Chapter 520

"You—you dare!"

"I've memorized the Academy's rules inside and out—there's not a single rule forbidding students from setting up barriers within the Academy!"

"Y-you y-you…"

Seeing his finger nearly poking her nose, Pan Yun's eyes lit up with mischief: "Go on, hit me—go on~~"

"Hmph!" Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang angrily flung his sleeve and stepped back. "I won't fall for your trick—if I strike you, won't that be exactly what you want?"

If he struck first, Pan Yun could retaliate—and she'd be blameless!

And he couldn't beat her!

Pan Yun looked disappointed, leaning against the wall with her sword in her arms: "Fine, don't move—then let's just wait it out. See who lasts longer."

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang refused to surrender so easily and began circling the barrier, trying to break it with his own power.

Pan Yun leaned against the wall, playing with her sword, and said after he'd circled three times: "Stop staring—you break one, I'll just set another."

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang froze.

Pan Yun: "I'm higher in cultivation than you, smarter than you, faster than you—how could I possibly fail to trap you?"

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang squatted down without expression, silent for a long while, then suddenly leapt up and pointed at Pan Yun's nose, shouting: "This is utterly lawless! Only you country bumpkins from Mount Sanqing would act like this—look outside, who else breaks rules like you? I—"

Pan Yun's gaze turned icy. In a flash, she stepped forward and lightly tapped twice on either side of his collarbone—he opened his mouth but could not utter a sound.

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang's eyes blazed with fury; he rubbed the acupoints with his fingers and tried to force his internal energy to break through them.

Pan Yun snorted, drew her sword, and tapped it once on the ground—then again.

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang stiffened, not daring to move an inch.

Pan Yun held up two fingers and blew a puff of air at Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang: "I've got more than just spells—I've heard and learned plenty of martial arts tricks too, Zhang Guanshi. Want to try them all? I won't even break Academy rules!"

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang collapsed to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face, yet unable to make a sound.

He pointed at his throat, then bowed to Pan Yun with clasped fists, silently screaming: Little ancestor, spare me—I'll do it for you, alright?

Pan Yun prodded him with her sword: "Can you arrange for Tao Yanbai to move into Fengqi Courtyard?"

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang nodded.

Pan Yun stepped forward and tapped him twice on the body, releasing the acupoints.

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang finally gasped out, clutching his throat: "I—I'll ask Wang Feiyin after this—how the hell did he train his disciples…"

"Ask all you want—as long as you find my senior brother, go right ahead!"

Pan Yun held out her hand: "Write a guarantee—stating that Tao Yanbai will definitely move into Fengqi Courtyard."

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang grumbled: "I'll arrange it for you—how do you even write a guarantee like that?"

"Write that you accepted ten thousand taels of silver from me, promised to arrange Tao Yanbai's move into Fengqi Courtyard, and will return the money if you fail."

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang's eyes bulged: "It's broad daylight—you're dreaming!"

In the end, Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang still wrote the guarantee—but instead of ten thousand taels, he wrote one.

He scowled, placing the document in Pan Yun's palm, hesitating whether to let go.

Pan Yun slapped his hand away and snatched it: "Don't worry—I'll destroy this right in front of you the moment Tao Yanbai moves in. I, Pan Yun, swear it before heaven."

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang snorted, glaring at her with dark eyes: "Mount Sanqing has always been treacherous—if you break your word…"

Pan Yun smiled faintly: "Then you'll end up just like you are now."

She patted his shoulder: "Zhang Guanshi, don't hate yourself so much—I'm doing less than half of what you do, and you already despise me—how much more must you hate yourself?"

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang nearly fainted from rage.

He realized—all these people from Mount Sanqing are just like Tao Ji: sharp-tongued, cunning, and even the most honest among them is still a Zhang.

Pan Yun scanned the guarantee, confirmed it was fine, then waved her hand and dissolved the barrier. As soon as it vanished, Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang noticed the late hour—he had no time to vent his anger, and dashed off to arrange the examination site.

Pan Yun called after him: "Zhang Guanshi, I'll be in Fengqi Courtyard, in seclusion, waiting for good news."

Zhang Zhu Zhu Zifang tripped, nearly falling.

As soon as he left, Pan Yun pulled out a silk cloth and tenderly wiped her sword.

The sword whimpered softly.

Pan Yun immediately soothed it: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—I won't use you to poke dirt next time. Next time, we'll poke something else."

Pan Yun dried the blade clean, then channeled her Yuanli to nourish it; only then did the sword calm down.

Pan Yun shouldered her sword and returned to Fengqi Courtyard.

Miao He and the others had already tidied the rooms, laid out the beds, and now sat in the courtyard basking in the sun, watching the sunset, munching on snacks.

Even Zhang Weiyi and Xue Hua were there.

Along the journey, they'd barely seen any transformed beauties—now that they saw one, they weren't surprised, but couldn't help sneaking glances.

Not a single one missed a single detail!

Hong Yan was extremely beautiful.

Xiao Hong drifted aimlessly in the shadow, invisible—only Pan Yun could see her; everyone else, unless they opened their Heavenly Eye, could not.

They couldn't see her—but they felt the yin energy.

They knew without turning: something yin was floating beside them.

Pan Yun walked up, sword on shoulder: "Aren't you eating dinner?"

Miao He cracked roasted peanuts one by one: "I've got two stomachs—one for snacks, one for meals—no conflict."

Pan Yun set down her sword, grabbed a handful of peanuts, peeled them, placed them in a small dish, chanted a spell—and the peanuts vanished, reappearing in Xiao Hong's hand.

Xiao Hong gasped. Miao Zhen and Miao He gasped too: "What kind of spell is that?"

Pan Yun beamed: "It's a new spell I found—specifically for offerings. Impressive, right?"

She added: "This spell lets all yin entities consume physical food—not just their essence or scent. I searched for ages to find it."

Finding this in the vast ocean of Spirit Realm records was no small feat.

Zhang Weiyi was sure he had read no shortage of Daoist texts, yet had never heard of such a technique, and could not help asking, "Where did you come across this spell, Junior Sister Pan?"

"It's not from Long Hushan's books," Pan Yun said. "I saw it in an old text with no known source."

Zhang Weiyi asked no more. A book like that was generally a treasure, and the owner might not be willing to share.

Pan Yun clapped her hands and said, "I'm going into closed-door cultivation tonight. I won't come out for two days. If Senior Brother Zhang and Senior Brother Xue are willing to stand guard for me, when I come out I can lend you the old text to read."

Xue Hua raised an eyebrow: "Can't Seeing Miao Zhen and the others stand guard for you?"

Zhang Weiyi, on his part, asked, "Are you really going into closed-door cultivation?"

Pan Yun: "Whether it's real or not, can you stop me?"

Zhang Weiyi and Xue Hua fell silent.

After a long while, the two exchanged a glance, then nodded together and agreed: "Fine, we'll stand guard for you."

Zhang Weiyi said, "Just two days. After two days we really do have to leave the courtyard."

"All right, then I'll trouble you two for these two days." (End of chapter)