In a cave within the Dongfu District, travelers from Milania were settling in the living room on the ground floor.

Although it's called a cave, it's not a literal mountain cave here, but rather a courtyard with a spirit-gathering array. The architectural style is simple and natural, with a small garden and fish pond with circulating water in the yard, making the environment quite pleasant.

The term "settling in" just meant everyone was going about their own business. For instance, the mercenary leader Shuma, dubbed as "inexperienced" by some, was wandering around the cave. The diligent duo Shuma and Liecho were busy with their tasks. Shuma, with a pile of intelligence gathered from various sources on his leg, was focused on that, while Liecho was examining Princess Tiran's report seeking ways to restore her to Holy Rank.

--- But the Dark Knights had never focused much on the Eastern lands across the ocean, so expecting to have the same level of visibility as in Milania where every threat was instantly known was unrealistic. Being a good guide without feeling completely lost was already quite a feat.

--- Liecho's progress was almost non-existent. She had gone through the Princess's examination reports dozens of times, and both her physical condition and Chi energy flow were normal. The fact that Tiran could match Zilan in combat was already a good sign.

Unfortunately, when it came to mastering the rules, Liecho was powerless. It was indeed challenging for her to understand Holy Rank matters as a great Magic user.

"Your Highness? You seem lost in thought."

Finding the kitchen and bringing in some snacks and red tea with honey and milk promptly was basic maid etiquette even in unfamiliar places. With this belief, Mimi brought tea and biscuits for Chirp, while turning her gaze towards Tiran with concern.

"Well... maybe a little."

Tiran picked up a cup of red tea from the tray brought by Mimi, added milk, and watched as the white milk mixed with the deep red tea gradually turned into a light brown color.

Was the victory in the previous battle really a defeat?

He had only cornered Zilan by freezing her with unlimited Chi—of course, Tiran didn't find this tactic despicable, as it was his skill. However, Zilan's final strike had shattered all his plans. If it wasn't a mere sparring on the arena and a real fight, he would have lost under that one blow.

The subsequent surrender due to exhaustion was solely a result of the rules, which didn't make Tiran happy at all.

After all, the technique of "One Sword Shattering Ten Thousand Styles," which he had liked in the past, now felt like a burden, leaving Tiran feeling uneasy.

When will the rules be restored, he wondered once again. The Princess sighed not just due to the defeat felt in the battle, but also due to the impending crisis in the East Land.

Leaving aside the threats he might face helping Lord Xiangling seize the throne in the Western Empire Chu, without Holy Rank strength, he wouldn't be able to rescue Aya even if he encountered Yuan on the Eastern continent.

Thinking of Yuan made things even more troublesome. That troublemaker... Tiran wondered what kind of trouble he intended to stir up in the East Land.

With a suddenly weary expression, Tiran sipped his milk tea and let out a tired sigh, feeling as if he were facing a mid-life crisis.

"Your Highness, even when you frown, you look adorable." Although Mimi had seen Tiran make this sulky expression many times before, she couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Do you take me for Aya? Flirting won't work on me with that kind of talk."

"But Your Highness, your complexion doesn't seem to be quite like that," Mimi retorted.

"Tch."

At that moment, there was a rhythmic knock on the door of the underground palace, and Mò Yì and Zhǐ Lán arrived as planned. "You guys are quick," Tiran said, taking the opportunity to escape the teasing in the living room by sprinting out to the courtyard to welcome the two. However, he noticed something amiss in Mò Yì's expression.

Something was off with that face─it reminded her of the time Aya was teased...and of her own behavior earlier? Combining Mò Yì's occasional furtive glances towards Zhǐ Lán with something elusive in his eyes, Tiran gave a meaningful smile. "Say, did you two just [Beep]?"

"Of course not!" It was rare to see the usually suave youth react so excitedly. The more Tiran observed, the more intriguing it became. "Um, what does [Beep] mean?" Zhǐ Lán asked after listening to their conversation.

"...Hey, what's up with your senior sister's common sense? Didn't she even realize when she was [Beep] by you?" Tiran stared at Zhǐ Lán, who seemed puzzled, then turned to Mò Yì and whispered.

"Senior sister has always been the direct disciple of our Honorable Principal, and apart from sword training, she hasn't had much exposure to other matters. She's very innocent about these things...Wait, I already said I didn't [Beep] with senior sister!"

"You seem in quite a rush to explain." Tiran rubbed his chin, nudged Mò Yì with his shoulder, and continued, "So, what were you doing just now? Don't try to tell me nothing happened."

"..."

How should he put it? Nothing really happened! Isn't it normal for a junior brother to help his tired senior sister wash up? Mò Yì wanted to say it loudly, to get the courage to say so, but he knew he would definitely be seen as a total pervert.

Recalling the moment in the bathroom when Senior Sister unabashedly asked for help to remove her clothes, Mò Yì felt his nose heat up. Her clothes were all made with fine silk from the Heavenly Silkworm, light and smooth to the touch, so they came off very easily. The intertwining feel of silk and the girl's delicate skin almost made Mò Yì lose control.

Just when Mò Yì was about to leave, Senior Sister spoke again. "Mò Yì, massage my back for me." The girl's tone was lazy as she lay on the smooth stone platform next to the bath, her well-toned body fully exposed to Mò Yì's eyes.

Water droplets from the bath trickled down her back, mischievously sliding off the sides, and the position she lay in compressed her ample chest, causing the droplets to pause before continuing to drip onto the stone surface. Honestly, if it had been any other woman speaking to him this way in such a scenario, Mò Yì would have thought she was trying to seduce him. But with Senior Sister...

She truly just wanted him to help with massages.

That was the most dangerous part of the situation. She had an undeniably seductive figure, yet her innocence in areas outside of sword practice was childlike. It truly tested Mò Yì's willpower. "You can't act like a beast, Mò Yì..."

Telling himself in his heart, trembling with his head held high as he reached out to the unguarded back of his senior sister, Ink's heart was in turmoil.

"Cool…"

The moment his fingers touched her skin, Zhi Lan let out a short exclamation.

"Sorry about that!"

Ink was on the verge of tears, but there was no turning back now. He quickly focused his attention on the massage, starting to move his hands up and down on his senior sister's back.

Luckily, as he kneaded, Ink's attention gradually shifted to other aspects, such as the reason for the sore muscles in his senior sister.

As a top swordsman, the demands on the body were equally high. Although the intensity of the battle with Tiran was high, it shouldn't have caused muscle soreness, which normally only occurred in ordinary people and low-level body refiners, to appear on his senior sister, right?

"Is it because of the final strike?"

Although there was still a distance to the top in mechanism techniques, Ink had long understood the concept of rules. The tremendous power of his senior sister's final blow naturally made him think of the content in this aspect.

"My insights during my previous seclusion," Zhi Lan said in a muffled voice, "It should be a rule similar to 'shatter' and 'destroy', but my abilities are not sufficient to use it well, so I can only unleash one strike, and the burden on my body is also great."

"But it's already very impressive, Senior Sister. You are the first among our peers to approach the level of an Earth Immortal." Ink moved his hand while sincerely admiring.

Yes, these rules were indeed powerful things, wondering if there will be a day he'll comprehend them himself.

"That's enough."

About five minutes later, Zhi Lan suddenly propped her body up with her hands on the stone platform, turned over and landed, then moved her arms a bit: "Hmm, I can move normally now."

"W-wait, Senior Sister, your clothes... at least wrap yourself in a towel!"

...

"So, you're a gentleman too?"

Tiran covered her mouth lightly, pretending to be surprised.

"...Not at all!" Although Ink didn't quite understand some Western terms, from Tiran's tone and expression, he could infer that this was definitely not a good word!

"Ink? What are you guys talking about?"

Seeing the two people's various changes in expressions and movements while talking about things she couldn't understand, Zhi Lan, who usually maintained an expressionless face, showed a hint of confusion.

Senior Sister, this really can't be explained to you.

Ink was also helpless, unable to let his senior sister be tainted! Let her continue to remain as innocent as a child!

Cut it out! You're just worried that once your senior sister learns this, you won't have the chance to experience this perk yourself! Tiran said with a fierce look in her eyes.

Giving a beauty a bath massage... Speaking of which, Mimi always seems to want to do the same to me... Ahem!

"Compared to those, the rule of 'shatter'? Seems quite powerful, indeed feeling like one sword can destroy myriad laws."

Recalling Zhi Lan's previous might with just one sword, Tiran couldn't help but feel a bit envious. When she had mastered the rules before, she hadn't explored a rule of her own yet, which was exactly the same as Yuan.

But shattering, shouldn't it be more suitable for weapons like big hammers or axes? As she imagined a scene where the sword immortal stepped on not flying swords but meteor hammers, Tiran felt the imagery was too beautiful to continue thinking about it, completely losing the ethereal and elegant feeling.

"Let's get back on track, Prince Tiran."

Ink, caught off guard by Tiran at the door, organized his thoughts, "The next destination has been decided. The place we are going to next is—Yanmen Pass."