The day before yesterday, Niu Xiaoxue returned home from the Sunyang Sect. Her family was initially overjoyed to see her back, but after she spent a day at home without mentioning any plans to return to the sect, they began to feel puzzled and concerned. So, they asked her about it.
Unexpectedly, Niu Xiaoxue told them that she had no intention of returning to the sect. She explained that the sect had undergone some changes and was now just a shadow of its former self, lacking any real influence.
This revelation shocked the Niu family, and they were almost desperate to seal her lips and send her back to the sect immediately, fearing that the immortal beings would blame them if they found out.
Niu Xiaoxue also mentioned that she had heard from some senior disciples who had ventured out that a new sect had recently emerged within their country, one with considerable strength, and it was located in their county.
What she didn't share with her family was that the Nascent Soul cultivator who had killed her sect's leader and occupied their sect's mountain had been destroyed by this new sect. After all, her family wouldn't understand the significance of such matters.
If she were to tell them the truth, they might wrongly assume that she lacked talent and had joined a weak sect, rather than realizing that the new sect was incredibly powerful.
Seeing her family's fear, Niu Xiaoxue reassured them that her old sect was too busy to concern themselves with her, and they needn't worry.
However, after she shared this information, her family informed her that this new sect was located right in their neighboring village, Shushui Village. They added that thanks to this new sect, Shushui Village had become quite prosperous, transforming from one of the poorest villages in the area to the wealthiest and most bustling one.
Learning that the new sect was so close to her hometown, Niu Xiaoxue felt even more confident that there would be no issue in joining it. She thought that with her talent—a mutated single-element lightning spiritual root—and being from a neighboring village, the new sect would be more than happy to accept her.
Thus, she wasn't in any rush and decided to enjoy a few days of the special treatment she had never experienced before as a girl at home. She figured she could visit the new sect in a few days and join them then.
Little did she know, her return had already been widely spread by her parents, so much so that even the villagers from nearby settlements were aware of it. Naturally, the news also reached Qin Jianghe's mother, who frequently visited the village to purchase items like eggs and vegetable seeds.
As for Qin Jianghe:
Seeing the frown on his mother's face and her evident worry, Qin Jianghe smiled softly and said, "Mother, ever since the engagement was called off, our family has had nothing to do with the Niu family or with me. You don't need to trouble yourself with their affairs. I know you're worried about me, but there's really no need. Your son doesn't care about any of that anymore. Nowadays, I've become much stronger, and I have no attachment to the past.
If Niu Xiaoxue wants to come here, let her. It has nothing to do with us. Our sect hasn't even started recruiting disciples yet, so it wouldn't matter even if she came. If she wants to join, she'll have to wait patiently until our sect begins recruitment and then undergo the proper tests. There's no need to worry about her at all.
We're not at home anymore, so you don't have to deal with those messy people and things. Just enjoy your peaceful days here in the sect with Father."
As he spoke, Qin Jianghe helped his mother to her feet, preparing to leave the cultivation room and head back to Guiyuan Shanju for dinner.
Qin's mother stood up with his support, patted his hand, and sighed, "I'm just worried that the Niu family might try to use the old engagement to pressure you into arranging for Niu Xiaoxue to join the sect, putting you in a difficult position."
Hearing this, Qin Jianghe laughed lightly, unconcerned, "Mother, what are you thinking? Our sect will definitely have strict rules and procedures for recruiting disciples in the future. Don't be fooled by the fact that our families were allowed to join after passing the Heart-Testing Path; that was just for us. In the future, things will be different. There will be more rigorous tests.
Besides, Xiao'er has already mentioned to us that the difficulty of the Heart-Testing Path will likely be increased in the future, and no one will be allowed to take shortcuts. So, you really don't need to worry about that."
Qin Jianghe knew that his mother was concerned that if the Niu family approached him in the future, he might feel obligated to help them out of a sense of old ties. But instead of saying that he would never help the Niu family because the engagement was off, he reassured his mother from the sect's perspective—no one would be allowed to take shortcuts.
This also prevented his mother from feeling pressured or confused if someone approached her in the future, seeking her help.
Qin Jianghe knew that the reason their family members, and those of the other families, had been able to pass the Heart-Testing Path and join the sect was that Lin Xiao had initially set the difficulty of the path relatively low, specifically so that their families and the good-hearted people of the village could pass through in case of any issues.
Privately, Lin Xiao had also advised everyone to guide and train their family members' character and morals, as the difficulty of the Heart-Testing Path might be significantly increased in the future.
Because of this, Qin Jianghe was contemplating whether he should take his mother to the escort bureau for some training.
He wasn't worried about his father, as he knew his father's character well. His father had encountered more people and seen more of the world through his work, making him much stronger in terms of character and resilience. His mother, on the other hand, was very kind-hearted, but he felt that she lacked in perspective and experience.
So, he asked her, "Mother, how about after the New Year, you come with me to Songyang County for a while?"
Qin's mother seemed surprised by his suggestion and hesitated before responding nervously, "You're going out to handle important matters. How can I tag along? I don't know anything, and if I go to the county and make a fool of myself, what then? It's better if I stay here and avoid embarrassing you."
Seeing how nervous she became just from the idea of going to the escort bureau, he playfully boasted, "You're my mother. Who would dare laugh at you? If anyone's foolish enough to do that, I'll beat them up!"
Then, more gently, he reassured her, "Don't be afraid, Mother. The only reason you feel out of place is that you haven't experienced certain things before. But that's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has things they don't know about at some point in their lives. If you don't understand something, that just means you need to see and learn more. The more you see, the more you'll understand.
There's nothing funny about it. If someone laughs at you for not being familiar with things in the county, that just shows their own narrow-mindedness. They're flaunting their limited knowledge of trivial differences in experience.
To me, Mother, you're amazing. You know how to weave, sew clothes, and work the fields. You manage all the household chores with such skill, and you raised a capable son like me. Wouldn't you say that's pretty incredible?"