Seeing Yuan Qing so resolute, Lin Xiao nodded but didn't immediately accept him. Instead, he said:
"Since you've made your choice, follow me. Our sect has a Wenxin Road, similar to the Wenxin Stone in your sect. You'll need to pass through it before officially joining."
Lin Xiao led him to the start of Wenxin Road.
"If you pass, simply continue walking up this path, and you'll reach the sect."
When they arrived at Wenxin Road, Yuan Qing was a little surprised to find that the peach blossom path was actually the road Lin Xiao had mentioned. Without hesitation, Yuan Qing stepped forward and entered.
Seeing that he wouldn't awaken from the trial anytime soon, Lin Xiao, Jiang Youfu, and Liao Pantu headed back to the sect.
At this time, most of Lingxian Sect had just finished their morning cultivation and were beginning their secondary activities.
With Jiang Youfu away, the disciples had been making do with hurried lunches, or sometimes skipping meals entirely.
After their experiences in the Green Wild Secret Realm, everyone had gained a lot, replenishing the sect's storage significantly.
Upon their return, it was Xiao Luan, who was scolding Da Tao, that first noticed them.
"Coo coo coo!"
Having not seen them for a while, Xiao Luan was so excited that it abandoned Da Tao and ran over to greet them.
Lin Xiao and the others couldn't help but wince when they saw the pile of feathers around Da Tao, indicating a rather rough treatment.
Jiang Youfu pulled out a bag of roasted wheat seeds from his storage pouch, giving some to Xiao Luan and then offering another handful to the dejected Da Tao.
"Xiao Luan, you can't always bully Da Tao. You're the master, you should be teaching it properly," Jiang Youfu said to the bird.
Xiao Luan tilted its head, confused. "Coo?"
Lin Xiao pointed towards the academy below the mountain and added, "You should take some time to observe Sun Shixiong. See how he teaches."
Xiao Luan looked in the direction of Lin Xiao's finger, although it couldn't see anything from there.
Lin Xiao then noticed that Xiao Luan had grown even bigger, with its bright feathers now reaching his chest. Looking at the nearby straw shed, he realized it wouldn't be long before it couldn't contain the bird anymore.
With a sigh, Lin Xiao thought to himself that building a proper training ground for the spirit beasts would soon need to be a priority. Even though the sect only had three beasts, one of them, with a Nascent Soul-level beast core, was growing stronger even without much cultivation.
Reminded of all the tasks waiting for him, Lin Xiao didn't linger. After a few more words of advice to Xiao Luan, he and Jiang Youfu went their separate ways.
Lin Xiao headed straight to the sect's spiritual fields.
Sure enough, from a distance, he could already spot his father, Lin Dayou, busy working around the fields.
"Father!" Lin Xiao called out.
Lin Dayou turned, seeing his son rushing towards him, and after giving him a once-over, simply nodded, "Back already."
He then turned back to his pest-control array, continuing his work.
Noticing his father's cool demeanor, Lin Xiao knew it was just his father's way of holding back his emotions. Grinning, he moved closer and teased, "Father, this won't do. How come you're only at Qi Refinement level three after all this time? Even your disciple Mo Yuanjiao has reached Foundation Establishment!"
Though Lin Xiao hadn't seen Mo Yuanjiao in person yet, he had quickly checked Mo Yuanjiao's current progress in his mind and confirmed that he had indeed reached Foundation Establishment.
"Get lost! Aren't you supposed to be the sect master? Don't you have anything better to do? Go handle your responsibilities and stop hovering around here, being an eyesore," Lin Dayou snapped, unfazed by the fact that his disciple was progressing faster than he was. He figured Mo Yuanjiao was a smart kid, and it made sense for him to advance quickly.
As for Lin Xiao, Dayou felt his son was just asking for trouble, and his hand instinctively reached for his shoe—a reflex from when he used to discipline his son. However, unlike the old grass shoes, the new sect-issued ones weren't as easy to slip off and use as a weapon.
Seeing his father's movement, Lin Xiao wisely turned and bolted.
"Father, you carry on. I just remembered I have business with Tuzi. See you later!"
After checking in with his father, Lin Xiao made his way to the administrative hall, where he handed over the payment from the earlier transaction on behalf of Liu Chun to Liu Yunan, who was busy inside.
"Brother Xiao, you're back!"
Handing over the storage pouch with the payment, Lin Xiao nodded and explained:
"We found Elder Liu's sister, but she was harmed by a villain. Her condition is poor, but luckily, the Yuan family of Yuanling City has a hot spring suitable for her recovery, so she's being treated there. Elder Liu is staying with her for now and won't be able to return for a while."
Liu Yunan was familiar with the Yuan family, as Lin Xiao had mentioned them before when explaining the situation in the cultivation world. Given their business dealings with Duobao Pavilion, they would likely need to visit Yuanling City often, so the family was bound to come up.
"In the future, whenever we send people to Yuanling City for trade, make sure they stop by the Yuan family to check on Elder Liu. Bring him some supplies and ask if he needs anything or has any instructions," Lin Xiao instructed.
Liu Yunan nodded and took note of everything.
After finishing, Liu Yunan began updating Lin Xiao on the recent developments within the sect:
"Most of the sect members entered the Green Wild Secret Realm this year. Jiang He and I went to negotiate with the imperial court, and the royal family has agreed to let us establish a liaison shop in the capital. As for the campaign against Huan You Kingdom, according to confidential reports from the court, they've already begun mobilizing their forces, and the war is expected to officially start in the fall."
Hearing this, Lin Xiao frowned and asked:
"Are they planning a full-scale war, not just targeting the royal family and the sects that support them?"
Liu Yunan nodded.
"That seems to be the case. The court has been preparing troops, and General Mo left with the army about a month ago."
Sitting at the table, Lin Xiao drummed his fingers, deep in thought.
Sensing his concern, Liu Yunan continued:
"The court's primary goal is still to overthrow the Huan You royal family. However, war seems inevitable because after the royal family falls, neighboring countries will have to take over their citizens. To ensure the people accept the new rulers, the war is necessary."
Many commoners didn't understand the bigger picture. For them, without a visible conflict, it would be difficult to accept the fall of their kingdom. That's why not only would there be war, but it had to be a loud, visible campaign—one that would leave no doubt about the outcome.