"What? Is something wrong?"

The young female disciple noticed the villagers seemed a bit unsettled, her expression slightly perplexed.

Everyone looked at each other, unsure of how to begin speaking.

Finally, it was Aunt Wu who stepped forward, stumbling as she described the sequence of events in detail.

The young disciples of the Taixuan Sect fell into deep thought upon hearing her words.

The young female disciple looked at Su Jing and asked softly, "Senior Sister Su Jing, what do you think of this matter?"

Su Jing gazed at the remaining ashes on the ground, her eyes cool and quiet, saying nothing.

Another young disciple spoke softly, "How could Senior Sister Wen Jiu accept such a cruel and murderous person as a direct disciple?

For cultivators, killing is strictly prohibited. Cruelty is shunned, especially by us from the Taixuan Sect. We must have a heart of benevolence and goodness, putting character first and adhering to the way of the gentleman. This person doesn’t seem like a good sort at all."

"You can’t say that; that old Taoist sounds like a swindler from the pugilist world, claiming to perform rituals to summon the River God. How could there possibly be any River God in such a small brook?

The air is full of demonic energy, which implies that old fraud was looking to deceive and swindle people.

He treated the lives of innocent women with disregard, causing trouble himself and leaving others to clean up his mess."

"But even so, whether he’s a worldly magician or not, it’s a human life we’re talking about here. Even if mistakes were made, should we really burn someone alive?"

"Perhaps there are complex circumstances we don’t know about. Senior Sister Su Jing, what’s your view? After all, it’s a matter of life and death, should we pursue him to interrogate him?"

"Right now, we need to move into Shifang City ahead of time to prepare for the auction three months from now.

The Sect Master said that Senior Sister Su Jing, injured from corpse energy in the Dark Continent, must purchase Breath Cleansing Dew from Shifang City to completely remove the corpse energy and resolve the issue.

This matter concerning our fellow disciple can wait, and we can leave the decision to the Sect Master later, can’t we, Senior Sister Su Jing."

Su Jing lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Right now... isn’t the time to see him."

Seeing these young disciples intent on accusing Baili An and reporting to the sect, Aunt Wu’s compassion was stirred, and she anxiously said:

"No, you mustn’t, the young master had his reasons for setting the fire; that old Taoist did much more than deceive! He had ill intentions and even coveted the young lord’s beautiful wife!

He specifically set this trap and even used a torch to destroy the lady’s appearance, leading the young lord to retaliate."

At the mention of a beautiful wife, lady, and such words, Su Jing’s previously cold and lowered eyes finally showed a reaction.

The other disciples were shocked and covered their mouths, "So this newly joined brother is already married?"

"Hearing this from the lady, that old Taoist truly had a reprehensible mind, deserving of being burned."

"Well, judging by the traces of Fire Manipulation Technique, I’d say that the brother should be fully recovered, and there’s no need to urgently find him; perhaps it would be wiser to turn back and head to Shifang City first."

Once everyone agreed on this goal, they prepared to depart on Spirit Swords only to find that Senior Sister Su Jing remained unmoved.

Confused, the disciples asked, "Senior Sister Su Jing? Is there something else amiss?"

Aunt Wu, sweating coldly, looked at Su Jing who was staring straight at her, feeling unnerved by the intensity, "Immortal... do you have any guidance?"

Good heavens... earlier, the young woman’s gaze was cold but lacked any oppressive intent, yet how suddenly it brimmed with hostility?

Su Jing’s eyes were like snow-water, her black pupils bright and sharp, lips slightly parting, she coldly uttered the word: "Wife?"

Aunt Wu shivered from these two indifferent words and said, "Yes... yes, the young master has a wife at home, and she’s a beautiful lady.

Why... is it the case that your cultivation sect is like a Taoist temple, forbidding marriage?"

Could it be that young Baili secretly married his wife behind the sect’s back, unknown to peers and elders, and thus hesitated to return when injured?

So it turns out he truly eloped.

The young disciples of the Taixuan Sect were surprised that Scripture Master Wen Jiu would accept a married man as a disciple, but they were equally puzzled by Su Jing’s reaction.

Senior Sister Su Jing’s focus, is it perhaps... misplaced?

Seeing poor Aunt Wu almost wishing to dig into the ground under the icy gaze of Su Jing, a young disciple of the Taixuan Sect quickly explained:

"Our sect’s disciples aren’t prohibited from marrying per se, but for those on the path of cultivation, forming a partnership is a significant matter. It’s just surprising to hear about, no need to worry, Aunt."

Aunt Wu nodded, her heart settling a bit, when the white-robed woman beside her spoke again, her words like ice, her melodious voice cold like the wind of midwinter:

"Beautiful lady? How so beautiful? How so charming? Does she truly look that good in red, such that he publicly declares her as ’wife’?"

Aunt Wu: "??..."

What kind of alarming question is this?

The Taixuan disciples’ expressions became quite colorful at these words.

Under the increasingly oppressive gaze of Su Jing’s aura, Aunt Wu stood still, fearing to move her eyes. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Um, this Immortal lady might be mistaken, the young master’s wife doesn’t... wear red clothes."