Though Li Yunxian’s tongue was sharp and biting, whenever she used words to cut people down or wound their hearts, she always spoke the truth.
The difference between a sword cultivator and a blade cultivator was well known to everyone.
So when everyone saw Ying Wenhe’s expression, as if the sky had fallen, they couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to themselves.
And Li Yunxian’s intentions were clear to everyone present.
But rumors were like wildfire—they spread easily by mere words, and clarifying them required solid proof to convince people.
Especially since the rumors had been circulating for several days now.
“Boss, can I upload the footage I recorded earlier online?” someone asked Li Yunxian in a low voice. “But I only filmed what was happening on my side.”
“It includes some of the videos you taught me before.”
“You came online today, and when I arrived in Jixin City, a lot of people were talking about you.”
“If you’re the one who posted it, saying it’s live footage, there’ll definitely be many viewers.”
Li Yunxian was momentarily stunned.
She had grown accustomed to the cultivation world, and even though she had gradually developed the habit of using electronic devices, many conscious habits simply hadn’t formed.
In the interstellar era, such clarifications were indeed possible.
Li Yunxian’s expression softened. “Sure.”
Upon hearing her answer, several others immediately spoke up, saying they had videos too and asked if they could upload theirs.
Li Yunxian smiled wryly and replied, “All right, thank you, everyone.”
“When I came online earlier and saw the people in Jixin City, I felt like they were about to lose their ability to act normally.” Li Yunxian rubbed her forehead.
Hearing this, everyone present finally realized the real reason Li Yunxian had brought them here.
They had thought they had caused her some huge trouble.
Turns out…
Well, it was trouble.
Everyone looked at Li Yunxian oddly, puzzled that she thought uploading videos to clear up rumors would improve the situation where she was being relentlessly pursued and blocked.
Wasn’t it obvious this would make things several times worse?
In any world filled with danger, where cultivation was the path to power, individual strength was undoubtedly the greatest allure.
Strong people would never lack followers.
When they had jumped down from the city walls, whether shouting “Teacher Xiao Li” or “Boss,” it had all been joking around.
But after surviving the entire exotic beast tide, their calls had become sincere.
That feeling of being pulled back from the brink of Death’s Edge made anyone deeply ‘love’ the person who saved them.
Not to mention, Li Yunxian had never once let their affection down.
Did staying at the Resurrection Point mean anything to Li Yunxian?
Not at all.
The agent fees she signed away were enough to last several lifetimes without worry, so she had no need to slave away at the Resurrection Point for materials.
This proposal was obviously for someone else.
***
Later, when they reached Jixin City, everyone was excitedly boasting about their delay.
Li Yunxian showed no impatience.
Only after the Great Team had all entered the city and the situation was confirmed safe did Li Yunxian log off.
And as she logged off, she arranged for Ying Wenhe to take over the follow-up resettlement work.
Everyone saw this.
So even though their storage artifacts were full and they could still earn game currency, most people chose to travel to Jixin City with Li Yunxian.
Now, when Li Yunxian sent out the message, all the online people gathered without hesitation or complaint.
Many guild leaders couldn’t even get their own members to do that.
They were all thoroughly convinced by Li Yunxian.
And now, Li Yunxian agreed to let them upload the videos, hoping to quell the rumors and stop people from paying attention to her…
Did she really have no awareness of what she was doing?
Li Yunxian felt their eyes on her were a little strange.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Everyone, seeing her truly clear and innocent eyes, quickly averted their gaze.
They wanted to say something but simply couldn’t bring themselves to say it to her face.
Talking about their true feelings and admitting they truly regarded Li Yunxian as their boss was like confessing love in front of everyone.
Or rather…
It was like confessing in front of a group of rivals!
Li Yunxian: “? ”
She felt the atmosphere growing stranger by the minute.
Finally, someone cleverly coughed and said, “Nothing much, it’s just that according to the schedule, in about a week, the exotic beast tide in our city will end. What should we do then to return?”
They swiftly changed the subject.
Hearing this, Li Yunxian was bewildered.
“When the exotic beast tide ends, can’t we just teleport back?” she asked sincerely.
Could there be some rule here she didn’t know about?
The one who changed the subject seemed to have run out of mental energy.
Grateful to the person who ‘sacrificed’ themselves, the scene immediately burst into cheers.
Li Yunxian logged off from feeling at ease.
She had class, and then she took a task from her teacher to make a magic artifact.
Li Yunxian was prepared to spend an ordinary day at the academy.
Only when she was about to return to the villa did she pause in her steps.
Her divine sense sensed someone crouching at her villa’s door.
It was Yu Anle.
Yu Anle had failed to ‘accidentally meet’ Li Yunxian yesterday when accepting a task.
***
Today, having reflected deeply, she chose the most reliable method.
She simply waited at the door!
A 100% chance of meeting!
Besides, she had a legitimate reason.
Yu Anle thought confidently this way, but when she saw Li Yunxian approaching, her aura immediately weakened.
At heart, she wasn’t like Pei Dongyuan, that shameless social terror.
She pursed her lips, and a shy expression crept in, one even she wasn’t fully aware of.
Trying to remain calm and natural, she said, “Yunxian, the two medicinal materials you wanted—I’ve already asked my teacher about them.”
Li Yunxian studied Yu Anle’s expression for a moment and guessed there was more to this.
Recalling Su Wenjing’s words that the Wenwu Academy wanted to take her away as well…
Li Yunxian smiled. “Good.”
“We’re already at the door, Anle. Come inside, let’s talk.”
Li Yunxian invited her directly.
Seeing such concern from Li Yunxian, Yu Anle recalled her promise to the teacher and immediately felt guilty.
Though she had memorized all her talking points, at this moment she didn’t know how to open her mouth properly.
Li Yunxian poured her a glass of water and gently began the conversation. “How are we going to buy those two medicinal materials?”
Yu Anle didn’t answer but wiped her storage artifact, and two exquisite boxes appeared on the living room table.
“My teacher happens to have them. He said just pay the market price.”
The reason it wasn’t a gift wasn’t stinginess on Wenwu’s part; there was a new plan underway, and Li Yunxian’s earlier suggestion was merely a channel.
Doing too much or too little would be risky.
Dragging out a debate about buying or giving would make Li Yunxian suspicious.
Li Yunxian had no objections.
With her current wealth, paying for Earth-Grade Spiritual Materials wasn’t a burden.
She quickly paid the money and made some polite remarks thanking Yu Anle and the Wenwu teachers for their help.
Looking at Li Yunxian, who seemed younger and still carried an innocent air, Yu Anle suddenly asked awkwardly, “Yunxian, if you had the chance to spend a few months at Wenwu, would you want to?”
Li Yunxian’s eyes curved into a smile. “Sounds interesting.”
That was her honest answer.
When she knew Wenwu wanted to take her and the teacher along, her first reaction was exactly that.
After all, the Four Great Academies meant nothing special to her.
She had come to Tiantong because Duan Qiu liked her a lot.
And actually, she hadn’t chosen wrongly—Duan Qiu had helped her quite a bit.
Her whole schooling experience had been fun.
Though the students and teachers she played around with probably had a lot to say.
As for going to Wenwu…
That was fine too.
Tiantong had Su Wenjing, and she had to consider this insider and keep some dignity as a cultivator in the tribulation phase.
But Wenwu didn’t!
According to Su Wenjing, he was the only remaining cultivator who had once passed tribulation.
She could totally let loose there!
After all, it was only a few months!
Li Yunxian mentally listed out the pros and cons and summed up…
She wanted to go.
Hearing this, Yu Anle breathed a sigh of relief, then sheepishly recited her rehearsed speech.
“Yunxian, you know my Secret Oath.”
“Now, moving with the Great Team, it’s hard to overcome it, so I want to take a mission to deal with exotic beasts outside.”
“These missions can’t be done alone.”
“Everyone else from our academy is here for the Exchange Mission. It wouldn’t be right to ask them, Yunxian, can you accompany me?” Yu Anle’s eyes brimmed with tears, nervously looking at Li Yunxian.
This wasn’t an act.
For a first-timer doing such a thing, Yu Anle was truly overwhelmed by the pressure, and her expression matched her request perfectly.
Pursing her lips, teary-eyed, Yu Anle raised her hand and handed Li Yunxian a storage ring given by Qi Ke. “If you can, this is the reward.”
Li Yunxian smiled faintly, took the ring, and glanced inside, stunned by the generous reward.
The contents of this ring were almost as top-tier as the one she had brought out from the Xuanwen Secret Realm.
The spiritual stones she just spent to buy materials had essentially multiplied many times over.
Was so much really needed just to get her to visit Wenwu Academy?
Li Yunxian suddenly realized her understanding might be off.
She quickly reviewed all the details between herself and Wenwu and roughly guessed Wenwu’s complicated intentions.
She thought she was going with the teacher to Wenwu, but wasn’t that wrong?
The main purpose of this ‘reward’ was actually to appease her teacher’s anger, right?
Li Yunxian couldn’t help but laugh wryly.
Meanwhile, Yu Anle continued her rehearsed speech.
About risks, maybe not being able to return to Tiantong, having to follow her to Wenwu, and so on.
Seeing Yu Anle’s expression, Li Yunxian pulled out a piece of paper, handed it to her, and said softly, “Stop crying. I know everything.”
“You want me to go to Wenwu?”
“I’ll go.”
Yu Anle’s eyes immediately widened as she looked at Li Yunxian.
Li Yunxian smiled with crescent eyes and mischief shining in them. “But next, you have to cooperate with me.”
“Okay?”