The two of them held a secret discussion, setting up a sound-isolation barrier. The other four couldn't possibly be unaware, yet they all turned a blind eye. When a group of unfamiliar people embarked on an adventure together, such things were perfectly normal; everyone understood without it being said.
And Mo Tiange was tapping the Heaven-Earth Fan in her hand, one tap after another, seemingly deep in thought, and had yet to give an answer.
Tian Can seemed somewhat impatient from her tapping and couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist Qin, does it require such lengthy consideration?"
Mo Tiange looked up and smiled at him. "It concerns our lives, so naturally, one must consider it carefully." For the last time, the Heaven-Earth Fan tapped against her palm, and she clenched her fist. "Very well. If an unexpected situation truly arises then, as long as Fellow Daoist Tian Can can abide by the agreement made at this moment, I will stand on the same side as you." She paused, then raised her eyebrows, emphasizing, "However, Fellow Daoist Tian Can, all of this is predicated on Ling Yunhe not keeping his word, and us acting for self-preservation. If you have other objectives, don't blame me for not lending aid."
Tian Can was taken aback for a moment, giving her a deep look before nodding. "That is only natural."
After a while, Ling Yunhe finally opened his eyes. He smiled, glancing at Yang Chengji before turning to Mo Tiange and Tian Can. "Have the several Fellow Daoists reached a decision?"
At this moment, Yang Chengji was still lost in thought, while Tian Can and Mo Tiange had long since withdrawn the sound-isolation barrier and were each meditating with closed eyes.
Yang Chengji was the first to regain his focus. He looked at the vulture on Ling Yunhe's shoulder and said, "I want to see the Yuanning Pill first."
Ling Yunhe nodded. "That is only natural." He turned to Mo Tiange and Tian Can. "And you two Fellow Daoists?"
Tian Can spoke first. "Likewise."
Ling Yunhe looked at Mo Tiange. Seeing her calm expression, he revealed a smile. "It seems Fellow Daoist Qin has also agreed."
Mo Tiange sighed helplessly. She didn't like this kind of smile from Ling Yunhe right now. This person was candid yet cunning, cunning yet still somewhat decent, always appearing to have everything under control. When he smiled like this, there was an eighty percent chance things were going as he wished.
However, she extended a finger and wagged it at Ling Yunhe. "Fellow Daoist Ling, some matters must be clarified beforehand. The conditions you promised earlier can only be fulfilled afterward. If you go back on your word afterward, I'll have nowhere to seek justice. And the other two Fellow Daoists seem to have already received part of their agreed-upon remuneration..."
"That's easily settled," Ling Yunhe said without hesitation, retrieving an object from his Qiankun Bag and tossing it to Mo Tiange. "With this item, the Jiuyan Sect must accomplish one task for you, Fellow Daoist, no matter how difficult. Until I, Ling, have successfully handled the matter for you, Fellow Daoist Qin, this item shall temporarily remain in your care."
Mo Tiange caught the object. It was an unremarkable-looking wooden plaque, no more than two inches in length and width, without any decorative patterns, only a faint spiritual glow. From Mo Tiange's experience, this should bear a special talisman inscription, and a secret one at that. Its aura was ancient; it had been passed down for at least several thousand years.
"The Favor-Repayment Token!" Ling Yunfei's expression changed drastically the moment he saw it, his eyes fixed intently on the wooden plaque in Mo Tiange's hand.
Mo Tiange was surprised. She glanced at Ling Yunfei, then raised the wooden plaque toward Ling Yunhe. "Does this hold some special significance?"
After his initial shock, Ling Yunfei's expression quickly returned to normal. He addressed Mo Tiange solemnly, "This is our Jiuyan Sect's Favor-Repayment Token. The holder of this token becomes a Guest Elder of our Jiuyan Sect. With this token in hand, no disciple of our Jiuyan Sect may harm them in the slightest. Moreover, they can request the Jiuyan Sect to perform one task for them. As long as it does not harm the sect's interests, no matter how difficult, it must be completed."
He looked at Ling Yunhe, a complex expression in his eyes. "In our entire Jiuyan Sect, there are only three of these. I never imagined one of them was in Second Brother's possession..."
"Favor-Repayment Token?" Mo Tiange narrowed her eyes. Speaking of it, it sounded like the act of a chivalrous hero in the mortal world who kept their word as law. Could such a thing exist in the cultivation world? Although cultivators generally paid attention to their promises, if significant interests were involved, turning on someone at any moment was quite normal.
Tian Can looked at the wooden plaque, his gaze skeptical. "With this in hand, your Jiuyan Sect truly won't lift a finger against the holder and will do their utmost to fulfill the request?"
"Correct," Ling Yunfei began his chatterbox tendencies again, speaking eloquently. "Our Jiuyan Sect is the sect in Yunzhong that values master-disciple lineage and brotherhood the most. Our Founding Ancestor had nine disciples, all deeply bonded as brothers, advancing and retreating together. That's why we are called the Jiuyan Sect. This Favor-Repayment Token was left by our nine Founding Ancestors. In the past, the Ancestors once received great kindness from others and gifted this token in return, promising that the holder of this Favor-Repayment Token would have unimpeded access within the Jiuyan Sect, equivalent to a Guest Elder, until the promise was fulfilled. These three tokens gradually returned to the sect over several thousand years and have not reappeared since."
Mo Tiange shook the seemingly ordinary wooden plaque in her hand and said to Ling Yunhe, "So, this item is quite valuable?"
"More than just valuable?" It was still Ling Yunfei who chimed in. "Given our Jiuyan Sect's strength, if this item were to circulate outside, even Nascent Soul cultivators might be tempted!"
A Guest Elder enjoyed all the privileges of an elder, could utilize sect resources, yet was not bound by sect constraints. For certain cultivators, it was indeed an excellent position.
After Ling Yunfei finished speaking, Mo Tiange turned her head and saw Tian Zhiqian and Yang Chengji, their eyes gleaming with fervor, staring intently at the token as if they wanted to snatch it back immediately.
This only deepened Mo Tiange's confusion. Forget that Ling Yunhe wasn't even the sect leader of the Jiuyan Sect; even if he were, such a precious item would likely be in the custody of the Nascent Soul elders within the sect, wouldn't it? He actually had one in his possession? Moreover, he just casually tossed such an item to someone else... She felt her brain wasn't working fast enough. What exactly was Ling Yunhe thinking?
As a cultivator, one must always guard against being schemed against by others. Similarly, one must also avoid owing others too much. Owing others, firstly, could easily lead to inner demons, and secondly, made one more susceptible to being schemed against. Neither outcome was desirable.
Ling Yunhe, however, remained perfectly composed. After Ling Yunfei had roughly finished explaining, he said, "With this item, what other doubts do you have, Fellow Daoist Qin?"
Mo Tiange looked at the wooden plaque, her gaze circling between Ling Yunhe and Ling Yunfei. She asked, "Even if I have this item in hand, what if you snatch it back afterward? How would that be accounted for?"
An indignant expression appeared on Ling Yunfei's face, and he spoke first. "That's impossible! This is the Ancestral Precept! Disciples of our Jiuyan Sect have never done such a thing!"
Although it was normal for cultivators to be two-faced, they also had their own taboos. Matters involving the Ancestors were rarely violated.
Mo Tiange pondered for a moment before tucking the wooden plaque into her robes. She originally thought her lack of experience—not demanding remuneration beforehand—had put her at a great disadvantage. Unexpectedly, she now seemed to have gained the greatest benefit. If things were truly as Ling Yunfei said, then even if Ling Yunhe failed in this endeavor and died here, she wouldn't be at a loss.
Seeing her put the item away, Ling Yunhe slightly relaxed. However, Tian Zhiqian and Yang Chengji stared at Mo Tiange for quite a while before withdrawing their gazes, looking quite unwilling.
Mo Tiange sighed inwardly. This Ling Yunhe was scheming again. Although this item was good, it was also a hot potato. With so many people present, even if Ling Yunhe kept his promise, what if others harbored malicious intent? This action, seemingly granting her a tremendous benefit, on the other hand, was no different from placing her on a fire to roast. With so many people watching her receive the Favor-Repayment Token, and Ling Yunfei having explained its special significance, she couldn't collaborate with the others anymore. With such a treasure in hand, it would be easy for disputes over the spoils to arise afterward, making it impossible to trust anyone, and thus collaboration was out of the question. This way, she could only stand on Ling Yunhe's side.
But if she refused the Favor-Repayment Token now, it wouldn't solve this dilemma either. With such benefits before her, showing not the slightest bit of interest—what would Ling Yunhe think of her? The others would certainly remain wary of her. They were companions now; being overly guarded was not a good thing.
Thinking of this, she glanced at Tian Can.
Tian Can was looking toward the valley entrance, his gaze calm, seemingly not very interested in everything happening before him. Noticing Mo Tiange looking at him, he turned his head and gave a slight nod.
Mo Tiange understood his meaning: the matter agreed upon earlier remained unchanged.
This left her somewhat conflicted. She had already discussed things with Tian Can, but then Ling Yunhe pulled this move. What if he truly went back on his word after the task was accomplished? After pondering for a while, she couldn't help but shake her head and smile self-deprecatingly. She was getting more foolish. Ling Yunhe's intention was likely that he hoped she wouldn't help others snatch his things, while Tian Can's goal was self-preservation. These two were not contradictory. If Ling Yunhe kept his promise, then of course she would help Ling Yunhe to the end. But if Ling Yunhe went back on his word afterward, then she could only join forces with Tian Can for self-preservation.
"Alright, since none of the Fellow Daoists have objections, let's begin. Time is running short." Ling Yunhe flipped his hand, and three jade bottles appeared in his palm, which he tossed to them one by one. "These are the Yuanning Pills. Each bottle contains three pills. Please verify them, Fellow Daoists."
"Three pills..." Tian Can repeated softly.
Ling Yunhe still smiled, but his eyelids flickered slightly. "Fellow Daoist Tian Can, don't think these three pills come easily. Our Jiuyan Sect can only refine one or two batches a year. With so many Core Formation cultivators among us, it takes several years for a turn, and the allotted amount is only three pills."
Mo Tiange pulled out the bottle stopper, poured out a snow-white, delicately fragrant pill, dabbed some powder, and brought it to her nose for a gentle sniff.
The pill's composition was very pure, and the refining was just right. She could judge that the Alchemist who refined this pill had a very high skill level, at least not inferior to her own. The Jiuyan Sect was indeed the Jiuyan Sect, the number one sect in Yunzhong, with extremely high-level Alchemists.
The other two were also inspecting the pills. Tian Can only made a slight identification. Seeing Mo Tiange pour the pill back without any unusual expression, he stored his portion in his Qiankun Bag. Yang Chengji was more cautious, holding a jade-colored cup, pouring the pill into it, seemingly studying something. Could it be that demonic cultivators had restrictions when taking pills from Daoist cultivators?
Random thoughts flashed through her mind. Mo Tiange pondered briefly before storing this bottle of Yuanning Pills. She wasn't without pills for breaking through bottlenecks, but since this was a secret spiritual pill of the Jiuyan Sect, it likely had exceptional qualities. Storing it away certainly wouldn't hurt.
Once Yang Chengji also put away his pills and shifted his attention back, Ling Yunhe smiled, patted the vulture on his shoulder, and said, "Time is short. Let's go."