“That is not what I meant...” Geng Guoye’s tone immediately mellowed down as he realised the gravity of the situation.


    “Then what exactly is it that you meant?” Chen Pingxi questioned.


    “I apologise for my careless words earlier,” Geng Guoye said reluctantly. “The Origin Lake Sect has always been a close friend of the Black Tortoise Sect, so how can it ever be unorthodox in nature? It would appear that my ignorance regarding the archaic runes has resulted in an embarrassing moment. For that, I sincerely seek your forgiveness.”


    Under the watchful gazes of everyone present, it was humiliating to have to backpedal on his words. However, he had no choice but to do so.


    He could easily get away with throwing random accusations at outer disciples, but it was an entirely different story now that the Origin Lake Sect had been implicated.


    If handled improperly, his words could even be interpreted as a nefarious attempt to divide the two factions – something that could result in punishments comparable to those for treason!


    “Please calm down, Fairy Chen,” Qie Xing hurriedly interjected. “I can vouch for Brother Geng’s admiration for the Origin Lake Sect. I am sure this is a misunderstanding.”


    “


    “He might be stupid, but he is not malicious. Why don’t you just ignore him and enjoy this beautiful night with me?”


    “The outer disciples are watching. How about continuing this discussion at a more private location instead?”


    “Brother Geng has already admitted his fault, so please be appeased.”


    At the same time, Geng Guoye clasped his fists towards Chen Pingxi and bowed his head slightly in apology, nervously awaiting the latter’s response.


    Thankfully, this response ended up being a positive one.


    Chen Pingxi glared at Geng Guoye for a few moments before finally retracting her aura. The spiritual pressure on everyone rescinded in an instant, causing the outer disciples to let out a sigh of relief.


    “If I hear comments that besmirch the good name of my Origin Lake Sect again, I will bring the matter straight to the elders of the Black Tortoise Sect!” Chen Pingxi cautioned.


    “


    “That’d better be the case!” Chen Pingxi said before walking over to Zhao Yunxiao. “Are you all right, Brother Zhao?”


    “Y-Yes, thank you for the concern, Sister Chen...” Zhao Yunxiao said rather uncomfortably.


    While he definitely appreciated Chen Pingxi’s help, he could also sense everyone’s eyes focusing on him right now.


    He definitely did not want to attract too much attention and end up getting on Geng Guoye’s bad side!


    “


    Please don’t say that, Sister Chen is definitely not at fault here. We are the ones who should apologise for not having hosted you well instead,” Zhao Yunxiao shook his head. “That said, I’m sure that this is all a huge misunderstanding, and that Senior Martial Brother Geng truly did not mean to show any disrespect to the Origin Lake Sect.”


    “


    “In that case, I won’t hesitate to take Senior Martial Brother Geng up on your offer next time,” Zhao Yunxiao replied with an excited smile, though it looked rather forced due to his pale lips.


    Chen Pingxi looked at Zhao Yunxiao and let out a helpless sigh.


    To still be able to chat with Geng Guoye in such a casual manner, it was clear that Zhao Yunxiao did not actually care about what the former had done to him earlier. It was almost as though such matters were too trivial to be even worth thinking about for him!


    “


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    “


    “


    “


    “


    “Let me take a look,” Huang An offered.


    “Wait, let’s do this somewhere else,” Zhao Yunxiao suggested.


    ***


    “Thankfully, you seem to be fine,” Huang An said after completing a detailed examination of Zhao Yunxiao. “There are some minor injuries, but you should be able to recover in a day or two.”


    “That’s good to hear!” Lu Zhiying chimed in. “This won’t get in the way of your upcoming trip then!”


    “I am leaving tomorrow, so it might still have a small impact. However, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue,” Zhao Yunxiao corrected while stretching his limbs.


    “How envious! I want to go on a trip too!” Lu Zhiying pouted for a moment before suddenly recalling something. “Oh right, what’s with that weapon of yours? Is it really an unorthodox weapon like Senior Martial Brother Geng said?”


    “How can you still say that after what happened earlier? Do you want Lady Chen to beat you up?” Zhao Yunxiao smirked.


    “Why the sudden formality? Please just call me Sister Chen as always,” Lu Zhiying mimicked Chen Pingxi’s voice.


    Zhao Yunxiao: “...”


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    Zhao Yunxiao broke down the fight into blocks, analysing each individual move from start to end, from his perspective and then his opponent’s, meticulously considering the various other choices that they could have taken at every juncture.


    Every fight was an important lesson on combat proficiency, and every experience an important step towards the pinnacle. Zhao Yunxiao had no intention of letting this precious opportunity for improvement slip right past his fingers.


    As he was immersed in the world of battle simulations, the night silently came to an end.