"Sister Xu."
Seeing Xu Yi's face turn red from coughing, Bai Shan wanted to step forward to help her calm down.
However, Xu Yi waved him away and retreated.
"Don't, cough, don't come closer!"
Xu Yi stopped him, then after catching her breath, she said indignantly, "Mind your words in the future, don't speak so carelessly."
Xu Yi was certain Bai Shan had no ulterior motives towards her; it was just that he spoke without consideration, which was both funny and exasperating.
"Oh, alright."
Bai Shan replied with a hint of grievance, secretly thinking he had missed a good opportunity.
Not long after, the others also arrived at Xu Yi's room one after another, and they too saw the somewhat shabby straw mat in the corner.
"Xu Yi, your straw mat is too old. Here, I'll give you two new ones."
Feng Qingyang's reaction was even more intense than Bai Shan's. He immediately took out two exquisitely made straw mats and pressed them into Xu Yi's hands.
Xu Yi couldn't be bothered to argue with him and accepted them without politeness, tucking them into her storage ring.
Lu Zaiye and Bei Xinghan, who were a step slower, both shot daggers at Feng Qingyang.
Feng Qingyang shivered, not understanding the sudden murderous intent.
"Everyone, did you find anything when you entered the city today?" Xu Yi asked as the door closed.
"The people of Mo City are not afraid of us, and they should have known we were coming in advance," Bai Shan was the first to state his findings.
"Mo City is mostly filled with bookstores and shops selling stationery. Everyone loves to practice calligraphy and read," Yu Xiaoyu added.
"That's right, and another point: apart from us, there are no other cultivators on the streets of Mo City."
The crowd chimed in, quickly identifying several suspicious points, but they had no leads regarding the assessment.
"I suggest we split up starting tomorrow and search for clues about the assessment in Mo City. Whoever finds something should inform the others through the sound transmission disk," Hong Jing proposed.
"Alright."
"No problem."
Everyone agreed.
The brief discussion ended, and everyone returned to their rooms to rest and conserve their energy.
Not long after Xu Yi sat down, a knock sounded at the door again.
When Xu Yi opened the door, she found an even more exquisite and luxurious straw mat placed at the entrance than the one Feng Qingyang had given her.
Xu Yi casually touched it and recognized that it was woven from "Cheng Jing Grass," which could help cultivators calm their minds and dispel distracting thoughts.
This was indeed a good item.
Xu Yi's eyes lit up, but then she puzzledly spread her divine sense, finding the corridor empty.
She wondered who had sent the straw mat and why they were unwilling to reveal their name.
Xu Yi frowned, put the straw mat into her storage ring, closed the door, and sat cross-legged again.
However, before she could even enter a meditative state, there was another knock at the door.
This time, she was prepared. As soon as the knocking stopped, her divine sense spread out from the room.
Then, Xu Yi's frown deepened.
There was still no one at the door, yet another straw mat had appeared. This one looked more ancient compared to the ones Xu Yi had received earlier, but Xu Yi could feel the spiritual energy fluctuations hidden within.
this straw mat also contained a spirit-guiding formation, and its level was higher than the one Xu Yi was currently using.
Xu Yi pushed the door open, brought the other straw mat into the room, and placed it before her along with the one woven from Cheng Jing Grass.
She had lost the mood to cultivate and was looking at the two vastly different straw mats with a troubled expression.
Both of these straw mats were not cheap, but she couldn't find the person who gifted them, which made her very uncomfortable.
Although Xu Yi was sometimes "frugal," she was not someone who liked to take advantage of others.
It was impolite not to reciprocate.
Having received something from others, she naturally had to give something back in some way.
The fact that these two people sent the straw mats without leaving their names made Xu Yi feel even more conflicted.
But Xu Yi did not expect that her problem would be solved not long after.
Because subsequently, she received straw mats from Hong Jing, Yu Xiaoyu, Xiong Zhuangzhuang, and others.
The only exception was Bai Shan, who sent a bed.
And the identities of the two who sent the straw mats were revealed under these circumstances.
Xu Yi was somewhat resigned. She had already anticipated that Bei Xinghan was one of them.
After all, since she had helped Bei Xinghan resolve his inner demons, Bei Xinghan's attitude had always been lukewarm.
Xu Yi could understand why he sent a straw mat but refused to face her.
However, she didn't understand why Lu Zaiye would do the same.
She believed her relationship with Lu Zaiye was closer than with others, and they should have been able to talk about anything. But at some point, a gap seemed to have formed between them.
What concerned her even more was where Lu Zaiye's straw mat had come from.
Either of these two straw mats was very expensive.
Bei Xinghan, as the sect leader's disciple of Xuan Qing Sect, it was not surprising that he possessed some good items. But Lu Zaiye did not have a wealthy master.
Elder Qing Feng was overly fond of taking disciples, so the resources allocated to each disciple were significantly less than those under other elders.
Xu Yi intended to ask Lu Zaiye for an explanation, but as she was about to go out, her steps suddenly halted.
In that instant, Lu Zaiye's image in her eyes suddenly became mysterious.
In fact, she had always felt that Lu Zaiye had many inconsistencies about him.
But she had subconsciously ignored it because Lu Zaiye was a disciple of Xuan Ji Sect, so she did not want to suspect him.
Yet, those faint suspicions did not disappear with time; instead, they accumulated.
From the very beginning of their training in Wan Yao Ridge, Lu Zaiye's performance was different from ordinary disciples. He was always exceptionally calm and composed, as if nothing could threaten him.
In the demon attendant training space beneath Yang Shen Qian, Lu Zaiye again displayed his extensive knowledge.
Especially when they were being pursued by the Wu Zu Crow, Lu Zaiye had briefly controlled the Divine Speed Ship.
He could make the Divine Speed Ship teleport a short distance.
This was something Xu Yi herself could not do.
Later, Xu Yi was injured and fainted, and when she reappeared, she was in Huang Cheng. What happened in between was unknown to anyone.
And the most recent suspicion arose in the Myriad Buddha Sect's secret realm not long ago.
The violent spiritual energy fluctuations had caused Xu Yi and the others to fall into a coma.
However, Xu Yi had actually regained consciousness briefly for less than a breath after falling unconscious.
And in that extremely short period, she saw Shangguan Yuquan and another blurred figure.
That blurred figure flashed past her eyes, but her subconscious told her that the figure was Lu Zaiye.
Lu Zaiye's cultivation was only at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul, and he was a disciple of Elder Qing Feng. How could he have dealt with Shangguan Yuquan alone and killed him?
Xu Yi refused to believe it, so she kept this matter buried in her heart, showing no outward signs.
But today, these suspicions sprang up like mushrooms after rain, making her feel choked.
"Lu Zaiye, what secrets are you hiding..."
Xu Yi's eyes deepened, and her low voice gradually dissipated in the room.