As the sect master of a major sect, even if heaven and earth turned upside down, he had to maintain composure for the sect’s reputation and couldn’t panic. So although he was very confused about what was currently happening, Heng Yan’s expression remained very calm, and his sitting posture was also very proper.

“Sect Master Jinyue is too polite. As fellow sect disciples, helping each other is what we should do.” Heng Yan still felt somewhat strange. Although Kong Hou was very talented in cultivation, she had only entered the cultivation world for a short six years. Her understanding of the cultivation world was limited, and her cultivation was also limited. What could she help Sect Master Jinyue’s personally transmitted disciple with?

He called his personally transmitted disciple Wu Chuan to receive this Liuguang Sect personally transmitted disciple, preparing to ask Wang Tong what exactly was going on.

Wu Chuan and the Liuguang Sect disciple sat face to face. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Liuguang Sect disciple finally couldn’t help but say: “I’ve heard that Daoist Wu Chuan is very accomplished in swordsmanship. I wonder if you could instruct me a bit?”

Wu Chuan’s hand paused as he was drinking tea. He silently sighed in his heart, put down his teacup and said: “I dare not speak of instruction—let’s just spar with each other.”

Wu Chuan wasn’t the least bit surprised that the Liuguang Sect disciple made this request. Over all these years, as long as he encountered Liuguang Sect disciples, eight out of ten would seek to spar with him. As a sword cultivation disciple of Yunhua Sect, what else could he do? Of course he could only agree.

Compared to Liuguang Sect’s swordsmanship, Yunhua Sect’s swordsmanship was more gentle and graceful, defending oneself so tightly that not even water could leak through. Liuguang Sect’s swordsmanship was more austere and deadly. Every move was as if precisely calculated, striking directly at weaknesses. Magnificence was the least necessary thing in their swordsmanship.

Wu Chuan also acknowledged that the most orthodox sword dao was at Liuguang Sect. But the most orthodox wasn’t necessarily the most suitable. His cultivation was similar to this personally transmitted disciple’s. After a round of sparring, they still hadn’t determined victory or defeat.

“Daoist Wu Chuan has excellent swordsmanship.” The Liuguang Sect disciple had sparred very enjoyably, and his speech became more casual. “In the future, our two sects should increase our interactions.”

Wu Chuan returned his sword to its sheath, feeling somewhat odd inside. Liuguang Sect was a sect that emphasized rules very much. Their customs and habits were vastly different from their Yunhua Sect. So although everyone maintained a friendly exchange status, they had absolutely not reached the point of sharing resources and frequently interacting.

This kind of sect that loved to keep a straight face twelve hours a day actively came to tell him they should increase interactions—this was more terrifying than their sect’s disciples becoming obsessed with cultivation every day.

Could it be that Liuguang Sect had an economic crisis and wanted to borrow spirit veins from them?

The grand number one major sect in the cultivation world, with even Yuxiao Sect as one of its subsidiary sects—surely they weren’t lacking spirit stones? Although their Yunhua Sect was the largest landowner among the ten major sects, they treated common people well and never collected high land rents. In terms of wealth, they were only middling among the ten major sects. If Liuguang Sect was looking for help, wouldn’t they be better off going to Zhaohan Sect?

The Liuguang Sect disciple wasn’t skilled at observing people’s hearts, so he didn’t see the surging emotions beneath Wu Chuan’s calm face. He brought out the greatest enthusiasm of his life to build rapport with Wu Chuan. When leaving Yunhua Sect, he thought with satisfaction that Yunhua Sect must have felt their sincere desire to establish good relations.

After sending off the Liuguang Sect disciple, all of Yunhua Sect’s elders and peak masters gathered together, discussing Liuguang Sect’s intentions.

“Perhaps they’ve detected evil cultivator movements and want to have a closer relationship with us so we can jointly resist the enemy later?”

“Liuguang Sect’s conduct has always been neither servile nor overbearing. Moreover, eliminating evil cultivators and protecting common people is our duty. Liuguang Sect knows our sect’s principles. They wouldn’t specially come to curry favor for this kind of matter.” Elder Shujiu shook his head. “It shouldn’t be this kind of thing.”

“Either way, it won’t be a bad thing. With Liuguang Sect’s character, they absolutely couldn’t harbor any ill intentions.” Elder Qiushuang played with her bright red fingernails, languidly. “We can’t discuss anything concrete now anyway. Since they say it’s to thank our Kong Hou for taking care of their disciple, then we’ll just listen to that. In any case, these things were delivered to our door by them—it’s not like we shamelessly went to beg for them.”

Wang Tong, sitting below, twisted his bottom: “Shishu Qiushuang, our Kong Hou is still a child. Always being used as an excuse by them like this isn’t quite appropriate either.”

“What’s inappropriate about it?” Qiushuang raised her willow-leaf eyebrows. “Our Kong Hou is good-looking and highly talented. Even if her name spreads throughout the entire cultivation world, it wouldn’t be undeserved fame. Just because Zhaohan Sect is allowed to boast about that Lingbo every day, our Kong Hou isn’t allowed to have her beautiful reputation spread far and wide?”

“Moreover, half of that Lingbo’s reputation was blown up by Zhaohan Sect themselves. Our Kong Hou is still more accomplished—she only went out to train for less than a month, and other sects are already sincerely praising her.” Qiushuang slapped the table. “For us women, the most important thing is to establish our fame. In the future when traveling in the cultivation world, only then can we be respected everywhere.”

Although Elder Qiushuang’s words were somewhat arrogant, not a single male cultivator present dared to refute her. As a third-ranked artifact refining master in the cultivation world whose cultivation had reached the Spirit Severing stage, who dared be disrespectful before her?

Wang Tong imagined his little disciple having a glorious future like Shishu Qiushuang’s and instantly stopped talking.

His Kong Hou was a five spiritual root genius. In the future, she would definitely be formidable.

After traveling for three days, the group of Kong Hou, Huan Zong, and Lin Hu finally arrived outside Yicheng’s gates. The imposing and dignified city gate, the silver-armored gate guards, the clean and tidy clothes on pedestrians coming and going—all were displaying its prosperity to outsiders.

Every cultivator had their own life tablet, allowing them unimpeded passage in all major cities and provinces. After entering Yicheng, listening to the peddlers’ calls outside, the sounds of talking and laughing, Kong Hou lifted the carriage curtain to look outside for a while before asking Huan Zong: “Huan Zong, which inn are we staying at tonight?”

“We’re not staying at an inn today.” Huan Zong lowered his eyelids. “Today we need to visit someone.”

Kong Hou was slightly stunned, then said: “Then I’ll go stay at an inn. You can come find me after you finish your business.”

“You don’t want to go with me?” Huan Zong’s lips pressed together more tightly.

“I’m an outsider. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go with you.” These days she had grown accustomed to being with Huan Zong and Senior Lin. Suddenly hearing they had other arrangements, Kong Hou felt a moment of unease. But it was only for a moment. She didn’t have the bad habit of disturbing friends when they had business to attend to.

“To the person we’re about to visit, I’m also an outsider.” Huan Zong lowered his head. His pale hand gripped the teacup, unconsciously rubbing it. “I’m going to request a medicinal ingredient.”

Kong Hou understood. This ingredient must be one of the catalysts to cure Huan Zong’s body. Thinking of such a perfect person as Huan Zong having to travel everywhere requesting medicine from people because of poor health, she felt somewhat distressed. “I’ll go with you.”

“Thank you. Am I putting you in a difficult position?” Huan Zong put down the teacup, and his curved fingers also began to relax.

“How could it be difficult?” Kong Hou carefully observed Huan Zong’s expression. “Huan Zong, do you need many medicines?”

“Many.” Huan Zong looked at the teacup on the table, his expression extremely calm. “There are over ten ingredients that are very rare. The sect doesn’t have them either. My elders worried I’d be too stifled staying in the sect, so they let me come out to relax and also search for these medicinal catalysts. If I happen to find one or two, that would be good fortune.”

In fact, both he and the sect were very clear—if the entire sect couldn’t gather all the medicines, how could he gather them by coming out? It was just holding onto an impossible hope, letting him pass his remaining days more happily.

“I’ll help you find them.” Seeing Huan Zong’s casual manner when mentioning his body, Kong Hou grabbed his sleeve and said seriously: “Huan Zong, I’ll search together with you. My senior brothers all say I have especially good luck. With me here, we’ll definitely be able to find all the medicines.”

Huan Zong looked up at the young woman’s serious and solemn appearance. The hand gripping his sleeve used great force, as if this way she could help him grasp all hope.

“Really, we’ll definitely be able to find them.” Kong Hou tugged his sleeve. “In our old Ji family’s eighteen generations of descendants, I have the best luck.”

What was being pulled was clearly his sleeve, yet Huan Zong felt his heart grow tight and sour, as if it too were being grasped by a tender white hand, even stopping its beating for a few moments.

“Alright.” Huan Zong’s brows and eyes were touched by mortal warmth. “Thank you.”

“What thanks? If we’re friends, don’t be so polite.” Seeing that Huan Zong’s expression finally had some liveliness, Kong Hou smiled until her eyes curved. “Then who are we visiting in a bit?”

“Wuming Zhenren.” Huan Zong said. “His temperament is eccentric. He’s most skilled at pill refining and is one of the three great alchemists in the cultivation world. He has countless rare flowers and herbs in his collection. Perhaps he has the medicinal catalyst I need.”

“Generally, people whose names are Wuming, Wuqing, or Wuchen all have rather strange temperaments.” Kong Hou rubbed her chin. “I think it would be better if I knock on the door later.”

“Why?” Huan Zong didn’t understand.

“You’re too good-looking. You might not be liked by the same sex. This Wuming Daoren also has an eccentric personality. What if he can’t stand your handsome face?” Kong Hou pointed at her own face. “Before elders, someone with my kind of appearance might be more popular.”

Huan Zong laughed despite himself. After all, she was a young girl who thought of these cultivators who had lived for over a thousand years so simply. However, seeing Kong Hou so confident about her own appearance, Huan Zong still nodded and said: “You make sense. We’ll have to rely on you in a moment.”

“No problem.” Kong Hou pulled out a small mirror and checked her face. Very good—her hair wasn’t messy, and her makeup hadn’t smudged. “Going through fire and water for a friend is what one should do.”

“Young Master, Miss Kong Hou, we’ve arrived at Wuming Medicine Hall.” Lin Hu’s voice came in.

Huan Zong and Kong Hou lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage. Before them was a very magnificent wooden building with the two characters “Wuming” hanging outside. An old man in gray robes sat in a rocking chair sunbathing, not even lifting his eyelids once.

“Senior, are you Wuming Zhenren?”

The old man lifted his eyelids to glance at Lin Hu. Just as he was about to raise his head, after seeing Huan Zong behind him, he lay back down again and said coldly: “No. Don’t talk to me.”

“Senior…” Lin Hu’s words hadn’t finished when the old man pulled a piece of paper from his robes and threw it to Lin Hu, then turned his back to the master and servant pair, determined not to speak.

Lin Hu bent down to pick up the paper from the ground. On it were written several crooked characters.

【Won’t save good-looking men.】

He silently turned to look at Kong Hou and handed the paper to Huan Zong. What was it that Miss Kong Hou had just said to Young Master in the carriage?

“Senior Lin, what’s wrong?” Kong Hou quietly approached Lin Hu and took the paper from Huan Zong’s hand to look at it.

Kong Hou: “…”

This really couldn’t be blamed on her jinx mouth—it could only be blamed on that dark jealousy between men.