Aboard the Divine Wind Boat, Xin Ruoyin leaned into Lin He's arms without the slightest reservation. Xiao Mei, standing nearby, had long since grown used to the sight and even turned away of her own accord.
"Young Master, are we really going to the Covering Moon Sect?"
"What is it, Ru Yin? Can't bear to leave?" Lin He playfully brushed the tip of her delicate nose.
Xin Ruoyin nodded. "This past year has been one of the few peaceful stretches of my life. Before, because I was an array master, quite a few clans had designs on me. I hardly ever had a day of peace-not until I met you, Young Master."
At this, Xin Ruoyin hugged Lin He tightly. He could only say, "I only had two stalks of millennium spirit medicine. We used one stalk of Millennium Cold Star Grass a year ago, then the other stalk of Millennium Ice Spirit Flower three months ago when your cultivation advanced. The next time your dragon chant qi is stirred up, I won't have any way to suppress it."
"I was too greedy, still dreaming of reaching Foundation Establishment. Actually, if I don't establish my foundation..."
Lin He hurriedly interrupted her. "What cultivator doesn't want to reach Foundation Establishment? You did nothing wrong. Of course you should establish your foundation while you're young. Are you supposed to wait until you're old and your blood and vitality have declined?"
"But this illness of mine..."
"We're going to the Covering Moon Sect precisely to treat it. With that senior's help, you'll be able to keep cultivating."
"Thank you, Young Master. I'll keep studying arrays and do everything I can to help you."
The Divine Wind Boat was swift. A few days later, Lin He and his two companions finally arrived at the foot of the Covering Moon Sect's mountain gate.
The three soon met a Qi Refining disciple of the Covering Moon Sect. Seeing that Lin He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he dared not put on airs and asked politely,
"Senior, what important business brings you to our Covering Moon Sect's mountain gate?"
Lin He promptly replied, "My surname is Lin. I have a matter for which I wish to meet Senior Nangong of your sect. Please pass on my request."
"You want to meet Grandmaster Nangong?" The disciple looked Lin He up and down, then shook his head. "Grandmaster Nangong never concerns herself with worldly affairs and devotes herself entirely to cultivation. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Senior."
The Qi Refining disciple's expression grew colder. He had probably taken Lin He for a lecher who wanted a glimpse of Grandmaster Nangong's beauty.
Seeing his reaction, Lin He knew there had been a misunderstanding. If someone came to Yellow Maple Valley and immediately asked to meet his Martial Aunt Hongfu, the disciple guarding the mountain probably would not let him in so easily either.
Lin He casually gave him two spirit stones, then handed him a wooden box. "Please inform Elder Nangong of your sect. If she still refuses to meet us after seeing this, we'll leave immediately."
Clearly, this was not the disciple's first encounter with such a situation. He deftly pocketed the spirit stones and quickly returned a smile. "You're too kind, Senior. I'll go inform her right away. Please wait here."
Though the disciple had left, Lin He was not foolish enough to rush inside now. The sect's Grand Array was still active, and he had no desire to test its power firsthand.
The three waited quite some time before the disciple returned. He shook his head at Lin He. "Grandmaster Nangong said she won't see you. She also told me to return this wooden box."
Lin He took the box, but showed little disappointment. Instead, he brought Xin Ruoyin and Xiao Mei to stay in a small town below the mountain gate.
That night, Xin Ruoyin sat to one side, looking worried. Xiao Mei had also lost her usual liveliness. Clearly, Grandmaster Nangong's refusal to meet them had weighed heavily on both women.
Lin He, however, sat nearby, perfectly at ease. Seeing this, Xiao Mei hurriedly asked, "Young Master Lin, that Senior Nangong you mentioned won't even see us. What should we do now?"
"Who told you she won't see us?" Lin He asked in return. Xiao Mei seemed to choke on her words, while Xin Ruoyin looked thoughtful.
Just then, a fairy-like White-Clad Woman suddenly appeared before the three without any warning. Even Lin He had failed to sense her arrival, but he did not seem surprised. Instead, he opened the wooden box. Inside, the small lock of hair from earlier was gone, replaced by a Sound Transmission Talisman.
It was precisely because he had read the contents of this Sound Transmission Talisman that Lin He had stayed in the town below the mountain to wait.
At the sight, understanding dawned on Xin Ruoyin. This beautiful, fairy-like woman was naturally Nangong Wan.
Nangong Wan glanced at Xin Ruoyin and Xiao Mei, then shot Lin He a fierce glare before asking, "What exactly did you want to see me about?"
Lin He smiled, looking utterly relaxed, without any of the restraint one might show before a Core Formation Stage Cultivator.
"This is Xin Ruoyin. Don't let her low cultivation fool you-she has an exceptional talent for arrays. You certainly won't lose out by taking her as your disciple."
"Oh, really? Then I'll have to test you."
Nangong Wan was an ascetic cultivator with little interest in worldly affairs and had not wanted to take a disciple. But since Lin He had brought her, she decided to test her first.
Nangong Wan casually posed a few questions about arrays, and Xin Ruoyin answered without a moment's hesitation. Somewhat surprised, Nangong Wan asked several more difficult questions, only for Xin Ruoyin to answer each in turn. This time, Nangong Wan was truly taken aback.
"She really is a promising seedling." Nangong Wan looked at Lin He. "It seems you have a fairly good eye."
"Of course." Lin He chuckled and said meaningfully, "How could my judgment ever be wrong?"
Noticing his insinuation, Nangong Wan blushed faintly, then quickly restored her usual expression. "Very well. I'll take her as my disciple."
"Wait!" Lin He hurriedly interjected. "There's something else I need to explain beforehand. She has a special constitution-the rare dragon chant body. You'll need to suppress it with cold yin magical power at regular intervals."
"The dragon chant body?"
Nangong Wan was even more surprised. She hurriedly examined Xin Ruoyin, then looked at her with some sympathy and said,
"To think you actually have this constitution. It is troublesome, but before you reach Foundation Establishment, my cultivation at the core formation middle stage will still be enough to suppress it. You can continue cultivating."
Hearing Nangong Wan's assurance, Xin Ruoyin let out a long breath of relief, knowing that the matter of becoming her disciple was now settled.
Beside her, Xiao Mei timidly asked, "Miss, if you join the Covering Moon Sect, what will happen to me?"
Nangong Wan said casually, "I can take you as a nominal disciple too. That way, you won't have to be separated from your young miss."
"Ah..."
Xiao Mei was stunned. She had never imagined she could take a Core Formation Stage Cultivator as her master.
Xin Ruoyin, standing beside her, reacted swiftly and said, "Xiao Mei, hurry and pay your respects to Master with me!"
Only then did Xiao Mei come to her senses. Both women bowed together, and Nangong Wan calmly accepted their respects.
Now that they had become her disciples, Nangong Wan was not stingy. She casually gave each of them a Top-Tier Magical Artifact, leaving them thrilled for quite some time.
"All right, you two step outside for a moment. I still have something to discuss with this Martial Nephew Lin!"