The five of them settled in the stone chamber. Qin Xi went outside to keep watch, while Liu Yidao found a corner to meditate and regulate his breathing. Mo Tiange gazed thoughtfully in the direction of the cave entrance. In a place like Mist Valley, where one had to constantly worry about ambushes, this Senior Brother Qin truly made things convenient for others everywhere...
Turning her head to look, she saw that the two senior sisters had already tidied up, so she walked over.
"Senior Sisters, how are you two doing?"
Seeing her approach, Wang Qianyi made room. "Junior Brother Ye, please sit."
Mo Tiange didn't stand on ceremony and sat down opposite them.
At this moment, Shen Bing opened her eyes slightly; her breathing had stabilized considerably. "We must thank Junior Brother Ye this time. If we hadn't coincidentally run into you, I'm afraid Wang Junior Sister and I would have been found and cleared out tonight."
Mo Tiange waved her hand with a smile. "Senior Sister, please don't be so polite. We belong to the same sect; entering Mist Valley, it's only right we help each other. Besides, one more person means one more source of strength." She paused for a moment, then asked, "So you two senior sisters were already acquainted? What a coincidence."
Wang Qianyi smiled. "There aren't many female disciples in our sect, so most of us know each other. Besides, Senior Sister Shen is no ordinary disciple—how many in the sect don't know her?"
"Oh..." That made sense. Among the thousand or so Qi Refining disciples in the sect, female disciples only made up about thirty percent. Most came from cultivation families; women from the mortal world rarely embarked on the path of cultivation. Like herself, it was only due to ancestral Immortal fate that she had this opportunity. However, seeing Shen Bing reminded her of someone else. "Senior Sister Shen, isn't Senior Sister Murong with you?"
Hearing this, Shen Bing revealed a bitter smile. "Originally, she was. But as you know, that girl is usually quite lazy and her techniques are mediocre. She's already been cleared out."
Mo Tiange wasn't surprised by this outcome. Although that Senior Sister Murong's cultivation level was decent, it was all achieved through pill consumption. Her actual Dharma Combat skills were lacking. Usually, she was either eating or playing; it would be strange if she could hold out.
Wang Qianyi, however, sneered coldly. "If we hadn't run into those people, Murong Junior Sister might have been able to hold out. Hmph! Those scum—one day we'll settle accounts with them!"
Her tone was so venomous, it sounded like a life-and-death grudge. Shen Bing's expression also turned serious. "Wang Junior Sister, it's best not to say such things outside. Keep them in your heart. If one day we establish our Foundation, those people naturally won't be a problem. For now, there's no need to dwell on it."
Mo Tiange was confused. "Senior Sisters, who are you talking about?"
Wang Qianyi answered, "Scum from the Zixia Sect! They saw our group were all women and made lewd remarks to harass us. That's why Murong Junior Sister was too impulsive and, caught off guard, was cleared out. In the end, only the two of us managed to escape. Senior Sister, don't worry, I've remembered this grudge. Sooner or later, I'll settle it!" The last sentence was directed at Shen Bing.
Seeing she was so reasonable, Shen Bing nodded in relief and continued her seated meditation to heal her injuries.
Mo Tiange then asked Wang Qianyi for a rough understanding of the situation.
It turned out their group's cultivation levels weren't actually bad: Shen Bing and Wang Qianyi were both at the tenth level, Murong Yan at the eighth, with two other female disciples at Qi Refining Level 9. However, being female disciples, their Dharma Combat strength was somewhat weaker. Although Mo Tiange herself was also a woman, to be honest, in the cultivation world, female cultivators were not only fewer in number, but their cultivation levels also lagged behind. Even with equivalent cultivation, they were generally not as skilled in Dharma Combat as male cultivators. There were many reasons for this situation, including the influence of the mortal world's male superiority and female inferiority, as well as inherent differences in temperament between men and women. The distinction between men and women wasn't just physical; there were also many differences in temperament and habits. Women were more emotional, prone to melancholy over the changing seasons, and far more likely than male disciples to be entangled in worldly affections. Men, by nature, were more inclined toward bravery and combativeness. Compared to female cultivators, they were more willing to spend large amounts of time on techniques, so it was only natural their cultivation levels were higher.
It was such a team of female cultivators that entered Mist Valley. Before long, they were discovered by disciples of the Zixia Sect, and the two sides met on a narrow path. Seeing most of them were quite beautiful, those Zixia Sect disciples made lewd, harassing remarks. With Murong Yan's personality, how could she endure it? She impulsively wanted to fight, but the other side was deliberately provoking them to find an opportunity to pick them off one by one. And so, Murong Yan was cleared out. Subsequently, the two female disciples at Qi Refining Level 9 also couldn't hold out. Only Shen Bing and Wang Qianyi, with their decent escape techniques, managed to flee here and encounter them.
Mo Tiange also said seriously, "Senior Sister Wang, although you both understand this yourselves, as your junior brother, I'll say it once more. I hope you won't take offense. Today, the situation was chaotic, which allowed us to escape safely. By tomorrow, I hope you two senior sisters can truly restrain yourselves. Our strength is insufficient; we can't compare to the Zixia Sect's numbers and influence. If you can't hold back, you'll bring misfortune upon others as well."
Having her say this was also the intention of Liu and Qin. They didn't interact much with female disciples and wanted her to convey this message: if they wanted to stay with the group, they couldn't implicate everyone.
Shen Bing and Wang Qianyi, with their higher cultivation, understood this reasoning. Although hearing it wasn't very comfortable, it was reasonable, so they both nodded without expressing disagreement.
Mo Tiange didn't say more. "Senior Sisters, rest assured. My Maze Formation can block a few people without problem, and besides, Senior Brother Qin is keeping watch outside. Rest well and recover your strength as soon as possible."
Exiting the formation, she indeed saw Qin Xi sitting on the ground by the cave entrance. His expression was indifferent, that astonishingly powerful sword resting on his knees. Sensing her, he didn't put the sword away.
Mo Tiange walked closer, casually found a spot, brushed off her sleeves, and sat on the ground just like him. "Senior Brother, what are you thinking about?"
After a long while, Qin Xi finally put the sword into his Qiankun Bag. "Nothing."
Mo Tiange tilted her head to look at him, her expression thoughtful. "I heard that Senior Brother Qin was originally from a cultivation family too. How did you end up as a Loose Cultivator like us?"
Qin Xi suddenly glanced at her, his gaze piercing. A moment later, he shifted his gaze away, but his tone remained flat. "Junior Brother Ye should know very well. Many small cultivation families can't sustain themselves, leaving only a handful of cultivators, and have no choice but to become Loose Cultivators. The rise and fall of families—I imagine Junior Brother Ye feels this more deeply than I do."
Mo Tiange stopped speaking. She knew her probing had been too obvious, hence his somewhat cutting reply. Feeling awkward, she forced a smile. "Senior Brother Qin is usually so taciturn; I'm just very curious."
Qin Xi lifted the corner of his mouth, as if smiling. "I'm also very curious about Junior Brother Ye. Usually, you chat and laugh with us no differently, but in reality, it seems we haven't had much contact..."
Mo Tiange's smile stiffened on her face. What did he mean by that...?
But then Qin Xi shifted the meaning of his words. "We've always gotten along well. I imagine Junior Brother Ye is just curious. However, I think some things are fine to speculate about in private; there's no need to know everything clearly."
Mo Tiange fell silent. How could she not understand the obvious implication? He meant that everyone had secrets, and there was no need to lay them bare. She had just been curious, hence her attempt to probe with a couple of sentences. She hadn't expected this Senior Brother Qin to also be so unguarded. Thinking of her own secret, her expression shifted slightly. She discreetly observed him, feeling that Qin Xi wasn't keeping his distance or deliberately trying to get close, and only then relaxed a little. It seemed her disguise in this aspect was fairly successful. Even if Qin Xi thought she had secrets, he hadn't detected what they were.
So she tacitly accepted his suggestion and changed the topic. "What does Senior Brother Qin think about the matter with the two senior sisters?"
Qin Xi said, "Since I didn't object to them staying, naturally I don't mind."
"Senior Brother isn't afraid of being implicated?"
Qin Xi shook his head with a smile. "Is Junior Brother trying to secure that reward?"
"Of course..." Persisting until the end meant two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills and a hundred Spirit Stones. If the tokens obtained ranked within the top three of the sect, there was an additional reward of five hundred Spirit Stones and a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills. Adding the reward for each token, which could also amount to several hundred Spirit Stones, the total could reach over a thousand Spirit Stones—enough for her to go into seclusion until the sect's minor competition.
But Qin Xi said, "Doesn't Junior Brother Ye worry that too much reward will attract too much attention from others?"
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "This..."
"I have a suggestion. We have quite a few tokens on hand, enough to claim a large sum of Spirit Stones. Adding the top-three sect reward, we don't need to persist until the end tomorrow or the day after. It would be best if we got beaten out. That way, even if we take a top-three spot, we won't attract too much attention."
Mo Tiange was stunned.
But Qin Xi looked at her with a half-smile. "Could it be that Junior Brother Ye hopes to display your strength this way, be taken as a disciple by some senior in the sect, and become an elite disciple?"
These words were clearly meant to provoke her. Mo Tiange's expression turned cold. "I don't aspire to become an elite disciple, but I also wouldn't do something that holds my fellow disciples back."
Qin Xi was taken aback, then let out a loud laugh. This laughter was unprecedentedly carefree. After laughing, Qin Xi looked at her, his voice much gentler. "Junior Brother Ye, don't misunderstand. To be honest, although those two junior sisters only have minor injuries, they aren't much help to our team. I don't think they expect to persist until the end either. As for Senior Brother Liu, I'll compensate him with the tokens I have."
"This..." Mo Tiange was shocked. What was this Senior Brother Qin's goal, actually willing to give up Spirit Stones already in hand, just to avoid attracting attention?