In the woods, noises abounded—it was probably Ling Xiaoyue and Li Ruyu still fighting.
Now, Fang Zhou had two options: one was to wait right there until the two women resolved their battle, and the other was to turn around and leave, the farther the better.
Although Ling Xiaoyue had once saved him, this woman was also a hooligan. Fang Zhou was quite afraid that if she won, she would execute him on the spot, and that would be a cry for help unheard by heaven and earth.
As Fang Zhou hesitated, suddenly, a rapid rattling noise approached, followed by a figure who burst out from the dense forest and slammed into a tree trunk before stopping.
That figure was Li Ruyu, whose appearance was extremely disheveled; hair unkempt, clothes in tatters. Her originally beautiful face was now bruised and swollen, with several new wounds.
Ling Xiaoyue strolled out from amongst the trees, her pure white robe unblemished, seemingly glowing under the moonlight. She hooked a wine pot with her slender, jade-like little finger, swaying it as she walked.
The difference between the two was immediately clear, leaving Fang Zhou no need for choice.
Ling Xiaoyue noticed the four Xuanji Sect disciples unconscious on the ground and with a delicate frown showed a hint of surprise: "Quite capable, huh."
She could tell Fang Zhou had no cultivation base, just a normal young man; yet, she didn't expect him to have defeated four Qi Refining Realm cultivators.
Just as Fang Zhou was about to humbly deflect, Ling Xiaoyue added meaningfully, "With such capability, no wonder they tried to occupy your body. Seems you're really something. Take off your clothes and let your master check how 'capable' you are."
Fang Zhou's face darkened instantly, this hooligan wasn't much better than Li Ruyu.
Seeing Fang Zhou's expression like he had just eaten something disgusting, Ling Xiaoyue burst out laughing.
On the other hand, Li Ruyu, supporting herself with a tree trunk, stood up. With an angry gaze toward Ling Xiaoyue, she yelled, "My master is Yu Yang the Hermit, and the grandmaster is the Sect Master of Xuanji Sect, they won't let you off!"
Facing Li Ruyu's threats, Ling Xiaoyue scoffed with disdain, "Just an Innate and a Golden Core, two old women and you think you can scare someone with that? If the founder of Xuanji Sect were here herself, maybe I'd give her some face."
Fang Zhou felt his blood boil hearing this; this hooligan was not even afraid of the current Sect Master and elders of Xuanji Sect. She was indeed formidable, and it seemed he had latched onto a strong leg.
Li Ruyu's expression twisted: "You dare insult my master and the ancestors of our sect, I'll fight you!"
She yelled and leapt into the air, but shockingly, she shot backwards and ran off far in just a few movements.
Fang Zhou, thinking Li Ruyu was about to fight to the death, got quite the scare and then realized she was actually fleeing. She even left her unconscious sisters behind, truly shameless.
Ling Xiaoyue plucked a tree branch and shot it towards the fleeing Li Ruyu, hitting her target.
Li Ruyu screamed as the branch stuck into her buttocks, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
Fang Zhou felt a chill down his spine; this hooligan was indeed ruthless.
He turned to Ling Xiaoyue and asked, "What do we do now?"
"Run!"
"Run?"
Ling Xiaoyue put her hand to her mouth and whistled sharply.
A spirited horse dashed out from the woods. Ling Xiaoyue leapt onto its back and grabbed Fang Zhou by the collar, lifting him into the air as she galloped away.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
Fang Zhou didn't dare to struggle, afraid his clothes might rip and he'd fall off.
Ling Xiaoyue glanced down at him, "Nonsense, obviously we're fleeing! That woman will definitely go back to report us, if we don't hurry we'll just be sitting ducks here. I don't mind, I can surely escape, but you'd be caught and squeezed dry."
Fang Zhou was dumbstruck, "But you acted so tough just now?"
Ling Xiaoyue laughed heartily, "Let your master teach you a lesson. It's alright if you can't win a fight, but never lose in bravado, understood?"
Fang Zhou was exasperated, thinking she was more formidable. Turns out, she's also a 'king of talk.'
"Hold on, we're still days away from Xuanji Sect, let's head back to the Mountain God Temple first, they have horses there."
Leading Fang Zhou back to Mountain God Temple, they took several horses, and Fang Zhou also took his belongings.
The two left overnight, not sparing the horses, rushing through the Yun Mountain Region under the starlight and moon.
After exhausting several horses, they finally left the influence range of Xuanji Sect, no longer fearing an imminent pursuit.
Fang Zhou was responsible for switching between the exhausted horses; he wasn't very good at riding, but Ling Xiaoyue led the way.
However, Ling Xiaoyue's horse was extraordinary, enduring the long run without faltering.
"This horse of mine is a treasure, named Yue Ya'er, it's been with me for a long while, as close as family to me."
Ling Xiaoyue affectionately stroked the horse's neck, then lay back on its back, legs crossed, taking a sip of wine, utterly relaxed.
"Disciple, call out 'Master' and let me hear."
Fang Zhou rolled his eyes and weakly called out, "Master."
"Ah."
Ling Xiaoyue responded delightfully, shaking her head and swaying with closed eyes, taking another sip of wine, plainly enjoying herself.
It seemed this hooligan really enjoyed being a master; along the way, she had made Fang Zhou call her 'Master' countless times.
Suddenly, Ling Xiaoyue opened her eyes, "Disciple, you haven't given me any offering for becoming a disciple."
Fang Zhou slowly marked a question, "What offering? You never mentioned that before."
"Can't you be a bit more proactive? Ah well, it's not too late now, hand it over."
"What kind of offering do you want? It's my first time; I don't have any experience."
Ling Xiaoyue suddenly sat up with a chuckle, "It's your first time so of course you lack experience. If you do it more often, you'll get the hang of it. It'd be best if you let a skilled big sister help you."
Pfft, don't think I don't know what you're implying.
Fang Zhou with a poker face asked, "What exactly do you want as a master-apprentice gift?"
Ling Xiaoyue waved her hand, "I'm not greedy. I won't ask my disciple to fetch Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures as a gift. Just give me some silver."
"How much silver do you want?"
"A hundred thousand taels should do."
Fang Zhou gave Ling Xiaoyue a respectful bow, "It seems we have the fate to meet but not the destiny to follow. I'll have to find you to become your disciple after I save up a hundred thousand taels. Thanks for your righteous act, moved to tears. It's a long road ahead in the martial world, until we meet again by fate."
After finishing his words, he pulled the reins, ready to gallop away.
"Hey hey hey, wait, we can negotiate."
Ling Xiaoyue grabbed Fang Zhou's horse, "You don't have a hundred thousand? You can repay with your body then, ten taels a time, a hundred days will clear the debt."
"You must be joking, then I wouldn't have a single drop left."
"You can preserve your energy."
"I think I'd rather keep my little life."
"Alright, alright, if you don't want to repay with your body, you must have a thousand taels at least, right? I'm dropping it down by ninety-nine thousand for you. You won't find such a generous master anywhere else, no more bargaining."
Fang Zhou glared at Ling Xiaoyue with a righteous look, the thuggish nature of this woman finally revealed itself.
He happened to have a thousand taels in his pouch which he carried with him when he left the Fang Family.
Ling Xiaoyue asking for a thousand taels as a master-apprentice gift clearly indicated she knew he had that amount.
"Did you secretly go through my bag?"
"No!"
Fang Zhou's righteous scolding did nothing to Ling Xiaoyue, this woman had a thick skin and flatly denied the allegation.
Fang Zhou pondered for a moment and said, "I don't have a thousand taels right now, can I owe it to you?"
Ling Xiaoyue's gaze landed on his bag, "No way, you clearly have it in your bag, still trying to fool me?"
This woman indeed went through his bag.
Eventually, the one thousand taels remained in Fang Zhou's pouch but now belonged to Ling Xiaoyue, with Fang Zhou temporarily keeping it.
"By the way, what is our sect called?"
Fang Zhou asked, having become her disciple, yet not knowing which sect he belonged to.
"Our sect..."
Ling Xiaoyue pondered then said to Fang Zhou, "How about calling it Invincible Sect?"
Fang Zhou felt as if a lightning bolt struck his head, utterly stunned.
He looked at Ling Xiaoyue in shock, "You've already taken disciples and only just thought of the sect name?"
Ling Xiaoyue chuckled, "It's my first time too, no experience."
Fang Zhou had thought Ling Xiaoyue didn't seem very reliable, possibly even a makeshift assembly, now he realized she didn't even have a makeshift.
"Is it still possible for me to back out now?"
"What do you think? If you dare to back out now, it's considered betraying the sect and disrespecting me, the rules say..."
Ling Xiaoyue thought for a moment, then said, "According to the rules, we should dismember your body, summon your soul back to the sect to serve forever as a slave, yep, that's it."
Fang Zhou had a full head of black lines, don't just copy Xuanji Sect's rules.
It seems I've really fallen into a pit. If I knew this would happen, I would have run away earlier.
Fang Zhou lamented his bad luck. On the very first day of transmigrating, he offended the potential main character Xiao Yan, within a month offended one of the famous Cultivation Sects in Jingnan State, and now fallen into another pit, really wanted to sing 'Liang Liang' for himself.
He asked again, "So it's just the two of us in the sect? What about a residence, don't tell me we're a roaming sect?"
Ling Xiaoyue lay back down, shaking her head, "Originally you had a senior sister, but I lost her."
Fang Zhou now somewhat allergic to the phrase 'senior sister' felt relieved hearing that this yet-to-meet senior sister was already lost by Ling Xiaoyue.
Wait a minute, how exactly do you play to lose your own apprentice?
Ling Xiaoyue kept shaking her head and said, "Don't worry, I've bought a piece of land long ago. The Spiritual Energy there is abundant like the Immortal Realm, pavilions and towers so divine, plenty of big houses, let's go there, just wait to live in luxury."
Hearing there was a place to stay, Fang Zhou finally relaxed, and the environment sounded quite promising, he somewhat looked forward to it.
"So, what is our sect's name in the end?"
"How about Invincible Sect?"
"No way!"
"How about First Sect of the Cultivation World?"
"Rejected!"