Zhen's polite facade crumbled. He knew exactly what she was doing. She wasn't just being friendly; she was deliberately keeping him from joining the fight. His initial amusement at her charm evaporated, replaced by a surge of annoyance.

  Looks like I'm going to have to be a bit heavy-handed, he thought grimly. He wasn't going to let some manipulative temptress dictate his actions. He had to get to Senior Sister Lian's side. Or she might skin me alive for also being a lovestruck fool…

  Zhao Lan leaned in closer, her intoxicating fragrance filling his senses. He could feel her qi subtly probing his defenses, like tiny tendrils trying to find a way through his hands. "Senior Brother," she murmured, her voice a silken caress, "why don't we..."

  But she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Zhen's star acupoint pulsed with a sudden burst of energy, and a golden shimmer enveloped his body as he activated his Diamond Skin technique.

  Zhao Lan's encroaching qi was instantly repelled, like water thrown against a hot skillet. His mind cleared, and his lips tightened into a determined line.

  "Sorry, Junior Sister," he said, his voice now firm and resolute. "But I have somewhere to be."

  And with that, he moved. His initial strike was a simple palm, aimed at Zhao Lan's shoulder with enough force to send her sprawling.

  But Zhao Lan was ready. With a graceful twist that defied gravity, she flowed out of the path of the strike, her body bending like a willow in a strong wind.

  He stumbled a little as his balance was disrupted, and Zhao Lan seized the opportunity with a kick, aimed at his knee.

  Crunch!

  "Argh!" Zhen gasped, pain shooting up his leg. He wobbled backward, barely managing to stay upright.

  Zhao Lan continued. "I know that Senior Brother is quite talented," she said, her voice soft and persuasive. "If he seeks to join some peaks, he will definitely be nurtured well."

  Quite talented? Zhen thought, wincing as he rubbed his knee. Is she being sarcastic? Because it sure doesn't feel like I'm displaying much talent right now. He was getting his butt handed to him by this seemingly harmless beauty, and it was starting to bruise his ego.

  "Junior Sister is too kind," Zhen replied, changing the subject and keeping his tone distant. "But I'm merely an average cultivator, striving to improve."

  After recovering his footing, he gritted his teeth and launched himself back into the fray, relying on his superior speed and agility to dart around Zhao Lan, trying to create an opening.

  He unleashed a flurry of attacks, each one a precise and powerful strike aimed at vital points.

  But Zhao Lan countered every attack with fluid grace and deceptive countermoves with her uncanny ability to predict his movements. Her fighting style was a mesmerizing dance of evasion and redirection, turning his own force against him.

  Slippery girl… Zhen, huffing and puffing, with sweat beading on his forehead, started to feel a distinct sense of embarrassment. He glanced over his shoulder at the original confrontation, which, to his dismay, seemed to be winding down.

  Great, he thought, just great. I'm getting schooled by a fragrant fairy while the real action is over. Way to go, Zhen.

  As if sensing his distraction, Zhao Lan smoothly disengaged, bringing their sparring match to an abrupt halt.

  “Thank you, Senior Brother. I won’t disturb you any longer,” she said with a charming smile, as if they had just shared a pleasant afternoon tea instead of a rather one-sided brawl.

  "Junior Sister, you are too kind," Zhen replied with a polite smile, trying to maintain his facade of composure despite his aching knee and bruised pride.

  Zhao Lan turned to leave, but after taking a few steps, she paused and turned back, "Senior Brother, I have a secret to tell you."

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  Oh, here we go, Zhen thought, rolling his eyes internally. "What does Junior Sister wants to tell me?"

  Zhao Lan came closer, her perfume overwhelming his senses for a moment. He started to circulate his qi, suspecting that the smell might have some sort of effect. She leaned in close, whispering in his ear. "Senior Brother, if I gave you the opportunity to join a famous immortal sect, will you seize it?" she asked, her voice a soft, seductive murmur.

  Zhen was shocked. He looked at her in horror, his carefully constructed mask slipping for a fraction of a second. Is she talking about defecting? That's a death sentence…

  "Pfft," Zhao Lan laughed, a light, tinkling sound. "Look how scared you are! This is the method of some immortal sects who use us from the devil path to recruit others. No need to look so scared. We would never get a chance otherwise."

  She smiled at him again, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Senior Brother, you have to be careful. Don't be fooled. You must figure it out," she said cryptically, before finally departing, leaving Li Zhen standing there, stunned and bewildered.

  What does she mean? Figure what out? Li Zhen thought, his mind racing. Was it a joke? Or was she telling the truth? Or is she really recruiting?

  If she is a spy from another sect, am I being targeted? he wondered, a knot of anxiety forming in his stomach. But why me? Is she trying to get my help in whatever she is doing? Or... my own sect might be testing me because they suspect me of something.

  If she's a spy, then I only have two paths to take: one, I refuse, and be killed by whoever sent her to keep everything under wraps. Or I agree to her proposal...

  But he didn't want to put himself in danger.

  Why not just continue to be a disciple of the Abyssal Harmony Sect and be safe? The Abyssal Harmony Sect, for all its flaws, was a known quantity.

  Joining an unknown immortal sect, and potentially becoming entangled in their schemes, was a risk he wasn't sure he was willing to take.

  I need to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage first.

  Pushing aside the unsettling encounter, Zhen tore his gaze away from the retreating figure of Zhao Lan, his mind still reeling from their encounter.

  He turned his attention back to the confrontation he had initially intended to intervene in. He saw Wang Bo, his face contorted in a frustrated snarl, leading his lackeys away from the scene. It seemed Senior Sister Lian's intervention had been successful, at least for now.

  Senior Sister Lian was shooing He Shan away, her expression a mix of concern and exasperation. He Shan, looking utterly defeated, shuffled off in the direction indicated, his head hung low. It was clear that whatever reprieve she had provided was only temporary. He Shan was a marked man, and Wang Bo and his faction wouldn't let him go so easily.

  Lian returned to Zhen, her usual confident demeanor slightly ruffled. "Junior Brother," she said, her voice low and urgent, "are you alright? Don't let yourself be mesmerized by those from Velvetbliss Peak. Their charm techniques are potent, even for seasoned cultivators."

  It was clear she had noticed his interaction with Zhao Lan.

  "I'll keep that in mind, Senior Sister," Li Zhen replied, nodding. He appreciated her concern, though he felt a bit annoyed that she had seemingly underestimated him. He had broken Zhao Lan's charm, hadn't he? Even though her beating had hurt him.

  "I have to take He Shan away for now," Lian continued, her gaze shifting towards the retreating figure of the beleaguered disciple. "It's not safe for him to be out in the open like this. I'll try to find him a safe place, at least for the time being."

  "Is there anything I can do to help?" Li Zhen asked, though he already had a feeling he knew the answer.

  Lian shook her head. "Not at the moment. This is a delicate situation, and too many hands could make things worse. Just focus on your cultivation, Junior Brother. And stay vigilant." With that, she gave him a parting nod and hurried off after He Shan.

  Zhen watched her go, a sense of unease settling in his stomach. He was left standing alone in the courtyard, the festive atmosphere now replaced with a heavy sense of tension. The earlier excitement had dissipated, replaced by a lingering feeling of apprehension.

  He replayed the events of the past hour in his mind. He Shan's public humiliation, Wang Bo's thuggish aggression, Senior Sister Lian's bold intervention, Zhao Lan's cryptic warning – it all felt like pieces of a puzzle, a complex game of power and manipulation being played out right before his eyes.

  And he was somehow caught in the middle of it all.

  This is way above my pay grade, he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. He had come to the gathering hoping to make some connections, maybe learn a thing or two.

  Instead, he had stumbled headfirst into a nest of vipers, each with their own venomous schemes and hidden motives.

  Zhen took one last look around the courtyard. On the surface, the atmosphere had returned to its previous joyous state. Laughter and chatter filled the air, and disciples mingled freely, seemingly oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded.

  But beneath the veneer of merriment, Zhen noticed the unspoken tension, a silent acknowledgment of the undercurrents of power and rivalry that ran beneath the surface of the seemingly jovial gathering.

  Eyes met across the courtyard, conveying unspoken messages, veiled threats, and subtle promises. The air crackled with an invisible energy, a palpable sense of unease that lingered like a bad smell.

  He realized that lingering here would only serve to attract unwanted attention. He had already been involved, albeit indirectly, in the confrontation with He Shan and Wang Bo. And then there was the unsettling encounter with Zhao Lan, which had left him feeling exposed and vulnerable, a pawn in a game he didn't fully understand.

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