The Wei family head could only cough lightly and chose not to respond. When it came to old ancestor, he had no right to judge.
Yun Xi placed another stone on the board, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Things likely weren't as simple as the family head made them sound. There had to be more between Wei Nanfeng and Wei Chenyin. Otherwise, ancestor Chenyin wouldn't have traded a cultivation technique for the sect's decision to expel Wei Nanfeng.
Don't ask her how she could be so certain that Wei Nanfeng was the one the sect had abandoned. After all, Wei Chenyin still cultivated within the sect, while Wei Nanfeng was left to remain with the family and was nearing the end of his lifespan.
Besides, from their previous encounter, it hadn't been hard to see that the old man's views were deeply entrenched. That was likely why he defended Wei Yunqing so unconditionally—simply because Yunqing's aptitude was better than hers.
"Second Uncle, my father and mother's marriage—it was arranged by ancestor, wasn't it?"
The Feng family head nodded.
"Yes. At the time, ancestor had just broken through to the Golden Core stage. Wei Chenyin hadn't returned to the family yet. Things were difficult for us, so we sought an alliance with the Feng family."
"Let me guess. Wei Nanfeng's intention wasn't just about the alliance. He wanted the Feng family's pill refinement techniques—or rather, he hoped to cultivate a pill master who could refine pills to boost his cultivation and extend his life."
With a crisp clack, Wei Lingtao dropped a white stone onto the board, landing in an awkward spot. He looked at Yun Xi, uncertain whether to nod or deny it.
Yun Xi didn't care whether his move was good or not. She placed her own stone down and smiled sweetly.
"Second Uncle, I was right, wasn't I?"
Wei Lingtao had no choice but to offer a strained explanation.
"There was some consideration in that direction. But after your mother's death, the matter was left unresolved."
Yun Xi considered for a moment and then said,
"Refining Longevity Pills isn't difficult. A third-rank alchemist can do it. The real challenge lies in acquiring the main ingredient—the Shouyuan Fruit.
My uncle once told me that the Shouyuan Fruit can now only be found in secret realms. In the Weiyu Realm, it has nearly been picked clean by cultivators. That's why Longevity Pills are so rare and precious.
The older the Shouyuan Fruit, the longer the extension it offers. While it won't add more than a hundred years, it can still buy time for cultivators nearing the end of their lifespan to find a breakthrough."
Wei Lingtao nodded.
"You're right. Second Uncle knows you've learned the Feng family's pill refinement techniques. If..."
Yun Xi interrupted him with a voice transmission.
"Second Uncle, once Ancestor Wei Nanfeng's time is up, I'll persuade Ancestor Chenyin to return to the clan and take charge. I won't refine any Longevity Pills for Ancestor Wei Nanfeng."
Wei Lingtao's heart jolted. He asked through voice transmission,
"Why?"
Yun Xi replied bluntly.
"If Ancestor Wei Nanfeng can't lead the clan to prosperity, then he should step down. Most importantly, I don't support him as the clan's leader."
"You—sigh..."
Wei Lingtao could only sigh over and over. He felt caught in the middle, powerless to do anything. His lack of strength made it hard for him to assert himself.
Yun Xi continued through voice transmission.
"As long as you understand this, Second Uncle, there's no need to tell Ancestor Wei Nanfeng. If he asks, just say that if we find a Shouyuan Fruit, I'll refine the Longevity Pill for him—as an apology for my earlier rudeness."
Wei Lingtao nodded reluctantly. He fumbled through the box for a long time before finally picking a piece and placing it on the board absentmindedly.
While Yun Xi and the family head were talking, Wei Nanfeng had already sent someone to summon Wei Yunqing to his courtyard.
Wei Yunqing was still very close to Ancestor. After all, he had come out of seclusion specifically to defend her. As soon as she saw him, she respectfully bowed.
"Wei Yunqing greets Ancestor. Thank you for standing up for me earlier."
The Wei family Ancestor nodded, satisfied. He waved his sleeve and allowed her to rise before saying,
"Yun Qing, your cultivation at this age already surpasses many of your peers. You need not look down on yourself. Wei Yun Xi's advantage lies solely in the fact that she has a Nascent Soul master.
As long as you're excellent enough, you'll naturally find an even better teacher. I will assist you in this. Steady your heart and focus on cultivation."
Wei Yunqing's heart pounded. She felt this was her chance and immediately bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you, Ancestor, for thinking of me. I will not disappoint your expectations."
"That's good."
He handed her a storage pouch before dismissing her.
Receiving the pouch felt like a small victory for Wei Yunqing—a much-needed morale boost.
After sending her off, Wei Lingtao arrived to meet with Wei Nanfeng.
The Wei family Ancestor looked displeased.
"What did you say to that girl, Yun Xi?"
Wei Lingtao lowered his gaze.
"Ancestor, I didn't say much. I just explained your difficulties and tried to persuade Yun Xi to refine a Longevity Pill for you."
Hearing the words "Longevity Pill," Wei Nanfeng's expression finally softened.
"What did she say?"
"Yun Xi said that if a Shouyuan Fruit is found, she will personally refine the pill for you. The misunderstanding from before stemmed from Yun Qing's groundless accusations."
Wei Lingtao repeated the carefully prepared lines.
The response seemed to pacify Wei Nanfeng. His deeply wrinkled face finally revealed a faint smile. He spoke in a casual tone.
"Yun Xi has a good heart. I may have spoken too harshly earlier, and it's natural she thought I was favoring Yun Qing. It's good that the misunderstanding is cleared. Where's Lingyue?"
"Big Brother was injured trying to break through to Golden Core. Thankfully, Yun Xi brought back some healing pills. He's currently in seclusion, no need to worry."
Wei Nanfeng frowned.
"Both his daughters have returned, and he chooses this moment to shut himself in. He's not taking the growth of the younger generation seriously."
"Don't worry, Ancestor. I'm their second uncle. I'll take good care of them."
"Alright. Tell me about the major events that happened while I was in seclusion."
"Yes."
After parting ways with the family head, Yun Xi returned to Zhuohua Courtyard. She activated the array, then glanced at the wooden token space where the Flying Mist Butterflies were hatching.
The Xianling Grass had proven incredibly useful. Under its care, all ten butterfly eggs had successfully hatched. The ten new Flying Mist Butterflies shimmered with a soft pink-lilac glow and tried to rest on the Xianling Grass leaves, only to be coldly rejected.
To the Xianling Grass, hatching the eggs had already fulfilled its duty. It wouldn't waste even a sliver of spiritual energy beyond that. As soon as Yun Xi's divine sense entered the space, the Xianling Grass requested her to remove the young butterflies.
Yun Xi smiled and brought the ten little Flying Mist Butterflies out. She then summoned Fei Xia and handed the younglings over for training.
The third-rank Flying Mist Butterfly returned to Zhuohua Courtyard and immediately sensed the familiar bloodline connection. It spotted the ten young butterflies and fluttered its wings, flying straight to them.
Yun Xi explained,
"These hatched from the butterfly eggs Dian Dian saved. They're yours now."
"Thank you, Master."
Fei Xia was slightly disappointed that there were only ten, but ten were better than none. It quickly busied itself with training its offspring.
Having accomplished everything she came back to the clan for, Yun Xi had no plans to linger—especially now that the warped-minded Ancestor Wei Nanfeng had emerged. She had no patience to deal with him.
The next day, she sent a voice transmission talisman to the Wei family head and quietly left Kunyu City.
However, this time, she left behind one of the little Flying Mist Butterflies to monitor Wei Yunqing's movements—ready to intervene and sabotage her opportunities at any moment.