Far away in the Central Region, Xiao He was still anxiously waiting for news. He had no idea if his younger sister had been rescued or if the evil cultivators had noticed anything suspicious. Just then, the jade pendant at his waist lit up.
Xiao He sent his divine sense into it, and his expression darkened. He left his rented courtyard and headed straight to the largest teahouse in the city.
This was one of the most remote cities in the Central Region, and even its largest teahouse only had two floors. Xiao He was familiar with the route and quickly found his reserved private room, waiting quietly for the person who had summoned him.
After the time it took for one incense stick to burn, a figure appeared across from him.
Xiao He cupped his hands in greeting: "Young Master, may I ask what new mission you've called me here for?"
The person's face was entirely hidden under a hood, making it impossible to tell whether they were male or female. But from the title Xiao He used, it was clearly a man. His calm, emotionless voice said: "Your sister Xiao Lei has been killed."
"What?"
Xiao He shot up from his chair, his voice cold as he snarled: "You promised me you wouldn't harm my sister. That was the only reason I agreed to work for you! Now that my sister is gone, our deal is void. I won't let you get away with this!"
By the time he finished speaking, his face was twisted with killing intent, like a wolf ready to tear someone apart.
But the man's voice remained calm and unshaken: "You're blaming the wrong people. We didn't kill your sister. It was the Dao cultivators. Our organization merely sent her into a secret realm under our control to better protect her and allow her to cultivate in peace where spiritual energy was abundant.
Unfortunately, their reaction was too swift. Not long after she entered, Dao cultivators broke into the secret realm, killing your sister and our people alike. They even destroyed the entire secret realm, leaving no trace behind."
Xiao He said coldly: "That's just your story. Why should I believe you?"
"You can investigate yourself. The disappearance of a secret realm is no trivial matter. I only hope you don't misdirect your hatred and take revenge on the wrong people.
Dao cultivators have always been hypocrites. They preach that sacrificing one or two lives for the cultivation world is worth it, but tell me, why don't they sacrifice their own loved ones, their disciples, their sect members? Laughable, isn't it?"
He tossed Xiao He a jade slip. "This is your new mission. Whether you accept it is up to you. Losing you means little to us, but without our help, you might never even find the true culprit to take revenge on."
As soon as he finished, his figure faded away and vanished.
Xiao He caught the jade slip, his expression complicated. He sent his divine sense into it, narrowed his eyes after reading the contents, then stored it in his ring. One thing was certain—he would investigate.
Haoran Sect, Back Mountain
Yunxi carried the unconscious Xiao Lei to meet Ancestor Hao Yi and explained the mission details. She was careful to clarify:
"Ancestor, I didn't destroy the secret realm. It had already been ruined by evil cultivators. During my fight with them, they detonated a Golden Core in a puppet they controlled. I wasn't injured, but the blast severely damaged the secret realm and hastened its collapse.
So, not long after I left, that fixed secret realm vanished entirely."
Ancestor Hao Yi had already received news that the Su Family's secret realm had disappeared, so she wasn't surprised. She readily accepted Yunxi's explanation. After all, what was done was done. As long as no one connected the disappearance to Haoran Sect, everything was fine.
If Yunxi had known her Ancestor's attitude, she would have given her a cheeky thumbs-up.
Seeing that Ancestor Hao Yi had no intention of blaming her, Yunxi asked: "Ancestor, how should Xiao Lei be settled?"
"Send her to recover first. Then have her contact Xiao He as soon as possible. You've fulfilled your promise by rescuing her. Now it's his turn to fulfill his end of the deal."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Yunxi took Xiao Lei to see Hao Qing Zūnzhě next, planning to heal her with the Qingye Pools.
Because Xiao Lei's identity had to remain a secret, she couldn't use a token from the Disciples' Hall to access the pools. So Yunxi came directly to take a shortcut.
When she arrived at the entrance guarded by Hao Qing Zūnzhě, she greeted him with a smile and a cupped-fist salute: "Hao Qing Zūnzhě, this junior has a favor to ask."
Hao Qing sipped his spirit wine and chuckled: "What is it?"
"I'd like to borrow a pool to heal someone's injuries."
Hao Qing raised a brow. "You don't look injured."
Yunxi chuckled softly: "It's the target of my mission who is injured. She was almost turned into a puppet by evil cultivators. Although I purged her of their corruption using different flames, her meridians are severely damaged, and she's been unconscious ever since.
I'll need her help for my next mission, so I have no choice but to impose on you for this favor."
She handed him Ancestor Hao Yi's token with a polite smile.
Hao Qing didn't bother questioning Hao Yi's judgment. After confirming the token's authenticity, he waved his sleeve to lift the restrictions. "Go in and choose one yourself. If you want to keep things quiet, don't use the central pool. Stay close to her."
"Yes, I understand."
Yunxi nodded gratefully and went inside. She chose a pool tucked in a corner, then waved her sleeve to gently place Xiao Lei into it.
The water slowly submerged Xiao Lei's body. Its pure spiritual energy seeped into her, nourishing her damaged meridians.
Yunxi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion at the pool's edge, keeping a close eye on Xiao Lei while recording her mission findings onto a blank jade slip. Afterward, she sent the slip into the Hive.
Yu Ling quickly noticed the message amid the pile of jade slips. After scanning its contents, she placed it in a separate compartment before moving on to the rest.
Seven days later, Xiao Lei finally stirred awake. The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a familiar face. She blinked, unsure if she was dreaming.
Yunxi noticed her awakening and set aside her jade slip. "How do you feel?"
Only then did Xiao Lei realize she was soaking in a pool, but the pain inside her body had mostly faded. She leaned against the pool's edge and whispered: "I feel much better. You… you're Wei Yunxi?"
"I am."
Yunxi nodded. Since she was in her sect, she wasn't using a disguise. Xiao Lei had no idea the one who rescued her was also Yunxi.
"And the senior who saved me before…"
"She had other tasks and entrusted you to me. You could say fate ties us together. It works in mysterious ways."
Hearing that, Xiao Lei smiled bitterly. Indeed, she'd never imagined things would come to this point. Who could truly untangle grudges and debts?
Yunxi saw her lower her head, so she lifted her sleeve, carrying her out of the pool, and flew her back to Lingxue Peak.
By the time Xiao Lei regained her senses, she was standing in a quaint courtyard.
"This is my cultivation peak. You can heal and train here without worry. I've already prepared the resources you'll need.
But first, send a message to your brother. Let him know you're safe, and be careful not to arouse suspicion from the evil cultivators."
She tossed Xiao Lei a storage pouch as she finished speaking.