Although Lin Xiao had glimpsed He Yi from a distance several times, he did not know much about his character. From what he had heard from people around him, He Yi seemed to be affiliated with the Fuzong and appeared to have substantial backing.
Many claimed that his achievements in talisman crafting were solely due to the vast resources provided by the Fuzong.
Whether these claims were true or not was uncertain, but it was evident that He Yi had little social standing.
After all, in those few days, Lin Xiao had not seen anyone come forward to speak on his behalf, including the Fuzong personnel in ceremonial attire who were responsible for the major event.
The gossip was clearly within the ears of those Fuzong disciples, yet they did not refute it, acting as if they had not heard.
If these disciples had maintained their professional demeanor to such an extent, it only proved that He Yi's reputation among the Fuzong was indeed quite poor, and the gossip was likely accurate.
Lin Xiao did not deliberate for long before agreeing. After all, He Yi was from the cultivation world and held the role of an investigator concerning the Jishi incident. It was best to meet him to avoid future issues with others.
He Yi waited only a short while at the foot of the mountain before a Lingxian Sect disciple came to escort him to a nearby academy.
"This is an academy, but we have a special guest room set up here since outsiders cannot enter the mountain gate. Therefore, our sect has arranged the guest reception here. We apologize for any inconvenience," the disciple in charge of the reception explained, showing a respectful attitude.
Elder Qin had instructed that high-level cultivators should be treated with extra respect to avoid causing trouble with those who might be conceited. Although the sect would back them, as the saying goes, "A hero does not suffer immediate loss," and backing only comes after one has been wronged. Hence, it was wise to be respectful at the start.
Respectful, but not overly servile, as the disciple represented the sect's face and did not need to stoop too low, preventing others from finding fault.
Since arriving in the mortal world, He Yi had been treated with utmost respect by almost all cultivators he encountered. The attitude of the Lingxian Sect disciple did not seem out of place. After all, cultivators from the mortal world were usually respectful towards those from the cultivation world.
Once He Yi was seated and served tea, the disciple withdrew.
It was afternoon, and He Yi took a sip of the tea.
Hmm, ordinary tea.
It lacked any spiritual energy but had a decent aroma.
He glanced around the guest room, which was small and simply furnished with wooden tables and chairs. It was an ordinary guest room, with no spiritual items on display.
It was similar to what he had seen in the royal city but much less lavishly decorated.
He could faintly hear the sounds of reading and lectures from nearby, suggesting that the academy, while protected from the outside, had no separating formations between its internal sections.
He scanned the academy with his spiritual sense, getting a general idea of its layout.
Most of the teachers here were ordinary people, with only a few having some minor cultivation. However, all the students were ordinary people.
He listened briefly and found that the curriculum consisted mainly of mundane subjects, with only occasional profound insights likely written by exceptional individuals who had glimpsed some mysteries.
These were not truly useful to ordinary people for crossing the threshold of true cultivation.
He wondered about the purpose of the Lingxian Sect's establishment of an academy and appointing disciples to teach reading and writing to mortals. As he pondered this, Lin Xiao entered the guest room.
They exchanged polite greetings, and Lin Xiao, avoiding unnecessary pleasantries, directly asked:
"I wonder what brings you to the Lingxian Sect from afar?"
Actually, Lin Xiao wanted to ask, "What are you here for?" directly. However, as the sect leader representing the sect's image, he had to maintain a formal tone.
Looking at this sixteen-year-old sect leader as described by villagers from Xiushui Village, He Yi's expression remained neutral.
However, he was deep in thought.
Although this person looked quite young, his cultivation was obscured, either by a treasure concealing his cultivation or by having much higher cultivation than He Yi, making it impossible to gauge his aura.
He was unsure whether the age was truly sixteen or if the experiences in Xiushui Village were fabricated, making him question if this sect leader was genuinely so young.
If it were the latter, being the sect leader at such a young age would indeed be a mark of exceptional talent.
Moreover, He Yi had heard rumors in the royal city that this Lingxian Sect had single-handedly defeated a Nascent Soul stage rogue cultivator.
However, there were also rumors that the Lingxian Sect's success in defeating the Nascent Soul rogue cultivator was due to the assistance of the royal family's Nascent Soul ancestor, Li Zhanying.
These rumors seemed to originate from current or former disciples of the Shangyang Sect, which was previously occupied by the Nascent Soul rogue cultivator.
The truth of these rumors was unclear.
When He Yi interacted with Ancestor Li Zhanying in the royal city, he found that the resources available to the mortal world cultivators were pitifully few. Many common cultivation knowledge or spells were unknown to them.
It seemed that despite having cultivation, their methods and techniques were severely lacking.
Conversely, the Nascent Soul rogue cultivator, who was killed, had supposedly been to the cultivation world and possessed numerous methods.
Otherwise, it would have been difficult to occupy a sect in the mortal world for so many years.
Li Zhanying's cautious demeanor suggested that he would not easily assist a newly emerged sect. Therefore, He Yi was skeptical of the Lingxian Sect's strength, believing it to be considerable but not necessarily on par with other sects in the mortal world.
Although Lin Xiao might possess high talent, He Yi did not harbor any jealousy. He understood that high talent in the cultivation world meant a tough survival path, with only rapid rise or fall as the two possible outcomes.
The fall was the fate of the majority.
Even someone with significant background like himself faced many difficulties.
Thus, He Yi felt a sense of sympathy towards Lin Xiao.
As long as the sect leader did not engage in unconventional actions, He Yi felt he could turn a blind eye.