A group of people left the self-service restaurant and headed toward the eatery in the adjacent mall. Along the way, the little foxes paused by numerous clothing and accessory shops; the exquisite garments dazzled their eyes so much that they nearly forgot how to walk.

Su Chan stared longingly at the beautiful clothes, tugging desperately at Li Yundong’s sleeve and giving him meaningful looks.

Li Yundong’s head felt as big as a bushel basket. How dared he respond? The last time he bought clothes and accessories for Su Chan, it nearly bankrupted him. This time, with so many people around, who could he buy for and who could he not?

If he bought for all of them, even his wealth couldn't sustain this group of spendthrifts. But if he only bought for Su Chan, wouldn't he be gossiped about behind his back as the Sect Master who couldn't treat everyone equally?

No, absolutely not!

Li Yundong deliberately pretended not to see, striding forward purposefully.

The young girls had no choice but to look back over their shoulders every three steps, watching the beautiful clothes drift farther and farther away.

When they finally made it up to the ninth floor and entered the restaurant, the group found a spot and sat down. Only then did Li Yundong breathe a sigh of relief and say to the server, "Miss, we'd like to order."

They split into two tables and began ordering the dishes they wanted.

However, it was noon, and the restaurant was extremely busy. After ordering, they waited for a long time for the food to arrive.

Su Chan started to grow restless. Her mind was still on those beautiful clothes, so she tugged at Li Yundong’s sleeve, pleading, "Yundong, please, let me go look! I promise I won't buy anything, just looking is fine."

Li Yundong sighed inwardly: Oh, my dear girl, everything your master has is yours, but right now, I still have to be responsible for the provisions and upkeep of your fellow sect members and martial sisters, don't I?

But Li Yundong couldn't help recalling the time Su Chan had been alone and terrified by Seven Mile Pond, so poor she wouldn't even spend money on a sesame seed cake, yet refused the charity of a wealthy young master. Thinking of this, his heart softened. He took out a stack of money and handed it to Cao Yi, saying, "I haven't given you girls a very good life as your Sect Master, so take these and see if there are any clothes you little ones like. Consider it a gift from me to all of you."

Cao Yi was startled. "That won't do, Sect Master! How can you spend your own money like this? Besides, didn't you already buy us clothes last time?"

Li Yundong laughed. "One set of clothes isn't enough, is it? Don't you want something to change into? Don't refuse. Take the little ones and go have a look around. It's just this amount of money; buy whatever you like."

Cao Yi replied, feeling both grateful and ashamed, "Sect Master, we... this..."

Li Yundong waved his hand. "Don't say any more. The dishes won't be ready for a while anyway. Go look at the clothes."

Seeing that refusal was futile, Cao Yi looked toward Zhuang Yating and Liu Yuehong. Liu Yuehong looked hesitant and remained silent, but Zhuang Yating laughed, "The Sect Master is so generous and considerate, we shouldn't refuse. Sixth Martial Sister, you should accept."

Li Yundong smiled. "You all should go together..." As he spoke, he turned to Zhou Qin. "Do you want to go along?"

Zhou Qin was tempted. She glanced at Li Yundong. "Can I go?"

Seeing her caution had even worn away her natural demeanor, Li Yundong couldn't help but sigh, shaking his head and laughing gently. "Of course, you can! If you want to go, just go!"

Zhou Qin was in the prime of her youth and stunningly beautiful besides. The more beautiful a woman is, the more she loves beauty; how could she be an exception? Hearing Li Yundong's words, Zhou Qin instantly beamed with joy. "Then I'll go take a look!"

Su Chan was overjoyed, clapping her hands and laughing. "Great! Great! Everyone go together!"

Li Yundong watched the group happily stream out toward the various clothing shops, shaking his head with a smile. After a while, he noticed Zi Yuan hadn't moved, still sipping her tea calmly. He asked curiously, "You're not going?"

Zi Yuan opened her mouth, about to speak, but seeing Ruan Hongling tugging at her clothes under the table, she changed her tune. "Fine then, we'll go out and look too."

She followed Ruan Hongling outside the shop and frowned slightly. "Hongling, as cultivators, how can we be so attached to worldly things? Weren't you eager to see the clothes too?"

Ruan Hongling clutched Zi Yuan's sleeve, saying nervously, "No, Elder Sister Ziyuan, I think I just saw Second Martial Uncle!"

Zi Yuan was startled and couldn't help glancing back at Li Yundong inside the restaurant. Seeing Li Yundong also look toward her as if sensing her gaze, Zi Yuan smiled faintly at him from a distance, then took Ruan Hongling and walked into the noisy crowd, whispering, "You saw Second Martial Uncle? Where is she?"

Ruan Hongling’s gaze frantically searched the surroundings. She said, "I only saw those people from Hu Chan Sect enter a clothing store. Not long after, Second Martial Uncle appeared nearby. I even saw her glance at me. (8 Degrees Cellphone Site WP..C) You know, Second Martial Uncle has profound cultivation. If she deliberately looked at you, you would definitely sense it."

Zi Yuan nodded slightly. "You're right; Second Martial Uncle is at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. But if Second Martial Uncle is nearby... Oh no, Su Chan and the others from Hu Chan Sect are in danger!"

Zi Yuan’s expression changed, and she rushed toward the adjacent clothing store. As soon as she burst through the door, she saw Su Chan and Zhou Qin, who had been picking out clothes near a rack, look up. Su Chan’s face lit up. "Elder Sister Ziyuan, are you looking at clothes too?"

Zhou Qin’s observational skills far surpassed Su Chan's. She noticed the faint tension in Zi Yuan’s brow and her heart stirred. She stared fixedly at Zi Yuan, saying nothing at all.

Immediately after, Ruan Hongling rushed in as well. Just as she was about to ask if the people from Hu Chan Sect had seen Second Martial Uncle, Zi Yuan grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, causing Ruan Hongling to swallow her words.

Zi Yuan smiled faintly at Su Chan. "No, we are just browsing casually. The clothes here aren't suitable for me. Redling and I will go look elsewhere."

Su Chan put down a milky-white, long dress she was holding and laughed. "Elder Sister Ziyuan, can I go with you?"

Zi Yuan paused. She needed to find Second Martial Uncle's whereabouts and certainly couldn't have Su Chan following her. She couldn't help frowning slightly. Seeing this, Zhou Qin immediately spoke to Su Chan. "Su Chan, come and look at this dress with me, tell me what you think!"

Su Chan said, "Oh," and smiled apologetically at Zi Yuan. "Sorry, I can't go with you, I need to help Sister Zhou Qin with her clothes."

Zi Yuan gave Zhou Qin a meaningful look, then smiled at Su Chan. "It's alright, take your time looking."

With that, she led Ruan Hongling out.

The two rejoined the crowd and began speaking in low voices. Ruan Hongling asked, perplexed, "Elder Sister Ziyuan, why didn't you let me ask just now?"

Zi Yuan sighed softly and said, "Are you truly oblivious, or pretending to be? Second Martial Uncle has forged such deep enmity with the Hu Chan Sect. Nearly a hundred people, both inner and outer disciples, have died in the sect due to the feud between Second Martial Uncle and Hu Chan Sect. This siege against Hu Chan Sect by the Six Great Sects was also instigated by Second Martial Uncle. Do you think the people of Hu Chan Sect don't hate her?"

Ruan Hongling looked even more confused. "I know that, but we were going to warn them! What's wrong with that?"

Zi Yuan gave a wry smile. "I call you smart, yet sometimes you can't grasp the simplest things. Logically, Second Martial Uncle is our fellow sect member, while the Hu Chan Sect people are outsiders. No matter what, our relationship with Second Martial Uncle is closer. Tell me, who would we side with in the end?"

Ruan Hongling scoffed coldly. "Hmph. Second Martial Uncle has always been indifferent to us. She disappeared ten years ago and hasn't shown up for years. During that time, when our Ling Gong Sect was being bullied so badly, we never saw her offer any help. Now that she reappears, she immediately causes such a massive disturbance—hmph! We don't need a Second Martial Uncle like that!"

Zi Yuan frowned slightly, about to speak, when she suddenly heard a voice ring out near her ear: "Hongling, is this how you speak of your elders?"

Zi Yuan was startled and immediately looked in the direction the voice came from. Ruan Hongling seemed to have heard it too, starting in fright and looking around wildly. After a moment, she located the source of the sound.

The two looked and indeed saw Yan Fang standing in a secluded corner of the mall, watching them from afar.

Zi Yuan and Ruan Hongling exchanged glances and immediately followed.

As they approached, Yan Fang turned and walked away. Zi Yuan and Ruan Hongling followed her down a deserted staircase until Yan Fang finally stopped, turned around, and appraised them from head to toe, saying lightly, "It's been many years, Hongling. You’ve grown truly beautiful!"

Then she looked at Zi Yuan, nodding subtly. "Ziyuan, our Martial Brother always favored you the most. If he saw how beautiful you've become and how high your cultivation is now, I wonder how happy he would be."

Zi Yuan noticed that although Yan Fang was currently in the form of a disembodied Yang Spirit, emitting a faint glow invisible to the naked eye, her aura hadn't weakened at all despite remaining disembodied from Mo Ashi's body for so long; on the contrary, it showed signs of strengthening. This caused her no small measure of shock.

Zi Yuan knew that no matter what level a person cultivated to, remaining in the form of an Yin Spirit or Yang Spirit for too long would inevitably cause the Yin or Yang energy to dissipate into the world, eventually exhausting their vital essence and leading to the dissolution of their soul. This was why new cultivators couldn't keep their Yin Spirit detached for long. The longer one’s primordial spirit remained separated, the weaker it became. Yet, Yan Fang’s Yang Spirit had been detached for so long, yet it remained so vigorous and powerful—it was truly baffling!

Zi Yuan couldn't help exchanging a look with Ruan Hongling; she saw the shock and bewilderment in Ruan Hongling's eyes as well.

Seeing the two standing stunned and silent, Yan Fang spoke again. "What? Do you really not wish to acknowledge me as your Second Martial Uncle anymore?"

Zi Yuan was a cultivator who deeply respected her teachers and elders. She stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Second Martial Uncle, I hope you have been well?"

Although Ruan Hongling felt unconvinced, she still stepped forward to bow with Zi Yuan and said stiffly, "Second Martial Uncle."

Yan Fang let out a cold chuckle and said languidly, "It's no wonder. I never took care of you when you were little. Especially ten years ago, when your Master abandoned the sect with that slut, I also left you to seek revenge. Alas, that was precisely when you two needed care the most, and the heavy responsibilities of the Ling Gong Sect fell upon your shoulders, Ziyuan and Hongling. I wonder how you managed to get through those years?"

Zi Yuan remained composed and said lightly, "It certainly wasn't as difficult as the suffering Second Martial Uncle endured, enduring hardship and swallowing bitterness for nine years."

Yan Fang laughed heartily. "Ziyuan, oh Ziyuan, nine years have passed, and you are still the same Ziyuan—gentle yet strong, needle hidden beneath silk. Well done! No wonder Martial Brother favored you so much! You truly possess the bearing of a great cultivator. Excellent. I came to find you today precisely because of this matter."

Zi Yuan's heart tightened. Here it comes, she thought. She asked, "What business does Second Martial Uncle have?"

Yan Fang’s face turned stern, and she said coldly, "Ziyuan, Hongling, you are direct heirs of the Ling Gong Sect of the Zhengyi Sect. How can you associate with fiends and heretics! I came today precisely to urge you to turn back immediately and halt at the precipice! If you agree to help me destroy the Hu Chan Sect, I will tell you a massive secret!"

Zi Yuan frowned, about to speak, when she saw Yan Fang raise her palm and chuckle. "Don't be in such a rush to speak. I can tell you first that this massive secret I discovered while lurking in the Hu Chan Sect for nine years is related to your Master! Think carefully before you answer me!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yuan’s Dao Heart was thrown into chaos, and she blurted out, "My Master? What exactly is the matter?"

======================================== The third update for the 24th to the 3rd is finally complete. Tangtang is utterly exhausted. Let me catch my breath—let me catch my breath~ We’ll continue with three updates next week~F