The moment they stepped inside, they were deluged by a thought called harem.

Meishan Yu Sect was one of the few sects who focused on female empowerment. All They could see were female cultivators, with their blade firm on their waist. Not only they were strong but also beautiful.It was as if lords were testing their hormones, they felt foreign even standing there.

Aside from the Harem, Meishan Yu sect was powerful because they had the treasure of knowledge. That was the sole reason why it could compete with 4 Major sects and also the reason why it was heavily guarded.  

Since Lan Jingyi belonged to a major sect, his entry was easily accepted and Zizhen being from the associated sect of Yunmeng was also allowed to come in. But the biggest problem was, how to enter the Toshokan?

Toshokan was the biggest library of the cultivation world and the reason of two gentlemen visiting the sect. Before Sunshot campaign, the Wens threaten Meishan Yu sect to hand over all the scriptures of Toshokan just like Library pavilion of Cloud Recesses. Luck was on their side that Nie Mingjue beheaded Wen Xu before they could reach Meishan Yu.

Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen  were in front of the Toshokan, trying to sneak in when they were caught by a cultivator, more specific a Female cultivator. They were in the crisis whether to feel threat or bliss. 

"You lowly excuses of males! How many did I catch today?"

Definitely threat.

The female cultivator took out a guqin pouch from her blossom and searched something out. Maybe it was a bliss.

Absolutely a threat when  the thing she took out was her blade pointing at the too.

"..Ahh.. Wait. ..we're here to...study!" Ouyang Zizhen blurted out in state of panic.

"Study?" Lan Jingyi asked and Ouyang Zizhen elbowed him.

"Ou.. yeah yeah .. We're here to study!" Lan Jingyi said rubbing the arm where he was hit.

"Study what?" The female cultivator asked. 

Lan  Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen looked  at each other hoping anyone would come with something.

"Ladies." "Food." the two said simultaneously, Just how the hell they came with something utterly out of the way.

"Aaa.. Ladies ...associated with food?"  Ouyang Zizhen tried to make sense.

"Isn't that sexual harassment? " Lan jingyi whispered to Ouyang Zizhen. 

"Jingyi!" ouyang zizhen silently screamed. where the hell is  your brain going? You can't blame him, he was given the first seat view of blossoms. 

"Very well." said the female cultivator and put back her sword.

They successfully escaped the first stage of harem. 

Everyone were aware that in Meishan Yu sect, the females were all cultivator and the things they did were limited to cultivation only. There had been food poisoning going around the sect and female cultivators had been put in charge to inspect the area. So  their request  was accepted because the female cultivator took their message as an aid of help. Harem god was on their side maybe.

She led them away from Toshokan to a place which looked like a temple. Temple was filled with female cultivators of course.

The sweat formed on  the their faces  looked like pearl of dew drops and the wet hair stuck on the nape of their neck with their body shape  was getting revealed in tight robes. But their perfect harem got destroyed seeing all the females holding dangerous weapons.

"You sit right here." The female cultivator gave them the front row seat to observe everything. Heaven.

"And if you make a move, I'll make sure you lose your heirs." 

The two chocked .Hell.

The two sat there with their spines absolutely straight. They would have enjoyed the scene before them if they weren't being glared at by the female cultivators. They were on the bridge between heaven and hell.

 "psst Zizhen."  Lan Jingyi whispered.

"What?" Ouyang Zizhen whispered back.

"How are we getting to the Toshokan?"

"I'm thinking."

"Take your time~"

Ouyang zizhen couldn't even slap him.

The female cultivator returned with with an elderly women, they assumed she was their leader. Female cultivator glared,

"The other guy is with you as well?"

Other guy? 

"We beg your pardon but its just the two of us." Ouyang zizhen said.

"Hmm I guess, he'll be executed." The female cultivator said taking out her blade.

The two gulped. 

"W-what my friend tried to say was that we're the only one here right now the other guy got separated from us." Lan Jingyi said immediately. Since when did he start thinking about things other than chicken wings? Ouyang Zizhen was taken aback but he smiled to himself at the good heart of a Lan. 

"Since you lied to us first time, I'll be sending you to the cellar along with your other friend." 

The two wished they had written their wills before. The elderly cultivator gestured her to step back and she spoke,

"My children, is it true that you're here to help us with Mianbao?" 

Great! If Yiling Laouzou were here, he would kill them if they took on another dangerous quest. They had to proceed with caution since the lords were testing them physically and emotionally.

"Yes!" Lan Jingyi said and Ouyang Zizhen internally slapped himself.

"Madam, we would like to aid however we can." Ouyang Zizhen had to support his passionate friend. Maybe his hormones were on the rise.

"We thank you, Young masters." The Head cultivator and the female cultivator bowed to them in gratitude. 

                                                                                         . . .

The direction they were lead looked like the cellar of the Meishan Yu sect. Had they been lied to?
"Zizhen, I think she's gonna sacrifice us to please the gods. " Lan Jingyi whispered to Ouyang zizhen.

"Now I understand why they bowed to us before." Ouyang Zizhen whispered back. They were ready to be sacrificed.

"That's your friend there, take him and lets go." The female cultivator said, pointing at the boy locked in the cellar. He was of same age as Zizhen. He was also shaken with fear of Harem. 

"you decided to save him, he's your headache." Ouyang Zizhen whispered, teasing Lan Jingyi.

"Hey there buddy, hahaha we finally found you. now come on lets go." Lan Jingyi was chummy in order to act the part.

"Who are you?" The prisoner said and the female cultivator glared at the two.

"Hahaha very funny, now come one lets go.." Lan Jingyi certainly didn't expect that.

"No seriously who are you?" The prisoner asked confused at the guy who suddenly was his friend.

The female cultivator grabbed Lan Jingyi with his collar and slammed him on the bars,

"Are you lying to me again?"

Lan Jingyi couldn't speak because of crisis he was having. Her round soft blossoms were squishing against Lan Jingyi's chest. 

Ouyang Zizhen secretly gave the prisoner a piece of paper. it said

Play along, or else they'll execute you.

The prisoner understood and he said,

"Yeah, are you lying to her?" 

Ouyang Zizhen internally hit his head on the bars. Idiots!

He should have been more precise but the female cultivator was already choking Lan Jingyi with her ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Ouyang Zizhen sent another paper,

Pay along with us! the female cultivator will execute you!

And that was how lan Jingyi  was given second chance in life by harem gods.

                                                                                      . . .

The female cultivator led them to the fields. Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen observed around and studied the poisoned fields , they even checked the fertilizer and the soil. Their new (forced) friend was called Fang Mengchen. He was standing alongside the field  with the female cultivator. 

"Are you guys thirsty?" Fang Mengchen asked holding the water bottles.

"We wouldn't be, if you were helping." Lan  Jingyi clearly annoyed muttered under his lips and Ouyang Zizhen heard it.

"He's injured, Jingyi." Ouyang Zizhen reasoned

The Young man Fang Mengchen  injured his hand trying to protect a cat. He claimed that he was trying to follow an injured cat to fix him up. But the cat got scared and got stuck in one of the binding nets. Those binding nets were set by Meishan Yu sect, since they assumed the corpses could be behind ruining their fields. And that was how Fang Mengchen got caught.

"But it would help if he at least come over here to give us water." Ouyang Zizhen threw away all his reasons when he say the young man was getting patched up by the beautiful female cultivator.

The water! that's right! it was too quiet even for a lake.

"Lady- I mean Madam, what is the name of this lake." Lan Jingyi asked.

"Xiang Lake." said the female cultivator. 

Xiang river goddess!

Ouyang Zizhen understood immediately and the 4 of them headed to the lake.

Just as he suspected, it was not the food it was the water they used on the field. The younger man named Fang Mengchen inspected the water and it turned out their hunch was right. There was a spirit residing in the lake water. 

The moment they confirmed that, they took out their binding nets and placed arrays and talismans. The lake was silent but the moment they placed their arrays, it became loud. The water was swirling forming whirlpools through out the lake.

"Why isn't the spirit dying?" Fang mengchen asked. 

"The spirit resembles the Gonggong." The female cultivator said after observing for too long. 

Gonggong was the sea serpent which brought chaos over the land by bringing flood. It was killed ages ago but if the river was contaminated the Xiang River goddesses would leave, while other spirits and water ghouls take over. 

"Does that mean we have to kill it like Zhurong?" Lan Jingyi asked  and the very next moment he  found himself getting tied to a boat. 

"Zizhen!!! Is this revenge for taking a bite out of your chicken wings when you weren't looking???" Lan Jingyi cried struggling to free himself from getting tied down.

"It was revenge for secretly reading my poetry but thanks for mentioning that, I didn't know." Ouyang Zizhen tied him with a rope.

" We need male virgin to kill the spirit." The female cultivator said. That would explain how easily they were allowed in the sect. They were more strict than that and any intruder without formal pass got executed on the spot.  They could have asked Jiang sect but Sect Leader Jiang was out on another hunt with Sect Leader Lan.

Male and a virgin.

"Aren't you asking too much?" Lan Jingyi said and Zizhen slapped him this time. He had been holding in for a while.

"Are you not a virgin Jingyi?" Ouyang Zizhen asked in satirical  tone.

"I'm attractive,  I'm afraid things might happen." Yiling Patriarch was a bad influence.

The sea serpent could only be killed if stabbed by its own scales. But it would never let anyone get closed to it. If it's a female or a male with scent of a partner  it would devour them and if it was a virgin male, it would ignore it. That was how Zhurong killed the Gonggong.

And that was exactly how Lan Jingyi was chosen a Virgin Sacrifice . 

"Zizhen!!! I don't want to go!!! I am still afraid of the spirits!!!" Lan Jingyi cried to be spared.

"Don't worry, You're attractive, the spirit wont harm you." Ouyang Zizhen pushed the small boat to sail.

"Are you sure about this?" Fang Mengchen asked hearing the loud cries of lan.

"Yeah, if his face didn't say stupid, I wouldn't have doubted him either." Ouyang Zizhen stated.

"You guys are close." Fang Mengchen chuckled.

"I've seen you somewhere but I can't recall where?" Ouyang Zizhen asked recalling his features.

"At the second Siege of burial mounds." 

It was a wrong decision to save him? If he was in the siege that meant, he was among the people who hate Yiling Patriarch. Did he lie about saving a cat? What's his real motive? Ouyang Zizhen was inquisiting mentally when the young man spoke.

"Do not worry, I don't hate Yiling Patriarch anymore."

Zizhen's eyes widened. He didn't want to reach to any safe conclusion yet.

"Or rather, I don't know if I should hate him." 

That was a question a lot of people and cultivators were asking themselves. Some still feared him while some were conflicted.  The silence could have filled them if it weren't for Lan Jingyi crying in the distance.

When the boat reached the center of the lake, Ouyang Zizhen, Fang Mengchen and female cultivator positioned themselves on respecting brinks of lake. The Lake was silent once again. 

Jingyi was to serve as a distraction while the other would take out the spirit.
After a while of silence, the ripples started forming on the lake and on Jingyi's face.

Then slowly the Spirit came out of the water. Staring right into Lan Jingyi.
Lan Jingyi was tied to the boat praying his last wishes.
The female Cultivator silently sent her blade behind the spirit to pluck out his scale.

The serpent leaned closer to jingyi and bit him!

It was not suppose to happen but it was the reaction of his scale getting plucked. Ouyang Zizhen and Feng Mangchen  unsheathed their own swords to distract the spirit away from Lan Jingyi. The spirit was angered.

Lan Jingyi winced in pain at getting bitten but the spirit was causing huge waves in the lake making his boat dangle. The female Cultivator got the scale  and fixed it with her blade making a weapon to kill the serpent.

The serpent was furiously diving in and out of the lake when blades were poking his scales.The waves were big enough that they rolled over Lan Jingyi's boat and made it sink.

"Jinygyi!!" Ouyang Zizhen dived into the lake without thinking  much of the circumstances.

The Feng Mangchen launched his blade again leading the serpent away from two while Female cultivator was trying to stab the serpents heart.

Lan Jingyi was tied to the sinking boat, he was struggling to free him self and  his blood in the lake only lead the serpent towards him. 
When Lan Jingyi managed to free himself, he unsheathed  his blade and hit the bare skin between the leg joints but he (LGY) had been in water for long and ran out of breath thus fainted.
Ouyang Zizhen swam towards him but he (LGY) was being pushed into the whirlpool. Ouyang Zizhen unsheathed his sword and stabbed the other leg joint. Serpent was injured and dived out of the water. Zizhen  grabbed the end of the his lose Ribbon and pulled him (LGY) towards himself.

He carried Jingyi out of the lake.

Now that serpent was fully exposed and injured Fang Mangchen and female cultivator manage to stab him with his own scale.

"Jingyi?" Ouyang zizhen dragged the fainted lan out of the lake, he pushed him to move

"Jingyi wake up!" 

Lan Jingyi's arm was swollen from where he was bitten. Ouyang zizhen tied his lan ribbon around his arm to prevent the blood circulation.

Ouyang zizhen then placed the wet clay with the herbs from Ghost general on  Lan Jingyi's swollen arm. The Cassia herb sucked out the venom enough to be out of critical state. 

(Of course it doesn't work that way so don't try it out)

" Zi..zhen.. " Lan Jingyi coughed out some water.

Ouyang Zizhen shoved the Ghost General medicine into his (LGY) mouth the moment he gained consciousness. After having the bitter taste of exclusion mixed with lake water, Lan Jingyi finally got up.

"Jingyi!" Ouyang Zizhen didn't even let him sit properly when he squeezed him.

"Ou..are you trying to kill me?" Jingyi fought back but seeing how Zizhen was trembling he didn't say anything further.

 He saw his precious lan ribbon. Being wrapped around his arm and free end held by Ouyang Zizhen. Gasp.

The female  cultivator and Fang Mangchen sighed of relief.

Zizhen let go of him and slapped him

"Ouch what was that for?"

"I'm sorry." Zizhen muttered, he was scared out of his wits. 

None of them anticipated the serpent to bite him. After all Gonggong was defeated the same way with virgin as a distraction. Why would Gonggong bit him?

" Just before you start doubting me, I am a virgin."  Lan Jingyi humphed and they all laughed. 

A crisis was averted.

                         • • •

Female cultivator led them inside and gave them new sets of robe to change into to. 

"What about the Serpent Scale? " Lan Jingyi asked drying himself.

"It will probably stay with Meishan Yu sect." Ouyang Zizhen said, changing into new set or robes.

The shell or scales of Spiritual beings had been used for generation to make blades or other such things. It was a priced possession. Since the serpent died and drowned in the lake. The Xiang River goddesses would cleanse it and make the lake rich again.

"Are you going to wear your wet Ribbon?" Ouyang Zizhen asked

 Jingyi recalled how his precious ribbon was touched by the person...

Heat rose to his face.

"You are aware of meaning behind a lan ribbon?" Lan Jingyi nervously asked.

"I am." 

"Thank you for saving me back there." Awkward silence was suffocating for Fang Mangchen who was third Wheeling since he had to act the friend part. But he was grateful for the two, if they had met in the different circumstances, they would have been real friends. But Ouyang Zizhen didn't let down his guard around him.

                                                                                . . .

"We thank you young masters for helping us. Is there any way we could repay you?"  Head cultivator asked.

 Fang Mangchen asked for an object and after receiving it, he bid farewell to a new journey.

"Actually we want to visit Toshokan." Ouyang Zizhen said taking advantage of the opportunity. And they were lead to the library where they saw a familiar face.

"JIN LING!!!" Both said in unison

"Oh, what are you guys doing here?" Jin Ling was sitting in one of the desk in front of aisle in the library. He was apparently reading a book.

"What are YOU doing here, sect leader JIN" Lan Jingyi asked.

"I came  to visit Great Grandma. She was busy so I came here." Jin Ling stated straight facts.

The wanted to disown Jin Ling that very moment. They had to go trough life and death just to be in the Tosokan and there he was just chilling in the library.

The Harem God was unfair.

------------------------------------------

Sorry for errors.

Mianbao - fancy term for food

Gonggong-  it was sea serpent with human face. The spirit in this chapter was SIMILAR to Gonggong, NOT Gonggong. 

Zhurong - was the fire god who killed Gonggong. He killed it differently.  

also

HAPPY NEW YEAR!