In the distance, the young man frowned and walked over.

"Huang Yiyi, what's going on?"

Seeing the young man, Huang Yiyi quickly clutched his arm and Said aggrievedly, "Senior Brother Liu, he's Li Yun! I have no idea where he heard that you were bringing me to the inner sect, but he actually followed us here! It's entirely his own wishful thinking—it really has nothing to do with me!"

Liu Ningkong's gaze swept over to Li Yun, his expression darkening as he asked, "You are Li Yun?"

Li Yun cupped his hands and Said, "Senior Brother, my name is indeed Li Yun... However, I don't know her at all, and I certainly didn't come here for her. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

When it came to feigning ignorance, Li Yun was a professional.

Fiancée? Huang Yiyi?

If not for his predecessor's memories of this person, he truly would not have known this woman at all.

As for getting into a petty, jealous fight with someone over this absurdly stupid woman? Not a chance in hell!

"You don't know her?"

Liu Ningkong clearly did not believe him. There was no way Huang Yiyi could mistake someone's identity.

Just then, Zhang Ruohan spoke up.

"Liu Ningkong, could there be a misunderstanding here?"

"Li Yun was brought here by me. It's not as this Junior Sister thinks; he didn't come for her."

"Oh, so that's how it is..."

Liu Ningkong smiled faintly, then abruptly spun around and swung his hand, slapping Huang Yiyi across the face.

"You blind idiot!"

"How could you mistake someone brought by Senior Sister Zhang Ruohan of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard?!"

Huang Yiyi never imagined in her wildest dreams that Liu Ningkong would slap her in front of so many people. Her eyes reddened on the spot, filled with grief and grievance.

"Senior Brother Liu, I didn't make a mistake, he really is..."

"You still dare talk back? Get lost!"

Liu Ningkong lashed out with another slap, sending Huang Yiyi tumbling several meters away.

Only then did he turn to look at Li Yun.

With a forced smile that did not reach his eyes, he Said, "Junior Brother Li Yun, right? It was just a small misunderstanding, please don't take it to heart."

"Take it to heart? No, no, no... How could I? As long as Senior Brother Liu is pleased."

Li Yun waved his hands repeatedly.

Take it to heart? What a joke.

Why the hell would he care?

Even if Liu Ningkong beat Huang Yiyi to death right here and now, it wouldn't be any of his damn business.

Zhang Ruohan did not seem interested in entangling with Liu Ningkong any further.

She Said, "Alright, since it was just a misunderstanding, it's good that it's cleared up."

"Li Yun, Zhang Chu... let's head into the Vermilion Bird Courtyard first."

With that,

she led Li Yun and Zhang Chu away, walking straight into the Vermilion Bird Courtyard.

Liu Ningkong's eyes flashed, but he did not stop them.

He merely stared at Zhang Ruohan's slender, graceful figure with a sinister gaze, secretly swallowing a mouthful of saliva as he muttered to himself,

"Damn it, what dumb luck did Zhao Chuanfeng stumble upon to win Zhang Ruohan's favor, making it hard for even me to make a move..."

"Still, Zhang Ruohan actually brought two men to the Vermilion Bird Courtyard behind Zhao Chuanfeng's back. Tsk tsk, if Zhao Chuanfeng found out, his expression would probably be quite a spectacle, wouldn't it?"

...

Stepping through the gates of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard,

Li Yun began cursing in his head. That fool Huang Yiyi had ruined his plans.

If that woman hadn't popped out of nowhere, his Cognition Points would definitely have broken the thirty-thousand mark. Thanks to her disruption, he didn't even get the chance to study the stone stele.

Damn it!

Fortunately, he had at least entered the Vermilion Bird Courtyard. Even if he couldn't wander around aimlessly, there would surely be other chances to gain more Cognition Points, right?

"Hey, Li Yun, what was with that woman just now? Your fiancée?"

"Did someone steal her from you?"

Just then, Zhang Chu leaned in, asking with a face full of gossip and a hint of schadenfreude.

"No!"

"Never!"

"How could that be?"

"She just mistook me for someone else."

Li Yun naturally wouldn't admit it. Even though he didn't care, it wasn't anything glorious either, so why broadcast it around?

Zhang Chu had disbelief written all over his face.

"Tsk... stop denying it."

"That woman called out your name in one breath and ran straight toward you. How could she have mistaken you for someone else?"

"Come on, tell me, give me something to laugh about..."

Smack!

As soon as the words left his mouth,

Zhang Ruohan had already delivered another rap on Zhang Chu's head.

The pain made Zhang Chu grimace and bare his teeth.

"Sis, what are you doing? Hitting me again!"

"Didn't we agree you wouldn't hit me anymore?"

"Who agreed with you? That was just you rambling to yourself. Besides, why do you have to run your mouth so obnoxiously?"

"He already told you she mistook him for someone else, yet you're still chattering on. Are you asking for a beating?"

"I..."

Zhang Chu opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say a single thing, feeling utterly suffocated with frustration.

Li Yun secretly chuckled at the sight,

mentally giving Zhang Ruohan a thumbs-up!

A guy like Zhang Chu truly needed to be put in his place.

At that moment, however, Zhang Ruohan glanced at Li Yun and Said meaningfully, "That person just now was named Liu Ningkong, an Inner Sect Disciple of the White Tiger Courtyard."

"His father, Liu Yuanshou, is an Elder of the White Tiger Courtyard, and his grandfather is ranked seventeenth among the Heavenly Martial Sect's Grand Elders."

"If there is any misunderstanding, resolve it as soon as possible."

"A true man knows when to yield and when to stand tall. There is no shame in it!"

Li Yun's expression turned solemn at once. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister Zhang. Don't worry, I know what to do."

"Good that you know."

"Still, there's no need to be overly nervous. Once you've stayed in the Heavenly Martial Sect long enough, you'll find that it is a place of rules."

"No single individual can blot out the sky with one hand."

"As long as you don't actively provoke others, no one can easily bully you."

"If someone truly does, go find Elder Zhang Cong in the Outer Sect. Tell him I sent you, and he will step in on your behalf."

"Ah..."

Hearing Zhang Ruohan's words, Li Yun was instantly stunned.

Even Zhang Chu was thoroughly surprised.

They had only just met, right?

Bringing Li Yun to the inner sect on the very first day was one thing, but offering to take on trouble on his behalf was taking it way too far, wasn't it?

Could it be that his sister had truly had a change of heart and taken a liking to Li Yun?

Holy mother of god...

This was going to blow up into a massive problem!

Zhang Chu was filled with immense worry, but he wasn't completely stupid; he wouldn't dare open his mouth recklessly at a time like this.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Zhang. I actually met Elder Zhang Cong just a couple of days ago. I had no idea Senior Sister Zhang knew Elder Zhang Cong as well."

"You've met Zhang Cong?"

Zhang Ruohan was somewhat surprised, but thinking of what Realm Li Yun's Basic Stance Training had reached, she quickly understood the reason.

"Heh, I should have realized. Zhang Cong is responsible for the Martial Arts Deacons in the Outer Sect. With how quickly your Basic Stance Training improved, a Martial Arts Deacon must have reported it to him long ago."

"Well, I won't hide it from you."

"Zhang Cong is actually from my clan, but by seniority, he has to call me aunt."

"Holy crap!"

Li Yun's eyes widened in disbelief. If Zhang Ruohan hadn't said it herself, he never would have imagined that an elderly man like Zhang Cong was actually Zhang Ruohan's nephew by clan generation!

That was simply shocking!

Zhang Chu puffed up with pride and Said, "Didn't expect that, did you, Li Yun? Elder Zhang Cong actually has to call me grand-uncle... Haha, if you dare glare at me in the future, I'll go straight to Zhang Cong and have him punish you..."

Before his voice even faded!

Zhang Chu's body went flying into the air.

This time, Zhang Ruohan had used her foot to kick him!

When an older sister beat her younger brother, she truly took it to new heights!