Chapter 36

Zhai Wangyou looked at Elder Nanshan. Ever since she had stepped into the Spirit Division stage, Elder Nanshan had begun entering seclusion just like the Sect Master. He had only come out not long ago.

These days, Elder Nanshan was almost the same as before. Though he was an elder, he disliked handling matters. Within the sect, he was practically invisible.

Seeing her look over, Elder Nanshan coughed lightly and said, “What, setting aside the fact that Beishan and I are fellow senior and junior disciples, and that by seniority, you should call me Martial Uncle, even by status, I am also a sect elder and your senior. Am I not allowed to say a fair word?”

The atmosphere became inexplicably tense.

Zhai Wangyou silently opened her spiritual sense and understood something in her heart.

So he had broken through to Spirit Division.

Or had he always been at Spirit Division, deliberately suppressing his cultivation until now and only revealing it today…

Seeing her remain silent in thought, Elder Nanshan turned his head and looked at Senior Brother Feng. “You speak. What grudge does this woman have with Chong Wen?”

Senior Brother Feng felt somewhat panicked, but when he saw the look the Young Sect Master gave him, he still braced himself and said, “Junior Sister Xi Zhou usually showed much disdain toward Senior Sister Chong Wen. This disciple could not stand it, so I used Senior Sister Chong Wen’s name to teach her a lesson a few times. I imagine she must have held a grudge against Senior Sister Chong Wen because of it. This disciple admits his guilt.”

After saying this, his knees trembled, and he directly knelt on the ground to ask for punishment. Sect disciples were not allowed to fight privately. He had also violated sect rules and would receive punishment.

But because of this, his words became more believable.

Elder Nanshan looked at Xi Zhou again. “What explanation do you have?”

Xi Zhou shook her head. “Senior Brother Feng did attack this disciple privately, but I did not know it had anything to do with Senior Sister Chong Wen. Nor have I ever hated anyone.”

Elder Nanshan laughed contemptuously. “Why did you not return to the outer sect last night?”

Xi Zhou instinctively glanced at Zhai Wangyou. Before she could speak, Zhou Zhouzi, who was standing at the side, could not hold back.

“Xi Zhou disappeared in Yudao Sect’s secret realm yesterday. She didn’t come back to the sect with us, so of course she didn’t return to the outer sect. Besides, she’s only at Foundation Establishment. How could she ambush Senior Sister Chong Wen, who’s at Golden Core?”

As soon as these words came out, a sharp light flashed through Elder Nanshan’s eyes. He asked Xi Zhou, “I hear you established your foundation in one day. Perhaps you have some secret technique. Ambushing someone may not be difficult. Inner disciple Zhou Baihui died strangely, and like Chong Wen, his inner core was dug out. Perhaps the same person did both.”

He was hinting that Xi Zhou’s disappearance from the secret realm was suspicious.

Zhou Zhouzi opened his mouth, inwardly frustrated. In his panic, he had made things worse. He really should sew his mouth shut.

Everyone’s gazes turned to Xi Zhou again. Establishing foundation in one day—she definitely had some secret technique.

Just as Xi Zhou was thinking about how to prove her innocence, Zhai Wangyou looked at Elder Nanshan, then turned toward the crowd. Her tone was calm. “I was the one who brought her back from the secret realm to Beishan Peak. We were together all night yesterday. So it was not her.”

From now on, Xi Zhou would be the managing disciple of Beishan Peak. There was no need for Zhai Wangyou to avoid suspicion.

Now, no one dared refute her. Fairy Wangyou should not lie. But why had Fairy Wangyou brought this female disciple back to Beishan Peak? And why had they stayed together for an entire night?

Everyone had new doubts in their hearts.

Elder Nanshan raised his brows. So they really had been together?

He smiled. “Since Wangyou says so, I naturally believe you. Then this matter will be investigated by the law enforcement disciples.”

Seeing him brush the matter aside so lightly, Zhai Wangyou’s eyes grew grave. Was that black-clothed old Daoist truly Elder Nanshan? Yesterday, both sides had suffered injuries, and both their inner cores had been damaged. She had been able to recover thanks to the Dream-Entering Grass…

What about Elder Nanshan?

He did not look injured at all. Did he also have some method to recover quickly?

Or was the black-clothed old Daoist someone else entirely?

Zhai Wangyou withdrew her thoughts and said calmly, “From today onward, Xi Zhou will serve as the managing disciple of my Beishan Peak. Come with me.”

No matter what disturbances there were, she wanted to keep this person before her eyes.

If there was a problem, she could act in time to stop it. If there was no problem, she could protect her.

Everyone watched Xi Zhou follow behind Zhai Wangyou, envy rising in their eyes. Aside from Fairy Wangyou and her daughter, disciples usually were not allowed to set foot on Beishan Peak. Now, there was a third person.

On the road.

Zhai Wangyou said calmly, “Elder Nanshan is at Spirit Division, but I do not think [unauthorized copy]he is that black-clothed old Daoist.”

Whether it was his figure, his tone of voice, or the feeling he gave off, none of them seemed like the same person.

So aside from her, there were two other Spirit Division cultivators. Perhaps the cultivation world was not as fallen as it appeared on the surface.

All these years, there had always been people searching for methods to break through. Who knew how many had successfully broken through and then deliberately suppressed their cultivation?

Xi Zhou also thought of this. “Then can Elder Nanshan be trusted? If he is an enemy and not a friend, won’t we have to deal with two Spirit Division cultivators?”

Zhai Wangyou shook her head and said nothing. She did not know either.

Before her master died, her inner core had been dug out. The same had happened to Zhou Baihui. Now Chong Wen had been added to the list. Who was behind this chain of events? And what was their purpose?

Just then, a soft, childish call came from behind them.

“Mother, Mother…”

Little Xinghui ran after them with small steps. Guanlan followed a few steps behind her, watching over her carefully.

Zhai Wangyou bent down and picked up her daughter, saying to Guanlan, “Thank you for your trouble, Junior Sister Guanlan.”

Guanlan waved her hand. “Senior Sister is joking. I still have things to do, so I’ll go back first.”

Before leaving, she pretended not to care as she glanced at Xi Zhou. Secretly, she frowned. Although she was a beauty, why did she look a little dazed?

Zhai Wangyou turned around with her daughter in her arms and looked at the person who had not moved since earlier. “This is your…”

If she said Xinghui’s mother, there were no mutual vows between them, nor did they have the status of Dao companions.

“Pretty Auntie, hug.” Before Zhai Wangyou could decide how to introduce her, Little Xinghui spoke first, stretching her arms toward Xi Zhou for a hug.

But Xi Zhou’s eyes were dazed. After suddenly returning to her senses, she looked as if she had been frightened and took two steps back.

“Um, I’ll go to the outer sect and pack my luggage. You two go ahead.”

After saying this, she fled down the mountain as if flying.

Little Xinghui’s mouth turned downward, her voice aggrieved. “Pretty Auntie doesn’t like hugging Xinghui.”

Zhai Wangyou looked at that fleeing figure, and her heart turned sour. “No need to bother with her. Mother will hold you.”

Mother and daughter turned and went up the mountain. Their red-clad backs looked lonely.

On the other side.

Xi Zhou ran quickly down Beishan Peak. After looking back once, she returned all the way to her room.

She raised her hand to cover her burning forehead and began [Read on BaiLianTales]transmitting a message to the tree demon.

“This is the final chance to transmit a message. Do you have news of the little fox?” The tree demon’s voice sounded beside her ear.

“Tree demon senior, is this talisman inaccurate?”

Why was it that when she had just seen Little Xinghui, the talisman on her forehead had burned so fiercely it was practically one step away from jumping out to tell her that Little Xinghui was full of the little fox’s scent?

But that was Eldest Senior Sister’s daughter!

And also… also her daughter. How had she become some little fox?

The tree demon fell silent for a moment. “Occasionally, perhaps it can malfunction.”

Xi Zhou let out a long breath. “I knew it. No wonder sometimes I sensed something, and sometimes I didn’t. It’s good that it’s inaccurate.”

“However, if you encounter the little fox, it will burn fiercely. Once you find the person, this talisman will more or less lose effect. You found the little fox, didn’t you?”

Xi Zhou frantically shook her head, and her heart rose again. “No. It only malfunctioned. It hasn’t lost effect. Look, we can still transmit messages now. Doesn’t that prove it hasn’t lost effect? In other words, I haven’t found the little fox yet… Senior? Can you still hear me? Senior?”

Her forehead cooled. That talisman seemed to have disappeared completely, and she could no longer hear any sound from the other side.

Xi Zhou froze. This had to be an illusion!

Heavens, send someone to wake me up. I must be dreaming.

“Xi Zhou, Xi Zhou, are you back?”

Xi Zhou shivered. How had someone really come to wake her up?

It was Zhou Zhouzi’s voice.

“It’s good that you’re back. Hurry and give me those three spirit stones. You still have one more on you, right? I’ll buy that one too.” Zhou Zhouzi’s voice was somewhat urgent.

Xi Zhou gave him the three spirit stones according to their agreement. “What happened to you? I won’t give you the fourth one for free. But considering our relationship, I can give you a cheaper price.”

Zhou Zhouzi seemed to remember something and said fiercely, “I’ll give you ten thousand taels. I need to break through quickly and avenge my cousin.”

“What? Ten thousand taels? You don’t need to support me. I have money now.” Xi Zhou shook her head. She had sold two spirit stones in the secret realm and earned seven thousand taels. She was no longer that short of money.

Author’s Note:

Xi Zhou: Not short of money~

Zhou Zhouzi: I don’t know this big idiot.

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