early morning.

The gate of Nanci Jingshe was different from usual, there was no one there.

There were only three female officials guarding the door.

The sound of melodious morning bells could be heard in the distance.

Today is the first day of the month. The four prefectures of Taiqing Prefecture all have monthly morning meetings. If the students of the four prefectures have no important matters, they must be present.

Soon, many female students returned to Nanci Jingshe one after another.

Gradually more and more people came in.

At this moment, a group of people were walking slowly in front. They were seven female students returning home together.

Seven women: Spring orchid and Autumn chrysanthemum.

Everyone else found it pleasing to the eye.

However, most of the passers-by would unconsciously glance at the female student at the edge of the group of women, who was wearing ordinary white clothes from Xiaoyao Mansion and had a teardrop mole under her left eye.

Because she is Concubine Zhao Lingfei.

And just recently, he climbed up the high platform step by step under the envious gaze of everyone, and received the reward for the first place in the Haoran Realm Class A Mansion Student in this season's Qingyuntai Competition from the deputy mansion lord, as well as the super-standard monthly cultivation resources for mansion students.

Most of the seven female students were laughing and talking, but Concubine Zhao Ling was the only one walking quietly aside. She listened attentively to her companions' conversation while gazing at the gate of Nanci Jingshe which was getting closer and closer. No one knew what she was thinking about.

Most of the seven girls were students of Xiaoyao Prefecture, but there was also a 28-year-old girl wearing the uniform of a student of Fuyao Prefecture.

The girl had beautiful hair combed into lily-like buns, a pretty face, and was petite and lovely. She smiled sweetly in the crowd, talking with her senior sisters, and was quite active.

At this moment, a senior sister smiled and said to her:

"Junior sister Lanzhi, you have just entered the mansion not long ago, but you have already won the thirteenth place in the Qingyun Competition of Fuyao Mansion. You are outstanding among your peers. It is really amazing. In a few years, when you enter Xiaoyao Mansion, you may be as good as your senior sister Lingfei."

Upon hearing this, Ye Lanzhi waved her hands hurriedly.

"Sister, please don't flatter me. I just relied on my family's resources to cultivate faster than my peers before entering the mansion. I just happened to encounter the Qingyuntai Competition when I first came in, so I was lucky enough to get this false high ranking. I'm not as good as you say. I don't know if Haoran Realm can have a natal flying sword. Maybe I don't even have the qualifications to live in the same mansion with you sisters..."

She paused, reached out to grab the hand of a quiet female student in the middle of the crowd, and waved her hand, "Cousin Ruoxi, am I right?"

Ye Ruoxi glanced at this cousin who was highly expected by the family ancestor, and nodded seriously.

"Lanzhi is right. From childhood to adulthood, in the clan, in Duyou Academy, and now in Fuyao Mansion, Lanzhi has always been lucky enough to be ahead of her peers, haha..."

The Xiaoyao Mansion female student couldn't help laughing as she spoke, and reached out to touch Ye Lanzhi's forehead, "This little girl always says this, like a little fox, she is modest on the surface, but I don't know how proud she is in her heart. If I were not much older than her and it were not convenient to compare, I would be outdone by her like the young men of this generation in the family."

When Ye Lanzhi heard the first few sentences, she thought that her cousin, with whom she had a good relationship since childhood, was speaking for her. However, she was exposed after just a few words and went to tickle Ye Ruoxi in annoyance.

"Okay, Ye Ruoxi, I'll tell you all your embarrassing stories and see how you'll get married in the future. Humph, did you often go to see a scholar from the academy these past two days? Hehe, I saw him, and he seemed to be a disciple of the new academy teacher in our Fuyao Mansion... Hey, why are you trying to stop me... Hehe, someone wants to silence me..."

Ye Ruoxi covered Ye Lanzhi's mouth in embarrassment.

When the female students around saw the cousins ​​playing around, they also burst into laughter, and the group became lively, with everyone talking to each other.

After a while of fighting, Ye Lanzhi broke free, straightened her clothes with a red face, thought for a moment, and said seriously:

"I'm serious. I'm not as good as the senior sisters say. I'm so embarrassed that I can compare with Senior Sister Lingfei. Aren't they just making fun of me when they say that..."

After saying this, she looked at Concubine Zhao Lingfei cautiously.

At this moment, Concubine Zhao Ling seemed to be a little...distracted.

Her eyelids were slightly drooped, and she did not join in the conversation. She walked quietly by herself. From time to time, she would slightly raise her head to glance at the gate of Nanci Jingshe in the distance, then purse her lips and lower her eyes. It was unknown what she was thinking, and occasionally... the corners of her mouth would rise slightly, very slightly, and with Zhao Lingfei's originally quiet and beautiful face, it would not be noticeable if you didn't look closely.

Senior Sister Ling Fei's personality is indeed the same as those men said, very cold and aloof, she hardly talks to us, and the other senior sisters seem to be used to it...

Hmm, what is she thinking about? Is she thinking about cultivation? I guess she is. Senior Sister Lingfei is so amazing. She is only one year older than me. She has left all the geniuses of the same class behind in Fuyao Mansion. Currently, she is the best among the Haoran Realm students in the two mansions. If it weren’t for the amazing Senior Brother Ji in Taiyi Mansion who is chasing after her, she would be able to catch up with him. This time, she is also ranked second among the Haoran Realm A-class students. Otherwise, the heads of all the male students in the mansion would be suppressed by Senior Sister Lingfei alone.

Ye Lanzhi thought secretly, with some hazy longing in her eyes. When she thought of how Zhao Lingfei had just walked up to the stage to receive the award with a calm face, facing the different looks of all the students below the stage, she felt that this senior sister was a goddess-like figure who would not easily show off to others...

At this moment, Zhao Lingfei belatedly realized that the eyes of her companions were looking at her. She turned her head back and had roughly listened to what they were talking about, so she was not unaware of what they were talking about.

Zhao Lingfei nodded slightly to this junior sister who was recently favored by the senior sisters in the circle and often played with them, and said in a serious tone: "Junior sister Ye is already very good."

Ye Lanzhi smiled brightly. She felt that Senior Sister Lingfei was not as distant as she seemed. She seemed to be closer to her. She was not so humble anymore and said sweetly, "Thank you for the compliment."

When everyone saw that Concubine Zhao Ling had come back to her senses and was talking, they all took the opportunity to speak up.

"Junior Sister Lingfei, have you collected all the materials for your natal sword? When will you start forging the sword?"

"I've collected some, it should be ready soon." Zhao Lingfei replied casually.

Ye Ruoxi suddenly asked, "Ling Fei, just now on the stage, did that Junior Brother Ji whisper something to you?"

Concubine Zhao Ling frowned slightly, "Some boring things."

She didn't want to say anything more, but seeing that the sisters and junior sisters around her were all looking forward to it, she said helplessly: "Ji Qianyi said that there are some literary gatherings being held recently and asked me if I would like to go."

It was just a casual remark and then not mentioned again.

Everyone looked at each other and understood a little. Ji Qianyi was a genius in the palace like Zhao Lingfei, but the only difference was that he was in Taiyi Palace and the other was in Xiaoyao Palace.

Among the four Taiqing mansions, Fuyao Manor is mainly inhabited by those who have not yet reached the Haoran realm or the Pin realm, while Kunpeng Manor is composed of those who have entered the Pin realm. Therefore, those in the Haoran realm are all in the Taiyi and Xiaoyao mansions.

Among the Haoran realm students in the two palaces, these two are the best, leaving the others far behind.

At first, Ji Qianyi was still able to compete with Zhao Lingfei. In some competitions and trials within the mansion, the two often took turns for the first and second places. Of course, Ji Qianyi was nearly twenty years old, while Zhao Lingfei was only seventeen, and one was a Taoist cultivator, while the other was a sword cultivator. Therefore, it was still possible to tell who was stronger and who was weaker. However, at least in the Haoran realm, the two were inseparable.

But this situation did not last long and was broken.

Zhao Lingfei quickly left Ji Qian behind, reached the bottleneck of the Haoran Realm, and was about to break through.

But fate is often unexpected. Zhao Lingfei was stuck at the bottleneck of the Haoran Realm. So Ji Qianyi caught up with her and also reached the bottleneck of the Haoran Realm.

Right now, who of these two geniuses in the mansion will break through first has become a hot topic of discussion among the students of Taiqing Prefecture.

And now Ji Qianyi invited Zhao Lingfei to attend the literary gathering together, looking for an opportunity to break the mirror? There is a sense of both enemies and friends in it... and the thoughts behind this are very interesting.

but……

The female students looked at Concubine Zhao Ling's expression and probably knew how she answered Ji Qianyi, and couldn't help but laugh at Ji Qianyi.

Everyone chatted for a while.

Ye Lanzhi asked curiously, "Sister Lingfei, can you let me see the reward that the deputy palace master gave you? I heard that the Heart Demon Seed of Annihilation was obtained by the palace master from the secret place in the North Sea. I have only seen it in books before, and I don't know what it is like."

Concubine Zhao Ling threw a small pure white brocade bag out from her sleeve. Ye Lanzhi happily took it and looked at it with several equally curious senior sisters around her.

Afterwards, Concubine Zhao Ling turned her eyes and glanced again at the entrance of Nanci Jingshe which was getting closer and closer.

It was the time when the sun was rising, the morning light was warm, the birds were singing like green, and a new day had just begun, and...his love letter for today should have arrived...You are not allowed to be lazy, not a day less...otherwise, hehe...

The pale golden morning light kissed her face, and the warm temperature made Zhao Lingfei's fair face slightly flushed. There was light in her eyes as she looked forward.

There seemed to be something waiting for her ahead, so Zhao Lingfei walked briskly.

Soon, they arrived at the gate of Nanci Jingshe.

She turned around and found that her companions seemed to be ready to chat for a while in front of the door of Nanci Jingshe, so she spoke up and said goodbye first.

Ye Lanzhi followed Zhao Lingfei's back with a slightly curious look. She saw her first quickly walk up to several female officials near the door and seemed to ask something. The female official with high hair shook her head. Then Zhao Lingfei paused for a while and turned to enter Nanci Jingshe.

Ye Lanzhi withdrew her gaze. She always felt that Zhao Lingfei's back, the slight sway of her figure, and the way she walked were somewhat... cheerful?

She no longer had the calm and indifferent attitude she had before, like... like... a little girl expecting something, or a woman in love?

She shook her head slightly, thinking that this strange idea was a little ridiculous. How could it be possible...what nonsense was she imagining?

Ye Lanzhi turned around and found that the senior sisters were talking about a topic that interested her.

"Ruoxi, how did you get to know that scholar from the academy named Li?"

Ye Ruoxi's lips curled up slightly, her eyes filled with memories.

"I went to the Northern Palace to do some work a few days ago, and he suddenly stopped me and asked me how to get to a certain place. He seemed to be delivering a letter to his teacher. When I saw how he was dressed, I thought to myself, aren't all the people from Linlu Academy fond of coming to our palace? You must have known the way well, so how could he not know the way?

So… so I ignored him and left first. Later, when I came back after finishing my work, I accidentally found that he was still wandering around in the same place. He really didn’t know the way to Beifu… Well, seeing that he was so stupid, I just led him the way… Then we got to know each other while chatting on the way…”

The senior sisters around looked at each other with gossip in their eyes.

A female student said jokingly, "Ruoxi, you have to be more careful. I heard from my sisters that the scholars in Linlu Academy are all hypocritical. Well, at least those who like to come to our Taiqing Mansion are probably not serious. Don't let them fool you, hehe, and fool your heart."

"What nonsense! I'm not that stupid."

Ye Ruoxi said angrily.

She thought for a moment, "Well, Li Jinshu shouldn't be that kind of person. I think he is quite honest. He is the disciple of Mr. Yan. I think he is very respectful to his teacher and speaks appropriately. He doesn't seem like a bad person..."

Ye Lanzhi, who was originally listening, had her eyes flickering when she heard the three words "Mr. Yan". It was unknown what she was thinking of.

Afterwards, the women chatted some more.

A female student said:

"Ruoxi, why don't you talk to Li Jinshu later and find some time to hold a poetry gathering or anthology together, and have him bring some talented people from the academy over. We don't have much contact with them, so it's a good opportunity to get to know them. Of course, the main thing for the sisters is to help you check and see what kind of person this Li Jinshu is. In addition, it will also be helpful for Junior Sister Lanzhi and the others to practice and break through. Oh, yes, there's also Lingfei, but she probably won't come... Ask her later..."

Ye Ruoxi thought about it, blushed and said: "Then... let's take a look at it again?"

After that, everyone chatted for a while and then prepared to disperse. It was the beginning of the month and there was still a lot to do.

But at this moment, a shout came from behind.

"Lanzhi, Lanzhi!"

Everyone turned around, and Ye Ruoxi saw the person coming. Her face looked a little strange and she glanced at her cousin.

Ye Lanzhi's body stiffened, but she did not stop walking, ready to continue walking.

"Lanzhi, wait for me, I'm Brother Yushu!"

Fan Yushu came running from behind with a happy look on his face and stopped in front of Ye Lanzhi.

From behind, Zhao Rong came slowly.