The elder sister said, "Your master is in seclusion. Not to mention you, even I cannot see her. You should give up this idea early." The woman in green shook her leg, her face indifferent.
"Senior Sister, Master has always been benevolent and helpful to the world. My father was struck by a palm from that villain. Only her Qingxin Miaoxian Pill can save his life. Moreover, and moreover," the woman in white's voice trembled, "if my father hadn't been injured while protecting the items in the Sword Washing Pool..."
The woman in green chuckled, her brows full of disdain, "Ying Caiwei, are you blaming Master?"
"Senior Sister~" Ying Caiwei, the woman in white, shook her head desperately. "How dare I blame Master? It's just that the group of thieves said they would return tomorrow. If my father still doesn't hand over those things then, I'm afraid..."
"That is your family's business, what does it have to do with our sect? Besides, our sect does not participate in external disputes. Do not mention it again!" The woman in green's expression grew colder, showing no intention of helping.
"But the items in the Sword Washing Pool are what Master needs. If they are lost, I fear Master will punish us upon emerging from seclusion. Neither you nor I can bear the consequences~" Ying Caiwei didn't want to pressure her with that item, but at this point, only that item could save her entire family.
"Hmm? Are you threatening me? Hmph, what if it's just your excuse?" The woman in green was clearly displeased and did not welcome her secular disciple, the younger sister.
"Senior Sister just needs to accompany me down the mountain, and the truth will be revealed."
Seeing Ying Caiwei's expression wasn't one of lying, and indeed concerned about the loss of Master's entrusted items, the woman in green considered for a moment and then called two junior sisters who were practicing qi.
"Zhiran, Zhixuan, you two haven't been down the mountain to travel yet, have you?"
The two women, slightly older than Ying Caiwei, nodded in agreement.
"Very well, you two accompany her down the mountain. Investigate the situation, and then report back."
The two accepted the order, but saw Ying Caiwei still kneeling on one knee, refusing to get up. Her delicate body swayed like willow branches in the wind.
"What, not leaving yet?"
"Please, Senior Sister, grant me the Qingxin Miaoxian Pill." Ying Caiwei bowed her head so low it almost touched the ground, her shoulders trembling slightly.
The woman in green snorted coldly, "Don't push your luck. Do you think this is a charity house? Moreover, that kind of pill can only be refined by Master, and is also kept by Master. I don't have that much authority."
Ying Caiwei was merely a secular disciple, and naturally didn't know these secrets. As soon as the woman in green spoke, her body swayed from side to side as if she had lost her last lifeline. She actually fainted.
"Senior Sister, Junior Sister seems to be injured."
Zhiran placed her hand on Ying Caiwei's wrist. Her pulse was erratic, and coupled with the arduous journey over mountains and valleys, her already frail breath seemed like a lost soul, colliding wildly within her body.
"It's good that she fainted. You two take her back, and by the way, retrieve those items from the Sword Washing Pool first." The woman in green raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at Ying Caiwei's face, which could captivate any man, and felt a surge of anger.
Zhixuan bowed slightly, not noticing the expression on her Senior Sister's face at all, and immediately asked, "But if those people tomorrow cannot find the items after we retrieve them, then Junior Sister's family will be in trouble..."
*Slap!*
The young woman in green was instantly enraged. She reached out and delivered a resounding slap, making Zhixuan dizzy.
"You all have quite the nerve! Have you forgotten the fourth precept!" The woman in green, with her furrowed brows and angry glare, had none of the ethereal grace of an immortal. She was clearly a shrew. She said coldly, "You two, after taking her back, you will return and copy our sect's precepts 100 times. Go now!"
Zhiran and Zhixuan dared not say anything more, and could only take turns carrying Ying Caiwei down the mountain.
About half an hour after leaving the mountain gate, they saw the mountain shrouded in light mist. Pine peaks were layered with green, and specks of light occasionally hid among the clouds, or shone through gaps in the trees onto the rolling green grass, appearing light and graceful.
However, no matter how beautiful the mountain scenery was, it could not alleviate the pent-up frustration in the hearts of the two women.
About an hour later, they saw a dilapidated tent hidden beside a clear water and cold pool. A waterfall hung behind the door, and when the wind blew, it scattered like flying flowers and shattered jade, cascading onto several hundred-year-old trees. It slid down the lush, verdant leaves, truly peaceful and elegant. However, a man in white shorts greatly disrupted the ancient and elegant scenery.
Without a doubt, that man was Ren Yuanhao. He had navigated through layers of obstacles, risking his life from poisonous insects and snakes, and had been targeted by a few wild boars, running three to five li to escape their hooked fangs. However, upon reaching his destination, he couldn't see a single person. Just as he was about to step inside, he suddenly saw a red dot representing his employer and data on his phone.
"Employer Name: Ying Caiwei
Gender: Female
Occupation: Blacksmith
Age: 18
Relationship History: None
Bust-Waist-Hips: Won't tell you."
"System, you're a bit cheeky."
Ren Yuanhao grumbled, then stared at several missed calls on his phone, feeling a headache coming on.
That's right, he had forgotten to inform his aunt about the whole matter concerning the ring. He also didn't know how to bring it up. Before he could think of a good excuse, he decided he would refuse to answer the phone no matter what.
At this moment, Zhiran, carrying Ying Caiwei, descended to the front of the tent. Ren Yuanhao observed them. The two women were dressed in simple yet elegant robes and moved with light steps, clearly not ordinary women. Just as he was about to ask, he was stunned by their cold gazes.
"Whoa, this is true aloofness, a gaze that kills! Are cultivators all this cold?"
He swallowed his words before they could be spoken. He saw the two women place Ying Caiwei on the cold steps outside the tent and then quickly push the door open to enter.
Ren Yuanhao then realized that the woman who was placed down was the employer, Ying Caiwei.
He was curious and quickly stepped forward. Although he wasn't skilled in taking pulses, it wasn't difficult to observe the girl's condition through her internal energy to see why she had fainted. As soon as he took her pulse, his heart chilled.
Her shoulders were lowered, and a cluster of energy was congested slightly above her left chest. This energy was like a stubborn rock lodged between her heart and veins. The attacker had attacked from the front with a swift and cruel hand.
Ren Yuanhao coldly got up, and suddenly saw the two women emerge slowly from the tent. Their expressions were strange, and they were about to leave when Ren Yuanhao blocked their path squarely.
"You two ladies have extraordinary attire. I didn't expect your skills to be so exceptional. Are you just going to leave after injuring Caiwei?"
Ren Yuanhao knew that the two must be hidden cultivators from the deep mountains. As he spoke, he deliberately channeled three parts of his qi, his voice booming like thunder. Their clothes billowed without wind!
"Who are you? How can you hold my junior sister like this? What kind of behavior is this?"
This was the first time the two had descended the mountain. Seeing Ren Yuanhao's peculiar clothing, shorts and a shirt, they sensed an air of vulgarity about him. Witnessing his frivolous demeanor, Zhiran coldly reprimanded him like a sharp sword.