convey

Before visiting the leaders of the Jingyin Sect in the afternoon, Lin Yun originally thought it would be a process of getting to know each other.

That was not the case. Although the officials knew that Venerable Yichen had taken on a disciple during the apprenticeship ceremony in the council hall, at least they could match Lin Yunwang's name and appearance.

She knew very little about the people in charge of the Jingyin Sect, and could hardly distinguish their faces and names.

I met with the various leaders, but the process was just a copy-paste: meeting, bowing, exchanging pleasantries, and taking my leave.

Lin Yun looked at Zhou Hengyan, who was holding a wooden box. The box was filled with various pills and sword manuals, almost bursting the lid open. These were gifts from the stewards to greet her.

I really don't know if this is a visit or a gift-giving trip.

“I was in a similar situation when I first entered the sect.” Zhou Hengyan weighed the wooden box in his hand; it was about the same weight as he had back then. “Today, Venerable Yongyun and my master are out discussing the Dao and are not in the sect, so there’s no need to visit them.”

The girl managed a slight smile as she turned back to look at the steward bowing in farewell from the corridor, maintaining this gesture even though they had already walked several feet away.

That person was clearly an elder over sixty years old, and clearly the person in charge of the Jingyin Sect.

His attitude was humble, bordering on obsequious.

Yu Guangzhong, he still did not get up.

The words "personal disciple" seemed to carry far more weight than she had anticipated, enough to crush a person's spine.

Lin Yun had never experienced the perspective of someone in a superior position before, and now that he had, he didn't find it enjoyable. Instead, he had an indescribable feeling, as if he had swallowed something sticky in his throat that he couldn't spit out or swallow down.

My initial fantasies about the world of cultivation were completely shattered today.

She sighed softly: So the celestial steps and earthly dust are no different after all.

The subtle unease in Lin Yun's heart did not linger for long before it was dispelled by even stronger emotions.

It was regret, it was bewilderment.

The two arrived at the mission pavilion to accept the task of delivering meals to the secluded cave.

Lin Yun flipped through the token marked 103 in her hand, secretly marveling at how sought-after this task was. She thought to herself that she should have come earlier; there would probably be fewer people ahead of her in line.

He couldn't help but lament in his heart: by the time it was his turn to deliver the food, Senior Brother Sang's confinement period in the secluded cave would have already ended.

But she remained composed, saying, "I've troubled you, senior brother, to accompany me on this journey today."

Zhou Hengyan said with a wry smile, "To be honest, I have never taken on any daily tasks before and did not know that there would be such a long queue. If I had known it would be like this, I should have come to reserve a spot for you early this morning."

Lin Yun shook his head, "This matter is not my senior brother's fault. I have already inquired about it. There are tasks every day, and with several tasks added together, it's natural that there are many people."

When the two left the mission pavilion, the sun had already set.

The two walked along the road, chatting idly.

"Is Senior Sister Bai still as busy as she used to be?"

“Yes, it will probably be a little easier in a while.” Zhou Hengyan chuckled softly, seemingly thinking of something. “Although Senior Sister Bai appears weak, she has always been strong-willed. If she can make such a great contribution to the sect…” His voice trailed off with a deeper meaning.

Lin Yunwang keenly sensed the subtlety in his words, dismissing it as mere overthinking. She suddenly stopped, drawing Zhou Hengyan's attention. "Junior Sister, what's wrong?"

"Does Senior Brother Zhou know where in the sect one can send a letter?" She clutched the envelope in her sleeve. Yesterday, Senior Brother Sang Zhao was punished for overusing the Shrinking Earth Talisman. Perhaps the Jingyin Sect has restrictions on the use of talismans. She guessed that the sect probably still used the old method of using carrier pigeons.

This question clearly stumped him; he pondered for a long time but could not answer.

Lin Yun was just about to give him a way out when he heard him say, "Although I don't know, there is a senior in the sect who knows everything about the Jingyin Sect. How about I introduce my junior sister..."

"I've already taken up a lot of your time, Senior Brother Zhou. Why don't you tell me the location and I'll go find it myself?" Zhou Hengyan had been by her side since morning, and she really felt bad troubling him any further.

Besides feeling apologetic, she also kept some thoughts to ponder about this senior. This person did not hold a special post, but lived on Zuowang Peak, which was reserved for elders and stewards.

“No.” Zhou Hengyan suddenly raised his voice, but seeing the surprise flash across Lin Yun’s face, he softened his voice. “That person has a very strange temper, and there are hidden killing formations in Zuowang Peak. I’d feel more at ease if you went with me, okay?”

"Then thank you very much, Senior Brother."

Today, Zhou Hengyan has lost count of how many "thank yous" he has received.

The array that allows for inter-peak communication within the Jingyin Sect is now accessible to both individuals, who both possess personal disciple tokens. This is far more convenient than Lin Yun's previous trip to seek medicine.

The two stood in front of the gate of a secluded courtyard.

"Senior Brother Zhou, does this senior have any taboos?" Sang Zhao and Zhou Hengyan's notes did not record this person, so Lin Yunwang couldn't help but be curious about him.

She guessed that he would probably be a mysterious and unassuming monk.

"You'll know when you see him," Zhou Hengyan said, keeping the situation a secret and refusing to speak directly.

The door knocker struck the wooden door with a soft sound, but no one answered.

Zhou Hengyan pushed open the door and entered, turning to look at Lin Yunwang, "Junior sister, come in together. There's no need for formalities here with Senior Bai."

The courtyard was simply furnished, with only vegetable plots and a room. Since it wasn't planting season yet, the fields were empty, and the room wasn't large either; it could probably only be used as a bedroom, and there didn't seem to be any place to receive guests.

As soon as Lin Yun stepped into the courtyard, he smelled a faint scent of alcohol.

As Zhou Hengyan, who was walking in front of her, pushed open the door, a strong smell of alcohol mixed with mildew hit her. Zhou Hengyan covered his mouth and nose as if on guard, and did not forget to remind Lin Yunwang.

The door could only be pushed open a crack before it became blocked, and it couldn't be pushed open no matter what.

Through the crack in the door he pushed open, one could see wine jars scattered haphazardly on the floor, and a man dressed in plain clothes lying lazily on the ground, blocking the door, snoring softly.

"Senior Bai? Senior Bai Xiaosheng?" It wasn't until Zhou Hengyan's throat was dry from shouting that the middle-aged man on the ground slowly woke up and staggered to open the door for the two of them.

But without his obstruction, the door opened with a gust of wind.

Before the man could react, he fell straight out the door.

Zhou Hengyan must have intended to help, but he was a step too slow and missed. Because of Zhou Hengyan's body blocking the view, Lin Yunwang only heard a dull "thud," followed by cries of "Ouch!" and angry curses.

He was completely different from the image I had imagined.

Lin Yun reminded himself not to judge people by their appearance.

It took Bai Xiaosheng a long time to struggle to his feet.

The alcohol hadn't completely taken over his mind, and he was still conscious enough to invite Lin Yunwang and Zhou Hengyan into the house.

Zhou Hengyan waved his hands repeatedly in refusal, saying, "It is my junior sister who has come here abruptly and has a question for you."

Lin Yun stepped out from behind him, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Senior, I would like to inquire where in the sect one can send a letter."

Bai Xiaosheng frowned, as if deep in thought, but his first response was a burp. "Sending letters? We haven't used those things for ages. We use communication talismans now." He reached into his pocket, finding nothing, and could only offer a no-object demonstration. "They're cheap to make; you can use eighty a day."

Lin Yun stood there, stunned.

His drowsy gaze swept over Zhou Hengyan again, "This isn't your junior sister, isn't this Sang Zhao's new junior sister?"

Zhou Hengyan was about to answer, but he bit his tongue and answered slowly, "Although we were not taken in by the same master, we are both disciples of the Jingyin Sect, so it is not inappropriate for us to succeed each other as junior sisters."

The drunk man had only mentioned it casually and didn't care about Zhou Hengyan's answer. He leaned against the door frame, as if he was about to fall asleep again.

"Senior, why... my senior brother was punished by being sent to reflect on his mistakes for using too many Shrinking Earth Talismans, but the Transmission Talisman doesn't have this limit on the number of uses?" After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked the question that was on her mind.

This sudden question left the already somewhat confused Bai Xiaosheng stunned for a long time before he finally replied, "Good question, little girl."

"It's probably because: the sound transmission talisman existed before I started practicing, and now it's even more widespread."

"The Shrinking Earth Talisman is only a product of the last year or two. The implication is probably that over-reliance on it is detrimental to cultivation." He bent down and scooped up a wine jar, which landed in his hand. "I'm also wondering why the Shrinking Earth Talisman has a daily limit on the number of uses."

He started drinking heavily again, and mumbled incoherently, "Does walking more increase one's cultivation level?"

The diligent will not become lazy because they use the Shrinking Earth Talisman, and the lazy will not become diligent because they do not have the Shrinking Earth Talisman.

“Since it was decided by the Immortal Alliance, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.” Zhou Hengyan’s attitude was different from the other two.

"Hehe, the Immortal Alliance... they always do whatever they want, why bother them? There are no restrictions on other talismans..." Bai Xiaosheng went from drinking to pouring himself more alcohol.

"Senior, be careful what you say," Zhou Hengyan reminded him.

He was drunk again and slumped on the ground. The two men felt bad about bothering him any longer, so they bowed and took their leave.

On the way, Lin Yun was somewhat depressed; she really couldn't understand it.

She had previously been certain that controlling the frequency of using the Shrinking Earth Talisman was to avoid over-reliance on talismans and to better facilitate her cultivation. But now she was being told that other talismans were not subject to these restrictions.

"Junior Sister is so persistent about this matter," he tentatively asked, "is it because Senior Brother Sang was punished?"

"I just feel that there should be a reason behind the regulations."

The book recording the various rules of the cultivation world was very thick, and Sang Zhao never let her see it, whether in Shixi Village or Jingyin Sect. According to him, as long as one acts normally, one will not violate any taboos, so there is no need to read it; it is better to leave the time for cultivation.

But as soon as she arrived in the cultivation world, she encountered Senior Brother Sang being punished.

Upon hearing this answer, Zhou Hengyan's tense shoulders relaxed. "If you want to change, just work hard in your cultivation and join the Immortal Alliance."

Must one reach a high position to achieve change? She swallowed the question that was on the tip of her tongue, leaving only a barely audible reply.

Seeing that she was still not in high spirits, the young monk suddenly leaned down and whispered in her ear, "If you are upset because you cannot send a message home, then there is no need to worry."

"The newly issued decree of the Immortal Alliance grants the three sects and one clan a three-day Qingming Festival holiday, allowing their disciples to return to their hometowns."

This is completely contrary to Sang Zhao's statement that the Immortal Venerable Qiming blocked communication between the two realms.

"This regulation has not yet been announced, so I hope Junior Sister Yunwang will keep it a secret." His voice trailed off with a relaxed smile, his eyes reflecting the person beside him and the starry sky.

“Of course,” Lin Yun nodded in agreement.

She suddenly remembered that this person's surname was Zhou—the Zhou family, which was not only one of the three major families in the cultivation world, but also held five seats in the Immortal Alliance.

In Qiling City, far from the Jingyin Sect, a high-ranking official coughed repeatedly. His sword attendant stepped forward and asked with concern, "Immortal Venerable, are you feeling unwell?"

The man simply waved his hand, gesturing for him to pick up the papers that had been blown away by the wind.

The sword attendant picked it up. "This is a study on the reliance of young cultivators on talismans, based on the frequency of their use of the Shrinking Earth Talisman. It was written by the Immortal Venerable half a month ago. Chang'an is lazy again and has left these on his desk."

"Do you know how those guys from the Immortal Alliance handled this matter?" His originally pale face flushed with anger, giving it a slightly red glow.