Cultivation begins with harvest.

"It's good that you're back."

In the inn, Wan Longjing saw Chen Guang, looking travel-worn, accompanied by the innkeeper. He immediately understood what had happened and breathed a sigh of relief: "Senior Brother Sun told me to wait for you here, in case something really happened and he couldn't take care of me."

Wan Longjing then complained, "Senior Brother Sun is really something. I told him that there might be something wrong with that family, but he didn't set off until evening. I thought it could have been resolved sooner."

The monk with the bulbous nose was named Sun Yijing.

Chen Guang seemed thoughtful: "Senior Brother Sun didn't really wait until evening to take action. He must have also looked for Zhao Qiushi's whereabouts during this short period of time, only to find that the other party had already disappeared."

"Is that so?" Wan Longjing recalled the afternoon they spent drinking tea and discussing philosophy, and he couldn't imagine when such an arrangement would have come about.

"Don't assume I did anything wrong," Sun Yijing sneaked into the room without anyone noticing, startling Wan Longjing and Zhao Jiafan. The latter's face remained pale all night. "Because I'm from Guanglin Hall, and I'm a disciple of Yitan Zui Qizhu. I'm already doing you a favor by arriving properly before dark. When I arrived, you were still setting fire to his house."

Sun Yijing pointed at the Zhao family mortal who couldn't get a word in edgewise; the latter's face had already turned from white to green.

Chen Guang simply nodded to the latter, offering no words of comfort, and continued to ask Sun Yijing, "Senior brother, what I really don't understand is why I was the one targeted? When did it start? How many members of the Zhao family were involved?"

Whether it was Lu Lasu or Zhao Qiushi, it seemed that they were both aiming at something, and everything was arranged in an orderly manner. Looking back, it was all expected.

Sun Yijing casually found a seat and said, "From my experience—you haven't deliberately practiced sound transmission techniques?"

Chen Guang and Wan Longjing exchanged a glance; this was something that could be said to exist, or it could be said not to exist.

The art of transmitting sound is not difficult to master, but everyone will wisely practice more in order to become proficient. But that's about it; once they can master it, they won't put in any more hard work.

"Sound transmission is also a spell, just like defensive spells. If you're not skilled enough, it's possible for others to overhear you. That's to be expected. Some rely on strong spiritual power, some on magical artifacts, and some on secret techniques. It's hard to say exactly what's going on, but this is a possibility," Sun Yijing continued. "If you think you haven't revealed any flaws, then that's one possibility. Another possibility is that Zhao Qiushi and the others have obtained more detailed information about you through other means. Both are possible."

Seeing Chen Guang and Wan Longjing's expressions, Sun Yijing added, "The sound transmission technique is not a top secret, but this kind of technique, like the techniques of concealing breath and observing qi, requires constant refinement. If one is proficient enough, at least when being eavesdropped on, one will have some kind of sense, just like you did tonight."

"I've learned something." Chen Guang pondered carefully. If he had to admit that he had revealed his wealth, it was after his meeting with Zhao Qiushi. Based on this, it was very likely that he and Wan Longjing had unscrupulously leaked the information through telepathic communication in front of the weapon-refining shop.

There are too many people and too many eyes there.

There were also magical artifacts that Lurasu wanted to forge there, and indeed, he had the opportunity to appear there.

"By the way, that Zhao family cultivator guarding the gate..." Chen Guang recounted what had happened in detail. This guy who took one of his fire needles was the key to gaining his trust.

"Wait, come to Guanglin Hall first thing tomorrow morning. We need to give the Zhao family the explanation they owe." Sun Yijing put away his playful expression. "You are a disciple of Qingheng Sect. We can accept being deceived, but we absolutely cannot accept this happening."

Chen Guang nodded to indicate that he understood. After seeing Sun Yijing off, he turned to the Zhao family mortal and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

The mortals of the Zhao family, on the contrary, became terrified: "You are a celestial master, there's absolutely no need for this!"

"I already said I owe you. Just tell me what you want." Chen Guang wasn't going to get bogged down in formalities and went straight to the point. "Don't ask for too much. Even if it's complicated, I'll fulfill all your requests."

Zhao Jiafan suddenly raised his head and took a deep breath: "My lord, my mansion was bestowed by the clan. If it is burned down, so be it. But since you have made such a promise, I dare to ask for one thing. I do not want a direct reward. I only beg you to help out any promising talents among my descendants."

Wan Longjing laughed: "So you mean you want Junior Brother Chen to guarantee your family's future cultivation?"

Seeing Chen Guang's displeased expression, Zhao Jiafan realized that the other party had misunderstood him and quickly added, "Sir, it's not like that. It only applies to my grandson's generation. If they can join the Qingheng Sect, please help them out. I've heard that the first three years after joining the Qingheng Sect are the most difficult. But if my descendants are incompetent and cannot enter the Qingheng Sect, then let it go. Please consider it."

Chen Guang's expression improved, and he also showed some appreciation: "You do know how to make demands. Alright, I agree. This is a bottle of pills that I refined myself. If your grandchildren have such a descendant, bring this bottle of pills to me, and I will keep my promise. But if your grandchildren do not have such a descendant, then sell this bottle of pills. It will be my way of thanking you for reminding me."

Chen Guang took out a bottle of Qingma Kuiyan Pills that he had personally refined. They wouldn't fetch a high price, but if one was willing to put in the effort and find an alchemist, this kind of pill, which was not widely circulated, could be sold for a decent price. After inquiring about the other party's family affairs and giving his name, he found an inn to settle him in.

"He calculated it cleverly. If we can't break through the Foundation Establishment barrier, we only have twenty or thirty years to remain active in the sect and be able to join our sect. Such talent is worth befriending. This request suddenly becomes mutually beneficial, so naturally we will take it to heart." Wan Longjing praised Zhao's mortals after they left.

"After being exposed to them and interacting with cultivators so much, I've finally become more clear-headed," Chen Guang praised, but he was wide awake. He and Wan Longjing were also reviewing their actions along the way, and they both felt that they should leave together with their fellow disciples. If they couldn't catch Lu Lasu and Zhao Qiushi in the next two or three days, the world was so vast that there wouldn't be any results in a short time. They still had to be wary of their deliberate retaliation.

This is not because Qingheng Sect is incompetent, but a test. If Lu Lasu were truly a strong person, Lu Tang would have known about him long ago. Not to mention the Jian Gang outpost, Lu Tang would have known about any cultivator who spent their entire life in the Endless Wilderness and would have taken action in advance.

The fact that Lu Lasu was able to infiltrate Dongdu Market also shows that although he was wicked, his level of threat was considered to be within the range that Qi Refining disciples should be able to handle on their own.

Cultivation is never smooth sailing. As long as it's not an overwhelming threat, sects are happy to stand by and watch. To interfere in this matter is going too far in protecting one's disciples.

The next morning, Chen Guang took Zui Qizhu to Guanglin Hall and obtained detailed information.

The disciple guarding the weapon-refining pavilion cooperated with Zhao Qiushi because of his eloquence. He gained many benefits from their collaboration, and this time was no exception. However, he was also one of those who were exploited by Zhao Qiushi. Blinded by greed, the Zhao family punished him with eternal imprisonment in the dungeon.

As for Zhao Qiushi and Zhao Li, they did indeed run away. The Zhao family's guards searched everywhere but only found some clues. It is no surprise that they fled to the west. As for whether they can be captured on the way or at the sentry posts, it will take three to seven months to reach a conclusion.

Needless to say, Lu Lasu fled with even greater ease. The Zhao family completely disappeared, but the disciples of Lu Tang kept track of them. Zhao Qiushi and the other two were not as threatening as Lu Lasu, since the late-stage Qi Refining disciples of the Qingheng Sect nearby had been summoned and were about to launch a siege against Lu Lasu.

In such situations, Lu Tang and Xing Tang prefer to use their numbers to defeat the enemy, fully utilizing the advantages of their sect disciples to resolve troubles safely and swiftly.

The Zhao family was willing to send cultivators to protect Chen Guang as he returned to his sect, and at the same time gave Chen Guang the highest-level Eastern Box Token for life.

Chen Guang accepted the Zhao family's suggestion. In this matter, the sect would be the one to hold them accountable. The highest-ranking Dongdu Token wasn't too bad, and this way, he could also make a trip to the Cang Clan's Fanglin.