The white crane stretched out its neck and nodded. "Jiujiu!" That's right! I fly very steadily, don't worry!
For some reason, Song Zhizhi suddenly understood what the white crane's cries meant. She stroked its head and said softly, "Sorry for the trouble."
Once Song Zhizhi was seated securely, the white crane spread its wings and flew toward the Outer Sect.
The white crane was very fast. A quarter of an hour later, it had brought Song Zhizhi to the place she had arranged to meet Liu Changfei.
Yet Liu Changfei was nowhere to be seen at the meeting spot. Song Zhizhi guessed that Liu Changfei had been delayed by something and was just about to have the white crane return first while she waited there.
But just as the white crane landed, she heard a burst of commotion from the small woods nearby.
"So what if your father is the City Lord of Medicine King City? I'm an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sword Sect now. Even if your father came, he'd have to treat me with the utmost respect."
"Times have changed. Now you're nothing more than a puny Outer Sect Disciple. If you offend me, all I need to do is say the word, and you can forget about continuing to get by in the Sword Sect."
Song Zhizhi frowned. If she had not heard wrong, the people inside had just mentioned the words "Medicine King City."
Was Liu Changfei inside?
Song Zhizhi patted the white crane's wing and had it wait in the distance. She took out her spirit sword and walked toward the source of the voices.
Song Zhizhi concealed herself behind a tree and took in the scene ahead at a glance.
There was a clearing in the woods. Four people stood there, three men and one woman, locked in a one-against-three confrontation.
The girl was Liu Changfei. Of the other three, one was Feng Yulong, dressed in Inner Sect Disciple robes. Song Zhizhi did not recognize the other two men in Outer Sect Disciple robes, but they looked like Feng Yulong's lackeys.
Liu Changfei was currently at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. Opposite her, Feng Yulong was at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, while the other two were at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.
The gap between minor realms in Qi Refining was not impossible to overcome, and Sword Cultivators fighting above their level was commonplace. But with a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator like Feng Yulong watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, Liu Changfei's situation was extremely dire.
Feng Yulong looked down at Liu Changfei, a cruel sneer curling across his lips. "This young master is in a bad mood today. If you want to blame someone, blame your rotten luck. You two, go break her hands. Relax. She's just an Outer Sect Disciple with a Triple Spirit Root. As long as you don't kill her, no one will pursue the matter."
"How dare you!" Song Zhizhi stepped out from behind the tree, her standard-issue longsword already in hand. Her face was cold as she looked at Feng Yulong. "Private fighting and settling grudges are forbidden within the sect. Minor offenders must reflect at Reflection Cliff for three days, while serious offenders are expelled from the sect. Feng Yulong, I recorded everything you just said with a Recording Stone. What punishment do you think you'll receive if I hand it over to the Enforcement Hall?"
Feng Yulong stared at Song Zhizhi with cold, venomous eyes, like a snake that made one sick with disgust. After a long while, he ground his teeth and sneered, narrowing his eyes at her. "I was wondering who it was. So it's you. What, you want to stand up for Liu Changfei? You're only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Don't think getting first place on the Questioning Heart Road gives you the right to stick your nose into other people's business!"
"I can beat you half to death first, then take the Recording Stone. It'll be the same either way. Without evidence, what will you use to report me? Who would believe you?"
Feng Yulong took out his weapon. Before entering the Sword Sect, he had practiced whip techniques. The weapon he handled most deftly now was a dark blue whip.
Liu Changfei tugged at Song Zhizhi's clothes, her face pale. "Zhizhi, don't bother with me. Feng Yulong is a madman. His whip is poisoned, and he's at the Foundation Establishment Realm. You can't beat him. I'll hold him off for you. Run quickly and find the Enforcement Squad outside."
"You want to run?" Feng Yulong flicked his whip and ordered the two lackeys beside him, "Go break Liu Changfei's hands. I'll deal with this one."
"You're only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, yet you dare show off? Today, I'll teach you that there are some spotlights you shouldn't recklessly step into!"
Song Zhizhi remained calm. Facing the pressure of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, she coolly drew the sword in her hand from its sheath.
She was not acting on a hotheaded impulse. Though she was only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, every bit of her cultivation had been built solidly through training. Feng Yulong's Foundation Establishment cultivation, however, had been piled up with pills, leaving his foundation unstable and his movement technique full of openings. Added to that was the elemental restraint between their Spiritual Roots: her Fire Spirit Root was of slightly better quality than Feng Yulong's Water Spirit Root. Song Zhizhi was confident she would not lose to Feng Yulong.
She would not do something she had no confidence in.
Just as the atmosphere grew taut as a drawn bowstring, a voice rang out from the dense forest beside them. "Armed fighting is strictly forbidden within the sect! Feng Yulong took the lead in violating sect rules and bullying the weak with his strength. Take him down!"
Author's note:
A no-prize guessing game: who has arrived?
A. Sword Venerable Mingxiao
B. Song Miaomiao
C. Enforcement Squad
D. Some righteous passerby
E. An obtuse angle
PS: I changed the cover, so don't mistake it for another one~
Extraordinary Talent
A streak of Sword Qi bearing frost came slashing in. The familiar chill nearly made Song Zhizhi think Xie Xiuji had appeared, but when she turned her head, she discovered it was the Sword Sect's other Ice Spirit Root—Song Miaomiao.
After not seeing each other for some time, it was not only Song Zhizhi whose cultivation had improved. Song Miaomiao had also cultivated a Foundation Establishment technique and successfully advanced to Foundation Establishment. But why was Song Miaomiao wearing Enforcement Squad attire?
Ever since the plot had gone off course during the disciple acceptance ceremony, Song Zhizhi had found herself understanding the plot less and less.
Though both were at the Foundation Establishment Realm, Feng Yulong was clearly no match for Song Miaomiao. On top of that, the Ice Spirit Root restrained the Water Spirit Root. After only three moves under Song Miaomiao's hands, Feng Yulong was mercilessly bound and forcibly fitted with a Binding Spirit Ring that sealed his spiritual power.
Song Miaomiao's movements were exceptionally practiced, as though she had rehearsed them dozens or even hundreds of times. Song Zhizhi stared in astonishment. So cool! As expected of the female lead I liked!
Song Miaomiao handed Feng Yulong over to the Enforcement Squad members beside her, then walked over and asked Song Zhizhi, "You weren't hurt, were you?"
"I'm fine." Song Zhizhi shook her head and said awkwardly, "Thank you."
Original host, original host, Song Miaomiao was so wonderful. How could you have been so determined to harm her? If she had not remembered the mistakes the original host had once made, Song Zhizhi would have wanted to shamelessly befriend the female lead—or cling to her thigh—but because of that matter, Song Zhizhi felt too embarrassed to approach Song Miaomiao on her own.