After Li Yundong finished speaking with a smile, Ziyuan and Zhou Qin both looked at him in confusion, while Ruan Hongling asked curiously, "Do you have a history with him?"

Li Yundong chuckled, "A history isn't quite the word for it, but the fellow is utterly unscrupulous, a true scoundrel."

As he spoke, Su Chan, standing nearby, took over the conversation, eagerly recounting the past incident, especially when describing how Zheng Youming had sold shoddy buildings. Ziyuan, Zhou Qin, and Ruan Hongling exclaimed in unison, "How despicable!"

When Su Chan mentioned Li Yundong collapsing one of Zheng Youming's buildings with a single punch, Ziyuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile touching her lips, though she shot Li Yundong a somewhat exasperated glance. Zhou Qin smiled sweetly, her gaze full of admiration for Li Yundong. Ruan Hongling, on the other hand, clapped her hands and roared with laughter, shouting, "Well done! If it were me, I'd have torn down that wretched building too!"

Li Yundong laughed, "Speaking of which, I was worried he’d come looking for trouble back then, but when nothing happened, I just forgot about it. Shouldn't someone who did something like that have been locked up?"

Zhou Qin snorted, saying, "Someone as wicked as him surely has connections to get away with it. Maybe he couldn't continue in real estate and switched to tea."

Li Yundong shook the flyer in his hand and remarked, "So that's why my old QQ group was full of Tieguanyin partisans—this gentleman was the mastermind behind it all?"

Li Yundong turned to Ziyuan with a smile, "Ziyuan Zhenren, what do you say? For your own sake and for mine, lend a hand, won't you? It would be a shame to let this guy's money go uncollected!"

Ziyuan paused thoughtfully, then smiled helplessly, "How can we cultivators get involved in such trivial matters? It would make people laugh if word got out."

Li Yundong chuckled, "Didn't you say that in this fleeting world, the myriad beings are nothing more than passing clouds to you? If they are just passing clouds, then you shouldn't care about the gossip of others!"

Ziyuan’s heart stirred at his words. After a moment of consideration, she nodded in agreement, "Alright then!"

Ruan Hongling immediately cheered, "Hooray! We won't have to sleep on the streets!"

Ziyuan shot her an exasperated yet amused look, feigning anger, "You call yourself a cultivator, yet look at you! What difference is there between you and a child? I only agreed to participate; I never guaranteed first place!"

Li Yundong laughed, "It doesn't matter, I have faith in you!"

Zhou Qin, however, spoke cautiously, "That might not be the case. Zhenren Ziyuan has a point. If they dare to organize such an event and offer such a high prize, it's highly likely they've greased every palm, perhaps even bribing the judges. If it were me, I'd spend money to buy off all those involved, secretly manipulate the competition so my person wins first place, and then pocket the two million yuan myself, all while getting free publicity utilizing social resources and attention."

This analysis caused Li Yundong and the others to gasp. Li Yundong exclaimed, "Damn, that's the height of shamelessness! But Zhou Qin, what you said is very plausible!"

Ruan Hongling burst out angrily, "Shameless! Utterly shameless! This is blatant internal rigging!"

Su Chan said with a pout, "Then what should we do? How much is the second-place prize? Let's just aim for second."

Li Yundong laughed, pinching the little girl's soft cheek, "You silly goose, second place is only about three hundred thousand. The gap between first and second is so huge. Now that Zhou Qin has mentioned it, seeing that difference in prize money confirms there’s something fishy going on. However, I still think we should try our best. Perhaps the judges’ eyes are discerning? Besides, even if we don't get first, getting second place with three hundred thousand isn't bad either!"

Ziyuan pondered for a moment, then stated, "That’s well said. In any endeavor, it is up to man to plan, and up to heaven to succeed. If one hesitates and does nothing out of excessive caution, nothing will ever be accomplished. However, since we are entering a tea ceremony competition, have you checked what specific items are required?"

Li Yundong thought about it, then suddenly gave a wry smile, "No matter what, we'll need top-grade tea and a set of excellent tea ware, right? I suppose those things will have to be bought. Sigh, as the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money—that’s truly an eternal truth!"

Su Chan sighed in agreement from the side, "Exactly. Where are we going to find the money now? That premium tea and fine tea set are very, very expensive."

Li Yundong looked at Su Chan with some surprise, "Oh? You know about that?"

The little girl pouted, stamping her foot in annoyance, "You look down on me! I was the one who taught you how to cultivate!"

Li Yundong laughed heartily, tousling the little girl's hair, and said dotingly, "Okay, okay, my little darling is the most capable."

The little girl immediately turned from anger to joy, beaming.

Ziyuan watched the two of them laughing and smiling, a faint smile gracing her own lips as well, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility immersed in their pure, warm affection.

After a while, she said, "Actually, we don't need to worry about the top-grade tea and exquisite tea set. In the ancestral cave of my Linggong Sect, I have a set of treasured fine tea ware, along with some premium Huangshan Maofeng tea."

Li Yundong asked curiously, "Huangshan Maofeng? What kind of tea is that? I've never heard of it; I've only heard of Tieguanyin, Biluochun, and the like."

Ruan Hongling burst out laughing and teased him, "You're so uncultured! Tieguanyin and Biluochun are like BMWs and Volkswagens in the car world; there are standard grades and premium grades. Since the standard grades are more common and produced in larger quantities, they are widely known. But in its heyday, Huangshan Maofeng only produced a few hundred dan annually. Don't let the name fool you; this tea is the Rolls-Royce of teas. Not long ago, fifty grams of Huangshan Maofeng fetched an astronomical price of eighty-five thousand yuan at an auction!"

Li Yundong sucked in a sharp breath, "Fifty grams sold for eighty-five thousand yuan? That price rivals gold!"

Ruan Hongling snorted, "Of course! Otherwise, why would Huangshan Maofeng be the pinnacle among premium teas? I asked Sister Ziyuan to brew some for me last time, and she wouldn't part with it. You are truly fortunate!"

Li Yundong laughed, "I'm not the judge tasting the tea, though."

Seeing Ruan Hongling about to say more, Ziyuan quickly glared at her, "Always showing off! Hurry up and go back to the sect to fetch them! We’ll wait for your news in Tiannan City."

Ruan Hongling’s face fell, and she mumbled, "It’s me running errands again. My legs will get skinny! I don't even get any perks, just reprimands from you!"

Ziyuan feigned anger, "Are you still talking back!"

Ruan Hongling quickly said, "Alright, alright, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong, okay?" Before leaving, she pulled a face at Li Yundong, then glanced around. Seeing no one paying attention, she transformed into a streak of azure light and flew away.

She flew with extreme speed back to Longhu Mountain. Upon arriving at the cave dwelling, she searched around Ziyuan's meditation chamber and indeed found a sealed porcelain jar and a set of tea ware.

Ruan Hongling chuckled, pulled a small pouch from her robes, and squeezed the opening. The pouch opened by itself, releasing a five-colored radiance from its mouth. Ruan Hongling carefully placed the tea jar and the tea set inside, then pulled the opening shut, tucking the pouch securely beneath her clothes before standing up and walking out of the stone chamber.

As she exited, she passed the lotus pond. Glancing back, she noticed that the two lotus flowers, which had been budding just a few days ago, were showing clear signs of opening soon. A soft, shimmering light emanated from around the blossoms, and within them, two tiny, curled-up figures could vaguely be seen.

Ruan Hongling chuckled to herself, "Goodness, you two have grown quite fast since I last saw you!"

Just as she was about to turn away, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside, followed by a woman's loud command, "Seal this entire area!"

Ruan Hongling was startled. She rushed out and saw Zou Ping and Earth Fire Zhenren Zhang Ling standing at the entrance of the cave, loudly directing the surrounding disciples of the Zhengyi Sect.

Ruan Hongling watched as these Zhengyi Sect disciples, armed with various seals and wooden boards, plastered the entire temple with sealing notices in the blink of an eye, even nailing the doors shut. She was both shocked and furious, "What are you doing!"

Zou Ping snorted coldly, glancing sideways at her with undisguised disdain, "What are we doing? Are you blind?"

Ruan Hongling trembled with rage, "This is the territory of our Linggong Sect! How dare you be so presumptuous!"

Zou Ping laughed loudly, "This is also the territory of our Zhengyi Sect! Why shouldn't we be presumptuous?"

Rage made Ruan Hongling shout, "Freezing our accounts is one thing, but why are you sealing our Taoist temple? Why are you doing this!"

Zou Ping laughed triumphantly, pulling out a stack of photographs from her sleeve and tossing them toward Ruan Hongling. Ruan Hongling instinctively raised a hand to block, and with a snap, the photos scattered everywhere. Ruan Hongling saw that they were all pictures of Li Yundong and Ziyuan together.

Ruan Hongling instantly erupted in anger, "You even followed us!"

Zou Ping sneered, "If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place! The future successor of your Linggong Sect is shamelessly consorting with the leader of the Fox Charm Gate. Have you forgotten what shame is?" After speaking, she waved her arm, "Seal it! Seal this filthy, sordid sect!"

Ruan Hongling was maddened with fury. With a flick of her hand, she prepared to summon her magical artifact, but Earth Fire Zhenren pointed a finger at her and shouted, "Halt!"

Ruan Hongling instantly froze, unable to move in the slightest.

Zou Ping waved her hand, "Seal the cave dwelling inside as well!" Upon her order, the other Zhengyi Sect disciples shouted their assent and rushed inside. Earth Fire Zhenren also strolled in. Her eyes immediately fell upon the two budding lotus flowers in the pond, and she let out an impressed sound, "These twin flowers look identical, and yet their three souls and seven spirits within are also identical? This is truly a rare sight!"

Zou Ping, beside her, wore a fawning smile, "Master, if you like them, take them away. Wouldn't it be a waste to leave such a treasure in the Linggong Sect?"

Earth Fire Zhenren gave a cold laugh. Hesitant due to concerns about her dignity, Zou Ping impatiently waved her hand and forcefully uprooted the two twin lotuses, soil and all. She held them aloft in the air using her True Essence, smiling, "Master, taking them back to the Zhengyi Sect for proper nurturing would surely be better than leaving them here, wouldn't it?"

Earth Fire Zhenren Zhang Ling chuckled happily, gazing adoringly at the twin lotuses. She nodded in approval, "Excellent, excellent. My senior martial brother’s Three Absolutes Formation is currently short of two sword spirits with strong spiritual energy. I think once these fully mature, they will serve perfectly as the left and right protective sword spirits!"

Holding the pair of twin lotuses, she became more and more fond of them. Ignoring the other disciples who were still sealing the Linggong Sect, she transformed into a streak of azure light and flew away, carrying the lotuses.

Ruan Hongling watched in helpless fury as the Linggong Sect was sealed and the twin lotuses she had nurtured for so long were snatched away. By the time she broke free from the restraint and regained movement, the Zhengyi Sect disciples had long since vanished. She rushed in a frenzy toward the gate of the Zhengyi Sect's temple on Longhu Mountain. Just as she was about to charge forward, she suddenly stopped, staring with intense hatred at the imposing gate, biting her lip until it bled.

After grinding her teeth in fury for a long while, she stamped her foot and turned away resentfully, transforming into a streak of azure light and departing.