Chapter 435: Disturbing You

Li Hongjiu knew this grandson's "brotherly bond" was fake. "Finally, we meet again," "I missed you so much"—don't tell me you didn't see me before we exited the Divine Fire Realm. You clearly pretended not to see me, didn't even say hello, and now you're pulling this act.

Of course, it wasn't a bad thing. Since he wasn't trying to exploit Li Hongjiu, it meant he had probably guessed at Yanbaozong's "good intentions." Li Hongjiu had been wondering how to handle the situation when he arrived, but now, the groundwork had been laid. He could go along with it, saving effort and avoiding awkwardness.

However, Li Hongjiu was still unaccustomed to such physical embraces between men. While it wouldn't be good to push him away too forcefully, he did try to gently disengage. On the surface, he cooperated, patting Shi Chun's arms and saying, "Brother Chun, I missed you too, terribly. As soon as I knew where you were, I rushed over to see you."

Sure enough, it was the same old routine. Everyone from the Mingshan Sect, except Wu Jinliang, who was chuckling, felt like throwing up at the sight of these two outwardly decent-looking but clearly insincere individuals.

However, Young Master Nan and his group were unaware of these details. No one had told him, and Shi Chun certainly wouldn't divulge such matters. Li Hongjiu was even less likely to reveal it, not even to his own sect.

Hearing Wu Jinliang mention that the person was Li Hongjiu, Young Master Nan's eyes lit up, and he immediately held him in higher regard. He only knew that Li Hongjiu was incredibly impressive and formidable now. To call him a "rising star" in the artifact refining world would be an understatement; with his abilities, he was a top-tier prodigy in the entire cultivation world. Coupled with the protection and backing of his background, his future was promising. After the Divine Fire Covenant concluded, he was destined to become famous throughout the land.

To put it bluntly, even he wanted to get to know Li Hongjiu before his fame truly exploded.

Previously, he had only heard Shi Chun mention the past conflict between them. He hadn't realized it was a "grudge and goodwill" relationship. Such a term implies both resentment and a certain camaraderie. This joyful reunion between "brothers" clearly demonstrated a deep, unwavering bond.

Clearly, this was a friendship that transcended specific events. Within the Divine Fire Realm, they each served their own masters, but afterward, it didn't prevent them from appreciating each other.

Speaking of which, Young Master Nan grew to admire his junior, Shi Chun, even more. To be able to forge such a deep bond after a life-or-death struggle truly showed his character; he was a promising junior.

If even he saw it this way, the opinions of other sect members who kept looking back from outside were easily imagined.

Seeing a crowd still in the courtyard, and having had enough of the flattery, Li Hongjiu simply took Shi Chun's arm and led him away to talk privately.

Just as Young Master Nan stepped forward, intending to greet and introduce himself, he paused, startled. Well, they clearly wanted to speak in private, and he wasn't tactless. Still, seeing the two men's chummy behavior, their relationship truly seemed quite good.

Finding a secluded and quiet spot, Li Hongjiu immediately adopted a kind and well-meaning demeanor, whispering, "Brother Chun, I heard news. I heard people from the Heavenly Court's Stargazing Pavilion are here. They say they want to take you in for questioning after the assembly. You should be prepared."

Shi Chun immediately put on an expression of gratitude, as if saying "thank you for still thinking of me." "I've heard about it too," he replied. "I don't know what it's about; I'll just take it as it comes."

Li Hongjiu: "I heard Tong Mingshan signed up for the competition. Haven't you heard about the new rules allowing more people to participate?"

Shi Chun: "I have."

Li Hongjiu whispered, "These new rules are probably aimed at him. He must have absorbed more than ten divine flames, right?"

Shi Chun felt no guilt lying to him, even if he'd be exposed later, because this "grandson" was equally hypocritical. He immediately opened his eyes wide and said, "Which eye of yours saw him absorb so many divine flames? If he really had that many, he wouldn't be able to just sign up and get away with it."

That was a valid point, but Li Hongjiu looked suspicious, finding it a bit hard to believe. However, he wasn't there to argue. He had other matters to discuss, so he ended with a meaningful "Oh, that's good, that's good." He continued, "By the way, Brother Chun, there's something else. Regarding the Lake Heart Pagoda, I think you should be cautious when speaking about it to outsiders."

Shi Chun also said, "Oh?" and asked, "What do you mean?"

Li Hongjiu: "We, as the people involved, know we didn't gain anything significant. But would outsiders believe that? What if they all think you acquired some treasure? Do you think you'd be able to live freely? Also, that's a treasure trove. We didn't have enough time before, but next time, my Yanbaozong doesn't want too many people getting a piece of the pie."

With that last sentence, he frankly admitted the truth. He realized that this "grandson" in front of him, while appearing honest, was actually not easy to fool. Recalling how they had tried to steal from him in the Divine Fire Realm and ended up losing more, it made him frustrated. He figured trying to be vague wouldn't fool him.

"Understood," Shi Chun promised decisively. "Brother Jiu, don't worry. Even if the Stargazing Pavilion tortures me, I won't utter a single word."

Li Hongjiu's heart skipped a beat. He really didn't want to bring up anything related to demonic cultivation. Personally, he wasn't too concerned, but he didn't want to implicate his sect. Yet, he couldn't help but try to ask, "What did you do for the Stargazing Pavilion to torture you?"

Shi Chun: "Nothing, I was just speaking hypothetically."

Alright, Li Hongjiu stopped there. He genuinely didn't want to ask more questions. Having said all he needed to, he found an excuse about having matters to attend to at his sect and swiftly left.

Anyway, he had delivered his message. Whether Shi Chun would keep his word was beyond his control. In fact, he felt there was no need for this trip at all. When such matters shouldn't be revealed, people naturally wouldn't speak. If they insisted on talking, Yanbaozong couldn't stop them, unless they silenced all those who knew.

If it weren't for his master's instructions, he wouldn't have come at all.

Seeing Shi Chun return alone from outside the gate, Young Master Nan approached him and asked, "Did he leave?"

Shi Chun nodded with a hum.

Young Master Nan felt a pang of regret for not having gotten acquainted with Li Hongjiu. However, seizing the opportunity, he pulled Shi Chun, who was walking inside, to the side at the main entrance for a private word. He whispered, "What was the meaning of you sending An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin to find their expelled sects? Was it related to the 'wind' you asked me to blow towards their sects earlier?"

At this, Shi Chun fell silent. He slowly turned to face outside the mountain, his thoughts drifting away. He surmised that those two had probably already found their original sects.

Indeed, they had found them. It wasn't difficult for the two of them, as they had previously been sought out by their former sects for a meeting and knew their whereabouts, which also served as their agreed-upon reunion point.

In front of a room at the inn, Zhu Xiangxin hesitated for a long time before finally raising her hand to knock. They had promised to wait for her there, so they shouldn't have checked out and left.

The door opened, revealing a pretty face. Upon seeing her, the woman exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Sister, you're out?"

This woman was her junior sister, Manyunjiao, who quickly let her in while speaking.

Zhu Xiangxin scanned the room, seeing no one else, and couldn't help but ask, "Where are Master and the others?"

"Master and the others are waiting on the beach outside," the excited Manyunjiao said. "Even the Sect Master is there, all concerned about you and waiting for news. They'll be so happy when they hear you're back. Senior Sister, please sit down, I'll go inform Master and the others right away." She pulled Zhu Xiangxin to sit, then turned and ran.

However, before she could open the door, she seemed to remember something, abruptly stopped, and then turned back. She knelt on one knee beside the armrest of a chair and asked curiously, "Senior Sister, did you manage to absorb any divine flame?"

Zhu Xiangxin hesitated, words on the tip of her tongue, but then began weighing the pros and cons, especially with Shi Chun's words still fresh in her mind.

She certainly felt affection for her sect, but she was no longer a child. Weighing pros and cons was a sign of adulthood. She had already been expelled by the sect once and had spent more than half a year in prison. Returning so thoughtlessly, without considering her future, was impossible.

She had been persuaded to return to the sect before because she believed the conditions for her return would be better.

Yet, after a perilous experience, she had truly seen things she couldn't have seen within the sect. She witnessed the magnificent sight of countless magical artifacts, a scene unimaginable in her sect, one that even their sect master had probably never seen.

Among the countless young talents gathered in the artifact refining world, they, the discarded disciples, competed and traversed alongside disciples from various sects. Their ultimate gains were considerable. Looking back now, it felt like a dream.

She now possessed several Wind Scales and two Cosmos Bags, none of which her sect could have provided her, at least not before. Whether they would offer them in the future was another matter. Besides these, her other gains were innumerable.

She had truly seen the world and experienced many situations, enduring various heart-stopping moments she had never encountered before. Looking back at "Myriad Herb Hall" now, her memories of the sect seemed increasingly pallid compared to the incredibly dynamic and disruptive strategies employed under the Big Boss's leadership.

What still unsettled her was that Situ Gu, the foremost artifact refiner in the world, had personally escorted her out of the valley simply because of the Big Boss's words. No one, not a single person in Myriad Herb Hall, could command such prestige.

Weighing the two paths, it seemed visibly clear which offered a better prospect. However, her original sect held the more advanced cultivation techniques she practiced.

Seeing her silence, Manyunjiao seemed to understand something and tentatively asked, "Did you not absorb any divine flame?"

Zhu Xiangxin replied ambiguously, "It was quite hard to find."

"That's normal, it's always hard to find. You wait here, I'll go find Master and the others," Manyunjiao said as she ran off.

Zhu Xiangxin was left alone in the room, feeling anxious. She was still a little hesitant about whether to follow Shi Chun's advice.

Manyunjiao knew the location of her sect's elders and teachers. She quickly squeezed through the crowd directly to where Sect Master Ao Hongyou and others were.

Looking around at the people, she cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and announced in a voice that was not too loud but clear enough: "Sect Master, Elders, Master, Senior Sister Zhu is back!"

Ao Hongyou and the others' spirits lifted upon hearing the news. Without a word, they immediately turned and left.

After quickly exiting the crowd, Ao Hongyou asked, "Where is she?"

Manyunjiao: "Replying to Sect Master, she's waiting in the room."

Her master, Bai Tingfang, asked, "Do you know what she gained?"

Although information about the Divine Fire Realm had leaked, not everyone could quickly obtain it at this point, especially not smaller sects like Myriad Herb Hall.

"It seems... it seems..." Manyunjiao said, shaking her head.

Observing her words and actions, Ao Hongyou's steps faltered slightly, and he frowned. He then continued forward, but his pace had slowed considerably. The others accompanying him, including Zhu Xiangxin's master, Bai Tingfang, all appeared heavy-hearted.

Fortunately, it wasn't far. Before long, the group pushed open the door and re-entered the room.

Zhu Xiangxin, who had been sitting, quickly rose and bowed respectfully to each person, saying, "Sect Master, Elder, Master."

As she spoke, she also noticed that everyone's expressions seemed quite grim.

"You've worked hard," Ao Hongyou acknowledged with a nod, then remained silent.

Bai Tingfang, however, got straight to the point: "Did you gain any divine flame?"

Everyone's gaze immediately filled with renewed expectation.

Zhu Xiangxin hesitated for a moment, but her recent solitary reflections had solidified her decision. She shook her head. "It was very difficult to find."

This was obvious, of course everyone knew it was hard to find. Bai Tingfang grew anxious. "Did none of you find a single divine flame?"

She was worried for her disciple. Naturally, she hoped her exceptional disciple would return to the sect. But reality was harsh. They had inadvertently heard some unfavorable news: if there was no value, they couldn't secure strong support. How could the sect take risks for her?

Zhu Xiangxin replied with a forced explanation, "We found some, but the divine flames found by the Mingshan Sect were mainly given to Tong Mingshan."

Upon hearing this, Ao Hongyou stroked his beard and paced, then walked into the inner room, but not before giving Elder Lianhu a meaningful glance as he turned.

Elder Lianhu then sighed. "Zhu Xiangxin, to be honest with you, there's significant internal disagreement within the sect about your return. Being expelled and then returning isn't a trivial matter. We've been trying to convince the other elders during this time. If you had absorbed a divine flame upon your return, it would naturally suppress all objections. But now, even the Sect Master probably can't guarantee anything."

What did that mean? Manyunjiao, standing nearby, was the first to be stunned. This seemed different from what they had discussed before entering the Divine Fire Realm.

Zhu Xiangxin stared blankly at Elder Lianhu, as if trying to see right through him, making Lianhu involuntarily turn his head to avoid her gaze.

So Zhu Xiangxin looked at her master.

However, the disheartened Bai Tingfang also lowered his head, remaining silent.

Zhu Xiangxin also lowered her head. She hadn't been definitive with her answer, fearing they might try to investigate. To her surprise, they showed no intention of even checking.

After a long pause, she looked up, took a deep breath, and respectfully cupped her hands towards everyone. With a forced smile, she said, "Apologies for the disturbance. I'll take my leave."

Without another word, she let go, turned, opened the door, and walked out quickly.

"Senior Sister..." Manyunjiao cried out anxiously, wanting to chase after her.

"Manyunjiao!" Bai Tingfang commanded, stopping his disciple.

Manyunjiao asked anxiously, "Master, weren't we supposed to let Senior Sister return to the sect?"

"Enough, don't mention this matter again," Bai Tingfang said, his cheek twitching in pain. "My master-disciple relationship with her is over. You are not to seek her out again."

Manyunjiao was somewhat stunned. Was it just because she hadn't found a divine flame?

Walking out of the inn's main door, Zhu Xiangxin, stepping into the night, shed tears. She cried silently, occasionally raising her sleeve to wipe them away.

While she had indeed intended to weigh the pros and cons and tested the waters as the Big Boss suggested, she still harbored a desire to return. Beyond benefits and drawbacks, there was emotion; that was the home where she had grown up!

Even if they had offered some subtle comfort or asked a few more questions, she would have been too embarrassed to continue lying and would have confessed everything.

She never imagined reality would be so cruel: useful, then used; useless, then discarded like an old shoe.

As always, the Big Boss had been right.

Her heart grew cold. Knowing that the home in her heart was gone, she walked, crying, choosing sparsely populated areas, no longer hesitating about other options, and headed towards the exit of Qi Yun Valley.