Chapter 438: Fengya Has Come Again

“You are not worthy.”

“Be yourself and don’t harbor foolish dreams.”

These sudden feelings of self-abasement left Xiao Zhang bewildered. She couldn’t understand what was happening, nor could she recall any specific details. It just felt as if her affection for Ye Wenxin was forcibly removed.

“Why is this happening?” Xiao Zhang shivered, unable to comprehend why she suddenly lost those feelings for Ye Wenxin. Her face showed unmasked surprise, but there was nothing around that could answer her question, only empty air.

Ye Wenxin, completely unaware of Long Qingyue’s thoughtful handiwork, traveled without rest after receiving Jin Xiaoqin’s message. After a full day and night, Ye Wenxin finally made it back to Yangzhou City’s garrison camp, but she didn’t see Jin Xiaoqin.

Instead, Ye Wenxin encountered a woman who absolutely should not have been there.

The woman seemed to have noticed Ye Wenxin’s presence as well, and her expression remained as indifferent as ever, without any change in her emotions upon seeing Ye Wenxin after so long. Ye Wenxin got over her shock, stepped forward, and greeted the woman with a bow. “School Master Fengya, what brings you here?”

This person was naturally Fairy Fengya. Ye Wenxin never imagined that the Azure Wings Sect would send her out again. But sending Fairy Fengya after the Jiangshi King’s death seemed like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Fairy Fengya’s gaze shifted, as if she had just noticed Ye Wenxin. She only responded with a faint nod. As the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence, a pair of resentful little eyes startled Ye Wenxin.

“How are you, Senior Sister Long?” She suddenly remembered that Long Qing’er had left the mountain specifically to ask Long Qingyue to return. Given Long Qing’er’s personality, it was quite possible she had managed to persuade Fairy Fengya to come as well.

So it was Long Qingyue’s efforts that had brought her here.

“Master, I’ve bought the items.” Long Qing’er still harbored some animosity towards Ye Wenxin, and completely regarded her as a rival. Ye Wenxin was used to it, and left after a quick greeting.

“Grandmaster, you’re back!” Not long after, the One Short Sect members greeted Ye Wenxin with enthusiasm. They treated the Jiangshi King’s defeat as her personal achievement.

Ye Wenxin nodded and saw the One Short Sect’s leader, Priest Wang, approaching her in a hurry. He was missing his left arm; he seemed to have lost it in recent battles.

“What happened?” Although losing limbs was common for cultivators, seeing someone she knew in such a condition still stirred some emotion in Ye Wenxin.

Priest Wang chuckled and said, “A feishi bit me when I wasn’t paying attention, so I had to cut it off.” His tone was light and carefree, but the true depth of emotion behind his words was unclear. Ye Wenxin didn’t press further, and inquired to Priest Wang about the recent situation.

After the Jiangshi King’s death, the cultivators had been working tirelessly to eliminate the remaining jiangshi for the past few days. However, there were still so many jiangshi that it was expected to take more than a month, before the route to Yangzhou City could be reopened.

Ye Wenxin still thought this was a bit too long, but she didn’t say it aloud. Instead, she praised Priest Wang, who immediately became quite pleased, with visible pride on his face.

“Grandfather, you’re back again.” During this time, Wang Cuihua had shed her childish demeanor and actively joined the jiangshi elimination efforts. However, her expression fell upon seeing Ye Wenxin. She instinctively touched her backside, as if recalling the rude incident Ye Wenxin had caused in the jiangshi-infested city that day.

Priest Wang quickly found an excuse to leave upon noticing the weird tension between Wang Cuihua and Ye Wenxin, as if there was some special situation between the two. Wang Cuihua’s face turned pale, and she fled in panic. Ye Wenxin watched in surprise but continued on her way.

The temporary camp had been set up for quite some time. There were various flags representing different parties fluttering in the wind, and after a careful search, Ye Wenxin spotted the Azure Wings Sect flag. She walked over and saw that Gu Xiangsi and the others were having a meal.

As soon as Gu Xiangsi saw Ye Wenxin, she immediately tried to stand up to give her a hug, but Jin Xiaoqin, who was standing nearby, stopped her. “Xiangsi.”

Jin Xiaoqin, still dressed in an Azure Wings Sect elder’s uniform, looked quite out of place amidst the other, more flamboyantly dressed disciples.

Gu Xiangsi quickly sat back down, but her gaze remained on Ye Wenxin, clearly very happy to see her.

“Come sit, Wenxin,” said Jin Xioaqin, maintaining the air and tone of an elder. She noticed that Ye Wenxin was still standing there like an idiot, and called her over again.

Ye Wenxin finally gave her assent, and watched as one of the disciples responsible for the meal brought over some rice. Although she had traveled for one day and one night, she wasn’t particularly hungry, but it would seem odd not to eat, so Ye Wenxin dutifully sat in an empty spot.

This spot was directly opposite Jin Xiaoqin, who concealed a smile beneath her serious expression. Clearly, Jin Xiaoqin was the happiest to see Ye Wenxin, but she kept her emotions in check due to her elder status. Ye Wenxin politely conversed with her, and occasionally Jin Xiaoqin would ask a few questions about Ye Wenxin’s experiences in Mo Clan Village.

Ye Wenxin hid whatever she could get away with. A quiet atmosphere accompanied the meal, but it felt like something was missing. Just as she was thinking about this, Ye Wenxin suddenly felt something restless brushing against her under the table. She looked at Jin Xiaoqin across from her, and then at Gu Xiangsi, who sat diagonally across.

Both were eating attentively and didn’t seem like the type to make such moves at this moment. Ye Wenxin thought it might have been an accident, but as she resumed eating, she felt the touch again.

This touch lasted longer than the first, as if deliberately provoking Ye Wenxin. Ye Wenxin was even more perplexed, but after looking around carefully, she found no trace of the two ghosts.

After losing the Yin Pearl, Ghost Mother’s resistance to sunlight had significantly weakened, making her prone to drowsiness. As for Sword Ghost, she was not so disruptive, and would never behave in such a manner in public. Thus, the culprit had to be Jin Xiaoqin, who was seemingly eating properly across from her.

As for Gu Xiangsi, she wasn’t as developed in that regard, so she couldn’t have done it.

With this thought confirmed, Ye Wenxin decided to interact with Jin Xiaoqin. Jin Xiaoqin looked at Ye Wenxin with a subtle expression, as if she didn’t understand why Ye Wenxin was behaving this way.