An Old Acquaintance Comes Calling

After the award ceremony, Shen Ge and Li Xue didn't rush to leave Azure Origin City, but instead began to stroll around.

Originally, Shen Ge planned to leave, since he didn't want to involve Li Xue in his troubles, but Li Xue wouldn't let him go and insisted on keeping him there.

In a small pavilion in the lotus pond, the two were admiring the flowers. The pond of elegant white lotuses was quite pleasing to the eye.

At this moment, a streak of light and a bolt of lightning entered the pavilion; the newcomers were Ye Xingchen and Meng Yan.

The two of them bowed to Li Xue the moment they entered, saying, "Senior Sister Li (Junior Sister)."

They were probably told before they came that Li Xue's identity was not simple, so the usually arrogant Meng Yan would not lower himself to pay his respects.

"What are you two doing here?" Li Xue asked, slightly annoyed that her private time had been interrupted.

"It's nothing," Ye Xingchen said frankly. "It's just that Sect Master Liyue asked us to come and ask Senior Sister if she would be willing to serve as an honorary elder in our sect."

"I know that Senior Sister's background is probably very powerful now, so the sect leader and the others want to curry favor with you."

"Hey, how can you speak like that, Junior Brother Ye?" Meng Yan somewhat displeased. After all, High Person Liyue was his senior uncle, and he had taken good care of him. To speak ill of the Sect Master Liyue in front of him was a bit of a slap in the face.

After gently reprimanding Ye Xingchen, Meng Yan looked at Li Xue and said, "Actually, the sect just wants you to take care of us out of our past relationship."

"Junior sister, although you have been out of the Evergreen Sect for many years, there is still some affection between you. The sect Sect Master Liyue wants you to help out in this time of crisis."

"Alright, I understand." Li Xue said somewhat impatiently, "If you have nothing else to do, you can leave now."

Ye Xingchen and Meng Yan exchanged a glance, then both subtly glanced at Shen Ge beside them. Normally, fellow townsmen would chat for a while after meeting, but Li Xue seemed impatient and wanted them to leave, apparently because of the person next to them.

They recognized this person as Shen Linfeng. The ranking information listed him as Rogue Cultivator, but they didn't know if that was actually true.

However, since he has a good relationship with Senior Sister Li Xue, there must be someone behind him.

Although this is just speculation, the two are more than 50% certain about it.

At this moment, Meng Yan bowed to Shen Ge and said, "This... Fellow Daoist Shen, I am Meng Yan from the Myriad Stars Sect. I greet you, Fellow Daoist Shen."

Shen Ge looked at him, his expression unchanged, but he felt a momentary daze. Meng Yan, he had always remembered this person. He was known as the number one young person in Heavenly South. He had made a name for himself when Shen Ge was still in the Qi Refining Stage.

Moreover, he was the culprit who caused the death of his senior brother Qin Yu. If he hadn't stirred up the chaos among the Demon Beast back then, his senior brother wouldn't have died in the East Approach Secret Realm.

Thinking of this, Shen Ge really didn't like him at all, and even wanted to beat him up, but the occasion wasn't right. If they had met in the wilderness, Shen Ge would have definitely beaten him up or even killed him!

Seeing that the other party did not respond, Meng Yan's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of anger rose in his heart.

If it weren't for the lack of knowledge about the other party's background and the fear of causing trouble for the sect, Meng Yan, given his temperament, would certainly not have swallowed his anger like this, even if he didn't take action.

Perhaps sensing that his senior brother was somewhat embarrassed, Ye Xingchen stepped in to defuse the situation, saying, "Senior sister, and this fellow Daoist Shen, since that's the case, we won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Yan turned around and flew towards the shore in a flash of lightning, without even saying goodbye.

Ye Xingchen smiled apologetically at the two of them, said nothing, and then followed them away.

"Do you have a grudge against him?" Li Xue asked softly, "Should we find an opportunity...?"

Shen Ge gave a wry smile and quickly stopped him, saying, "You're like a completely different person compared to before. If I didn't know you well enough, I would have thought you'd been possessed."

"This isn't how I handle my own affairs."

Li Xue's implication was that this was Shen Ge's problem, which was why she was heartbroken.

After a sigh, Shen Ge said, "You know that our Senior Brother Qin Yu died in the East Approach Secret Realm back then, right?"

Li Xue nodded and replied, "I know. I felt sorry for him for a long time, along with Yue Shan and the others. Qin Yu is a good person, upright, and very kind to your fellow disciples in the Spirit Moon Sect. He can be considered an excellent senior brother."

"The turmoil caused by the Demon Beast in that secret realm was instigated by Meng Yan, and he even lured the Thunder Eagle to the location of our Spirit Moon Sect. No matter how you look at it, he is the culprit."

Li Xue nodded in agreement. There was no denying that Meng Yan was indeed the culprit, both subjectively and objectively.

"It's funny, actually. I even vowed to avenge my senior brother at his grave back then, but then I completely forgot about it." Shen Ge said self-deprecatingly. He was truly confused now, unsure whether Meng Yan should be killed.

Li Xue seemed to read his mind, patted his shoulder and said calmly, "If you want to kill, then kill. Shen... when did you become so indecisive?"

Li Xue didn't call out Shen Ge's real name, since Shen Ge didn't want to reveal his real name, and she didn't want to cause him to reveal it because of her.

On the other side, Ye Xingchen looked at Meng Yan, chuckled, and asked, "Hey, Senior Brother Meng, why didn't you ask him if he was Shen Ge?"

Before they arrived, Shen Linfeng High Person Liyue had informed them that Shen Linfeng might be Shen Ge, but this was just speculation. High Person Liyue also wanted them to come and test the waters.

If that person really is Shen Ge, although it's unlikely that he'll be allowed to return to the sect, they're all from the same place after all. If he ever needs anything from Shen Ge in the future, they can probably rely on their shared hometown ties, so a good relationship is inevitable.

"I'm not stupid, why would I ask that?" Meng Yan glanced at Ye Xingchen and sneered, "The people of the Spirit Moon Sect have never liked me, why should I point it out to them?"

"They don't like you?" Ye Xingchen added fuel to the fire. "They hate you. Who told you to kill their senior brother Qin Yu? And not only that, you also killed many of their fellow disciples. It's good enough that they've refrained from attacking you. You expect them to treat you well? Is that even possible?"

Ye Xingchen neither disliked nor liked Meng Yan; he simply regarded him as a fellow disciple with whom he could exchange a few words.

Meng Yan didn't seem to care much about the subtle sarcasm in Ye Xingchen's words. He always acted according to his own conscience; when had he ever cared about the likes or dislikes of others?

Do you think I've ever cared?

Not long after Ye Xingchen and the others left, another person entered the pavilion. A man in white, Zhu Xiu, who appeared very refined, entered the pavilion on his own, reciting. "White robes and white lotuses sway in the breeze, the water ripples, all red."

Shen Ge calmly put down her teacup and called out, "Hey, you're blocking my view."

Zhu Xiu turned and glanced at Shen Ge, then walked straight to him and sat down. He first scrutinized Li Xue, then looked at Shen Ge and said gently, "What's wrong? Now that a beauty is beside you, Fellow Daoist Shen, are you not welcoming?"

"We don't seem to know each other very well, do we?" Shen Ge asked back.

He doesn't want to get to know people who try to steal things right away.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, we've met a few times before. As the saying goes, true friendship isn't about how well you know someone, but whether you consider them a friend."

"Oh, so outgoing." Shen Ge glanced at him indifferently and didn't want to talk anymore. This guy had obviously barged in with some purpose in mind.

Zhu Xiu didn't seem to care much about Shen Ge's coldness. He chuckled softly, then glanced at Li Xue, nodded to her, and rose to give a slight bow, saying, "Since Fellow Daoist Shen Fa doesn't welcome me, then I won't disturb you any longer."

After he had walked away, Li Xue asked softly, "What's wrong? You seem to dislike him. Did you have a conflict during the trial?"

Shen Ge nodded, then added, "It's really not good that you're so smart; I feel like I have no secrets left from you."

"Isn't this great? From now on, I won't have to ask you about things you don't want to talk about."

"I'm not going to argue with you about this." Shen Ge's expression became slightly more serious before he said, "This guy is very strong. I don't know about the others, but I've fought him before. If it really came down to a fight to the death, the outcome would be hard to say."

"Moreover, he cultivates both physical and magical techniques; in terms of physical strength, I am far inferior to him."

"Hmm." Li Xue nodded, looking at the swaying sea of lotus flowers, her tone always so calm. "The Snow Moon Zhu Household, I've heard my mother-in-law mention them before, they're an ancient Aristocratic Clan of cultivators, even older than the Azure Origin Palace."

"But I don't think that person meant any harm; he probably just came to see me."

"Alright, that's enough chatting." Shen Ge stood up, walked to the pavilion, casually picked a white lotus flower, and sniffed it lightly. Then, with a slightly contented expression, he said, "I should go now. You don't need to follow me anymore."

Having said that, he vanished into dust before Li Xue could utter a sound.

Li Xue looked at the now empty space, her expression unchanged, calmly gazing in that direction.

After a long silence, she sighed softly, "It seems I've been a bit too assertive. I've heard that most men prefer a gentler style. I'll try a different look next time."

Immediately, Li Xue stood up, took a step, and disappeared into the pavilion.

On the other side, on their way back to reunite with their sect, Meng Yan and his companion passed by the Heavenly Sword Sect's resting place. Meng Yan paused slightly before continuing on their way.

For a fleeting moment, Meng Yan had an urge to inform the Heavenly Sword Sect of Shen Ge's whereabouts. Others in the sect might not know, but he did know that Shen Ge was currently on the Heavenly Sword Sect Sect's wanted list.

If he informs the Heavenly Sword Sect of Shen Ge's situation, Shen Ge's chances of survival will be extremely slim.

However, this thought only flashed through his mind like a shooting star. Yes, because of Qin Yu, there might be a battle between him and Shen Ge, but he would not do such a despicable thing just because Shen Ge is now strong.

He's not confident he can beat Shen Ge right now, but that doesn't mean he'll avoid the fight.

He, Meng Yan, was once the number one genius in Heavenly South, and he also had a proud spirit!

Since a battle is possible, we should think about how to win fair and square, instead of resorting to such despicable means to frame each other!

"Qin Yu Qin Yu, you truly deserve to be called the most qualified senior brother of the Spirit Moon Sect. Now, because of your death, I am in endless trouble."

"But don't worry, I've never really considered these troubles as troubles," Meng Yan murmured to himself, this was the arrogance of a genius.

Ye Xingchen, who was standing to the side, looked at Meng Yan walking ahead and turned his head to glance in the direction of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Meng Yan had given him a very uncomfortable feeling just now, but it was only for a moment.

But Ye Xingchen didn't think it was just his imagination; Meng Yan must have had some ideas just now.

However, Ye Xingchen didn't want to ask. In truth, his relationship with Meng Yan wasn't very good, and even if he asked, she probably wouldn't tell him. So why bother?

In the desolate mountains five thousand miles Full Moon City in the Bright Moon Region, a black mist suddenly appeared, followed by Bai Lili face was slightly pale.

She quickly swallowed the pill to control her somewhat disordered breathing, glanced around, and then immediately set off towards the direction of Full Moon City.

To be fair, Bai Lili's strength is not weak now. She is in the Nascent Soul Late Stage and has mastered the Samsara Method. Even two or three ordinary Peak Nascent Soul could not do anything to her.

However, this time it wasn't just two or three people, but more than a dozen people chasing her together. No matter how strong she was, she had no choice but to avoid their sharp edge.

To be honest, Bai Lili was quite wronged in being hunted down this time. All she did was casually steal a fifth-grade spirit medicine, but someone saw her and immediately sent people to rob her, and the chase lasted for more than three months.

It seems that one of them possesses a special tracking method; otherwise, how could Bai Lili have been unable to shake off this group?

Fortunately, Bai Lili's injuries from the chase weren't actually serious, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.

The Full Moon City is just ahead. Once we reach the Full Moon City, we'll have completely escaped our pursuers.

Although she also wanted to kill the group of people behind her, she was outmatched and had to prioritize saving her own life.

As for why she has been hunted down for so long without any support, it's because the Hehuan Sect has broken away from the Demonic Dao Alliance and is now just a small force, not even having re-established itself as a sect.

She was asking for help, but given the current state of the Hehuan Sect —with only a handful of members—it would be a miracle if they weren't wiped out entirely.

Moreover, her mother, Bai Mei, was also intentionally trying to make her completely break away from the Hehuan Sect and from her past.

In fact, Bai Mei saw that Bai Lili had now mastered the Samsara Method and was no longer bound by the sect's Cultivation Method. That's why he intentionally distanced Bai Lili from the Hehuan Sect. After all, if they were killed by some people under the guise of acting on behalf of Heaven in the future, it wouldn't affect Bai Lili.

As the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect, she was well aware of whether her sect's methods could be considered Devil Cultivator. Absorbing yang energy to replenish yin energy was a Devil Cultivator method no matter where it was practiced, and it could not be done openly.