The news of Sect Leader Jingqiu's vanished corpse was kept under strict wraps by Xu Yi and the elders of Mingyue Pavilion, a silent agreement between them.
Xu Yi wished to avoid tipping off their enemy, while the elders of Mingyue Pavilion were concerned with the sect's reputation. If outsiders learned that Mingyue Pavilion couldn't even safeguard their own Sect Leader's body, how could they command the respect of other cultivators?
Sect Leader Longhua of Mingyue Pavilion felt both fear and resentment towards Xu Yi. Xu Yi held too much compromising information about Mingyue Pavilion, yet they were powerless to silence her. Instead, they had to invite Xu Yi to stay in Mingyue Pavilion, a situation that filled Longhua with frustration.
Xu Yi accurately guessed Longhua's thoughts, finding it amusing. She readily accepted the invitation. She intended to stay in the area to await reinforcements anyway, and would have proposed it herself even if Longhua hadn't. The fact that Longhua brought it up made her position even more advantageous.
And so, Xu Yi and her retinue settled into Mingyue Pavilion. The news spread, leaving countless Mingyue Pavilion disciples stunned. Among them, Lan Kereng, who had previously clashed with Xu Yi, was naturally the most unsettled. Upon hearing the news, her face turned deathly pale, and she almost lost her footing.
Ever since that day when she was publicly humiliated, Xu Yi had become a haunting presence in Lan Kereng's mind, an inescapable nightmare. The thought of possibly encountering Xu Yi again made Lan Kereng's heart pound and her limbs go weak.
At this moment, Lan Kereng suddenly recalled how wonderful Sect Leader Jingqiu had been. She had always found her master to be strict, unapproachable, and biased towards her junior sister. When she learned of her master's death, she felt nothing. But as long as her master was present, Lan Kereng felt a sense of security, never worrying about being bullied and unable to retaliate.
"Master, Master..." Lan Kereng knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
...
Two days later.
"Ancestor Xu, a disciple named Fei Hua from the Beast Taming Sect has arrived. He claims to be looking for you. I've had him shown to a guest room to wait."
Xu Yi opened her door and looked at Longhua Zhenren, who was waiting outside. "The person I was waiting for has arrived. Please gather Sect Leader Zhan of the Fire Talisman Sect and your people, and wait in the mourning hall."
Longhua Zhenren nodded gravely and then called for a disciple to guide Xu Yi to the guest room, while she herself went to gather the personnel as instructed.
The disciple who led the way for Xu Yi was a young girl with a sweet appearance. She was very curious about Xu Yi's identity and kept stealing glances at her. However, perhaps due to Longhua Zhenren's instructions, she dared not speak to Xu Yi throughout the journey.
Xu Yi paid little attention to her; her mind was entirely occupied by the mysteriously vanished Sect Leader Jingqiu. Upon reaching the guest room, she eagerly bypassed the young disciple and entered the room first.
"Junior Brother Fei, you've arrived so quickly. You must be tired from your journey."
"Senior Sister Xu, you are too kind. I'm already very happy that you thought of me," Fei Hua said with a cheerful smile. "Please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything I can do to help."
After receiving Xu Yi's message two days prior, Fei Hua had not dared to delay. After informing his master, he set out alone from the Beast Taming Sect for Mingyue Pavilion. Yin Li and Zuo You had wanted to accompany him, but Changshou Zhenren had stopped them before they left, stating there were other arrangements. Fei Hua was happy with the prospect of traveling alone, having been constantly managed by his senior brothers and sisters on his previous journey, and his steps were noticeably lighter. Especially being able to be with Senior Sister Xu, Fei Hua had no worries about his safety, and his mood was joyful, his smile bright.
"Let's go. I need to take you somewhere. This mission depends entirely on you."
Knowing that time was of the essence, Xu Yi didn't exchange pleasantries with Fei Hua and led him towards the mourning hall. The young disciple watched them go, wanting to follow, but then bit her lip in frustration and stopped.
Xu Yi had only visited the mourning hall once, but she had already memorized the route and quickly led Fei Hua to the entrance without needing directions. At this time, the six elders of Mingyue Pavilion and Zhan Fei and others were already waiting outside the mourning hall.
"Allow me to introduce everyone. This is Fei Hua, a disciple under the tutelage of Sect Leader Changshou of the Beast Taming Sect."
Fei Hua cupped his fists in a salute. "Disciple Fei Hua greets all seniors."
After everyone had paid their respects, Xu Yi introduced everyone's identities to Fei Hua one by one. After some pleasantries, led by Longhua Zhenren, everyone entered the mourning hall together.
"Junior Brother Fei, I've asked you here this time to borrow your treasure-hunting rat to help me find someone." Xu Yi stopped in front of the coffin and said to Fei Hua.
Everyone present was startled by the way Xu Yi addressed Fei Hua. Xu Yi was the ancestor of the Xuanji Sect, yet she addressed this young disciple as Junior Brother Fei. Didn't this mess up the generational order? They looked at Fei Hua, eager to gauge his reaction.
Fei Hua grinned. "I knew Senior Sister Xu was looking for Xiao Bao when she contacted me. I'll let Xiao Bao come out right away."
Everyone:! He actually agreed and even called Xu Yi Senior Sister Xu! Was he unaware of Xu Yi's status, or was their relationship so close that he dared to address her this way? A hint of envy flickered in their eyes.
Chi Xiaoxi stared, appraising Fei Hua from head to toe. She couldn't see anything particularly special about him. Why was he able to call Senior Xu by her honorific as Senior Sister? How fortunate!
Fei Hua, with his simple nature, didn't notice the meaningful glances from others. He reached for his spirit beast pouch, and with a clasp and unclasps of his hands, a fluffy treasure-hunting rat appeared.
Chi Xiaoxi's previously jealous gaze transformed into a pool of spring water the moment she saw the treasure-hunting rat. Her lips parted slightly as she shrieked inwardly: So cute! So cute! How can there be such an adorable little mouse!
"Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao, time to work," Fei Hua called softly.
The treasure-hunting rat lazily flicked its tail and remained motionless. It was pampered by Fei Hua and only did as it pleased. It wanted to sleep and ignored Fei Hua's calls.
"Cough." Seeing this, Xu Yi gave a low cough.
The treasure-hunting rat's ears twitched. It sensed the strange atmosphere in the air and was startled. It immediately crawled from Fei Hua's palm to his collar, peeking out cautiously. When it saw Xu Yi looking at it with a smile, its tail trembled, and it finally understood the source of the impending crisis.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
"Senior Sister Xu, Xiao Bao says it's ready." Fei Hua breathed a sigh of relief, having worried that Xiao Bao would embarrass him in front of so many people. He had worried for nothing.
Xu Yi chuckled and, to Fei Hua's astonishment, suddenly pushed aside the coffin lid. "The person I'm looking for is the one who was originally lying in this coffin."
"A dead... dead person?" Fei Hua almost bit his tongue. He had never expected Xu Yi to ask him to find a dead person. But how could a dead person run out of a coffin?
"Yes, this person is very important to us. It's all up to you and Xiao Bao." Xu Yi's expression was solemn.
"I understand. We'll do our best!" Fei Hua gritted his teeth and agreed, placing the treasure-hunting rat into the coffin to collect the scent.