The days passed by, and it almost felt idyllic since nothing of importance happened. Wu Jian ended up spending most of it either sparring with Loong Chen and had even asked Hua Xue to spar with him. The woman was staying in the capital as a representative of the Ice Phoenix Sect, but she didn’t have much to do. Perhaps that was why she agreed to be his sparring partner.

Wu Jian knew that Hua Xue was far stronger than her current cultivation suggested because he had agreed to help her find the ingredients needed to create a pill that would break the sealing array, but he was still shocked to see how good she handled herself in a fight. Her experience was so vast that even at her current cultivation base, she could fight on par with Loong Chen.

Her method of fighting was also vastly different from Loong Chen’s. The dragon relied on pure power and brute force to accomplish his goals. Hua Xue was a technique fighter. She had a wide array of techniques that she could use at will and fired off each technique in rapid succession to trap him. One technique would flow into another into another and into another. It was like being struck by an endless barrage.

Loong Chen and Hua Xue did not get along and constantly argued when they were in one another’s presence. Wu Jian could understand. Their first meeting had not been a good one. Loong Chen had attacked the moment Hua Xue appeared before them, and then he tried to make her into his woman. Wu Jian could still remember how cold Hua Xue’s face became before the battle had begun. If looks could kill, Loong Chen would have found himself dead a thousand times over.

Wu Jian had improved greatly by sparring with these two. His cultivation didn’t grow much, but he had honed his combat skills. Hua Xue had even said that he shouldn’t have much trouble defeating a Deva Realm Cultivator with ease provided he go all out in the beginning.

The difference between realms became more vast the higher one climbed. A person’s strength increased several times over after passing to the next realm. That Wu Jian could defeat someone an entire realm above him shocked most people, though there were apparently others who could accomplish the same feat. However, they were all geniuses who had been training since a young age.

Hua Xue had once told him after a sparring session that, even though it was impossible to cultivate until a person turned sixteen, they could still grow stronger with alchemy pills. Many young masters who belonged to important clans and sects were fed pills since an early age to bolster their physical prowess and make it easier to cultivate. Hou Jingshu had also taken pills when she was younger, now that he was thinking about it.

Like that, one month flew by in a flash, and it was soon time for Zhou Lihua to leave.

Wu Jian woke up naked. The warm body snuggled against him was equally naked. Her legs were tangled with his, hair splayed across his chest and stomach. He looked down, smiled sadly, and began running his fingers through Zhou Lihua’s hair. This would be the last time he could do something like this.

“Master?”

“Nnngg?!”

Wu Jian choked back his shriek and turned to stare at Yōuměi. How long had she been sitting there?

“What is it?” he asked.

“Big sis said it’s time to get up,” said Yōuměi.

“Right… go tell Jingshu I’ll be up in a minute.”

“Kay!”

Wu Jian sighed as Yōuměi disappeared into the shadows. That panther was going to give him a heart attack one of these days.

“Seems it’s almost time.”

“Oh? I didn’t realize you were awake.”

Zhou Lihua smiled as she kissed his shoulder. “I woke up when you started petting my head.”

“Sorry.”

“I don’t mind. I like it when you give me affection.” She set her chin on his chest and grinned. “Though I like it even more when you play with me.”

“Ah… well…”

Ever since their first time having anal together, Zhou Lihua had been periodically coming over for more. Hou Jingshu had resigned herself to letting this woman get her way. They usually traded off nights.

Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua had yet to do more than anal. Zhou Lihua was still under her clan’s supervision, which meant she was periodically checked every day she spent the night to see if her virginity was still intact. It was… well, it was annoying. Zhou Lihua often complained about how puritanical her clan leaders were--usually after they had exhausted themselves in bed. He understood how she felt, at least to some extent.

After sharing several kisses, Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua washed off with a wet cloth, got dressed, and left the room. They found Yōuměi and Hou Jingshu already sitting at the low-seating table. The panther was chowing down on a large steak. Their resident princess had yet to start eating, but a smorgasbord of food had been laid out on the table.

“Good morning, you two. You were quite loud last night,” said Hou Jingshu.

“Sorry. It’s hard to keep quiet when Jian makes me feel so good,” Zhou Lihua said with a brilliant smile as she gracefully sat down.

“Is that so?” Hou Jingshu also smiled. “Perhaps you should practice keeping your voice in.”

“Oh, but I really don’t want to. Not letting out my voice during sex would be like slapping Jian in the face. It’s an insult to not let him know how good he makes me feel. Don’t you agree, Jian?”

“Leave me out of this, please.”

Zhou Lihua grinned as Hou Jingshu sighed. While it seemed like they were arguing, he knew it was just banter, but he didn’t want to get caught up in that. Their words always made him slightly nervous. He sometimes wondered if this was just how women acted. Did Yu Chenguang also have to deal with his wives acting this way?

They soon finished breakfast, and it was eventually time for Zhou Lihua to say goodbye. Because they all wanted to stay together for as long as possible, Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu rode in the carriage with Zhou Lihua as it traveled through Shang Imperial City’s streets. They spoke of inconsequential matters like rumors they’d heard and stories that had come from afar, anything to keep their parting light hearted.

And yet they arrived at the Zhou Clan manor all too soon.

“Young Miss, I am pleased to see you safely returned. Are you ready to leave?” asked Zhou Wen after they stepped out of the carriage.

“I am,” Zhou Lihua said without inflection. She turned to Hou Jingshu and hugged the other girl tight. “I’m going to miss you… so much.”

“Me too,” said Hou Jingshu, hugging the woman back.

“Jian Wu, please take care of my friend,” Zhou Lihua said after stepping away.

And please take care of yourself, her eyes said.

“I will. Promise,” said Jian Wu.

Zhou Lihua nodded, then followed Zhou Wen into the estate.

“She’s gone,” Wu Jian muttered.

Hou Jingshu nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

“I miss her already.”

“Me too…”

***

Zhou Lihua followed Zhou Wen with a blank face as the woman led her to the hospital wing. The attendant had her sit down on the bed, and then she had to wait for their female doctor to come in.

“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time at the palace, Young Miss,” said Zhou Wen.

Zhou Lihua shrugged. “I only had a month left here. Of course, I wanted to spend my remaining time with my friend.”

“That is understandable. Just don’t forget your duties to our clan.”

“Of course.”

Zhou Lihua often wondered if Zhou Wen was aware of what she got up to when she visited Hou Jingshu and Wu Jian, but there was no way she could know. Hou Jingshu’s residence was isolated to prevent spying. The servants who worked in the royal palace were also very loyal. She might have some theories, but that was all they would be. Zhou Wen could not accuse her of betraying the clan without incontrovertable proof.

The doors soon opened and a woman with brown hair, green eyes, and pale skin entered. She wore a medical hanfu, which was predominantly white and unadorned. There were slight differences in the design compared to normal hanfu like the ones Zhou Wen wore. The female doctor’s name was Zhou Huā. She had been born and raised in the Zhou Clan to be a doctor, and like most in her position, she was just a branch member.

“Welcome back, Young Miss. This will be the last checkup before you leave. You know what to do,” said Zhou Huā.

“Right.”

Zhou Lihua stood up, slid the robes down her body, then removed her undergarments. Now completely bare, she allowed the woman to check her over. She did not flinch when soft hands delicately touched her skin, nor did she move when chi was injected into her body. Zhou Lihua kept her face completely passive.

“Everything checks out. Sit down and spread your legs.”

Zhou Lihua bit the inside of her lip but did as she was told. She tried to ignore Zhou Huā as the woman knelt between her legs and inspected her. A shudder threatened to crawl up her spine as the woman touched her most sacred place and injected some chi inside of her. The feeling was intrusive, uncomfortable, and she couldn’t believe her clan would so willingly violate her privacy just to make sure her chastity was intact. It repulsed her, and yet, there was nothing she could do. She had to follow the clan’s orders until such a time as she no longer needed them.

“Okay. Inspection is over. She’s clean,” Zhou Huā said, then turned to her. “You may get dressed.”

Zhou Lihua tried not to rush as she got dressed, but she didn’t want to remain unclothed any longer. Being subjected to this woman’s inspection was even worse than being ogled by men at the auction house. She’d rather feel attractive than like an object.

“Well, it is about time,” said Zhou Wen. “Head back to your room and make sure you have everything you need, then meet me at the teleportation array.”

“Yes.”

Zhou Lihua already had most everything she needed, so even though she traveled back to her room, she only grabbed a few items that held sentimental value. She traveled to the teleportation array soon after to find Master Wong Jiu present alongside Zhou Wen.

“Master?” she muttered.

Master Wong Jiu smiled and shook his head. “I’m not your master anymore. You have already long surpassed me. Come on. Don’t give me that face. Be proud of yourself. When you first appeared before me, you were just a plucky young girl who hadn’t even started learning alchemy, and now look at you. You’ve become more skilled than even I in just a few short years. I’m very proud of you.”

Zhou Lihua’s lips trembled. She choked back her emotions by sucking in a deep breath, then offered Master Wong Jiu a martial bow.

“I will always consider you my master. You helped me so much. Words alone will never be enough to convey my gratitude.”

Master Wong Jiu smiled as he patted her on the head. “Thank you. You honor me with your words. Go now. You have so much more to learn than this old man can teach you. I want to see you spread your wings and soar like a phoenix.”

“I will, Master.”

“Young Miss, the gate is opening. It’s time to go.”

“I understand.”

Teleport arrays were a complex sealing array that were used for long-distance transportation. Only very powerful clans and sects had these. Just building one cost a fortune. The Shang Kingdom’s royal palace was not even worth as much as a single teleportation array--and the Zhou Clan had hundreds of these. That was how powerful they were.

Two people stood on either side of the teleportation array, pushing their chi into the array to activate it. The sealing array lit up. Zhou Lihua couldn’t even begin to understand what the complex symbols meant. It wasn’t long before a gateway opened up, though it just looked like a mass of swirling colors. Distortions flickered through the air as space itself was torn to shorten the distance between here and their destination.

“All right. Let us be off,” Zhou Wen exclaimed.

“...”

Zhou Lihua said nothing as she stepped forward, following Zhou Wen, who had already disappeared into the gate. The first thing she felt upon stepping out of the gate was a sweltering humidity. Her clothes quickly stuck to her skin, causing her to grimace. She had heard the Southern Tang Dynasty was a tropical region with high humidity levels, but she hadn’t realized it would be this bad.

“You finally showed up. Took you long enough.”

Someone stood before Zhou Lihua, hands on her hips, an imperius expression adorning her fair face. Her white hair was devoid of all color, but it glistened like silk, and her red eyes looked like drops of blood. Her skin was whiter than anything she had ever seen. Not even members of the Ice Phoenix Sect had skin so pale. She wore loose-fitting robes that were light in both color and fabric, showcasing her ample bosoms, thin waist, and wide hips. Her legs went on for miles. Even Zhou Lihua would admit this woman was stunning.

“Lili Ling?” Zhou Lihua asked in surprise.

“That’s right. I came to get you.” The young woman grinned at her, though oddly, it seemed far more friendly than Zhou Lihua remembered. “Come on. I’ll lead you to our master.”

***

The Phoenix Palace, named such because it was where royal members of the Phoenix Clan resided, was located deep within the heart of Heavenly Chengshi, the capital of the Xia Dynasty.

The Phoenix Palace was a massive place. Built into multiple tiers like a cake, each tier belonged to a specific caste within the Xia Dynasty’s royal family. The bottom tier was meant for those of the lowest caste, the branch members, who were basically servants to the pureblood members. The second tier also belonged to branch members, but they were people who had proven useful and were thus granted higher status. After the second tier came the third, fourth, and fifth tiers, which were reserved for pureblood members of the Huǒ Clan.

And then there was the sixth tier.

The sixth tier was where their guardian deity, the great phoenix, resided with his priestess. No one but the emperor was allowed to visit whenever he pleased. Even other members of the royal family required special permission and a guard just to be allowed entrance.

Within the fifth tier, a meeting was taking place.

Huǒ Huangdi sat at the head of a long table and stared at the thirteen others with him. They all shared the same general hair color and facial features. Flaming orange hair like wild fire and golden eyes were their most predominant features. Everyone here was a member of the Huǒ Clan. These thirteen individuals were known as the Thirteen Feathers. In the ancient tongue, they would have been called the Shísān Gēn Yǔmáo. They were the strongest members of the Huǒ Clan.

“The meeting today is in regards to the upcoming tournament. We have debated endlessly over whether to host this tournament given the current state of the world, and I believe it is time we come to a decision,” said an older member of the clan. His name was Huǒ Yan, and he was old enough to be everyone’s grandfather. He’d been alive for many centuries now and was often looked to for his wisdom.

“There’s no need to even think about this. We cannot afford to stop this tournament just because some turmoil happened in another nation,” said someone else. It was a younger man with a lively expression. Huǒ Huópō was a progressive thinker who constantly sought to improve their clan’s way of thinking. He thought outdated traditions that no longer served a purpose should be done away with. This meant he often clashed with older members like Huǒ Yan.

“This matter is not so simple, welp,” snapped Huǒ Yan. “An entire country was destroyed, and several other nations had magical beasts randomly appear in areas with a heavy population. Even our Xia Dynasty was not immune.”

“Many people are blaming the Heavenly Sword Sect,” said a man with a calm demeanor. Huǒ Nánrén was quite a bit bulkier than the others, but his barbaric outward appearance contradicted his self-reflective nature. He was a man who thought before he spoke. “When I visited the city today, I heard the rumors that claim they were the ones who summoned those magical beasts.”

Huǒ Huangdi closed his eyes as he listened to these people bicker, but he did not stop them right away. He had already debated what to do about the Heavenly Sword Sect and came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter. He didn’t care if his clan stood at the top. His own goals took precedence over everything else, but they were still so far away from fruition. After all, his youngest daughter was still not yet mature enough to bear children.

“Doesn’t that just mean this is a good chance to drag the Heavenly Sword Sect’s reputation through the mud? Perhaps we can use this chance to usurp their position and become even more powerful,” suggested Huǒ Huópō.

“Fool. It’s obvious the Heavenly Sword Sect had nothing to do with this situation, which means someone who has even more power than the Heavenly Sword Sect but wishes to remain anonymous was responsible,” snapped Huǒ Yan.

“The Heavanly Sword Sect is supposed to be the strongest group in the Xaio Continent, and yet they’re being led around by the nose. We don’t know who is responsible for doing so, but attempting to overthrow the Heavenly Sword Sect from their throne could lead those people to view us with hostility. We don’t know what their plan is, so it’s better to adopt a wait and see approach,” agreed Huǒ Nánrén.

“Besides, even if we wanted to take over the Heavenly Sword Sect’s position, we can’t. They have Zhe Dāozhe, after all,” added Huǒ Wěndìng. Though this man was one of the Thirteen Feathers, he had a meak disposition and preferred to follow rather than lead. He would always side with whoever had the strongest argument.

Everyone went silent. Zhe Dāozhe was the ultimate cultivator, a man who had reached the Perfection Realm over a thousand years ago and claimed the title of Strongest Cultivator. His skills were the real deal. No one wanted to fight against him, for to do so meant certain death.

Huǒ Huangdi sighed. “We are not here to discuss matters of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Let us stick to the topic at hand. The International Tournament will be hosted as planned. We have sunk too much money into this event to simply not have it. Canceling will also mean refunding the other nations whom have already paid tribute to have their cultivators participate, which we also cannot do.”

When the leader of your clan spoke, it was important to remain silence. When your leader made a decision, one did not just contradict it. This was an important lesson many in the Phoenix Clan had learned. Huǒ Huangdi might look calm and collected on the surface, but those who upset him always felt regret in the end. He was not the type to suffer disobedience.

“Then we should send out the invitations?” asked Huǒ Yan.

“Yes,” said Huǒ Huangdi. “Begin sending out the invitations. Let everyone know that the International Phoenix Tournament will commence as scheduled.”