Chapter 17: Your opinion doesn't matter

Before Ling Xi could respond the door flung open abruptly. Robes swishing, Feng Yulan strode elegantly and entered the room.

Upon entering, She noticed the changing panel and shadow behind it then at the Liang Chen sitting on the mat below.

Finally, Her eyes settled on his eyes, To be exact on the flames flickering in his eyes.

Feng Yulan's eyes narrowed a little after seeing this. 

"Senior Sister, Isn't it rude to barge into someone's house like this?" Ling Xi's cold voice rang behind the changing curtain, her shadow flickering slightly.

"Junior Sister Ling Xi, My apologies for intrusion." Feng Yulan's tone was of pure politeness, "I knew you were inside with Liang Chen."

"And was afraid something would happen to you. So I barged in." As she spoke, her eyes remained locked on the obscured shadow behind the curtain.

"Now that you can see there is nothing wrong here. Please leave" Ling Xi replied with her tone as cold as before, "We friends have met after so many years, and we have a lot of catching up to do." 

"I am afraid I cannot agree to your request." Feng Yulan said her expression as polite as before.

"He is now part of Divine Blossom Pavilion and according to rules all the new disciples need to remain at the floating dormitory at night. So, I have to take him back."

"Senior Sister!" Ling Xi snapped, silhouette flickering violently now.

"Like I said, We have a lot to catch up on." Ling Xi repeated the sentence again, "I know the rules! But that's only for new disciples, I have been in the pavilion for years."

Her voice turned commanding. "I will deliver Liang Chen to the dorms tomorrow, safe and sound. Any blame for delays shall fall on my shoulders alone. So Leave!"

Though addressing her as Senior Sister, Ling Xi's tone held no respect - she used the title merely as meaningless formality.

Feng Yulan didn't say anything and walked toward Liang Chen and looking at his eyes she waved her hand and flames within his pupil disappeared and he fell into slumber. Feng Yulan picked him and carried him on her shoulder.

This series of actions seemed to have triggered Ling Xi who descended into madness. 

"Insolent wench! Release him at once!" Ling Xi screeched, her silhouette writhing and distending grotesquely. As if the shadow came alive and moved toward Feng Yulan, As she directly attacked her.

Feng Yulan stopped. The air turned frigid as her gaze, sharp as shards of ice, fixed on the writhing shadows. A slow, deliberate flick of her wrist summoned sparkling crystals, which erupted from nothingness and spread like frost across the room, engulfing the writhing forms in a dazzling cage.

Feng Yulan regarded the frozen form disdainfully, still carrying the limp body of Liang Chen over her shoulder.

"What comes from your mouth matters not at all to me, girl," A glacial smile touched Feng Yulan's lips, as she said bluntly "Since the moment I stepped in this room, I have never once entertained thought about your requests. I will do what I wish for and you cannot stop me."

"Friends? Lots of catching up to do?" A flicker of something akin to amusement danced in Feng Yulan's eyes, "Do you think I am a fool?"

"Since when is the Liang and Ling family so close?" Feng Yulan scoffed, her gaze sweeping over the frozen room. "Keep your schemes to yourself, Ling Xi!"

Saying this she left proudly without looking back leaving the room frozen solid. 

Silence engulfed the frozen room, heavier than the ice. Ling Xi's frozen form stood defiant, and the shadow started to wriggle like worms. Then, in a heartbeat, the ice bindings were shattered. 

Ling Xi stood there, her lips quivering slightly as she said in a hoarse voice filled with madness and hatred.

"Elemental realm…."

...

Outside the house there was an immense crane, pale feathers gleaming under soft moonlight.

With graceful steps, she ascended its lowered wings, placing Liang Chen on its back.

Around Liang Chen, there were fifteen other disciples slumbered peacefully in place.

Feng Yulan stroked the giant bird's snowy plumage and said, "Let's go!"

The crane let out a resonant cry that pierced the quiet night and unfurled its wings. Mighty gusts buffered Feng Yulan as the giant crane took flight, swiftly sailing through the wispy clouds.

The full moon shone brighter in the boundless sea of stars above. And soon a landmass appeared within the concealment of clouds- It was a floating island that male disciples are supposed to live on.

The moon cast an ethereal glow upon the floating island that emerged from the clouds, 

The floating island was not big but it was hidden deep within the clouds. There was only a single pagoda on the entire island, and it occupied 60% of the area of the island.

The crane made landfall gently despite its size, touching down on the ground in front of the pagoda.

"Junior Feng Yulan greets Senior Brother Kong," she intoned formally. "I've brought this term's new disciples."

Wind chimes tinkled in the quiet. Then a voice emerged, as calming as a gentle stream, "So it's that time of the year already. And there are sixteen disciples, Quite a lot!" 

"Thank you for hard work, Junior Sister! I'll take over from here." Senior brother Kong said in a peaceful voice. As few Giant, translucent hands manifested from the pagoda and with delicate care, they gathered up the slumbering disciples and retreated back into the pagoda.

"I'll tell them rules and regulations tomorrow morning." Senior brother Kong reassured in a soothing voice,"And would make sure they would not leave at night."

"Okay! Then I'll take my leave." Feng Yulan bowed and started retreating.

"Hmm, Send my regards to the Pavilion Leader." 

Feng Yulan, who was retreating, paused for a second and then replied, "Yes, I will!"

There was no reply as the pagoda became silent, Just like it was before.

...

Morning rays of sunlight filtered through the window, falling across Liang Chen who slept peacefully in the bed. He slowly woke up from his slumber with a throbbing headache.

"Ugh... My head..." Liang Chen grunted, slowly sitting up in the bed. He raised a hand to his temple, trying to soothe the relentless pounding.

As the grogginess faded, confusion flooded his expression. "Where... How did I end up here?" His gaze darted around the unfamiliar room with growing bewilderment.

"Yesterday... What happened yesterday?" Liang Chen tried to think back to the fragments that were emerging in his mind piece by piece.

He remembered following the girl back to her residence after she had insisted on taking him there...then drinking tea she prepared and eating snacks…

His eyes widened as more pieces fell into place and his face paled.

"So she was not a friend...?" Liang Chen remembered the events - the girl's disrobing, Feng Yulan appearing before him. After that he had fallen asleep.

Liang Chen clutched his head in disbelief. "That deceitful vixen!" He burst out angrily. "I can't believe she tricked me by saying she knew me when she clearly didn't. At least the previous Liang Chen should not have been on friendly terms with her."

His hands curled into fists as outrage simmered within him. He gritted his teeth and cursed, "She behaved so nicely to get my guard down. I should have left from the very beginning. Going with her was my biggest mistake."

Liang Chen punched the bed in frustration. "In this cultivation world, how could I have been naive enough to trust someone's words just because they were friendly?" His mind reeled as he thought back to the sensitive information he had revealed, like losing his memories.

As his anger faded, Liang Chen let out a breath and tried to calm himself down. "Well, pretending to have amnesia from the start would have been best." 

"Although it was revealed that I lost my memories, at least it's not that big of a problem," Liang Chen sat cross-legged on the bed. "It's good that I did not reveal the transmigration or the system... Otherwise...!"

Liang Chen shuddered thinking about what could have happened. He would have been studied like a specimen if that truth came out.

"From now on, I need to be more careful. Otherwise I may face another unsightly death," he warned himself.

"The cultivation world is full of danger and I'm at a disadvantage without any information or memories."

"It was good that Feng Yulan appeared and saved me this time. I need to find an opportunity to thank her," Liang Chen thought gratefully.

But his expression soon turned serious. "She saved me this once, but can't be there to save me forever."

"I should also find out what exactly makes the Void Weave Scripture so special. I thought it was a normal cultivation technique but it appears otherwise now…" he mused, narrowing his eyes. That scripture was the woman's goal. Seeing how bent she was on keeping him even when Feng Yulan appeared, it must be important to her and so she would not stop anytime soon.

She will come again and I have to be prepared by then.

"I need to gather info about that darn bitch and illusion techniques. I need to find a way to break them." Remembering how easily she had played him, anger boiled within Liang Chen.

A barrage of earnest knocks sounded at his door then, accompanied by Cao Ming's voice. "Brother Liang Chen! We're all gathering on the first floor for the opening assembly!"

Liang Chen furrowed his brow, perplexed by this 'opening assembly' but headed for the door regardless as Cao Ming persisted in knocking on the door.

"One moment, I'm coming!" he called out. Taking a stealing breath, Liang Chen strode forward decisively and opened the door. Cao Ming's grinning face greeted him from the hallway.