Xuan Token

Ye Hongyao's heart leaped with joy upon hearing this.

"I can go to the Mystic Sound Sect, but I hope Senior will allow Brother Shi to come along as well." Zhong Xiu nodded, then said this to Ye Hongyao.

Shi Mu's heart pounded wildly when he heard this.

If he could also join this sect, which was even more powerful than the Great Qi court, he would naturally be a thousand times willing.

Ye Hongyao frowned at this, and after a long pause, shook her head and said:

"Other matters are easy to discuss, but this one I'm afraid won't do. Unless one is a Bloodline Bearer or possesses truly exceptional talent well-suited to our sect's techniques, our sect has always accepted women but not men. From the sect elders down to the inner disciples, men are few and far between. Even as a Hall Master, I dare not lightly break this precedent."

"If it's about Bloodline Bearers, Brother Shi is one too." Zhong Xiu grew anxious upon hearing this.

"What? You're also a Bloodline Bearer? What kind of bloodline is it? Let me test it." Ye Hongyao was startled at first, then somewhat skeptical.

"No need to test, Senior Ye. I have the Stone Monkey Waste Veins, I'm afraid they won't meet your standards." Shi Mu gave a bitter smile.

"Stone Monkey Waste Veins? If that's truly the case, then there's not a shred of hope for entering our sect." Ye Hongyao relaxed inwardly, then said seriously.

"If that's so, then I won't go to the Mystic Sound Sect either. I want to stay with Brother Shi. My life was saved by Brother Shi in the first place—I can't abandon him halfway and join a sect alone." Zhong Xiu said resolutely after hearing this.

"Miss Zhong, you don't have to do this." Shi Mu was moved and touched by her words.

Zhong Xiu just shook her head, continuing to look at Ye Hongyao with pleading eyes, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Ye Hongyao found herself with a major headache, but after a moment's thought, she remembered something and suddenly asked the two:

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask—either of you have a Xuan Token from the Black Tortoise Sect?"

"Black Tortoise Sect? Xuan Token?"

Shi Mu and Zhong Xiu exchanged a glance, looking bewildered.

"Forget it, I'll just look for myself." Ye Hongyao quickly realized something, let out a soft laugh, and with a flip of her hand produced a pale yellow talisman. She shook it in the wind, and with a "puff," it ignited without a breeze.

The next moment, a strange whirring sound suddenly came from Shi Mu's chest, and something began to tremble beneath his clothes.

"This is... Miss Zhong, please help me take it out." Shi Mu looked down at this scene, stunned at first, then a flash of understanding crossed his face.

The girl beside him nodded in response and reached into his clothes at the chest, pulling out an object.

It was a pitch-black token, its surface engraved with exquisitely beautiful patterns, giving off an ancient and mysterious feeling.

Zhong Xiu's face also showed surprise when she saw this token.

Shi Mu's lips parted, his expression turning quite strange.

This object was exactly what remained from the zombie he had slain when he first encountered Zhong Xiu and her father in the ancient temple.

Moreover, this thing was exceptionally tough, having saved his life twice already.

Once was in the fields near the manor, when Jin Tian had stabbed at him with a dagger, only for it to hit this object. The other time was not long ago, when Fifth Master Jin raised his foot to crush his sternum, and this object blocked it again.

Was this the Xuan Token Ye Hongyao spoke of?

Shi Mu stared at the token, his thoughts churning.

At this point, Ye Hongyao raised her hand and took the token from Shi Mu. After a brief inspection, she nodded and said:

"Not bad, this should indeed be the Xuan Token of that disciple of Old Monster Sun's who met with misfortune. How did you come by this object?"

Shi Mu hesitated only briefly before recounting the incident of slaying the zombie in full detail.

Zhong Xiu occasionally added a few words to supplement his account.

"It seems there's no mistake. According to Old Monster Sun, this disciple of his was originally cultivating the infamous Zombie Art, planning to break through a bottleneck in the technique. But not long after leaving the sect, his soul lamp left at the Black Tortoise Sect went out. It wasn't until recently that Old Monster Sun's master token suddenly reacted, showing that this token had appeared within our Mystic Sound Sect's jurisdiction. That's why he sent a few talismans and asked me to help search for it. Now it seems that this personal disciple of his must have failed his breakthrough, suffered a backlash from the technique, and his corpse truly transformed into a zombie. But this way, Xiu'er, your Brother Shi has a place to go." Ye Hongyao immediately understood the situation and explained with a smile, though her last words carried deeper meaning.

"Senior, what do you mean by that..." Zhong Xiu had a vague guess but wasn't certain.

Shi Mu's eyes lit up slightly.

"Simple. Our Mystic Sound Sect isn't convenient for accepting male disciples, but the Black Tortoise Sect has no such taboo. Moreover, this sect has many techniques focused on strengthening the physical body. Although this young brother has the Stone Monkey Waste Veins, his physical strength far exceeds that of ordinary people. With the connection of returning an inner disciple's Xuan Token, and with me personally greeting Old Monster Sun, the Black Tortoise Sect should take him in." Ye Hongyao explained with a smile.

"So Brother Shi still has to be separated from me." Zhong Xiu's face still showed some disappointment after hearing this.

At this point, Shi Mu spoke decisively:

"Good. This junior will follow Senior Ye's advice and go to the Black Tortoise Sect."

"Excellent. I'll write a letter for you now, and give you a guiding talisman. Go to the ferry by the river near Kaiyang City in Zhao Province and light it. Someone will naturally guide you into the Black Tortoise Sect." Seeing this, Ye Hongyao revealed a smile. Not allowing Zhong Xiu any more hesitation, she immediately flipped her hand to produce a jade slip, pressed it to her forehead, murmured softly for a moment, then handed over the Xuan Token along with a yellow talisman she had taken out from her person.

Although Zhong Xiu was somewhat unwilling, she finally stopped objecting.

"Thank you, Senior."

Shi Mu expressed his thanks, but stood there awkwardly without moving.

"Oh, I almost forgot—your arms still can't move. Well then, since I'm helping you anyway, I'll treat your arms as well." Ye Hongyao realized this, took out two more green talismans, flicked her wrist, and they lightly stuck to Shi Mu's arms.

The next moment, the two talismans began to emit a dazzling green light, their surface patterns writhing as if alive.

At the same time, Shi Mu felt an intense heat at the broken points of both arm bones, gradually turning into an unbearable itch.

"This is..." Shi Mu moved his fingers slightly, his face full of astonishment.

"These two Rejuvenation Talismans cost me quite a few spirit stones to acquire, so consider yourself lucky. Alright, Xiu'er, I still have important matters to attend to—let's set off together." Ye Hongyao, eager to separate Zhong Xiu from Shi Mu as soon as possible, spoke of departing after just a few words.

(Requesting recommendation votes!)