Indeed, who would be the one to cast the spell? Or rather, who was the mastermind behind it?
Yi Zhiye and Namu Zhong led Shen Xiaoyan and the others out, speaking as they walked, "This is the courtyard my father brewed. I didn't live here before."
"Exactly, my courtyard is nearby. We'll live there. If anything happens here, it'll be convenient to come."
Hearing Yi Zhiye say they didn't share a courtyard with Yi Maodun, Shen Xiaoyan and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief in their hearts.
It wasn't that they were being overly reactive. Apart from Zheng Wei's mother, Kong Huangwei, with whom they had spent some time, they had never lived together with elders before. If they were to live in the same courtyard, wouldn't there inevitably be friction? Shen Xiaoyan didn't want to feel wronged in this regard, nor did she want to cause any difficulty for Yi Zhiye. Of course, she didn't think Yi Maodun or Yin Susu were bad people; it was just that maintaining a safe distance would make it easier to get along.
As the group was talking, to their surprise, Yi Zhiye and Namu Zhong stopped just as they stepped out of the courtyard gate. Shen Xiaoyan wondered why they suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence. Looking ahead, she saw a group of people standing not far away.
The person at the forefront was dressed in white, with hair as black as ink. His face was handsome, his features as beautiful as a painting, and he exuded a pleasing aura. Considering all the handsome men she had seen since her transmigration, this was the first one who made her feel a sense of dislike. Although he was very handsome, he gave off an effeminate aura, which was incongruous with his appearance. What's more, his gaze was fixed on the person behind her. Shen Xiaoyan frowned, wondering who this person was and why he was so impolite upon their first meeting.
Just as she was about to ask, Zheng Wei stepped forward and shielded her. The man opposite them, due to Zheng Wei's action, temporarily shifted his gaze away from Shen Xiaoyan. He merely glanced at Zheng Wei, said nothing, and then looked at Yi Zhiye. Shen Xiaoyan saw him curve his lips into a repulsive smile, "Junior Brother Yi Zhiye, you're back? You've been gone for over a hundred years, you really kept your senior brother waiting."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan looked at Yi Zhiye, wondering if this man was Yi Zhiye's senior brother. But why did he speak so sarcastically? Yi Zhiye was also looking at the man not far away, his eyes flashing with anger. "After more than a hundred years, you're still this shameless."
Hearing Namu Zhong's words, Shen Xiaoyan instantly understood. Who else could it be, capable of earning Namu Zhong's reprimand, but that Bai Ge'er? Zheng Wei's lips curved into a mocking smile, "I've heard of Bai Ge'er's great name for a long time. I never thought I'd actually get to meet him one day. It's just..."
"It's what?" Bai Ge'er raised his eyebrows and asked. Zheng Wei shook his head, his expression one of deep regret, "It's just a pity not to have met him. Others say seeing is believing, but you're truly an exception; it's better not to have met you. I imagine if others met you, they wouldn't spread such good rumors about you."
Zheng Wei's words were a blatant slap in the face. Upon hearing them, Bai Ge'er's face turned grim. He had initially thought they were just inferiors brought back from the lower realm by Yi Zhiye and Namu Zhong, but who would have thought they would dare to disregard him upon their first meeting. The people following Bai Ge'er also began to look at Zheng Wei with hostility. They were all followers of Bai Ge'er, and if their master was insulted, they too felt disgraced.
One of them stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said to Bai Ge'er, "Senior Brother, this brat doesn't know what's good for him. Why don't you let me teach him a lesson?" Bai Ge'er nodded, thinking these people at least had some sense.
Having received Bai Ge'er's approval, that person strode forward a few steps, looked at Zheng Wei provocatively, and said, "Brat, if you have the guts, don't just whine like a woman. Come up and fight with your grandpa here. Let's see if your fists are as hard as your mouth."
Zheng Wei didn't even spare him a glance, as if he didn't exist. The person waited for a long time, but still no response from Zheng Wei. Even an idiot would realize that Zheng Wei hadn't taken his provocation seriously. But how could he swallow such humiliation in front of everyone? With a roar, he charged at Zheng Wei, his right hand raised high, clenched into a fist that seemed to be enveloped in flames.
Seeing this, Zheng Wei's eyes narrowed, but he remained motionless. Bai Ge'er, witnessing this scene, assumed Zheng Wei was scared stiff and couldn't help but sneer. He was likely a good-for-nothing from the lower realm who didn't even know what cultivation meant, yet dared to provoke him. Bai Ge'er's followers burst into laughter, each one mocking Zheng Wei for being frozen with fear and not daring to move.
However, what happened next was unexpected. The person who had been charging at Zheng Wei suddenly froze in place. Naturally, this was not voluntary. Just then, the sky above suddenly became overcast with thunderclouds, and lightning directly struck the man. Bolts of lightning struck him repeatedly, with no pause in between. In mere seconds, the thunderclouds dispersed. If not for the fact that the man was now completely charred, everyone present would have almost believed it was all an illusion. Even so, the shock on their faces was undeniable.
Not to mention Bai Ge'er and his group, even Shen Xiaoyan and her companions were utterly astonished. It was unquestionable that Zheng Wei would become much more powerful after his advancement. But no one had expected him to be this formidable. Furthermore, Zheng Wei's current realm was only intermediate. If he were to advance further in the future, Shen Xiaoyan couldn't even imagine how powerful he would become. The most impressive aspect was that Zheng Wei's technique was extremely effective, whether in single combat or group battles. With a lightning strike in hand, he was invincible. Shen Xiaoyan felt that this description perfectly suited Zheng Wei. She truly wished she could turn back time and bring out their two sons, so they could witness how powerful their father truly was.
As Zheng Wei turned around, he saw Shen Xiaoyan looking at him with sparkling eyes and admiration. "What, lost for words?" Zheng Wei asked, gently tapping Shen Xiaoyan's nose. Shen Xiaoyan snapped back to reality from this action but continued to look at Zheng Wei with admiration, "Ah Wei, how can you be so amazing? Why can't I be like this? Do you know how incredibly handsome you were just now?"
Zheng Wei smiled gently, quietly listening to Shen Xiaoyan's praise. He appeared completely relaxed and at ease, from head to toe, inside and out. Looking at him, one would never imagine that he was the one who had just struck someone dead.
On the other hand, Bai Ge'er's smile had completely vanished, replaced by a look of grimness. "Where are you from? Don't think you can act recklessly just because Yi Zhiye is here. You killed a disciple of the Sun Hot Sect, and there is only death awaiting you." As Bai Ge'er spoke, he exuded a sense of righteous indignation. The disciples standing behind him looked at him gratefully and began to clamor.
"Exactly! This country bumpkin who doesn't know where he came from dared to run amok in the Sun Hot Sect and kill our fellow disciple. If he's not made to pay with his life, where will the honor of the Sun Hot Sect go?"
"Does he think Yi Zhiye can protect him?"
"Hahaha, if that's the case, he's truly an idiot. Yi Zhiye returning without the sect's order will surely be punished by the Sect Master. He's already in trouble himself, how can he protect this brat?"
Listening to their sarcastic remarks, Zheng Wei's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even spare them another glance. After the group behind Bai Ge'er had clamored for a while and realized Zheng Wei wasn't looking at them, their faces turned unsightly one by one. Bai Ge'er's face became even more displeased. Zheng Wei was clearly showing him contempt. If he endured this, who in the sect would take him seriously in the future? Although he had used schemes to drive Yi Zhiye and Namu Zhong out of the sect years ago, Yi Maodun and Yin Susu were still elders. Although they hadn't said anything at the time, and hadn't made things difficult for him outwardly, he had always faced various forms of difficulty in private. But so what? With his persistence and exceptional intelligence, wasn't he still doing very well in the sect? Even though he hadn't reached Zhang's position, which disciple in the sect dared to look down on him? Even Yi Maodun and Yin Susu, who was half-dead in bed, could do nothing to him. His path had been smooth, and no great hardship had troubled him. But this person who had just appeared today, at the first encounter, had killed one of his followers right in front of him. If he didn't do something to regain his face, who would sincerely follow him in the future? Even if those people didn't say much openly, it was hard to guarantee that unfavorable rumors wouldn't spread about him in private.
Bai Ge'er's mind raced, but it only took a moment. Glancing sinisterly at Zheng Wei, Bai Ge'er finally spoke, "Considering you've just arrived at the Sun Hot Sect and don't know its rules, I won't blame you too much for what happened today. However, if I just let you go like this, I won't be able to account for myself to these disciples behind me." Bai Ge'er then fell silent, seemingly waiting for Zheng Wei to take the conversation further, preferably with a sincere apology. In Bai Ge'er's estimation, even if they had some disagreements, they shouldn't be so openly displayed. He had already provided a way out; could Zheng Wei refuse it?