The two sides merely crossed paths without exchanging a word. When Xiao Lei caught sight of Wei Chenyin's group, she immediately lowered her head. She truly had no idea how to face them.
Wei Chenyin gave Xiao He a fleeting glance. A trace of killing intent flickered in her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. Without saying anything, she turned and entered the guest courtyard.
Yun Xi had been waiting in the courtyard for them. When she saw the four enter, she rose to greet them.
Wei Chenyin immediately asked, "Yun Xi, how is Ling Kai doing?"
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. Uncle's fading vitality has been temporarily sealed. There's no longer any danger to his life, but he needs to rest and recover. If his vitality isn't restored, he won't be able to condense his Golden Core."
Hearing there was no threat to his life, Wei Chenyin finally relaxed. She then roughly conveyed what Xiao Yuan Zhēnjūn had told her.
"We'll be staying here for a few more days. Until the truth is uncovered, don't leave the City Lord's Manor. I'm worried we stirred up trouble and alerted the evil cultivators in hiding. I don't want any of you becoming their next target."
Yun Xi understood. Wei Chenyin was concerned that they had disrupted the evil cultivators' plans, and those people might retaliate against them.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I won't go anywhere. Uncle's storage pouch still hasn't been retrieved, and the compensation from the Xiao family for his vitality loss hasn't been paid. We can't let them get away with this."
"As long as you know what you're doing. I'll go check on Ling Kai."
After giving her instructions, Wei Chenyin finally went to visit Wei Lingkai. She hadn't had a proper moment to speak with him until now.
Once Wei Chenyin left, the remaining three relaxed. At Yun Xi's invitation, they followed her to her residence.
Yun Xi had specially brewed Snow Moon Tea gifted by her master. Only then did the group begin talking about the rescue of Wei Lingkai.
Zhang Lingrui was the first to speak. "This time, Ke Yang and I barely did anything. I almost feel bad drinking the spirit tea you brewed."
Though he said that, his hand moved no slower. The cup was already empty.
Lin Keyang, seated nearby, could barely watch. He gave a small cough. "It's true. Neither of us even got the chance to act."
Yun Xi smiled as she refilled Zhang Lingrui's cup. "How could you say that? With the two of you backing us up, Senior Sister and I had the confidence to confront the Xiao family. Don't forget, this is Xiaohe City, not our Haoran Sect's territory."
Cao Yi, sipping tea, nodded in agreement. "Exactly. The two of you are our trump cards."
Then he turned to Yun Xi. "Junior Sister Wei, when you were leaving, you told Xiao He that the ones who hurt his father were from his own family. Was that considered sowing discord?"
Yun Xi answered without hesitation. "Yes. But did I say anything false?"
Lin Keyang nodded. "Junior Sister Wei is right. If not for his family's indifference, Xiao He wouldn't have risked everything for his father."
Zhang Lingrui curled his lips in a sneer. "I think Junior Sister Wei was right about something else, too. If Xiao He truly wanted to save his father, why didn't he offer his own spiritual root? Why did he have to use someone else's? Everything he did was just an excuse to harm others."
"Exactly. His family had a problem, so why sacrifice my uncle's immortal path? Why not one of their own?"
Lin Keyang only gave a small nod. He didn't speak. Everyone had different perspectives, and the decisions they made would vary. As long as those decisions didn't come at the cost of others, no one had the right to criticize.
Yun Xi had thought that after the matter was settled, they could finally leave. But three days later, everything changed.
Xiao He had been broken out of the City Lord's prison. Xiao Lei had also vanished. And the Xiao family had been wiped out overnight. The news sent shockwaves through the entire Xiaohe City.
The most furious was Xiao Yuan Zhēnjūn. It was like someone had slapped him in the face. Just days ago he had promised to bring justice to the victims, and now the main culprit had been broken out right under his nose. The entire Xiao family had been silenced, cutting off the only leads to the hidden evil cultivators.
When Yun Xi and the others heard the news, their expressions grew heavy. The evil cultivators had already extended their reach into the City Lord's Manor. Clearly, they needed to be even more vigilant. Fortunately, they were no novices. Even within their own courtyards, they had taken extra precautions and set up their own defensive formations.
Wei Chenyin frowned. "This is a direct provocation from the evil cultivators. I want to bring Ling Kai back to the sect. This place is no longer safe."
Yun Xi nodded. "If Yi Zhēnjūn confirms that Uncle's condition is stable, you should use the teleportation array to return to the sect as soon as possible."
"That was my plan as well. But before we go, I need to formally bid farewell to Xiao Yuan Zhēnjūn. He's likely overwhelmed right now."
With their plans to leave quickly settled, Yun Xi turned to the three others. "Senior Brothers, I want to visit the Xiao estate."
"What for?"
"I want to see how they were wiped out."
Yun Xi regretted not leaving a few Flying Mist Butterflies to keep watch over the Xiao estate. If she had, she might already know what had happened.
None of the others objected. They left Wei Chenyin to guard Wei Lingkai and set out from the City Lord's Manor together.
When they arrived at the Xiao estate again, the place was eerily quiet, as if no one had ever lived there. The front gates stood wide open. Clearly, the City Lord's people had searched it thoroughly.
Yun Xi summoned Dian Dian with a transmission. "Dian Dian, sniff around. Is there any trace of evil cultivators?"
Dian Dian twitched its nose. After a moment, it replied, "Master, there's no trace of evil cultivators. But I do smell Xiao He."
"Isn't that normal? Xiao He lived here."
"Master, the scent isn't from when he used to live here."
Yun Xi's eyes sharpened. "You mean he came back after being rescued from the City Lord's prison?"
"Yes, Master. Since you destroyed his dantian, his aura has changed. That's why I could recognize it right away."
"Then that means the Xiao family's extermination is connected to him?"
"As of now, it seems that way. But what exactly Xiao He did, only he knows."
Meanwhile, Cao Yi had circled half the estate, his frown deepening. He had found traces of an array formation near the perimeter, laid out by someone with clearly unskilled hands. The markings hadn't even been cleaned up, leaving behind obvious clues.
The four regrouped and shared their findings. They all came to the same conclusion—Xiao He was the prime suspect behind the Xiao family massacre.
"Has he gone mad? Why would he destroy his own family?" Lin Keyang murmured.
Zhang Lingrui, however, turned his gaze toward Yun Xi. He remembered clearly that she had pointed out that Xiao Ye's death was caused by the Xiao family. And the first thing Xiao He did after escaping was wipe out that same family.
For the first time, Zhang Lingrui realized how formidable this little junior sister really was.
Yun Xi had a new understanding of Xiao He's thirst for revenge. She also noticed Zhang Lingrui's gaze. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she said calmly, "Senior Brother Zhang, there's no need to look at me like that. Yes, I stirred the pot, but what really drove him was the fact that it was his own family who caused his father's death. The ones he hates most are his kin. Then himself. Only after that does he blame me.
"This time, when he exterminated the Xiao family, it was partly for revenge—and partly to offer a blood gift to the evil cultivators."