To be honest, Yan Zhen had no desire to run into Wen Canglan. Now wasn’t the time for the two of them to settle things properly. But this guy kept coveting his Zi Ji wife, and Yan Zhen worried he might lose control and lash out.
Things backfired, of course. The moment Zi Xunyi appeared, that fellow popped up—and not alone. He had a posse of society underlings in tow, thirteen in total. All of them sported badges emblazoned with shattered mirrors on their chests.
That was the emblem of “Mirror Society,” one of the Inner Academy’s Top 10 Societies.
Mirror Society was an ancient group, boasting over a century of history. Every generation’s leader hailed from the Wen Family, and this one’s was none other than Wen Canglan himself. Beneath him served twelve Mystic General cadres, giving them the highest number of such experts in the entire Inner Academy. Their overall strength lagged only slightly behind Gu Tiange’s Seven-Star.
A procession of Mystic Generals striding together radiated overwhelming pressure.
“Zi Ji.” Wen Canglan adjusted his glasses and offered a polite, gentlemanly greeting. “It’s been a while. You’ve only grown more beautiful.”
In the past, Zi Xunyi might have nodded courteously in reply. But now? She had no interest in even acknowledging him.
Wen Canglan had ambushed Yan Zhen, leaving him gravely injured and coughing up blood. A man that despicable wasn’t worth her time or effort. She simply turned and slipped behind Yan Zhen.
Wen Canglan’s expression froze, a flicker of dejection crossing his face. His lenses reflected Yan Zhen’s image, and a hint of resentment surfaced in his eyes.
—If it weren’t for him…
Yet Wen Canglan knew full well that targeting Yan Zhen any further would only make Zi Xunyi despise him more.
“Sorry,” he said. “I was impulsive before and accidentally hurt Junior Brother Yan Zhen. Please don’t be angry, Zi Ji?”
Zi Xunyi’s delicate brows furrowed. “Enough,” she said coolly. “If you truly regretted it, you’d apologize to Yan Zhen right away—instead of feeding me these half-hearted excuses.”
“Zi Ji, I…”
“—Save it. Shut your mouth!” Yan Zhen couldn’t stomach Wen Canglan’s act and offered him no face whatsoever. “Stop playing dumb. I’ll settle the score for your ambush later.”
“Yeah, that’s right!” Long Ying chimed in, shooting Wen Canglan a hostile glare. “Dare bully the current Zhen Zhen, and I won’t let you off either!”
The Mirror Society members’ faces turned icy at their words.
“What was that? You dare disrespect our president without clearing it with us first?”
Wen Canglan raised a hand at once, silencing his subordinates. His tone turned earnest. “That was my mistake. I apologize to Junior Brother Yan Zhen. I hope you can let it go.”
Yan Zhen narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing from the slits.
Beating him half to death with a sneak attack, and thinking one sentence would make it all go away? Really?
Somehow, this guy grated even more than the script described. Was it because Yan Zhen was the one in the thick of it now, rather than a mere observer?
“Hmph.”
Yan Zhen turned away, ignoring him.
“…What a lively scene!”
A bright, cheerful female voice rang out. The crowd parted once more as Yu Die arrived with her Transformation Butterfly crew.
The Inner Academy’s sole all-female society, Transformation Butterfly stood out like a vibrant splash of color amid the ten-to-one male-to-female ratio.
Yu Die led the way, her shoulder-length hair tousled just so, her academy uniform slung over her shoulders like a cape. She had the unmistakable air of a society big sis.
“Morning, Cousin Brother-in-Law.” She gave Yan Zhen’s shoulder a hearty pat. “You heading into the Yang Pole Secret Realm to cultivate, too?”
“Greetings, Cousin Sister Yu Die.” Yan Zhen returned the courtesy properly. “I’ve been curious about what the Yang Pole Secret Realm looks like, so I hurried over to see for myself.”
“Fair enough. It’s pretty dangerous in there. Want to join us?”
“I appreciate the offer, Sister, but we can handle ourselves.”
Yu Die’s gaze shifted to Huangfu Wenqing, a playful glint in her eyes. It turned to surprise when it landed on Zi Xunyi, then pure fangirl bliss upon spotting Long Ying. Her confident poise melted away as she leaned down. “Little Long Ying! You’re here too. Come let big sis give you a hug~”
Long Ying scurried behind Yan Zhen just like Zi Xunyi had, issuing a cute yet fierce warning. “Back off! Don’t touch me!”
In her previous life, Yu Die had lured her with food and pills, petting her endlessly. The trauma lingered.
“Little Long Ying…”
Seeing the wariness, Yu Die’s heart practically shattered. She was the one who’d found and rescued Long Ying—why cling to Yan Zhen instead?
Whoosh—a whirlwind of melodrama swept the scene.
Transformation Butterfly’s cadres exchanged exasperated looks. Their big sis’s girlish whims were utterly unpredictable.
—Hang on. Did she just call this handsome junior “Cousin Brother-in-Law”?
It wasn’t just them. Every student nearby had overheard, and curiosity rippled through the crowd.
Cousin Brother-in-Law? Yan Zhen and Senior Sister Yu Die were connected like that? Speaking of her cousin, it had to be Yu Xuan.
The former flower of the Outer Academy, driven to teach in some remote backwater by the feud between the Yu, Wen, and Han Families. Otherwise, she’d be a top name on the Inner Court Star General List by now.
Wen Canglan had heard the story from Yu Die’s own lips, so it came as no surprise. He grew even more convinced that Yan Zhen and Zi Xunyi were merely close friends—and regretted his earlier rashness all the more. It had driven such a wedge between him and her.
“Hey, Wen.” Yu Die wheeled on Wen Canglan without a shred of politeness. “Don’t think you can bully my Cousin Brother-in-Law just because your cultivation’s a bit higher. This big cousin won’t go easy on you.”
She’d already heard about the beef between him and Yan Zhen. Naturally, family came first.
“Just a misunderstanding,” Wen Canglan replied coolly. “I’ve apologized. If he won’t let it go, there’s nothing I can do.”
“An apology alone? What about compensation? Where’s the sincerity?”
“…”
Wen Canglan went quiet.
“—Yo, everyone’s gathering!”
Ling Fei showed up with his own group. Handsome and sunny, the third-ranked on the General Star List had no shortage of female admirers in the Inner Academy. His arrival sparked a wave of whispers among the girls nearby.
“Morning, you two.” He greeted Yu Die and Wen Canglan. “Why the long faces?”
No one answered.
“Er, Gu Tiange still a no-show? What’s that guy doing with his special training anyway?”
Silence.
“…”
Ling Fei scratched his head awkwardly. Then his eyes caught the striking purple figure lurking behind Yan Zhen, and he froze.
—How did this powerhouse end up here? What a rarity.
Ling Fei shifted uncomfortably.
He’d witnessed Zi Xunyi’s palm strike sending Wen Canglan flying last time—with a front-row seat, no less.
Sure, others chalked it up to Wen Canglan’s crush making him hold back. But Ling Fei had been close enough to feel the sheer terror of her sudden aura burst.
In the entire Inner Academy, probably only Gu Tiange could stand toe-to-toe with her. Ling Fei had zero interest in testing that out. Just imagining getting casually hurled ten meters for stepping too close sent shivers down his spine…
“…”
As they spoke, the square gradually filled to the brim. Mystic Generals clustered in groups of three or five—White Fang, Black Horn, and more. Nearly every Mystic General from the General Star List had turned up.
—The Firmament Nine-Story Tower could be visited anytime. Miss out on the Two Extremes Secret Realm, though, and you’d regret it. Anyone who could make it rushed over.
The crowd waited ages in the square before the two elders guarding the Yang Pole Secret Realm finally arrived. Together, they unsealed the realm’s gateway.
The long-patient students surged inside without hesitation.
