Yunxi traveled swiftly, returning ahead of time to the Wei family estate in Haoran City.
The guards stationed at the gates immediately sent a message talisman to the family head upon seeing Yunxi appear, opening the gates to welcome her in.
There were plenty of curious cultivators loitering nearby. Some sharp-eyed onlookers had already recognized Yunxi and whispered among themselves:
"That's the Wei family's most promising disciple. She's already a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn at such a young age. The Wei family truly can't be underestimated anymore."
"Are you talking about Wei Yunxi, the one who joined Haoran Sect's Lingxue Peak?"
"That's her."
"Tsk tsk! I just got fresh news that this Wei Zhēnjūn took on three Nascent Soul cultivators who blocked her path and killed them all."
"What? Seriously?"
"It's true. The news came from 'Know-It-All'."
A hiss of cold breaths spread through the crowd. To defeat a cultivator of equal rank one-on-one was already impressive, but for Wei Yunxi to take on three at once and return unharmed to Haoran City, words like "formidable" no longer sufficed.
The rumors of Wei Yunxi's unmatched battle prowess spread like wildfire. Even after it was clarified that she had only slain one cultivator whose body had been seized by an evil cultivator, the earlier rumor had already circulated too widely. As a result, whenever Yunxi faced others in battle, opponents without absolute confidence in defeating her would simply choose to back down. This saved Yunxi from many unnecessary troubles.
Yet at this moment, Yunxi carried a heavy heart as she stepped into the Wei family estate. Her first words to Wei Lingtao were:
"Patriarch, please gather all the clan elders in the council hall. I have something important to announce."
Wei Lingtao's heart sank when he saw Yunxi's expression, though he nodded without hesitation."Alright. I'll summon them immediately."
Within less than one incense stick of time, the Wei family elders and all key clan members assembled in the council hall. Everyone was overjoyed to see Yunxi at first, but their excitement turned to unease when they noticed her solemn expression, mirrored by the Patriarch's. An ominous feeling took root in their hearts, and Yunxi's words confirmed their fears.
Yunxi spoke in a deep voice: "When I rushed back to the Wei family estate in Kunyu City, I unexpectedly discovered evil cultivators had infiltrated the clan and set up a sinister formation outside our ancestral grounds, intending to trap and kill me."
She recounted her entire experience in Kunyu City in detail, from her battle with the evil cultivators to every encounter. At the end, she swept her sleeve, placing the storage pouches of the Third Elder and the fallen disciples, as well as the Wei family's resources left in Kunyu City, onto the table. Her tone was grave:
"Having suffered repeated losses at my hands, the evil cultivators will never let this go. Thus, I have decided that the Wei family should abandon our ancestral lands in Kunyu City for now. Once our clan is strong enough, future generations can reclaim them themselves."
Wei Lingtao clenched his fists, composing himself before he said solemnly: "Yunxi, you handled this well. This tragedy stems from the schemes of those evil cultivators. If you had fallen into their trap, the Wei family would be facing even greater hardship. This outcome is already the best we could hope for.
Fortunately, you had the foresight to relocate most of the clan members here to Haoran City. Otherwise, the Wei family would have been annihilated."
Yunxi waved her hand gently. "The clan is my foundation. Moving you all to Haoran City was so I could protect you. Had you remained far away in Kunyu City, even if I had the heart to help, I wouldn't have had the strength to turn the tide. I hope the elders will not hold it against me."
"Yunxi, you shouldn't say that. The blame lies not with you but with those despicable evil cultivators!"
One elder quickly spoke up in support.
The rest of the elders composed themselves as well, accepting the bitter news. Though this setback would weaken their morale for a time, they silently rejoiced that their family's foundations had not been crippled. What remained now was to comfort the families of the fallen disciples.
Seeing the elders regaining their composure, Yunxi swept her sleeve again, covering the council hall floor with piles of spirit stones, pills, and magic treasures. The elders widened their eyes in shock as Yunxi spoke calmly:
"There's an old saying in the mortal world: 'To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.' One day, I will ascend, and I won't always be here to shield the Wei family. We must invest heavily in training our younger disciples. Do not hoard resources. Only by making them strong can the Wei family truly grow strong.
If they encounter a crisis like today's, they should at least have the power to retaliate, or at the very least, retreat with their lives intact."
Wei Lingtao immediately stood up and cupped his fists to Yunxi in thanks, then turned to address the others: "Everyone, since Yunxi joined Haoran Sect, she has already given far more to this family than we could have hoped. Resources, connections, strategies for growth, and guidance for our younger disciples—she has provided the very best advice, making me, the Patriarch, feel ashamed. Even if we cannot aid Yunxi, we must never become her burden."
"Patriarch is right. The family's growth is not Yunxi's responsibility. It is ours. She has already paved the road ahead for us. Let's focus now on nurturing our younger generation.
Even if it means burning through spirit stones and pills, we must produce more Jīndān Zhēnrén. We cannot let others look down on the Wei family, nor can we tarnish Yunxi's name."
"Fifth Elder speaks the truth."
The elders nodded one after another.
Seeing their morale rise, Yunxi left the rest of the clan matters in the Patriarch's hands. She would only provide guidance and resources but had no intention of meddling in the clan's daily affairs.
Not long after she returned to the courtyard reserved for her, Wei Zonghao also came back.
Upon hearing from the guards that Yunxi had returned, Zonghao changed his path and came straight to her courtyard.
Yunxi looked up at the young man before her, now half a head taller than her, and smiled with emotion. "Zonghao, you've finally outgrown the nickname 'Little Chubby.'"
Wei Zonghao gave a sheepish grin before sitting down when Yunxi pulled him over. His expression soon turned serious. "Yunxi, when I returned to the sect from my training, I heard you had been gravely injured and even endured two Divine Transformation tribulation bolts in place of Yu Ling Zunzhě. How could you be so reckless? That was Divine Transformation lightning. I was terrified you wouldn't survive! If Master Yu Huo hadn't said you were safe and only in deep sleep, I would have rushed straight to Lingxue Peak."
"Ah, it was a desperate situation. I had no choice."
Yunxi waved her hand dismissively and recounted how Zuo Qiu had plotted against Yu Ling. Wei Zonghao's eyes widened in shock. "He had already reached Divine Transformation and was only a step away from minor ascension. Why would he ruin his own future?"
"Jealousy," Yunxi said coolly.
"Then Wei Yunqing took a fallen cultivator as her master?"
Yunxi smirked. "Exactly. For now, the sect has suppressed the news of Zuo Qiu's betrayal. It will be revealed at an opportune time. Keep this to yourself for now.
Zuo Qiu's soul has escaped. No one knows what face he'll wear when he returns. Wei Yunqing, as his only disciple, has been under close surveillance. The sect will not let this happen again, nor will it let what happened to my master repeat itself."
"That's a relief."
Wei Zonghao let out a breath of relief, then ran a hand over his storage pouch and pushed a wooden box toward Yunxi. "This is a Substitute Puppet I found in the cave mansion of an ancient puppet master during my training. It can take a fatal blow in your place. Quickly, bind it as yours."
"This is too valuable. You should keep it for yourself. My cultivation is higher than yours, after all."
But Wei Zonghao's tone turned firm. "Your cultivation may surpass mine, but your enemies are evil cultivators, ruthless and without limits. I fear you'll fall victim to their schemes. You must take this Substitute Puppet."