Minor Disturbance

The subtle atmosphere by the campfire lingered for a moment. Chu Shihan secretly drew a deep breath, the bitter freshness of cold air and vegetation flooding his lungs before he slowly exhaled. At last, he forced down that inexplicable knot of stagnation.

He took another deep breath and slowly let it out, realizing that dwelling on such meaningless emotions was truly unwise. The journey into the secret realm was fraught with unpredictable dangers; the safety of the sect disciples was the foremost priority.

The urgent matter was to ensure the secret realm expedition went smoothly, and he forcibly suppressed that strange sense of heaviness in his heart once more.

He steadied himself and thoroughly pressed down his tangled thoughts. Turning to Shen Yuxi beside him, his expression had returned to its usual calm composure. "Junior Brother, regarding the various matters of dealing with cultivators from other sects after we arrive at the secret realm tomorrow, there are several details I would like to ask your advice on."

His voice was steady and firm, his gaze focused. He had already thrown his full attention into proper business.

Hearing this, Shen Yuxi raised his eyes from his silent meditation. When Chu Shihan asked about tomorrow's arrangements, a few traces of seriousness naturally appeared between his cool brows. He nodded slightly, his voice as light and clear as ever. "Please speak, Senior Brother."

Chu Shihan promptly raised several specific questions concerning the sects arriving tomorrow, their relationships with the Profound Heaven Sect, and matters worth noting—such subtle diplomatic details between sects were things one normally had no need to pay much attention to unless one was leading a team and needed to weigh the overall situation.

Shen Yuxi listened attentively, his fingertips resting lightly on his knee. He normally did not care for