Since Huangfu Ji was still injured, Qi Xuansu did not stay long. Having just arrived on the first day, it was not appropriate to immediately discuss official matters, so he returned to the quarters arranged by the Western Daoist Order.

Once he arrived, Zhang Yuelu contacted him. Licenses for Sages allowed communication across great distances.

Qi Xuansu had thought Zhang Yuelu had sensed his situation and was checking in on him after his narrow escape. But he was quickly disappointed. Separated by thousands of kilometers, how could she know his circumstances? It would take time for news to reach Beichen Hall, and even longer for it to reach Zhang Yuelu in Nanyang.

Instead, she mainly spoke to him about Little Yin.

Not long ago, Zhang Yuelu, having finally caught a breath from a sea of paperwork, realized that the troublesome Little Yin had grown increasingly unruly. The little imp had been away from home for days, and Zhang Yuelu had no idea where she had wandered off to. Zhang Yuelu then found Lin Yuanmiao, who was drinking with Pei Xiaolou and Ji Jiaozhen, and ordered him to bring her back. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

During this period, Lin Yuanmiao, Pei Xiaolou, and Ji Jiaozhen had become fast friends, calling each other brothers. Lin Yuanmiao and Ji Jiaozhen were both bachelors, and Pei Xiaolou’s wife was not with him, so they lived freely and without restraint. Once they completed Zhang Yuelu’s assignments, they would gather to drink and hunt whales.

Little Yin had once expressed a desire to join them, but the three men refused on the grounds that she was too young. Whale hunting was addictive. Sometimes, they would spend an entire day at it. Immersed in their activity, Lin Yuanmiao neglected Little Yin, indirectly leading to her sneaking off.

Lin Yuanmiao bore responsibility and personally set out to find that little troublemaker.

Within three days, he found Little Yin, who had been playing hide-and-seek with the Heavenly Court, and brought her back.

Zhang Yuelu personally interrogated Little Yin, asking what she had been up to. Little Yin defended herself, claiming she had dreamed of another version of herself who had buried treasure in Nanyang, and she had gone out to search for it.

Zhang Yuelu then asked about the outcome of her treasure hunt.

Little Yin was at a loss for words and could only say she was close to finding it.

Zhang Yuelu, of course, did not believe her. She decided to send Little Yin to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace for formal studies and strive to become a useful person.

Thus, Little Yin was escorted to Wanxiang Daoist Palace by Lin Yuanmiao.

Zhang Yuelu specifically instructed that there be no special treatment. Little Yin was to live there as an ordinary child and experience collective life, which would benefit her.

As a result, most people, including the instructors, did not know that this transfer student was the beloved child of Chief Deputy Qi and Chief Deputy Zhang.

But a child like Little Yin was like a lighthouse in the night, impossible to hide.

Zhang Yuelu had never treated Little Yin poorly. Lin Yuanmiao, having no personal obligations, had also spent his stipend on the little girl before becoming obsessed with whale hunting. As a result, everything Little Yin wore—from her clothes and headpieces to her little shoes—was custom-made with top-quality materials, along with expensive accessories. At a glance, it was clear she came from a wealthy background.

Such a little heiress was naturally ostracized by most of the children from ordinary backgrounds. Seeing her short limbs and small stature, they even gave her a nickname—Goblin, a creature from Western folklore that was small in size and ugly in appearance.

Children’s malice, like innocent cruelty, was unrestrained and felt entirely justified.

An ordinary child would likely feel upset and saddened for a long time, perhaps even leaving an indelible scar on their young mind.

But Little Yin was not an ordinary child. In the end, Little Yin single-handedly cornered the entire group that had been ostracizing her.

Several conflicts broke out during this time, but Little Yin suppressed them all. Many opportunists switched sides and became her followers.

Those unwilling to submit to Little Yin resorted to their final option—reporting her to the instructor.

The instructor called Little Yin in for a talk and asked if she knew her mistake.

Although Little Yin had been somewhat spoiled, she still believed in reason. She thought she was not at fault. These people ostracized her, and yet she was not allowed to fight back. If they could not win, that was their incompetence.

The instructor had originally intended to punish both sides equally. If Little Yin admitted fault, she could then apologize, and the matter would be settled.

After all, the instructor believed that right and wrong were not important; stability was.

Unexpectedly, Little Yin refused to admit fault. At this point, the nature of the issue changed. It was no longer about right or wrong, but about her daring to challenge the instructor’s authority. On a larger scale, it meant challenging the authority of Wanxiang Daoist Palace, and by extension, the Daoist Order itself.

This was unacceptable. If she dared oppose the Daoist Order at such a young age, wouldn’t she grow up to become a rebel?

Thus, the female instructor said, “If you’re not wrong, then I can’t teach you.”

Having spent time around Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, Little Yin was bold and confidently replied, “Do what you want. If you can’t teach, then get lost. Someone else will take your job.”

That statement stirred up a hornet’s nest. The instructor could not tolerate Little Yin’s disobedience and decided to discipline her.

However, one must not forget Little Yin’s cultivation level. Almost 90% of the instructors at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace were no match for her. In the end, it was she who received a bit of “discipline” from Little Yin—three hard slaps on the backside.

In the end, the instructor ran to her superiors, crying and making a scene, insisting that Little Yin be expelled from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

At this point, Little Yin’s identity could no longer be concealed. She was the beloved child of Chief Deputy Qi and Chief Deputy Zhang. Public opinion within the Wanxiang Daoist Palace erupted. She was a spoiled brat, so it’s no wonder she acted so arrogantly and even dared to disregard the instructors.

From this, it was clear that the two Chief Deputies indulged their adopted daughter.

However, right and wrong were not important. Position and stance were what mattered.

Everyone understood this principle well, yet all chose to feign ignorance while knowing the truth.

In the end, the matter even reached Great Sage Shi.

For Little Yin’s sake, Zhang Yuelu had to set aside a full day to personally visit the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. Despite never yielding to the many senior Daoists in Nanyang, she expressed her apology to the instructor because of Little Yin’s behavior.

If such a thing had happened to Zhang Yuelu herself, she would never have let it go and would have insisted on determining right from wrong. Being criticized was nothing new to her, and she had long grown accustomed to it. But since it involved Little Yin, she did not want the child entangled in the Daoist internal strife, so she chose to step back.

Great Sage Shi knew the child’s background. This was originally a trivial matter that did not require his involvement. Any subordinate could have settled it by speaking with the instructor to calm things down and by having Little Yin apologize to preserve the dignity of teaching, with both sides taking a step back. How could such a matter escalate to involve a Great Sage? It was absurd.

However, it was clear that someone had been fanning the flames, escalating the situation, deliberately stirring conflict, and targeting Zhang Yuelu. The best chance to suppress the issue had already passed.

In the end, the Great Sage Shi resorted to a classic compromise—smoothing things over by having Little Yin withdraw from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

For the greater good, Little Yin had to bear the burden. After all, she was already a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist and did not need Wanxiang Daoist Palace to obtain her Daoist credentials through examinations, so dropping out was acceptable.

Zhang Yuelu did not press the matter further and simply took Little Yin home.

Little Yin remained sullen along the way. Clearly, she did not think she was wrong. Why was she not allowed to fight back if others bullied her? In the end, she muttered, “I miss Old Qi.”

Zhang Yuelu was not a machine. She had feelings. That single sentence unsettled her. Words from outsiders meant nothing to her, but careless remarks from family were different. After all, this was her first time playing the role of a mother, and it was unfamiliar territory.

Thus, besides informing Qi Xuansu of the matter, Zhang Yuelu also intended to vent her frustrations to him.

After hearing everything, Qi Xuansu could only comfort the child’s mother, whose emotions were shaken, telling her not to take it to heart.

In their parenting roles, Qi Xuansu played the good cop while Zhang Yuelu was the bad cop. But at a time like this, he could not rub it in and act smug.

This was how life worked. When Qi Xuansu could not accept what happened with Qi Haoran, Zhang Yuelu comforted him. Now that Zhang Yuelu was upset, it was his turn to comfort her. This was not a relationship of mere convenience. Beyond alliance considerations, they decided to become Daoist companions for mutual emotional support.

After all, even the strongest people had moments of weakness. There was no shame in that.

At the same time, Qi Xuansu stated that they were not at fault for what happened at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. “I came from there, so I know exactly what it’s like. The absurdity of the Dragon-Tiger Camp still hasn’t been properly addressed, and I had to seek justice myself. When I return, I’ll handle this personally. About the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, this isn’t the first or second time they’ve stabbed us in the back. Enough is enough.”

After finishing discussing Little Yin, the couple spoke about recent events. Zhang Yuelu mainly talked about her plans in Nanyang and then asked about Qi Xuansu’s situation.

Qi Xuansu briefly recounted his experiences, then sighed. “I’ll have to apologize to Sage Qingwei. I failed to foresee Sun Zhongnu’s betrayal. Although I killed him, it only escalated the situation further. More importantly, the Western Daoist Order took the opportunity to bomb the Evangelical Ministry’s headquarters. Though it’s beneficial to my immediate situation, it’s detrimental to the bigger picture. The Holy Court will inevitably launch a war to save their reputation and for vengeance. The Western Daoist Order and the Tawantin Court have already mobilized forces at the border, as they’re inclined to go to war. Now that things have reached this point, war is on the brink. What can people like us even do?”