The two siblings strolled through the unfamiliar jade palace grounds, their feet slightly sinking into the mushy ground.
There were several gazebos scattered around, all housing multiple people who were either joyfully playing inside them or simply relaxing.
Water streamed between each gazebo in quiet garden streams, flowing around the plants and exiting through the barrier behind them.
Still, Xuan and Yuelan continued moving along as they finally reached the jade palace.
People sat on the staircase, some shooting glances at the two of them, but for the most part, no one seemed interested enough to bother them.
But there was a group of people whose gazes lingered a bit more than normal.
Xuan subtly tilted his head in their direction and spotted the woman from before, gossiping all sorts of rumors about them.
"Heh... so those two are the ones you were talking about? They seem pretty scrawny."
"Tsk... I know. If I wasn't injured because of idiot Yuan, then I would've dealt with them personally, humph."
"Yena, don't worry. We'll have a word with them once they leave the safe zone. I promise that to you as your senior brother."
"Mmm..." Yuelan hummed. "Looks like they really hate us now, don't they?"
"Seems like it," Xuan replied flatly as they walked up the steps.
But when they were midway through, he slowed his pace, his voice falling to a whisper.
"Yuelan... if it comes down to it, are you prepared to kill them?"
She stopped, her eyes narrowing. "Brother... I..."
"You don't have to answer now, Yuelan," Xuan assured her with a soft smile, patting her head. "But when the time comes, which it will, I hope you'll be ready."
She stared at him for a moment longer, then slowly nodded.
With that, they continued climbing until eventually, they reached the very top of the jade palace's stairs.
There were green pillars made entirely of polished jade, smooth and cool to the touch. Vines had started to creep up along their bases, adding a natural contrast to the clean stone.
Ahead stood the palace itself, its walls giving off a faint green sheen as it reflected the light above.
The structure itself wasn't too grand, but its ancient appearance sparked awe inside Xuan's mind.
And the same was true for Yuelan, who stared at it with sparkling eyes.
But once they looked further ahead, frowns appeared on their faces, breaking the immersion they had felt moments prior.
The doors were slammed open, broken, revealing a giant open interior lined with several cracked pillars.
There was no furniture aside from a single chair in the center of the room, on which a lone man sat.
He had four women on his lap and a couple more lying beneath his feet.
Clearly, whoever this person was, he was in charge of how things were run in this place.
Xuan spotted a few people dressed in servant attire off to the sides, each one with visible "X"-mark-looking scars.
Even so, the two stepped forward and slowly approached the lecherous man, who, upon noticing them, pushed aside the woman and stood up, extending his hands outward.
"Heya. It's nice to have new people coming in now and again," the man said with a chuckle. "How can I help? Or rather... were you not told the rules?"
Xuan tilted his head. "Rules?"
The man clicked his tongue. "I see... it seems like my underlings didn't speak to you then. Very well, I shall personally explain how I run things in this safe zone."
He flicked his fingers, making the nearby attendants rush up to his seat and bring it over to him.
The man sat down with a wide grin, then glanced between Xuan and Yuelan, his gaze staying longer on Yuelan.
"Siblings?"
Xuan nodded.
"How lovely... not many get the luxury of having a family member around," the man said as he leaned back. "The rules are simple... Don't fight inside the safe zone, and don't mess with the elderly or children."
The man raised a finger, his gaze filling with lust. "However... it's strongly recommended that new guests provide a tribute..."
He glanced at Yuelan. "Preferably, a woman. So what do you say? Do you wish to elevate your status inside my jade palace? I'm sure your sister wouldn't mind a bit of fun in these sad times, right?"
Xuan remained silent, his rage boiling and about to burst.
But before it could, Yuelan stepped up, unsheathing her sword.
A soft, metallic hum rang out throughout the jade palace's interior as Yuelan's fierce gaze landed on the man.
"Brother... I'm going to turn this man into a eunuch. Any objections?" she asked coldly.
"None from me. Have at it," Xuan replied, the tension slightly fading away.
Still, Xuan's Enhanced Senses skill picked up an ominous energy from the man.
Was he dangerous? It seemed like it.
But Xuan trusted his sister, so he took a step back and watched the show unfold.
"Hahahaha..." The man let out a hearty laugh, his bare chest showing. "I, Cheng Kai, will show you why I became the leader of this jade palace!"
With those words, he kicked off the ground, shattering it.
His speed was formidable, and a light blue energy surrounded the fist that headed straight for Yuelan's head.
Just as it was about to reach her, she dragged her blade across its scabbard, sending a spark straight into the man's eyes.
Cheng Kai was momentarily blinded by the spark, making his fist narrowly miss her.
Yuelan gracefully stepped inward into the man's range, startling him.
As he threw another fist toward her, she leaned back, then swiftly slashed her sword upward, cutting both of his hands off in an instant.
"AAAAAAAH! You bitch!" Kai yelled as he tried to slam his head straight into Yuelan's.
Before he could, Yuelan slowly drew her sword in an arc.
At first, nothing seemed to happen, then all of a sudden, the man stopped.
An extremely thin blue line appeared on his neck, and a few moments later, the man's head fell clean off.
Xuan stared at the sight speechlessly, then coughed.
"Didn't you say you were going to turn him into a eunuch?" he asked.
Yuelan flinched, glancing at the man, then back at Xuan.
"...I missed."