"Hmm... no," Qi Yu frowned. "But it's not that I can't fight, it's just that no one fights with me."
Upon hearing this, Yue Zhiyin immediately burst into laughter and ruffled her hair. "Alright, you better show me what you've got later."
Qi Yu nodded and obediently followed Yue Zhiyin. As they walked out of the Beiyuan Sect and reached a small grove at the foot of the mountain, they saw... several Xuan Yue Sect disciples cursing at a towering tree.
Qi Yu clenched her fists.
The sight of them immediately reminded her of everything related to the Xuan Yue Sect, of the fruit peels they had thrown at her, and a ball of fire seemed to burn in her chest.
However, this fire was extinguished halfway by a clear young voice from the treetops.
Qi Yu followed the sound and discovered that perched on the treetop, surrounded by the Xuan Yue Sect disciples, was a youth who looked to be in his teens.
The youth wore a white sword-sleeved robe, his slightly curly brown hair and equally brown almond-shaped eyes, bright and clear, with a dignified demeanor, and two cute little fangs subtly revealed at the corners of his mouth.
He pressed one hand against the tree trunk, looking down and exchanging curses with the Xuan Yue Sect disciples below.
Xuan Yue Sect disciples: "Ming Lou, if you have the guts, come down. What kind of skill is it to hide in a tree? Besides, do you think we can't hit you just because you're hiding in the tree?"
"Damn it, you don't think I'm afraid of you, do you?" Ming Lou shifted his position, sitting on the tree with his legs crossed. "If my master hadn't said that Beiyuan Sect disciples are not allowed to fight outside, do you think I'd be hiding in a tree? I'm not hiding because I'm afraid of you, but because I'm afraid I'll end up killing you if I come down.
"If you Xuan Yue Sect people don't believe me, then climb up. You're just cursing from below and not climbing up, what kind of skill is that? Are you only good at talking?"
The Xuan Yue Sect disciples below turned red with anger.
The two sides continued to curse at each other, back and forth.
Although Qi Yu now harbored extreme hatred for the Xuan Yue Sect members, she had always been very good at controlling her emotions. Seeing the situation, she immediately turned to Yue Zhiyin beside her and asked:
"Senior Brother, the young man named Ming Lou on the tree, is he our Sixth Senior Brother? Did Sixth Senior Brother just say that Master doesn't allow us to fight with outer sect disciples? If that's the case, is it really okay for us to sneak over and fight?"
"Old man Li Yu did say that," Yue Zhiyin said thoughtfully. "But the Xuan Yue Sect people have provoked us several times, it's truly hateful. I think a secret fight should be fine. What do you think, Qi Yu?"
As he said this, Yue Zhiyin had already taken out a black cloth and covered his face.
Qi Yu looked at the protective gear embroidered with the Beiyuan Sect formation on Yue Zhiyin's body and said after a moment of silence, "Senior Brother, I don't think this mask is necessary..."
Yue Zhiyin turned to look at Qi Yu. "Wouldn't it be too arrogant not to wear a mask?"
Qi Yu thought for a moment. "Leave this to me. I have ways even if I don't fight."
Yue Zhiyin was a little surprised and immediately moved aside to make way for Qi Yu.
Qi Yu rolled up her sleeves and slowly walked over. When she reached behind the Xuan Yue Sect disciples, she softly called out to them:
"Hey."
The Xuan Yue Sect disciples instinctively turned their heads.
Qi Yu raised her hand and drew a circle in the air. After finishing, she forcefully pushed the circle towards them and then drew a talisman with one hand:
"Mirror Realm."
Because Qi Yu was disguised as a man and had never fought before, the Xuan Yue Sect disciples did not recognize her at all. They only felt a darkness before their eyes and were instantly drawn into the circle Qi Yu had drawn.
Yue Zhiyin watched the entire process and didn't understand what was happening by the end.
Ming Lou, who had been watching the commotion from the tree, was curious when the Xuan Yue Sect members suddenly disappeared. He climbed down from the tree and scratched his head, asking:
"Senior Brother, who is this helper you brought? How did he just draw a circle out of thin air and capture them?"
"Hello, Sixth Senior Brother. I am Qi Yu," Qi Yu greeted Ming Lou. "It was me who used the Mirror Realm just now to trap them."
"Ah, I see. You are Yan Jin Jing, whom Master brought back a few days ago, right? I didn't expect your human form to be so handsome," Ming Lou said, then familiarly put his arm around Qi Yu's shoulder. "What's this Mirror Realm? Can it kill people? Don't cause any deaths."
"It won't kill them," Qi Yu curled her lips. "At most... they'll be scared silly."
Her Mirror Realm was a barrier within her own Dan Mansion, containing the countless malevolent spirits she had previously devoured.
Those few people who entered, I'm afraid... would be scared to the point of wishing they were dead.
But what did it matter?
If it weren't for her, they would have met the same fate.
"Oh dear, it's not good if people are truly scared crazy. Old man Li Yu can be quite terrifying when he gets angry," Ming Lou patted Qi Yu's shoulder. "Let them out."
Qi Yu had no objections. She formed a hand seal and slammed it hard onto the ground!
The Xuan Yue Sect disciples were immediately released.
They huddled together, disoriented, their faces pale, trembling as if they had experienced something terrifying.
Some of them were even foaming at the mouth.
"Oh my, why are they so timid?" Qi Yu looked innocently at Yue Zhiyin and Ming Lou. "Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, does this count as fighting?"
Ming Lou stroked his chin. "Being scared to the point of foaming at the mouth, this shouldn't be a problem, right? Old man Li Yu never said we couldn't scare people."
Yue Zhiyin nodded. "We didn't physically fight them, we just scared them. It doesn't violate the rules."
Qi Yu pursed her lips and nodded.
Two hours later.
In the main hall of the Beiyuan Sect.
Yue Zhiyin, Ming Lou, and Qi Yu were kneeling in the hall.
Li Yu's veins bulged on his forehead, and he said helplessly:
"What's going on again? I told you not to fight outside, and yet you two actually dragged the new junior disciple into your mischief!"
"They cursed at me first," Ming Lou protested. "I didn't hit them, I just had Junior Brother scare them a bit. I didn't take their lives."
"...That was just scaring them?" Li Yu clutched his head. "You scared them so badly they were foaming at the mouth, and their Xuan Yue Sect leader personally sent me a telepathic message saying that those disciples returned home disoriented, crying and laughing, as if they had gone mad from fear."
Yue Zhiyin couldn't help but chuckle softly, lowering his head.
Qi Yu remained silent throughout, kneeling obediently with her head bowed.
Li Yu looked at Qi Yu. "And you, how did you manage to scare them to the point of foaming at the mouth?"