CHAPTER 267: CHAPTER 0264: OH, TATTLING, HUH?

Huang Jiujiu’s big eyes looked at Lin Fan innocently, her long eyelashes fluttering as she then glanced over at Master Chen, hoping he would help explain to her master why her cultivation hadn’t progressed recently, and why she’d gained weight instead.

But when Master Chen caught her pleading gaze, he quickly ducked his head and focused on eating the Spiritual Beast Meat, occasionally letting out satisfied sounds of enjoyment.

Hmm!

Delicious!

"Master, I..." Huang Jiujiu shrank her head like an ostrich, as if she had done something wrong.

Lin Fan said sternly, "Your father entrusted you to me, so I must hold you accountable. Cultivating immortality is harsh—without strength, others will bully you. You have decent talent, and as your master, I hope you won’t squander it."

"If you don’t change, I’ll send you back to continue being that pampered daughter of a wealthy family."

Tears welled up in Huang Jiujiu’s adorable eyes, but she forced them back. "Master, I understand my mistake."

"Good." Lin Fan nodded with satisfaction, then turned toward the others. "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, you mustn’t spoil her—when it’s time to cultivate, she must cultivate."

Xi Xi’s voice was soft, her sniffles making it sound like she was about to cry. "Junior Brother, are you blaming Senior Sister?"

"Senior Sister knows she was wrong; Junior Brother, please don’t scold me anymore, okay?"

Lin Fan blinked, utterly baffled. When did I scold you? Could you not frame it this way? It makes me seem like a terrible person.

"Senior Sister, you know I didn’t mean that." Lin Fan tried to explain, but he increasingly felt that Senior Sister was like a doting mother, while he played the role of a strict father.

Xi Xi ignored Lin Fan, even stopping her own enjoyment of the Spiritual Beast Meat, instead lowering her head and sulking in silence.

Huang Jiujiu hugged Xi Xi’s head to comfort her, saying, "Aunt, don’t be sad. Master is a meanie. He only knows how to bully Aunt."

"Ah, Jiu Er, you’re still the best," Xi Xi said as she gently stroked Huang Jiujiu’s head.

Lin Fan looked at the two women—one big, one small—staging an emotional drama together. He could only sigh helplessly. Times have changed, little girl. I do this for your sake, so you won’t be bullied in the future. Otherwise, you’d still need me to stand up for you then.

Handling things yourself—that’s a skill.

Then again, clinging to a powerful master might also be a skill.

So tricky.

At this moment—

Ye Zhen Tian was wiping away sorrowful tears in front of the Sect Leader, his body trembling with rage. "Sect Leader, Lin Fan is just too much. While it’s true there’s been some minor past grievances between us, it doesn’t warrant him going this far."

The Sect Leader frowned and asked calmly, "What has he done to you?"

"Disciple finds it hard to speak of, for fear of dredging up painful memories and succumbing to a Heart Demon." Ye Zhen Tian lowered his gaze momentarily, then looked up, his eyes glistening as he perfectly embodied someone enduring profound suffering.

The Sect Leader said, "If you don’t tell me, how can I help you? Speak—what exactly has caused this unrest between you two? As a True Disciple, I have high expectations of you. The fact that you’ve come to me shows you trust me, so don’t hold back. What could be so unspeakable?"

Ye Zhen Tian recounted the cause, process, and current situation without omitting any details—except for one small matter. He didn’t mention that the disciples from a smaller sect had died in the Spirit Vein incident.

The Sect Leader listened, occasionally nodding, frowning, then relaxing, only to frown again. He looked at Ye Zhen Tian, sighed deeply, and said no more.

It was as if he had many things to say, but in the end, he dismissed them all with a sigh.

...

The Spiritual Beast Feast was nearing its conclusion.

Lin Fan remembered something and casually asked, "Senior Sister Xi, what has Meng Qingyao been up to lately? Has she been frequently meeting anyone strange?"

He truly didn’t have any ulterior motive—he was merely asking out of curiosity.

Xi Xi shook her head. "No, Senior Sister hasn’t left Xuanjian Peak recently; she’s been staying on the mountain the whole time."

"Oh." Lin Fan pressed further, "Then has she shown any physical discomfort? Any type of symptom counts as discomfort."

"No, she’s been perfectly fine with no issues at all." Xi Xi curiously countered, "Junior Brother, why are you so concerned about Senior Sister? Is there something you need her help with? If you don’t want to approach her directly, I can inquire on your behalf."

Lin Fan waved his hand dismissively. "There’s nothing. I was just curious."

Some time passed.

Nothing unusual happened. As expected, he was probably overthinking things. It’s impossible to succeed all at once. Even though it had been a beautiful misunderstanding, there are some matters that still need clarification.

The next day!

Lin Fan personally prepared Spiritual Beast Meat and brought a large platter to deliver to his mother. He hadn’t visited her on the day he returned, which would surely have upset her. She was probably stewing over how long it would take for him to finally show up.

"Mother, your son has brought you a meal," Lin Fan said, pushing open the door and glancing around the room, where he saw Wei You lounging in a recliner, reading an ancient text.

Wei You didn’t look up at Lin Fan and instead said slowly, "Only on the second day after returning have you come to see your mother. Have you forgotten me already?"

"Mother, how could I? I made this meal—the finest Spiritual Beast Meat there is—with my own hands specifically for you," Lin Fan said as he uncovered the platter, filling the room with the rich aroma of cooked meat.

"Hmm, it does smell quite wonderful," Wei You said as she put down her book, picked up a piece, and tasted it slowly. "Ah, the flavor is even better."

Then she looked at Lin Fan. "Though I haven’t left the sect, I still hear about outside matters. You’ve caused quite a stir, earning killing orders from two Demon Path powerhouses. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Mother, this isn’t my fault. There are reasons behind everything," Lin Fan began to explain but found himself unsure of how to do so. The matter of kidnapping the Demon Ancestor’s seventh son wasn’t entirely his fault anyway—it was a righteous act to eliminate demons.

As for the pursuit by the Corpse Elder, that was due to a treasure conflict. The elder assumed he was weak and targeted him, which was hardly Lin Fan’s responsibility. Frankly, he was the victim here. The Divine Medicine had already shattered—if he hadn’t seized it, someone else would have.

Wei You shook her head and said, "Enough. Since this involves the Demon Path, I’ll handle it. Regarding the Demon Ancestor, I’ll leverage an old favor Long Shangpo owes me. All they care about is saving face, and it’s easily resolved."

"However, the Corpse Elder may be harder to deal with. Gaining the Divine Medicine Residue was your destiny, but I will inform him that you are my son. If he dares to pursue you further, I will personally eliminate him."

As she spoke, her intense killing intent was truly intimidating.

"Mother, please don’t. I know that on the path of cultivation, one must endure countless hardships. If you always shield me, that would not be good for my growth," Lin Fan said resolutely.

"A bird raised in a warm nest will never learn to catch worms. I refuse to become such a cripple."

"Please trust your son—I can handle these issues myself."

Lin Fan truly didn’t want constant parental intervention. He’d worked too hard to orchestrate his current circumstances. Although it seemed fraught with peril, this entanglement could eventually yield countless opportunities to confront enemies head-on.

"Are you serious?" Wei You asked.

Lin Fan nodded earnestly. "Mother, I am. Only through trials can one grow stronger. I’ve faced countless challenges during my time away. No matter the danger I encounter, I’ve had the good fortune to escape unharmed. I’m confident that I possess great karmic destiny."

"No matter the peril, I’ll rely on my own capabilities to overcome it."

At this moment, a voice echoed from outside.

"Senior Sister, what smells so good? Oh, and I came to tell you about Lin Fan. He..." The Sect Leader pushed the door open, only to spot Lin Fan there as well.

Lin Fan asked, "Sect Leader, are you here to report on me?"

"You brat! You’re such an ingrate. I fended off enemies for you, and yet you just ran off! Do you know how upset that made me?" The Sect Leader fumed as he recalled what happened at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, where Lin Fan had bolted at lightning speed, leaving him to deal with the situation alone.

Lin Fan was unfazed. "Sect Leader, why be so petty? With your esteemed skills and my current level of ability, wouldn’t my presence only hold you back? Running away was my way of ’lightening your load.’"

The Sect Leader was momentarily speechless.

What Lin Fan said... wasn’t wrong.

Indeed, having him around would have been a burden, so perhaps it was better this way.

Grabbing some Spiritual Beast Meat, the Sect Leader took a bite and said, "Hmm, not bad—delicious, even."

"Junior Brother, if there’s something urgent, say it. I still have much to discuss with my son," Wei You interrupted.

The Sect Leader replied, "Senior Sister, this is serious. Your precious son has been bullying Ye Zhen Tian, demanding Spirit Stones! Disciples of the same sect should never behave this way. Even if Zhen Tian owes him Spirit Stones, this is too much."

"Now that he’s opening a Spirit Vein, the Spirit Stones will naturally come in due time. But your son is even charging interest, capturing his Spirit Beasts. Tell him to return them immediately so the Spirit Stone issue can be deferred."

Lin Fan glanced at the Sect Leader, whose mouth was still oily from eating. "How’s the food?" he asked.

The Sect Leader, not catching Lin Fan’s intent, responded, "It’s quite good."

But soon, the Sect Leader froze. He eyed the platter of meat, then looked back at Lin Fan. "You..."

"Sect Leader, if it’s delicious, that’s good. It’d be a shame to waste it. If repayment is truly required, I can’t do anything else but inform Ye Zhen Tian that it was the Sect Leader who consumed his Spirit Beast," Lin Fan said nonchalantly.

The Sect Leader hadn’t expected Ye Zhen Tian to go snitching to him. That kid was really something else.

This would be noted. Marked firmly in his memory.

Wei You added, "Junior Brother, are you regressing as you age? Intra-sect conflicts among disciples should be settled among themselves. If you involve yourself in every trivial matter, how will you strike a balance within the sect?"

"A debt in Spirit Stones must still be repaid. If anyone can seek your intervention to delay things, would that be fair to other disciples?"

Sighing, the Sect Leader replied, "Senior Sister, as Sect Leader, I can’t just ignore this matter."

Wei You retorted, "The sect’s various roles are well-defined. Your duty as Sect Leader is to ensure the sect’s overall stability. Since when did you start meddling in these minor disputes?"

The Sect Leader wanted to argue but, upon seeing Wei You’s expression, lowered his head. "Senior Sister, your lesson is duly noted."

Wei You continued, "Lin Fan, since he has involved the Sect Leader, we must give the Sect Leader face. Let’s compromise and delay the matter."

"Yes, Mother," Lin Fan replied. Since his mother had spoken, he would abide by her decision.

At this moment—

A voice echoed from the distant heavens.

"This One, the Corpse Elder, wishes an audience with Master Bai."