Jing Wuyan was still making excuses for Qin Yi when he was stunned by Xiao Jian's words.

Not just him, in fact, besides Yun Mengyao, everyone thought the ring belonged to Xiao Jian. Unexpectedly, Xiao Jian said it wasn't.

Qin Yi smugly said, "Uncle Jian, I've told you before, this ring isn't yours, but you insisted it was."

However, Qin Yi had a newfound respect for Xiao Jian. If it were him, he would surely have had the shamelessness to claim the ring was his own.

Xiao Jian was a bit disappointed. His ring was given to him by Jing Wangyou, and he treasured it dearly. He knew every pattern on it by heart. This ring, whether it was the outside pattern or the inner space, was not the same as his.

He looked at Qin Yi, could he really have wrongly accused Qin Yi? But his instincts told him that it was Qin Yi who swiped his ring. After shaking hands with Qin Yi, his ring was gone. If not Qin Yi, then who could it be?

However, now Qin Yi had handed over his own storage ring for inspection. You have to know, what's kept inside a storage ring are usually the owner's most precious items, and they won't hand it over for inspection easily. Since Qin Yi had gone this far, could he really search Qin Yi's body?

Jing Wuyan approached, surprised, "Uncle Xiao, is this ring really not yours?"

"No, it's not."

Qin Yi said, "Uncle Xiao, can you give me back the ring now?"

Xiao Jian sighed and handed the ring back to Qin Yi.

"Brother Qin, sorry, I wrongly accused you."

Qin Yi smiled, "It's not you who wrongly accused me. Besides, how else could Uncle Jian prove my innocence without checking?"

Xiao Jian gritted his teeth and turned to walk into the adjacent room.

Jing Wuyan said, "It seems Uncle Xiao is also embarrassed. Brother Qin, don't be mad, I apologize on behalf of Uncle Xiao."

Just as Jing Wuyan finished speaking, Xiao Jian came out of the room again, holding a cup of tea. He approached Qin Yi and offered it with both hands, "As I said earlier, if I wrongly accused you, I would apologize by personally serving tea. Qin Yi, I'm sorry."

"This..." Qin Yi looked troubled.

Everyone present also felt that Xiao Jian, being over two hundred years old, willing to put aside his pride to serve tea and apologize to Qin Yi was an unparalleled gesture. Qin Yi should say a few polite words, and that would be the end of it.

"Uncle Jian, it was just a joke earlier, how could you take it seriously? At your age, I can't let you serve me tea to apologize, it's not appropriate, really not appropriate..."

While everyone was praising Qin Yi's grace and open-mindedness, they saw Qin Yi taking and sipping the tea from Xiao Jian's hands as he spoke.

Everyone: "..."

This person says one thing and does another, unbelievable.

Xiao Jian was also stunned, thinking, you accepted my tea, so why say so many polite words? Seriously.

Qin Yi drank the tea in one go, smacking his lips a few times, "The tea was a bit too hot."

After speaking, he placed the empty tea bowl back into Xiao Jian's hands.

Xiao Jian's mouth twitched hard, daring to pull such a move.

Everyone else also wore strange expressions; Qin Yi's character is truly unique.

Seeing this, Jing Wuyan quickly approached to take the teacup from Xiao Jian's hand, smoothing things over with a smile, "Alright, since it's just a misunderstanding, let's end it here, and no one should bring it up again. Brother Qin, Fairy Yun, why don't you check out the rooms we've prepared for you, and see if they are to your liking?"

"Can they be changed if we're not satisfied?" Qin Yi asked.

Jing Wuyan was taken aback, then awkwardly said, "Brother Qin, please be understanding, rooms here are scarce, we can only ask you to make do."

"The way you said it, I thought if we weren't satisfied, we could change it. Let's go, show us to the rooms."

After a short time, Qin Yi and Yun Mengyao's rooms were arranged.

Qin Yi looked dissatisfied, the room was too small, barely enough to fit a bed, a table, and a chair, and the walls were made of stacked stones, making the room cramped and low. It wasn't as spacious as the caves people lived in on Earth in the fifties or sixties.

Having settled the accommodation, now it was time for food.

During mealtime, everyone had to eat in the yard, as the largest room here was the one Xiao Jian lived in, which could barely hold six or seven people.

The dishes were not bountiful, but they were decent.

Qin Yi asked Jing Wuyan, "Didn't you say you gathered over thirty experts? Why do I see only seven or eight?"

Jing Wuyan replied, "This village is too small to accommodate so many people. So, there are two more houses, and the rest live there."

"Brother Qin, you probably haven't met everyone yet. Let me introduce them to you, all of these people have been wronged by the Sword Sect, they're men of righteousness. Let me introduce everyone to you one by one."

Qin Yi nodded.

Jing Wuyan introduced everyone, but Qin Yi hardly remembered any names.

Finally, Jing Wuyan introduced Qin Yi to the crowd, "Everyone, let me introduce Brother Qin Yi to you. Despite his young age, his cultivation is truly unfathomable..."

The seven or eight people politely nodded at Qin Yi, but their eyes were filled with doubt, half-believing Jing Wuyan's words. After all, Qin Yi was too young; claiming his cultivation to be unfathomable seemed an exaggeration. How could his cultivation surpass Xiao Jian's?

"I know you won't believe it, let me give you a few examples. Brother Qin single-handedly toppled a branch of the Sword Sect. You've come early to Sin City; the news probably hasn't reached you yet, but Qin Yi's name is now famous throughout the Southern Middle State."

The seven or eight people changed their expressions, looking utterly shocked.

One person toppled a branch of the Sword Sect?

Is it true?

Xiao Jian said, "It's true, I can testify to it."

Suddenly, the seven or eight people were shocked dumb, and their gaze toward Qin Yi completely changed.

"Let me give you another example, so you'll know how impressive Brother Qin is. In Haoyue City..."

"Cough, cough..." Qin Yi coughed a few times, interrupting Jing Wuyan, "Stop boasting about me, I'm thin-skinned, it's embarrassing."

Jing Wuyan wasn't a fool, Qin Yi interrupting him must have had a reason. Thinking carefully, he realized he almost spoke out about the incident in Haoyue City. With Chen Zhengrong and others dead at the City Lord's Mansion, one less person knowing meant more safety for Li Ran.

Jing Wuyan felt a bit awkward; he almost revealed it. He quickly changed the subject, "Alright, we've all gotten to know each other. How about we have a drink?"

Everyone agreed gladly.

Mo Xiao brought out a few jars of wine. Wine is magical, a few sips make people slightly drunk, and the distance between people mysteriously draws closer. Plus, everyone present was bold and hearty; after a bit of wine, the atmosphere warmed up quickly.

After drinking, boasting was inevitable.

Listening to these people brag about their heated battles against the Sword Sect, with a burst of excitement echoing at times, Qin Yi couldn't help but smile; it had been a long time since things were this lively.