After Qing Jun left, it felt as if she had taken away a large part of the air in Lisong Valley, leaving it vast and silent.
Without the chirping noise of that silver-haired little sparrow, Chen Ye found himself somewhat unaccustomed.
He frequently glanced at the empty stone table in the courtyard, vaguely seeing the little girl in an ill-fitting robe, dragging her sleeves, arguing with him in a childish voice.
"Master."
Zhiwei placed a plate of sliced spirit fruit on the stone table gently, then stood quietly beside Chen Ye, accompanying him as they both looked at the empty courtyard.
"Do you miss Qing Jun? It’s only been three days."
"This is, after all, her first time going out alone. When I went to Moon Rhinoceros Lake District before, at least you were there to keep her company. Besides, you were all within the sect, so there was no safety concern. But now she’s at the Xu Family... it’s hard not to worry."
Chen Ye nodded, not denying it.
Three days had already passed quickly.
There was still no news of Foundation Establishment spiritual objects from Old Man Ye in Yunxi District, but fortunately, Mao Qingzhu had already arranged for a trusted person to settle the pills in advance for him.
Upper grade Qi Nourishing Pills were five Spirit Stones each, top grade Qi Nourishing Pills were ten Spirit Stones each.
With a total of two hundred upper grade Qi Nourishing Pills and one hundred top grade Qi Nourishing Pills, it amounted to two thousand Spirit Stones.
Plus Chen Ye’s own savings, he now had a total of two thousand six hundred.
Chen Ye’s exceptional alchemy skills brought him a vast amount of Spirit Stones!
"Master, don’t worry. Didn’t Aunt Mao pass on a message earlier, saying everything was fine?"
The eldest disciple gently comforted his master instead,
"After Qing Jun’s baptism, her talents and bone structure have both improved. Once the baptism is over, she should be able to successfully breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer..."
This was indeed an unexpected joy.
Since Zhiwei’s reawakening, her talent had already surpassed Qing Jun’s. But after this baptism, it was expected that it would further awaken Qing Jun’s bloodline, allowing the talents of the two disciples to once again even out.
Chen Ye reached out and gently ruffled the soft black hair of his eldest disciple: "Don’t worry, it won’t be long before she returns."
He paused, then added, "How are you feeling about your newly awakened Wood Spiritual Root? Any discomfort?"
"Master," Zhiwei shook her head, a hint of perplexity flashing in her eyes, "No discomfort. It’s just... it’s just that the vegetation in the valley seems... more intimate than before."
"That’s good. It’s quite normal..."
Chen Ye nodded, and his expression suddenly became serious.
A powerful and murderous wave of spiritual power approached from afar, quickly heading towards Lisong Valley!
Not just one, but two!
Both at the Foundation Establishment Stage!
"Zhiwei, go back inside."
The smile on Chen Ye’s face disappeared instantly.
His eyelids twitched; the Mountain Protection Array of Lisong Valley hadn’t even attempted to stop these two!
This meant... they were people from the sect!
But before Zhiwei could return inside, two figures in the Law Enforcement Hall’s black magic robes of the Lingyin Sect landed in the courtyard.
The arrivals, one on the left and one on the right, secretly monitored Chen Ye’s every move.
Among them,
a middle-aged man with white hair and beard asked coldly, "Lisong Valley Manager, Chen Ye?"
"That’s me."
Chen Ye pulled Zhiwei behind him, then raised his head to meet the man’s gaze,
"May I ask the reason for the visit of the two guardians?"
"Reason? Upon seeing us, you aren’t aware of your crime?"
The white-haired guardian sneered,
"We have been ordered by the elders of the Law Enforcement Hall to bring you back to the sect for questioning in a major case."
He didn’t specify the details of the case, but the word "questioning" was emphasized heavily.
Chen Ye’s heart sank abruptly.
Was it related to Wei Cheng?
Or... was there another reason?
Chen Ye maintained a calm facade, speaking calmly: "Since it’s an order from the elders of the Law Enforcement Hall, Chen Ye will naturally comply."
He paused, then shifted the conversation, meeting the other party’s gaze directly:
"However, given the seriousness of the matter, I must ask the two guardians to present your tokens to confirm your identities."
"Tokens? Two Foundation Establishment cultivators clad in the sect’s law enforcement robes, and you, a mere Qi Cultivation cultivator, dare to ask us for tokens?"
The white-haired guardian laughed as if he had heard a joke, his expression turning cold as he prepared to act.
At this moment,
the other guardian, an old woman with a hunched back, stopped him. She had kindly eyes and spoke in a gentle tone:
"Wei Guardian, there’s no need to be so confrontational without conclusive evidence. Steward Chen, I am called Cong Yicui, and this is Guardian Wei Shu. We have indeed come to invite Steward Chen to the sect for questioning. Here is the token."
She swiftly displayed the black token carved with a sharp sword, symbolizing the identity of the Law Enforcement Hall.
She efficiently showed the black token, engraved with a sword and flowing with spiritual light. The token resonated with Chen Ye’s steward token and was undoubtedly an authentic Law Enforcement Hall token.
Damn it...
Chen Ye despised situations spiraling out of his control.
By all accounts, the Bai Family within the Lingyin Sect had always been amicable towards him. Why would the Law Enforcement Hall’s guardians come to arrest him? Could it be... something had changed?
In a split second, Chen Ye realized there was no choice.
As a sect steward, he was under the jurisdiction of the sect. Openly defying the Law Enforcement Hall now would be tantamount to severing his own path, and with the situation unclear, resisting rashly would be too reckless.
He cupped his hands and said, "Since it is an order from the sect, Chen Ye will naturally obey it!"
With that, he turned to his eldest disciple, who looked pale, and spoke softly:
"Your junior brother is still in the valley. If anything happens... it will protect you. Master will return swiftly, so do not worry."
Zhiwei tightly clenched the corner of her garment.
Previously, under her master’s praise, she had been smug about her Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer level.
But now, facing the pressure of two Foundation Establishment cultivators, she truly understood her own insignificance...