That night, Qin Lei stayed in her room and didn't come out.
Qin Yi and Zheng Shufen also did not enter the room to disturb each other, giving each other space to calm down.
It wasn't until the next morning that Qin Lei emerged from her room, her eyes red and swollen, her face somewhat haggard.
"Xiao Lei, are you alright? Did you not sleep last night?"
Zheng Shufen immediately walked over and asked with great concern.
Seeing Qin Lei like this, Qin Yi also felt a pang of heartache. After a moment's thought, he said, "Xiao Lei, some things are beyond our control! Regarding your biological parents, we..."
"I know, Ge!"
Qin Lei seemed to know what he was going to say and interrupted him.
Then, she continued with a serious tone, "Don't worry, Mom, Ge. You raised me since I was little. No matter who gave birth to me, you will always be my real mom and my real brother! No one can take me away from you!"
"Mmm-hmm!"
Zheng Shufen nodded heavily, relieved.
To be honest, ever since Qin Lei learned the truth about her identity last night, Zheng Shufen had been worried that she might leave them.
Qin Yi, however, had never been worried. He walked to Qin Lei's side, reached out to ruffle her hair, and asked, "So, Xiao Lei, what do you plan to do now? Do you want to see them?"
It was clear that "them" referred to Wei Teng and Li Yongfei.
Qin Lei nodded without much thought. "I want to see them! But Mom, Ge, don't worry, I'll just see them. I won't leave you, and I certainly won't go with them!"
Qin Yi and Zheng Shufen did not object.
That day, Qin Lei took a day off from work and went specifically to meet Wei Teng and Li Yongfei.
After they left, Qin Yi quietly followed behind.
Given the character of Wei Teng and Li Yongfei, Qin Yi was worried that Qin Lei would be bullied if she went to see the two of them alone.
...
Jingdu.
In a large building.
Fang Zheng'ao, Xiao Li, and several other members of the Order Hall had returned to Jingdu after a meeting in Haicheng.
At this moment, Fang Zheng'ao, Xiao Li, and several other high-ranking members of the Order Hall were gathered together, discussing matters.
"Old Fang, tell us, what's the current situation of the martial arts world in Nan Province?"
A man, over sixty but looking exceptionally young and full of vigor, asked Fang Zheng'ao.
"Reporting to Deputy Hall Master, with the recent downfall of the Jiang family, Bagua Sect, and Bushido, there are six remaining forces in the martial arts world of Nan Province. The strongest among them is likely the Yunlai Taoist Temple, because their former abbot, Daoist Master Xin Chen, is still alive..."
Fang Zheng'ao replied respectfully and in detail.
This was because the man was no ordinary person; he was one of the Deputy Hall Masters of the Order Hall, Li Changsheng.
Fang Zheng'ao was merely a section chief in the Order Hall, making Li Changsheng his immediate superior.
"Daoist Master Xin Chen has been missing for over ten years. We all thought he was dead. I didn't expect him to still be alive!"
Li Changsheng clasped his hands behind his back and looked out the window, pondering. "According to our information, Daoist Master Xin Chen was already at the peak of the Grandmaster realm more than ten years ago. Now, more than a decade has passed. He could even destroy Bushido. Could he have truly become a Dao-Entering Grandmaster?"
"I personally believe so!" Fang Zheng'ao said. "If he weren't a Dao-Entering Grandmaster, he wouldn't have been able to destroy Bushido!"
"By the way..."
Li Changsheng suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "Old Fang, how is the recruitment of that Qin Yi going?"
"Deputy Hall Master, that Qin Yi is not worthy of joining our Order Hall!"
This time, before Fang Zheng'ao could even answer, Xiao Li, standing beside him, couldn't help but interject.
"Oh? What do you mean?" Li Changsheng looked at him in confusion.
"Deputy Hall Master, you don't know, but that Qin Yi is an extremely frivolous and immature person!"
Xiao Li said indignantly. "Team Leader Fang and I have only interacted with him twice. Both times, he was full of boasts and empty talk. If we recruit someone like that, it will only tarnish the reputation of our Order Hall!"
"And he himself is unwilling to join us. So, Deputy Hall Master, my suggestion is to stop trying to recruit him!"
Hearing this, Li Changsheng looked at Fang Zheng'ao with a questioning gaze.
Fang Zheng'ao felt the scrutiny and recounted everything that had happened at the Guo family manor and the Haicheng meeting, primarily focusing on Qin Yi's "boasting."
After listening, Li Changsheng understood and said, "In that case, his character indeed has major issues! Since that's the case, then we won't recruit him!"
The Order Hall had originally wanted to recruit Qin Yi after hearing that he had defeated Okkenji and Yamamoto Kuroda at the exchange meeting.
They believed that with such strength at such a young age, his cultivation talent must be excellent.
However, after hearing what Xiao Li and Fang Zheng'ao said, Li Changsheng felt that Qin Yi's character was problematic, and therefore, he no longer wished to recruit him!
It was important to remember that the Order Hall was a martial arts organization established by the official authorities. While the strength of its members was crucial, there were also requirements for their character.
It was akin to law enforcement officers in the secular world; those with poor moral character could not be law enforcement officers!
Later, Fang Zheng'ao and Xiao Li thoroughly reported the situation of their trip to Haicheng to Li Changsheng.
...
Haicheng.
Qin Lei proactively contacted Wei Teng and Li Yongfei and arranged to meet them at a coffee shop.
Qin Yi followed them into the coffee shop and sat at a seat in a relatively secluded area, a blind spot for the three of them.
As a cultivator, Qin Yi had sharp ears and keen eyes. Even from a distance, he could clearly hear their conversation.
"Xiao Lei, we're so happy that you initiated this meeting today!"
Li Yongfei and Wei Teng sat opposite Qin Lei. Li Yongfei said excitedly.
She even reached out her hand, wanting to hold Qin Lei's, but was dodged.
Li Yongfei smiled awkwardly at this and retracted her hand, continuing, "Xiao Lei, did you want to see us about something today? Are you thinking of coming back to your dad and mom?"
Before Qin Yi could answer, Wei Teng immediately said, "Xiao Lei, if you want to come back, just tell your dad and mom. We will handle everything else!"
After last night, they knew they couldn't afford to offend Qin Yi.
However, if Qin Lei willingly wanted to return to them, then they would have justification!
For a moment, Wei Teng and Li Yongfei stared at Qin Lei expectantly, their eyes filled with excitement, awaiting her reply.
Qin Lei replied without a hint of hesitation, "I don't want to go back! The reason I asked to meet you today is to make things clear!"
"I hope that from now on, you will not appear before me again, nor will you disturb the lives of my mom and my brother!"
"I do not have a dad. I only have a mom and an older brother, and my mom is Zheng Shufen!"