Questioned to His Face

"Brother, it's been a long time. From now on, you and I will be fellow disciples..."

Li Zongyin cupped his hands in greeting to Li Ye, changing the way he addressed him as he spoke.

"I hope you'll look after me in the future, Senior Brother!"

"Ha! I'm just an ordinary spirit farmer disciple. My cultivation is a whole layer lower than yours, so how could I possibly have the ability to look after you...?"

Li Ye laughed it off, telling Li Zongyin there was no need for such empty pleasantries.

The disciple recruitment ceremony had drawn to a close yesterday.

Li Zongyin had good aptitude and was already at the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer. The Li Household behind him had always been close to the Purple Profound Sect, so joining the sect had naturally been easy.

During the ceremony, a Foundation Establishment elder had taken him as a disciple on the spot.

Now Li Zongyin had changed into the robes of a Purple Profound Sect disciple.

With his thick eyebrows and large eyes, he was reasonably handsome, and there was a distinctly steady air to his every movement.

Judging by appearances alone, he thoroughly outshone Li Ye, who stood before him!

As Li Ye sized him up, he couldn't help nodding to himself, thoroughly satisfied.

This was exactly the effect he wanted!

The more attention this man attracted, the less attention everyone would pay to Li Ye once Li Zongyin began spending time around Cai Shiwei.

What was more, according to what he had learned over the past two days,

At this very disciple recruitment ceremony, two disciples with high-grade spirit root aptitude had appeared, one man and one woman.

The female disciple even had a wind-attribute variant spirit root!

Although her cultivation speed could not match someone with a true earth-grade spirit root, her wind spirit root aptitude was the same as the Golden Core ancestor's, making her someone capable of inheriting his mantle.

It was said that as soon as the woman's spirit root aptitude had been identified, it immediately caused an uproar among the sect's upper ranks!

In the end, the sect master personally stepped forward to take her in and teach her, though he did not announce her as his disciple.

Everyone guessed that he most likely intended to recommend her to the Golden Core ancestor.

Beneath that woman's radiance,

The other male disciple with a high-grade metal spirit root had paled considerably in comparison, needless to say.

Only one day had passed, yet even Cai Shiwei, who was currently at the height of his glory and the most closely watched among the sect's Qi Refining disciples, seemed to have had some of his limelight stolen.

That female disciple had only just stepped onto the path of cultivation, yet people in the sect had already begun comparing her to Cai Shiwei.

It had to be remembered that Cai Shiwei had only a middle-grade spirit root, even if he had awakened a Blood Soul Spirit Body that enhanced both his combat strength and cultivation.

But once that woman was personally accepted as a disciple by the Golden Core ancestor, with the status of a Golden Core direct disciple, her future accomplishments would most likely surpass Cai Shiwei's!

For a time, even someone like Cai Shiwei had been robbed of the limelight.

Li Ye was merely a spirit farmer disciple, so naturally, no one remembered him anymore.

With Li Zongyin taking the lightning for him at Cai Shiwei's side in the future, Li Ye could already see the peaceful farming life he longed for beckoning to him!

"Uh..."

Li Zongyin seemingly hadn't expected Li Ye not to observe even this small courtesy, and was momentarily at a loss for words.

As it happened, Li Ye had little desire to continue the awkward conversation either. He was just about to suggest they set off when a sweet voice called out,

"Brother Zongyin!"

A pretty female cultivator with large eyes and a round face drifted over, riding a ribbon-type Law Artifact.

As soon as she landed, she seized Li Zongyin's arm and began acting coquettishly.

"Brother Zongyin, why didn't you come find me after you settled in? Didn't we agree to explore the Purple Profound Sect grounds together?"

Throughout their affectionate exchange, she paid no mind at all to Li Ye, who was standing right beside them.

Li Zongyin glanced at Li Ye with slight embarrassment and gently freed his arm. Under the female cultivator's displeased gaze, he introduced her.

"Sorry you had to see that, Brother. This is Zhang Jingjing... my fiancée, the daughter of the Zhang Household head."

"Jingjing, hurry and greet my brother!"

The Zhang Household...

Was it the Zhang Household that was on good terms with the Li Household, one of the major Foundation Establishment lineages?

Li Ye glanced at Zhang Jingjing, thoughtful.

They had even arranged a marriage alliance like this for him. In the Li Household's eyes, Li Zongyin was indeed the future pillar of the lineage!

It was one thing for the third branch to think that way, but did even the main branch agree...?

Although Zhang Jingjing was charming and obedient toward Li Zongyin, her rather cute face fell the moment she looked at Li Ye.

Unconcealed contempt and disdain appeared on it.

"You're that Li Ye who even wanted to sell his ancestral spirit fields?"

"You've been in the Purple Profound Sect for years, yet you're still stuck at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. You're so mediocre... Could you really be on good terms with someone like Senior Brother Cai?"

"You aren't trying to swindle my Brother Zongyin, are you?"

As soon as she said this, Li Zongyin's expression changed.

"Jingjing, don't be rude!"

"It's fine."

Li Ye waved a hand, with no intention of paying Zhang Jingjing any attention.

Compared with everything he had faced every day when his reputation in the sect had been in tatters,

This young female cultivator's contemptuous, suspicious look had no power to hurt him in the slightest.

It was the fact that the Li Household had actually let an outsider learn about this matter that took him somewhat by surprise.

Tsk...

Come to think of it, as far as the Li Household was concerned, which of them was closer and more important, Zhang Jingjing or Li Ye, really didn't seem to be a question at all!

Having thought it through, he cared even less.

Ignoring the displeased look the female cultivator cast him, Li Ye said to Li Zongyin,

"Although I don't know why an outsider who hasn't even married into the family was allowed to learn about my Li lineage's affairs..."

"But since you still have doubts even after I swore a heart demon oath... to avoid complications from delay, how about I take you to Senior Brother Cai's residence to pay him a visit right now, Junior Brother?"

"Really?"

Li Zongyin's face lit up.

"Of course. Otherwise, what did you think I came to find you for today, Junior Brother?"

Li Ye asked in surprise, and instead left Li Zongyin stumbling over his words.

Although Li Zongyin had been reasonably courteous ever since meeting Li Ye,

He knew exactly what his family had paid to make Li Ye willing to make this introduction.

He had originally thought that at this meeting, Li Ye would most likely demand more money and resources before agreeing to act.

So from the very beginning, he had gone out of his way to show deference and elevate Li Ye, hoping that concern for his own dignity would keep him from extorting even his younger kinsman.

Now, it seemed that he had judged a gentleman's heart by the measure of a petty man?

"If there's nothing else, Junior Brother, follow me!"

Li Ye swept his sleeve, summoned his green-leaf flying boat, and soared into the air.

Seeing that Li Ye was unwilling to say anything more and had set off directly, Li Zongyin glanced apologetically at Zhang Jingjing.

"Jingjing, go back and get some rest for now..."

"This visit to Senior Brother Cai is too important to be handled carelessly. Once I've finished everything, I'll tour the sect grounds with you tomorrow!"

With that, he paid no heed to his fiancée's slightly sour expression. He summoned a fire crow, stepped onto it, and chased after Li Ye's departing figure.

His fiancée was important, but compared with his own Dao Path, she was not worth mentioning.

"He just up and left, so utterly unromantic... Is a mere down-and-out older kinsman with such low cultivation really more important than me?"

"If Father hadn't ordered me to... I wouldn't be willing to marry a blockhead like that!"

Zhang Jingjing watched the two receding figures and stomped her foot in resentment. Only after venting did she leave in a huff.