Mo Tiange naturally had no idea what Wei Jiasi was so shocked about. Right now, she couldn't be bothered with such matters.
Her cultivation technique was nearly complete, and her alchemy skills were gradually improving—it was time to prepare for Foundation Establishment.
She had one Foundation Establishment Pill and two Foundation-Forging Pills in her possession. If she could successfully refine the Foundation-Solidifying Pill, then with Uncle-Master Xuanyin's guidance, her chances of achieving Foundation Establishment would be quite high.
She had already gathered the remaining materials for the Foundation-Solidifying Pill bit by bit, leaving only one other ingredient: the five-hundred-year-old spiritual herb Azure Fern. She had entrusted the Inner Sect shops to keep an eye out for it.
Whether it was because the sect shops were well-stocked to begin with or due to Dao Lord Jinghe's influence, she received a message talisman within a few days, informing her that the Azure Fern had arrived.
Mo Tiange quickly packed her things and headed for the Inner Sect Market.
This Inner Sect Market was located on the main peak. It wasn't large, consisting of only two streets, but with the sect's many disciples coming and going, it was quite lively. Most of the shops here were opened by the various peaks, and disciples from the respective peaks could get discounts. Additionally, disciples who wanted to sell items could simply set up a small stall by the roadside, which was very convenient.
Transactions here were protected by the Enforcement Hall. If fraudulent sales, forced transactions, or similar issues were discovered and verified, the offender would be ordered to refund the money; in severe cases, they might even be expelled from the sect. Therefore, disciples within the sect preferred to come here.
Upon reaching this small market, Mo Tiange didn't linger but went directly to the Alchemy Hall opened by Qingquan Peak, which had notified her of the arrival.
This medicine hall wasn't large either, but business was excellent. Qi Refining disciples came and went frequently, and Foundation Establishment Cultivators were not uncommon. Luo Fengxue had once told her that the Xuanqing Sect had over five hundred Foundation Establishment disciples. She believed it—here on Mount Taikang, you could run into Foundation Establishment Cultivators just by taking a casual stroll, clearly indicating there were many.
"Senior Brother," Mo Tiange called out to a busy attendant as she stepped inside, "I'm here to pick up the Azure Fern."
The attendant wore the uniform of an ordinary disciple and had a cultivation level of only Qi Refining fifth layer. Hearing her, he turned around, saw her attire, and immediately waved his hands in protest. "Senior Sister, you flatter me too much. Azure Fern? Are you Senior Sister Mo Tiange from Qingquan Peak?"
Seeing the attendant's flustered expression, Mo Tiange realized her status was now different. She no longer needed to act humble and submissive as she had in the Yunwu Sect. As a Named Disciple of Patriarch Jinghe, this status was something even Foundation Establishment Cultivators would envy. Within the Xuanqing Sect, she could afford to be a bit more aloof; acting too lowly would instead make others look down on her.
Thinking this, she accepted his deference calmly and said to the attendant, "That's right. You messaged me that the five-hundred-year Azure Fern had arrived. I'm here to collect it."
"Yes, yes. Senior Sister, please wait here a moment," the attendant said before hurriedly running to the back.
"Senior Sister," another attendant offered her tea with a smile, "please have a seat here. Have a cup of tea."
Mo Tiange nodded to him and said, "Thank you."
Just as she picked up the teacup, another person stepped through the door.
The tea-serving attendant immediately went to greet him. "Uncle-Master Ye, you've come!"
The person who entered was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who still appeared youthful. He casually glanced around the shop and asked, "Is the Seven-Star Begonia in stock?"
The attendant smiled. "It just arrived today. Please have a seat; I'll fetch it right away."
With that, the attendant called out to the back, then invited the young man to sit nearby and served him tea.
The man took a sip of tea, seemed to notice Mo Tiange's gaze, turned to her, gave her a friendly smile, and then continued drinking his tea. His attitude was calm; he clearly didn't know her identity, yet he didn't scold her for being impolite. He seemed to be a gentle-natured person.
Mo Tiange, for her part, didn't show the usual reverence a Qi Refining disciple would have toward a Foundation Establishment senior. Instead, a look of hesitation appeared in her eyes as she tentatively spoke up. "May I ask... Uncle-Master?"
Hearing her voice, the man looked up.
Carefully examining his quite handsome features and recalling the earlier address of "Uncle-Master Ye," Mo Tiange was already fifty to sixty percent sure, but she needed confirmation. "Uncle-Master, is your surname Ye, given name Jingwen?"
As soon as she said this, the person opposite showed a puzzled expression. "That's correct. Do you know me?"
It was indeed him! Ye Jingwen's appearance hadn't changed much. Ten years meant little to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; he still looked youthful, and she recognized him at a glance.
Looking at the familiar face, Mo Tiange felt many past memories surfacing in her heart. "...Uncle-Master, do you remember, ten years ago, the Mo Family Village in Liancheng, Jin Country?"
Ye Jingwen's expression froze for a moment, then showed surprise as he scrutinized her carefully before finally understanding. "You... you're that little girl?!"
Mo Tiange smiled and nodded, standing up to give a formal bow. "Back then, I failed to recognize your good intentions and left without saying goodbye. Today, I offer my apologies."
Seeing her perform such a solemn bow, Ye Jingwen quickly stood up and returned the gesture. "Please, don't be so formal. The fault lies with me for not explaining clearly..."
He had only spoken half his sentence when the attendant who had gone to fetch the goods came running back, calling out, "Uncle-Master Ye, Senior Sister Mo. Your spiritual herbs—oh! You two know each other?"
The attendant was clearly confused, even forgetting to hand over the medicine.
It was the other attendant who was quick-witted. He took the medicine and presented it to the two of them. "Uncle-Master Ye, Grandmaster Mo, please check if the goods are satisfactory."
Mo Tiange and Ye Jingwen exchanged a smile and each took the items they needed.
"Good, the Azure Fern's age is sufficient—how much?"
The attendant said, "Three hundred Spirit Stones in total. As a disciple of Qingquan Peak, you get a ten percent discount. That's two hundred and seventy Spirit Stones."
For a five-hundred-year spiritual herb, even if Azure Fern wasn't particularly rare, this price was extremely cheap. Mo Tiange didn't argue and paid the full amount in Spirit Stones.
After she put away the spiritual herb, Ye Jingwen had also completed his transaction and walked over to her. "Um... Tian Ge?"
Mo Tiange smiled and nodded.
Ye Jingwen then smiled as well. The two walked out of the shop, and Mo Tiange heard him say, "I was in seclusion recently and only came out two days ago. That's when I heard you had come to the Xuanqing Sect. I didn't have time to greet you—you've really grown up. I almost didn't recognize you."
No wonder he wasn't too surprised; he had already heard about it.
"Uncle-Master Ye..."
"Ah, don't call me that," Ye Jingwen shook his head to stop her upon hearing her address. "I already know Patriarch Jinghe has taken you as a Named Disciple. Even though Named Disciples aren't formally ranked, you're currently being taught by Uncle-Master Xuanyin, right? By the rules, you can just call me Senior Brother. Besides, back then you called me Brother Ye."
"This..." Mo Tiange thought for a moment and straightforwardly changed her address. "Brother Ye."
Hearing this form of address, Ye Jingwen sighed with emotion. "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. You're a young lady now—Tian Ge, how have you been all these years?"
Mo Tiange wasn't sure how to answer this question immediately. If she said well, she had actually suffered a lot. If she said not well, her second uncle had treated her as his own life, and she truly felt blessed.
"I've... managed."
Ye Jingwen could see the complexity in her expression and assumed she had had a hard life these years. He sighed. "It's my fault for not explaining clearly back then. After the two of you disappeared, I never understood what went wrong. It wasn't until two days ago when I heard news of you that I learned there was such a reason..."
In truth, regarding the events of that year, Mo Tiange felt very sorry toward Ye Jingwen. She had suspected him of ill intentions back then. Now, hearing that he had been in the dark for ten years, she couldn't help but feel guilty. "I'm sorry, Brother Ye. My second uncle was just worried, but it ended up causing you to fail your mission."
Ye Jingwen, however, said, "No need for that. You left voluntarily, and Senior Brother Zheng from Dongmeng Mountain testified for me. I wasn't punished. Uncle-Master Shoujing actually gave me many benefits instead—if not for that, how could I have advanced to mid-stage Foundation Establishment so quickly?"
"Ah, congratulations then, Brother Ye." Mo Tiange knew Ye Jingwen wasn't old; he seemed to be only around thirty back then, so he was probably about forty now? To be at mid-stage Foundation Establishment at such an age was considered quite young.
Ye Jingwen smiled and shook his head. "Just luck, not my own ability. On the other hand, you were only at Qi Refining second layer back then, and now you're at Qi Refining perfection after ten years. That's no worse than the elite disciples of major sects!"
Mo Tiange just smiled. "I just ate a lot of pills." This was the truth. If her second uncle hadn't let her treat pills like meals, she would be at most Qi Refining sixth or seventh layer by now, with Foundation Establishment still far off.
"Don't be so modest. If you had been in the Xuanqing Sect all these years, I wouldn't be praising you."
Mo Tiange couldn't help but laugh. That was true. Others didn't know her aptitude, but Ye Jingwen knew perfectly well. With a five-spirit-root aptitude and no major sect to rely on, reaching a level where she could attempt Foundation Establishment within ten years was quite remarkable.
"By the way, how did you meet Uncle-Master Shoujing? That's quite a coincidence."
"Hmm?" Mo Tiange was puzzled. "I didn't meet Uncle-Master Shoujing. I only met Senior Brother Qin Xi. My second uncle used a Ten-Thousand-Mile Message Talisman to ask Uncle-Master Shoujing for help. He happened to be nearby, so he was ordered to come assist."
"Qin Xi?" Ye Jingwen found this strange. This name... he hadn't heard it before. Although Qingquan Peak had many people, someone entrusted with such a task by Uncle-Master Shoujing should at least be one of their direct disciples.
"Yes, do you know him, Brother Ye? Senior Brother Qin is a blood relative junior of Uncle-Master Shoujing. He should be of the same generation as you."
A blood relative junior? Although Ye Jingwen still didn't understand the situation, he instinctively felt something was off here. Actually, he didn't even know Uncle-Master Shoujing's original name. Could it be...
Thinking this, Ye Jingwen asked again, "This Senior Brother Qin you mentioned, is he about my height, doesn't talk much, rarely shows expression, and only likes to cultivate all day?"
"Well... that was the case before. But Senior Brother Qin isn't exactly unsociable. Once you get familiar, he smiles quite often."
"..."
"Brother Ye, what's wrong?" Mo Tiange found this odd. Was Senior Brother Qin not well-liked? Why did everyone make that expression when they learned she knew him?
"It's nothing," Ye Jingwen wiped the sweat from his forehead and changed the subject. "So, are you about to attempt Foundation Establishment now?"
Mo Tiange nodded. "Pretty much. Once I'm fully prepared in a while, I'll go into seclusion to attempt the breakthrough."
"Mm, being well-prepared only helps with Foundation Establishment; it never hurts. If there's anything I can help with, just say the word."
Seeing his earnestness, Mo Tiange smiled. "Thank you."