Outside the mountain gate, Manager Hua carried his unconscious daughter while walking ahead with Qingyi, the other five trailing behind at a distance. When the fog of the great formation came into view, the five behind slowly approached.

Manager Hua glanced back, a flicker of cold light in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Qingyi.

"Aunt Hua, there's no need for more words. Let's wait until the family's rescuers arrive."

"Is this place really the Qing Ling Sect?"Elder Liao asked.

"Indeed!"Manager Hua replied coldly.

"Then we should enter the formation quickly. My injuries can't be delayed any longer,"Elder Liao urged impatiently.

At that moment, in the dense forest behind them, a figure in red, Liu Hongfeng, caught up and brushed past them. Elder Liao's expression changed. He hadn't sensed her presence until she appeared. A chill rose in his heart; if she had ill intentions and launched a surprise attack...

When he sensed her cultivation was only at the fifth rank, he breathed a sigh of relief and called out, "Miss, please wait. I have something to ask."

Liu Hongfeng glanced at him in surprise but didn't respond, instead walking towards the formation.

Seeing this, Elder Liao's face darkened, and the other five surrounded her.

"Miss, Elder Liao is a fourth-rank warrior. Isn't it a bit rude to ignore him?"

"Indeed. Please stop and chat for a moment. To make the acquaintance of Elder Liao would be a blessing for you,"they said.

Just as they were speaking, Manager Hua stepped forward angrily, saying, "Enough!"

"This lady is the second elder of the Qing Ling Sect. You should back off!"

"The elder of the Qing Ling Sect?"Elder Liao was taken aback, then laughed, "What a coincidence! I came here precisely for that reason. Miss, please don't mind me. I merely wanted to ask about the distribution of nearby demon beasts. I mean no harm."

Liu Hongfeng's lips curled slightly, languidly saying, "No problem. There are no demon beasts lingering nearby. You are from the Baibao Pavilion, correct?"

"I am Qingyi, the pavilion master of Baibao Pavilion in the capital,"Qingyi replied.

"Qingyi... what a stunning lady,"Liu Hongfeng praised with a slight smile.

The others involuntarily swallowed, finding her casual words mixed with allure, igniting a fire in their hearts. They could hardly resist the urge to pounce on her.

Qingyi paused for a moment, a blush rising on her cheeks as she stammered, "Thank you... for the compliment..."

"Please wait here. I will go notify the sect master's junior brother..."With that, her figure gracefully moved towards the great formation.

At this moment, the white mist dispersed, revealing Li Sheng and Bai Ye.

"Senior Sister, you've been gone for three days. If there's anything you need, feel free to say it. Junior Sister and I will help!"Li Sheng said with concern.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Seeing his caring expression, Liu Hongfeng embraced them both, her demeanor gentle. "This matter I can handle. You two need not worry; I know what I'm doing."

With that, she stood to the right of Li Sheng.

Li Sheng shook his head helplessly and turned to Manager Hua and the others. "You all have had a tough journey. Please come inside and rest."

Manager Hua hurriedly stepped forward, smiling bitterly. "Master Li, my daughter was attacked by a demon beast and has been unconscious for four days. We've fed her numerous medicinal pills, but there's been no improvement. Master Li, you have extensive knowledge. We hope you can help."

Li Sheng looked at the unconscious girl and nodded. "Manager Hua has taken care of my Qing Ling Sect in the past. I planned to refine some high-grade cleansing pills to repay the favor, but I didn't have the chance then. Now, let me take care of this."

"Thank you, Master Li!"Manager Hua expressed his gratitude, looking as if he would bow deeply if not carrying his daughter.

"This isn't the place to talk. Please follow me,"Li Sheng said, leading the way into the sect and instructing others to conceal important areas with mist, especially the spiritual vein and the black tower.

Elder Liao and the others lagged behind, whispering among themselves.

"Elder Liao, that young man really has good fortune, being accompanied by two stunning beauties, each with distinct temperaments—one cold, one fiery. How enviable..."

"Indeed. I used to think Qingyi was the most beautiful in the Great Yan. Now it seems that title is up for grabs."

While they joked, they observed Elder Liao's expression. Surprisingly, he said nothing more, merely shooting them a glare before following.

This left the flatterers puzzled. After all, Elder Liao had often visited places of pleasure in the capital. Now, it seemed he had changed.

...

In the discussion hall, everyone took their seats.

Li Sheng got straight to the point, "Miss Qingyi, how many medicinal materials of fifth, sixth, and seventh ranks do you have?"

The sect currently had plenty of eighth and ninth rank materials, but only twenty-four of the seventh rank and just four of the sixth. They were in need, so he planned to buy more to cultivate disciples.

"The demonic disaster in the capital erupted too suddenly, causing many resources to be left behind. I only have partial resources: five fourth-rank materials, fifteen fifth-rank materials, and twenty-two sixth-rank materials. As for the seventh rank, I don't have any here."

"That's quite lacking..."Li Sheng pondered.

"Miss Qingyi, please calculate the total price. I can settle any shortfall with high-grade pills."

Qingyi thought for a moment, then softly said, "Add two high-grade Blood Solidification Pills to the previous price."

"Seven pills..."Li Sheng nodded and took out the remaining spirit stones from his storage bag.

At this time, Elder Liao coughed a few times, casting a meaningful glance at Qingyi.

A flicker of cold light flashed in Qingyi's eyes before she smiled lightly, "Master Li, may I exchange one of the high-grade pills for healing pills?"

"Of course!"Li Sheng nodded, signaling his junior sister and senior sister to entertain the guests as he took Manager Hua away from the hall.

Liu Hongfeng glanced at the unconscious girl on Manager Hua's back, then said to Bai Ye, "Junior Sister, please take care of her for now. I'll be back shortly."

"Senior Sister, go ahead. I can manage,"Bai Ye replied calmly.

With eight spiritual forms around her and a severely injured fourth-rank warrior, she felt confident in handling the situation.

On the way to the pill room, Li Sheng inquired about how the girl was injured and roughly deduced that her will was the issue. It wouldn't be hard to wake her up; he had prepared eighth-rank Cleansing Spirit Pills, which nourished the spirit and stimulated the will.

At this moment, Liu Hongfeng caught up. "Junior Brother, this girl has demonic energy in her heart, trapped in a nightmare. I can wake her up."

"Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you, Senior Sister."

"Master Li... this..."

"Manager Hua, don't worry. My senior sister has considerable experience dealing with demon beasts,"Li Sheng reassured him, then signaled his sister to begin.

Liu Hongfeng approached, gently placing her jade hand on the girl's head, a thin layer of red mist slowly emanating. After a few breaths, several strands of black energy were drawn out and absorbed into her palm.

The girl's eyelids twitched violently before slowly opening, looking around in slight fear. "Mom, run! There are demon beasts! There are demon beasts!"

"Jingjing, don't panic. We're safe now..."Manager Hua cried tears of joy, patting her daughter's back to soothe her.

"Senior Sister, impressive skills!"Li Sheng genuinely admired from the side.

"As long as Junior Brother likes it~"Liu Hongfeng raised an eyebrow playfully, then led Manager Hua and her daughter away.