Chapter 167: Protection Money

The newcomer was steering a flying magical artifact, a Golden Core cultivator.

Hong Jian found him somewhat familiar, but no matter how good a cultivator's memory might be, more than twenty years had passed, and back then they had only crossed paths a few times among fellow disciples; she truly could not recall who this person was.

Not remembering did not matter, for Tong Dai by her side immediately revealed it through her expression: the newcomer was none other than that Senior Brother Wei Yilian, whom Tong Dai held so dearly in her thoughts.

Tong Dai looked as though she had been struck by a immobilization spell, staring blankly at him without moving an inch. Her hand, intertwined with Hong Jian’s, gripped tightly in an unconscious manner, causing Hong Jian a slight pang of pain.

This Senior Brother Wei was indeed blessed with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, but in Hong Jian's view, he was not nearly as pleasing to the eye or as spirited as Lu Yan or Jiang Yan. She could not fathom why this Senior Sister Tong beside her was acting as though under some kind of spell.

Wei Yilian landed on solid ground, completely unaware that two people were hiding in the bushes not far away watching him, and walked directly into the cave dwelling.

Happiness had arrived too abruptly; Tong Dai was completely stunned, remaining motionless for a long time. Sympathizing with her, Hong Jian let her stand there like a sleepwalker for half an aglow.

After quite a while, Hong Jian finally heard Tong Dai let out a faint sigh and say, "Let's go back." This time Hong Jian did not object. As the two turned to leave hand in hand, Tong Dai’s footsteps suddenly halted.

Hong Jian noticed that Wei Yilian had walked out of the cave dwelling once more.

His expression was rather heavy as he headed straight toward the peak of the mountain, and judging by his direction, he seemed to be heading for the Huanhua Hall.

Fearing to alert Wei Yilian, Hong Jian directly used divine sense transmission: "Follow him and see!" Tong Dai hesitated somewhat, but Hong Jian had already pulled her along, quietly following behind.

After a short interval, Hong Jian heard Tong Dai softly say, "Senior Brother is burdened with heavy thoughts; he doesn't look very happy." At that moment, her entire heart and mind were tethered to Wei Yilian. Having merely glanced at him once, she could instantly perceive the unusual air about him and no longer mentioned leaving.

The path was desolate, and Wei Yilian reached the mountain summit without meeting a single person.

Only then did Hong Jian realize that his destination was not the rear hall of the Huanhua Hall, but the cave dwelling of Qi Tianbao, located west of the hall. Wei Yilian came to a halt outside the dwelling and called out in a clear voice, "Senior, this junior Wei Yilian requests an audience."

Senior? Someone else lived inside Qi Tianbao's cave dwelling?

Hong Jian instantly realized that Wei Yilian was addressing Zhong Xiu, the personal disciple brought along by Qi Tianbao. According to generational ranking, Zhong Xiu was a generation senior to Wei Yilian, which explained why Wei Yilian had to address him as Senior.

After a brief pause with no response from within, Wei Yilian stood there and called out once more.

This time, a cold snort came from within the cave dwelling, followed by someone saying, "Wait!"

Such an indifferent reception seemed to be something Wei Yilian was already accustomed to. He uttered no more and stood quietly outside the cave dwelling, waiting in silence.

Tong Dai’s expression turned somewhat unsightly, and she transmitted her voice to Hong Jian, "This Senior Zhong is an elder of the Fu Tu Sect and a disciple of Elder Qi, residing here as a guest. I wonder what business Senior Brother has with him."

Hong Jian remained silent. Several conjectures had already flashed rapidly through her mind; she had not expected that her first visit to Crimson Wheel Peak would yield such discoveries.

Wei Yilian waited for at least a quarter of an hour. Although she and Tong Dai could not see his facial expression from their vantage point, judging by his back—remaining completely motionless for so long—he either possessed immense patience or had grown entirely numb.

Finally, movement stirred within the cave dwelling, and two figures walked out side by side.

One of them was slightly plump, with a round face, slender eyes, and the corners of his mouth naturally upturned, wearing an expression that looked as though he were smiling even when he was completely blank. It was precisely the corners of these lips that gave Hong Jian a sense of déjà vu.

Before Hong Jian could ponder further, Wei Yilian’s back suddenly tensed. He took half a step backward, his shoulders slightly hunched and his back rigid—a posture of extreme defense. Yet this lasted only for an instant; he quickly regained his composure, bowed deeply to the white-robed cultivator who had emerged alongside the plump man, and addressed him: "Senior Zhong!"

The white-robed cultivator, Zhong Xiu, was unremarkable in appearance, yet he possessed the complete Golden Core cultivation of the Earth Spiritual Roots. Hong Jian reckoned that if he were on guard, even if she launched a full-strength strike with her "Hollow Sword," it would be extremely difficult to pierce the formidable defense of his earth-type genuine essence and leave a wound upon his physical body.

Zhong Xiu waved a hand, signaling Wei Yilian to dispense with the formal courtesies, and said in a deep voice, "What is it?"

Before Wei Yilian could speak, the plump man at his side laughed and said, "Junior Brother Wei looks travel-worn, physically depleted, and mentally exhausted, as if he has just returned from cultivating in the Endless Sea. I wonder what gains you have made? Instead of resting properly, you've come running to see Senior Zhong—surely you must have some difficult matter. If the Senior can help, he might as well lend a hand. After all, Senior Uncle Wen is no longer with us; alas, a cultivator without a master is like a motherless child, and the bitterness of it can only truly be understood by someone like myself who shares the same fate."

Every sentence sounded like an expression of concern. Since he addressed him as Junior Brother Wei, the plump man speaking must also be a cultivator of the Danxia Sect.

Yet Wei Yilian treated him with extreme coldness, as if he did not even see this person, ignoring the remarks entirely. With a rather stiff tone, he addressed Zhong Xiu: "Senior Zhong, during my recent voyage out to sea, I encountered a 'Five-Colored Jade Stone Crab' laying eggs and managed to risk danger to seize a few colorful eggs. Hearing that Elder Qi is currently refining pills, I also managed to procure a pair of phantom pearls of the Nether Shell from the Grand Senior Brother. They are all inside this storage bag, serving as a token of the sincere regards of us fellow disciples. I ask that the Senior kindly accept and pass them on."

With that, he produced a storage bag and presented it to Zhong Xiu with both hands.

Not a trace of surprise could be seen on Zhong Xiu's face. He reached out, took it, and with a half-smile said, "You fellow disciples certainly have good intentions."

What was the meaning of this? Wen Chuanyang's disciples were sending gifts to people from the Fu Tu Sect?

A flash of thought crossed Hong Jian's mind as she suddenly remembered who the plump man beside Zhong Xiu was. If she remembered correctly, this person was a disciple of Jing Li, which explained why he spoke of sharing the same fate with Wei Yilian—neither of them had a master anymore.

Yet, upon careful thought, as long as Wen Chuanyang’s disciples were not fools, they would naturally deduce how their master had died. How could Wei Yilian, as Wen Chuanyang’s disciple, harbor no resentment while mingling with the people of the Fu Tu Sect, and furthermore present treasures obtained through bitter risk on a silver platter?

Hong Jian found this rather baffling and stared intently at the expressions of Zhong Xiu and the plump man opposite him.

She saw a look of overtly deliberate astonishment appear on the plump man’s face: "Well now, I truly didn't expect this. It is rare indeed that Junior Brother Wei has figured things out so quickly; you certainly know how to submit to the circumstances."

Wei Yilian took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, evidently finding it quite difficult to maintain his composure in the face of the plump man's sneers and taunts. He nodded and said coldly, "Then I must thank you for pointing us toward clarity."

Having uttered these words laden with resentment, he paid the plump man no further heed, turned to Zhong Xiu, and said, "If Senior Zhong has no other matters, this junior still needs to lead my junior brothers out to sea for cultivation, so I will take my leave."

"Wait." Zhong Xiu suddenly spoke, calling him to a halt.

Wei Yilian turned around and saw Zhong Xiu tossing the storage bag up and down in mid-air with one hand, a bizarre smile upon his face. Then, with a flick of his finger, the storage bag traced an arc and dropped squarely into the open palm of the plump man.

Keeping his head down and ignoring Wei Yilian, Zhong Xiu unhurriedly brushed a nonexistent speck of dust from his cuff and said leisurely, "You just mentioned taking your junior brothers out to sea. Since I’ve heard it, I’ll offer a kind reminder: tell your junior brothers to mind their safety."

"You..." A note of question hung in Wei Yilian's tone.

The plump man at the side burst out laughing: "Ha, Junior Brother Wei, you're not that young anymore—surely you aren't so naive. I've told you before, Xing Wuya now controls the entire Endless Sea, and he is notorious for his ruthless and unyielding methods. Considering this gesture of goodwill from you and your Grand Senior Brother, Senior Zhong will find a way to ensure your safety and Senior Brother Yan's safety when you go out to sea. As for the others, they don't have such friendly ties; you surely wouldn't expect Senior Zhong to act as a personal bodyguard for a bunch of Foundation Establishment cultivators, would you?"

Veins throbbed on Wei Yilian's forehead, and he could not help but say, "Grand Senior Brother is heavily injured and will likely be unable to venture deep into the Endless Sea for a year or two. Where would there even be a need for Senior to ensure safety?"

Zhong Xiu said coldly, "That's even better, it saves me the trouble. Just manage yourself well; the others have hands and feet, let them come and ask me themselves."

Wei Yilian’s face turned pale; his fists clenched and then relaxed. Yet opposite him, Zhong Xiu remained expressionless while the plump man wore a waiting smile. Eventually, the pent-up breath within Wei Yilian slowly dissipated amid this mutual gaze, and he resignedly said, "In the Foundation Establishment stage, it is impossible to gain any decent harvests in the Endless Sea; it is merely for tempering oneself. I ask that Senior show mercy and grant some leeway. This junior will frequently come to pay respects to Senior."

Zhong Xiu’s gaze turned somewhat mocking, and the plump man let out a hearty laugh.

Wei Yilian turned and walked heavily down the mountain.

Witnessing this scene, Tong Dai’s body trembled slightly, whether out of anger or heartache. Fortunately, accustomed to extreme caution, she still remembered to transmit her voice using divine sense to Hong Jian: "This is extortion! For the sake of his junior brothers, Senior Brother Wei has to endure such indignity—it is simply too much."

Hong Jian gave an "en" in response. She was also furious, but the reason for her anger was not merely that Wei Yilian had suffered a grievance; the thoughts flashing through her mind at that moment were far more complex. A second-generation disciple of the Fu Tu Sect dared to act this arrogantly right on the Danxia Sect’s territory—this instantly stirred a murderous intent within Hong Jian.

Was it only Senior Uncle Wen’s disciples who were subjected to such treatment, or did all the water-attribute cultivators under the command of the Nascent Soul cultivator Hong Yexi have to swallow their pride and endure the same?

She asked Tong Dai, "Have you heard anything about Senior Brother Yan being injured?"

Wen Chuanyang’s eldest disciple, Yan Kang, was at the Golden Core completion stage. Unlike those cultivators who had formed their cores after she left Danxia, Hong Jian still retained quite a few memories regarding him. However, she harbored no real hopes in asking; Tong Dai possessed zero resistance against the *Great Calamity Scripture*, and if she had known anything about it, Hong Jian herself would have noticed.

True to expectation, Tong Dai blankly shook her head.

By this time, Wei Yilian had already walked far away. Zhong Xiu and the plump man withdrew their gazes from his retreating figure, and the plump man remarked, "My Senior Uncle Wen left quite a few good things for them. Take it slow!" Zhong Xiu let out a sneering laugh, and the two of them returned side by side into the cave dwelling.

"Damn traitors, scum of the sect, I'm going to tell the Sect Master," Tong Dai said in a fit of rage.

It would have been better had she not mentioned Mu Fengshan; the mere mention of that scoundrel of a Sect Master made Hong Jian’s blood boil: "If telling him were of any use, wouldn't your Senior Brother Wei have gone to speak with him himself?" Without waiting for Tong Dai to say anything further, she pulled her toward the mountain path: "Let's go back first!"