The Perplexed Search and the Tormented Protagonist

Xia Yi, utilizing his Purification power while preparing the fishing spot, scanned the newly admitted inner disciples, yet found no trace of Zhen Aoyu.

This utterly perplexed Xia Yi.

‘This shouldn’t be happening.’

‘Given Zhen Aoyu’s strength, there’s no logical reason he wouldn’t have become an inner disciple.’

‘Could it be that he never came to the Azure Feather Immortal Sect?’

‘That’s impossible, too; the Demon Sword suppressed here is crucial to him.’

‘It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it holds half of his destiny; how could he possibly abandon it so readily?’

‘Could he have mastered some other method of disguise?’

‘No, that’s not right either. Besides the Absolute Resentment Heavenly Art, what other cultivation technique could possibly deceive the Azure Feather Immortal Sect’s detection?’

‘He’s the protagonist, after all! There’s no way he failed even the inner disciple assessment, is there?’

‘Impossible, absolutely impossible!’

****

Meanwhile, within a certain herb garden of the Azure Feather Immortal Sect.

“You damn brat! Get to work faster! A mere dozen acres of herb garden takes you an entire morning to water! No wonder you couldn’t pass the inner disciple assessment. And you look so ordinary, clearly a good-for-nothing. Spits!”

Zhen Aoyu, now merely a common disciple, was being tormented by a heavily made-up, corpulent woman in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Yet, despite the corpulent woman’s endless insults and provocations, Zhen Aoyu, contrary to his usual self, endured it all.

‘Boy, the Demon Sword is extraordinary for you. You must hold back; you absolutely cannot be expelled from the Azure Feather Immortal Sect over such a trivial matter. Once you’re kicked out, obtaining the Demon Sword will become incredibly difficult.’

‘I know!’

Zhen Aoyu kept his head down, obscuring his expression, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed the simmering rage he was suppressing.

Faintly, one might have even heard the grinding of his teeth.

Thus, Zhen Aoyu silently endured the corpulent woman’s barrage of insults and harassment.

It wasn’t until an hour later, when the corpulent woman’s makeup was practically smeared from her incessant yelling, that Zhen Aoyu still showed not the slightest reaction.

Having run out of words, she finally hurled a few more threats before storming off.

Watching the corpulent woman’s entire body jiggle as she retreated, the murderous intent in Zhen Aoyu’s eyes almost solidified and spilled forth.

After leaving the herb garden, the corpulent woman made her way to the office managing the gardens, where someone was already waiting for her.

“My lord!”

“How did it go?”

The one awaiting the corpulent woman was none other than Li Junying.

“My lord, that brat was like a turtle retracting its head; no matter how much I cursed him, he wouldn’t fight back. My makeup was smeared from all the yelling, and he still didn’t move a muscle.”

“If he didn’t retaliate, then keep cursing him until he does. Here is your reward.”

With a flick of his wrist, Li Junying conjured a hundred low-grade spirit stones onto the table.

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you! I promise to do everything in my power to make that brat get expelled from the Azure Feather Immortal Sect!”

Upon seeing so many spirit stones, the corpulent woman’s eyes narrowed into slits from her wide grin. Her greasy, sweaty hands swiftly scooped up the spirit stones.

“Hmm…”

Li Junying merely gave a slight nod before departing.

“Hmph, hmph, brat. Blame yourself for provoking someone you shouldn’t have.”

The corpulent woman, having tasted a reward, revealed a cruel smile in her eyes.

Although she had no idea how this unremarkable common disciple had managed to offend a Spirit Peak disciple.

Still, she was merely taking money to do a job, and he was just a common disciple. Expelling him from the Azure Feather Immortal Sect would be effortless, wouldn’t it?

On the other side, Li Junying, who had already become a Spirit Peak disciple, took out a communication jade slip and truthfully recounted Zhen Aoyu’s ordeal from that day.

From the other end of the jade slip came a single reply: ‘[Continue. Make Zhen Aoyu get expelled from the Azure Feather Immortal Sect at all costs, but do not kill him.]’

Li Junying responded with a quiet “Yes,” then cut off the communication.

****

Turning back to Xia Yi, after a prolonged and fruitless search, he decided to first catch the cultivation technique spirit fish.

If Zhen Aoyu was determined to hide, Xia Yi knew there was little he could do.

Furthermore, rather than passively searching, it would be better to wait like a hunter by a tree stump, allowing Zhen Aoyu to come to him.

Zhen Aoyu’s objective was the Demon Sword, and Xia Yi only needed to ensure it didn’t fall into his hands.

Therefore, the most pressing matter at hand was to enhance his own strength.

The protagonist, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, would surely have grown immensely powerful by the time he reappeared.

“It’s on the hook!”

Bing Yingying’s surprised cry broke through Xia Yi’s thoughts.

Xia Yi turned his head to look, witnessing Bing Yingying strenuously reeling in her rod, as a cultivation technique spirit fish, seemingly woven from threads, was pulled out of the cloud sea by her.

The instant the spirit fish soared out of the cloud sea, it transformed into a streak of light and darted into the token held in Bing Yingying’s hand.

Bing Yingying examined the cultivation technique within her token, discovering it was a rare Thread Weaving Art!

This filled Bing Yingying with delight, as she already possessed the complete Ice Lotus Heavenly Phoenix Art and thus lacked no corresponding spells or techniques.

Her presence here was solely due to her unwillingness to squander an opportunity to acquire a cultivation technique.

She never expected such a pleasant surprise.

After a brief perusal of the Thread Weaving Art, Bing Yingying was thrilled to discover it contained numerous sewing techniques she had never encountered.

Once she mastered this Thread Weaving Art, she—or rather, the many ‘beautiful and practical’ outfits from Xia Yi’s mind—could finally be sewn.

She was already eager to see Xia Yi’s dumbfounded expression.

“It seems Yingying is quite pleased.”

Observing Bing Yingying’s silly grin, Xia Yi knew she must have acquired an excellent cultivation technique.

“Mm! Husband, let me tell you…”

Hearing Xia Yi’s words, Bing Yingying nodded vigorously, then leaned close to his ear, whispering something softly.

Subsequently, a certain ‘well-versed in attire’ pervert revealed an expression of disbelief and astonishment.

“Well, Husband, aren’t you looking forward to it?”

“Not at all.”

“Eh?! Why not?”

“Because Yingying is always the sight I anticipate most, even without those clothes.”

Gently taking Bing Yingying’s soft, jade-like hand, Xia Yi said with a grin.

“Husband, you’re truly naughty~ To punish my naughty husband, tonight we shall… how about it?”

“This… perhaps it’s not appropriate.”

Bing Yingying’s words made Xia Yi’s heart pound fiercely for a moment, but recalling Pei Yunxiang’s warning, he still tried to resist.

“What’s inappropriate about it? Besides, I haven’t been doted upon by my husband for three days now.”

“Ahem, ahem, Yingying, let’s discuss this matter when we get back.”

The couple’s intimate interaction, carried out as if no one else were present, had already drawn murderous glares from many surrounding disciples.

Not only were they failing to catch fish, but they also had to be force-fed dog food. What’s next, are you going to prepare a fishing spot too?!

Hearing Xia Yi’s reminder, Bing Yingying finally moved a little further away, yet their clasped hands remained intertwined.

Only then did the murderous glares from around them largely dissipate, as everyone resumed their fishing endeavors.

Xia Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief, leading Bing Yingying by her soft hand back to his own fishing spot.

As it was his first time fishing, Xia Yi didn’t know the exact duration for preparing a fishing spot, though he vaguely recalled it should take about an hour.

With an entire day dedicated to fishing, Xia Yi wasn’t particularly rushed.

While Xia Yi waited for his fishing spot to settle, the surrounding disciples suddenly erupted in gasps of astonishment, all turning to gaze in a single direction.

Following their gazes, Xia Yi saw that it was none other than The Hanging Woman, saturated with resentment, who had reeled in a cultivation technique spirit fish accompanied by an unusual phenomenon!