Yun Xi glanced at the jade box, then responded politely,
"Thank you, Senior Brother Sheng. I appreciate the gesture, but there's no need for a gift."
Sheng Yuhong hadn't expected her to refuse. His hand holding the jade box paused. Somewhat disappointed, he said,
"Junior Sister Yun Xi, this is a congratulatory gift."
A flicker of annoyance passed through Yun Xi's eyes, but her tone remained courteous.
"Senior Brother Sheng, your gift looks far too valuable. I don't feel worthy of accepting it."
Sheng Yuhong was already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, so he clearly caught that brief flash of disdain in Yun Xi's eyes. He suddenly felt a bit wronged. This was the first time he had come bearing a gift only to be turned away.
The other four members of the Wei family remained silent. They were guests and trusted Yun Xi to handle the situation.
Only Wei Yunqing was filled with envy and resentment. Seeing Sheng Yuhong in an awkward position, she jumped in to smooth things over.
"Yun Xi, Senior Brother is being thoughtful. Don't you think your words sound a little too distant?"
Yun Xi forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"I wouldn't be distant with any of you, of course. But Senior Brother is still a senior brother."
Sheng Yuhong immediately added,
"Our sect leader and Yu Ling Zhēnjūn are martial brothers from the same sect. That makes us disciples of the same grandmaster, so our bond should be even closer."
Yun Xi felt her patience wearing thin. Could this man not take a hint? Still trying to forge some connection, she frowned and said,
"Senior Brother Sheng, when it comes to how close or distant I feel toward someone, that's not how I measure it."
The implication was clear. She didn't want to be close to him.
Sheng Yuhong had his own pride. He could tell Yun Xi had no intention of forming a bond with him. After placing down the gift, he took his leave without another word.
Only after Sheng Yuhong left did Wei Yunqing put on a concerned act and say,
"Yun Xi, he's still our senior brother. You didn't have to embarrass him like that. You could've at least humored him a little."
Yun Xi's tone turned cold.
"Yunqing, you know full well I only invited the Wei family disciples. I didn't ask outsiders to come. Why did you take it upon yourself to bring someone?"
Wei Yunqing put on a wronged expression.
"When you sent the message talisman, Senior Brother was right next to me. He offered to accompany me. How could I say no? It's not like I have a Nascent Soul master backing me."
Though the excuse sounded reasonable, Yun Xi didn't buy it. She retorted immediately,
"If you knew he was coming uninvited, shouldn't you have at least informed me in advance?"
"How was I supposed to know you two had such a bad relationship? You wouldn't even call him Senior Brother."
Seeing how strained their relationship was, Wei Yunqing was secretly delighted. The other three Wei siblings were a bit puzzled. Why was Yun Xi so unfriendly toward Senior Brother Sheng? He was one of the sect's rising stars, admired by many.
Wei Yunyin cautiously asked,
"Yun Xi, did Senior Brother Sheng do something to upset you?"
Yun Xi frowned. She didn't explain that her dislike stemmed from how Sheng Yuhong had encouraged the sect leader to take her as a disciple. To most people, that would have seemed like a stroke of great fortune.
"Our temperaments don't match. I'll avoid him in the future."
She brushed off the topic with a vague excuse and ended the conversation.
Wei Yunqing was still thinking about how to comfort Sheng Yuhong and deepen their bond. After sitting for a while, she offered Yun Xi a second-grade spiritual plant she had nurtured, then took her leave.
Yun Xi made no effort to keep her. She had only invited Wei Yunqing to maintain the appearance of sisterly harmony, but Wei Yunqing's decision to bring Sheng Yuhong had made everything far more irritating.
After Wei Yunqing left, Wei Yunyin finally spoke.
"Yun Xi, it seems Yunqing is quite fond of Senior Brother Sheng."
Yun Xi shook her head.
"That has nothing to do with me. I've never desired things that don't belong to me. I only want to cultivate and ascend, to see a wider world. Love and romance will only slow me down."
Wei Yunyin was stunned by her response and dropped the subject. Zong Yu strongly agreed with Yun Xi's mindset. His heart belonged solely to the sword.
Zong Hao thought the same way. If his talent hadn't improved, his family might have tried to arrange other paths for him. But at his current cultivation pace, minor ascension wasn't far off. He certainly wouldn't waste time on love.
With the conversation over, Yun Xi mentioned her plan to return to the clan for a while. Wei Yunyin and Zong Yu hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, so they weren't eligible to return.
Zong Hao could return, but he had recently made progress in his alchemy. Now wasn't the right time.
So he suggested,
"Yun Xi, how about waiting a few days? Once I finish this breakthrough in alchemy, we can travel back together."
Yun Xi thought for a moment, then said,
"There's less than a year until the sect competition. That event will affect your chances of becoming a disciple and securing future cultivation resources. You should use this time to prepare. If we can't return together this time, we'll go next time. There will be plenty of chances."
Zong Hao sighed a little regretfully.
"Alright. Be careful on your journey."
"I will. Let's stay in touch through our communication jades."
After that, Yun Xi brought out some prepared spirit beast meat and spiritual wine, and the five of them shared a small meal together. That afternoon, she personally escorted them off Lingxue Peak.
Over the next three days, Yun Xi made preparations for her journey. She made a special trip to the Artifact Refining Peak, where a Golden Core elder crafted her a robe using the skin of a Five-Colored Python.
Because the python's skin shimmered with vibrant hues, the robe turned out radiant and flowing like water. Nan Zhēnrén, the elder craftsman, was highly skilled and even made her a matching headband from the same material.
Yun Xi paid the fee without hesitation, then returned to Lingxue Peak with the new robe. She tried it on and adjusted its color to a muted sky blue. The headband matched, subtle and low-key.
With her outfit ready, Yun Xi accepted two travel missions from the task hall and departed from Haoran Sect.
Her first stop was still Haoran City. There, she dealt with items she no longer needed and stored her spatial bracelet into her inner realm. The items inside were now too valuable, and drawing attention to them could bring trouble. She took precautions early to avoid future risks.
She continued to wear her storage ring on her finger, activating its hidden function. It now only held emergency items. Her more common belongings remained in the storage pouch at her waist.
Dian Dian had grown used to following Yun Xi and refused to go into the spirit beast pouch. It insisted on staying nestled in her arms, claiming it was to help spot treasure at any moment.
As for Yun Xi's departure, Sheng Yuhong only learned about it two days later. At that time, he had been preparing to speak with her in private. He thought there had been a misunderstanding between them.
But he was a step too late.
By then, Yun Xi had already left Haoran City, flying on an ordinary spirit vessel bound for Xiafei Valley.
Xiafei Valley was along the route back to Kunyu City, so she had taken on a mission to catch Flying Mist Butterflies there.
These butterflies could only be found in Xiafei Valley, which was how the place got its name. Flying Mist Butterflies were harmless, with the highest rank being third-tier. But the powder on their wings was a valuable alchemical neutralizer used in pill refinement.
The butterflies were also beautiful, with wings as thin as cicada wings, tinted with the hues of dawn. Under sunlight, they shimmered so brilliantly that one couldn't look away. Hence the name Flying Mist Butterflies.