And so, Hu Yao returned to Lingxiao Star and settled there. Thanks to her, Lingxiao Pavilion became even livelier.
Hu Yao had always been playful by nature. Though she had mellowed a little with age, her true nature hadn't changed. At her instigation, all the women of Lingxiao Pavilion sprang into action, especially Zi Tianfei, Tian Meng, and the others. Lingxiao Pavilion became a madhouse, and quite a few people got caught in the crossfire.
The unluckiest of them all was Xing Zhan. He had come to Lingxiao Pavilion to spar, and he had no problem with one-on-one fights. But Hu Yao and the others naturally had no intention of facing him one-on-one. They swarmed him instead, working together with remarkable coordination, and Xing Zhan was thoroughly trounced.
Xing Zhan was extremely competitive, and he refused to admit defeat. Even after one round of sparring, he kept challenging them. Lian Yue and the others had no idea what humility was, and under Hu Yao's tactics, they easily gave Xing Zhan another thorough beating.
There was no denying that Xing Zhan was a battle maniac. He kept getting back up after each defeat. Though he never won, his combat strength was already worlds apart from before, and his battle sense and technique had improved tremendously. That only made him even more eager to challenge the women.
And so, the sight of Xing Zhan getting thoroughly thrashed by the women played out every day.
Time drifted on, bit by bit.
One day, Xing Zhan challenged Hu Yao and the others yet again. Huangfu Qiye, Nangong Yunlong, and the rest watched from the sidelines, offering their commentary as they went.
"Hey, kid, how long do you think Brother Xing Zhan can hold out this time?" Huangfu Qiye turned and glanced at Nangong Yunlong.