Chapter 169: Golden House

"Is it a trap?" Xue Duoduo asked Wei Yuning bluntly.

"Don't worry, Snow sister, I'm here. If a real fight breaks out, even my brother might not be my opponent!" Long Xi said indifferently.

Xue Duoduo snapped, "You silly girl, this is someone else's territory. With so many people, can you even fight them?"

Wei Yuning thought for a moment and said, "The Yun Yin Sect is very powerful; there's no need to resort to such tricks!"

"You act as if you're not from the Yun Yin Sect!" Xue Duoduo gave Wei Yuning a cold stare, yet she still chose to trust him.

Wei Yuning chuckled to himself, thinking, "Some people in the sect really don't treat me as one of their own; they'd rather see me dead!"

Tai Feng and others of the Dao Ling lineage were unnecessary; acting headmaster Tai Heng and Qing Cong had once let Qing Wu purchase a contract to kill him through Ying Ge, which he paid to cancel, but judging by Tai Heng's current behavior, his desire to kill has never waned.

Wei Yuning took the lead, and the three of them hurried to the Foreign Affairs Hall.

As soon as they entered the courtyard of the Foreign Affairs Hall, they saw it filled with people. Wei Yuning saw Tai Heng's group there, but their attention was fixed on the center of the crowd.

Ying Da was also present; he hadn't lost his freedom, but stood solemnly beside Hong Zhi, listening to a rambling speech from the middle of the crowd.

He was a handsome middle‑aged scholar type, with fair skin that didn't look frail, eyes that seemed to smile without smiling, exuding a lively yet wise aura; a brown wine gourd hung at his waist, and a thick brown brush over a half‑meter long was slung on his back, its shape extremely odd.

"…The Spirit Beast World is one of the peripheral realms of the Great Yuan Primary Realm. It was originally a dilapidated fragmentary realm; only after several great beings intervened was it repaired, yet some boundary walls remain fragile, which is why the Outer Realm Battlefield keeps expanding."

"This time the Outer Realm Battlefield incident blew up, which isn't entirely bad for the Spirit Beast World. After the news spread, several neighboring realms and a Middle World decided to send cultivators to help, so everyone here need not worry for now. The only concern is the White Hair Tribe; the Beast Emperor speculates that some of them may have already entered the Spirit Beast World…" The cultivator in the center spoke fluently, and everyone, including acting headmaster Tai Heng, listened attentively.

Wei Yuning found Xuan Miaozi's words oddly familiar; he glanced at Xue Duoduo, who nodded at him. He realized it referred to the failure Xue Duoduo suffered in the previous Outer Realm Battlefield.

Wei Yuning's arrival instantly drew the attention of those with ulterior motives.

Hong Zhi and Ying Da both joyfully waved at Wei Yuning and his two companions.

Tai Heng glanced this way as well, his expression full of surprise.

The three walked toward where Hong Zhi stood.

"…A Buddhist cultivator's Dharma Eye and a Taoist lineage's Spiritual Eye can both perceive the White Hair Tribe, but cultivators possessing this gift are extremely rare. Besides these, the true eye of the Beast Cultivation Lingxi clan, those with ocular divine abilities, and cultivators who have mastered spatial‑realm spells can also see…" The handsome scholar‑type cultivator continued his lecture.

"Uncle Zhishi, which senior of the sect is this?" Wei Yuning whispered to Hong Zhi upon seeing the scholar cultivator's robe embroidered with a spirit butterfly emblem.

"Xuan Miaozi, the Ancestor!" Hong Zhi replied.

"What? Xuan Miaozi?" Wei Yuning nearly shouted; the name was too familiar.

"…Everyone, no need to be nervous. Our sect is in a remote location; the White Hair Tribe can't reach us. All brothers should keep cultivating and strengthening. If the Outer Realm Battlefield falls, that would be the real trouble! Now, Tai Heng, later inform each hall of this news; let's disperse for today!"

Xuan Miaozi opened his gourd, tipped it back to drink, then let out a huge yawn and said, "I haven't closed my eyes for half a month; I need a nap!"

Then he tossed out an ordinary‑looking book; its pages were blank, rustling as they flipped rapidly. In an instant, the book vanished, and an extremely simple golden house appeared before them.

He pushed open the creaky, dilapidated golden door, stepped inside, and then shut the door behind him.

With just a glance, Wei Yuning saw the interior's basic layout: extremely simple, containing only a bed, a table, a chair, and scattered books, like a scholar's study before an exam.

The only odd thing was that the entire house and everything inside were golden, exuding a lavish, aristocratic vibe.

"Everyone, leave so we don't disturb Elder Xuan Miaozi's rest," Tai Heng said.

The crowd dispersed in small groups.

At that moment, he turned his head toward Wei Yuning and the others, his expression darkening.

He strode up to them and asked in a hostile tone, "Where is that black dragon?"

"Hmph, old man, what do you want? My brother has already left. If you want to fight, you can fight me!" Long Xi said with an eager grin, a thin layer of scale armor now covering her arm, flashing a dark metallic sheen.

"Left?" Tai Heng exhaled in relief. He ignored Long Xi, glanced at Xue Duoduo and Ying Da, then at Wei Yuning, and said, "The Yun Yin Sect warmly welcomes all fellow cultivators, but once you come here you must abide by our rules. This time we'll let it slide, but no more repeats!" With that, he strode away without looking back, and Golden Core Elders Tai Xin and Tai Qi followed.

Wei Yuning and Xue Duoduo exchanged looks and couldn't help laughing. They had expected Tai Heng to be relentless, but he let the matter pass so easily.

When Tai Heng left the courtyard of the Foreign Affairs Hall, Hong Zhi turned and chuckled, "If you have nothing else, come with me for a chat, Yuning!"

Seeing Hong Zhi look at him, Ying Da gave an awkward smile, "Comrade Xuan Bing, I'll follow my elder sister!"

Xue Duoduo said nothing.

Wei Yuning immediately laughed and said to Xue Duoduo, "Snow Alliance Leader, this is Hong Zhi, the steward of the Foreign Affairs Hall!"

"Senior, greetings!" Xue Duoduo pursed her lips. If it weren't for Wei Yuning, she would have ignored the Yun Yin Sect members.

"Snow Alliance Leader, you're young and accomplished, a model for the new generation of cultivators. Come, have a cup of tea inside," Hong Zhi said with a smile.

Wei Yuning hadn't realized Hong Zhi could also flatter.

Xue Duoduo gave a hesitant "Hmm" and agreed.

Hong Zhi's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed.

The group entered Hong Zhi's office; after everyone was seated, Hong Zhi asked Qing Wu from the adjacent room to bring tea for the group.

"Uncle Zhishi, where is Uncle Yun Yan?" Wei Yuning greeted Qing Wu, glanced around, and asked.

"She went to the half‑mountain annex, trying to find a place for the female cultivator she brought from the Qingluan Sect," Hong Zhi replied.

After Qing Wu served tea to everyone and left, Hong Zhi cleared his throat and asked, "Did that cultivator Long Ye really leave? Will he ever return?"

Hong Zhi's question was clearly aimed at Xue Duoduo or Long Xi, but both remained silent.

Seeing no one respond and fearing Hong Zhi's awkwardness, Wei Yuning filled the gap, "Brother Long Ye was deceived by that eight‑armed true immortal and won't be coming back!"

Hong Zhi relaxed, smiling, "That's good, that's good! The Yun Yin Sect and the major forces of the Spirit Beast World have always coexisted peacefully; it's wonderful that it can be resolved like this!"

Xue Duoduo, now intrigued, said, "Senior, hearing you say that, your faction…"