Qingfeng Sect.
In a side hall designated for meetings.
Zheng Xiaofeng stood below, looking rather aggrieved as he faced the Sect Leader, whose expression was filled with skepticism.
The Sect Leader asked with a doubtful gaze, "So you're saying they just lounged by the stream today, bossing you around, and did nothing else?"
Zheng Xiaofeng replied with utmost sincerity in both his tone and expression, "Sect Leader, that's exactly what happened!"
The Sect Leader clearly remained suspicious, "Didn't they mention anything about demonic cultivators or anything else? They just messed with you?"
Zheng Xiaofeng, his voice tinged with both grievance and a sense of tragic heroism, said, "Sect Leader, I've been with Qingfeng Sect since I was a child. Don't you know me? My loyalty to the sect is absolute, to the point of laying down my life!"
This seemed to strike a chord with the Sect Leader, who nodded slightly, signaling Zheng Xiaofeng that he could leave.
Zheng Xiaofeng breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have made it through this ordeal.
As for the matter of the Blood Qi Spirit Stone, Zheng Xiaofeng didn't dare mention it at all.
Those involved in this affair, whether it was that Elder or anyone else, were people he couldn't afford to cross.
He had risked half his life to advance from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, barely scraping by to earn the title of a junior Elder.
And this was likely a conspiracy among the Elders, possibly even known to the Sect Leader himself. As someone excluded from the inner circle of Elder power, how could he possibly get involved in such matters?
Zheng Xiaofeng hoped to graduate from his role as a junior Elder, but not in a way that would cost him his life.
This matter, he could only pretend to know nothing about, to ensure his own safety.
Better to play the fool to the end!
Zheng Xiaofeng quickly turned and headed out.
Just as he pushed open the door of the meeting hall, he saw Elder Li, who was quite close to Elder Shangguan within the sect.
Elder Li stood at a distance, looking at him with the same gaze as the Sect Leader.
That voice—"Little Zheng"—seemed to echo in his ears once more.
Being messed with by outsiders was one thing, but now even his own people were giving him a hard time?
Did they not consider him human anymore?
Forget it, he couldn't afford to offend anyone.
Zheng Xiaofeng forced a faint smile and quickly approached Elder Li, speaking in a humble tone, "Elder Li, is there something you need from me?"
Elder Li's expression was cold as he asked sharply, "What did those Tianyan Sect disciples do today?"
Zheng Xiaofeng, with a face full of grievance, recounted the events of the day once more to Elder Li.
Elder Li looked at him suspiciously and asked, "So you're saying they did nothing all day except boss you around for fun?"
The familiar look, the familiar question, but Elder Li's phrasing was even more insulting.
What did he mean by "bossing him around for fun"? That was downright disrespectful!
Suppressing his emotions, Zheng Xiaofeng replied in his usual aggrieved tone, "Elder Li, that's exactly what happened..."
Elder Li stared at Zheng Xiaofeng in silence for a moment before asking, "Did they ask you anything about demonic cultivators today?"
"No... they seemed to just be here to mess with me," Zheng Xiaofeng said earnestly. "From the looks of it, they were just here to fulfill some sect mission."
Elder Li nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, not pressing further. He simply reached out and patted Zheng Xiaofeng's shoulder lightly before turning to leave.
Zheng Xiaofeng stood in place, scanning the area to see if anyone else needed him.
After a long while, the still-shaken Zheng Xiaofeng finally returned to his room.
Inside, he tremblingly picked up a cup of tea from the table and downed it in one gulp.
Recalling everything that had happened that day, Zheng Xiaofeng came to a conclusion—none of the three sides treated him like a human being!
To vent his frustration, Zheng Xiaofeng spent the entire night cultivating diligently.
Early the next morning.
Not daring to be late, Zheng Xiaofeng stood at the main gate of Qingfeng Sect early, standing guard alongside the disciples responsible for guarding the mountain entrance.
As time passed, the two figures Zheng Xiaofeng was waiting for still hadn't arrived.
The disciples standing guard on either side grew uneasy, their backs sweating—was this Elder here to supervise them?
Why was he standing guard with them for so long?
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Zheng Xiaofeng finally saw Chu Xingchen and Yaoqin leisurely approaching.
He quickly stepped forward to greet them, "What are your plans for today?"
Chu Xingchen stretched lazily and said, "It got dark too quickly yesterday, we didn't have enough fun. Let's go play some more."
Zheng Xiaofeng forced a smile and said, "...As long as you're happy."
"Of course, as long as I'm happy."
With that, Chu Xingchen leisurely made his way toward the stream.
Once the three of them reached the stream, Chu Xingchen took off his boots, soaked his feet, and lay down in one smooth motion.
Then...
"Little Zheng..."
"Yes..."
Would this voice haunt Zheng Xiaofeng's dreams at midnight?
As time passed, the two by the stream remained relaxed, while a Golden Core cultivator busied himself with strange tasks by the river.
For instance, lifting a large rock and placing it on top of another.
Or uprooting a tree and replanting it next to another, claiming that one tree was too lonely and that two trees would keep each other company.
As the sun set in the west.
After another afternoon of torment, Zheng Xiaofeng, having completed yet another task, gazed at the sun and couldn't help but lament—why was the sun setting so slowly today?!
Noticing this, Chu Xingchen once again used his system to scan Zheng Xiaofeng.
[Target: Zheng Xiaofeng]
[Cultivation: Early Golden Core]
[Blue Trait: Smooth Operator]
[White Trait: Decent Talent]
[White Trait: Steady]
[Black Trait: Short-sighted]
[Temporary Black Trait: Distracted]
When Chu Xingchen saw the "Distracted" trait, he knew the time had come.
Chu Xingchen pulled his feet out of the stream and said, "Little Zheng..."
Zheng Xiaofeng immediately turned to Chu Xingchen and instinctively replied, "Yes... What do you need?"
Chu Xingchen gave a light smile and asked, "How was your night last night?"
Zheng Xiaofeng was taken aback, staring blankly at Chu Xingchen. When a person can no longer hold it together, they simply can't hold it together.
He took a deep breath and then asked in a low voice, "Were you doing this on purpose?"
"Don't put it so harshly. I don't think I've done anything to make things difficult for you, have I?" Chu Xingchen denied outright. "Who's really making things difficult for you—me, or them?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaofeng suddenly lowered his head, remaining silent.
Chu Xingchen didn't mind, putting on his boots as he said, "A whirlpool doesn't care if the person caught in it is innocent. Once you're caught in it, drifting along will only drown you."
"What you need to do is struggle desperately to save yourself, to find a way to survive."
After putting on his boots, Chu Xingchen walked up to Zheng Xiaofeng and patted his shoulder lightly, saying, "Right now, none of them trust you. You're in a situation where you have to choose one of three options. After eliminating the two wrong answers, if you still choose wrong, then you're just doomed by your own foolishness."