When the first pomegranate flower bloomed in the Purple Mansion, the second summoning letter from Baize Dijun arrived.

Qi Nan carried this letter into the Purple Mansion with great anxiety. Since the princess had returned that time, she hadn’t left the Purple Mansion again. He didn’t know what the situation was, and his little princess’s lips were always extremely tight—no matter how he tried, both soft and hard approaches, he couldn’t pry anything out of her. Could it be another quarrel with Fucang Shenjun? But this quarrel had lasted rather long—three whole months already.

It was now late spring in the fifth month. Although Zhongshan was frozen and buried in snow year-round, the princess’s Purple Mansion was unaffected by Dijun’s divine power. Walking along, everywhere was a riot of purple and red colors that dazzled the eyes. Qi Nan had just rounded a cluster of lilacs when he saw his little princess half-reclining on an Ethereal Cloud brocade carpet under the Imperial Mulberry Tree, a pile of messy snacks by her hand, with her teacher’s books tossed far away, concentrating intently on pinching a white snow camellia.

“Princess,” Qi Nan softened his voice to call her. “A summoning letter from Baize Dijun has arrived.”

Xuan Yi didn’t even lift her head. “Good, just leave it. Qi Nan, come quickly and look—I’ve pinched ninety-nine petals on this camellia!”

Although he didn’t understand what was so meaningful about pinching ninety-nine petals, he still praised her kindly, “The princess is truly amazing.”

Xuan Yi contentedly put down the white snow camellia and tore open the summoning letter to glance at it casually. It turned out that the remaining matters from the Liheng Sea’s fall had been basically handled, so classes would begin three months early. Baize Dijun didn’t forget to remind his disciples in the letter that they must complete their homework.

Homework… oh, the cuckoo blood-red feathered satin and three strands of tail fur—there was such a thing.

She stretched lazily and rolled around once on the Ethereal Cloud carpet, opening her mouth languidly, “Qi Nan, help me withdraw from the lessons. I don’t want to attend classes anymore.”

Qi Nan never expected that after three months, the princess would actually say she wanted to withdraw. He was so shocked he couldn’t speak for a moment.

Who knew she would roll around again, sit up abruptly, and say, “No, don’t withdraw me. I’ll go.”

Qi Nan was completely confused by her. “Princess, this is…”

Xuan Yi smiled at him. “I said I’ll go.”

Why should she be the one to withdraw? She absolutely wouldn’t.

*

Since Baize Dijun had taken Fucang and Xuan Yi as disciples, he had announced he wouldn’t accept new disciples within fifty thousand years. Thus, the entrance to Mingxing Hall, which used to be overrun with deities, had become deserted. Who knew that today, for some unknown reason, all kinds of long carriages were lined up for several miles at the entrance, completely blocking the road.

Xuan Yi, holding a glazed box containing the feathered satin and tail fur, stood for quite a while at the entrance of Mingxing Hall, which was crowded with all sorts of celestial deities, unable to find a way in.

What was going on? She wanted to stand on tiptoe to look, but there were too many celestial deities here, with auspicious light flashing chaotically—she really couldn’t open her eyes. Just as she was puzzled, her shoulder was lightly tapped, and Shao Yi’s voice entered her ears, “Why is little loach standing here stupidly without going in?”

Xuan Yi was too lazy to bow and greet him, only saying, “Does Senior Apprentice Brother Shao Yi think I can get in with things like this?”

Shao Yi craned his neck to look for a long while, then suddenly embraced her, placed her on his shoulders, and instructed, “See what the situation is.”

…Was this reminding her that she was now completely weightless to him?

As a result, once he lifted her high, the auspicious light was even more blinding. Xuan Yi covered her eyes with her sleeve, repeatedly saying, “My eyes hurt so much, quickly put me down.”

She felt him walking forward while laughing, “If it hurts, just close them.”

Xuan Yi struck his forehead with one elbow. Shao Yi hissed in pain, “You’ve knocked a hole in my skull, you ruthless little loach.”

He carried her and quickly passed through the crowd of deities before the hall, forcibly squeezing into the great hall. Who knew the great hall was also full of celestial deities? The two little immortal attendants who usually guarded the door were squeezed in and couldn’t get out, hopping around anxiously inside the hall. Shao Yi gently placed Xuan Yi on the ground, rubbing his forehead and asking, “What happened?”

The little immortal attendants stomped their feet repeatedly, their faces full of complaints. “It’s all Dijun’s fault! He never thinks before speaking!”

After their jumbled explanations for a long while, Xuan Yi finally understood the cause. It turned out Baize Dijun had been idle for over half a month, but afraid that returning to Mingxing Hall would mean being urged to start teaching, he loitered at Wenhua Hall every day, pretending he was still busy. The day before yesterday, he happened to encounter Zhenwu Dijun and Taizhang Dijun coming to submit their graduation rosters. The two Dijun casually chatted a few words about their disciples, but Baize Dijun, this troublemaker, had to butt in, saying other Dijun’s teaching methods would surely produce only bookworms. This immediately angered the two Dijun. Taking advantage of today when Baize Dijun was beginning his lessons, they each brought their disciples in a mighty force to invade Mingxing Hall, clamoring to compare the abilities of their respective disciples. This attracted a crowd of divine clans watching the excitement, surrounding Mingxing Hall until it was completely impenetrable.

Xuan Yi had always been one who loved watching excitement and wouldn’t mind things escalating. With such excitement to watch, how could she pass it up? She immediately grabbed Shao Yi and directed him, “Quickly help me squeeze in.”

Shao Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out to embrace her, lowering his head to ask, “Am I just doing hard labor?”

Without waiting for her answer, he parted the crowded divine groups and passed through the great hall. They could only hear Zhi Xi’s calm voice coming from behind the hall, “Please calm your anger, both Dijun. I believe there is no distinction of superiority among disciples. Disciples follow their teachers to study in order to diligently maintain the order of heaven and earth in the future. As the saying goes, the ruler has its shortness, the inch has its length. Different divine duties naturally require different abilities. Why must the two Dijun insist on having disciples distinguish superiority and inferiority, creating discord?”

Her words were both empty and circuitous, not mentioning Baize Dijun’s inappropriate remarks at all, yet somehow sounded quite pleasant. Shao Yi couldn’t help but laugh, “Senior Apprentice Sister Zhi Xi is indeed teacher’s outstanding disciple.”

Exiting the hall, they saw the courtyard full of blooming purple sun flowers was also crowded with divine clans, but they were divided into two groups, respectfully standing with heads bowed behind their respective Dijun. Xuan Yi roughly scanned them and saw these two Dijun had no fewer than a hundred disciples, immediately surprised, “How do they have so many disciples?”

Shao Yi put her down on the ground. “Do you think all teachers in the divine realm are as willful as our teacher—accepting when he wants, not even accepting emperor’s children when he doesn’t want to? These Dijun teachers in the Hall of Ten Thousand Deities—which one doesn’t have dozens or even hundreds of disciples under them? This is still considered few.”

The disciples of Mingxing Hall hadn’t all arrived yet, standing sparsely beside the purple sun flowers. Zhi Xi stood at the very front, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, blocking her junior apprentice brothers and sisters behind her. Tai Yao hadn’t arrived, and teacher hadn’t gotten up yet. Here, she had the highest seniority, so naturally she couldn’t retreat.

Seeing Shao Yi and Xuan Yi had arrived, she immediately used her eyes to signal them to come behind her. Suddenly, the hot-tempered Zhenwu Dijun swept his long sleeves and shouted sternly, “Enough of this nonsense! Where is Baize Dijun? A dignified teacher—don’t tell me he’s still sleeping at this hour? With his reckless character, he has the nerve to lecture us!”

Zhi Xi bowed her head and said, “The immortal attendants have gone to invite teacher. Please, both Dijun, move to the front hall and allow the disciples to offer you tea.”

Zhenwu Dijun paid her no mind, saying coldly, “The day before yesterday, Baize Dijun said the disciples we taught were all bookworms. Surely his disciples are all accomplished in both civil and military arts. This Goddess Zhi Xi is eloquent and quick-witted—she must be Baize Dijun’s prized disciple. Ming Xiu, go ask Senior Apprentice Sister Zhi Xi for guidance.”

As soon as his words fell, a goddess with hair styled in double loops stepped forward, clasped her hands in salute, and without waiting for Zhi Xi to return the courtesy, flicked her fingertips. Several small birds, entirely crimson red, fluttered up—they were actually formed from fierce flames.

Although Zhi Xi came from a warrior family, her family also upheld the same philosophy as Baize Dijun—the younger generation would only begin learning magical arts after reaching forty thousand years old. The magical arts she knew were only those few that divine clans were born knowing, not one of which could block the flame birds. At the moment, she could only prepare to dodge.

Suddenly, a deep purple figure slightly swayed, blocking in front of her. He raised his arm to intercept those flame birds, and with a flip of his long sleeve, these birds stopped in a row on his arm, chirping happily and cheerfully.

Zhi Xi involuntarily held her breath, her eyes staring fixedly at Shao Yi blocking in front of her. He used his fingertips to tease those flame birds, then turned his head to smile sweetly at her, “Senior Apprentice Sister, be careful not to burn your clothes.”