Only then did Ye Feng return to Zhu Lan’s side, no longer acting so aggressively.
However, his previous actions had undoubtedly made his stance clear to everyone.
By now, no matter how foolish those present were, they knew that Ye Feng possessed some degree of sincerity toward his junior sister.
Whatever their actual relationship was, she was not someone to be trifled with.
Even the Daozi was siding with Ye Feng.
Anyone else blind enough to look for trouble would surely face a miserable end.
“Do you feel a bit better now?”
Ye Feng leaned his body against Zhu Lan, his behavior intimate.
Zhu Lan pursed her lips and eventually nodded.
In truth, she was someone who feared trouble.
Her first instinct when encountering it was to flee.
Even though she had wanted to lash out earlier, she worried that the situation would become too large or unsightly, leading to embarrassment and even more complications.
Unless her anger overrode her reason and temporarily filled her body, Zhu Lan would usually worry about the fallout of such trouble.
She hadn’t expected Ye Feng to go this far.
There were several times just now when she had wanted to step forward and pull him back.
But those three women had been truly annoying; it was just as well that Ye Feng taught them a lesson.
Zhu Lan had originally felt very wronged, but after everything that happened, her mood had improved significantly.
“If any more blind fools come here to throw a tantrum, tell me. Don’t bottle up your anger alone.”
Ye Feng’s voice was very soft.
His positioning was intentional, shielding Zhu Lan from the majority of the surrounding gazes.
Zhu Lan looked at Ye Feng’s face, momentarily dazed.
‘If Ye Feng were always this gentle, that would be nice.’
At that moment, the elders returned.
Song Qingyi followed behind them.
The first thing she did upon returning was run over to talk to Zhu Lan.
“Zhu Lan, I just saw two incredibly good-looking people!”
Song Qingyi was always so cheerful and silly that she reminded Zhu Lan of a husky from Blue Star.
Her feelings of depression finally dissipated as she smiled and asked, “Really? Are they as beautiful as you, Senior Sister?”
“Yes!”
Song Qingyi used her hands to trace a large circle in an exaggerated gesture.
“They are this much better looking than me.”
Ye Feng stared at Song Qingyi for a moment.
After realizing she seemed to have a bit of a loose screw in her head, he stopped paying her any attention.
Sure enough, Song Qingyi chatted with Zhu Lan for a long while before finally noticing that Zhu Lan was held in Ye Feng’s arms.
“Eh! Junior Sister, are you two… becoming Dao partners?”
Zhu Lan hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands.
“No, no!”
Song Qingyi thought about it for a moment and reached the conclusion that her junior sister was just shy, then continued happily chatting away.
The Daozi’s words still carried weight.
When the elders returned and saw a disciple unconscious on the ground, they didn’t pursue the matter after the Daozi explained everything.
They simply had other disciples carry the person to a guest room to rest.
At that moment, a simple yet massive ancient sword pierced through the thick clouds from beyond the horizon, slowly descending outside the Yaochi Holy Land square.
It was the disciples of the Wanjian Sect.
“Everyone, stay sharp. Don’t embarrass the Wanjian Sect… Number Three! I’m talking to you! Wipe your drool!”
The accompanying elder of the Wanjian Sect waited for the disciples to straighten themselves out before stepping off the flying sword.
The same old woman who had greeted the Tianyan Sect stepped forward to welcome them, leading the Wanjian Sect disciples to their seats.
Social etiquette and worldly affairs existed everywhere one went.
The elders of the Wanjian Sect and the Tianyan Sect had many old friends among them, so their conversation was quite harmonious.
Just then, at the far edge of the sky, a leaf shimmering with golden light floated rapidly toward them, landing on the other side of the square.
A group of bald-headed men stepped down.
The old woman moved without pause to lead the new guests to their seats.
With this, the four major sects of the world were finally seated together.
The location of the Western Ji Buddhist Sect was somewhat remote, situated in a place called the “Bodhi Bitter Sea” that was perpetually shrouded in yellow mist.
They rarely had contact with the outside world.
Their relationship with the other sects wasn’t particularly close, but a white-bearded monk wearing a kasaya still stepped forward to greet the other sect elders.
The accompanying elders who came to the Yaochi Holy Land were almost the same every year.
The elders from the various sects could hold a conversation without any awkward silences.
Since the elders present were all old monsters, the banquet appeared very harmonious and peaceful on the surface.
As the elders chatted together, the disciples naturally engaged in plenty of exchanges.
The ones drawing the most attention were none other than the Daozi of the Tianyan Sect, the Sword Head of the Wanjian Sect, and the Buddha Son of the Western Ji Buddhist Sect.
“Daozi, you and I did not determine a winner last time. I hope we can resolve that regret this time.”
The speaker wore simple cloth robes and had an ordinary appearance, looking harmless to people and animals alike.
However, his deep blue eyes possessed a sharp edge like a sword’s point that no one dared to ignore.
“The Sword Head of the Wanjian Sect! It’s said he is the current leader of the ‘Hanging Swords’ of his sect. His swordsmanship is extraordinary, and he is the most outstanding disciple among the younger generation!”
“Did I hear that right? The Sword Head actually fought our Daozi, and they were evenly matched!”
The disciples lamented the fact that the chasm between geniuses was something ordinary people could never cross in their entire lives.
The Daozi rubbed his nose, seemingly recalling an unpleasant memory.
“Go fight the Buddha Son. He should be more than willing.”
Zhu Lan picked a random seat and sat down, preparing to enjoy the delicacies on the table.
“Does the benefactor have any troubles lately?”
A voice sounded from behind her.
Zhu Lan turned her head and saw an enchanting, beautiful… monk?
The man had a fine appearance, and his features carried a smile that looked very kind.
But he was bald.
Someone from the Western Ji Buddhist Sect?
Seeing that Zhu Lan was a bit stunned and hadn’t reacted, the man pressed his palms together and continued, “Perhaps I can resolve the benefactor’s doubts.”
“No thanks,” Zhu Lan said, waving him off.
“I’ve been doing quite well lately. I don’t have any troubles.”
Even if she did, there was no need to discuss them with a stranger.
The man didn’t get angry, maintaining his kind smile.
“Buddhism emphasizes affinity. I see that the benefactor is pleasing to my eye. If you ever wish to resolve your doubts, you may come find me.”
“And you are…?”
“Others call me the Buddha Son.”
Once the important figures had all arrived, the Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land gave a brief opening for the banquet.
“My Yaochi Holy Land welcomes all fellow practitioners to this banquet. I hope that everyone’s path to immortality is smooth and that your immortal fortune flourishes!”
The Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land was beautiful and had a sweet voice.
Her words seemed to possess a magical power that brought peace to one’s heart.
“Good!”
An elder of the Wanjian Sect was the first to cheer.
After realizing no one else followed suit, he awkwardly took a sip from his wine cup.
A disciple of the Wanjian Sect praised, “The Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land is truly a peerless beauty. There probably isn’t anyone more beautiful in this world.”
The Wanjian Sect elder let out a disdainful sneer.
“Short-sighted.”
The disciple was a bit indignant.
“Elder, why do you say I’m short-sighted? Have you actually seen someone more beautiful than the Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land?”
The elder took two more drinks and said with contempt, “Even though the Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land is a peerless beauty of the mortal realm, the newly appointed Saintess of the Yaochi Holy Land is the only one who stands alone among the flowers of the world.”