Chapter 124: Two and a Half Inches

"So it's Cheng Zongzhu," Sui Lv Zhenjun returned the salute, and without knowing why the other had appeared, said not a word more.

Jiang Yu, standing behind her master, performed a junior's bow.

Wan Xiyue also bowed: "Greetings, Master Cheng."

Cheng Zongzhu laughed: "Daoist friend Sui Lv, let Xiyue take your disciple to play; shall we have tea together?"

"Not at all! Senior brother, how could you intercept my guest?" Before Sui Lv Zhenjun could speak, the pale, slightly plump Yuan Hu Zhenjun flew out of the sect gate.

"I asked why you suddenly messaged me to go to Taiyi Dian for a council, yet there was no one there."

"Are you trying to pull a feint!" Yuan Hu Zhenjun rose and launched a tirade at Cheng Zongzhu.

Cheng Zongzhu, uncomfortable, coughed several times to interrupt him, "The visitors are guests; first, please have Daoist Sui Lv and his companions come in to rest."

"Hey, look at me, Daoist Sui Lv, come inside quickly; I heard you're coming today, so I've specially prepared over a dozen tea leaves."

"Come help taste them." Yuan Hu brushed past his senior brother and invited Sui Lv Zhenjun to enter the sect gate with him.

However, Sui Lv Zhenjun could not truly follow his wish and ignored the sect leader, so he steered the conversation to say that the two Nascent Soul masters would come together to greet, expressing surprise at the favor.

Cheng Zongzhu, such a deft person, took over the dialogue in a few sentences and coaxed Yuan Hu Zhenjun.

The three Nascent Soul True Lords spoke and laughed as they walked more than a hundred zhang into the sect gate, then rose on a flash of light and flew toward Taiyi Feng, not Baiyao Feng.

Cheng Zongzhu turned his head and sent a voice to Wan Xiyue, "Treat the friend well."

Jiang Yu and Wan Xiyue silently followed behind; now they could only stand still, watching their flash of light fade.

"Let's go to my residence at Baiyao Feng," Wan Xiyue released a flying boat and took her away.

After they left, among the Taiyi Sect disciples entering and exiting the gate, many young disciples gathered in small groups to gossip:

"Senior brother, the sect leader personally greeted them; who are the visitors?"

"Not only that, Yuan Hu Zhenjun of Baiyao Feng as well."

"Sui Lv Zhenjun of the Grand Void Sect."

"What about the one beside Senior Sister Wan?"

"Don't know."

"Could he be Sui Lv Zhenjun's inner disciple?"

"Maybe a nephew?"

Indeed, the Tianyuan Continent has countless cultivators; many people don't know Jiang Yu at all, because unlike Wan Xiyue, who became a directly transmitted Nascent Soul upon entering the sect, she doesn't often take part in the various peer exchange competitions.

After entering Baiyao Feng, Jiang Yu followed Wan Xiyue to her residence: a beautiful courtyard with a small bridge over flowing water, artificial hills, and spirit‑wood paving.

It was tranquil and beautiful, the wood spirit qi especially abundant—a prime place for cultivation.

However, Wan Xiyue's expression turned troubled: "Jiang Yu, in a month there will be an alchemy summit at Great Awakening Temple, and I've been invited to attend."

"But I don't want to go, and I can't come up with a good excuse to deflect my master."

Jiang Yu, after hearing only a few words, pondered briefly and said, "So senior sister, it's fine to tell me directly."

Wan Xiyue: "May I tell the master that you helped me acquire a Fish Token?"

Jiang Yu shook her head without thinking: "Not now; we already agreed that it was your good luck that you obtained it unintentionally."

"I want to explain to the master that it was your merit." Wan Xiyue's thought differed from hers.

Jiang Yu waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, senior sister, please don't put me on the spot; we can discuss it later."

"And now, I just want to advance quickly to the mid‑Foundation Establishment stage."

"Senior sister, have you heard in the past two days about Profound Heaven Sect's Qin Zhuo, who unexpectedly found a Fish Token in the mortal world?" She changed the topic decisively.

Wan Xiyue had to go along: "Hmm, everyone outwardly envies him, but privately many mutter why, time after time, it's always a Profound Heaven Sect disciple who happens to get a Tai Chi Fish Token."

"Just good luck; luck is also part of strength." Jiang Yu counted, noting that the master had obtained over a hundred jade tokens among those stars.

Wan Xiyue laughed: "Your reasoning is… acceptable."

After a pause, she added, "Jiang Yu, have you run into something?"

She smiled while her eyes hid a trace of bewilderment.

"Senior sister Wan, I…" It was fated that I could not tell you that in both my past and present lives I have no parental bonds.

"My parents escaped the flood but not the plague."

"And my older brother was abducted years ago by Nan Su of the Harmony Sect, used as a vessel for soul‑stealing."

"Finally, he was possessed by Nan Su's disciple." Jiang Yu produced a censer; inside there was no incense ash, only a small clump of gray, lingering souls.

She carefully protected it, saying, "I don't know, senior sister, perhaps you could ask Yuan Hu Zhenjun to act as a go‑between to introduce me to Ling Zhenjun of Crossing Sword Peak?"

"What is that?" Wan Xiyue guessed slightly.

Jiang Yu sighed: "My older brother, without repairing his divine soul, cannot even ascend the reincarnation path."

"I heard that at Ling Zhenjun's place there is a relic of a high monk."

Wan Xiyue sighed, "Jiang Yu, my condolences."

After a long silence, she added, "Uncle Ling does have one; I will message the master to ask whether the relic is for sale."

"Moreover, the most Buddha relics are at Great Awakening Temple; we can go there to inquire."

"Such a treasure, and Ling Zhenjun would sell it so early? All things are hard to foresee." Jiang Yu, at this moment, did not know that her master Sui Lv Zhenjun was also discussing Buddha relics.

Cheng Zongzhu had a request of Sui Lv Zhenjun, quickly messaged Ling Zhenjun to Taiyi Dian, and soon the exchange for the relic was completed successfully.

Shortly after, Jiang Yu received a message from her master saying the item had been obtained.

The two master and disciple, just as they had arrived, suddenly left again, leaving Yuan Hu Zhenjun disinterested in alchemy, because he seemed to have forgotten something very important.

He racked his brain but couldn't recall, so he specifically sought Wan Xiyue to ask, then his teeth ached, "So, I forgot to give junior Jiang a meeting gift."

"Fine, I'll see what Daoist Sui Lv gave, and pick a better one to give."

"It's okay, master; Jiang Yu won't mind." Wan Xiyue took out a jade box, opened it, and inside lay a high‑grade specimen.

"Such a precious item; it seems that forgetting the meeting gift this time isn't entirely a bad thing."

"That Sui Lv is a wealthy person, richer than your Uncle Ling by several levels." Yuan Hu Zhenjun put away a few bottles of Nourishing Spirit Pill, preparing to give Jiang Yu a better meeting gift next time they meet."

Wan Xiyue couldn't help but feel a bit curious, 'Master, what can be exchanged for the holy relic?'

Her master drew a diagram in midair using spiritual power.

And Jiang Yu, who was on the teleportation array, also sent a voice transmission asking her master, 'What was exchanged for the holy relic?'

"A fish token." Sui Lv Zhenjun did not want his young disciple's mind to be unsettled, especially carrying a remnant soul around, which is not good.

Fortunately, she now wholeheartedly nurtures souls for her older brother, even putting the hunting mission on hold for now.

But Sui Lv Zhenjun didn't expect that, with the holy relic, as soon as Jiang Yu returned to the sect, she still went to the Internal Affairs Hall to deduct 1,800,000 merit points, exchanging them for two and a half cun of soul-nurturing wood.

He simply didn't know what to say: 'You!'

"Master, if the old merit points aren't used, the new ones won't be able to be reported." As long as it is within Jiang Yu's ability, she will try to prepare as much as possible for her older brother.

It's already a fact; Sui Lv Zhenjun didn't want to say more: 'I punish you to not leave the sect for the next two days, and to go into closed-door cultivation on Sui Shou Peak.'

"Jiang Yu: Was it yesterday that Elder Hu picked up a large bundle of Taiji fish tokens, and other sects found out?"