Because Luan Ling had damaged the protective barrier around the room at the very beginning, the noise from the argument and the smashed vases quickly attracted a crowd.

Many immortals had only just gathered to watch the excitement when they witnessed a delicate-looking woman launching a flying kick straight at Chang Tao. The scene was brutal—debris littered the floor.

The fairy maidens felt inexplicably thrilled, while the male immortals collectively felt a chill in a certain vulnerable place.

“What’s going on here? Wait—aren’t those two…?” Some people recognized them and exchanged stunned looks.

“Isn’t that Immortal Lord Zhang Liu? Why is he dressed like that? And who’s the one lying on the floor?”

A latecomer asked, and those who had arrived earlier relayed what they had seen from afar. The story spread quickly—before long, the entire building knew that a fight had broken out on the third floor over catching someone in an affair.

And what made it even more shocking was that everyone involved was male.

Some busybodies discreetly used thought-transmission techniques, keeping straight faces while spreading the news far and wide. In no time at all, the entire Guanyun Tower was buzzing.

“Since everyone has already witnessed this grand spectacle,” Luan Ling said calmly, “I’ll make myself clear.”

She dragged Zhang Liu off the bed and walked over to Chang Tao, who was still groaning in pain. Without hesitation, she tossed Zhang Liu straight onto him.

“If I ever encounter another immortal who deceives and harms others, and still refuses to admit their wrongdoing…”

She smiled sweetly.

“I’ll confiscate their tools of the crime.”

As she spoke, Si Zhuo stepped forward and stomped down hard on the man lying on the floor.

“Headmaster? Headmaster! Something has happened to the academy students!”

Lord Wen Yuan, who had been painting with brush in hand, paused for just a moment at the voice echoing in his mind—then calmly continued his work.

“Why the panic? Haven’t there been incidents all month? Speak slowly.”

“Two disciples from Qilin Hall have seriously injured two immortals!”

“Qilin Hall…” Wen Yuan narrowed his eyes. “The two newly admitted ones?”

“Yes!”

Wen Yuan fell silent for a moment, then said, “If they injured someone, so be it. Those two are pure-hearted by nature—they wouldn’t cause trouble without reason. Find an opportunity and bring them back.”

“I understand that, but… one of the injured is from the Heavenly Emperor’s family. His divine body has suffered severe damage—his foundation has been harmed, and it may never fully recover.”

“…Which part of the foundation?” Wen Yuan asked quietly.

“The part that determines whether one can leave descendants.”

“……”

Wen Yuan set down his brush, gently brushed his fingers over the painting, then carefully rolled it up.

Those two little brats—always stirring up trouble for him.

“Bring them back anyway,” he said. “Leave the rest to me.”

“…Headmaster, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

“Why?”

“The Divine Guard Army has personally come to arrest them.”

By the time Wen Yuan and the two elders arrived at the Court of Clear Judgment, dawn was just breaking—and the trial was beginning.

On one side of the hall sat Luan Ling and Si Zhuo. On the other side—nothing. No one at all.

“The two injured immortals are too badly hurt to attend,” the instructor explained.

The immortals of the Court reconstructed and analyzed the incident. The hall was quiet for a while.

Then someone spoke.

“We now understand the full sequence of events,” the immortal said, turning toward the two seated youths. “Chang Tao and Zhang Liu committed the crime of harming a fairy maiden. They certainly deserve punishment.”

He raised his voice slightly.

“But not punishment carried out privately by you!”

“We didn’t—” Luan Ling began to argue, but Si Zhuo stepped hard on her foot.

She glared at him furiously—then he spoke.

“My lord, we didn’t administer punishment. Our hands merely slipped,” he said earnestly. “I’ve only cultivated for just over ten years. How could I dare lay hands on immortals with centuries of cultivation?”

Would a child strike an adult?

No matter how strong the child or how weak the adult, a child was still a child. According to heavenly law, excessively harsh punishment could not be imposed on young immortals.

That was precisely why Si Zhuo had escaped punishment time and again—had it been anyone else, they would have been punished ten times over by now.

Luan Ling frowned, uneasy.

She understood Si Zhuo’s reasoning—it was the strongest defense they had.

But still… something felt strange. She had beaten Zhang Liu without mercy, yet she had never truly expected to escape punishment.

“We will take your age into consideration,” the immortal said calmly. “Since this was an impulsive act, you are sentenced to reflect for seven days in the Cold Abyss.”

The Cold Abyss?!

“No!” one of the academy elders objected immediately. “They are still early in their cultivation. If the cold qi enters their bodies, it could permanently damage their divine forms.”

The immortal glanced at Wen Yuan, who had not yet spoken.

“They may be young, but without punishment, where is the law of the Heavenly Realm?”

“Who says there will be no punishment?”

Wen Yuan gently tapped his folded fan against his palm and smiled. “Of course they should be punished. The harsher, the better.”

That old monster really was ruthless.

Both Luan Ling and Si Zhuo stared at him.

“However,” Wen Yuan continued, “having the Divine Guard Army supervise them would be excessive, and assigning heavenly soldiers wouldn’t be safe.”

The immortal thought of how Chang Tao had been kicked in the replayed vision and shuddered.

The younger generation was truly terrifying.

“You make a fair point,” an elderly True Immortal said. “In that case, let them be sent back to their respective homes to reflect behind closed doors.”

“Any objections?”

Wen Yuan glanced sideways at the elder beside him, then stood and smiled.

“None. This is reasonable. We’ll take our leave.”

And with that, they ascended and departed without looking back.

“They’re really busy,” Si Zhuo remarked vaguely.

Luan Ling patted his shoulder. “Look on the bright side. They’re so busy and still came to plead for us—what touching teacher-student affection.”

By this outcome, she’d be getting a seven-day seaside vacation!

She glanced sympathetically at Si Zhuo. “If you can’t endure it, there’s a side courtyard at the northernmost part of the Celestial Palace.”

“There’s a gate there that leads outside?”

“No,” Luan Ling shook her head. “Under the osmanthus tree, there’s a jade box filled with candy.”

She gave him a pitying look. “If life feels too bitter, eat a few. At least it’ll have some flavor.”

“And if it still feels bitter?”

“That’s even easier,” Luan Ling said cheerfully as a Divine Guard pulled her up. “There’s a rope on that osmanthus tree—I’ve already tied the loop. Just put your head in and tighten it!”

She was obviously gloating—she didn’t truly want him dead.

Si Zhuo thought of the Empress’s ten lashes and felt inexplicably irritated.

This was Luan Ling’s first time descending to the mortal realm.

Strictly speaking, the Eastern Sea was still part of the immortal realm, but it bordered the human world. Penglai combined the ethereal freedom of the heavens with mortal warmth—more like a true immortal dwelling than the Heavenly Realm itself.

Thinking of the life awaiting her, even confinement felt lighter.

“Si Zhuo, you little bastard!”

Luan Ling snapped out of her thoughts at an angry shout.

She saw a beautiful fairy in a pale lotus-pink dress adorned with pearls, storming toward her with two shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

From the fairy’s exchange with the Divine Guard, Luan Ling learned her identity.

She was Si Zhuo’s elder sister—the current generation’s Dragon Princess, Si Qing.

“What are you standing there for?! You’ve caused so much trouble in the Heavenly Realm—Father said he’s going to tear out your tendons!”

Luan Ling hadn’t expected her own future to be so dangerous. Wasn’t Si Zhuo supposed to be even more lawless in the sea?

“Sister… uh, Dragon Sister,” she asked nervously. “Does tendon-pulling require reverting to one’s true form?”

She hadn’t learned transformation magic yet…

Si Qing stopped and turned back, staring at her suspiciously.

“What did you just say?”

“Reverting to one’s true form?”

“No—the sentence before that.”

“…Sister?”

Si Qing’s expression became incredibly complicated.

She sighed at Si Zhuo’s face. “Fine. Since you’ve begged me like this, I’ll try to help you later.”

How was calling her “sister” begging?!

Luan Ling was utterly confused about real sibling relationships.

She had always longed for familial bonds—but this felt… different from what she’d imagined.

Behind Si Qing, the shrimp and crab soldiers whispered.

“The young master actually called the princess ‘sister’ today. Did he burn his brain in heaven?”

“Shh! Are you suicidal? Remember what he did to Ah Shrimp last time?”

“He rubbed human spices all over him. Ah Shrimp still feels dirty—like he was forcibly turned into a dish.”

“…But honestly, Ah Shrimp looked pretty tasty.”

“…I kind of agree.”

Luan Ling heard everything.

What kind of things had this guy done before?!

Wait—was the shrimp braised or spicy?

Once they entered the sea, Luan Ling experienced the sensation of swimming freely, like fish drifting without constraint. From the island, the sea had looked deep blue—but inside, it was bright and liberating, just like flying, without consuming divine power.

She instinctively knew how to move in the water.

They passed many underwater markets—far livelier than the Heavenly Realm’s cold “buy it or get lost” attitude. She longed to explore.

Unfortunately, the Dragon Palace was unavoidable.

“Father and Mother are inside,” Si Qing said solemnly. “Explain everything properly to Father, then sweet-talk Mother. It’ll probably pass.”

She glanced at the oppressive atmosphere inside and added, “I won’t go in. I still want to ask for permission to go out to sea.”

In other words—this is as far as I help.

Watching Si Qing flee at top speed, Luan Ling’s understanding of sibling relationships deepened.

Two words.

Very real.

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