Li Jing was utterly dumbfounded by Wuyun Xian's words.
It was his first time encountering someone as unreasonable as Wuyun Xian.
But when you stood beneath another man's eaves, you had no choice but to bow your head!
However furious he felt, he still reluctantly went to arrange quarters for Wuyun Xian.
Only after Li Jing left did Yin Shiniang finally speak.
"May I ask, Great Immortal Wuyun, if you become my child's master, could you let him grow up at home?"
"Could you wait until he's fifteen-no, ten-before taking him back?"
"After all, he's my child too. I don't want him to grow up without even recognizing his own father and mother!"
At this point, Yin Shiniang could no longer hold back her tears.
The people of the Interception Sect had always valued affection and loyalty.
Wuyun Xian, in particular, was a single-minded fellow who responded to a gentle touch, not a heavy hand.
Naturally, he thought nothing of fellows like Taiyi Zhenren and Li Jing.
But Yin Shiniang's tears left him rather flustered, and he hastily spoke.
"What an odd thing to say, madam. I, Wuyun Xian, came here to take a disciple, not steal your child."
"It's not as though my disciple has no father or mother. How could I possibly take him back to the mountain? Even if you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't do that!"
"The path of immortal cultivation isn't a path of severing all affection. Where did such damned ridiculous rules come from?"
"Didn't I just say I'd stay in your home? Enjoy your family life however you please."
"As his master, I'll only be responsible for teaching my disciple his skills. Once he's learned them, I'll leave."
"If his learning satisfies me when he's fifty, I'll leave when he's fifty. If he masters everything at a hundred, I'll leave when he's a hundred."
"Of course, as a member of the Interception Sect, my disciple will have to make a trip back to pay his respects to the Patriarch. But afterward, whether he wants to stay at your home or go to Golden Ao Island..."
"I'm only his master, not his father. Naturally, he can do whatever he likes!"
Yin Shiniang was stunned after hearing all this.
She clearly hadn't expected Wuyun Xian to say anything of the sort.
Wasn't this worlds apart from what Taiyi Zhenren had told her?
"So... that's how it is?" Yin Shiniang couldn't help asking.
Wuyun Xian caught on as well. "That's simply how our Interception Sect does things."
Yin Shiniang's face turned bleak. "If I'd known, why would I ever have let my eldest and second sons join the Chan Sect?"
"What happened to those two children of yours?" Wuyun Xian couldn't help asking.
Yin Shiniang shook her head. "Their masters took them away when they were only six or seven. I haven't seen either of my children since."
Even Wuyun Xian was dumbstruck.
"They actually pulled that crap? Those people in the Chan Sect truly have no decency." Wuyun Xian's voice turned cold. "I can see you're a woman of substance, Yin Shiniang. Very well, I'll explain it to you properly."
"But you mustn't tell anyone else about this, not even Li Jing. I've already seen that he's no good. Those people in the Chan Sect have long since fooled him senseless."
"In truth, their so-called recruitment of disciples is simply about finding people to bear the calamity for them."
Without wasting any more words, Wuyun Xian briefly explained the Investiture Calamity, then said, "Of course, you mustn't spread a secret like this around."
"Great Immortal Wuyun, why are you being so direct?" Yin Shiniang was stunned.
She was indeed shocked by the Investiture Calamity.
But she was even more shocked that Wuyun Xian had simply blurted out the whole thing.
Wuyun Xian laughed at that.
"Our Interception Sect isn't like those old bastards in the Chan Sect. We don't have all those sneaky, underhanded schemes."
"If I take your child as my disciple, he'll be just that-my disciple. I have no interest in making him join some Investiture Calamity."
"If you're willing, I can even take you straight to Golden Ao Island."
"That's our Interception Sect's ancestral seat. With Saint Tongtian there, the Investiture Calamity can't touch it."
"If you want, I can even help you snatch your other two sons back."
"Of course, how you and your sons mend your family bonds afterward is none of my business."
At those words, however, the corner of Yin Shiniang's mouth twitched.
Only now did she truly feel how different the Interception Sect was from the Chan Sect.
Compared with the Chan Sect, bound by all its rules of etiquette, propriety, and law, the Interception Sect felt far more humane.
"Whatever Li Jing thinks, my third son will be Great Immortal Wuyun's disciple from now on!" Yin Shiniang declared fiercely.
Clearly, she had already made up her mind.
In ordinary circumstances, she might have obeyed her husband in everything.
But when her own children were involved, Yin Shiniang became a tigress.
After all, one mustn't forget that before marrying Li Jing, Yin Shiniang had been a disciple of Nuwa.
Her fearsome reputation back then had been carved out through slaughter.
Time passed little by little.
All remained calm at Li Jing's residence. Taiyi Zhenren, on the other hand, went straight to Yu Ding Zhenren, his closest friend, after leaving.
When Yu Ding Zhenren learned what had happened, he was nearly scared half to death.
"What? Wuyun Xian wants to take Li Jing's third son as his disciple?"
"But that shouldn't happen. Li Jing couldn't possibly agree."
"After all, he and his two children are all disciples of our Chan Sect. How could he switch to the Interception Sect now?"
"That makes no sense!"
But bringing this up only darkened Taiyi Zhenren's face further.
Naturally, he didn't want to talk about such an embarrassing episode, but this matter involved Li Jing's third son.
More importantly, that child was supposed to bear the calamity in his place, so he still needed Yu Ding Zhenren's help with this.
With a sigh, Taiyi Zhenren reluctantly spoke.
"Of course Li Jing refused, but Wuyun Xian was far too overbearing and powerful!
"Even I was smashed out of there with a single hammer blow. What could Li Jing do?"
"Those bastards in the Interception Sect don't care who came first, or whether anyone agrees. They simply force themselves on you."
Alas!
At this point, Taiyi Zhenren couldn't help sighing.
Yu Ding Zhenren felt helpless too. Encountering such a miserable affair was indeed infuriating.
But there wasn't much he could do to help.
Had it been anyone else, Yu Ding might have had some confidence. But who was Wuyun Xian?
He was a direct disciple of the Interception Sect, with innate origins no lesser than theirs.
Though they had never fought one another, they all knew where they stood.
Even if Senior Brother Guangchengzi personally stepped in, he would probably have a hard time.
Besides, if they sought Guangchengzi's help over such a minor matter, there was no telling whether he would agree.
They couldn't ask the Primordial Heavenly Venerable for help either.
After all, this wasn't some major matter concerning the Investiture of the Gods. It was merely their private search for disciples.
Even if the Primordial Heavenly Venerable wanted to help, it would probably be awkward for him to intervene. He couldn't afford that loss of face either.
His disciples were simply incompetent!
Having to send him, a saint, out personally just to recruit a disciple-what kind of damned nonsense was that?
Besides, did they think Tongtian was just there for decoration?
If the Primordial Heavenly Venerable made the first move, did they really expect Tongtian to stand there watching?
What were they thinking?
Before you continue