Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 128 Attending the Banquet

"Let's go inside and talk. Let me have some hot tea with Lao Wang."

Seeing the two lingering at the door, Manager Chen couldn't help but chuckle and invited them inside to talk.

The two of them knew Miss Shen's personality; if she was willing to be kind to others, she would do her best. This time, they had prepared something nice for Ye Ci.

Upon entering the house, before Ye Ci could even examine the contents of the brocade box, Shen Yixi spoke up, "Master Ye, since you're home, that's good. Miss Yan has invited me to Zuiyue Tower tonight; why don't we go together?"

Ye Ci casually asked, "Miss Yan, you're the one who introduced me to the sect, right?"

"Yes, when I first met her, we were only fifteen or sixteen years old, both of us were young girls."

Shen Yixi entered the house, and Shen Xin came over to greet her, straightening her niece's clothes: "Where have you been these past few days? You've gotten so thin."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Shen Yixi smiled and pulled Shen Xin over: "Auntie, please pour me a bowl of water, I'm very thirsty."

After she left, Shen Yixi pointed to the brocade box and said, "The Yan family is an old family in Wucheng and has some prestige in the local area. This time, I asked her to contact two white jade snow lotuses for you to supplement your physical strength. I've been going to the surrounding counties of Wucheng these past few days to see which shops I can take over, and also to pick up these white jade snow lotuses."

Ye Ci then realized that the box contained white jade snow lotus and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Shen."

With this, one's physical constitution will naturally improve further.

Shen Xin came in and poured hot tea for the group.

As the group sat in the main hall, Shen Xin quickly pulled Shen Yiqian aside to start a conversation, beginning with the fact that Ye Ci had not been accepted by the sect.

"How could this be? After more than a year of training, one has reached the level of 'Transformation Force' (化劲). Is one's skill level still determined by their innate physical constitution?"

Shen Yixi was indeed puzzled. She had talked to Manager Chen before and said that Ye Gongfeng might have a bloodline different from ordinary people. In her understanding, the major sects in Wucheng must have the same discernment as Master Yang, so why wouldn't they accept him?

While one's physical constitution can be improved, the matter of bloodline is obviously different from that of ordinary people. Shouldn't one accept Ye Ci without hesitation?

Are all the major sects just empty names?

Ye Ci nodded and said, "It's alright. Yan Zhan, who was sent by Miss Yan, told me that the rules of the Wucheng sect are strict. The conditions for a Grandmaster of Transformation Realm to join the sect are more demanding than those for Ming Jin or An Jin."

"I was considering getting the Dan-embracing technique as my main goal. Later, Yan Zhan contacted a small sect for me where I could also learn the technique, but it required an entry fee of 100,000 taels of silver."

"Ten thousand taels of silver is no problem —"

Shen Yixi propped her cheek up with her hand, frowned, and analyzed seriously, "Songjiang is in chaos right now, and no one is paying attention to you for the time being, but if the news leaks out, I'm afraid someone will retaliate."

"Joining the Wucheng Grand Sect would have been beneficial for both you and the Shen family. If it doesn't work out, it could indeed cause some trouble—"

"Even if the matter of Songjiang can be put aside for now, this matter of cultivation—the meditation incense I mentioned to you before, one stick of incense costs two thousand taels of silver. The Shen family has no way of obtaining such cultivation items. The two thousand taels of silver I mentioned was what I asked Miss Yan about before. You need to spend money to exchange for contribution points at the sect, which is about two thousand."

"It is said that this item is also limited within the sect. If I were to try to get it through connections, the price would probably be several times higher. The same goes for the Qi Gathering Pill. It is truly priceless and unavailable. If you were to join a small sect, it might hinder your cultivation."

Shen Xin, who had been unable to get a word in edgewise, was speechless with shock when she heard that a single stick of incense cost two thousand.

She had always thought the Shen family was quite wealthy, but it turned out these martial arts instructors were the real walking gold and silver notes.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Yixi inquired about the situation of the Yanqing Sect again before making up her mind: "Perhaps Miss Yan didn't do her best. She invited me to Zuiyue Tower tonight, so let's talk to her in person—it's really..."

No, we can tell her about our troubles privately; she's a girl we can trust. If we let her know how urgent the situation is, she might be more willing to help.

Ye Ci pondered for a moment, then said, "Then I'll go with you."

Regardless, others still found a sect for him, and he did go to Baichuan Academy before. If it weren't for his innate talent, he might have already entered the sect.

Although he never joined one of the three major sects, Yan Zhan had considered his own situation and never laid a hand on Shao Xin.

I should thank you in person, both out of courtesy and reason.

Having agreed to meet at Zuiyue Tower, Shen Yixi's eyes inexplicably lit up with a hint of lightness and barely perceptible joy: "Since we're going to see Miss Yan, we can't be so casual. I see your clothes are still stained with sweat and a bit worn. I'll help you tidy them up today, and I guarantee you'll look sharp and neat."

Ye Ci was taken aback and subconsciously wanted to decline: "No need to trouble Miss Shen, I'll just take a bath and change into my travel clothes."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Shen Yixi's eyes shining brightly, with a hint of unconcealed anticipation.

"I want my best friend to see the majestic statue I have at home. Such a handsome appearance shouldn't be hidden by ordinary clothes."

'

Ye Ci felt a strange mix of emotions. Seeing the other person's eyes scrutinizing him, he could only say, "I'll leave it to Miss Shen to arrange."

Seeing that he agreed, Shen Yixi immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling.

The two went their separate ways.

After taking a shower, Shen Yixi brought over her clothes.

"This brocade robe, paired with a black jade belt and cloud-patterned black boots, fits Ye Gongfeng's size quite well."

She placed the brocade robe on the low couch beside her, crossed her arms, and gestured with her lips to indicate that Ye Ci should go to the inner room to change.

"I'll wait for you outside."

Ye Ci took off her old clothes and put on this moon-white brocade robe. She tried it on and it fit perfectly, as if it were custom-made.

He went out while fastening his belt.

Seeing him leave, Shen Yixi said softly, "Master Ye, change your clothes. Take a closer look, and you really are quite handsome—"

The sunlight streaming through the window fell upon him, making his moon-white brocade robe appear even more upright. He had shed the sharpness he used during his cultivation days and gained a more gentle and refined air. The belt cinched his waist, making his broad shoulders and narrow waist appear even more prominent.

His originally slightly thin face softened considerably under the brocade robe, making his cool demeanor appear much gentler.

Shen Yixi stood there, lost in thought, and then let out a barely audible sigh.

"Your hair is still messy, let me tie it up for you."

Her voice was soft. She took a jade hairpin, walked behind him, and gently raised her hand to gather his loose hair.

Whenever their skin touched, Shen Yixi would quickly withdraw her hand as if startled.

To be honest, Murong Yanyu had never done these kinds of jobs before.

Ye Ci looked at herself in the bronze mirror and was quite satisfied with her appearance today.

"Miss, the carriage is ready."

Wu Tan's voice came from outside. He walked to the door in a swagger and saw that the two seemed quite intimate. He immediately blushed and withdrew.

After a while.

Shen Yixi turned around and went back to her room to change clothes.

In less than half an incense stick's time, he slowly walked out.

She wore a pale yellow silk dress, the hem of which was embroidered with delicate silver lotus flowers. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyebrows and eyes were even more charming and captivating.

Her jet-black hair was styled into a low bun, adorned only with a single jade hairpin. Two wisps of hair cascaded down her temples, fluttering gently in the breeze, adding a touch of liveliness.

"Let's go, Miss Yan must be getting impatient."