Choice

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qing nodded as if he somewhat understood.

"So that's how it is. The mortal world is actually so different from the world of cultivation."

He thought back to when he had first said he wanted to follow Lin Xiao, and how Lin Xiao had asked him about his views on the mortal world. Now, everything clicked into place.

Seeing that he understood the concept of a village and had taken their arrival in the mortal world quite calmly, Lin Xiao continued:

"And then, our sect is in this village. The place we just arrived at—that Peach Blossom Path leading up—that's where our sect is."

With that, before Yuan Qing could react, Lin Xiao reached into his robes again and pulled out that ink-black Soul-Nourishing Pendant, adding:

"And actually, back in the cultivation world, it wasn't just me and Fuzi who were traveling with you the whole way."

Hearing this, Yuan Qing looked at the dark jade pendant in his hand with confusion.

Could this pendant also represent an important person?

Then he heard Lin Xiao—who didn't answer him directly—speak to the ink-colored jade pendant in a coaxing tone instead:

"Senior Liao, would you come out and get acquainted?"

The next moment, Yuan Qing watched as something translucent began to slowly bulge out from the surface of the pendant.

A human silhouette gradually emerged from within it.

Upon seeing this person, he was utterly shocked.

"Th-this... this..."

As he stared, he felt that this Senior Liao in front of him looked somewhat familiar.

As if perceiving what was on his mind, Liao Pantu, who had emerged from the Soul-Nourishing Pendant, gave a light snort and said:

"No need to be surprised. We met before in the Green Wilderness Secret Realm."

At his words, Yuan Qing suddenly remembered. It seemed that when his senior brothers had been rescued back then, this was the senior who had helped them restore their constitution and foundation.

But according to his senior brothers, the reason they had been trapped in the first place was also thanks to this senior...

Yet looking at the relationship between Fellow Daoist Lin and this senior, it didn't seem to be a bad one...

For a moment, Yuan Qing wasn't sure what stance or attitude he should take toward this senior.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, this... I..."

Lin Xiao also knew that after he had brought those fellow sect senior brothers of Yuan Qing out, they would surely tell him about Senior Liao's actions. He smiled frankly and said:

"Daoist Yuan need not be troubled. What Senior Liao did back then was indeed for the sake of killing—that is a fact. But he never intended to trap them and torment them. That's why he later expended himself to restore those people's foundations and extend their lives.

Now, he truly is an elder of our sect. And Senior Liao has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the sect. As long as he does not betray our Lingxian Sect, our Lingxian Sect will never abandon him. So how you choose to judge this is entirely up to you, Daoist."

Lin Xiao felt it was necessary to make these matters clear to him.

Although the people Senior Liao had harmed back then had no real connection to Yuan Qing other than sharing the title of fellow sect disciples, Lin Xiao had also heard Yuan Qing mention a bit about the situation between those senior brothers and Yuan Qing after they left the Green Wilderness Secret Realm.

In that case, this issue might not be a small one for Yuan Qing. It was better to let him know now and make his choice accordingly.

Jiang Youfu, who was beside them, wasn't very clear on the specifics of what happened in the Green Wilderness Secret Realm. Hearing them talk about it now, he couldn't contribute to the conversation, so he pulled out some fried melon seeds and quietly munched on them on the side.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qing turned his head in a daze to look at Liao Pantu.

At this moment, Liao Pantu had an uncomfortable, somewhat irritable expression on his face, pretending to look disdainful as he turned his head away, acting as if he wanted nothing to do with any of them.

He wasn't uncomfortable because he was too embarrassed to admit what he had done in the past, but rather because of what Lin Xiao had just said.

What nonsense about "as long as he does not betray our Lingxian Sect, our Lingxian Sect will never abandon him"... Hmph, this brat. He just casually said something like that without warning.

As for the misdeeds he had committed, Liao Pantu—who had long since passed through the Path of Heart-Questioning many times—was already completely at ease with them.

Back then, he had simply acted according to the survival laws of the cultivation world. He didn't believe there was an absolute right or absolute wrong in these matters.

It all depended on the environment.

Born and raised in the cultivation world, doing what he did back then was consistent with the survival environment he had always known.

And now, he was a member of the Lingxian Sect. As long as he could still walk upright and sit straight, and be worthy of his current environment, he had a clear conscience.

The only shred of guilt he still carried was that he had once trapped those people in the heart of the secret realm, leaving them to eke out such miserable existences.

Looking at Liao Pantu's expression, Yuan Qing felt a moment of clarity.

Perhaps because of his unique ability, he had always been able to easily discern a person's good or evil nature.

From that single brief meeting in his memory, this senior—at that time—had a hint of fierceness clearly visible between his brows.

But now, upon meeting this senior again, he could no longer see any of the ruthlessness that had once lurked between his brows.

The senior before him now gave him the feeling of simply being a kind-hearted yet shrewd elder.

Yuan Qing's heart began to waver.

He thought about what Lin Xiao had just said—that this senior was an elder, and that the way Lin Xiao spoke implied he had the power to decide whether the Lingxian Sect would betray this elder or not.

Suddenly, he seemed to understand something and asked:

"Fellow Daoist Lin, may I ask... what is your position in the sect...?"

Lin Xiao let out a light cough and said:

"Ah, right. I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Sect Master of the Lingxian Sect, Lin Xiao. Because our sect is weak, and my own strength as its leader isn't high either, I didn't tell you at the time. My apologies."

As he had suspected.

Yuan Qing nodded in understanding.

However, he didn't feel anything like "how dare you deceive me all this time." In the cultivation world, the weak had to be even more cautious and careful. That was only natural.

He lowered his head and thought for a moment.

Then he raised his head and said firmly:

"Sect Master Lin... I want to join your sect and become your disciple!"

He had thought about it, and then suddenly remembered the reason he had wanted to follow along in the first place.

He wasn't here for social obligations, nor was he here for anything else. He had come because he wanted to follow Fellow Daoist Lin as a person!

Who he had always wanted to follow was simply Lin Xiao himself.

So what did it matter who was in the sect, or who had grudges with whom?

Besides, his senior brothers had also said back then that even after their bodies recovered, they wouldn't make revenge their life's goal. They just wanted to live well from now on.

All they wished for was to never see this enemy again for the rest of their lives.

So, whatever history this Senior Liao had with his senior brothers had nothing to do with his desire to follow Fellow Daoist Lin.

As for becoming a disciple under Lin Xiao—it was because Yuan Qing felt that Lin Xiao was far more skilled than he was.

Also, his uncle had told him that Lin Xiao's cultivation wasn't likely to be low.

Moreover, the Sect Master of this sect was Fellow Daoist Lin!

He believed that with Fellow Daoist Lin as Sect Master, this sect couldn't possibly turn out badly.