Chapter 220: Speculations

Seeing this, Mo Que asked, "Young master, are you trying to confirm if he's from Shangyang Sect? And if he is, will you seek revenge?"

To his surprise, Mo Yuanjiao shook his head and replied, "Of course not. After all, it was thanks to his fortune-telling that I found Lingxian Sect. I'm not that petty, am I?"

Seeing Mo Que's expression of "Then why bother investigating him?" Mo Yuanjiao couldn't help but feel a bit smug as he explained, "If this fortune-teller is indeed from Shangyang Sect, then he must have known that I didn't go there, and that I didn't return to the capital either. So, if he knows about Lingxian Sect's existence, he might deduce that I ended up there and stayed to cultivate."

Hearing this, Mo Que nodded thoughtfully. "Young master, you make a valid point."

Mo Yuanjiao continued, "But when we met earlier, his expression didn't seem like someone who knew the truth. He seemed genuinely shocked by my sudden appearance."

Now understanding, Mo Que exclaimed, "So, if this fortune-teller is indeed from Shangyang Sect, it means that Shangyang Sect may still be unaware of Lingxian Sect's existence?"

Seeing that Mo Que had grasped the situation, Mo Yuanjiao winked at him. "Smart."

He then added, "This fortune-teller's cultivation level isn't low. Just now, he didn't bother to conceal his aura, and I could tell it was far stronger than Mr. Liu's. He's likely at the late Foundation Establishment stage or even at the Golden Core level. If someone of his level has been stationed in the capital for months, it's likely that he's Shangyang Sect's representative here."

"If someone of his rank doesn't know about our sect's existence, it's highly probable that the imperial court hasn't informed the three major sects about us."

After Mo Yuanjiao's explanation, Mo Que couldn't help but feel proud. As expected of his young master—though he might seem frivolous at times, when he set his mind to it, his thinking was sharp and incisive.

Mo Yuanjiao, however, didn't notice his loyal servant's pride. He was deep in thought, contemplating his next move and how to gather more information. After all, he hadn't returned home just to uncover this small detail. He decided not to send word back to the sect yet. He would wait until Bao Jian completed his investigation and he confirmed the imperial court's stance before writing to the sect.

But he didn't have much time to ponder. Before long, Mo Yuanjiao's brothers and sisters had heard the news of their youngest sibling's return and quickly rushed home, filling the small hall in his courtyard. Shortly after, his grandmother sent over a heap of tonics, and his mother, not to be outdone, sent several sets of well-fitting clothes. These were mostly outfits she had originally made for his older brothers, but since Mo Yuanjiao didn't have any suitable clothes at home, he would wear his brothers' hand-me-downs for now.

The servants were equally perceptive. The head chef promptly went out to purchase a large amount of high-quality ingredients to prepare a lavish banquet for the evening.

While the Mo family was busy celebrating their youngest son's return, Song Jusheng was sending yet another unanswered letter to Shangyang Sect. The disciple responsible for regular communication with the sect had recently returned in a hurry, reporting that the sect was under siege by a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, and no one from within had emerged. Afraid of attracting the Nascent Soul cultivator's ire, the disciple had quickly fled back to the capital. Later, the sect sent a brief letter stating only that the sect master had been replaced, and there had been no further communication.

Thinking back to his earlier encounter with Mo Yuanjiao, whom he had believed to be missing, but who had suddenly reappeared looking healthy and full of life—though taller, there seemed to be no other changes—Song Jusheng couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Moreover, recent reports had mentioned that one of the emperor's personal guards had been absent from the capital lately. A growing unease gnawed at his mind.

After days of hesitation, Song Jusheng finally made up his mind. If there was no response to his latest letter within three days, he would personally return to the sect to investigate what had happened.

Meanwhile, across the capital, many noble families had also heard the news of Mo Yuanjiao's return shortly after he arrived home.

——

What was happening far away in the capital had little impact on the bustling and prosperous Shoushui Village. After the busy and lively autumn harvest, the villagers of Shoushui Village, seemingly tireless, immediately began planting winter wheat.

The cool autumn breeze swept across vast fields of golden crops, drying the sweat on the hardworking farmers. This breeze, carrying the essence of diligence after a bountiful harvest, made its way to the foot of North Mountain, where it drifted into the private school.

The students, who had been momentarily distracted, were gently brought back to focus by the refreshing breeze, and they continued to listen intently to their teacher's lecture.

Today, Sun Yigao was teaching one of the sect's core principles. Although the content was from the sect's teachings, the materials had been carefully modified by Sun Yigao. He had removed the cultivation techniques, leaving only the core philosophical ideas that he deemed suitable for teaching.

Suddenly, he sensed the presence of a stranger lingering outside the school. Using his spiritual sense, he immediately probed outside.

That's right—Sun Yigao had already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Shortly after Jiang Youfu advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage through the enlightenment of the "Original Heart Sutra: Immortal Food Chapter," Sun Yigao had also successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, becoming the third person in Lingxian Sect, aside from Liao Pantou and Liu Chun, to do so.

Despite his tight schedule due to teaching, Sun Yigao had been diligent in his cultivation, making every effort to carve out time to practice each day. As a result, his cultivation progress hadn't slowed down because of his teaching duties. Instead, it had advanced rapidly. His dedication had inspired the entire sect to cultivate with renewed enthusiasm. Everyone followed his example, no longer limiting themselves to the morning group cultivation sessions.

However, everyone's reasons for cultivating were different. Some sought higher cultivation to master more techniques and make farming easier. Others wanted to travel faster or to learn more spells for fun. And then there were those who wanted to ensure they could continue to discipline their children effectively, making it impossible for their offspring to evade their lessons.

Back to the main story.

As Sun Yigao extended his spiritual sense outside, he noticed a man dressed in ordinary clothes, with a plain and unremarkable appearance, standing just outside the school gate, occasionally peeking inside. After a moment, the man, seemingly unable to glean anything from his observations, hesitated briefly before leaving the gate. With his hands behind his back, he strolled around, pretending to be a casual visitor while slowly making his way towards the Path of Heart Examination.

It wasn't uncommon for curious travelers to glance at the school as they passed by.