Senior Brother, I'm Here to See Sister Meng You Again

Among the crowd, the most excited were undoubtedly Zhao Mingxuan, Zhou Hanhe, and Hu Min.

Having just watched Li Chuan receive over 5,000 Spirit Stones and contribution points, they had been seething with resentment.

Now that someone was causing trouble for Li Chuan, how could they suppress their glee? They even secretly hoped the Spirit Stones and contributions he had just obtained would be snatched away.

Mo Xiangling said, "Of course he came. The Spirit-Siphoning Grass earned him 5,000 Spirit Stones and contribution points. But Senior Brother Cao, if you’re asking me where he is now, you’ve come to the wrong person. That junior brother and I are neither relatives nor close friends—how would I know his whereabouts?"

At the mention of 5,000 Spirit Stones and contributions, the gray-robed middle-aged man’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

He had always suspected Li Chuan was up to no good, but he never imagined the Spirit-Siphoning Grass could be so valuable.

Regret gnawed at him.

Yet he failed to consider that even if Li Chuan hadn’t taken it, he himself had lingered near the spirit fields for so long without recognizing the plant—so how could he have possibly claimed it?

Cao Tianyang said through gritted teeth, "Then I’ll ask Junior Sister Mo to help me investigate that person’s information. The Spirit-Siphoning Grass I painstakingly cultivated was stolen and exchanged for contributions—this matter cannot be left unsettled."

After speaking, he noticed Mo Xiangling giving him a strange look and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong, Junior Sister Mo? Surely such a simple request isn’t too much to ask?"

"Rest assured, I won’t let you help in vain. There will be generous thanks in return."

The implication was obvious—Mo Xiangling would be well compensated.

Yet she only smiled and replied, "Senior Brother Cao, this is the Outer Sect Mission Hall, not your little No. 1 Minor Realm. We still have basic rules to follow."

"Every disciple’s information is confidential—surely you know this? You’re a supervisor yourself. How could you make such a request of me?"

Her words angered Cao Tianyang. As a former member of the Mission Hall, he knew exactly how "confidential" such information really was—many things were simply unspoken understandings.

Mo Xiangling’s refusal was a clear rejection.

He retorted, "Junior Sister Mo, such a valuable item of mine was stolen and then fenced here in your Mission Hall. Don’t you have a responsibility to help me track down the thief?"

Mo Xiangling’s expression turned icy. "I don’t care for that tone, Senior Brother. If you were careless enough to lose your belongings, why come here making demands?"

"Shouldn’t you be at the Enforcement Hall instead?"

"Besides, if you’re so capable as to cultivate Spirit-Siphoning Grass, catching a mere grass thief should be child’s play, no?"

Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Spirit-Siphoning Grass was so rare that even after a decade in the Mission Hall, this was her first time encountering it. She doubted Cao Tianyang could cultivate it at all—she suspected he had only read about it in books without ever seeing the real thing.

Cao Tianyang bristled at her mockery. "So Junior Sister Mo has decided to shield him? Do you really want me to escalate this to the Seventh Elder?"

Mo Xiangling shot him a sidelong glance, disdain clear in her eyes. "I can’t speak for the Seventh Elder’s stance, but if you continue disrupting the Mission Hall’s operations, as its supervisor, I’ll have no choice but to throw you out."

"At that point, don’t blame me for disregarding seniority or our fellow disciple bond."

Though Cao Tianyang was her senior, his cultivation was only at the tenth level of Qi Refining—the same as hers.

But in terms of actual strength, he was nowhere near her.

Over a decade ago, Mo Xiangling had already been the undisputed top talent of the Outer Sect, a genius with boundless potential.

Cao Tianyang, on the other hand, was a spent force, a disciple who had exhausted his talent with almost no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.

Like the No. 1 Minor Realm he oversaw, he had no future left—only a comfortable retirement.

Supervisor titles aside, the gap between them was vast.

Had he not been a spirit botanist, he might not even have secured his current position.

If Mo Xiangling truly acted, he would be humiliated—especially with so many Mission Hall disciples already gathering around.

If a fight broke out, Cao Tianyang and his group wouldn’t even have a chance to flee.

"Fine. Then I’ll have no choice but to seek justice from the Seventh Elder."

Outmatched, Cao Tianyang could only slink away in defeat.

Truthfully, Mo Xiangling wouldn’t normally bother with such matters. She lacked the inclination for righteous crusades or pointless arguments. But Li Chuan’s abilities had indirectly tied their interests together.

As long as it didn’t affect her, she had no reason not to favor him.

Once outside the Mission Hall, the gray-robed man asked anxiously, "Supervisor Cao, are we really going to the Seventh Elder?"

Given that the Spirit-Siphoning Grass wasn’t actually Cao Tianyang’s to begin with, he feared exposure.

He hadn’t expected the usually domineering Supervisor Cao to carry so little weight in the Mission Hall—where others wouldn’t even spare him a glance.

Cao Tianyang glared at him. "You think the Seventh Elder would bother with such trifles? Any senior disciple from his peak could handle this."

As a mere Outer Sect supervisor, he knew his place—the Seventh Elder wouldn’t grant him an audience. His earlier threat had been pure bluster to save face. Why did this fool have to bring it up?

......

Having witnessed countless conflicts over benefits in the cultivation world, Li Chuan had immediately guessed Cao Tianyang’s group had come to reclaim the Spirit-Siphoning Grass.

But he wasn’t worried. Having survived life-and-death situations, this minor squall was nothing.

Besides, he now had the Seventh Elder’s smooth, long leg to cling to—so what if he had taken the grass through wit? Even if he’d seized it by force, what could they do?

His priority now was breaking through to the next realm.

And without proper… assistance, how could he maintain the right mood for rapid advancement?

Which was why Li Chuan headed straight for Chu Mengyou’s residence.

The door opened to reveal Zhao Bingqian once again.

"Ah, Junior Brother Li Chuan! Come in, come in!" This time, Zhao Bingqian was unusually enthusiastic, his face breaking into a wide smile as he ushered Li Chuan inside.

"Is Senior Sister Mengyou not here?" Not sensing Chu Mengyou’s presence, Li Chuan asked.

Zhao Bingqian chuckled. "Junior Sister Mengyou is giving a lecture to Outer Sect disciples."

Clearly, she had taken on a mission—what a diligent fairy.

Li Chuan studied Zhao Bingqian. The man was always here whenever he visited, prompting an internal grumble—did this guy never take missions?

He voiced the thought outright: "Senior Brother Zhao, don’t you go out to train?"

Zhao Bingqian sighed. "To be honest, Junior Brother, your Senior Sister Mengyou is already at the threshold of Foundation Establishment—all she lacks is the Foundation Establishment Pill. Meanwhile, I’m still fumbling in the dark."

"To avoid falling too far behind her, I’ve been meditating and seeking enlightenment lately. I suppose it must look quite pathetic to you."

Seeing Zhao Bingqian suddenly pour out his grievances, Li Chuan couldn't help but pause in surprise, wondering if this guy was about to confide something to him.

As it turned out, his guess was right—Zhao Bingqian revealed his purpose in the very next sentence.