Big Sister

The patrol team was arranged by the United Heroes Hall, but it was actually composed of disciples sent by each sect.

So although they wear the uniform of the United Heroes Hall when they work here, disciples from different sects will carry the insignia of their respective sects.

People from one's own sect are easy to recognize.

When Yuan Qing passed by the second patrol team, he indeed saw the insignia of the Heavenly Profound Sect among them.

I didn't see any familiar faces.

However, there is still a long time before the start and end of the Talisman Master Assembly, so he is not in a hurry.

After confirming that the Heavenly Profound Sect had arrived in Banxiang City, Yuan Qing began to explore the Banxiang City's terrain and routes, while also inquiring about the relevant information regarding the Talisman Master Assembly.

After all, he had promised Lin Xiao and the others that he would be their guide, so he couldn't go back on his word.

Seeing that he had changed from being wary and searching for something to being relaxed and normal, inquiring about information, Yuan Zhiyun thought about going up to recognize him.

When she saw Yuan Qing turn into a rather secluded alley, she immediately hurried after him. Finding no one there, she simply went up to him and lightly patted Yuan Qing on the shoulder.

"Little brother?"

Yuan Qing was surprised that someone would come looking for him. He turned around in astonishment and saw Yuan Zhiyun's familiar face. He stared blankly and subconsciously said:

"Sister..."

After shouting this, he suddenly remembered that he was disguised. Fearing that someone around him might hear, he immediately shut his mouth and turned to walk out of the city.

Seeing his desperate attempt to avoid being recognized, Yuan Zhiyun remained silent, only following him at a distance with a slight frown.

Looking at Yuan Qing's thin back, Yuan Zhiyun felt a pang of heartache.

She and Yuan Qing are not biological siblings. Yuan Qing lost both his parents at a young age, and later Yuan Zhiyun's mother took pity on him and took him in to raise him for a period of time.

Yuan Zhiyun was always an only child. Her mother suddenly brought in a younger brother who was almost twenty years younger than her. At that time, she was quite fond of him and liked to tease him all day long, giving him many strange and wonderful toys.

Of the entire Yuan Household, Yuan Zhiyun was arguably the one who treated him the best.

Yuan Qing was taught by Yuan Zhiyun when he first Drawing Qi into the Body.

Later, when Heavenly Profound Sect recruited disciples, the Yuan Household was allocated a quota. After Yuan Qing's Spirit Root was tested, his Spirit Root aptitude ranked within the quota in the Lineage, so he was sent to the Heavenly Profound Sect before he was ten years old.

Although he was taken in and raised by the matriarch of the Yuan Household for a period of time, he was not her biological son after all. Over time, their relationship naturally faded. Although he was never shortchanged in terms of the necessities of the Yuan Household members, and perhaps the matriarch of the Yuan Household would even subsidize him out of her own pocket, she didn't show him much care.

Yuan Qing himself knew this, so he never told the Yuan Household about anything that happened in the sect. The letters he sent to the Yuan Household every six months were always good news, never bad.

Only Yuan Zhiyun, his sister who was separated from him by countless generations, would visit him at the Heavenly Profound Sect every year or two, bringing him some nice things.

But Yuan Zhiyun is, after all, the young master of the Yuan Household. He has too many things to do and study on a daily basis, so it is already very difficult for him to find time to visit him.

Yuan Qing has always been deeply grateful to the Yuan Household head and their family.

The time he spent being adopted by Yuan Zhiyun's mother was one of the few happy times in his short life.

The two walked leisurely to the outskirts of the city, one after the other. Yuan Qing wandered around until he reached a very secluded dense forest, then turned to look at Yuan Zhiyun, who had been following behind him, and removed the disguise from his face, saying:

"Sister, it's been so long..."

It had been over a year since they last met.

Yuan Qing's way of addressing Yuan Zhiyun was Yuan Zhiyun's request, because she felt it was as if she had a younger brother.

Looking at his pale face, clearly showing signs of recovery from a serious illness, Yuan Zhiyun frowned and asked:

What's wrong with you? Did someone bully you?

Yuan Qing wasn't good at lying, but he didn't really want to tell her about it.

He knew Yuan Zhiyun's temperament well; if she heard the truth, she would definitely want to stand up for him.

However, this is a matter for the Heavenly Profound Sect. As the young master of the Yuan Household, Yuan Zhiyun's interference in the internal conflicts of the Heavenly Profound Sect would be criticized and would easily displease the Heavenly Profound Sect.

After all, although the Yuan Household is a prominent Lineage in Yuanling City, they still have to rely on the Heavenly Profound Sect to survive.

So he remained silent for a long time, and after much brainstorming, he finally came up with a reason:

"I... encountered a group of ferocious Demon Beast while I was out. They were chasing me, so... I used the secret technique my elder sister taught me to burn my Essence Blood to escape..."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhiyun, who had been following Yuan Qing for most of the day, naturally didn't believe it. However, seeing his demeanor, she suspected it might involve the Heavenly Profound Sect. After thinking for a moment, she didn't press the matter further and instead said:

"Where are you living now? We haven't seen each other for so long, do you want to come and live with me? The cave abode next door is still empty and hasn't been rented out."

Because he had things to do, and if he lived next door, she would know he was coming and going, which would definitely be inconvenient, but he really wanted to be with his older sister. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke:

"Sister, I recently promised a few fellow cultivators that I would be their guide, and I'm currently living with them. How about I come to see you after they've become familiar with Banxiang City and the Talisman Master Assembly?"

Yuan Zhiyun observed his expression for a moment, and his words seemed to be true, so she nodded decisively and said:

Since you've already promised someone, you should prioritize your commitment. Just come find me when you have time.

As she spoke, she gave Yuan Qing the address of her cave abode.

By the time Yuan Qing and Yuan Zhiyun returned to Banxiang City, Lin Xiao and the others had already taken their abundant spoils of the day back to their lodgings.

As soon as Yuan Qing entered the cave abode, he saw Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu sprawled out on the couch, each with a bucket of hot water on the floor, soaking their feet.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Qing was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to find his voice and say:

"What are you two doing, fellow Daoists...?"

Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu leaned slumped against the tatami mat, with a large basket filled with various snacks between them, and tea brewing on a small table beside them.

The bucket on the ground was almost full, and the hot water was bubbling and boiling. Don't misunderstand, this wasn't water boiling. It was a miniature array that Lin Xiao and his team had recently developed for foot massage.

The two of them relaxed their feet in the tub, letting the hot water simmer and bounce around them, their faces showing a lazy expression as they occasionally ate snacks and drank tea.