Wei Yunxi had already slipped behind a tall male disciple from Haoran Sect the moment Sheng Yuhong's gaze swept over. She hid behind him just in time to avoid being noticed.
Still playing her part, Yunxi whispered to a fellow Qi Refinement stage disciple beside her, "Martial Uncle Sheng truly is as handsome as the rumors say. Seeing is believing."
Her companion nodded earnestly. "Of course. Martial Uncle Sheng is a once-in-a-century cultivation genius of Haoran Sect. He's not even fifty years old and has already reached late Foundation Establishment. Forming a Core within a hundred years will be effortless.
With his talent, even the Nascent Soul stage is within reach. He might even challenge Divine Transformation one day. With Martial Uncle Sheng at the helm, Haoran Sect will surely become the number one sect in the western region of Weiyu Realm."
Wei Yunxi quietly wiped her face as her fellow disciple spoke with great enthusiasm. This one was clearly a die-hard fan of Sheng Yuhong, brimming with blind confidence.
She gave a polite bow. "Senior Brother, may I ask your name?"
"I'm Long Daoyu. What about you?"
"I'm Wei Yunxi."
"So you're Little Sister Wei. What brings you to the Baohua Mountains this time? Wait, don't tell me—let me guess. Did you come because Martial Uncle Sheng took on a mission here?"
Long Daoyu waggled his eyebrows at her as he asked.
Yunxi's eye twitched, but she played along, lowering her voice. "Senior Brother Long, I've been cultivating in the outer sect all this time and never had the chance to meet Martial Uncle Sheng. I've only heard of him, never seen him, and it's been driving me crazy with curiosity.
So now that I finally have the opportunity to see him in person, of course I couldn't miss it. To be honest, I even pulled some strings to take on the mission to find the missing disciples. But now that the mission has been upgraded, I'm no longer eligible to join him."
She sighed and shook her head, putting on a thoroughly disappointed expression.
Long Daoyu gave a knowing grin. "You took that search mission too?"
Yunxi immediately followed up, "You did as well, Senior Brother?"
"Sure did!"
"Well, now it's out of our hands. We can only sit and watch."
Yunxi shrugged helplessly.
Long Daoyu's eyes sparkled as he leaned in with a sly smile. "Little Sister Wei, I'll come find you later. I've got something to discuss with you."
"Alright, I'm in Room B5," Yunxi replied without hesitation.
While the two spoke in hushed tones, Sheng Yuhong had already withdrawn his gaze. Clearly enjoying the admiration of the younger disciples, he allowed himself to be ushered into the meeting hall in the back courtyard.
A few nosy disciples wanted to follow, but they were stopped at the entrance with the explanation that the senior disciples were discussing how to search for their missing sectmates in the mountains.
Both Long Daoyu and Wei Yunxi were among those blocked from entering. Yunxi didn't mind, but Long Daoyu sighed, then turned to her with a conspiratorial tone.
"Little Sister Wei, do you want Martial Uncle Sheng to see you in a new light?"
Yunxi nearly rolled her eyes, but outwardly she appeared intrigued. "Senior Brother Long, what do you mean by that? How could someone like me impress Martial Uncle Sheng? I'm only at the late Qi Refining stage. The gap between us is too wide, I don't have the ability, even if I wanted to."
She ended with a hint of dejection.
Long Daoyu quickly whispered, "Don't sell yourself short. This might be the perfect opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
"Martial Uncle Sheng is leading a team into the outer region of the Baohua Mountains to search for the missing disciples. If we follow them quietly, there might be a chance for us to help. And if that happens, he'll definitely take notice of us."
Wei Yunxi's gaze flickered. She rubbed her hands together and asked, "But… is that really going to work? Martial Uncle Sheng is only bringing Foundation Establishment disciples. Would he even need help from us Qi Refinement disciples? Besides, with his level of cultivation, wouldn't he sense us following him right away? What if he refuses to let us come along?"
Long Daoyu stroked his chin thoughtfully before replying, "The missing disciples disappeared in the outermost region of Baohua Mountains. That's where Martial Uncle Sheng will start his search too. That area is where Qi Refinement and early Foundation Establishment disciples usually train, so it wouldn't be strange for us to be there.
As for being discovered, we can just say we wanted to follow behind the senior disciples for safety. As long as we don't get too close, I'm sure Martial Uncle Sheng, with his generous temperament, won't mind."
Yunxi finally understood. This was a hardcore fan who wanted to tail his idol, but didn't want to go alone in case he got kicked out or ran into danger—so he was recruiting a partner in crime.
"What do you think, Little Sister Wei?"
"I'm fine with it. I was planning to go into the mountains anyway. Following a larger group is better than going in alone. If something dangerous happens, at least there'll be someone around to call for help. And judging by Martial Uncle Sheng's righteous appearance, he's not the type to abandon his own people in a crisis. Since that's the case, I have no reason to refuse."
"Great! Then it's settled."
Long Daoyu beamed with delight.
"Of course."
The two exchanged communication talismans, then went together to the stationed elder to receive a few missions: one to find spiritual plants, and another to hunt a first-rank beast. These would serve as their official excuse for entering the mountain.
"Little Sister Wei, stay ready. The moment Martial Uncle Sheng departs, I'll come for you."
"Alright, I'll wait for your word."
After settling that, the two went their separate ways.
Wei Yunxi returned to her room and began organizing her storage pouch. She placed her talismans, pills, and spirit sword where they would be easiest to access, then sat down cross-legged to meditate and conserve her energy.
Early the next morning, Sheng Yuhong led his group out of the Haoran Sect outpost. Soon after, Long Daoyu arrived at Yunxi's door.
"Little Sister Wei, it's time."
"On my way."
After a final check, Yunxi left Baohua City with Long Daoyu, blending into the stream of cultivators heading toward the Baohua Mountains.
Along the road, cultivators hurried past from all directions, all with the same destination.
As they traveled, Yunxi made small talk with Long Daoyu, fishing for more information.
"Senior Brother Long, do you know where Martial Uncle Sheng is planning to go first?"
"My cousin sent me a message. Their first stop is the last known location of the missing disciples, the spot where they sent their distress signal."
Yunxi probed further. "Is it far? Is there a shortcut we can take to get there first?"
Long Daoyu shook his head. "I'm not sure. This is only my second time in the Baohua Mountains. The place is massive. I'd love to find a shortcut too, but I don't know of any."
Yunxi added, "I heard the missing disciples had gone looking for Fire Dragon Grass. The outer region has large patches of it, and those areas are usually filled with snake-type beasts. If that's true, then Martial Uncle Sheng must be heading that way."
"Yeah, I got the same info when I took the mission. I've already marked out all the spots where Fire Dragon Grass grows in the outer region. I just don't know which one exactly they went to. I only know it's somewhere in the southwest."