"Little Junior Sister, you go rest. Senior Brother will go tend to his injuries."
Leng Xingzhi escorted his little junior sister to her room and stood outside the door, watching her enter.
"Senior Brother, take this." Chu Lingwei produced a bottle of condensed spirit orbs from her spatial storage, along with many spirit herbs and immortal medicines of ten-thousand-year age. "I hope these can help you, Senior Brother. Please do not refuse."
"Gifts from my Little Junior Sister, Senior Brother will certainly not refuse. Hurry and go inside," Leng Xingzhi glanced into Chu Lingwei's room, a flash of coldness quickly crossing his eyes, then he turned and left with a smile.
Chu Lingwei watched her Senior Brother's receding figure and sighed.
"Feng Ming, Maomao, will our Senior Brother really be alright?"
"Of course he will be alright."
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind Chu Lingwei.
Chu Lingwei turned her head and saw Yu Qinghong already seated in her room, sipping spirit tea. Seeing Chu Lingwei approach, he couldn't help but exclaim, "The spirit tea at this inn is truly delicious."
"Grandfather Yu, why are you in my room?" Even if she weren't in the room, her Senior Brother had already set up a protective barrier.
"Of course, I walked in," Yu Qinghong put down his spirit tea and tugged at Chu Lingwei's arm, signaling her to sit opposite him. "Weiwei, who is this Senior Brother of yours?"
For some reason, Yu Qinghong found himself unable to see through Weiwei's Senior Brother.
There shouldn't be anyone in this entire world he couldn't see through.
"My Senior Brother is the eldest disciple of Bei Chenfeng, the Dean of the Spirit Cultivation Academy, and also the young master of the Leng family. That's all I know," Chu Lingwei shrugged. To be honest, she was also very suspicious of her Senior Brother.
A hint of curiosity flashed in Chu Lingwei's eyes. "Grandfather Yu, do you feel that my Senior Brother seems different from others?"
"I actually cannot see through him." Yu Qinghong stroked his chin. This inability to see through him did not instill fear in him, which was why he dared to appear here.
"I feel the same way," Chu Lingwei nodded. Many times, she had had the same feeling.
Hearing Chu Lingwei's words, Yu Qinghong smiled with satisfaction. "Yes, on the great path of spirit cultivation, one should have such vigilance to live longer."
"Grandfather Yu, the Rain Sea Snow Lotus was a gift from my Senior Brother to you," Chu Lingwei smiled. She was merely curious about her Senior Brother, not suspicious of him. Thinking of Grandfather Yu's hurried departure, she spoke with a smile.
"Naturally." Yu Qinghong nodded. This world operates on cause and effect. Since he had accepted Leng Xingzhi's cause, he naturally had to repay him with effect.
"Are you still planning to continue your trials?"
Yu Qinghong had not forgotten that Chu Lingwei had said her opportunities lay in the towns.
"That depends on Senior Brother's wishes. If he wants to take me back to the Spirit Cultivation Academy, I can only go back with him." Chu Lingwei knew her Master had sent her here for trials, and clearly, this one had been a failure.
Perhaps Master would find other ways to train her.
Early the next morning, Chu Lingwei sat in the courtyard, awaiting her Senior Brother's emergence from seclusion.
Fortunately, her Senior Brother did not keep her waiting long. He was still dressed in white, exuding an elegant demeanor.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother," Chu Lingwei stood up and congratulated Leng Xingzhi.
Leng Xingzhi walked up to Chu Lingwei and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Senior Brother didn't lie to you, did he?"
Chu Lingwei tilted her head, evading Leng Xingzhi's hand. She reached out and gripped his wrist, and indeed, found no traces of demonic energy within him.
"Senior Brother is truly amazing."
"Once your cultivation reaches the Heavenly Transformation Realm, you should be even more powerful than me," Leng Xingzhi smiled. His little junior sister's future path of spirit cultivation would be smoother than his own.
"Senior Brother, the Thin Sea Forest incident has been resolved. Shall we return now?"
Leng Xingzhi shook his head, his smile vanishing as his expression turned serious. "Little Junior Sister, have you forgotten how you entered the Thin Sea Forest?"
"Of course I haven't forgotten, but..."
How could Chu Lingwei forget that the person who lured her into the Thin Sea Forest was connected to the Thin Sea Inn? "The innkeeper said the Thin Sea Inn belongs to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance."
The Rogue Cultivator Alliance was more powerful than any sect on the Xuan Tian Continent, as all rogue cultivators in the world could receive protection from the alliance and obtain some of their cultivation resources.
"I have already reported to Master. This matter is of great consequence. We will observe the situation here," Ghost King Zhu Li was dead, but the human cultivators they had lured into the Ghost Market were rescued by Leng Xingzhi.
Those individuals clearly remembered how they were brought into the Ghost Market, so it was likely that the entire Xuan Tian Continent was now in an uproar.
"Senior Brother, is this matter truly related to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance?" Chu Lingwei's thoughts ran deeper.
If this matter was indeed connected to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, not only would the alliance suffer heavy losses, but the position of all rogue cultivators in the world would become even more precarious.
Not everyone with spiritual roots could enter a sect and receive its protection.
Those with poor aptitude, or those who could not join a sect due to family reasons, could register with the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, receive some resources, take on missions issued by the alliance, and earn cultivation resources.
If this incident were confirmed, and all rogue cultivators knew they might be offered to ghost cultivators, it would become extremely difficult, if not impossible, for them to join the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
"The Rogue Cultivator Alliance is no longer the Rogue Cultivator Alliance of the past. Many matters are not simply a matter of yes or no," Leng Xingzhi observed the Thin Sea Inn, its doors wide open with a continuous stream of guests entering, his expression unreadable.
"I hope nothing untoward occurs."
Chu Lingwei sighed softly. In the world of spirit cultivation, regardless of what happened, bloodshed was inevitable.
Yu Qinghong's eyes flashed with disappointment upon realizing Chu Lingwei would not be leaving anytime soon.
"Perhaps, Grandfather Yu, you could leave alone, or go find Fellow Daoist Xia and the others?" She believed Xia Shixun and the others would be delighted to have Yu Qinghong accompany them.
"There's no interest in following them. I'll stay with you," Yu Qinghong frowned. Being by their side was not as interesting as being by Chu Lingwei's side.
Chu Lingwei's lips twitched slightly. It seemed her Senior Brother was right; Yu Qinghong had no intention of leaving.
Grandfather Yu's favorite activity was eating. Upon seeing the innkeeper serve him a table of top-grade spiritual delicacies, his heart was already bursting with joy. It seemed his decision was the right one.
Chu Lingwei sat opposite Yu Qinghong, gazing out the window. The sky was clear, without a single cloud, yet it inexplicably made her feel oppressed.
"Grandfather Yu, do you notice something is amiss?" Chu Lingwei stood up and quickly walked to the window.