Junior sister, I really need to control you.

The next morning.

Li Yinsheng sat in his bedroom and was surprised to find that, according to his divine sense, his junior sister Mu had already gotten up and arrived at the main hall with the Cold Leaf Sword before he could even call her.

Setting the Cold Leaf Sword aside, Mu Xiaoyu straightened her hair and began practicing her martial arts and breathing exercises in the soft morning light.

After practicing for a while, Mu Xiaoyu noticed that Li Yinsheng had appeared beside the main hall at some point.

"Senior brother!" Mu Xiaoyu stopped practicing and slowly exhaled.

In the dim morning light, she stood facing Li Yinsheng after practicing for a while, her face flushed and her big eyes showing a seriousness and earnestness.

"Not bad, you've been very diligent today." Li Yinsheng walked over with a smile.

"Senior brother, you...you..." Mu Xiaoyu pursed her lips, "You've given me your own magic weapon, so of course I have to work hard."

Giving you my magical artifact has such a miraculous effect?

If I had known, I would have given it to you sooner!

Li Yinsheng sighed inwardly.

……

Meanwhile, in front of the main hall of Huanghe Temple.

A tall, thin old man with white hair and beard stood in the open space, wearing a black Taoist robe with simple cloud patterns outlined in silver thread on the cuffs and hem.

Behind him stood two cultivators dressed in Huanghe Temple robes, one on his left and one on his right. The one on his left was "Senior Brother Yang," whose external injuries had been mostly healed and whose internal injuries had been stabilized at Huichun Hall the previous night.

The other was a middle-aged cultivator who looked a few years older than Senior Brother Yang, nearing forty, with a fair complexion and no beard.

"Master," the pale-faced cultivator bowed respectfully, "Shall we set off now for Xuanzhen Temple to rescue Junior Brother Yang's stolen superior-grade magic weapon, the Hanming Sword, as well as the junior brothers and sisters who were traveling with him but were detained?"

This person spoke in an odd order, clearly to emphasize the two things: Senior Brother Yang's "high-grade magic weapon was stolen" and "his junior brothers and sisters were detained".

Senior Brother Yang's eye twitched, but he held back from reacting.

This person, surnamed Fang, was the first true disciple accepted by his master. However, he snatched the position of direct successor that the other party was determined to obtain, and even received a high-grade magic weapon from his master as an exception.

Therefore, this man surnamed Fang had been openly and secretly mocking him. Even when there was nothing wrong, the other party would always find a way to cause trouble. Now that he was in such a sorry state, he was naturally the one who would be mocked.

The tall, thin old man had no intention of helping his direct disciple out of the predicament, since the other party had indeed embarrassed himself this time.

He nodded and hummed in response, then took out a paper crane made of yellow talisman and tossed it out.

The yellow paper crane grew taller in the air, its wingspan reaching nearly two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters).

"Come on up, come with me to Xuanzhen Temple." The tall, thin old man floated up lightly and landed on the back of the yellow paper crane.

Once his two disciples had caught up and were standing still, the old man made a hand seal, and a yellow paper crane soared into the sky, breaking through the long wind and heading towards Xuanzhen Temple.

On the back of the paper crane, the pale-faced cultivator watched the scenery below rapidly recede, and couldn't help but sigh, "Master's Yellow Crane Soaring Through the Sky Technique is truly exquisite. At this speed, it could probably traverse more than a dozen mountains and reach Xuanzhen Temple in the time it takes to drink a few cups of tea, right?"

"Unlike some people whose cultivation is not up to par, even if they use high-grade magic weapons to travel, their speed is not even two or three tenths of that of their master."

Senior Brother Yang finally couldn't help but mock, saying, "Senior Brother, you're being too disparaging. Although my skills are far inferior to Master's, I still possess about two or three tenths of his abilities."

"Is that so?" The pale-faced cultivator mocked even more vehemently. "If it were truly two or three out of ten, how could you have been so disheveled yesterday? I heard from the junior sister of Huichun Hall that if you had arrived any later, even your foundation would have been shaken..."

Senior Brother Yang's face flushed red, and he remained silent.

"Shut up," the tall, thin old man finally spoke. "We cultivators should not underestimate ourselves, but we should also not be arrogant, conceited, or speak recklessly."

"Master is right," the pale-faced monk quickly bowed his head.

"I have examined your junior brother Yang's injuries. That junior from Xuanzhen Temple is indeed quite skilled."

The tall, thin old man sighed, "It's a pity that such a promising talent has entered the Xuanzhen Temple and has no chance to become my disciple. Otherwise, my Huanghe Temple might have produced another True Ancestor in a few decades."

"I don't need to be so angry about your good-for-nothing disciples that I can't eat or drink all day long."

The two apprentices lowered their heads and shrank their necks.

"You two, remember this: once you arrive at Xuanzhen Temple, obey my orders. If I do not give you instructions, you two must not utter a word, let alone speak disrespectfully."

The tall, thin old man continued his admonition: "My purpose in going to Xuanzhen Temple this time is not only to teach the younger generation a lesson, but also to reason with that young Li boy and resolve the enmity."

"If either of you dares to speak disrespectfully and create negative karma, causing me trouble, I will certainly not forgive you two unfilial disciples when we return!"

With such a gifted young man as a benchmark, the tall, thin old man grew increasingly displeased with his two apprentices.

Although the two were dissatisfied, their master was always decisive and his word was law, so they dared not refute him and obediently agreed.

After three cups of tea, the yellow paper crane flew to Xuanzhen Peak and deliberately flew over the place where the spirit-gathering array had been built.

Looking down from above, the spirit-gathering array at Huanghe Temple has been completely dismantled.

At the site of the Huanghe Temple's spirit-gathering formation, three disciples dressed in Yutan Temple attire are busy setting up the formation.

"How dare you!" the pale-faced cultivator roared in fury. "That brat actually dared to dismantle the formation of my Yellow Crane Temple!"

The tall, thin old man hadn't expected the other party to be so ruthless. In just one night, they dismantled the spirit-gathering array worth 100,000 talismans and slapped Huang Heguan across the face.

He couldn't help but feel a little angry: "This brat from Xuanzhen Temple is truly rude!"

Below, the three people from Yutan Temple also noticed the yellow paper crane.

But Meng Yu, who was in charge, only looked up once before lowering his head and continuing to work on the formation.

"Master, those three below are also rude!" said the pale-faced cultivator.

"Ahem, those below are from Yutan Temple. I suppose they're just doing their bidding for money. There's no need to make things difficult for them, otherwise it would make Huanghe Temple look petty."

The tall, thin old man coughed lightly and changed the subject.

The yellow paper crane turned slightly and flew straight to Xuanzhen Temple.

"By the way, you two should put away this magic net artifact."

The tall, thin old man tossed two spiderweb-like threads to his two apprentices.

"I borrowed this from my senior brother. When we get to Xuanzhen Temple, if I teach that brat a lesson and he tries to escape when he's no match for me, you two should immediately cast a net to trap him."

The two men caught the net and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"This... Master, how could that person possibly escape from your grasp?" The pale-faced cultivator gripped the net, feeling that his master was making a mountain out of a molehill.

"But it's just a precaution," the tall, thin old man said.

Although he was very confident in his cultivation and skills, he would not underestimate his opponent.

Not only were the magic net artifacts prepared, but even the Taoist robe he was wearing was a refined magic garment, more valuable than ordinary high-grade magic artifacts.

"Yes, we've arrived."

As the Taoist temple below became clearer, the tall, thin old man said.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt a strange sense of unease ever since he got closer to Xuanzhen Peak.

……

In front of the main hall of Xuanzhen Temple.

Mu Xiaoyu was practicing her martial arts, and her expression clearly showed that she was preoccupied.

However, under Li Yinsheng's strict guidance, her every move and every breath remained perfectly orderly.

Until she saw a dark shadow on the ground that was rapidly growing larger.

She immediately looked up, and a huge yellow paper crane with a wingspan of two zhang slowly descended from the sky. On the top of the paper crane stood an old man with white hair and beard, his Taoist robe billowing in the wind, looking somewhat like a celestial being.

Mu Xiaoyu immediately bared her teeth.

The bad guys are coming!

She ran to the Cold Leaf Sword in a few steps, picked it up, and stood beside Li Yinsheng.

Li Yinsheng smiled and ruffled her hair.

The yellow paper crane landed, and the tall, thin old man, accompanied by two disciples, gracefully landed, exuding the air of a highly accomplished Taoist master.

"I am Huang, the deputy abbot of Huanghe Temple. Today, I have brought my unworthy disciple to Xuanzhen Temple to thank you, young fellow Daoist, for disciplining my disciple on my behalf."

Although the elderly man surnamed Huang said "thank you," his aura pressed down on Li Yinsheng like an overwhelming tidal wave.

If a cultivator with lower cultivation level were to face such power, even the circulation of their magical power would become somewhat sluggish.

But Mu Xiaoyu, standing beside Li Yinsheng, felt nothing. She only thought the old man was hypocritical. She held her sword in one hand and her senior brother's hand in the other, glaring angrily at the old man.

The elderly man surnamed Huang showed a hint of surprise.

Firstly, I never expected that Li Yinsheng would not only have such a high level of cultivation at such a young age, but also such a skillful way of concealing his aura. Even when he was protecting the little girl beside him with his own power, he did not reveal the slightest bit of his aura.

Secondly, I never expected that Xuanzhen Temple would have new disciples.

He was still a new disciple with no inherent talent or cultivation.

However, he quickly put the second point out of his mind.

There's no need to care about ordinary people who lack inherent talent.

"Young Fellow Daoist Li, my unworthy disciple and the four good-for-nothing disciples in the temple are all thanks to your care," said the old man surnamed Huang.

"Vice Abbot Huang, you're too kind," Li Yinsheng said with a smile. "There aren't many bedrooms in the academy, so we've had to trouble you four disciples to stay in the woodshed. Please forgive us for any shortcomings in our care."

The old man surnamed Huang's eyes twitched.

"Boy, you're sharp-tongued. You've not only insulted the disciples of my temple, but you also tried to dismantle the spirit-gathering formation of my Yellow Crane Temple. Although you have some talent, you're far too impolite!"

Li Yinsheng smiled and said, "Perfect timing. Vice Abbot Huang mentioned your disciples and the theft of spiritual energy. I presume you brought compensation and ransom with you? Where is the ransom?"

"Let me make this clear first: I only accept talismanic coins for my ransom, and I need cash."

Upon hearing this, the two disciples behind the old man surnamed Huang immediately glared angrily at Li Yinsheng.

The old man surnamed Huang was also furious. He decided it would be better to teach this rude boy a lesson first before trying to talk to him. Otherwise, if they talked for a few more minutes, he might make the boy so angry that he would get extremely agitated.

"I brought it, I brought it," he sneered. "Why don't you come closer, young friend? I'll personally show you the ransom!"

"Since Vice Abbot Huang has come with ransom money, it's not proper to talk in the open," Li Yinsheng said with a smile, pointing to the main hall. "Why don't we go inside for a chat?"

"Senior brother..." Mu Xiaoyu looked up at him with some concern.

"I'll talk to this Vice Abbot Huang about the ransom and compensation. Junior Sister, you continue your cultivation and don't slack off," Li Yinsheng instructed, rubbing her head.

Mu Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

The old man surnamed Huang watched this scene unfold and sneered inwardly, "Heh, no wonder they wanted to enter the hall. It seems they didn't want to lose face in front of their junior sister."

"Very well, if this lad knows when to back down after entering the palace, I won't mind giving him some dignity."

"If he doesn't know what's good for him, we'll beat him all the way from inside the hall to outside, making him crawl on the ground, utterly humiliated in front of our junior sister!"

Watching Mu Xiaoyu walk off to cultivate, turning back every few steps, Li Yinsheng gestured to the old man surnamed Huang: "Vice Abbot, please enter the hall."

"Haha, great!"

The elderly man surnamed Huang followed Li Yinsheng toward the main hall.

At the same time, the two apprentices received a telepathic message.

"You two guard the entrance to this main hall. If that brat manages to break through the door or the roof and escape, throw him out of the net immediately!"

The two did not communicate telepathically; they simply bowed to their master's back to show that they understood.

As Li Yinsheng and the elderly man surnamed Huang entered the hall one after the other, the hall doors closed, and not a sound could be heard from inside.

The two stood guard at the doorway, one on each side.

Mu Xiaoyu practiced her skills meticulously in front of the hall.

"Junior brother, how do you think Master will discipline that brat?" the pale-faced cultivator asked.

Before the other person could answer, he continued, "After your master retrieves the Cold Bright Sword, will he give it to you again?"

Senior Brother Yang's face twitched, and he changed the subject: "Senior Brother, look at that little girl, she's practicing very hard."

"What's the use of trying? Junior brother, has your cultivation stagnated and your eyesight deteriorated? Can't you see that that blond girl has no inherent talent?" The pale-faced cultivator sneered. "What's the use of trying for someone as dull-witted as her?"

"Sigh, that's true." Senior Brother Yang sighed. "But seeing that girl reminded me of you. Like her, you lack natural talent, but you make up for it with hard work, which is admirable."

"You!" The pale-faced cultivator immediately turned to look at his junior brother, angrily shouting, "What are you doing, acting all sarcastic and unpredictable? Want to fight me?!"

"If we're talking about the principles of Yin and Yang, haven't you been trying to outdo me since just now, Senior Brother?" Senior Brother Yang retorted sarcastically.

The situation inside was still unclear, but the two were already getting increasingly angry and were about to start fighting.

But at that moment, the doors of the main hall were suddenly opened.

The two were immediately stunned.

They never doubted that their master was disciplining Li Yinsheng, but they never expected that the discipline would be carried out so quickly.

Just as the two were about to bow to their master and vie to flatter him, they saw their master, with a bruised and swollen face, having lost his Taoist robe, walking out in his undergarments and limping.

The two guards at the door were immediately stunned.

Let alone teaching Li Yinsheng a lesson, Master looks more like an ordinary old man who has been beaten up by thugs.

"You," the cultivator surnamed Huang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his inner sleeve, his dark circles glaring at his two disciples, "give me the Qiankun bag!"

The two were even more confused. It wasn't that they were disobedient; it was that their brains just couldn't keep up.

Seeing that the two men did not react, the cultivator surnamed Huang became enraged and kicked each of them in the groin, shouting, "Give me the Qiankun bag!"

The two snapped back to their senses, hurriedly dodging the kick, and then pulled out their storage bags, handing them over with both hands.

The cultivator surnamed Huang grabbed a storage bag in each hand, turned around, bowed deeply to the main hall, and spoke loudly.

"Senior Li, this is all the wealth the three of us possess. We wish to offer it all to you!"