Entering the main hall, seated at the head of the hall opposite the entrance was an uncle around 40 years old.
This man had a refined and handsome appearance, and even while merely sitting there, he exuded an aura of stern dignity and approachability.
Without a doubt, this must be Yan Rulie, the Sect Leader of the Sun Heat Sect.
Looking to the sides, on the upper right sat the Great Elder Long Ting, with Long Xuan and Long Hao standing behind him.
Below him, a line of four elders with white beards were seated.
On the left, the first three seats were empty, and the remaining two seats were occupied by three elders.
Observing the three empty seats, Shen Xiaoyan inwardly mused that these must be reserved for Fujiwara Shifei, Yizixie's parents, and one other person.
From this alone, it could be seen that the Sun Heat Sect, as a whole, likely placed great importance on rules.
Merely seeing that seats were reserved for Fujiwara Shifei and two others, even though they hadn't arrived, indicated this.
"Greetings, Sect Leader."
Fujiwara Shifei's clear and cold voice interrupted Shen Xiaoyan's thoughts. Looking towards Fujiwara Shifei, Shen Xiaoyan saw her standing tall and graceful.
Not only did her voice lack any discernible respect, but her posture also did not resemble that of an elder paying respects to the Sect Leader.
Although the status of an elder was quite high, Shen Xiaoyan had observed the surroundings earlier and had not seen anyone like Long Ting dare to act this way.
It seemed that Fujiwara Shifei's position within the Sun Heat Sect was indeed exceptionally high!
"Shifei, you've arrived. Please, take a seat."
A refined voice came from above. It appeared Yan Rulie had spoken, and upon hearing him, Fujiwara Shifei nodded slightly, said nothing more, and directly walked to the upper left seat and sat down.
Yan Rulie watched Fujiwara Shifei take her seat before turning his gaze to Yizixie and the others below.
He smiled gently, and his warm voice slowly emerged, "Ah Xie, you've been gone for so long. Don't you miss your Uncle Yan?"
Bai G'er, who had just entered the hall, happened to hear this. The faint smile on her face froze.
Why did so many people rejoice when Yizixie visited?
Why did even the Sect Leader speak to him so kindly?
Why did they all overlook his own efforts?
Was it simply because he lacked Yizixie's privileged background?
Bai G'er concealed the look of resentment on her face and, feigning nonchalance, walked into the hall.
Standing in the center of the hall, Bai G'er bowed towards Yan Rulie above and said, "Sect Leader, your disciple has returned."
Yan Rulie's eyes showed curiosity. "Weren't you sent to invite your Senior Brother Yizixie? How is it that you've ended up behind him?"
Upon hearing Yan Rulie refer to Yizixie as his senior brother, Bai G'er's body trembled, and she felt a surge of bile rise in her throat, unable to swallow or spit it out.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment, she heard Yizixie's infuriating words: "Sect Leader, your words are mistaken. I dare not accept the title of Senior Brother. How can someone as talented as Bai G'er be compared to me?"
Although Yizixie's words sounded like praise for Bai G'er, everyone present could discern that he was openly mocking her.
What was frustrating was that his words were delivered skillfully, leaving everyone, including Bai G'er, without a retort.
In fact, most were surprised. The Yizixie of the past was never so sharp-tongued and aggressive.
Back then, Yizixie was gentle and elegant, with a graceful demeanor, and his words always made one feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze. He was never so sarcastic and cutting, leaving others in an awkward position.
It was understandable. Did people like Bai G'er only deserve politeness?
Though Bai G'er's face was flushed with anger, she was helpless. In front of Yan Rulie and the assembled elders, she had to maintain her composure.
In her eyes, Yizixie's actions were akin to courting death.
Being so arrogant in front of the Sect Leader and elders, what kind of good impression would that leave?
She had confidently expected Yizixie to be reprimanded, but after waiting for a long time, she heard Yan Rulie's hearty laughter.
"Haha, it's been a long time. I didn't expect your personality to have grown so much that you no longer even regard this Sect Leader in your eyes."
Although he said this, no one listening to Yan Rulie's tone would believe he was angry.
Instead, his tone was like that of an elder deeply fond of a junior, a blend of doting indulgence and helplessness, with not a hint of displeasure.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't pay attention to the fleeting anger on Bai G'er's face. After all, Yizixie and she were already sworn enemies.
Whether Bai G'er's resentment grew by a little or a lot was inconsequential.
However, listening to Yan Rulie's words, why did she feel so uncomfortable?
For some reason, instinctively, she felt that Yan Rulie's words were not entirely sincere.
At the very least, they were not consistent with the meaning he was trying to convey.
If her suspicions were correct, was Yan Rulie doing this intentionally?
Was he trying to elevate Yizixie's position to attract the resentment of most people in the hall, thereby instigating them to deal with Yizixie?
For instance, Bai G'er, who had already shown anger, and Long Ting with his dark expression, as well as Long Xuan and Long Hao standing behind Long Ting.
She didn't recognize the other elders and didn't know their character or their relationship with Yizixie and his parents. However, from a quick glance just now, she had already seen a glint of coldness in several pairs of eyes.
This situation was highly disadvantageous for Yizixie.
If Yan Rulie truly cared for Yizixie as he appeared, and was so concerned about him, he wouldn't openly display such closeness to Yizixie in this setting.
Unless, he was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing.
He was clearly setting a trap for Yizixie, while the people below willingly walked into it.
This was not the place to speak, so no matter how many doubts Shen Xiaoyan had, she couldn't voice them. She could only suppress all her thoughts for the moment and continue to observe the unfolding events.
Yizixie's face wore a faint smile, as if he harbored no suspicion towards Yan Rulie's actions.
Although standing in the hall, he appeared calm and composed. Even though Yan Rulie's words were very affectionate, it didn't make him feel overwhelmed by favor.
"Yizixie thanks the Sect Leader for his kindness. May I know if the Sect Leader has summoned Yizixie for a particular reason?"
After speaking, Yizixie paused and continued, "If not, Yizixie shall take his leave. After all, Yizixie's mother is still lying in bed, her life uncertain."
Yin Susu had only just woken up. No matter how capable Yan Rulie was, he couldn't possibly know.
Therefore, upon hearing Yizixie's words, his face appropriately showed a look of regret. "Alas, if you had returned sooner, perhaps you could have stopped your mother from leaving the sect hall, and perhaps such a thing wouldn't have happened."
Shen Xiaoyan found this somewhat amusing. Yan Rulie's skill in twisting facts was truly top-notch.
Was he attributing the cause of Yin Susu's poisoning and unconsciousness to Yizixie?
Where did he get the confidence that Yizixie wouldn't refute him or embarrass him?
Just by looking at the smile in his eyes, Shen Xiaoyan knew that he was indeed brimming with confidence at the moment.
However, to her surprise, Yizixie gradually withdrew his smile. "If it weren't absolutely necessary, which child would willingly leave their parents? Moreover, to be gone for over a hundred years. In any ordinary family, their parents would likely be long buried before they could return. If I could have returned sooner, I would have. Why would I wait until now?"
The implication was that if Yan Rulie hadn't issued the command for Yizixie to go to the lower realm back then, would he have been away from home for over a hundred years?
If he had stayed home all along, he would certainly not have allowed his mother to go out alone.
Being so impolitely contradicted by Yizixie, Yan Rulie's expression became rather awkward.
After a considerable pause, he finally recovered and no longer looked at Yizixie. He turned his gaze to Fujiwara Shifei, who was seated to the side, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Elder Fujiwara, look at this. He's only been away for a while, and upon his return, he has changed so much."