"Miss, Miss, I have big news!"
Qiao Qiao hurriedly rushed into the private courtyard where Yue Yunlan resided, exclaiming, "So, it turns out that Ling Feng, that fool, has actually joined the sword team of East Court!"
Yue Yunlan, who was in the midst of meditation, looked up with interest at that news.
"The sword team of East Court, hmm..."
A slight curve formed at the corner of Yue Yunlan's lips. "Well, the captain of East Court's sword team, Gu Tengfeng, is indeed a formidable figure. Unfortunately, East Court has had poor luck. For four or five consecutive years, East Court hasn't had any decent geniuses good enough to help win competitions. They haven't even been able to advance to the second round in the Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition. Naturally, there hasn't been an opportunity for them to compete against our Central Court's sword team.
"This time, with Ling Feng added..."
"Tch, adding Ling Feng won't make much difference," Qiao Qiao interjected, sticking out her tongue. "That guy is indeed remarkable, skilled in both medicine and alchemy, and his strength is also quite formidable. But compared to sky-tier students with over fifty meridian gates, there's bound to be a significant gap. So, hehe..."
Qiao Qiao narrowed her eyes and chuckled, stepping quickly behind Yue Yunlan. "So, Miss, you don't need to worry about encountering Ling Feng in the Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition."
Yue Yunlan turned her head, giving Qiao Qiao a glance. "You little rascal, one day I'll cut off your tongue."
"Miss, you wouldn't do that to me," Qiao Qiao said, clinging to Yue Yunlan's arm playfully.
"You!" Yue Yunlan extended a finger, lightly poking Qiao Qiao's forehead. "From now on, you're not allowed to call Mr. Ling a fool."
"Oh, Miss, are you already leaning towards Mr. Ling before even getting married?"
"You little brat, I'll teach you a lesson!" Blushing with embarrassment, Yue Yunlan tickled Qiao Qiao's waist with both hands, the scene momentarily becoming quite intimate.
After a brief playful fight, Yue Yunlan finally let go of Qiao Qiao, who was laughing uncontrollably. Leaning her chin on her hand in front of the dressing table, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, pursing her lips and murmuring to herself, "But come to think of it, I really do want to see the showdown between East Court's sword team and our Central Court's sword team in the Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition.
"He's always been someone who creates miracles. This time as well, he surely can, definitely..."
After a day of training, Ling Feng returned to Tianshu East Court as dusk settled in.
Jiang Xiaofan and Yang Jun were practicing in the courtyard. Upon Ling Feng's return, they warmly greeted him.
However, Ouyang Jing, who usually stuck close to Ling Feng, was nowhere to be seen today.
"Huh? Xiaofan, where's your second brother?" Ling Feng asked, not seeing Ouyang Jing in the courtyard.
"Oh! That guy. He made plans with Zhou Yun, Zhou Kai's sister, to take a walk by the river today. Walking by the river often leads to..."
Feng Mo started before noticing Zhou Kai's darkening expression. He then quickly corrected himself, saying, "Getting your shoes wet. I mean getting your shoes wet..."
"It seems like he succeeded."
Ling Feng smirked. It was probably for the best; it would save him from Ouyang Jing's future pleas for help in courting girls.
Unlike himself, who seemed to bear some kind of destiny from birth and had formidable enemies like the Yan family in the Eastern Capital, Ouyang Jing could freely pursue what he liked.
"Big Brother, what did you learn today from the senior brothers in the sword team? Did they teach you any powerful martial skills?"
Jiang Xiaofan seemed more curious about Ling Feng's training than romantic affairs.
"I didn't really learn any martial skills, but there was a lot of theoretical discussion on tactics. Do you want me to tell you about it?" Ling Feng said casually.
"If I need to use my brain then never mind." Jiang Xiaofan grinned, then engaged in a playful spar with Yang Jun.
This time, Yang Jun humbled himself and directly sought to learn from Jiang Xiaofan, hoping for guidance in martial skills.
Though Jiang Xiaofan wasn't sure how to teach, his prowess in actual combat was impressive. Through direct engagement and exchanging moves, he was able to impart valuable lessons to Yang Jun.
When they first entered Tianwei Academy, who would have thought that the once arrogant Yang Jun would forge such a strong bond with Jiang Xiaofan, the country bumpkin?