Wei Yunqing didn't respond to those words. Instead, she pressed on, voice tight with urgency. "Father, tell me, who told you this? Do you realize how much trouble this could cause me if word gets out?"
Wei Lingyue's eyes flickered slightly before he replied. "We've been in Haoran City for some time now. It's only natural to gather information. Most of the Haoran Sect disciples come here to trade for cultivation materials, and the clan also keeps its own channels for collecting news.
This bit of information came from an inner disciple of the Haoran Sect. I don't believe rumors just because they exist, but where there's smoke, there's fire. And since you're known for cultivating spiritual plants, this seems likely to be true."
Wei Yunqing didn't buy a single word of Wei Lingyue's explanation. She no longer cared about seeking evidence that Yun Xi had harmed the Ancestor. Her face darkened, and she stood up abruptly, preparing to return to the sect. She had to find out how the information was leaked. Aside from Senior Brother Li, who else knew about the Enlightenment Fruit Tree she was cultivating?
Without a word of farewell, Wei Yunqing vanished from the Wei Clan estate. Her sudden departure left Wei Lingyue fuming. He turned on Du Ruolan, blaming her for not raising their daughter properly.
Du Ruolan, however, lowered her eyes and said nothing. Her daughter was her only support. Long ago, she had seen through Wei Lingyue's selfish, hypocritical nature. There was no way she would do anything that might upset her daughter.
Fei Xia's message ended with Wei Yunqing's departure from the Wei Clan. By now, she had likely returned to the sect.
Yun Xi smiled faintly. She thought Wei Yunqing had grown more clever, even managing to guess that she had used an open scheme rather than something underhanded. But so what? Without evidence, no one would believe Wei Yunqing no matter how loudly she shouted.
Meanwhile, Wei Yunqing hurried back to the sect and went straight to visit Ye Shaohua, only to be told that he was in secluded cultivation. That was when she remembered—Ye Shaohua was preparing to break through the late Foundation Establishment stage.
With no other choice, Wei Yunqing returned to her small courtyard, heavy-hearted. She suspected Yun Xi was the one undermining her. Back when Yun Xi had visited her on Dan Peak to flaunt her cultivation, had she noticed something?
Wei Yunqing was confident she had been extremely cautious. No one should know about the Enlightenment Fruit Tree unless there was a leak from Ye Shaohua's side. But since he was in seclusion, all she could do was wait.
Still unwilling to give up, Wei Yunqing took the initiative the next day to visit Lingxue Peak in search of Yun Xi. She hoped to glean some information from her, but ended up empty-handed.
A Lingxue Peak disciple greeted her politely and said,
"Martial Uncle Wei left early this morning for Law Peak. She said she needed to return to the Wei Clan in Haoran City for some matters. She'll likely be staying with her family for a couple of days. If you have anything urgent, I can pass along a message. Or, if you have her communication talisman, you could contact her directly."
The disciple made it very clear. Since Martial Uncle Wei Yunxi wasn't here, there was no way he would allow an outsider into Lingxue Peak.
With no other choice, Wei Yunqing left in frustration and headed to Haoran City to block her there.
At that moment, Yun Xi had already set out for the Wei Clan, traveling together with Wei Chenyin.
After obtaining her new identity token and reporting to Law Peak's peak master, Wei Chenyin met up with Yun Xi. The two left the sect together.
Wei Lingtao had been eagerly awaiting Ancestor Chen Yin's return. The moment he laid eyes on her, his smile never left his face—especially after Yun Xi informed him that Ancestor Chen Yin had already reached the late Golden Core stage. With such a powerful Ancestor guarding the clan, the pressure on his shoulders would lessen significantly.
The elders of the clan lined up to greet Wei Chenyin, showing respect and genuine admiration. In their eyes, the loss of Ancestor Nan Feng now felt much easier to accept.
That day, Wei Chenyin wore the Haoran Sect's sky-blue elder robe. Intricate array patterns adorned the collar and cuffs, adding to her imposing presence. The breakthrough had left a lingering pressure around her, and the elders couldn't help but tread carefully in her presence.
Wei Lingtao clasped his hands with a smile.
"Welcome home, Ancestor Chen Yin."
Wei Chenyin waved her hand and took the seat of honor, speaking calmly.
"Yun Xi has already briefed me on the Wei Clan's current situation. It was her who persuaded me to temporarily return and oversee things. Since you've invited me back, I assume you've made your decision.
Let me be clear—my approach is very different from Wei Nanfeng's. Once I make a decision, I won't tolerate complaints like 'this isn't right' or 'that's not appropriate.' I don't have the patience to explain every little thing. I hope you're prepared for that."
Wei Lingtao quickly dropped his smile and responded seriously.
"We understand, Ancestor. Your return is a great boon for the clan. No one will question your decisions."
"Good."
Wei Chenyin nodded, then gave her first order.
"Ling Tao, take me to send off Wei Nanfeng one last time. As for the items he left behind, gather the elders and have them inventoried. Everything is to be added to the clan treasury for communal use."
"Yes, Ancestor."
A flicker of relief crossed Wei Lingtao's eyes. He hadn't touched Ancestor Nanfeng's storage ring because he wanted to see how Ancestor Chen Yin would handle it. Her magnanimity, putting the clan's interests first, greatly impressed him.
The group headed to Wei Nan Feng's former secluded cultivation courtyard. It remained just as it was the day Yun Xi had left, untouched and sealed.
With a wave of his hand, Wei Lingtao dispelled the formation, and everyone stepped inside. But unlike the heavy atmosphere from before, this time their hearts felt much lighter.
Wei Chenyin looked at Wei Nan Feng's unnaturally youthful face and immediately understood—it was the effect of that "Rejuvenation Elixir" Yun Xi had mentioned.
Staring at that face, all the resentment and bitterness she had once felt vanished. What remained was only calm. This man could no longer stir her emotions.
If Yun Xi knew what she was thinking, she would probably say, "What's the point of hating a corpse?"
Wei Chenyin gazed at Wei Nanfeng for a long time before finally sighing.
"We spent half a lifetime locked in conflict. Who would've thought I'd be the one to see you off in the end? Life is truly unpredictable. But don't worry—I'll look after the Wei Clan. After all, it's the family I was born into."
With that, she summoned all the storage equipment from his body into her hand. Then, she conjured a flame and burned his corpse. With a sweep of her sleeve, she scattered the ashes across the courtyard's spiritual plant garden.
Yun Xi watched the entire scene unfold. She noticed a few elders looking visibly displeased, clearly not in favor of how Wei Chenyin had handled things. But none of them dared speak up—because strength was the ultimate truth.
Wei Chenyin placed two storage rings and a storage belt into Wei Lingtao's hands.
"Ling Tao, take two elders and do a full inventory."
Wei Lingtao bowed respectfully.
"Ancestor Chen Yin, let the Sixth and Seventh Elders handle that. I'll help you choose a new courtyard and set it up to your liking, in case you decide to stay long term."
Wei Chenyin shook her head.
"No need for that. This courtyard will do just fine. I won't be staying long anyway. I dislike extravagance. Clear out the existing furniture and turn the main bedroom into a cultivation chamber."
She had no interest in Wei Nanfeng's sense of style and never intended to stay long at the clan, so simplicity was best.
"Yes, I'll have it arranged immediately."
At his command, the Ninth and Tenth Elders went in to clear the place out. Since Ancestor Chen Yin had expressed a dislike for luxury, they would redecorate it with quiet elegance.