Bai Yuyan saw the tense expression on her junior brother’s face and couldn’t help but chuckle.
She gently patted Chu Feng on the head with her delicate hand.
“Alright, I’m not some man-eating tigress; you don’t have to be so nervous around me.”
After patting his head a few times, Bai Yuyan seemed quite pleased. The two of them then quickly caught up with the main group.
At the resting area, since the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect was a major force, they were given a separate courtyard. Though calling it a courtyard was an understatement. It was more like a small palace.
The elder leading the group wore a green robe and went by the surname Sun. They called him Elder Sun.
“Disciples, tomorrow marks the beginning of the first match. Our guiding principle here is friendship first, competition second. However, if someone comes at you with a killing move, respond in kind. Even if your opponent ends up dead, Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect will take full responsibility.”
With that, Elder Sun began distributing the room keys.
When Chu Feng received his key and pushed open the door, sure enough, a tall and graceful figure was already inside waiting for him.
Seeing her, Chu Feng asked, “Senior Sister Yuyan, aren’t you going back to your own room?”
“Are you trying to kick me out, Junior Brother?”
Bai Yuyan’s voice trembled slightly as she replied, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moisture.
“No…! I didn’t mean it like that!”
Chu Feng quickly shook his head in denial. Seeing the mist welling up in Senior Sister Yuyan’s eyes, he couldn’t help but soften. Haaah… as expected, he really couldn’t stand seeing girls cry.
“Then… can Senior Sister stay here?”
“Of course you can.”
Besides, Chu Feng was already used to it. Back at the Fragrant Flower Pavilion, he had shared a room with Senior Sister Yuyan before.
Once he fully stepped into the room, Chu Feng finally noticed a large wooden tub filled with water.
“Senior Sister Yuyan, this is…?”
Chu Feng pointed at the wooden tub. Surely it wasn’t… a bath together or something, right?
“Oh, that? Tomorrow is the match for first-rank cultivators, so I specially prepared a body-tempering bath for you.”
With a flick of her finger, a jade bottle appeared in Bai Yuyan’s hand.
She then walked over to the tub, removed the stopper, and poured a vibrant green liquid into the water.
In the next moment, the clear water turned a brilliant emerald green.
This…!!
A wooden tub! Emerald green water!
In an instant, an image of his master’s mature and attractive figure flashed through Chu Feng’s mind.
“Junior Brother, go ahead and get in. Once you absorb it all, your physique will see a significant improvement. This is a medicinal bath I carefully prepared just for you~”
Bai Yuyan urged him gently. Her beautiful eyes scanned Chu Feng up and down.
Finally, she could openly and legitimately examine her junior brother’s body. This moment…she had to capture it with a recording stone!
“Ah! This…”
Chu Feng silently cried out in his heart. This was bad. Could it be… that Senior Sister Yuyan was just like his master…?
“Junior Brother, hurry up. If you take too long, the medicinal effects will start to fade.”
Bai Yuyan began staring at Chu Feng without blinking, her gaze like a hungry wolf eyeing a helpless little lamb.
Chu Feng gritted his teeth. Screw it!
Sploosh!
He plunged into the wooden tub, shut his eyes tightly, and thought, Come on, I’m ready!
But after a moment of waiting… nothing happened.
Chu Feng opened one eye.
Click—
A flash of light made him squint.
Right in front of him, Senior Sister Yuyan was sitting nearby….calmly, properly, and politely.
“Junior Brother, what are you looking at me for?”
Her face was flushed red, though it was unclear whether it was from embarrassment… or something else.
“Ah! N-No reason…”
Chu Feng quickly shut his eyes, filled with guilt. How could he have suspected Senior Sister Yuyan of such dirty thoughts?
She was really only thinking about his well-being!
Bai Yuyan let out a quiet sigh of relief when she saw that her junior brother had closed his eyes and begun absorbing the medicinal solution. That was close….he almost caught her secretly taking recording stones.
Whew—
Such fair, tender junior brother skin…
Bai Yuyan seized the opportunity to secretly take a few more memory recordings.
***
Zhao Shoucheng was reviewing official documents when a knock sounded at the door.
“Enter.”
Creak—
The door opened, and an official walked in, holding a bamboo lottery tube.
“Prime Minister, this contains all the matchups for tomorrow’s first-rank Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect disciples. Their opponents are all members from our imperial court.”
“Mhmm! Very good. Well done. Just leave it on the desk; you may go.”
“Yes!”
The official glanced at another bamboo tube sitting on the edge of the desk. To avoid any mix-up, he placed his own tube squarely in the center of the table before taking his leave.
By the time Zhao Shoucheng finished his paperwork, it was already evening.
“It’s this late already…”
Zhao Shoucheng murmured, “Still, the task Her Majesty assigned me is nearly complete.”
At that moment, Zhao Shoucheng looked at the desk. He remembered. The one in the center of the desk, on the left-hand side, belonged to the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect.
With a grand wave of his hand, Zhao Shoucheng picked up both bamboo tubes, including the one on the right, and brought them to the official in charge of drawing lots for the next day. He handed both tubes over.
“Remember. The left-hand side is for the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect, and the right-hand side is for the Heaven Fire Sect.”
With that said, Zhao Shoucheng turned and left.
The official looked down at the two bamboo tubes in his hands. The one on his left was for the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect. Got it!
***
The next day.
Bai Yuyan rested her cheek in her hand, gazing at her junior brother who was still cultivating. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tenderness.
By now, the medicinal properties in the liquid had been almost completely absorbed, so… the original emerald green color was gradually fading.
Bai Yuyan seized the moment.
Swoosh swoosh! What a perfect moment to capture!
Just then, Chu Feng slowly opened his eyes.
He could clearly feel that his physical constitution had improved.
Lifting his head, Chu Feng met a pair of beautiful eyes brimming with warmth.
“Senior Sister Yuyan!”
Chu Feng was about to get up… when he noticed his current state. His face flushed red.
Seeing this, Bai Yuyan turned around. She knew her junior brother was feeling embarrassed.
Chu Feng quickly jumped out and got dressed.
“How is it? How does your body feel, junior brother?”
Bai Yuyan walked over to Chu Feng and reached out with her fair hand, pinching his cheek.
Mmm~ Still soft and squishy~
Looks like the medicinal solution she prepared wasn’t bad at all.
“Much better. Thank you, Senior Sister Yuyan!”
“Alright, if you keep thanking me, I’m going to get upset. Come on, the tournament’s about to start!”
After tidying themselves up, the two of them opened the door and stepped outside.
Chu Feng looked up at the gloomy sky. Was it going to rain?
He didn’t dwell on it and headed straight to the tournament grounds.
There were many arenas; the one assigned to the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect was Arena One.
After locating Arena One, Chu Feng stepped inside.
At the center stood a raised platform, and all around it, the seats were filled with people. Some from the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect, and others just there to watch the excitement.
Seated on the high platform overlooking the arena were several figures, and among them, Chu Feng recognized one. It was another elder of the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect.
Zhao Shoucheng glanced toward the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect’s side and locked eyes on a young man.
So that’s Chu Feng… Looks like he’s the boy from Her Majesty’s portrait.
As early as yesterday, Zhao Shoucheng had received information about the boy in the portrait.
Unfortunately, the information was sparse, as if the boy had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
As per tradition, a red-robed official stepped forward to deliver the opening remarks.
“Everyone! Friendship comes first, the competition second! Please go easy on each other. No lethal attacks. As per the rules, falling off the platform means defeat. Now then, will both sides proceed to draw lots.”
With that, the participants headed to the drawing area.
“Good luck, junior brother!”
Bai Yuyan clenched her fists in encouragement.
“Mhmm! I’ll do my best!”
Chu Feng walked up to the lot-drawing area. He reached in and pulled out… Number Nine.
Not bad. At least I’m not fighting first.
Up on the platform, the red-robed official also had a set of lots.
He casually drew one and announced, “Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect, Number Nine!”
Wait, what?! That’s me!
Chu Feng looked down at the number on his lot. Shouldn’t this mean he’d be fighting later?
When Zhao Shoucheng saw Chu Feng step onto the platform, he chuckled happily. In a little while, he could head home and listen to Cuicui’s singing. His wife had been watching him closely lately, and it had been a long time since he last heard those little tunes.
Thinking of this, Zhao Shoucheng picked up his teacup and took a sip.
The red-robed official drew another lot and read aloud, “Flowing Cloud Sect. Number Three!”
Pfft—cough cough!
Zhao Shoucheng spat out the tea he had just sipped before he could swallow it.
Flowing Cloud Sect?!!!
The Flowing Cloud Sect that rivaled the Heaven’s Pinnacle Sect!!!
Why wasn’t it someone from the imperial side?!
This is bad!
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