Wait a minute, where is my master?

In the grove.

The dense leaves were washed by the rain to a verdant dampness, making a rustling sound.

A quarter hour had already passed, but the torrential rain showed no sign of weakening.

On the contrary, it was getting heavier.

In the forest, the sound of the ever-growing raindrops hitting the leaves and the originally conversing Jin Xu and Senior Chi, now plunged into silence, seemed exceptionally noisy in comparison.

It was incredibly chaotic.

A few dozen breaths ago.

Senior Chi had completed the task of "making clear the purpose of the young Taoist's visit and expressing, in as gentle terms as possible, that there had been a message from the Upper Realm, while also indicating that, aside from Ji Junqiao, everyone who had come felt that there must be some misunderstanding."

After all, since Jin Xu had left his seclusion, he had been either striking against the Demon Sect or on his way to do so.

He had just flung one of the Demon Sect's Great Elders into the air in front of several people.

He had even cleansed the pollution in the Nine Provinces Sea Eye by himself.

If such a person were a demon, one couldn't say he fought against the Demon Sect because "fellow practitioners are natural enemies," right?

After hearing many arguments from Senior Chi, Jin Xu was first amazed, wondering how he had been inexplicably "expelled from human ranks."

Then his mind inexplicably thought of the purple-gold skull that had initially mistaken him for its master.

"Hiss, I feel like I'm taking the blame for someone else?"

The young Taoist fell into contemplation, trying to sort out the affair.

However, after only a few moments of thought, he decisively chose to give up.

The effective information he had was too scant. It was better to wait until he returned, to see if he could find some useful information on the ink jade puppet and fishing rod before analyzing further.

During Jin Xu's brief moment of silence.

Senior Chi, not wanting the atmosphere to grow cold and also driven by his own curiosity, hesitated and finally asked the young Taoist a question that had long been on his mind ever since he learned of his lineage.

"Jin Taoist, there is something I am very curious about, and I hope you will not take offense to my query."

"Senior Chi, please speak your mind."

"Ahem, the old scholar from the academy said you are a disciple of Tianxing Taoist. But I have known Tianxing for a long time and am familiar with his cultivation and abilities.

"In terms of cultivation strength, he truly could be ranked within the top three... or four, in the Nine Provinces Realm.

"But to say that he could teach a disciple like you... Forgive me for being blunt, but are you truly a disciple of Xuanxu Temple?"

Senior Chi had beat around the bush for quite a while, implying that he found it hard to believe Jin Xu was taught by Tianxing Taoist.

After all, during the war between immortals and demons a thousand years ago, when he last encountered Tianxing,

he clearly knew that Tianxing had no disciples.

And now, in just a short span of a thousand years, Xuanxu Temple has produced a disciple whose battle prowess and strength far exceed the limits of those from the Nine Provinces Realm.

Even if that old nose of a Taoist had taken the young Taoist as a disciple the day after the war between immortals and demons ended,

it still wouldn't make sense.

Jin Xu looked at him in some astonishment upon hearing these words and then nodded without hesitation.

The time he had spent with his master was not long, but he had indeed been genuinely led onto the path of cultivation. Although there were inevitably some aspects of "a true master leads you to the door, cultivation is up to oneself,"

there could be no 1 without a 0.

Therefore, the young Taoist held a very, very strong identification with his identity as a disciple of Xuanxu Temple.

Seeing how readily Jin Xu admitted it, a flicker of surprise crossed the depths of Senior Chi's eyes, and he inwardly roared,

"What virtue and capability does Tianxing Taoist possess!"

Then, with a calm expression, he calmly stroked his dry, slightly curled beard, and, not giving up, said,

"Ahem, may I know how you came to be accepted at the gates of Xuanxu Temple, Jin Taoist?"

At this moment, Senior Chi still couldn't bring himself to believe the young Taoist before him, who killed Mahayana Realm cultivators as easily as if slaughtering chickens, was taught by that old snub-nosed Tianxing.

But after he had asked the question, Jin Xu clearly felt hesitation from the young Taoist before him.

The atmosphere between the two, standing face to face, began to turn silent, especially against the contrast of the rain striking the tree leaves around them.

"Hiss, was there something amiss with what I just said? Although asking like that might seem a bit impetuous, if this young Taoist truly is a disciple of the Xuanxu Temple, then what I said should at most be considered idle chatter, right?"

The Ancestor of the Kunlun Immortal Palace began to fall into self-doubt.

Meanwhile, on Jin Xu's end, he was struggling with his thoughts...

"If I told him I was fished up by my master, would he believe me?

"And if I were to say I was fished up, I'd inevitably have to explain from where I was fished. They now misunderstand me as some demon from the Upper Realm, so if they learn I come from an unknown place, wouldn't that make things even harder to clarify?

"Although I'm not Liuzi and could respond to any query about eating two bowls of noodles by slapping them with a 'Hand Palm Thunder',

"But... to tell a well-meaning lie to the person before me?

"No."

Having thought this far, Jin Xu gently shook his head, deciding to still tell the truth.

Over on Senior Chi's end, after doubting himself for a while, he too decided to speak up to ease the dark atmosphere between them.

Consequently, both of them coincidentally began to speak at the same time.

"I was fished up by my master."

"If you're finding it difficult, Jin Taoist... what?"

The Immortal Palace elder was momentarily stunned.

The curved mustache at the corner of his mouth was still trembling slightly from inertia.

Seeing this, Jin Xu had no choice but to repeat what he had said with seriousness.

"I was fished up by my master, around September last year."

This time he even intentionally added the time.

"...Do you mean you were fished out by Tianxing Taoist with that fishing rod?"

Senior Chi asked with an inexplicable tone, and after seeing the young Taoist nod emphatically, he tactically stroked his beard.

He unconsciously paced around, muttering to himself about how he had previously underestimated... fishing rods... impossible... to actually fish up a treasure, and so on.

However, this behavior didn't last long. It was as if he suddenly realized something, he abruptly stopped walking and turned to Jin Xu, asking.

"Wait, when did you say you were fished up?"

"Last September, Senior Chi."

The young Taoist's gentle voice rang out once more.

...

...

Outside the small grove.

At the farthest distance, Ji Junqiao stood with a countenance of panic and unease, listening to the Old Dean talk about who knows what.

Further in, a gaunt old man stood idly by himself, eyes closed as he regulated his breathing.

And closest to the small grove, two women cuddled up next to Grandma Yu on either side, whispering something softly among themselves.

Every so often, they would burst into subdued laughter.

"Eh, the temple master is coming out!"

Little White, who had been in the midst of regaling Grandma Yu with tales of how he recruited his followers, suddenly caught a stronger scent of Jin Xu and immediately launched himself out.

At his side, Yu Yaoer, not to be outdone, hopped and skipped her way toward the young Taoist.

Seeing the two like this, Grandma Yu couldn't help but shake her head in amusement, seemingly reminiscing about her own youthful days.

But when she remembered that the young Taoist's master was that old ox-nosed Tianxing Taoist,

The smile on her face immediately tightened up.