The next day at dawn, by the time the first streak of white appeared in the sky, a sizable group had gathered at Anti-Upheaval’s base.
“Brother Ye is here.” Ye Zichen, clad in long black robes, came into view.
Ye Zichen looked at the others. They were all people he knew: Luo Zi, Li Hu, Xue Mo, and Chen Guangfa. All of them belonged to Anti-Upheaval.
“Society Head, how much longer will the others you invited take to get here?” Li Hu was running out of patience. He was the first to arrive, and had already waited almost two hours. Given his temperament, it was only natural that he couldn’t help but complain.
“They’re coming.” A group appeared in the distance and walked towards them. They were still far away, but it looked like two men and three women. However, it was so early that the ground was still shrouded in mist, so it was hard to say for sure.
Before long, the group drew closer. Despite himself, Li Hu’s eyes widened. “No way! Aren’t those the leaders of the Appearance Association and the Aspiration Society?”
When Ye Zichen heard that, he started as well. The Appearance Association was formed entirely of women, and had over a million members, practically half of Skyspan Academy’s female students.
Their leader, Murong Xue, was a ninth-stage sky supreme expert. People called her “Queen Murong.”
They were ranked fourth amongst the top-class student societies.
As for the Aspiration Society, they were third amongst the great societies. Their leader, Jiang Yong, was also a ninth-stage sky supreme. Some people even said that he was now a half-stage diviner. Based on the academy’s comprehensive evaluation of his strength, he was ranked third on the student leaderboards. He was second only to the elusive, mysterious Sword Immortal Jian Wei and the leader of the Grizzly Bear Society, Pang Zheng.
With two such monsters present, Li Hu and the others felt like they had this mission in the bag!
“Momo Baby!” Murong Xue suddenly broke into a run and pulled her into a bear hug.
“Let me see…. Have you gotten any bigger recently? With that, she reached for Xue Mo’s chest.
“Get off of me!” Xue Mo pushed that lady hooligan Murong Xue away and said disdainfully, “I told you to get here early! Do you know how long we’ve been waiting?”
“Women are troublesome like that. Momo Baby, you ought to understand me by now!” Murong Xue smiled coquettishly, then pointed to the beautiful women behind her. “Look! I brought two of our Appearance Association’s Great Beauties with me!”
The Appearance Associate had four Great Beauties, divided into two groups: “Entrancing Even Birds and Beasts” and “Outshining the Moon and Putting the Flowers to Shame.”
These two beauties were a pair of tin sisters. The older was called Dai Xiaoyu, while the younger was Dai Xiaoyan. Together, they made up “Entrancing Even Birds and Beasts.”
They were also two of the pillars of the Appearance Association, as they were both mighty eight-stage sky supremes.
Furthermore, since they were twins, their hearts were linked. When they joined forces, they could defeat even ninth-stage sky supremes; they’d done it before.
“That’s right. On our way here, we ran into Jiang Yong and the others,” said Murong Xue somewhat disdainfully. “I didn’t want to arrive with them, but they insisted. They really dragged our Appearance Association’s image through the mud!”
“Association Head Murong, am I really that unbearable?” Jiang Yong was a burly, bearded man. He was forthright and righteous. However, in terms of aesthetics, it was just as Murong Xue said; he dramatically reduced the average attractiveness of the group.
“What do you think? You look like a potato.” Murong Xue crossed her arms and snorted.
“Society Head Xue, please give your verdict. Am I really that ugly?” Jiang Yong didn’t seem quite convinced.
Xue Mo kept silent, but the way her lower jaw quivered was answer enough.
“I can’t go on this mission anymore.” Jiang Yong indignantly swished his sleeves and made off as if to leave.
“Get back here!” To everyone’s surprise, Murong Xue snorted, “You’re quitting after just a couple comments? How gutless!”
“There’s something going on between them.” Li Hu and Luo Zi gossiped from the sidelines, but Ye Zichen agreed. It seemed like there really was something a bit strange between them.
Jiang Yong was too irritated to speak, but eventually, he helplessly shook his head and said to Xue Mo, “Xue Head Mo, don’t say I don’t care about your mission. Queen Murong brought along two golden flowers, but I brought our God of War.”
With that, a comparably likable-looking youth, Pan Sheng, stepped forth. “Society Head Xue.”
Without saying another word, he returned to Jiang Yong’s side. This was just his nature; he’d always been a man of few words. However, the jade flute at his waste had once played the Song of Departing Souls, which not even a hundred thousand supremes could overcome.
“I, Xue Mo, am deeply grateful that you’ve gathered today to assist our Anti-Upheaval Society with his mission.” Xue Mo looked over the group and cupped her fists. “I’m sure everyone is already familiar with our mission, so I won’t waste time with extraneous emotions.”
“Yup, we all already know. It’s a sky supreme mission! But Momo Baby, I have to say, you work awfully fast! Our Appearance Association wanted to accept this mission too, but you snatched it right up!” said Murong Xue helplessly.
“Murong Xue, can you please just talk like a normal person?” Xue Mo sneered.
“Momo baby, how could you say that? I’m hurt!” Murong Xue put her head in her hands as if deeply aggrieved.
“I suddenly regret inviting the Appearance Association to join us. Is it too late to kick them out? I’ll contact another student association and have them come over instead,” said Xue Mo.
“Senior Apprentice Sister, think carefully!” Chen Guangfa hurriedly urged her to reconsider.
Murong Xue saw that Xue Mo really didn’t like this sort of thing, so she stopped acting out. She crossed her arms, and her eyes flashed. A moment ago, she was as sticky and sweet as glutinous rice. But now, she’d shed her cutesy demeanor. Now, she was as regal as a queen whose every word could decide the fates of tens of thousands of her subjects.
“Momo, if you don’t like that sort of thing, I’ll just stop. But I am rather curious. This is a sky supreme level mission, so why is this handsome guy here?”
They’d called him out.
Murong Xue looked directly at Ye Zichen. Jiang Yong and the others looked over too, and when they saw him, they couldn’t help but smile.
“So, Brother Ye, you’re here too! Brother Ye, your name has reverberated through my ears like thunder as of late. You sniped a full fifth of that scoundrel Pang Zheng’s manpower! You did absolutely wonderfully! However, it looks like you’re not a sky supreme yet…”
Ye Zichen stayed silent. “….”
“I invited him. What of it?” When she realized that Murong Xue and Jiang Yong seemed to have a bone to pick with Ye Zichen, Xue Mo put her hands on her hips and snorted, “This is my Anti-Upheaval’s mission. I can invite however I want! Ye Zichen isn’t a sky supreme yet, but so what? I want him to come anyway!”
“Look, look! You’re getting flustered!” Murong Xue chuckled. “I’ve known you for so long, yet this is the first time I’ve seen you blushing over a man. It looks like my dear little sister’s ‘springtime’ is here! Your big sister is delighted on your behalf!”
