why has she become so cold now?

Ting Lanyue continued, "Junior Sister Shui's cultivation is astonishing. From what I saw, after returning from the mountain, her cultivation advanced with incredible speed. She's become much stronger than me. I estimate that before long, she'll comprehend spirit and become a qi refiner! That cultivation speed is truly astonishing—she's even a little faster than you! At this rate, it's hard to say whether Yu Feiyan can retain her position as senior-most disciple."

Disappointed, Zhong Yue rose. "Since Junior Sister Shui doesn't want to see me, I'll leave."

Ting Lanyue hurriedly said, "No! If you leave now, you'll definitely be caught red-handed. And if anyone sees you coming out of my room, I'll die of shame! Wait until nightfall, and I'll sneak you out!"

Zhong Yue nodded, and the two fell silent.

Sharing a room with him made Ting Lanyue somewhat uncomfortable. She secretly glanced at him and saw that Zhong Yue was not a handsome man. Instead, his features were somewhat rugged, with thick brows and large eyes. His muscles were solid and powerful, his chest broad, and he stood half a head taller than ordinary youths. Ting Lanyue herself was considered tall among women, with a slender figure, but standing before him, she still looked like a little bird nestled against a person.

On closer inspection, Junior Brother Zhong is more pleasing to the eye than those handsome disciples. Ting Lanyue's cheeks flushed faintly.

Night fell. More than an hour passed before Ting Lanyue quietly led Zhong Yue out and headed toward the Women's Court's exit. Her heart pounded wildly. Sneaking a little man out of the Women's Court in secret—if anyone finds out, my reputation will be ruined. Everyone will definitely take Junior Brother Zhong for my little sweetheart...

She felt uneasy, but fortunately it was already late, and they encountered no other female disciples on the road. Suddenly, as they passed a courtyard, Kindling Child spoke from within Zhong Yue's sea of consciousness. "You brat Yue, I sensed the aura of Heavenly Phenomenon Mother. She's extremely close!"

"Heavenly Phenomenon Mother?"

Zhong Yue's heart jolted. "Could Heavenly Phenomenon Mother have hidden herself in the Upper Court of Sword Gate?"

"That demon god spirit is most likely parasitizing the body of a female disciple. She should be living in this courtyard."

The little flame leaped as it spoke. "Her aura is extremely faint, hidden inside a woman's body, and only occasionally does a thread of it leak out—so faint that it's nearly impossible to detect. She probably acquired this body only recently and hasn't fully fused with it yet. Once she completely fuses with it, even I won't be able to sense her!"

Zhong Yue looked toward the courtyard. Ting Lanyue was astonished, then giggled. "Junior Brother Zhong really is a lover with a lover's intuition. You recognized at a glance that this is Junior Sister Shui Qingyan's residence. What a pity your little sweetheart doesn't want to see you. Come on, let's go, or someone will find us. Then I'll be taking the blame for Junior Sister Shui!"

Zhong Yue's mind thundered. He followed her forward, walking unevenly, one foot high and one foot low. After a while, they finally left the Women's Court.

"Junior Sister Shui has been parasitized by Heavenly Phenomenon Mother..."

Zhong Yue's mind went blank. The girl who always called him Brother Yue had actually been parasitized by Heavenly Phenomenon Mother. He simply could not accept it!

Only after a while did Zhong Yue come to his senses. "Kindling, if someone is parasitized by a demon god spirit, is Junior Sister Shui still the same Junior Sister Shui?"

"How powerful is a demon god spirit? An ordinary person's soul would die the moment the demon god spirit pressed down on it."

Kindling Child spoke nonchalantly. "Even a qi refiner might not be able to withstand it. If someone is parasitized by a demon god spirit, their soul is bound to die. Only the body remains alive."

Seeing him look utterly lost, Ting Lanyue could not help shaking her head. "Junior Brother, you're still young. If you become addicted to beauty, I'm afraid it will delay your cultivation..."

"Hehehe, Junior Sister Ting, so you know that indulging in beauty can delay one's cultivation!"

Suddenly, a cold laugh came from the small woods outside the Women's Court. Several women walked out of the woods and blocked their path. The woman leading them was none other than the Women's Court's senior-most disciple, Yu Feiyan. She looked Zhong Yue up and down and sneered, "You hid a man in your own home and indulged in cloud-and-rain pleasures until now. How do you explain that?"

Ting Lanyue secretly cried out in dismay and hurriedly said, "Senior Sister Yu, you've misunderstood..."

Another woman sneered, "Misunderstood? If it were a misunderstanding, would you have hidden your little man in your room until now? What good things you did during that time—do I really need to spell them out? But the Women's Court's rules cannot be changed. Otherwise, if you hide one man and I hide another, the Women's Court will become a foul mess. Today, your little sweetheart must leave behind one leg. As for which of his three legs it is, Junior Sister Ting, you may choose."

Ting Lanyue panicked. She hurriedly looked toward Zhong Yue and whispered, "Junior Brother, leave first!"

Sizzle!

A shrill sound suddenly rang out. Totem Pillars emerged one after another, blazing with light. Yu Feiyan, Tao Daier, and the other women had already set up a formation here with the Totem Pillars, suppressing the two of them!

Ting Lanyue felt as if her body could not move, and her heart filled with frantic anxiety.

Suddenly, a Totem Pillar trembled and flew into the air with a whoosh, exploding with a bang.

Zhong Yue strode forward. His muscles shook, and the pressure transmitted by the Totem Pillars was rebuffed by his body. One Totem Pillar after another rose into the air against its will, exploding with a series of bangs!

Yu Feiyan shouted and rose into the air. Suddenly, Fish-Goose Twin Flight appeared overhead. Her mental force surged forth, and she visualized a great fish and a great bird that pounced toward Zhong Yue!

In the darkness, two figures collided. Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder boomed, illuminating the night. A savage flood dragon radiating thunder blazed in the darkness as it collided with Fish-Goose Twin Flight!

"Roar!"

A dragon's cry rang out. Yu Feiyan grunted and fell to the ground. Looking up, she saw that the savage flood dragon had vanished—and Zhong Yue had disappeared into the darkness as well.

Ting Lanyue's heart leaped. "Senior Sister Yu, the number one person in the Women's Court, couldn't stop him?"