Chapter 24: Junior Brother, Relax, I Can't Breathe

As the flying sword slowly lifted off the ground, Lin Fengmian couldn't help but feel extremely tense.

Xia Yunxi, on the other hand, kept her eyes on him, whispering, "You can do it!"

Lin Fengmian nodded slightly with his eyes half-closed. Led by Liu Mei, the group of ten flew out of the Hehuan Sect.

Once they gained altitude, Lin Fengmian instinctively tightened his grip around Chen Qingyan's slender waist.

As they neared the mountain gate, although terrified, he forced himself to open his eyes.

He saw Liu Mei and the others produce a token, and then the barrier in the sky seemed to shift, allowing them to fly out.

The scenery around them changed dramatically, and they found themselves in a vast stretch of mountains. The Hehuan Sect was no longer in sight.

"We're finally out of the Hehuan Sect!" Lin Fengmian thought with relief.

"What's going on? The sect disappeared?" Xie Gui exclaimed in shock.

"It's the sect's protective formation, which conceals its location," Wang Yanran explained.

The group nodded in understanding, while Liu Mei laughed, "Alright, let's not waste any more time. We still have a journey ahead!"

Everyone agreed, quickening their pace as they flew in a specific direction.

After flying for a while, Chen Qingyan began to feel that Lin Fengmian's tight grip was suffocating her.

"Junior Brother, try opening your eyes and looking around. It's not as bad as you think! Come on, loosen up!"

She gently pried his fingers away and encouraged him to take in the surroundings.

However, as soon as she loosened his grip, Lin Fengmian panicked and tightened his hold on her even more, nearly strangling her.

Chen Qingyan felt as though she could barely breathe, wondering if she had gained weight recently and needed to go on a diet.

"Junior Brother, relax a bit. Don't hold me so tight—I can't breathe!"

Lin Fengmian, trembling, briefly opened his eyes before quickly shutting them again. "Senior Sister, I'm scared!" he muttered.

The others watched as Lin Fengmian clung desperately to Chen Qingyan, feeling a pang of jealousy. They wished they could have faked a fear of heights too.

Liu Mei couldn't help but giggle, "Junior Sister Qingyan, if people see this, how will we recruit new disciples?"

Chen Qingyan remained calm, "I'll have him flying on his own before we arrive!"

She turned to Lin Fengmian and said, "Junior Brother, the way to overcome fear is to face it directly!"

Before Lin Fengmian could understand her meaning, Chen Qingyan violently pried his hands off her, tossing him down from the sky.

As he plummeted toward the ground, Lin Fengmian screamed in terror.

Xia Yunxi, witnessing this, turned pale with fear, nearly falling herself.

Just as Lin Fengmian was about to hit the ground, Chen Qingyan swooped down, catching him and soaring back up into the sky.

Lin Fengmian clung to her tightly, not caring anymore about where his hands were.

"Where are you grabbing?" Chen Qingyan's face flushed as she quickly pried his hand away, dragging him higher into the sky.

Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she threw him down again. This time, there seemed to be a hint of frustration in her actions.

"Looks fun! Let me try!" Liu Mei said excitedly. She rushed in before Chen Qingyan could act, catching Lin Fengmian herself.

She flew higher and higher before tossing him again, laughing, "Junior Brother Fengmian, here you go!"

This process repeated several times, with Lin Fengmian's screams echoing nonstop.

Xie Gui and the other junior disciples had long lost any desire to be in Lin Fengmian's position. Now, they just wanted to stay far away from the two senior sisters.

Demons!

After being tossed one last time by Liu Mei, Lin Fengmian nearly crashed into the ground before she caught him again.

Terrified, he gritted his teeth, "Liu Mei, I won't forget this!"

There was no way he could believe that Liu Mei's actions were purely out of fun. There had to be some personal grudge behind it.

Liu Mei, hearing this, laughed even more joyfully as she carried him to the highest point she could reach.

With a charming smile, she teased, "And what will you do about it?"

Lin Fengmian was nearly scared to death, trembling as he replied, "You better not fall into my hands, or I'll make sure you regret it!"

Liu Mei leaned in close to his ear and whispered with a grin, "Sure, I'll be waiting for you."

With another toss, Lin Fengmian plummeted once more. This time, however, he suddenly stopped screaming midway through the fall.

Liu Mei furrowed her brows. Had he overcome his fear? That wouldn't be fun at all.

When she caught him again, she realized his entire body had gone limp—he had fainted from fright.

Liu Mei chuckled, "Coward!"

She was about to wake him up for more fun, but Chen Qingyan stopped her.

Liu Mei glanced at her and asked, "You really like this kid, huh?"

"More like you're the one interested in him," Chen Qingyan retorted meaningfully.

"You!"

Liu Mei huffed in annoyance, but since Chen Qingyan had already taken Lin Fengmian down to rest, she had no choice but to let the group land and recover their strength.

The junior disciples, who weren't very powerful yet, were clearly exhausted from flying for so long, and they all began meditating to recover.

Lin Fengmian eventually woke up to find himself lying next to Chen Qingyan's cold, expressionless face and Xia Yunxi's anxious one.

"Senior Brother, are you okay?" Xia Yunxi asked nervously.

"I'm fine," Lin Fengmian replied, though his smile looked more like a grimace.

"You're awake?" Chen Qingyan said coldly.

Lin Fengmian sat up with a bitter smile, "Sorry for holding everyone back and making a fool of myself."

At least he hadn't wet his pants; that would have been truly embarrassing.

Chen Qingyan shook her head. "It's fine. It's no big deal. You should rest and try to overcome your fear soon."

"Senior Sister, I feel like if I keep this up, I might actually get used to it," Lin Fengmian said, half-jokingly.

He had to admit, though the method was harsh, he was starting to get a little used to the sensation. At least he wasn't as scared as before.

"That's good. The more you fly, the quicker you'll adjust," Chen Qingyan said calmly.

"Senior Sister, why are you helping me?" Lin Fengmian asked curiously.

Chen Qingyan glanced at him and said, "Don't overthink it. You just remind me of myself, so I'm giving you a little extra care."

"Like you? Were you afraid of heights too?" Lin Fengmian asked, surprised.

Chen Qingyan nodded. Lin Fengmian, intrigued, asked, "So how did you get over it?"

"By jumping off cliffs a few times. After breaking a few bones, I got used to it. You're lucky, though. I nearly died a few times," Chen Qingyan said nonchalantly.

Both Lin Fengmian and Xia Yunxi gulped in awe and admiration, realizing Chen Qingyan was not one to be messed with.

Once everyone had recovered enough, the group, led by Liu Mei, resumed their flight.

Lin Fengmian was once again treated like a sandbag, except this time even Wang Yanran and Mo Ruyu joined in on the fun.

As they continued tossing Lin Fengmian around, his initial screams gradually turned into numb silence.

Seeing Xia Yunxi's mix of concern and curiosity, as though she too was tempted to join in, Lin Fengmian inwardly wailed.

"Junior Sister Xia, how could such an innocent child like you be corrupted by them?"