By saying this, he had undoubtedly downplayed the reason for his drop in cultivation. Half convinced, Chi Yu asked, "Senior Brother Xuanji, it wasn't because of me, was it? Did I do something that changed your state of mind?"
Xie Xiyi said unequivocally, "No. It has nothing to do with you."
Then he added somewhat mockingly, "Don't think too highly of yourself. You aren't capable of that yet."
Chi Yu said, "...Oh."
Unwilling to give up, Chi Yu asked, "Does it really have nothing to do with me? Senior Brother Xuanji? The Chan master asked me who you'd met. If it wasn't me, was it your family? Senior Brother Xuanji?"
Xie Xiyi changed the subject outright. "You need to supervise Xiaoqiu's cultivation. You can't let him keep idling around."
Chi Yu said, "I will, Senior Brother... but answer my question first!"
Xie Xiyi said, "I'm going to attend a scripture lecture. We can talk when there's another opportunity."
With that, the light from the Jade Token vanished, indicating that Xie Xiyi had hung up.
Chi Yu said, "..."
He hadn't even finished asking his questions.
But he didn't dare disturb Xie Xiyi again.
Still, was he really going into seclusion for centuries? Hadn't his first message said it would only be for a short time?
Xie Xiyi tucked the Jade Token into his wide sleeve. The next moment, a young novice appeared in the seclusion chamber. "Senior Brother."
The novice called out in a clear voice, "The Venerable requests your presence at the scripture lecture."
Xie Xiyi gave a quiet acknowledgment.
The Anuttara Buddhist Sect was now all but treating him as a prisoner. Even during his seclusion, several novices and a senior monk stood guard, with restrictions and barriers everywhere, afraid he would leave.
Xie Xiyi thought they