Rumors spread

The next day, An Luoyi and Fu Tan went to school together. This time, she accompanied him all the way to the door. Fu Tan thought that was enough, but he didn't expect An Luoyi to take his hand and walk in openly.

It seemed that they had just crossed a threshold, but in Fu Tan's eyes it was extraordinary. In the past, he could only live in the dark and had never made a firm choice. An Luoyi's action was like bringing him from hell to heaven!

This bright and sacred expectation disappeared after seeing those shifty disciples, but Fu Tan did not forget why he came.

When the Saint Lady arrived, all the people in the school naturally welcomed her respectfully. There were people kneeling on the ground, but only An Luoyi and Fu Tan stood tall and looked down at everyone.

An Luoyi did not let everyone stand up. Although she was young, she had an extraordinary aura of dominance. Even if some people were indignant, they did not dare to say anything.

She said in a deep voice, "I heard that the academy is a place for pure and elegant cultivation. I have something I don't understand, so I came here to ask for your advice."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I will do my best to help you." The immortal master who was on patrol today was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He was neither a person of high moral character nor a person of unparalleled talent and knowledge, so how could he be worthy of the advice of the Saint.

"I wonder if the school has taught how to fight privately?" An Luoyi said slowly.

The disciples kneeling on the ground trembled at these words. They secretly glanced at Fu Tan, only to see him grinning with smug pride. They looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never imagined this boy had such magical powers, even bringing in the Saint Girl as reinforcements!

There are indeed some disciples in the academy who rely on their support to act recklessly. This kind of thing cannot be prevented, so the immortal masters turn a blind eye and of course will not say much as long as they don't cause too much trouble.

It seems someone has hit a wall this time. The Saint Lady just arrived at the last minute. The Immortal Master on duty leaned over and replied, "Of course not."

"If that's the case, why do such incidents still happen?" An Luoyi's voice was stern, and he exuded a sense of authority without even getting angry. "Futan! I'm here, so you can identify him in person."

Fu Tan was a little afraid. He glanced at the disciples who bullied him several times, but he didn't dare to move. He just stood there hesitantly. An Luoyi looked at him and nodded. Then Fu Tan slowly walked up to them and pointed, "That's them."

An Luoyi shouted coldly, "You are the evil thieves from the Flower Garden. It seems that the punishment has not made you reform... Can you plead guilty?"

Several people were so frightened that they trembled and immediately shouted, "Saint Maiden, we are innocent. We were just playing with Junior Brother Fu Tan and had no ill intentions!"

"Is this what you call playing?" An Luoyi quickly lifted Fu Tan's sleeves, revealing a pair of scarred arms in front of everyone. There were not only bruises from being stepped on, but also obvious whip marks. The sight was horrifying!

"This..." Several disciples had no way to refute.

An Luoyi gently pulled down Fu Tan's sleeves and said, "Since you have nothing to say, I will punish you according to the rules."

"Saint!" They were still unwilling to give up and tried to drag Fu Tan into the water. One of them gritted his teeth and said, "Since it was a fight, why didn't Fu Tan punish it?"

"Oh? Then let me ask you, did Fu Tan fight back?" An Luoyi glanced over.

The man lowered his head and thought carefully, and it was indeed not the case... Seeing that he was guilty and silent, everyone understood, but the immortal master stood uneasily and let An Luoyi look at him.

"Master, are you in trouble?"

"I dare not. These people have behaved so badly that it is only natural for the Saint to punish them."

"Why does the Immortal Master look so troubled?"

"Saint, since there is no precedent for this kind of thing, I don't know how to punish it."

It would be inappropriate for him to decide the punishment for such an unprecedented matter, so the immortal master had no choice but to ask the saint for instructions.

"The academy is a place for cultivation, and I don't want to see such things happen again. So today I will set a rule to serve as a warning to others! If anyone bullies others again in the future, they will be severely punished in the Frost Prison Valley and expelled from the Immortal Residence within three days!"

An Luoyi's majestic voice echoed throughout the school, and all the immortal masters and disciples knelt on the ground and bowed.

"The Saint is wise."

The punished disciples collapsed on the ground and were then dragged away by the immortal soldiers.

Fu Tan stepped forward and took An Luoyi's hand, his big eyes twinkling: "Thank you, sister."

An Luoyi rubbed his head: "You have been wronged."

After dealing with the matter, An Luoyi left. The previous serious atmosphere disappeared, and several young disciples gathered in front of Fu Tan and talked endlessly.

"Seeing is believing. The Saint Lady is truly heroic and majestic. I didn't know that Junior Brother Fu Tan and the Saint Lady were acquainted. How enviable!"

"Junior brother, what is your relationship with the Saint? She actually came forward on your behalf."

"The Saint is so busy that I wonder if we'll be able to see her again in the future. Junior Brother Futan, please let us see her more often."

Fu Tan didn't bother to pay attention to the mob, pushed them aside and walked forward, with a hidden smirk on his face.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, magpies were flying south, and the night in Chaoyun Palace was utterly silent. Ah Li stood on a branch, dozing, and for a moment, it seemed as if a figure passed by. It dazedly opened its eyes, only to find that everything was the same as usual, and then closed them again, falling asleep.

Ah Li was the first to wake up during the day. Seeing An Luo unexpectedly appear, she excitedly called out, "Saint! Saint!"

An Luoyi looked at it, nodded slightly, and left Chaoyun Palace.

"Yeah, the Saint paid attention to me today!" Ah Li flew back and forth in the courtyard happily. Even after An Luoyi walked away, she was still shouting, "I can transform soon! Saint, wait for me!"

Not long after, Fu Tan also came out. His bright eyes swept over A Li, but A Li didn't find him friendly. A Li didn't dare to say a word to him and hurriedly flew back to the nest.

When Fu Tan arrived at the academy, the disciples were all talking about it. Seeing Fu Tan approaching, many disciples gathered around him and said, "Something big has happened, do you know?"

Fu Tan was puzzled: "What happened?"

A disciple whispered in his ear, "Those disciples who were punished yesterday...are dead!"

"What!" Fu Tan was shocked. "How did you get this information?"

"The news spread throughout the academy. They said some immortal soldiers found several bodies this morning, and when they approached, they found out they were from our academy!"

"Hey, you're not right. They are no longer considered members of the academy."

"The Saintess personally handed down the punishment yesterday, and he died today. Could it be that... the Saintess did this?"

"What nonsense are you talking about! How could a saint do such a sneaky thing!"

"Yes, the Saint is upright. Since she has already punished them, why would she resort to further shady tactics?"

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I think they deserve it! They've offended so many people and now this is their retribution."

The people around Fu Tan were talking at once, and at the end they all stopped and looked at him. Fu Tan looked into everyone's eyes, and everyone seemed to be looking forward to his opinion.

"I don't know either. Maybe God has opened his eyes and punished the evildoers." Fu Tan squeezed out two tears.

Someone advised: "Don't be too sad, they deserve it."

Fu Tan said sympathetically, "It doesn't matter to me, I'm just worried that others might misunderstand me..."

"Sister? Are you talking about the Saint Lady? I didn't expect you two to have such a good relationship."

"Don't worry, we won't make random guesses."

"Hmm..." Fu Tan wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes.

A'li was able to transform, but it didn't last long and she was not used to walking, so she sat on the ground and waited for An Luoyi to come back.

Near dusk, a blue figure passed by the palace gate. A'li, who was originally drowsy, stood up immediately, but she stumbled and fell to the ground again.

"My feet are numb after sitting for so long..." A'li complained to herself.

An Luoyi walked closer and looked down: "Who are you?"

"It's me, the Saint! You don't recognize me! A'li, I'm A'li!" A'li said excitedly.

"It's you..." An Luoyi's pupils dilated slightly.

"Yes, yes." Ah Li was very happy to see An Luoyi recognize her, but then she said indignantly, "I heard some rumors while I was out collecting light today. Everyone said it was you, the Saint Lady, who did it. I don't believe it! How could the Saint Lady be such a shady person? I spat at them and rushed back to tell you."

An Luoyi's indifferent look remained unchanged: "I already know, don't worry about it."

As she was about to leave, Ah Li hurriedly grabbed her and said, "Why don't you care? They are slandering your reputation!"

"Rumors stop at the wise. Why would I respond to something I didn't do?" An Luoyi looked suspicious. "But thank you for coming to tell me."

An Luoyi turned and left, leaving Ah Li standing there in a daze. After a while, Ah Li transformed back into her original form and soared into the sky. She happily flew three circles around Chaoyun Palace, shouting as she flew, "Ahahaha! Lady Saint actually said thank you to me!"

An Luoyi did not go back to the room directly but turned around and went to Fu Tan's bedding room. Fu Tan was no longer as naughty as before but surprisingly quiet.

Seeing An Luoyi coming, Fu Tan was surprised at first, then happy. He approached enthusiastically and asked, "Sister, why are you here?"

An Luoyi's lips curled up quickly and then smoothed down: "Let me see you, have you applied the medicine on time?"

"I have applied it. Thanks to my sister, I am fine now." Fu Tan responded generously.

"Hmm..." An Luoyi changed the subject and said, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Everything is naturally good in my sister's palace." Fu Tan smiled with her eyelashes curved.

"But I heard that you don't sleep well. Did you sleepwalk outside at night?" An Luoyi looked over with sharp eyes. She was busy with such trivial matters during the day and the fairy servant would not report them. She asked this just to test Fu Tan.

"Sister, you must have heard it from someone else. I have never had sleepwalking, so why would I go out?" Fu Tan's bright eyes blinked, but there was no panic or surprise in them.

An Luoyi asked a few more questions casually. Fu Tan didn't seem to be abnormal. She wondered if she was worrying too much.

"In that case, you should have a good rest. I still have things to deal with." An Luoyi found an excuse to leave.

Fu Tan said respectfully, "Sister, take care."

Fu Tan accompanied An Luoyi to the door. As soon as he could no longer see her, he immediately went back to the house and closed the doors and windows. Even the smile in his eyes disappeared.

"Someone come here." An Luoyi called out from the corridor.

In a moment, two servants appeared.

"Call the immortal servant who was on guard last night." An Luoyi said coldly.

The immortal servant on guard soon arrived, and the two of them knelt and bowed, "What are your orders, Saint?"

An Luoyi looked back at Fu Tan's residence and said absentmindedly, "Did you see anyone go out last night?"

"No." The immortal servant answered cautiously.

An Luoyi frowned suddenly, "Go down."

The two men retreated respectfully.

An Luoyi stood alone in the corridor. At the corner at the end was Fu Tan’s residence. He was always weak and powerless. Could he have done it?

There was no evidence to support this matter and it was eventually dropped. After more than a month, the operation of the Immortal Palace returned to normal.

Although Ah Li had transformed, her chattering nature remained unchanged. She stayed in Chaoyun Palace and would catch An Luoyi every morning and evening, begging him to take her in. An Luoyi had no choice but to keep her. Ah Li was ecstatic: "I knew that the Saint Lady would be hard on the outside but soft on the inside!"

From then on, A'li showed her courtesy to An Luoyi every day. She was considered a fairy bird enlightened by the saint, so she was given the job of managing the internal affairs of Chaoyun Palace.

There hadn't been a single person in Chaoyun Palace for ten years, but in just a few months, Futan and A'li arrived... This left the original immortal servants dumbfounded. Although the two had the same identities as theirs, everyone knew in their hearts that the Saint treated them differently.

At the end of every year, the Immortal Palace holds a banquet for all the immortals. An Luoyi dislikes crowds and has never attended, especially since she's always fasting, so she retreats to her residence on these days. But Ah Li and Fu Tan have appetites, so on the day of the Immortal Palace banquet, Ah Li begs them to sit at the same table, saying, "Chaoyun Hall has been too quiet all year! It needs to be lively and bustling."

"How can I improve my cultivation if I waste my time on useless things like this every day?" An Luoyi said as he read ten lines at a glance while holding the book.

Ah Li tilted her head while chewing her rice. "But we are in the Ninth Heaven and there is no chaos. Why do we have to live so hard?"

An Luoyi glanced at Ah Li and sighed, "Don't talk while eating."

Fu Tan smiled and said, "Sister, you are right. You need to improve yourself. Only when you are strong can you have freedom."

Seeing Fu Tan's fake smile and flattery, Ah Li curled her lips in displeasure: "Hmph, you only know how to flatter the Saint Lady. I don't see you practicing diligently on weekdays!"

Fu Tan said nothing, just lowered his head and smiled.

In reality, An Luoyi hadn't been alone with Fu Tan for a long time. They couldn't see each other during the day, and he went to bed early at night. An Luoyi's gaze, which had been on the scroll, shifted to him. Fu Tan's expression was now obscured, and there was a hint of truth in his deep laughter. An Luoyi felt that he was becoming more and more mysterious...

Suddenly, Fu Tan looked up and met An Luoyi's gaze. His childish voice was particularly clear: "Sister, why are you staring at me?"

An Luoyi was so absorbed in watching that she didn't expect to be caught red-handed. She looked away and said calmly, "You've become different." She said this not with doubt but with certainty.

Fu Tan smiled brightly, looking back at An Luoyi with eyes shining: "Sister, I have grown up, of course I have become different."

An Luoyi was stunned, and then she realized that the short little carrot head was now taller than her. His eyes were still bright when he spoke, making people feel that the previous change was just an illusion.

The three of them stopped talking. Fu Tan and A Li ate quietly, while An Luoyi concentrated on reading, hoping that such days would not change.