Chapter 131: Pan Yun

Zhang Weiliang's face turned ashen, shouting: "Call the senior brothers and uncles from the Law Hall—she…"

Zhang Weiliang's eyes widened in shock, speechless.

The mud pit that had trapped him moments before instantly hardened and clumped together; the overturned green stone tiles were moved by the earth itself and slammed down with a sharp crack, the entire path restored to its original state, showing not a trace of disturbance.

Zhang Weiqin stared in disbelief, asking: "If the senior brothers and uncles come, can they tell this place was ever a mud pit?"

Zhang Weiliang remained silent, his face still ashen; even he, the eyewitness, couldn't help doubting whether he'd just imagined it.

He instantly reached out to touch his right leg, wondering if he'd been caught in an illusion—perhaps it had been a phantom array, not…

His leg was caked in mud, his trousers torn and shredded.

Zhang Weiliang's face turned pale; he shoved away Zhang Weiyi and the others who were supporting him, charging straight for Pan Yun's door.

Pan Yun opened her eyes, a faint smile curling at her lips.

Zhang Weiliang slammed into a barrier and was violently bounced back; Zhang Weiyi, expressionless, stepped aside effortlessly, while Zhang Weiqin and Zhang Weigang caught him, preventing him from crashing to the ground.

Zhang Weiliang, refusing to believe it, broke free from their grip and charged again—this time his right hand formed a claw, his internal qi condensing into a ball in his palm, which he slammed forward with all his strength.

The house trembled; the barrier dented deeply under the impact. Zhang Weiliang saw the opening and prepared to press harder—when suddenly, the barrier violently rebounded, unleashing a far greater force with a sharp crack.

It struck his chest, and he was hurled backward…

Zhang Weiyi's pupils contracted; he finally stopped standing idly by, leaping forward to catch him, then striking the rebounding yuan force sphere to disperse it into the air.

Zhang Weiliang spat blood the moment his feet hit the ground, his face drained of color, clutching his chest unable to speak.

Zhang Weiqin and Zhang Weigang, enraged, turned to glare at the silent door. "Pan Yun, come out! You dare endanger lives within the academy—come out!"

Pan Yun snorted coldly, flicking her finger—the candle on the table ignited, filling the room with light; she remained seated on the bed, unmoving.

"Brother Wu warned me when he brought me in today: stay inside, don't wander around—the outside is extremely dangerous. So I've placed talisman arrays on my door and windows. This array doesn't deter gentlemen, only villains and thugs. Tell me—what category do you fall into, shouting my name outside my door?"

Zhang Weigang: "How dare you! Don't you know private combat and martial use are forbidden within the academy?"

"Ah~~" Pan Yun drawled slowly, "I'm new here—I didn't know private combat and martial use were forbidden. Senior brothers, you've been here years—you know this rule. So why don't you follow it?"

Not only Zhang Weiliang and the others, but even Zhang Weiyi was infuriated by her mocking tone—but he couldn't lash out at Pan Yun, so he turned to the three and snapped, "Besides hanging a basin of water, what else did you do?"

If it had been only the basin, it would've hit Zhang Zi, and even if Pan Yun was angry at being tricked, she wouldn't have retaliated so fiercely.

Zhang Weiliang and the other two fell silent.

Zhang Weiliang calmed slightly, sitting on the ground to form hand seals to summon a spirit—but he couldn't summon Xiao Hong. He tried twice, failed both times, his face darkening further.

Zhang Weiyi saw the hand seals and trembled with rage, his voice low and fierce: "How dare you! Keeping spirits within the academy? Do you want to die?"

"Spirits can be beneficial if used properly. Other sects keep them—why can't we?"

"Shut up!" Zhang Weiyi slapped him. "Long Hushan forbids it. If you want to keep spirits, leave the Tian Shi Fu Zhang family right now."

Zhang Weiliang licked the blood from his lip, glaring at him with hatred.

Zhang Weiyi no longer cared to deal with him, standing up: "This is your mess—solve it yourselves. Don't make a sound tonight, or I'll summon the Law Hall. None of you will be spared."

Zhang Weigang's eyes widened, pointing at the wounded, bleeding Zhang Weiliang: "You're just leaving him like this?"

"What do you expect me to do?" Zhang Weiyi retorted. "Can you break in? Or dare you summon the Law Hall senior brothers?"

"You have no moral ground, and you can't even beat her. What can I do?" Zhang Weiyi sneered. "Do you think our relationship is so close I'd risk my future for you? Who do you think you are?"

Zhang Weiliang and the other two had no reply.

Zhang Weiyi turned to leave, unwilling to waste another moment—then stopped, seeing Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua standing at the door.

They'd been standing there for a long time.

Zhang Weigang and the others followed his gaze and saw Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua—falling even more silent.

Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua gave the group a slight nod, stepped past them, and returned to their room without asking a word—but before entering, they couldn't help glancing at Pan Yun's door, curiosity flickering in their eyes.

Zhang Weiyi stood still for a moment, then sighed deeply and turned back: "Go back to your rooms. Don't make trouble tonight."

Zhang Weigang seethed with resentment, unwilling to accept it—he marched toward Pan Yun's door, but Zhang Weiliang grabbed him.

Zhang Weiliang shook his head at him.

Zhang Weigang could only help Zhang Weiqin lift Zhang Weiliang and carry him back to his room.

The door swung open—*whoosh*—then three *"ah!"* cries, followed by the clatter of wooden basins hitting the floor.

"Pan Yun—"

Moments later, another burst of clattering, teeth grinding in fury echoed from Zhang Weiliang's room: "Pan Yun—"

"Pan Yun—"

The name mentioned most that night was Pan Yun.

Pan Yun sat on the bed, forming hand seals and chanting: "Fu Sheng Wu Liang Tian Zun—"

All the traps within the room activated—all of them items Zhang Weiliang and the others had prepared for her.

Seeing these familiar yet altered devices, the three were filled with rage and shame, utterly speechless.

Zhang Weiqin wiped water from his face and said to Zhang Weiliang: "Wait till dawn to deal with this. Rest and heal first."

Zhang Weiliang's eyes flashed with cold fury: "Tomorrow, I won't let her off."

Zhang Weiqin and Zhang Weigang nodded in unison, sharing his hatred.

Glancing at the chaotic room, none of them had the heart to tidy up—they returned to their own rooms.

Because Zhang Weiliang's room had too many traps, and they'd only set up Pan Yun's room, they never expected to open their own doors…

Another crash—Zhang Weiqin hadn't expected Pan Yun to set traps in his room too. He flicked his fingertip—a small flame danced in his palm, illuminating the room. He dodged the traps and dismantled them.

Looking at the devices, his face darkened, his anger rising—he grabbed the sword from the wall and turned to leave—when the door slammed shut in front of him, his heart jolting with it.

A cold wind brushed his neck, raising every hair—he spun around—and came face-to-face with a red-clad female ghost hanging upside down from the ceiling beam.

Zhang Weiqin screamed, gripping his sword hilt and stumbling backward, crashing against the door. Terrified, he drew his sword and slashed wildly—the lantern went out…

Xiao Hong shot out of his room, patted her chest in relief, then zipped into Zhang Weigang's room. Zhang Weigang had suffered more—he was just unhooking a rat trap, remembering it had been placed on Pan Yun's bed, never imagining she'd moved it to his door. As he recoiled from the traps, he stepped on the trap.

Xiao Hong zipped in—right over Zhang Weigang's head.

Only by the late hours did the Zhang brothers' rooms finally fall silent.

Pan Yun flicked her finger, extinguishing the candle—a red shadow slipped quietly through the door.

Pan Yun looked up, locking eyes with her: "I still give you two choices: either reincarnate, or leave Da Shangqing Palace."

Xiao Hong looked reluctant: "Little Daoist, can't I stay with you? I swear—I won't do evil. Whatever you ask, I'll do."

"That's contradictory. You say you won't do evil, yet you say you'll do anything I ask—what if I order you to do evil?"

Xiao Hong opened her mouth but couldn't speak.

"Humans are complex. Their greed is endless. Xiao Hong—you were human once. How can you trust them so blindly?"

Xiao Hong's mouth opened wide.

Pan Yun: "Choose."

!. Read

After a pause, Xiao Hong said: "I won't reincarnate."

"Then leave this place. Don't let Zhang Weiliang catch you again. Next time you serve him, I won't be so lenient."

Xiao Hong stared at Pan Yun, then turned and left.

Confirmed that Pan Yun hadn't captured or killed her, Xiao Hong immediately floated upward, fleeing as if demons chased her.

Hahaha—she was truly free—

Pan Yun waited until she was gone, then pulled back the covers and lay down. Pan Xiaohei pushed open the window and leapt in, crouching at the foot of the bed.

The woman and the cat fell instantly asleep—until sunlight streamed through the lattice and touched her face, when she opened her eyes.

She stretched, rose, dressed, and went to open the door to Miao Zhen and Miao He's room.

Miao Zhen and Miao He had been waiting—they'd heard every sound last night, strictly following their junior aunt's order: no matter what happened, don't open the door.

So they hadn't opened it all morning.

As the three doors opened, the three opposite rooms opened too—six pairs of eyes met, sparks flying.

Pan Yun smiled slightly at them. Zhang Weiliang's gaze burned with hatred—he was about to move—when the three central rooms opened simultaneously, and Zhang Weiyi, Deng Ziyu, and Xue Hua stepped out together.

Nine people stared at each other in silence.

Pan Yun broke it first, bowing to the trio from the central rooms: "Three senior brothers, I am Pan Yun, a new student this year."

Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua exchanged glances, then bowed with smiles: "Junior sister Pan, I am Deng Ziyu."

"Xue Hua."

Zhang Weiyi twitched his lips, then bowed to her: "Junior sister Pan, the academy has its own rules. For example, you and your two junior disciples are juniors outside—but here, you're classmates. Wang Cong may be your senior disciple, but since he graduated earlier, he counts as your senior brother here."

"Within the academy, you follow the academy's rules."

Pan Yun: "I understand. Close ties are different—our Sanqing Temple is small, while this is a great academy. We follow our own rules at home, but outside, we follow the outside rules. A household has its rules, a nation has its laws—I get it. I just wonder if these three Zhang senior brothers understand?"

Zhang Weiliang and the other two were in terrible shape—their hair, faces, and necks were stained green, impossible to wash off.

Now they glared at the three of them as if burning with fire—especially Pan Yun, whom they wanted to tear apart and devour.

Pan Yun paid no mind to their stares, smiling faintly: "Senior brothers, everyone heard the commotion last night. To avoid misunderstandings, I must explain."

"I, this humble Daoist, am a good person—a very good person. My principle: if others don't provoke me, I won't provoke them. If they do provoke me, I respond in kind—twice as hard."

Deng Ziyu nodded with a smile: "That's a good principle."

Xue Hua also nodded: "Agreed."

Pan Yun: "What does the academy head think?"

Zhang Weiyi: "Junior sister Pan's Dao heart is firm. I have no objections."

Pan Yun gave a half-smile to the trio across from her: "What do you three senior brothers think?"

Remembering Xiao Hong's appearance in their rooms, they swallowed their anger: "If Junior sister Pan thinks it's fine, then it's fine."

Xiao Hong was captured by Zhang Weiliang and brought into the academy. Now she's in Pan Yun's hands—if the Law Hall investigates, and the truth comes out, all three of them will suffer.

Pan Yun: "If all three senior brothers think it's fine, then I'm relieved—I don't want to walk into the courtyard and get hit in the head by a washbasin, or get clamped by a mouse trap when I get into bed, or wake up to see male or female ghosts staring at me—it's blinding."

"We share the same roof, and we'll keep running into each other. I truly wish to get along well with all of you senior brothers. Yesterday's incident? Consider it an exchange of welcome gifts. I'm very pleased with your gifts—I hope my gift doesn't disappoint you."

Zhang Weiliang sneered: "I'm not disappointed. But let me remind you, junior sister—this academy is full of hidden dragons and tigers. Don't get too cocky, or you won't even know when you're going to fall."

Pan Yun smiled sweetly: "Of course I know this academy is full of hidden dragons and tigers—otherwise, how would I have ended up in Phoenix Perch Courtyard the moment I arrived? How would I have received such grand welcome gifts from you three senior brothers? But I wonder—do you three truly understand what 'hidden dragons and tigers' means in this academy?"

The three of them froze.

Pan Yun stopped there, waved to Miao Zhen and Miao He, "Let's go!"

The three of them walked past the men with heads held high, leaving first.

As Miao Zhen passed them, she couldn't help muttering: "Fools. You don't even realize you've been used as blades."

Zhang Weiliang's face flushed crimson, and against the green, the color looked even more vivid and jarring.

Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua found it blinding; they both looked away and left first.

Zhang Weiyi glanced at them, then turned to follow Xue Hua and the others—but Zhang Weiliang blocked his path.

He asked: "What did Pan Yun and her little lackey mean? Who used us as blades?"

Zhang Weiyi brushed off his hand: "Figure it out yourself."

Zhang Weiliang watched him leave, fists clenched in rage: "So we really were used as blades—even Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua knew it."

Zhang Weigang, equally furious, guessed: "Could it be Uncle Five?"

Zhang Weiqin lowered his eyes: "Possibly. I heard Mount Sanqing offended Uncle Five—he was forced to give up three slots, and came back to get scolded by Second Uncle."

End of chapter

(End of chapter)