"Cousin..."

While Su Pei was holding a meeting, Su Xuan was lying in an attic of the Yu Xian Sect. Ji Sisi stood by his bed, cupping her cheeks in her hands and staring blankly at Su Xuan's face. Her mood fluctuated between melancholy and inexplicable happiness, a chaotic swirl of emotions.

"I'm not your cousin."

Su Xuan suddenly opened his eyes and glanced sideways at Ji Sisi. "Your cousin wanted my flying horse, so I beat him up and hid him somewhere."

Still in a daze and seemingly oblivious to his words, Ji Sisi just let out a soft, "Oh."

"You don't blame me?" Su Xuan asked. As he spoke, he reached for the water cup by the bed. To replenish his exhausted cultivation power, he had swallowed a large number of pills, and his mouth was incredibly dry.

Ji Sisi quickly handed the water cup to him. "I don't blame you."

Su Xuan immediately started to gulp the water down.

"Hey... drink a little slower!" Ji Sisi raised a slender hand, then continued as if speaking to herself, "Don't... don't overthink it. I'm not holding it against you because you're so handsome, but because you..."

She lowered her chin, as if choosing her words carefully.

Only after Su Xuan finished drinking and she had taken the cup back from him did she continue, "Because everything you say and do is just so different. I've never met anyone as... interesting as you. When I'm with you, my heart is filled with joy. I could never bring myself to blame you."

She had indeed chosen her words with care. Joy, not love.

Su Xuan laid his head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling with a troubled expression.

"I'm sorry," Ji Sisi said suddenly.

"What are you sorry for?" Su Xuan asked, turning his head slightly.

"It was me who wanted your white horse," Ji Sisi said in a low voice. "I sent my cousin to try and buy it from you. It seems you obviously didn't want to sell, and he must have used some underhanded means, which is why you beat him up."

Su Xuan pursed his lips. "That's exactly what happened."

"So... I'm sorry."

"It's nothing."

After that, the atmosphere in the room grew strangely awkward, becoming so quiet that one could seemingly hear the rustle of a potted plant in the corner.

Ji Sisi kept pouring water for Su Xuan. She even peeled him some fruit.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Half an hour later, a knock came from the door. Ji Sisi gave Su Xuan a gentle look before going to open it.

The visitor was Cai Wei, the protector who raised the white snake.

"Brother Su, your cultivation is truly solid!" Cai Wei grinned upon seeing Su Xuan. "If anyone else had gone through that battle, it would probably take them months to recover. But you, Brother Su, you look to be in excellent spirits, as if..."

"Protector Cai, just say what's on your mind," Su Xuan interrupted Cai Wei's clumsy flattery. He pushed himself up on the edge of the bed, and Ji Sisi immediately rushed to support his arm, instantly becoming like a dutiful little handmaiden.

"Haha, well, it's like this," Cai Wei said, scratching his head. "Regarding the trial, nobody wants to void your results. However, some of the old hardliners in the sect refuse to alter the trial rules just to let you have first place. Sect Leader Su ended up arguing with them. She'd like to have a chat with you, so we can give everyone a reasonable explanation tomorrow."

"Is Sect Leader Su Pei siding with my cousin?" Ji Sisi asked as soon as Cai Wei finished.

"Of course," Cai Wei replied. "If it weren't for Brother Su turning the tide in the pit and saving so many lives, our Yu Xian Sect would have no way to answer to the outside world. On that point alone, our Sect Leader Su is grateful and certainly doesn't want to see you leave empty-handed!"

"I won't be leaving empty-handed," Su Xuan said, rubbing his forehead. "The only reason I participated in this trial under a false identity was to get the Blood Immortal Vine. I don't care about rank or any other rewards."

He was telling the truth. That had been his goal from the very beginning.

"Please, accompany me to see Sect Leader Su," Cai Wei's tone suddenly grew serious, almost pleading. "She also wants to meet you and speak with you face-to-face."

"Oh, and another thing," he added, as if worried Su Xuan might refuse. "Regardless of the outcome, we will not be taking back the Blood Immortal Vine you obtained."

His words carried a deeper meaning. Su Xuan understood the subtext. Cai Wei was essentially implying that even though the sect could rightfully take back the Blood Immortal Vine because he had participated under a false identity, they wouldn't. In exchange, Su Xuan was expected to grant him—and by extension, Sect Leader Su Pei—some face.

Su Xuan understood the meaning behind Cai Wei's words. He lifted his head. "Lead the way."

A few minutes later, Su Xuan arrived at a grand and majestic hall. Perhaps due to its imposing aura, the atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive.

This young man's cultivation is too domineering!

Cai Wei's admiration for Su Xuan grew even deeper. During their short walk, Su Xuan's steps had transitioned from initially stiff to being as smooth as flowing water. It was clear his body was rapidly recovering and approaching its peak state. And this was less than half a night after the battle in the pit!

The moment Su Xuan entered the hall, dozens of gazes snapped to focus on him. They belonged to the prominent figures of the Yu Xian Sect—the Elders and Hall Masters, people accustomed to looking down on others. Both their auras and their stares carried a distinct sharpness.

But Su Xuan was no pushover. As a top-tier tycoon from the world below, he had seen his share of worldly grandeur. How could his gaze be any less sharp than theirs? His was a sharpness forged in the secular world, one that was even more startling. It was a more pronounced air of superiority.

Furthermore, Su Xuan was now a Longevity Realm Expert. His very bones seemed to radiate an extraordinary and domineering aura.

Meeting Su Xuan's gaze, some of the high-ranking figures found they couldn't bear it and turned their heads away, not daring to look at him again.

Su Pei, the Sect Leader of the Yu Xian Sect, sat on the main seat in the hall. "Please take a seat, Young Master Su." She gestured to a chair. Once Su Xuan was seated, she continued, "I've asked you here to inquire about your origins. You've done a great service to the Yu Xian Sect's reputation, and we are prepared to modify the trial rules on your behalf."

"Do my origins have anything to do with changing the trial rules?" Su Xuan asked.

At the same time, an elegant female disciple from the Yu Xian Sect poured him a cup of fragrant tea. Su Xuan nodded at her in thanks. The disciple blushed and retreated to the side with the teapot.

"Yes, it is important," Cai Wei explained on Su Pei's behalf. "If we are to modify rules that have been in place for many years for one person, it is essential that we understand their origins and identity."

All eyes fell upon Su Xuan once more, awaiting his answer.

They assumed Su Xuan had to be from a famous sect or one of those powerful families with an astonishing heritage. Otherwise, how could they have cultivated such an exceptional individual?

Su Xuan took a sip of tea and said nonchalantly, "I come from the world below the mountain."

Before his voice had even faded, the entire room was stunned into silence...

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