The voice came from Wei Yunting, who had just returned from the cultivation hall. She could tell at a glance that something was off between the two sisters from her uncle's branch of the family.
Wei Yunxi was clearly blocking Wei Yunqing from entering the room, while Wei Yunqing was talking to herself, trying to force her way in without regard for her sister's wishes. Seeing this, Wei Yunting interrupted the standoff before it could escalate further.
Wei Yunxi quickly turned toward her and smiled. "Elder Sister Yunting, you're back?"
"Mhm. What's going on here?"
Wei Yunxi spoke up first. "I bought some tools for talisman crafting today at the market and was working on my drawing inside. Elder Sister Yunqing insisted on knocking at my barrier and talking to me. I already told her I didn't want to be disturbed."
Wei Yunqing jumped in to defend herself. "I didn't know you were drawing talismans."
"Don't try to fool to Elder Sister Yunting. You were the one who insisted on coming to the market with me to buy those supplies. Don't tell me you forgot already? So what is it you're really here for?"
Wei Yunxi acted a little impatient as she spoke.
What could Wei Yunqing say? That she had a hunch her sister had something she wanted, and she'd come to take it?
Wei Yunting watched her struggle for words, mumbling about wanting to bond since they had grown distant. But she couldn't say anything more specific than that.
Honestly, Wei Yunting found Wei Yunqing exhausting. Out of all the current generation of Wei family disciples, she had the best spiritual roots, yet instead of focusing on cultivation, she constantly got overtaken by her supposedly "less talented" younger sister. And instead of reflecting on her own behavior, she stirred up trouble, disrupting her sister's cultivation for no good reason. It was selfish and short-sighted.
Wei Yunting's face hardened. "Yunqing, you're a cultivator now. You should know how dangerous it is to interrupt someone's training. And it's already so late. If you really had something to say, you could have spoken with Yunxi tomorrow."
Wei Yunqing knew the opportunity was lost. She lowered her head, nodded obediently, and turned to leave.
Once she was gone, Wei Yunxi cupped her hands toward Wei Yunting. "Thank you for helping me out, Elder Sister Yunting."
"You're still sisters. Try not to let the tension go too far."
"I understand. But as you saw, Elder Sister Yunting, she's too overbearing. She didn't say a word before trying to barge into my room. What if I had been breaking through a realm?"
Wei Yunting understood. It wasn't out of the question. Wei Yunqing leaned heavily on the fact that her spiritual roots were good and believed the family would never abandon her. That sense of superiority leaked out whenever she interacted with the others.
It wasn't just Wei Yunting who had noticed. Wei Zonghan had picked up on it too. After the sect entrance trial, they both saw Wei Yunqing's selfish nature and quietly decided to keep their distance.
Of course, they were still cultivating on the same peak, so some interaction was inevitable. Wei Yunting was working hard to reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining, hoping to use that as a reasonable excuse to move elsewhere.
Wei Yunqing, for her part, had no idea she was already being quietly pushed away by the other Wei disciples. Back in her own room, she was still grumbling that Wei Yunting had returned at the worst possible time.
Wei Yunting offered a few more words of comfort to Wei Yunxi, then the two of them returned to their rooms.
As soon as Wei Yunxi reactivated the isolation array, her expression darkened and she slammed her talisman brush on the table.
"That Wei Yunqing really is like a lingering spirit!"
If Wei Yunting hadn't spoken up in time, judging from the look in Wei Yunqing's eyes, she might have barged in by force. And what next? Try to snatch her storage pouch?
Wei Yunting, as the eldest, was constrained by family politics. She couldn't confront Wei Yunqing directly, so all she could do was try to keep the peace.
The more Wei Yunxi thought about it, the angrier she got. Wei Yunqing's arrogance, all because of her "talent," was getting worse. Even though their outward cultivation levels looked similar, most people still instinctively favored Wei Yunqing, just because she had dual spiritual roots.
"Hmph. If you're going to rely on that, then I'll just have to slap you with the truth."
After a moment's thought, Wei Yunxi took out a communication talisman and sent a message to the next courtyard over. Then, bathed in moonlight, she made her way there quietly.
Wei Zonghao was a little puzzled to receive the message. After all, they were only separated by a single wall. Why waste a communication talisman? Still, he followed the instructions, deactivating the courtyard's restriction and letting her into his room.
Once inside, he activated the isolation formation and asked, "Little Sister Yunxi, is something wrong? What brings you over so late?"
Wei Yunxi didn't beat around the bush. She told him everything about Wei Yunqing trying to force her way into the room.
Wei Zonghao already had a low opinion of Wei Yunqing, and now he was even more disgusted. He frowned. "What exactly does she want?"
"She's like a dog. The moment she smells something good, she latches on."
"What did she smell?"
Wei Zonghao was clearly curious.
"There's a real treasure among the things we bought today."
Wei Yunxi didn't hide it.
Wei Zonghao thought back for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "That fancy jewelry box you got?"
"Nope."
Wei Yunxi shook her head, then pulled a pill bottle from her storage and tossed it to him.
Startled, Wei Zonghao scrambled to catch it. He examined the bottle. "An empty pill bottle?"
"Open it."
His heart thudded, but he forced himself to stay calm. The moment he uncorked it, a wave of medicinal fragrance hit him. He quickly sealed the bottle again, face turning serious.
"Little Sister Yunxi, I don't know what pill this is, but judging by the scent, it's no ordinary grade. You should keep it."
Before he could finish, Wei Yunxi waved her hand. "I already took one. It worked great. This one's for you. I'm not about to let Wei Yunqing benefit from it."
Wei Zonghao inhaled sharply. This kind of lucky find was rare beyond belief, and she was just giving it to him? It felt unreal.
"Little Sister Yunxi, pinch me. I think I'm dreaming."
Wei Yunxi was very pleased with his reaction. His eyes held surprise and disbelief, but not a trace of greed. She took a step forward and pinched his chubby cheek with full force. She'd been wanting to do that for a long time. The feel was just as satisfying as she imagined.
Wei Zonghao yelped. "Aiya! Sister, go easy. I believe you, I believe you!"
Only then did she regretfully let go.
Rubbing his reddened cheek, his eyes watered. That pinch hurt more than when his mother did it.
Wei Yunxi's almond-shaped eyes crinkled into a smile. "Good. As long as you know it's real. Hurry up and take it. I'll stand guard for you. Only what you digest is truly yours."
Wei Zonghao sobered up. He gave her a deep bow. "Little Sister Yunxi, thank you for giving me such a rare pill. I owe you a favor. Whatever you need in the future, I, Wei Zonghao, will go through fire and water without hesitation."
"Perfect. I'll remember that."
This was exactly what Wei Yunxi wanted. In the Wei family, she needed her own allies. A single tree can't make a forest.
Wei Zonghao took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on a cushion, adjusting his state. Once he was fully prepared, he swallowed the pill without hesitation.