"Naturally, we are unwilling," Chu Lingwei replied loudly. The inn was filled with spirit cultivators, their senses sharp and clear, so they would hear every word spoken here.
Chu Xiyin's body stiffened; she had miscalculated. This was the first time her attempt at striking up a conversation had ever failed.
"Xiyin," the female disciple of the Xuanxin Sect standing beside Chu Xiyin, seeing her admired senior disciple in such an awkward position, spoke with a hint of displeasure as she steadied her. "Xiyin, if they are unwilling to get acquainted with us from the Xuanxin Sect, then so be it."
"Ru Shuang, I genuinely wished to get acquainted with both fellow Daoists. Since you are unwilling, let's leave," Chu Xiyin said, her voice soft but with a hint of pride.
Liu Ru Shuang nodded, placed twenty spirit stones on the table, and prepared to leave with Chu Xiyin.
"Wait, you are from the Xuanxin Sect?" Chu Lingwei called out to them after they had taken two steps. She had finally encountered them, and she wouldn't let them leave so easily. Chu Xiyin had caused her to lose face among the Xuanxin Sect disciples more than once in the past, making her an object of disdain. Today, she would make Chu Xiyin taste the same bitter experience.
"Yes, Xiyin is the daughter of the Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect, and she is also our Xuanxin Sect's senior disciple," Liu Ru Shuang said proudly, assuming Chu Lingwei was concerned about the Xuanxin Sect's reputation.
"Senior Disciple Brother, if I recall correctly, isn't the daughter of the Xuanxin Sect's Sect Master named Chu Lingwei?" Chu Lingwei's voice held a hint of confusion.
Leng Xingzhi immediately understood what his junior disciple was planning. He patiently explained, "You might not know, but ten years ago, the former Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect, Chu Ze, left to search for the Water Immortal Jade Skin Flower for his biological daughter, Chu Lingwei, and never returned to the sect. Just a month ago, Chu Chang, the younger brother of the Xuanxin Sect's Sect Master, announced to the Xuan Tian Continent that he had become the new Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect. This one," he gestured towards Chu Xiyin, "she is likely the biological daughter of the Xuanxin Sect's new Sect Master." He hadn't informed Chu Lingwei of this when she was undergoing trials in the Xuan Huo Abyss. After she emerged, he hadn't deliberately told her to avoid distracting her.
"But, isn't that illegitimate and unreasonable?" Chu Lingwei saw that after her Senior Disciple Brother explained the Xuanxin Sect's affairs, Chu Xiyin and the others had already turned their heads, wearing expressions of pride. She simply didn't want Chu Xiyin to get her way.
Leng Xingzhi glanced at Chu Xiyin, seemingly pondering for a moment, and said, "There has been no news of the passing of Chu Ze, the Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect."
Those in the inn eating their meals couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for him upon hearing Leng Xingzhi's words. The Xuanxin Sect was considered one of the five major sects on the Xuan Tian Continent, and no one dared to comment carelessly on their affairs. Ten years of absence was not a long time for spirit cultivators. The fact that Chu Chang had taken the position of Sect Master solely because of Chu Ze's ten-year absence inevitably led to speculation.
"What nonsense are you spouting? My father was only reluctantly made Sect Master after being recommended by the various peak masters and elders of the Xuanxin Sect," Chu Xiyin exclaimed, feeling several pairs of contemptuous gazes on her. "Who are you people, daring to discuss our Xuanxin Sect's matters behind our backs? You are making enemies of the Xuanxin Sect."
"This fellow Daoist, you are mistaken," Chu Lingwei kindly corrected her. "We are not discussing it behind your back; we are discussing it right in front of you."
"Pfft..."
As soon as Chu Lingwei spoke, someone couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"You..." Chu Xiyin wished she could kill Chu Lingwei for that laugh.
"Did I say something wrong?" Chu Lingwei stepped forward, her eyes filled with disdain. "If you dare to do something, you should have known it would be discussed. However, judging by your composure, it seems I've hit the mark." Chu Lingwei concluded to herself, "Perhaps there's another hidden reason for the change in Xuanxin Sect's Sect Master?"
A moment later, hushed conversations rippled through the inn. The former Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect, Chu Ze, had reached the Heaven Transformation Realm, a third-level realm. Such a powerful cultivator might spend years, even decades, in secluded cultivation. To change Sect Masters after only ten years of absence... there might indeed be something to it.
"Who are you people, daring to discuss the affairs of our Xuanxin Sect? State your names, and our Xuanxin Sect will pursue this matter to the very end!" Chu Xiyin gritted her teeth, glaring furiously at Chu Lingwei. She vowed to issue a kill order upon returning to the sect's inn.
Leng Xingzhi unleashed his aura, enveloping the entire inn in an icy chill. The pressure of a powerful cultivator! It felt as though their necks were being constricted. However, it was fleeting, making them question if they had imagined the oppressive aura.
"I am Leng Xingzhi of the Spirit Cultivation Academy. I await the Xuanxin Sect's pursuit."
Leng Xingzhi! The people in the inn gasped, their faces changing color in unison. Leng Xingzhi was a prodigy not only within the Spirit Cultivation Academy but also among his peers on the entire Xuan Tian Continent. It was rumored that he had already reached the third level and had once single-handedly slain a powerful being in the Heaven-Piercing Realm. He was revered by his peers as an idol. Leng Xingzhi was arguably an unparalleled genius in the ten thousand years of the Xuan Tian Continent's history. His fame was known throughout the continent.
Chu Xiyin staggered, nearly falling, but Liu Ru Shuang, quick to react, caught her. Chu Lingwei was taken aback by the shocked expressions of everyone in the inn. It seemed she didn't know her Senior Disciple Brother as well as she thought. The looks in their eyes indicated that he was no ordinary person. She resolved to inquire about her Senior Disciple Brother later.
"Greetings, Senior Disciple Brother Leng. I apologize for my earlier offense; please forgive me," Chu Xiyin said, her anger replaced by regret. She repeatedly told herself not to offend the Spirit Cultivation Academy.
Leng Xingzhi snorted lightly, ignoring Chu Xiyin's bow. "Ling'er, let's go. No need to get entangled with uninteresting people," Leng Xingzhi turned and walked back into the inn.
"Yes, Senior Disciple Brother," Chu Lingwei pursed her lips into a smile and gave Chu Xiyin a look. "Fellow Daoist Chu, if we have spoken incorrectly, please feel free to seek me out." With that, Chu Lingwei quickly followed her Senior Disciple Brother, leaving the inn's main hall.
The innkeeper, who had witnessed everything, maintained his smile but was inwardly astonished. It was rare for their young master to stand up for a young woman. They would have to serve their young master's junior sister with great care from now on.
Chu Xiyin watched the two figures leave, biting her lip fiercely and staring intently at their retreating backs. Hatred surged within her. She was certain that the moment she left the inn, within fifteen minutes, news of her father's illegitimate acquisition of the Xuanxin Sect's Sect Master position would spread across the entire Xuan Tian Continent. Their Xuanxin Sect would become a laughingstock. What was even more infuriating was that the Spirit Cultivation Academy was a power they, the Xuanxin Sect, dared not provoke. They had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.
"Xiyin, let's return first." Liu Ru Shuang was inwardly anxious. She hadn't expected things to escalate to this point. If the Sect Master were to learn of this, the consequences would be unimaginable.