It was said that one would not slap a smiling face.

Seeing that Zhao Yunxiao was taking such a deferential tone, even coming with gifts, Zhou Qin and Cui Junhe found themselves changing their attitude as well.

“Thank you for the kind gesture, Brother Zhao,” Zhou Qin took a light sniff at the packet of tea leaves in his hands. “Is this Angels’ Flight?”

“You do know your stuff, Brother Zhou,” Zhao Yunxiao nodded. “This is indeed our Purple Plum Mountain’s signature tea produce. It is a pity that I didn’t bring too much with me, so I can only give it to the first few people I see.”

“I guess it is fated that we are the first ones you meet then,” Cui Junhe said with a satisfied smile. “Don’t worry, Brother Zhao. We might not look like it, but the two of us are actually core disciples of the Origin Lake Sect. Since you came with such sincerity, we will naturally let the others know to take care of your needs while you are here.”

“So the two of you are core disciples of the sect!” Zhao Yunxiao revealed a look of surprise as he hurriedly clasped his fists towards the two once again. “What an honour! It would seem that my meeting gift is indeed a little too humble then!”

“Don’t say that, Brother Zhao. Angels’ Flight is a rare produce that brings great benefits, so what is this about being too humble?” Cui Junhe shook his head. “In any case, it is always the thought that counts.”

“Thank you for understanding, Brother Zhou, Brother Cui,” Zhao Yunxiao let out an embarrassed laugh. “I shall not disturb your training any longer then. We will probably see each other again over the next few days. Until then.”

“Until then.”

“Farewell, Senior Martial Brother Zhou, Senior Martial Brother Cui!” Li Teng hurriedly bowed from the side.

The duo clasped their fists in response, and silently watched Zhao Yunxiao and Li Teng leave the square before exchanging meaningful glances.

Among those present, Li Teng was the only one to see the smile appearing across Zhao Yunxiao’s face.

Fated that they were the first ones to meet him?

Perhaps it was indeed coincidence that Zhao Yunxiao met them here at the Jade Force Cliff.

But if it had been some other disciples, would Zhao Yunxiao still have given them the tea leaves as meeting gifts for no reason?

Naturally not.

Zhao Yunxiao was not nearly affluent enough to be able to afford giving out meeting gifts to just anyone he came across.

They might have never met before, but Zhao Yunxiao had recognised these two at first glance from afar.

In Jun Chuan’s notes about the Origin Lake Sect, he had included not only descriptions of the elders, but also that of the core disciples.

Their looks, disposition, and general behaviours – this information might not have been sufficient to confirm their identities, but Zhao Yunxiao became certain the moment he witnessed how they were training.

To be able to go this close to the Jade Force Cliff, chances were low unless they were at least of core disciple status!

And now that he had left a good impression on two of the core disciples, it was time to go look for more.

After Jade Force Cliff, Zhao Yunxiao followed Li Teng to visit the other training grounds.

Unfortunately, they did not find any other core disciples at the next few spots.

Or rather, Zhao Yunxiao had been extremely fortunate to be able to find two of them in the first place.

There was only a handful of core disciples in a sect, so statistically, it was never easy to meet any of them purely by chance.

Zhao Yunxiao understood that much as well, so he was not too disappointed about the result.

Instead, he made full use of this time to check out the different training grounds in the Origin Lake Sect.

He had been trying to come up with a new fighting style that suited him best, so his training naturally had to be adjusted as well.

That was why he was trying to get new ideas from visiting the different training grounds here at the Origin Lake Sect.

Even if he would not have access to these training grounds after returning to the Black Tortoise Sect, he could at least try to simulate the training in another way.

After a few locations, Zhao Yunxiao decided that it was time to return to the main hall and await the return of He Luoxuan.

Only slightly more than an hour had passed since they left the lecture hall, but Zhao Yunxiao did not feel like taking his chances.

In the end, his main objective for this trip was still to leave a good impression on He Luoxuan.

Therefore, he naturally wanted to avoid a situation where He Luoxuan had to wait for him instead of the other way around!

Having returned this early, it came as no surprise that Zhao Yunxiao and Li Teng were the first ones to arrive back at the main hall.

“So, what is the atmosphere usually like during the cultivation lecture? Does everyone get to listen in?” Zhao Yunxiao asked Li Teng while waiting.

“Sadly, while the lecture hall might be the largest we have, it is still not large enough to accommodate everyone,” Li Teng shook his head regretfully. “Only the core and inner disciples are allowed to enter and listen in every year, so I’m afraid I can’t comment much on how it’s like.”

“I see...” Zhao Yunxiao nodded in understanding.

Any sect would prioritise their inner disciples as opposed to their outer disciples. The Origin Lake Sect was no exception, and neither was his Black Tortoise Sect.

As fellow outer disciples of their respective sects, all they could do was blame themselves for not being as outstanding as their peers.

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An awkward silence fell over the two, which luckily ended quickly as Song Xiaoqiao arrived.

“You are back early,” Song Xiaoqiao casually remarked as she took a seat.

“As I should, Senior Martial Sister Song,” Zhao Yunxiao responded with a smile.

Song Xiaoqiao did not reply any further, but Zhao Yunxiao still smiled in satisfaction.

Her current attitude might seem rather cold to some, but considering how she did not even bother saying a single word to the outer disciples during their first meeting, this was already considered a huge improvement!

But since it was not in her character to talk much, Zhao Yunxiao did not force the conversation either.

Just like that, the trio silently enjoyed their tea while waiting patiently for the elders to return.

Ming Leishang had not been joking when he said that they would take half a day. By the time the elders finally arrived at the main hall, the sun was already about to set.

Zhao Yunxiao immediately sensed that there was something wrong.

The atmosphere among the three elders appeared to be rather solemn as all three of them bore heavy expressions on their faces.

It was almost as though they just went through a scolding or something.

“Yunxiao, go get Hu Nan,” He Luoxuan instructed the moment he arrived. “Your Senior Martial Brother Hu and Senior Martial Sister Song will be joining us for a meeting with the Origin Lake Sect elders. You and the rest can standby for further instructions in your room. I will call for you if necessary.”

“Yes, Elder He,” Zhao Yunxiao knew better than to question the decision.

“Don’t worry, little friend Yunxiao, I will get the kids to send your dinners straight to your rooms,” Ming Leishang added with a smile. “Li Teng, take little friend Yunxiao to his companions. You do know where they are, don’t you?”

“Yes, Elder Ming,” Li Teng nodded.

“Thank you for the kind arrangements, Elder Ming,” Zhao Yunxiao nodded before leaving the main hall together with Li Teng.

Just like Zhao Yunxiao, Li Teng had sensed something amiss with the elders.

But at the same time, he also understood that Zhao Yunxiao would have no idea what happened, so he did not ask much on their way to look for Hu Nan.

Before long, they arrived near a wide and gentle river – one with numerous pavilions lining its banks.

“This is Twilight Wall, named this way because the many pavilions along the river bank resembles a wall from afar,” Li Teng introduced. “It is where most of us like to hang out during our free time.”

“So, this Twilight Wall is where everyone is gathered right now?” Zhao Yunxiao asked.

It was a rhetorical question.

From where he was, Zhao Yunxiao could not only see the pseudo-wall comprising the different pavilions, but also the sea of people that was crowding towards the pavilions.

He did not need to be a member of the Origin Lake Sect to know that this was not a normal scene.

“That’s right,” Li Teng answered anyway. “They should be at the first pavilion. That is the pavilion with the best view of the river.”

“Understood,” Zhao Yunxiao nodded. “Let’s get going then.”

At this moment, every disciple gathered around the pavilions was squeezing forward, trying to get into the best position to watch what was happening within the first pavilion.

For most of them, this was a rare opportunity to observe the interaction between their leaders and the disciples of the Black Tortoise Sect.

Not willing to miss a single moment of the event, they kept their eyes looking forward and did not pay much attention to those around them, not even noticing that one of those trying to squeeze past them was actually wearing a different set of sect robes.

Because of that, Zhao Yunxiao actually struggled to get near, even getting elbowed and shoved as others tried to hold their place against queue cutters.

By the time Zhao Yunxiao and Li Teng managed to make their way to the front and escape the crowds, their sect robes were already all messed up.

That was when Zhao Yunxiao finally caught sight of the insides of the pavilion.

The size of the pavilion was similar to that of Clear Thoughts Pavilion back in the Black Tortoise Sect, perhaps just slightly smaller.

However, the atmosphere was completely different.

Clear Thoughts Pavilion was popular among the Black Tortoise Sect disciples solely because of its size and central location, making it ideal as a gathering spot since it was convenient to go anywhere from there.

On the other hand, this first pavilion of the Twilight Wall was elegantly designed with intricate carvings along each individual pillar and support column. The view was calming as it overlooked the gentle river, which in turn brought in a nice cooling wind.

The large stone tiles of the pavilion was also polished to a shine, making the entire interior appear extremely classy.

And on these elegant stone tiles, several people were currently seated at a table as they chatted over tea and nuts.

On one side of the table were Zhao Yunxiao’s fellow disciples Hu Nan, Zheng Biru, and Yu Hang.

On the other side was the young man surnamed Qian who had invited Hu Nan in the first place, as well as a few other young men and women.

To be able to sit here at the table, these were all probably important characters among the Origin Lake Sect disciples.

“Junior Martial Brother Zhao?” Zheng Biru was the first one to notice his arrival.

“You’re here?” Hu Nan remarked casually. “Come take a seat and listen, we are just discussing about the recent surge of demons in the region and how our two sects can work together on solving this problem in the future.”

Upon hearing that, Zhao Yunxiao immediately understood that it was an offer to listen, not to speak.

As an inner disciple, Hu Nan did not believe that an outer disciple like Zhao Yunxiao would have anything insightful to offer with regards to the discussion at hand.

If he ended up saying anything embarrassing, it would just be tarnishing the reputation of Black Tortoise Sect disciples.

But at the same time, Hu Nan did not want to dampen the morale of his own side by making that clear in front of all the Origin Lake Sect disciples here either.

That was why he hinted for Zhao Yunxiao to take a seat first.

He believed that after listening to what was being discussed, Zhao Yunxiao would naturally know his limits and not dare to speak unnecessarily.

What he did not expect was that Zhao Yunxiao was not intending to join the discussion in the first place.

Instead, he was here to end it.

“Greetings, everyone,” Zhao Yunxiao calmly readjusted his messy sect robes before stepping forward. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Elder He is asking for you, Senior Martial Brother Hu.”

“Me?” Hu Nan asked in surprise while the young man across the table frowned. “Did Elder He say what it’s about?”

“Elder He wants you and Senior Martial Sister Song to join the elders for a meeting. I’m not sure what it is about, but it sounds like something serious,” Zhao Yunxiao explained.

“Haha, can’t be helped then,” Hu Nan shrugged with a smug smile on his face. “Elder He always seems to want me around during these meetings.”

“To have Elder He rely on you this much, Brother Hu is truly impressive,” the young man surnamed Qian seated across the table remarked. “But who is this young brother here? Why don’t you introduce us, Brother Hu?”

Zhao Yunxiao recognised this young man.

Qian Luming – core disciple of the Origin Lake Sect, as well as direct disciple of Elder Ming Leishang.

“Ah, that’s my mistake,” Hu Nan said apologetically. “This is Junior Martial Brother Zhao.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance then, Brother Zhao,” Qian Luming stood up and clasped his fists towards Zhao Yunxiao. “As a member of the Black Tortoise Sect, I’m sure Brother Zhao has some insightful opinions to offer too. Since Brother Hu has to leave, why don’t you take this chance to let us hear out your opinions instead?”

Zhao Yunxiao frowned.

In Jun Chuan’s notes, it was mentioned that just like his master, Qian Luming was especially adept at navigating social settings.

So why was he being so untactful right now?

But when he looked at Qian Luming, Zhao Yunxiao understood why.

In those clear eyes of Qian Luming’s, he could sense an obvious tinge of irritation.

Was it because he interrupted their discussion?

Or was Qian Luming aware that he was just an outer disciple of the Black Tortoise Sect and wanted to put him in his place?

Or was it a combination of both?

Either way, it was rather apparent that this Qian Luming seemed to be trying to embarrass him right now.