A long while passed before an elderly cultivator with snow-white hair and at the Foundation Establishment stage finally cracked open the grand gate. Upon seeing Yun Xi's youthful face, his expression turned sour as he asked impatiently,
"Who are you? Why are you knocking?"
Yun Xi's almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. Her tone remained calm.
"We're friends of the Patriarch Xiao. We heard he was injured and came to visit."
The old cultivator's attitude softened slightly at that, though he still shook his head.
"Apologies. The Patriarch is in seclusion to recover from his injuries. He isn't seeing guests."
Yun Xi maintained her patience.
"Then go tell his son we're here with healing medicine. He'll want to see us."
"This..."
Seeing the old man still hesitate, Wei Chenyin frowned and snapped,
"We've come all this way to offer help, and you're blocking the door? Does your Xiao family want to save your Patriarch or let him die?"
That accusation was not a small one. It drew the attention of curious bystanders, and the gatekeeper's expression changed. Reluctantly, he opened the door and allowed them inside, quickly sending a nearby Qi Refining cultivator to summon the Patriarch's son.
Yun Xi and her group didn't wait to be escorted. They headed straight toward the main hall, and at the same time, Yun Xi quietly released her divine sense, scanning the Xiao residence inch by inch.
The messenger had claimed Wei Lingkai was inside the Xiao residence. Even if he was no longer here, there should be some traces left behind. So Yun Xi searched carefully.
Of course, some Xiao family members were watching them from the shadows, likely trying to determine who they really were.
Not long after, Xiao He arrived in a rush upon hearing that friends of his father had come to visit.
"Esteemed seniors, this junior greets you. Thank you for coming to check on my father. However, I don't recall him ever mentioning you before."
Wei Chenyin looked at the composed Xiao He, her voice steady.
"My surname is Wei. I'm Wei Lingkai's grandaunt. Where is he now?"
The moment Xiao He heard that surname, his heart skipped a beat. But his expression didn't betray him. He acted surprised.
"So you're Lingkai's grandaunt? Didn't you run into him on the way here? He left Xiaohe City two days ago."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. He said he missed the sect's grand competition and planned to focus on forming his Golden Core when he returned. I was too busy tending to my injured father to accompany him, so I let him stay here a few days. Before he left, he came to bid me farewell."
Wei Chenyin didn't believe a word and pressed further.
"So you're admitting he was indeed in Xiaohe City before. Why did he come here?"
Xiao He responded politely,
"Yes. The two of us were out adventuring together when I received word that my father was gravely injured. I rushed back here, and he insisted on escorting me for safety."
Yun Xi's gaze flickered. She suddenly asked,
"You're certain my uncle left?"
"I'm certain."
Yun Xi turned to the others and sent a voice transmission.
"He's lying. Dian Dian has already caught my uncle's scent."
Zhang Lingrui's eyes gleamed as he replied mentally,
"If he won't admit it, we can't act openly. Let's come back tonight."
Cao Yi also chimed in via voice transmission.
"We showed up looking for someone. If he really has something to hide, he'll try to move Wei Lingkai as soon as we leave. We just have to keep an eye on him."
Lin Keyang added his thoughts.
"We've already stirred the grass and startled the snake. Now we just watch his next move."
The five remained silent, which put great pressure on Xiao He, but he still kept up appearances.
"Esteemed seniors, I've been overwhelmed with my father's condition lately and couldn't properly host Brother Wei. But I personally saw him off when he left. He said he would train on his way back to the sect."
Wei Chenyin fixed her gaze on him.
"We received a distress signal from him. That's why we rushed here day and night. You claim he just left? Prove it. Who saw him leave?"
Xiao He frowned. He felt Wei Chenyin was being unreasonable.
"Senior Wei, everything I've said is true. If you won't believe me, there's nothing I can do. If you somehow prove I'm lying, you're welcome to storm my home. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go refine medicine for my father. Apologies for the poor hospitality."
He was clearly asking them to leave.
The five had already achieved their purpose and had no intention of staying longer. They stood and took their leave.
Yun Xi was the last to go. As she left, she gave Xiao He a deep, meaningful look.
"I hope you won't regret the decision you made today."
The words seemed random, but they left Xiao He deeply uneasy. He watched the group disappear into the distance, then stood still for a long time before finally turning to head toward the rear courtyard.
What Xiao He failed to notice was that a pearlescent butterfly had landed on the spirit flowers at the front of the hall. The moment he turned away, it took off and fluttered quietly toward the rear courtyard.
Outside the Xiao residence, Yun Xi and the others headed straight to the Luoying Teahouse, which a young boy had recommended earlier. They booked a private room, and while they waited for their tea, Wei Chenyin used the time to buy up every bit of information she could find on the Xiao family.
Once the privacy formation of the room activated, Yun Xi pulled Dian Dian out from her robes and introduced it to the others.
"This is my spirit beast, the Xunzong Mouse, Dian Dian. It'll be our main asset in locating my uncle. It already picked up his scent inside the Xiao residence, though it couldn't pinpoint his exact location just yet. But it did make another unexpected discovery."
Zhang Lingrui, clearly fond of Dian Dian, was the only one who reached out to scratch its little black ears. He asked helpfully,
"What unexpected discovery?"
"There's evil qi inside the Xiao residence."
Yun Xi's words drew everyone's attention. Wei Chenyin asked carefully,
"Yun Xi, are you sure Dian Dian didn't get it wrong?"
"Impossible. This isn't the first time. During past training outside the sect, I ran into several evil cultivators. Their aura is distinct from Dao cultivators or even Demon cultivators. Dian Dian is a Xunzong Mouse — its nose is the most sensitive part. It wouldn't be mistaken."
As if to support her claim, Dian Dian squeaked twice.
Lin Keyang spoke up.
"If that's the case, then I'm afraid Junior Uncle Wei may be in serious danger. We need to find him quickly."
Cao Yi added,
"Dian Dian detected evil qi — was it coming from Xiao He, someone else in the Xiao family, or just the residence?"
"There was some on Xiao He. It wasn't strong, probably just residual from frequent contact with evil cultivators. But the qi spread throughout the residence is faint and hard to trace. We haven't found the source yet."
Wei Chenyin said grimly,
"Then we'll need to infiltrate the Xiao residence again."
Zhang Lingrui agreed,
"We've come this far. We're not leaving without him. Otherwise, we came for nothing."
The group quickly settled on a plan to infiltrate the Xiao residence under the cover of night. Their goal was to avoid alerting anyone while finding Wei Lingkai.
Yun Xi also pointed out several restricted areas covered by formations — places that might be hiding something. She credited these discoveries to the Flying Mist Butterfly, though it had been her divine sense that found them.
Meanwhile, back at the Xiao residence, after sending off Yun Xi and the others, Xiao He went straight to the secluded chamber in the rear courtyard. This time, he easily opened the stone door to the chamber and looked in at his father, who was submerged in a jade tub.