It's all on Yuyang Daozi

"Your senior sister really isn’t here. She still has matters to attend to, and besides, if you’re in the right, what are you afraid of?"

"Master, if you’re not afraid, why don’t you guarantee that I won’t get beaten up by senior sister?"

"Can your senior sister’s actions even be called a beating? At most, it’s just education."

"No way! Senior sister’s ‘education’ is too brutal… Master, maybe I should just return to Ten Thousand Blossom Ridge first."

"What’s the rush? Didn’t I just tell you your senior sister isn’t here? You’ve accomplished such a great feat—shouldn’t we celebrate with a few drinks at the victory banquet?"

"I’m afraid that when I open the door, I won’t see wine, but senior sister’s face instead."

Eastern Victory Divine Continent, Fuyao Immortal Pavilion.

Xie Lingyu had been listening inside the door for a while to the amusing back-and-forth between this master and disciple pair.

The master, with his Harmonized Body cultivation, could easily drag his Foundation Establishment-level disciple inside with just a toe, yet he insisted on standing outside, coaxing the disciple with nonsense.

Xie Lingyu had not personally gone to Baili Liuyun or Silent Bone Forest.

After all, aside from charging into battle, someone had to remain at the rear to oversee and coordinate, ensuring no unexpected situations left them leaderless.

At present, only four individuals could truly command the three sects. The rest either lacked the authority to make major decisions or were not easily accepted by the other sects.

Perhaps because her master was Bai Xuanling of the Central Continent, or perhaps because she was genuinely capable, Xie Lingyu’s leadership was not opposed by the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect or the Taidao Sect.

When Chu Xingchen had appointed her to temporarily take charge, no one had raised any objections.

Moreover, Xie Lingyu’s cultivation was the lowest among the four, leaving little room for others to argue.

Xie Lingyu understood her place—what one’s cultivation and status allowed, one should do. So she accepted the arrangement.

Better that than becoming a burden later.

She had long passed the age of recklessly insisting on doing everything herself.

Yet, hearing the two banter like this, Xie Lingyu couldn’t hold back any longer. With a flick of her hand, she manipulated her spiritual energy to swing the tightly shut doors open.

The room wasn’t empty—members of the Tianyan Sect, Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, and Taidao Sect were all present.

Chu Xingchen had previously handled affairs with decisive flair and ingenious thinking, earning him respectful gazes from these individuals.

But after hearing this exchange, their expressions shifted to surprise and curiosity.

When traveling outside, maintaining a dignified front wasn’t a bad thing—it made intimidation easier.

The doors swung open.

What greeted everyone’s eyes was Chu Xingchen dragging Cui Hao by the collar, attempting to pull him inside while Cui Hao wore a pained, resentful expression.

Lin Luoyu stood to the side, her lips curled in amusement as she watched her master and junior brother.

Li Xingtian remained expressionless, though his gaze followed the two.

Daoist Yuyang stood nearby, arms crossed, a smile on his face. Xu Jin’s expression was stern, though the corners of his lips still held a trace of amusement.

Seeing Chu Xingchen’s grin, Xie Lingyu abandoned what she had originally planned to say and instead asked gently,

"You’ve worked hard. Are you unharmed?"

Now that the doors were open and Xie Lingyu had spoken, Cui Hao stopped resisting and allowed Chu Xingchen to sling an arm over his shoulder as they walked in.

Cui Hao’s eyes swept the room—his senior sister really wasn’t here.

His senior sister was straightforward with her own people. If she was going to beat you, she’d do it on the spot. If she didn’t appear, she wouldn’t suddenly jump out halfway through to settle scores later.

Chu Xingchen released Cui Hao and answered,

"Everything went smoothly. Now we just wait to see how Li Yingling and Miao Yu handle the remaining cleanup."

Xie Lingyu gave a slight nod. "No news yet, but we’ve already sent people to assist. The tasks left aren’t too demanding, so it shouldn’t be a problem."

"I’ll go check on them myself later," Chu Xingchen said before turning to the crowd with a smile. "At the very least, I’d say I handled this phase quite well."

"Tonight, I declare a feast! Order whatever you like—Daoist Yuyang, our gracious host, will cover all expenses!"

Cui Hao was the first to react.

His eyes lit up as he raised his hand decisively. "Bring out the most expensive dishes and the finest wine!"

Among the cultivators present, Cui Hao had the lowest cultivation. The rest had long since transcended the need for food, so eating wasn’t a necessity—but a little fun never hurt.

Still… Chu Xingchen was making the declaration, and Daoist Yuyang was footing the bill.

Most of the group cast subtle glances at Daoist Yuyang. While the Taidao Sect clearly wouldn’t miss such a trivial sum, Chu Xingchen could tease Daoist Yuyang—but they might not have the same privilege.

Daoist Yuyang strode forward, waving a hand magnanimously.

"Don’t hold back. The Taidao Sect will cover it."

Xu Jin grinned. "Then I’ll have the most expensive too. And see if there are any dancers—bring out the best for entertainment."

Back in the Western Oxhorn Continent, Chu Xingchen had swindled plenty of silver notes and spirit stones from him.

The reasons had been legitimate, of course—but he’d taken far more than necessary, and what remained unused was never returned. Like the wine Chu Xingchen had promised, it had vanished into thin air.

Now that Daoist Yuyang was receiving similar treatment, Xu Jin was determined to enjoy himself and savor the thrill of freeloading.

Seeing the three core disciples let loose, the others quickly joined in.

---

"Senior Sister."

Chen Baiqing gently pushed open the door, her gaze settling on Li Yingling’s displeased expression. Nearby, Zhang Miaoyu rummaged through something, her attention elsewhere.

Li Yingling’s frown eased slightly as she smiled at Chen Baiqing.

"Baiqing, you’re here. Was the journey tiring?"

Chen Baiqing shook her head, a faint smile on her lips.

"Not at all. It’s senior sister who’s been working hard lately."

"So you’ve heard about Cui Hao’s antics?" Li Yingling arched a brow before nodding in realization.

"Of course. Knowing your methods, you’d gather all the details first."

"Baiqing, tell me—does Cui Hao have a death wish, deliberately making trouble for me? And Master just indulges him, sending me to handle it all."

Chen Baiqing walked to the desk and gracefully took a seat, deftly retrieving a tea set.

"Cui Hao wouldn’t dare provoke you, senior sister. He’s just lazy. He assumes most of this will fall to the Taidao Sect anyway, so he keeps making demands, thinking little of it will land on your shoulders."

Li Yingling sighed. "You really dote on him. If only everyone were as sensible as you."

Chen Baiqing brewed a cup of tea and handed it to Li Yingling before replying with a smile,

"If Cui Hao were truly sensible, wouldn’t that be more frightening?"

"Hmm… fair point." Li Yingling took a sip, feeling her mood lighten.

Setting the cup down, she continued,

"Though you’re reliable, I still have to remind you to be careful. For this operation, focus on commanding. Even if the cleanup isn’t perfect, it’s fine."

Chen Baiqing nodded gently.

"I understand. Besides, anyone fooled by our fifth junior brother can’t be all that bright to begin with."

Upon hearing this, Li Yingling nodded slightly in deep agreement.