Naked Sword Art

"Did you miss me, little sister?"

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.

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Just like everyone in the White Jade guild, the Lai family sect was a subsidiary family sect to the Gao, so although Lai Yun couldn't get accepted into the White Jade guild, they still knew who she was, and assumed her to be their ally. However, seeing the 'Nameless' guild nameplate tied around her waist, their faces immediately began to sour.

…

"No way. First Yan Mei, now Lai Yun. Why are they joining that guild over ours?"

"Could there be something special about that guild?"

"Don't be foolish. Have you ever even heard of the Nameless Guild before? Lai Yun was just desperate because she's nearly old enough to become an Elder. She wouldn't be able to join our guild even if she wanted to."

…

The girls began to talk amongst themselves.

They had earlier assumed that the Nameless guild was just a new minor guild because nobody had ever heard of it, but seeing that there were already 3 Phoenix-Class disciples in it, they knew it couldn't have been ordinary.

"So you've given up on joining the White Jade guild. I knew you were pathetic, but I didn't think you would stoop so low as to join a no-name guild. Talk about no-name, the guild you joined is literally called Nameless. Pfft, hahahaha," Lai Zi, as well as many of the girls there began to laugh.

Although Lai Zi was Lai Yun's younger sister, it was her life mission to one-up her at everything she did. Lai Zi was several years younger than Lai Yun but already stronger than her. Unfortunately for Lai Yun, she wasn't very skillful with the whip like her little sister was, so all her accomplishments were overshadowed by her.

"Who said I gave up? I'm merely helping Chen Li gather intel on the man you just met," Lai Yun kept didn't lower her head to her little sister despite her attempt to embarrass her,

"You? Spying for Chen Li? Hahaha, don't make me laugh. I hate to break it to you, but you couldn't spy on a mortal child even if your life depended on it. If that's how you plan to get recruited into the White Jade guild, then just give up now."

"Oh? Why should I give up now after gathering so much valuable intel?" Lai Yun replied.

"What intel?" Lai Zi asked, but all the other girls were curious as well.

Picking up a handful of robes from the ground, Lai Yun said,

"20 White Jade guild members, under the leadership of Lai Zi, was single handedly defeated by a blindfolded man. To be defeated in such a matter, perhaps the guild isn't as special as people think it is."

"You bitch!" Lai Zi shouted angrily.

"He's quite crafty with a sword, don't you think?" Lai Yun smiled mockingly.

"Don't even think about blackmailing the White Jade guild, they will come for your head," Lai Zi threatened.

"Mine, or yours?" Lai Yun squinted connivingly.

This was Lai Zi's operation after all. If her embarrassing defeat was exposed to the public, then it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Lai Zi would get kicked out of the White Jade guild.

"Mother will never forgive you for this," Lai Zi stepped up and whispered into her ear.

"If it means humbling a disrespectful bitch like you, it'll be worth it," Lai Yun whispered back.

Seeing Lai Zi's tightly clenching fist and the deep frown on her face, Lai Yun couldn't stop smiling at the sight of it. She was rarely able to make her arrogant little sister this mad, so she was enjoying every second of it.

However, in the next moment, Lai Zi materialized a golden whip in her hand and had a dangerous look in her eyes, but at the same time Lai Yun jumped back making some distance between them. However, despite being completely surrounded, Lai Yun didn't seem panicked at all.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Don't look now, but that man is coming back," Lai Yun pointing up at the dirt road.

Seeing a silhouette standing in the distance, the girls screamed as they all went back into hiding. Lai Zi, on the other hand, quickly covered herself with the cut up robes left on the ground. Turning in the direction Lai Yun was pointing at, she saw a figure standing there, but it seemed a little strange.

Squinting at the figure in the distance, Lai Zi eventually realized the figure wasn't Xiao Fang but her older sister, Lai Yun. If Lai Yun was there, then the person she was talking to must've been a clone.

Infuriated by this discovery, Lai Zi swung her whip around to destroy Lai Yun's clone, but before she could, the clone suddenly attacked her from behind.

"Ahhh!" Lai Zi screamed as she was blasted away.

The clone's spirit attack was so powerful it destroyed its own hand, triggering the dematerializing process.

"It seems I hit you a bit too hard there. Forgive me sis," Lai Yun's clone smirked condescendingly as it faded back into a mist of illusory Qi.

Driven insane by her older sister's taunts, Lai Zi quickly got up from the ground then gave chase.

"Come back here! I'm gonna peel that ugly face off your fucking head!" Lai Zi screamed.

However, not long after she started chasing Lai Yun, she could eventually see Xiao Fang walking with Yan Mei in the distance. Since she was still completely naked, Lai Zi stopped running after Lai Yun then hid.

Although they were quite a distance away, Xiao Fang could still hear the conversation Lai Yun was having with Lai Zi, and he was quite amused by it. 

"Fang, wait up," Lai Yun said as she was running to him.

Yan Mei was still holding Xiao Fang's arm as they walked, but she turned around as soon as she heard Lai Yun's voice. Xiao Fang, on the other hand, didn't stop walking or even turn around no matter how many times she called for him.

Lai Yun eventually latched onto his free arm with a bright smile on his face, but Xiao Fang didn't push her away.

"So you decided to join us after all," Xiao Fang smirked.

Lai Yun smiled playfully, but paused when she noticed all the spatial pouches tied around his waist and hanging over his shoulder.

"Hey, isn't that…"

Yan Mei elegantly covered her lips with her sleeve as she silently laughed, Xiao Fang on the other hand didn't bother hiding the smirk on his face.

"Spoils of war," Yan Mei eventually replied.

"War?" Lai Yun echoed her words in confusion, "Are you seriously trying to start a war with the White Jade guild?"

"The war has already begun. They just don't know it yet," Xiao Fang replied. 

…

[ The strong always governs the weak. It's how they expand and maintain their influence. If you have no foundation but wish to live by your own rules, sooner or later you'll have to fight for it. ]

Growing up in a war ridden province, war tactics was all Xiao Fang ever knew. He couldn't imagine tension with the White Jade guild getting any better, so he used this opportunity to give himself some leverage in case things escalated.

…

As they were walking, Yan Mei helped Xiao Fang empty out all of the girl's merit points, spirit pills, and spirit pendants. The combined wealth in all of their spatial patches totaled over 325,000 merit points, 150 High–Grade spirit pills, and 33 Medium–Grade spirit pendants, the sight of which made both Yan Mei and Lai Yun's eyes sparkle with envy.

As excited as they were, Xiao Fang didn't think much about it. There was only one thing he was interested in, but it didn't take him long to find it. As Xiao Fang was taking it out from all of the spatial pouches, Yan Mei and Lai Yun started having mixed feelings when they noticed what it was.

"That's..."

Now holding over 20 similar looking scrolls in his hands, he took his blindfold off to read it. A satisfied smirk finally appeared on his face as he said,

"Jackpot."