“Who are you? Why do you interfere in the affairs of our Yueying Sect?” Su Linghuang spoke coldly, her murderous intent sharp as she pointed her sword at the young man with a folding fan standing a yard away.
“White Feather Sect, Nangong Yun. What do you mean, ‘the affairs of your Yueying Sect’? This is the Mo Family Estate. You injured the Mo Family Guard—do you really think you can ignore both my White Feather Sect and the Mo Clan?”
As soon as her words fell, Nangong Yun suddenly swung her paper fan, sending forth a surge of freezing currents. Dancing ice crystals gathered into sharp bows and arrows, the chill biting to the bone.
Reflected in blood-red pupils was the tip of an ice arrow. Su Linghuang immediately drew her sword to block, and with a swing of the [Falling Plum]—imbued with killing sword intent—she cleaved the ice arrow in two. That strike, which could have slain an ordinary Juling Stage cultivator, was deflected by her with ease.
Boom!
The shattered ice exploded into a vast mist, obscuring the Honglian Saintess’s view. Before she could react, a dark figure flashed out from the fog—it was Nangong Yun.
She gathered the tiny ice crystals around her into blades, attaching them to both sides of her folding fan. Using the fan as a pair of knives, she swept it horizontally toward Su Linghuang.
Seeing this, Su Linghuang dared not be careless. She hurriedly raised her sword to block, pouring a continuous stream of Ling Xi into the [Falling Plum] sword.
Never did she expect that Nangong Yun’s attack was merely a feint. As soon as the fan barely touched [Falling Plum], Nangong Yun leaped back, and while Su Linghuang’s guard was down, she suddenly thrust her long-prepared left palm straight at the Honglian Saintess’s heart.
Earth-Grade mid-tier palm technique—Snowstorm Frost Palm!
If this strike landed, anyone below the Nascent Soul Stage would be instantly afflicted with chilling poison, damaging their meridians and dantian, rendering them unable to circulate even a trace of Ling Xi.
But how could the Honglian Saintess be so easily bested? She reacted swiftly, extending two fingers of her left hand before the attack arrived, sword intent already surging at her fingertips.
Palm intent and fingertip sword intent collided, both forces dispersing each other, the outcome still undecided. At this moment, Nangong Yun understood that her strength was evenly matched with her opponent, while Su Linghuang, though holding back her trump card, was still unwilling to use it.
In that case, it would come down to whose Ling Xi ran out first.
Su Linghuang lightly wiped the blade of the [Lingmei] sword. Whether true spirit or killing sword intent, both had reached their peak. In the next instant, Su Linghuang used instant movement, her sword tip flashing coldly as she charged with unstoppable momentum.
Nangong Yun released her Ling Xi, coating her folding fan with an unbreakable layer of solid ice. She neither dodged nor retreated, taking the [Falling Plum] sword strike head-on.
Two mighty Juling mid-stage auras collided, the overwhelming pressure shocking the onlookers. Those whose cultivation had not reached the Ring Stage already felt dizzy and were on the verge of fainting.
“Who are these two prodigies? So young, yet already at the Juling Stage, and their foundations are solid. I’m afraid even I may not be their match,” a Jade Infant Stage Elder frowned and asked doubtfully.
“It seems one of them called herself Nangong Yun, but I’ve never heard of such a person in the White Feather Sect. However, the White Feather Sect’s Nangong Yu is indeed a renowned prodigy, ranking firmly in the top five of Mu Yunzhou’s younger generation.”
“Eh, then perhaps this Nangong Yun is closely related to the White Feather Saintess. Maybe they’re siblings?”
As the crowd argued, Gu Shenzhi, dressed in a dark robe embroidered with a black flood dragon, appeared before the two like a ghost. [Xiehuang] was drawn, sword intent swirling around the blade, and as it fell, it executed the Sword Intent Twelve Overlays.
Gu Shenzhi had used his full strength in this strike, barely managing to separate the two battling prodigies.
“You both came for the Mo Family Third Young Lady Martial Competition Marriage Event. If you want to fight, do it on tomorrow’s stage. To start fighting without a word—are you not afraid of disgracing your respective Zongmen?!”
Gu Shenzhi scolded sternly, sword-like brows raised. He could tell the two were fighting to the death. Had he not intervened, one would certainly be gravely injured when her Ling Xi was exhausted.
“She attacked first. I did nothing wrong,” Su Linghuang pouted, her voice as clear and lively as a nightingale, full of feminine charm.
She spoke without malice, but listeners took it to heart. Instantly, whispers spread through the crowd: “Isn’t that a man? Why does he sound so much like a woman?”
“Eh, you don’t understand. Those of the evil sects are often androgynous—it’s normal for their gender to be hard to tell.”
“True, I suppose my experience is lacking.”
Fortunately, Su Linghuang’s attention was entirely on Nangong Yun and did not notice the gossip. Otherwise, two more people might have ended up on the ground.
Seeing the Honglian Saintess unmoved, Gu Shenzhi turned to the young master with the folding fan, cupped his fists respectfully, and said, “Might Young Master Nangong do me the honor and let this matter go…”
However, before Gu Shenzhi could finish, Nangong Yun darted into his arms like a dancing butterfly. Her body, with curves far from a man’s, carried a fragrance as enchanting as roses, and her ample chest pressed against him, firm and supple.
“Where did you go? I missed you so much.”
Nangong Yun’s voice was oddly alluring, with both feminine and androgynous qualities. Her warm breath brushed Gu Shenzhi’s ear.
“Miss Nangong, aren’t we… not that close?” Gu Shenzhi spoke as he tried to break free from her embrace.
But Nangong Yun clung to Gu Shenzhi like an octopus, not letting him move an inch, nearly molding his body into hers. Even dressed in men’s clothing, at such close and intimate distance, Gu Shenzhi could clearly feel her graceful figure.
Her collar revealed a hint of delicate, fair collarbone; her ivory skin was smooth and soft; her cheeks blushed like peaches, making one want to devour her then and there.
“How are we not close?! You’ve seen and touched every inch of my skin, and besides, you already promised to marry me!”
Nangong Yun—or rather, the White Feather Sect Saintess Nangong Yu—spoke with indignation.
At her words, the White Feather Sect disciples who knew the truth all dropped their jaws in shock. When had their pure and beautiful Saintess been taken in by an evil cultivator?
The clueless bystanders gossiped even more excitedly: “Whoa, a man with a man! It’s one thing for those of the evil sects to be strange, but when did the proper White Feather Sect become so open-minded?”
“I don’t know, but that Nangong Yun is indeed handsome and feminine—male with the looks of a woman. If they like women, doesn’t that mean our chances of finding a beautiful Dao partner just got even lower?”
“True enough. Anyway, it’s no harm to us—just something new and interesting to watch.”
Some could treat it as an amusing tale, but Su Linghuang was so anxious her fists clenched tight. She gracefully walked up to Gu Shenzhi, and right in front of Nangong Yun, tiptoed to plant a kiss on Gu Shenzhi’s cheek.
She then turned back with a charming smile and said, “I won’t disturb Young Master Gu as you catch up with old friends. Mo Master and I will take our leave.”
When the Honglian Saintess mentioned “catching up,” her back teeth were nearly ground to dust.