The Lingering Drama and an Urgent Summons

Thankfully, the drama had finally ended.

The two women quickly darted out of the room, as if competing in some unspoken challenge.

Yet Lin Mo still felt a pang of confusion. ‘You two… don’t you have classes? Why are you even at the Hall of Clarity?’

‘Perhaps… one had reached the required cultivation level and was exempt, while the other, a personal disciple, was simply indulged by her family?’

Mercifully, Lin Mo was unwell, so he simply lay down to recuperate.

‘In the future… I really need to take better care of myself.’

However, as it turned out, a momentary calm did not signify the end of the matter.

In the days that followed, how should one put it… aside from classes, almost everyone noticed Lin Mo constantly accompanied by two women.

One was the current Phoenix Princess, and the other, a disciple of Qing You.

People often speculated, wondering if Lin Mo had cast some bewitching spell on the two, for they revolved around him day in and day out, never even returning to their own dormitories, preferring to squeeze into his small room.

In the ensuing days, the two women accompanied him day and night, vying with each other to care for him.

Some even covertly seized opportunities when the two women were absent to ask Lin Mo if he possessed any ‘obedience-inducing elixirs’ or similar items.

This left Lin Mo utterly speechless.

‘Couldn’t it just be my personal charm?’

‘Seriously…’

‘Besides, setting aside whether I even possessed such a thing, what exactly would one do with it in this all-female Hall of Clarity?’

For the time being, Qiu Yue’s faction remained remarkably quiet, likely due to Ji Xue and Liu Ruyan’s constant, twenty-four-hour protection, which left them no opportunity to act.

Or perhaps they, too, were diligently striving to improve their cultivation, hoping to catch him off guard during a sparring match.

After all, the fact that he had been concealing his cultivation was now known to them, and their current goal was to deplete his strength as much as possible before Qiu Yue made her move; even he couldn’t be certain of the outcome.

The courses at the Hall of Clarity had long since moved past the basic knowledge phase, now entering the initial stages of practical combat.

The once bustling Hall of Clarity was no longer so lively; its spacious plaza now appeared desolate and silent, with few people moving about the paths.

Everyone was diligently striving to improve their cultivation and master their techniques, preparing for the upcoming sparring competitions.

Only these two, Ji Xue and Liu Ruyan, remained caught in a strange, uncontrollable rivalry.

He had initially believed that without the harassment from Qiu Yue’s faction, he would at least find some peace; however, the saying ‘two women, one drama’ was proving to be anything but baseless.

With Qiu Yue’s harassment gone, the clamor around him was now supplied entirely by them!

For instance, today, the morning light struggled to tear through the thick cloud cover above the Hall of Clarity’s courtyard, grudgingly casting down a few pale rays.

Inside the room, two pairs of shimmering eyes, brimming with concern, were locked onto Lin Mo, practically threatening to melt him into a puddle of their intense worry.

“Sister Wan’er, open wide~” Liu Ruyan held a steaming, small white jade bowl, the rich aroma of the meat broth, infused with countless precious spirit herbs, assertively filling the entire room.

She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently, then carefully yet persistently offered it to Lin Mo’s lips, her large eyes brimming with care and concern.

Ji Xue, meanwhile, cradled an even more exquisite glazed goblet, containing the melted nectar of a priceless Jade Marrow Life-Nourishing Pill she had just retrieved, exuding a life force far more profound yet gentler than the meat broth.

“Come, Lin—Wan’er, drink this first!”

Her voice carried an undeniable assertiveness. “Junior Sister Liu’s soup can wait for later, just to fill your stomach; healing is paramount!”

“What do you mean ‘to fill your stomach’? This is also a medicinal soup for healing!”

“Oh really? Just grab two spirit beasts, slaughter them, and a random stew becomes medicine?”

‘And Your Highness’s isn’t much better; rather than directly consuming the finished elixir, you melt it into water, dissolving away most of its medicinal efficacy. Besides, this sticky, blackish stuff would only make one lose their appetite, wouldn’t it?’

“You, what do you know!” Ji Xue retorted, her face flushing. “Th-this is because Wan’er is frail and can’t handle it, which is why I came up with this method! Look, isn’t Wan’er’s complexion much rosier under my nourishment?”

“That’s not true! Your black goo is completely ineffective! It must be mine! Right, Sister Wan’er?!”

“It’s mine that’s right! Wan’er!”

Having spoken, they both simultaneously looked at Lin Mo, the ‘warmth’ from their two different yet equally fervent gazes almost making him faint from the heat.

They both yearned for his approval, and Lin Mo had even tried to satisfy both.

‘Ah, Junior Sister Ruyan, your soup is truly delicious; it has warmed my body considerably.’

‘Xue’er, your medicinal concoction is incredibly potent! After drinking it, I feel an inexhaustible surge of strength throughout my body!’

However, the result was an even more intense clash between the two women.

As if they didn’t understand the concept of peaceful coexistence, they insisted on determining who was superior.

The air was thick not with medicinal fragrance, but with a potent, silent scent of gunpowder.

At this moment, he finally understood what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot.

Lin Mo’s scalp tingled, and he was at a loss for what to do.

He could only… change the subject.

Though it was a terrible idea, Lin Mo couldn’t think of any other solution.

It wasn’t that there were no solutions.

Like knocking them both unconscious and carrying them back to their respective rooms.

Or simply issuing a stern warning to make them stop bothering him.

But Lin Mo couldn’t bear to!

This would undoubtedly hurt the hearts of two young maidens, and Lin Mo was incapable of such a cruel act.

“I—I can manage it myself.”

“While I appreciate your care, I’m happy, but I can’t bear to delay your classes, I—”

“No! You are currently an invalid!”

In unison, Ji Xue and Liu Ruyan rejected him, and after speaking, they exchanged glances, sparks practically flying as their eyes met.

Lin Mo was on the verge of tears. ‘Is it possible… my injuries… have already healed?’

“My… injuries have long since healed, there’s truly no need—”

But as soon as he spoke these words—

Liu Ruyan pouted aggrievedly. “Does Sister Wan’er dislike me for being clumsy? I know it was my fault just now, bumping into you… I caused your injury to worsen, sniffle…”

As she spoke, glistening tears welled in her eyes, and combined with her pitifully charming face, the effect was devastating.

Ji Xue immediately seized on her weakness. “It’s good that you know! Next time, can your movements be gentler? Didn’t you see how frail his body is? If you ask me, you’d be better off attending classes and causing less trouble.”

The spearhead of her attack accurately turned towards Liu Ruyan.

And so, a new wave of bickering began.

‘Heavens! Help me!’

As if, this time, the Heavens had truly heard him, his disciple token suddenly vibrated.

What’s more, all three of their tokens vibrated simultaneously!

Just then!

“Knock knock knock!”

A crisp and urgent knocking sound, ill-timed and exceedingly abrupt, suddenly echoed.

However, it wasn’t his own door being knocked upon, nor was the voice directed at his side; it seemed to be coming from across the hall.

Only a young female voice, unfamiliar and even tinged with a hint of haughtiness, penetrated the thick door, breaking the impending argument within the room. “Bai Xuan! Get up quickly! You left your token with me and forgot to take it earlier! Gather at the sparring grounds in half an hour! This is an urgent summons for the Hall of Clarity’s sparring competitions!”

The sparring competitions were about to begin!