Chapter 35: Wei Lingkai Arrives
After returning to his room, Chen Feng didn't activate the isolation array. As a result, he heard every word of the conversation happening in the courtyard. His expression turned bitter for a moment, then twisted into something more feral.
None of them knew what had really happened. How could they possibly understand his pain?
Tang Ru had never agreed to become a Golden Core Elder's concubine. She was forced into it. Their low cultivation and lack of backing had left them helpless. In order to protect their status as outer sect disciples, Tang Ru had no choice but to submit to that old cultivator whose lifespan was already nearing its end.
She was still in the bloom of youth, yet had to accompany a man who was practically at death's door. Chen Feng couldn't bear to watch her suffer. He had proposed leaving the sect altogether, but Tang Ru had stopped him with a sorrowful expression.
"Brother Feng, where could we even go if we left Haoran Sect? Leaving the sect would brand us as traitors, and that Jīndān Zhēnrén would have every reason to come after us. It's not worth throwing away both our lives and cultivation paths just because of me.
If I stay by his side, I can still secure some cultivation resources for you. You have better aptitude than I do. Once your strength catches up, you'll be able to help me escape this hell."
Chen Feng had realized then that his impulsive decision was reckless. Everything she said was true. They were too weak to resist. All he could do now was swallow his rage and endure.
After that, he threw himself into cultivation. In three months, he only managed to reach the fourth layer of Qi Refining. His resources were exhausted, so he planned to take sect tasks to earn more.
On the way to the disciples' hall, he overheard talk of a new batch of disciples joining. That was when he targeted them—he never expected they'd have an inner sect disciple supporting them. This wasn't something he could challenge, not right now. But he wasn't going to forget it.
When the sun rose the next day, Wei Yunxi had just completed a full cycle of cultivation. She sensed someone tapping on her room's array, so she stopped circulating her qi and opened the barrier. Standing at her door was Wei Yunting, smiling brightly.
"Eldest Sister Yunting, what's going on?"
"Uncle is here to see us. I've already called everyone to gather in our courtyard. Come on out."
"Alright, I'll be right there."
Wei Yunxi's heart lifted with joy. She stepped out at once—there was nothing important left behind in her room anyway.
When she entered the courtyard, she saw a tall man, nearly a meter ninety, with a sharp and steady bearing. His face resembled the Wei family patriarch, Wei Lingtao, by about five parts. He was sitting calmly on one of the jade stools.
He wore the sect's issued cyan robes, but his were edged in luxurious blue-gold trim, setting them apart from those of the outer sect disciples.
"You must be Yunxi, eldest brother's little girl?" Wei Lingkai smiled and beckoned her over.
Wei Yunxi stepped forward and offered a cupped-fist salute. "Niece Wei Yunxi greets Uncle."
Wei Lingkai raised his hand to help her up, still smiling. "No need for formality. You look a great deal like your mother."
Wei Yunqing, who had come out a step late, also saluted. "Niece Wei Yunqing greets Uncle."
The others—Wei Zonghao and the rest—entered shortly after and respectfully paid their greetings one by one. They were all visibly pleased. Having their uncle show up so soon gave them a much-needed boost of confidence.
At that moment, in front of everyone, Wei Yunting took out a storage pouch and presented it with both hands. "Uncle, this is what the Patriarch asked me to deliver to you before we left."
Wei Lingkai scanned the pouch with his divine sense and instantly saw that it contained cultivation resources prepared by the clan. Without any pretense, he accepted it and then asked about their experience in the entrance assessment.
Wei Yunting stepped forward to describe it in detail, with the others chiming in to add bits of context. The part about Wei Yunxi and Wei Zonghao falling behind was relayed by the chubby boy. Everything was laid out, right up to their encounter with the outer sect disciple named Chen Feng.
Wei Lingkai nodded as he listened. He was quite satisfied with their performance. Even the two youngest, who had fallen behind, had ended up being the first to arrive at the mountain gate. As for Wei Yunqing and her misfortune-prone tendencies, he made no comment—bringing it up would only hurt group unity.
"You've all done well. Of all the disciples our family has sent to the sect over the years, very few made it straight into the outer sect after passing three rounds of trials. I'm one of them. Another is your great-uncle from the inner sect's Fa Peak, who is now a Jīndān Zhēnrén. The rest ended up in the chores division and rarely had a chance to stand out."
The eight of them were visibly encouraged. Wei Zonghan stepped forward and saluted. "Please be at ease, Uncle. We will work hard and never shame the family."
The others nodded in agreement.
Wei Lingkai gave a satisfied nod and continued, "As for that matter with Chen Feng, I'll report it to Elder Zheng at the disciples' hall. No one will trouble you after that.
But remember—just because you're backed by the family doesn't mean you can act recklessly. If something happens, you'll have to bear the consequences yourselves.
Our Wei clan only has one Jīndān Zhēnrén in the sect. We can't afford to draw too much attention. If you provoke someone you shouldn't, the family may be forced to compromise."
Everyone's expression turned solemn. "Yes, we understand."
Wei Lingkai added, "At least for now, in the outer sect, your great-uncle can still protect you. Like Yunting said, we don't go looking for trouble, but we don't fear it either. Focus on your cultivation. Within a year, all of you must reach the third layer of Qi Refining—the minimum threshold for outer sect disciples. Yunting and Zonghan, you two need to raise your strength further and strive to move to a peak with denser spiritual qi.
Once you reach Foundation Establishment, you'll automatically become inner sect disciples. Or, if you place among the top ten in the sect's grand competition, you can enter the inner sect that way too.
The next grand competition is in ten years. You have plenty of time, so start preparing now."
Everyone listened intently, some even quietly counting on their fingers. Wei Yunting and Wei Zonghan clearly had the best odds of making it into the inner sect soon.
Pleased with their response, Wei Lingkai waved his sleeve and placed eight porcelain bottles on the jade table. "Here's a small gift from me. Each bottle contains ten top-grade Nourishing Qi Pills. They'll help you break through bottlenecks."
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Smiling, all eight stepped forward one after the other to receive their bottles and carefully stored them in their pouches.
Wei Lingkai went on, "Remember, do not flaunt your wealth. Don't get tricked by others in the outer sect. Your starting point is already higher than most, so you must be even more disciplined. This jade slip contains techniques suitable for the Qi Refinement stage. Make a copy for each of you and train well."
He handed the jade slip to Wei Yunting.
"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle," she said, knowing that duplicating a jade slip like this would normally cost spirit stones. Their uncle had saved them a good deal of expense.
"That's everything I wanted to say. Since you're all here, I'll escort you to the lecture hall and greet the outer sect elders while I'm at it."
"Yes, Uncle!"
The eight of them were delighted. It was obvious their uncle had come to support them. With this visit, those scheming in the shadows would definitely think twice before making a move.
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Here's a new novel I'm currently translating! "My Daughter is the Empire's Lucky Charm"
What happens when a modern-day lottery winner gets yeeted into the body of an overlooked princess in a historical novel? For Yun Shu, the answer is simple: Keep calm and keep scrolling.
After her family's sudden windfall, Yun Shu was all set for a life of luxury—until she woke up in the body of the fifth princess of a dynasty she literally read about in a book. Good news? Her mega-mansion came with her as a cheat-like pocket dimension, complete with Wi-Fi (thank heavens for food delivery). Bad news? The original novel did not promise her a happy ending—just a quick exit as a cannon-fodder side character.
But there's a twist: Her new "dad" is the all-powerful Emperor Xuanwu, a man with a mysterious system that predicts the future… and keeps pointing to her as the key to saving the empire.
Yun Shu just wants to nap and binge fried chicken, but fate (and her suddenly very attentive imperial father) has other plans. Between dodging court politics and accidentally becoming the empire's secret lucky charm, can this transmigrated slacker survive—or will she end up crowned empress?
Feel free to give it a try, and if the blurb catches your interest, don't forget to add it to your library~ (。•̀ᴗ-)✧