Not long after, Ye Qiuyue arrived at the reception hall.
"Sister Qiuyue, has Tianyi successfully broken through?"
Seeing Ye Qiuyue, Wen Yuanying stepped forward and asked with concern.
"She just broke through and emerged from secluded cultivation, and is currently adjusting her condition. If not for her breakthrough, I wouldn't have been able to make it. How is Qin Xiao doing? That old fellow Yao Tiansheng didn't give him a hard time, did he?"
Ye Qiuyue answered simply before inquiring about Qin Xiao.
"Elder Ye, please mind your words. This is still the Tianyuan Sect, after all. It is better not to address the Grand Elder in such a manner."
Hearing Ye Qiuyue openly call the Grand Elder an old fellow, Lin Tiancheng could only offer a helpless caution.
"I called him that, so what can he do? When we were young, he was no match for me, and he still isn't my opponent now."
Ye Qiuyue replied with a completely unconcerned expression.
"Very well then. We were just discussing matters concerning the Abyss Secret Realm. I wonder if Elder Ye would care to join us?"
Seeing that he could not persuade her otherwise, Lin Tiancheng steered the conversation back to official business.
"Join what? Three hundred years ago, my Ye Family was merely a minor clan and took no part in the sect extermination. As for the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion, my elder brother established it two hundred years ago for Tianyi, who had just been born at the time. From beginning to end, my family had nothing to do with it."
Ye Qiuyue spoke with a dry expression. When the spoils were being divided back then, her family was left out, but now that it was time to clean up the aftermath, they suddenly remembered the Ye Family.
"Elder Ye is entirely correct. Whoever reaped the benefits should handle the cleanup. Once I return to my sect, I shall leave these matters to those old fellows. I am going into secluded cultivation myself."
Li Huan immediately voiced his support for Ye Qiuyue. The sect always used his temperament as an excuse to withhold any real authority, yet now they expected him to clean up their mess. He refused to oblige.
"Ah, actually there is nothing more to discuss-just idle talk. Once Qin Xiao arrives and we express our gratitude, we will be leaving as well."
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Qi Hu hurriedly smoothed things over.
Among those present, he was the only one who had participated in the old extermination battle, making him one of the so-called beneficiaries. He felt rather ill at ease. Back then, he had merely been an Inner Disciple-what benefits had he ever seen? Even when the sect established the Beast-Taming Department later on, not a shred of authority had fallen to him.
"Your junior Qin Xiao greets all Seniors."
Fortunately, before the silence could linger, Qin Xiao arrived.
"Xiao'er, you're here. Did that old fellow Yao Tiansheng give you any trouble? If this Tianyuan Sect dares to bully you, simply leave the sect and come to my Heavenly Clothes Pavilion. I will take you as my personal disciple."
Upon seeing Qin Xiao, Ye Qiuyue stepped forward with immediate concern.
"Ahem, Elder Ye, trying to poach a disciple of my sect right before my eyes is going too far."
Lin Tiancheng hastened to interrupt. Qin Xiao was a treasure to the sect; he could not afford to let him be spirited away.
"What do you mean by poaching? If that old man Yao chooses to bully Xiao'er, can you protect him? If you cannot shield him, keeping him here is only harming him."
Ye Qiuyue cared little whether Lin Tiancheng was the Sect Leader or not. To her, a junior had no business questioning her.
In terms of seniority, Lin Tiancheng was only slightly older than Ye Tianyi, making him her junior. They were only treated as peers because of Seventh Elder Qin Changqing.
Qin Changqing had previously broken through to the Body Integration stage, qualifying him to become a Supreme Elder, but he had declined the position in favor of remaining a Peak Master and Seventh Elder. That was the only reason he shared equal status with Lin Tiancheng.
"Ah, Master's Wife, you misunderstand. The Sect Leader has been quite good to me, and even fell out with the Grand Elder to protect me."
Realizing how things looked, Qin Xiao quietly murmured an explanation to Ye Qiuyue.
"Is that true?"
Ye Qiuyue was somewhat skeptical. She knew Lin Tiancheng's nature well; he invariably placed sect interests above all else. Would he really clash with Yao Tiansheng over Qin Xiao?
"It is true. Furthermore, his daughter has now become my disciple, so we are practically family. Master's Wife, I ask that you spare the Sect Leader some face."
Qin Xiao continued to reason with her.
"Kid Lin, not bad. You prove yourself worthy of Changqing's regard."
Hearing this, Ye Qiuyue's demeanor shifted instantly. She had originally intended to whisk Qin Xiao away, but since Lin Tiancheng had gone this far to protect him, she could not well snatch him away.
"You two carry on with your talk. I have matters to attend to, and after presenting my token of thanks to Qin Xiao, I must be returning."
Wu Li produced a Storage Bag, stepped over to Qin Xiao, handed it to him, and spoke.
"I am the same. I must return quickly and enter secluded cultivation."
Li Huan likewise tossed a Storage Bag to Qin Xiao and took his leave.
"This old man must also return to make my report. Qin Xiao, you are a fine talent. Accept this modest token of gratitude from the Pure Yang Sect."
Qi Hu also handed over a Storage Bag.
In the span of a few breaths, the three guests bid their farewells.
None of them wished to become entangled in the internal affairs of the Tianyuan Sect; it was far wiser to stay out of it.
"Junior Sister, you may keep Elder Ye company. I also have matters requiring my attention, so I will take my leave."
Seeing everyone else depart, Lin Tiancheng made a hasty exit as well, harboring a lingering apprehension toward Ye Qiuyue.
Back when he was still an ordinary disciple, he had frequently sought guidance from Qin Changqing, and consequently ran into Ye Qiuyue often. Even the Seventh Elder dared not cross her, leaving Lin Tiancheng with a quiet sense of dread.
"Yuanying, you need not stay with me either. Once you have settled your affairs, you should prepare for secluded cultivation as well. I will not disturb you further; I am going to have a look at Seven Stars Peak."
With that, Ye Qiuyue pulled Qin Xiao along and headed straight for Seven Stars Peak.
"Indeed, it is time to break through to the late Soul Formation stage."
Watching their retreating figures, Wen Yuanying sighed softly.
As Qin Xiao accompanied Ye Qiuyue toward the peak, intelligence scouts stationed across the various peaks hurriedly transmitted the news back to their respective masters.
These scouts were veteran disciples paired with newcomers, and the seniors recognized Ye Qiuyue instantly.
Her arrival signified that the Sect Leader's faction had gained yet another formidable external backer-a development of no small significance.
Upon reaching the courtyard at the summit of Seven Stars Peak, Ye Qiuyue came to a halt.
"Five years... I left in anger back then, never expecting to return. Yet now that I am back, everything has changed."
Stirred by old memories, she wore a look of quiet melancholy.
"Master's Wife, please come inside."
Though he noticed her mood, Qin Xiao was at a loss for words and thought it best to invite her in first.
Before they could cross the threshold, Lin Shimeng and Yun Man emerged from the rooms at the sound of footsteps.
"Grandma Ye, you've come!"
Seeing her, Lin Shimeng hurried forward with a bright greeting.
"Shimeng, I can hardly believe how much you've grown. You were just a young girl when last I saw you, and now you're quite the young lady."
Affectionately, Ye Qiuyue patted her head.
Because of her ties to Lin Tiancheng, Lin Shimeng had frequently visited Seven Stars Peak in the past, effectively growing up under Ye Qiuyue's watchful eyes.
"Yun Man, come here. No formal introduction should be necessary-this is my master's wife. Should you call her... master's grandmother? Or master's wife's mother?"
Mid-sentence, Qin Xiao himself became hopelessly confused by the appropriate form of address.
"There is no need for such rigid etiquette. You may address me as Grandma Ye, just as Shimeng does."
Ye Qiuyue shot him a speechless glare before speaking with an easy wave of her hand.
"Disciple Yun Man greets Grandma Ye."
At this, Yun Man promptly offered a respectful salute.
"Splendid, truly splendid. Xiao'er, your fortune with people is quite remarkable. Both of your disciples possess Heavenly Spirit Roots, and though so young, they have already reached the Nascent Soul stage."
Ye Qiuyue expressed her satisfaction.
"Master's Wife, that is called having a profound Fated Chance, not fortune with people."
Qin Xiao felt a twinge of speechlessness. Had his master's wife entirely forgotten the proper use of idioms?
"It amounts to the same thing, the same thing."
Ye Qiuyue deflected with a meaningful chuckle.
In her younger years, she and Qin Changqing had been companions before their relationship eventually evolved into dao companionship.
"By the way, Xiao'er, you have yet to visit the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion, have you? Would you care to take a trip there? Remaining cooped up on Seven Stars Peak indefinitely is hardly ideal."
Though she had been tempted to inspect the living quarters, she restrained herself, fearing old emotions would stir, and hastily changed the subject.
"I would be glad to. However, if Master's Wife is not in a rush, perhaps you might accompany us to Tianyuan City first? I have been meaning to acquire some materials, and I wish to pick up a few things for my disciples as well."
Qin Xiao had long desired to purchase ingredients for his Body Refinement, but had held back out of concern that the Grand Elder might lay an ambush. With his master's wife present, however, the trip suddenly became feasible.
"I am in no hurry at all. The Heavenly Clothes Pavilion has no pressing matters right now, and Tianyi has already completed her seclusion."
With no obligations demanding her attention, Ye Qiuyue readily agreed to his request.