Being a Guest

Lin Xiao glanced at the villagers of Xiu Shui Village who had not yet emerged from their dreams on the Path of Heart Inquiry. After a moment of thought, he turned to ask Liu Yu’nan:

“Baldy, what do you think?”

Having been in seclusion for some time, Lin Xiao wasn’t fully aware of the village’s current situation, so he considered it better to seek Baldy’s opinion.

Liu Yu’nan pondered for a moment before replying:

“Recently, quite a few travelers have come to our village, including many outsiders who plan to settle here. They’ve hired folks from neighboring villages to build houses and do work. It’s only a little after dawn now, so I think we can let them in.”

He briefly updated Lin Xiao on the village’s recent affairs but made no mention of the matters concerning the Celestial Immortal Food Sect in front of the royal clan’s Nascent Soul elder. Matters internal to their sect were best kept from outsiders.

Hearing this, Lin Xiao nodded slightly and turned to Li Zhanying:

“Would you kindly remove the barrier and let those passersby come through?”

Seeing that they had made their decision, Li Zhanying gave a nod, raised his hand, and withdrew the barrier he had set up outside the village.

Then he said to Lin Xiao:

“I am Li Zhanying, from the capital. I set out this time with no particular aim—just to relax after a long period of seclusion. Now, arriving here and seeing Xiu Shui Village living up to its name, with its beautiful mountains and clear waters and its remarkable people, I have taken a great liking to it. I would like to stay here for a short while, if Lin Zongzhu would permit it?”

Though Xiu Shui Village was within the territory of Pu Si Country, and Li Zhanying, as the royal clan’s elder, had every right to stay without seeking Lin Xiao’s permission, he still asked.

Li Zhanying thought it only proper. After all, a sect had its base here, and it was clear that they managed and maintained the entire village in an orderly manner. As a Nascent Soul cultivator visiting these parts, it was only courteous—and sensible—to greet the host and seek consent.

This was, after all, a sect capable of defeating a Nascent Soul cultivator. That very Nascent Soul cultivator, not long ago, had breached the gates of the Upper Yang Sect, which had stood in Pu Si Country for many years.

Lin Xiao understood that if the royal elder insisted on staying, he had no real grounds to refuse. He knew the elder was merely being polite, signaling goodwill.

Thus, Lin Xiao replied with equal courtesy:

“It would be an honor to have you as our guest in Xiu Shui Village, Senior Li. How could I refuse? Once the village chief awakens, I will inform him and ask him to arrange suitable lodgings for you.”

While it was true that this man had not stepped in to aid their sect earlier, Lin Xiao understood his position. As an elder of the royal clan, bound by duty and principle, the man could not afford to antagonize others on a whim.

For the sake of the nation’s stability, he wouldn’t lightly make enemies—Lin Xiao could accept that.

No one knew what the future relationship between their sect and the royal clan would hold. But for now, since this elder was showing a measure of goodwill, Lin Xiao would not reject it.

Everyone has their own scale.

Li Zhanying had watched the new sect face a crisis. The source of that crisis was a Nascent Soul cultivator whose strength was formidable in his eyes. Once he intervened—whether he succeeded or failed—it would tip the balance, planting an unstable variable between the sects and the royal clan.

Thus, faced with a choice between the country’s balance and stability and the safety of a new sect, he had chosen the former.

From his position, all he could do was protect Xiu Shui Village itself and block outsiders from entering.

Now that the new sect had resolved the crisis through its own strength, his gesture of goodwill was simply an expression of his own stance.

People of the royal clan—especially those at the highest levels—had long put aside personal preferences. Their identities demanded that every step they took be guided solely by the interests of the nation.

Lin Xiao, too, had his own scale.

If this royal elder had directly helped them today, he might have immediately invited him to visit their sect after passing the Path of Heart Inquiry—instead of merely asking the village chief to arrange lodgings.

True, as a Nascent Soul elder, the man didn’t need them to find him a place to stay.

But Lin Xiao’s words were still clear in their intent.

He was telling the elder: You are a guest of Xiu Shui Village, but you are not yet considered a guest of the Celestial Immortal Sect.

Having lived over seven hundred years, Li Zhanying could naturally read the attitude behind Lin Xiao’s words.

But he had always understood his position, just as he understood Lin Xiao’s. So there was no resentment in his heart.

He nodded with a smile:

“Very well. I thank Lin Zongzhu for making these arrangements. I shall boldly trouble you for a while during my stay.”

Jiang Youfu noticed that Brother Xiao seemed to have said all there was to say, and the conversation was about to fall into an awkward lull. After thinking a moment, he asked:

“Brother Xiao, since we’re all free right now, and since you’re back, why don’t I prepare a few tables of dishes to ease everyone’s nerves?”

Upon hearing this, all members of the Celestial Immortal Sect lit up with excitement.

Fuzi was going to cook for them early in the morning!

Lin Xiao smiled and nodded:

“That would be wonderful! Senior Li is here too, so you cook well and let him taste your skills!”

But even as he said this, he sent a voice transmission to Jiang Youfu:

“Fuzi, don’t go overboard. Hold back a little. If the royal clan sets their eyes on your talents, you’ll be in trouble.”

Not just Lin Xiao—Liu Yu’nan and Liao Pantu also sent him voice transmissions with nearly identical messages.

Hearing all three in his mind at once, Jiang Youfu felt dazed.

He blinked at them, gave a small nod, and muttered an “oh” before turning and running up the mountain to his personal cooking station.

Sun Yigao, seeing that it wasn’t good for everyone to just stand idly at the foot of the mountain, led the group to a nearby private school where they could sit for a while.

Lin Xiao sent the rest of the sect members back to their usual morning cultivation, keeping only himself, Senior Liao, and Sun Yigao—who still had lessons to teach—to accompany Li Zhanying while waiting for the village chief and villagers to awaken from the Path of Heart Inquiry.

Fortunately, they did not have to wait long.

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Xiao and the others noticed two figures slowly emerging from the path.

The two were none other than the village chief, Du Liushui, and the Hu clan leader, Hu Deli.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao secretly rejoiced—finally, he could break away from this awkward hosting situation!

He excused himself from the group, stood up, walked out of the building, and headed toward the two.

The two elders had just awakened from a vivid dream-realm, still somewhat dazed. They did not notice Lin Xiao until he had stepped right in front of them.