Wei Chenyin watched Wei Yunqing struggle to keep her composure and shook her head inwardly. This one was hopeless.
She did not bother with more words. With a wave, she said, "Since you are back, spend more time with your mother. She misses you."
Not a single word about Wei Lingyue.
Wei Yunqing rose, cupped her hands, and turned to visit Du Ruolan. She wanted to know what had happened in the Wei clan and to Wei Yunxi during the years she had been away.
Seeing her daughter, now much more mature, Du Ruolan's eyes went red with emotion. She gripped Wei Yunqing's hand. "Qing'er, you are finally home."
"Mother, why are you so haggard?"
Wei Yunqing looked at Du Ruolan's face, which had taken on a hint of hardship.
In fact, thanks to the clan-supplied Rejuvenating Liquid, Du Ruolan's appearance was still quite young. But her mood had been poor. With Wei Lingyue in seclusion, there was no one by her side, and Wei Yunxi was outshining her daughter in everything. In status and prestige, Yunxi far surpassed Yunqing. Brooding on these slights, wrestling with herself, she naturally grew wan over time.
Now that the pillar of her heart had returned, Du Ruolan poured out her complaints, grumbling this and that about the hardships of these years and urging her daughter to surpass Wei Yunxi. It made the corner of Wei Yunqing's mouth twitch. Her mood soured further.
Was it that she did not want to trample Wei Yunxi under her foot? She simply could not do it yet.
Wei Yunqing asked roughly about the Kunyu city branch of the Wei clan. Only then did she learn that the Liu clan, once one of Kunyu city's four great houses, had had its Ancestor defect to evil cultivators and lead the entire clan onto a dead-end path. They had now been stricken from Kunyu city's rolls. Cold sweat broke out on her back, and she was grateful she had gotten rid of the evil soul early.
For that she had the artifact spirit of the crimson bracelet to thank. She touched her wrist subconsciously. The crimson bracelet had lost its invisibility function. With the spirit's dissipation, its grade had fallen and the space within had shrunk. Now only her spirit could enter, not her true body.
She had returned to the sect this time precisely to fuse a few high-grade refining materials she had acquired into the crimson bracelet, restore it to its former grade, then slowly nourish a new artifact spirit, giving herself another life-saving card.
Impatient with Du Ruolan's endless chatter, Wei Yunqing stayed one night at the Wei estate, then returned to Haoran Sect.
The moment Wei Yunqing appeared in Qianling City, the Hive received word. By the time she entered the sect and went to the Inner Sect Disciples Hall to replace her identity jade tablet, Yunxi had already been informed.
"Tsk tsk. That cockroach that will not die is back. Tough one. I wonder what chance she stumbled on this time."
Yunxi rubbed the Hive token at her waist and murmured.
Dian Dian climbed onto Yunxi's knee, shook its black ears, and sent a voice transmission. "Master, shall Dian Dian ask friends on Lingshou Peak to keep an eye on her movements?"
Yunxi laughed. "Dian Dian, I did not expect your network to be so wide. You even have friends on Lingshou Peak?"
Dian Dian rubbed its forepaws. "Hehe. Dian Dian has never been to Lingshou Peak. A friend of a friend is there, so Dian Dian can make contact."
Yunxi said, "Have your friends watch Wei Yunqing's movements and inform you of anything unusual. This time, she will definitely make a circuit of the Law Enforcement Hall.
"I just wonder which dark corner Zuo Qiu is hiding in. He can really burrow. And that Li Chang, one avatar after another. You kill them and somehow they are not dead."
Dian Dian nodded vigorously. "Dian Dian understands. Will notify them now. These bad people will be taken down by Master sooner or later. Do not worry."
"Perfect. I am going to the Disciples Hall to register for the Five Region Grand Tournament. I can greet Wei Yunqing on the way."
Yunxi scooped up Dian Dian. With a flicker, she stood at the foot of Lingxue Peak, then sauntered into the Inner Sect Disciples Hall.
At that moment, Wei Yunqing was swaggering as she had Elder Han exchange her identity jade. She looked back and froze when she saw Yunxi.
Yunxi swept Wei Yunqing with her divine sense, noting that the other's cultivation was steady at early Nascent Soul, with a thick killing aura. On her wrist, the crimson bracelet had revealed its true form. It had lost its former luster. Its grade had clearly fallen.
Noticing Yunxi's gaze, Wei Yunqing smoothed her sleeve to cover the bracelet and said, "Little Sister Yunxi, congratulations on your recovery."
Yunxi nodded. "This Zhēnjūn has been out for a while now. I learned you were stabilizing your cultivation at Yunmen Temple and worried for you. I even sent a message to Yun Chen Fózǐ to look after you. From your current aura, your realm should be solid."
At the words Yunmen Temple, stabilize cultivation, Yun Chen Fózǐ, Wei Yunqing's face sank. She had not expected Yunxi to have her movements down to the detail. She frowned. "I did not know you were so concerned about me."
"Of course I was. I nearly died at your master's hand."
Yunxi lobbed the bomb.
A jolt ran through Wei Yunqing's heart. What she thought in the next instant was why her master had failed. Then her face went pale. If Yunxi was alive, that meant something had gone wrong with Zuo Qiu. Otherwise Yunxi would not be here to block her.
She blurted, "Wei Yunxi, what nonsense are you spouting? How would Master Zuo Qiu strike at you?"
Yunxi's smile turned sharp. "Save it for the Law Enforcement Hall. Zuo Qiu did not just strike at this Zhēnjūn. He did other things. You are his only disciple. Do you think you can wash your hands of it?"
Anxious now, Wei Yunqing flashed, intending to race back to Lingshou Peak. But before she could leave the back hall, Hao Yan Zūnzhě blocked her path.
Hao Yan's phoenix eyes blinked. "Wei Yunqing, your master Zuo Qiu harmed fellow disciples, was captured, showed no remorse, colluded with evil cultivators, and defected from the sect. You will now come to the Law Enforcement Hall for questioning."
Wei Yunqing's body went rigid. She could not move. The woman before her felt extremely dangerous. She swore that if she dared the slightest resistance, the other could cut her down on the spot.
So she swallowed and said, "I... I am willing to go to the Law Enforcement Hall and be questioned. Though I entered Zuo Qiu's tutelage, that was a transaction between us for protection. I truly do not know what he did—"
Hao Yan sounded disappointed at the lack of resistance, her tone languid. "Save those words for the Law Enforcement cultivators. If you have done nothing, they will not wrong you."
With that, she swept Wei Yunqing away and vanished from the hall.
Elder Han, who had trembled through the entire exchange, waited until Hao Yan Zūnzhě departed. Then he edged up to Yunxi. "Wei Zhēnjūn, is this true? Zuo Qiu has betrayed the sect?"
Yunxi nodded. "True. The Law Enforcement Hall has been investigating for some time. To draw Zuo Qiu out, they deliberately allowed Wei Yunqing to leave the sect.
From the looks of it, Zuo Qiu never approached his only disciple, so Hao Yan Zūnzhě took her straight in for questioning."
Elder Han drew a sharp breath. Zuo Qiu was a Divine Transformation Zūnzhě. How could he do such a thing?