However, there was no way Xie Lanying would let Ning Shoukai escape quite so easily. Without another word, she immediately lunged at him, her wooden practice sword whistling through the air.

Ning Shoukai had no choice but to draw his own weapon to defend himself. This kind of chaotic situation had happened many times before, and it usually ended the same way.

Xie Jingguo, who was just then rushing into the courtyard, stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the sight of Xie Lanying systematically beating Ning Shoukai up. There was something important he had wanted to discuss with his cousin, but seeing her in this mood, he decided that his business could definitely wait. Right now, his primary instinct told him to run away before he was noticed. Otherwise... Things might not end well for his own physical well-being.

"Where do you think you are going, Jingguo? Come in here." Xie Lanying called out, not even needing to look in his direction to know he was there.

Xie Jingguo, who was just about to flee, froze the moment he heard Xie Lanying’s commanding voice. He slowly, reluctantly turned around to face his cousin with a look of pure dread.

"What is it, Cousin?" Xie Jingguo asked, forced to put on a nervous, shaky smile. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Great... I was just looking for another sparring partner to keep things interesting. You are perfect for the job. Come here." Xie Lanying said, her grin widening.

"Ah!!! No way!!!" Xie Jingguo shouted at the top of his lungs, turning and running off into the distance without daring to look back once.

Ning Shoukai, still catching his breath, looked at Xie Jingguo’s retreating figure, the one who had successfully escaped the carnage, and felt a wave of bitter anger rise inside him.

"How long do you plan to lie there on the ground like a pathetic heap?" Xie Lanying had already stopped her pursuit of Xie Jingguo and was now glancing down at Ning Shoukai. "Get up."

"Yes, Ma’am." Ning Shoukai grumbled, immediately scrambling back onto his feet.

"It seems I have beaten you more than enough for one morning. You may go and apply your medicine now." Xie Lanying said, waving her hand in a dismissively casual gesture.

Ning Shoukai was left momentarily speechless. ’You did not even bother to hide the fact that you only wanted to use me as a punching bag today,’ he thought bitterly.

Seeing that Ning Shoukai was still standing there and not moving, Xie Lanying spoke again, her voice dropping to a dangerous level. "Still not moving? Do you think the beating was not quite enough and you want some more?"

Ning Shoukai snapped out of his dazed thoughts and rushed out of the training area at full speed, literally running for his life. In his mind, he firmly decided that he would never, ever come looking for her again if she was in the middle of her training sessions. Well, this was a firm decision he had made many times before. He had already lost count of how many times he had sworn the same thing, only to forget it the very next time news broke out.

...

Bai Xifeng finally emerged from the Mirror World, feeling completely rejuvenated after getting some much-needed rest. She had no desire to endure the long walk back on foot, and she also wanted to return to the safety of the school grounds as quickly as possible. Originally, she had planned to call upon Cerberus for the journey. However, Pegasus began to make a significant fuss, stubbornly insisting that he should be the one to serve as her mount this time instead. Cerberus did not seem to care much about the change in plans and simply allowed Pegasus to take over the task.

Bai Xifeng called Pegasus out into the physical world, and she immediately jumped onto his powerful back with practised ease.

"Xifeng... Xifeng... Which route exactly do you want to use today?" Pegasus asked, his voice filled with an infectious excitement.

"Huh? What do you mean by ’what route’? We are simply going back to Tianlong School. There is only one logical direction to go." Bai Xifeng stated, feeling genuinely confused by Pegasus’s cryptic question.

"Well, what I mean is... do you want me to run along the ground or take to the air? Which one do you prefer for this trip?" Pegasus asked, shaking his mane impatiently.

"Oh... So that is what you meant. Hmmm... I have yet to experience it properly, so I want to try flying. Yes, let’s fly." Bai Xifeng exclaimed, her interest piqued by the prospect.

"As you wish, my Lady." Pegasus said, his voice brimming with pride.

Without another word, Pegasus spread his magnificent wings and took off into the vast sky. His speed was incredibly fast, a literal blur against the clouds. Even though they were moving at such a terrifying velocity, Bai Xifeng did not suffer from the fierce, biting wind at all. That was because Pegasus had thoughtfully placed a shimmering layer of spiritual protection around her. Only three hours later, the familiar silhouette of Tianlong School appeared on the horizon, and Bai Xifeng had already arrived at the main entrance.

Bai Xifeng ordered Pegasus to land, and he slowly, gracefully descended to the solid ground. Once they were down, Bai Xifeng rewarded his efforts with a high-quality beast pill. Pegasus caught the treat neatly in his mouth, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction. She then told him to return to the Mirror World to rest.

Bai Xifeng walked toward the grand entrance of the school. She reached into her pouch, took out her identification badge, and showed it to the guards on duty.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*