Zong Yi stretched his neck, constantly peering at the entrance. "They said they were at the door, why haven't they come in yet?"
Xi Wen smiled, "Master, Uncle-Master Jun will arrive soon. If you keep looking forward to it like this, people will misunderstand."
"Who wants to see her?" Zong Yi muttered in a low voice. "I just want to see if that scoundrel is still alive."
Xi Wen just smiled and said nothing. His master clearly cared about Boss Xiao's injuries, but he was stubborn and kind-hearted. He also wanted to go out to welcome them, but his master wouldn't allow it, so he could only wait patiently.
At this moment, several figures appeared at the door. Zong Yi's gaze swept over Xiao Man first, then fell on Jun Fei'er.
"Fei'er is here."
"Senior Zong." Jun Fei'er quickly bowed.
"Your cultivation still hasn't improved much recently." Zong Yi glanced at Xiao Man. Not bad, she was already at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. It seemed that this injury had turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her.
"My cultivation has been stuck at the late stage of Foundation Establishment for a long time, and I've been unable to advance." Jun Fei'er sighed. "However, my cultivation is all built up with pills. My foundation is unstable, and it's normal that I can't form a core."
"Since you know where the problem lies, you should find a way to solve it," Zong Yi said unhurriedly. "Otherwise, your disciples will surpass you."
Jun Fei'er looked at Xiao Man with pride. "The student surpasses the teacher, this is a good thing."
Zong Yi glared at her and looked at Xiao Man. "Come forward."
Xiao Man obediently walked to Zong Yi. "Greetings, Elder Zong Yi."
"Extend your hand."
Xiao Man complied.
Zong Yi took Xiao Man's pulse, and when he was sure that Xiao Man's pulse was stable and her body had fully recovered, he finally felt relieved.
"You brat, you should restrain your fearless nature and cherish your life." Zong Yi said earnestly. "Next time you encounter an enemy you can't defeat, prioritize saving your life. The life of a cultivator is very long. If you can't defeat them today, and you keep your life, one day, you will be able to get revenge."
"I will heed the elder's teachings."
"Bo Chen, bring me the magical artifact I made."
"Yes, Master." Bo Chen went out for a moment and came back with a tray, covered with a red cloth, so that no one could see what was inside.
"Elder Zong Yi, what new wonder have you created this time?" Xiao Man asked curiously.
Xi Wen stepped forward and uncovered the red cloth. Xiao Man's gaze immediately locked onto a concealed crossbow. This concealed crossbow looked very similar to the one she had, but it was only similar in appearance.
Xiao Man reached out and picked up the concealed crossbow, examining it carefully. Zong Yi saw this and smiled, "You have good taste. This concealed crossbow was not made by me. I bought it at a high price from an auction house. I bought two in total. After I took one apart, it could no longer be repaired. The remaining one is yours as a thank-you gift for saving Bo Chen."
"Thank you, Elder Zong Yi."
"Also, I heard from Bo Chen that your shield was damaged, so we made a new shield for you." Zong Yi picked up the shield and showed it to Xiao Man. Xiao Man's eyes lit up.
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder."
"That damaged shield, have you dealt with it yet?" Zong Yi asked with a deep look.
"Not yet."
"Give it to me."
Xiao Man immediately handed the damaged shield to Zong Yi. Zong Yi took a look and instantly crushed the damaged shield in his hand into powder.
"Elder, why is this?"
"You are too audacious. Not only did you snatch someone's belongings, but you didn't even hide them properly, and you dared to use them openly. The Lieyang Sect acts with integrity, and every sect has a few bad apples. However, the Seven Sects are united, and you should still be mindful."
Xiao Man immediately understood that Zong Yi was warning her not to lay hands on the disciples of the Seven Sects.
"Elder, please rest assured, your disciple has always adhered to the principle of 'I don't offend others unless they offend me'."
Zong Yi opened his mouth, wanting to lecture her a bit more, but ultimately decided against it. He knew Xiao Man's personality. If she was willing to listen, a word to the wise would suffice. If she wasn't willing to listen, no amount of talk would be useful.
"Bo Chen, take your Uncle-Master Jun to choose a magical artifact."
"Yes, Master, Uncle-Master Jun, please."
Jun Fei'er glanced at Xiao Man and gracefully left. Only the three of them remained in the room, and Zong Yi finally spoke, "Tell me honestly, did you kill the disciples of the Canglang Sect?"
"Yes."
"Why did you kill them?"
"They killed my people." Xiao Man's tone was normal, with no trace of embarrassment at being exposed.
"What about the disciples of the Lieyang Sect?"
"The disciples of the Lieyang Sect were killed by the Canglang Sect. I happened upon them, and the disciples of the Lieyang Sect framed me to escape. I exposed his scheme, poisoned the disciples of the Canglang Sect, and killed them all."
Zong Yi took a deep breath and didn't speak in a hurry, because in this matter, it was hard to say who was right or wrong. After all, they wanted your life, so you couldn't just offer your neck to be slit.
"Can you guarantee that you won't harm the disciples of the Seven Sects anymore?"
"No," Xiao Man said frankly. "Senior Zong Yi, as I said, I adhere to the principle that if others do not offend me, I will not offend them. If others offend me, I will pursue them even if they are far away."
Zong Yi sighed, somewhat helplessly. "The matter of Yan Family Fort, is it related to you?"
"You think too highly of me. I was severely injured by Zang Xu and have been recuperating at the Hundred Herbs Hall," Xiao Man explained. Although she didn't kill anyone from Yan Family Fort, she probably knew who the killer was, but she wouldn't tell Zong Yi.
"It's good that it wasn't you." Zong Yi's worry lessened slightly. "Yan Family Fort has close ties with the Jin family. If you are involved in the extermination of Yan Family Fort, you'd best cover your tracks completely."
"Senior, please rest assured, it has nothing to do with me." Xiao Man said slowly. "However, there is something I would like to ask your advice on."
"What is it?"
"Elder, do you know who this concealed crossbow came from? Or, which power it belongs to?" Xiao Man's tone was calm, as if she were merely curious.
"The auction house manager refused to disclose any information about the other party. However, I can guess that this item likely originated from Fengling City."
"The Jin family?"
Elder Zong Yi nodded slowly. "The Jin family is involved in many areas, such as elixirs, artifact refining, and martial arts. Moreover, the people of the Jin family are skilled in business. The Jin family is the wealthiest of the five great families."
"Is the auction house related to the Jin family?"
"Yes. The second young master of the Jin family, Jin Yao, often travels abroad to search for various rare treasures. This person is quite cunning and resourceful. Originally, the Jin family's affairs should have been handled by the eldest young master. This second young master and the current matriarch of the Jin family are both cunning and resourceful. They not only seized the position of manager, but also that eldest young master... Alas, the Seven Great Sects are powerless to resist the aristocratic families."
Zong Yi subtly reminded Xiao Man that Xiang Jian had disappeared in Wuji City. If the Jin family wanted to eliminate all potential threats, they would inevitably start with her, so she needed to be prepared in advance.