Yun Xi immediately noticed the shift in Wei Chenyin's expression and asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister, you know this man?"
Wei Chenyin pressed her lips together and replied, "I'd recognize him even if he turned to ash. This is the Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn I told you about. Back when Wei Nanfeng managed to return to the clan unharmed, it was only because this man personally vouched for him."
Yun Xi raised an eyebrow, silently glad she had acted quickly. On the very day Wei Nanfeng arrived in Haoran City, she'd handed him a bottle of "Huayan." If she had waited, who knew what kind of deal that old man would've struck with his so-called 'old friends' to sell her out?
Wei Chenyin clearly knew Wei Nanfeng far better than Yun Xi did. She seemed to recall something, then turned her head and said, "Yun Xi, Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn isn't someone who can be invited casually. That old thing, Wei Nanfeng, must be asking him for a favor by hosting him at the new clan territory. And the reward he offered must have been something tempting enough. Otherwise, Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn wouldn't have shown himself."
Yun Xi's mind started working as well. Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn was clearly one of Wei Nanfeng's connections. After the Wei family relocated to Haoran City, Ancestor Nanfeng reached out to him—clearly aiming to secure an additional backer.
But the Wei family already had Yu Ling and Yu Feng, two Zhēnjūn-level backers. That should've been more than enough. If he still sought out Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn, he must've had other motives. Yun Xi's best guess was that it had something to do with paving the way for Wei Yunqing.
Combined with what Wei Yunqing had previously said—how she received a message talisman from Ancestor Nanfeng just a day before his fall—it was only logical for her to suspect foul play. And that suspicion seemed increasingly valid.
According to the timeline shown in the Reflection Mirror, once Wei Nanfeng learned from her that she'd secured an Elixir of Longevity, he sent a message to Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn. The next day, Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn arrived as invited. What the two of them discussed was unknown, but after Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn left, Wei Nanfeng sent out two message talismans.
Yun Xi was now certain—one of them had been sent to Wei Yunqing. As for what instructions he gave her, only Wei Yunqing would know.
Still, Yun Xi had a bold guess: Wei Nanfeng likely persuaded Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn to take Wei Yunqing as a disciple. That way, even if Yunqing lacked strength, having a Nascent Soul master's protection would allow her to challenge Yun Xi in the arena. Wei Nanfeng could then use Yunqing to suppress her, striking a balance of power within the clan.
When Yun Xi shared her theory with Wei Chenyin, the latter sneered and said, "Hearing you say it like that, I'm sure this is exactly something Wei Nanfeng would do. He couldn't stand anything slipping from his control—especially someone as promising as you. He wouldn't allow you to challenge his authority."
Yun Xi shook her head and said, "A clan shouldn't be ruled by just one voice. But even if there are to be two voices, it should be for the betterment of the clan. Clearly, that's not how Wei Nanfeng saw it.
He couldn't tolerate any opinion besides his own and only cared about his personal gain—his path to immortality. If it continued like that, the clan would eventually become nothing more than his stepping stone to ascension. In a twisted way, his fall might actually be a blessing for the clan."
Wei Chenyin nodded in agreement. "You're right, Yun Xi. Back then, he tried to use me as a stepping stone too. That 'Supreme True Essence Conversion Technique' I found by chance was just his excuse to stir up trouble. He not only wanted to take my cultivation method for free, but also planned to offer me to Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn as a furnace vessel in exchange for resources to break through to Golden Core.
Unfortunately for him, I refused to give in. I offered the cultivation method to the sect directly, on the condition that his cultivation be crippled. With no other way out, he had to beg Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn for help.
Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn didn't want his reputation tarnished, so he and Wei Nanfeng likely struck some sort of deal. That's the only reason he stepped in to spare him, though he was still expelled from the sect.
Later, Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn sought me out personally. He explained that the idea of making me his concubine had come entirely from Wei Nanfeng. He even claimed that Wei Nanfeng had implied I had feelings for him and was seeking a strong backer to escape some unwanted entanglements.
He believed that nonsense, which led to everything that happened afterward. In the end, not wanting misunderstandings or a stained reputation, he made it a point to explain himself to me—and promised that as long as I was unwilling, no one could force me."
As Yun Xi sipped her spirit wine, she listened to Wei Chenyin's explosive revelation. She'd always felt that the truth wasn't as simple as the clan patriarch had painted it—and sure enough, now that Wei Nanfeng was dead, Wei Chenyin, one of the key players, was finally revealing what had really happened.
And Yun Xi was certain she was telling the truth. It explained perfectly why Wei Chenyin had reacted so joyfully to the news of Wei Nanfeng's demise.
Still, Yun Xi raised a doubt. "Senior Sister Chenyin, do you really believe Zuo Qiu Zhēnjūn's explanation?"
Wei Chenyin gave a mocking smile. "Whether I believe him or not doesn't matter. We were just giving each other a way out.
Zuo Qiu might very well have had his eye on me as a potential furnace vessel, and Wei Nanfeng was simply catering to his desires. But Haoran Sect is a proper cultivation sect. Even if he truly wanted a furnace vessel, he wouldn't go about it so brazenly—and certainly not behind my back. In the end, it was Wei Nanfeng who had to swallow the consequences.
After he returned to the clan and formed his Golden Core, I cut all ties with the family. I never looked after any of the juniors he favored. When he broke through, I was forming my own core. He couldn't suppress me with sheer strength anymore, so he chose to ignore me. I focused entirely on cultivation and never gave him the chance to leverage my status for his own gain."
Yun Xi put down her wine cup, her almond eyes narrowing slightly as she smiled, a pair of dimples appearing. "Senior Sister Chenyin, you did exactly the right thing. Make him hate you so much he could choke on it, yet still be powerless to do anything. Let him watch as your cultivation soars, the gap between you growing wider and wider, while the entire clan has to beg for your return. You're the one who truly won. He's nothing but dust now."
Wei Chenyin burst into hearty laughter. "Yun Xi, you're absolutely right. I'm the true victor. He's nothing now!"
Her joyful laughter echoed through the cave, drawing spiritual energy toward her like a tidal wave.
Yun Xi immediately realized Wei Chenyin was about to break through. She waved her sleeve, arranging a pile of mid-grade spirit stones beside her, then swiftly stepped out of the cave. With a flick of her hand, she activated a fourth-rank formation disk at the entrance before sitting cross-legged to guard the breakthrough.
Only then did Dian Dian cautiously poke its head out. "Master, why did that woman suddenly start breaking through while laughing? Did you help her?"
Yun Xi shook her head. "Not entirely. She was probably already close to breaking through the late stage of Golden Core before I arrived. Then she got the good news of Wei Nanfeng's death, finally unburdened her heart by talking about what happened back then, and saw that I was firmly on her side. All that helped her let go of her inner demons. Once the knot unraveled, the breakthrough came naturally."
Dian Dian twitched its tiny whiskers. "So she really held a grudge about all that."
"Of course she did. She didn't agree to any of it, yet almost ended up as a furnace vessel on a Zhēnjūn's bed. Any cultivator would carry a shadow from that. Honestly, I think she handled it quite well."
Then Dian Dian asked out of the blue, "Master, if it had been you in her place, what would you have done?"