Zi Lingling said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "All my things are here. What do you think?"
Zi Jinling, already incredibly annoyed from not finding the items, had her anger flare up intensely after being met with Zi Lingling's sarcastic remark.
"You..."
But before she could speak, she was interrupted by Madam Wang, who had regained her composure.
Although Madam Wang's expression was far from pleasant, she had to force a smile for the sake of the family head's token. "Ling'er, you're misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding? Do you think these things grew legs and walked away?" Zi Lingling sneered.
A hint of coldness flashed through Madam Wang's eyes before she replied with a fake smile, "Didn't you say that once Zixin Pavilion was tidied up by your second aunt, your things would be moved over?"
Zi Lingling's lips curved into a charming, devilish arc. "Second aunt means that Zixin Pavilion is now habitable for me, and you arranged for people to move my things here?"
Madam Wang nodded. "Of course! Why would your second aunt want your things? They're not valuable!"
Zi Lingling stared at Madam Wang with a half-smile for a long time, making Madam Wang increasingly uneasy.
'Strange! Am I imagining things? Why are this little vixen's eyes so sharp all of a sudden?' Madam Wang pondered inwardly.
Suddenly, Zi Lingling revealed a faint smile. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Second Aunt! Since Zixin Pavilion is mine now, Second Aunt and Second Sister, please leave."
Madam Wang was taken aback. This little vixen's attitude had changed too quickly! She had been so insistent just moments ago, and now she was suddenly showing them the door? Madam Wang felt her mind struggling to keep up with Zi Lingling's shifts.
However, she was not willing to leave without any clues about the family head's token.
"Ling'er, look, although the things have been moved here, they're still in disarray and haven't been properly arranged. Why don't Second Aunt help you tidy up?"
"No need. Xueying will handle it," Zi Lingling refused without a second thought. She had things to do and no time for pleasantries with Madam Wang.
The smile on Madam Wang's face froze.
"Shameless... Zi Lingling, my mother was being kind and helpful by offering to tidy up. How could you be so rude as to refuse?" Zi Jinling said indignantly.
"Are you sure it was kindness, or was it something more sinister?" Zi Lingling's icy gaze swept over Zi Jinling, sending a chill down her spine.
"You... you are too harsh!"
"Mother, let's go!" Zi Jinling grabbed Madam Wang and turned to leave.
Madam Wang had initially wanted to stay and subtly inquire about the whereabouts of the family head's token. Seeing Zi Lingling's attitude, she knew it was not the right time. Therefore, she didn't resist when Zi Jinling pulled her away.
As Zi Lingling watched them leave Zixin Pavilion, she instructed Xueying to close the courtyard gate. Afterward, she and Xueying roughly organized the scattered belongings filling the courtyard before entering the room.
The furnishings of Zixin Pavilion could be described as luxurious. After a thorough inspection, Zi Lingling pulled Xueying to sit down and asked, "Xueying, do you know if my father left me anything special?"
Xueying thought for a moment and shook her head. Zi Lingling understood. She told Xueying to go rest and then took off the pendant around her neck, examining it closely. However, after studying it for a long time, she found nothing unusual.
Just as Zi Lingling was about to give up, Elder Du from the Nine Spirit Ring suddenly said, "Little girl, this item has a fluctuation of formations on it!"
"Formations?" Zi Lingling was surprised.
Elder Du manifested his spiritual form. Although still a soul body, he appeared much more energetic. He nodded. "Yes, if I'm not mistaken, this item is inscribed with the Illusory Concealment Formation!"
"Illusory Concealment Formation? What is that?" Zi Lingling asked, confused. Although she had a vast range of knowledge in her past life, she was utterly clueless about formations.
Elder Du stroked his beard. "The Illusory Concealment Formation primarily focuses on concealment, that is, to hide the item's true appearance and transform it into what one wants others to see."
"What kind of technique is that?" Zi Lingling asked, full of curiosity.
Elder Du glanced at her haughtily. "Although the Tianyuan Continent reveres spiritual energy, it's not only spiritual practitioners here. Besides spiritual practitioners, there are also alchemists, pill refiners, artifact refiners, formation masters, beast tamers, and so on."
Zi Lingling had initially thought that spiritual practitioners were already beyond her comprehension. But after hearing Elder Du's explanation, she realized that what she knew was merely the tip of the iceberg of the Tianyuan Continent. It seemed she would need to delve deeper into the culture of this continent when she had time.
"Then how can the Illusory Concealment Formation be broken?" Zi Lingling was very eager to know the original appearance of this pendant. More importantly, she wanted to confirm if this pendant was indeed the Zi family's head token.
"Every formation has a base. Once the base is found, the formation can be broken," Elder Du's goat beard twitched as he continued, "But the base of a formation can only be found by another formation master."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Zi Lingling's eyes. Elder Du's implication was clear: Zi Lingling was not a formation master, and thus, she was incapable of breaking the Illusory Concealment Formation. However, in the next moment, a spark of light reappeared in her eyes. She gave a sly smile. "Elder Du, you can tell that this item is inscribed with the Illusory Concealment Formation, which means you must have a profound understanding of formations, right?"
Elder Du proudly stroked his goat beard. "Of course! Before I became the spirit of the Nine Spirit Ring, I used formations to trap armies of thousands!"
"You mean, you are not the original spirit of the Nine Spirit Ring?" Surprise flashed in Zi Lingling's eyes.
Mentioning this, Elder Du immediately wilted, his proud expression vanishing instantly. "Of course not. I was forced to become the spirit of the Nine Spirit Ring due to an injury." As he spoke, Elder Du's soul trembled, appearing deeply angered.
Seeing Elder Du's state, Zi Lingling knew he likely had many stories to tell. She remained silent, patiently waiting for him to elaborate. To her surprise, after a moment of silence, Elder Du changed the subject. "I myself am a formation master, so naturally, I know of the existence of the Illusory Concealment Formation."
Although Zi Lingling was curious about Elder Du's past, she was not a gossipy person, so she didn't press him when he was unwilling to speak. Instead, she followed his lead. "Then, Elder Du, how can the Illusory Concealment Formation be broken?"
Elder Du was grateful that Zi Lingling didn't pry further, thus his approval of her grew. This time, he didn't put on airs and explained seriously, "The Illusory Concealment Formation is divided into two parts: the illusory formation and the concealment formation. However, the key lies in the concealment formation. In other words, once the concealment formation is broken, the illusory formation will collapse on its own."