The Jia Clan.

The Jia Clan village was in the middle of the wilderness. It was one of the five cultivation clans in the Verdure Province.

The village boundary was made up of large rocks that formed a wall around the village. A wooden gate was present in the middle of the rocky wall. The gate was guarded by four clan cultivators.

Li Ying and the members of the Bright Moon Sect were walking through the village.

They saw many wooden houses along the way. Some villagers had set up stalls in front of their houses to sell their goods.

There were people walking around. They were mostly cultivators wearing simple robes. There were also mortals in tattered clothes following some cultivators. They were the slaves of the cultivators.

The village had a different atmosphere from the Bright Moon Sect. There were children playing outside, and people smiling and talking to each other. There was kinship and security seen in people that was absent in the self-centered disciples of the Sect.

At some distance there was a cluster of huts, they weren't as sturdy and elegant as wooden houses here. It was where the mortal slaves lived. They gazed at the Bright Moon Sect's members with admiration and awe.

Li Ying felt a sense of peace in them. Even as slaves they looked happy and safe.

Jia Yun halted at a large yard. A bamboo fence enclosed the yard. All the disciples stood behind him.

Jia Fu took the fifth elder Bai Su with him to another location.

Li Ying's eyes landed on a girl at the yard's entrance. She was in her late teens. Her dark red hair and crimson eyes gave her a captivating and arrogant look. She wore a maroon robe, it was exquisite and graceful. She was very beautiful. Zhan Shi and the female sect disciples paled in comparison to her.

She walked towards Zhan Shi slowly and took her hands and raised them slightly. She smiled and said, "It has been so long, how are you Sister Zhan Shi?"

Zhan Shi returned her smile and answered, "I am good. What about you, Sister Jia Li?"

"I am good too. Let's talk inside." The beautiful girl nodded and smiled at Zhan Shi. She was Jia Li, the daughter of the Jia Clan Leader, and Jia Yun's sister.

Every male disciples' gaze was fixed on the maroon robed beauty in front of them. They felt a surge of adrenaline as they gazed at her graceful figure and desirable features. This was what they had been looking forward to in their adventures: encountering beautiful women and formidable foes. This was the dream of every young disciple in this world of cultivation. Some of them were already thinking of ways to charm the beauty.

At the end of the spacious yard, there was a large wooden building that stood on a raised platform made of stone. Two stairs led to two doors on the front of the building. They were two different rooms for male and female disciples.

Female disciples were guided by Jia Li and males were led by Jia Yun.

The disciples entered their rooms. Rows of beds were arranged neatly inside. The room was well-lit by lamps. The room was spacious enough to accommodate forty people.

There were only fifteen male disciples. They quickly claimed their beds. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful. It felt like a fun trip for them, rather than a dangerous mission.

They did not know much about the details of the mission, except that they had to defeat the Evil Ghost Twins. They trusted that Fifth Elder Bai Su would guide them well and ensure their safety. The anticipation and nervousness only added to their excitement.

Jia Yun stood at the entrance of the male hall. He smiled and bowed to the disciples inside, saying, "Fellow cultivators, please settle down. Dinner will be served soon." He then turned around and left.

The room filled with the sound of laughter and chatter, as the disciples formed small groups and exchanged stories and jokes.

Li Ying saw Wang Huo and his other senior brothers, who were engaged in a lively conversation with Wei Heng.

He had no interest in joining their discussion. Li Ying liked conversing with his friends in the past as a scholar, but these disciples were not like them. They were too ignorant and arrogant.

He decided to go outside, hoping to find some peace and quiet. He walked out of the hall and entered the yard. He saw some female disciples wandering around. They were chatting, admiring the scenery.

There were also few male disciples in the yard. They were pretending to be busy talking, but were actually stealing glances at the maroon-robed beauty. Jia Li was sitting with Zhan Shi on a stone bench.

Li Ying ignored them and found a space in the corner of the yard to continue his training. This place wasn't much different than the Bright Moon Sect's training ground. It was peaceful and quiet. He took out his sword from his waist and held it in his hand.

Li Ying closed his eyes and focused his mind. He stood still, like a statue, holding his sword for a few seconds, then a few minutes. He felt his qi flowing through his sword. He was concentrating on controlling the qi.

The sky was turning dark. They had spent most of the day traveling to this place. Li Ying's concentration was cut off by a high pitched laughter. He opened his eyes and looked at the source. It was coming from the stone bench. It was Zhan Shi and Jia Li. They were laughing and talking, apparently having a good time.

Li Ying frowned and closed his eyes again. He resumed his training. But he heard another burst of laughter, even louder than before.

He was annoyed and looked at them again. He enhanced his senses to hear what they were talking about.

"Is it true what you said about Mo Da running away with a mortal girl?" Jia Li asked, while giggling.

"Of course it's true! Have my sources ever been wrong?" Zhan Shi answered, while grinning.

"Ha! Let's see how Mo Lin will still be arrogant when she meets us again in the future. Wasn't she very proud of her brother?" Jia Li said, while laughing.

"But why did he run away from home? Isn't the Mo clan pretty boastful about being open-minded?" Jia Li continued. She found this story very amusing and entertaining.

"Because the Mo Clan Leader wanted Mo Da to marry someone from the same background, to gain a stronger footing. But he didn't agree, and instead ran away the next day with the mortal girl," Zhan Shi explained, while smirking.

"How foolish," Jia Li said, while sneering.

"Yeah, he doesn't know what's good for him," Zhan Shi agreed, while mocking.

"If he had married a girl from the five clans, his life would have been much easier. Some people really don't know the importance of being a member of the five clans, tsk tsk."

"Both brother and sister don't know what's good for them. Mo Lin is no good either" Jia Li added, while scoffing.

Laughter echoed once again, filling the yard with their ridicule and contempt.

Li Ying's eyes were filled with annoyance as he glared at the two people on the stone bench. He was handsome and looked arrogant in his black robe. But his expression was ugly as he looked at the girls.

He was showing disdain which wasn't liked by the pampered girls.

"Who is that, Sister Zhan Shi? How can such a rude person exist in your sect?" Jia Li asked with a frown.

Zhan Shi also looked displeased, "Hmm…he is the new disciple that Elder Su Zhi accepted recently. He still hasn't learnt how to behave properly in front of others."

"What a waste of such good looks." Jia Li commented.

"Nevermind him, he is just seeking attention." Zhan Shi said.

"Now that you mention it, I think you are right. He is the only one training right now. What a strange way to seek our attention. Ha-ha-ha…" Jia Li laughed. She went on, "But you can't blame him too much, Sister Zhan Shi, your looks are enough to cause the downfall of nations.

She said this as a compliment to Zhan Shi, but there was a hidden meaning behind her words, that only arrogant young girls like them could understand. It was common knowledge that Jia Li was much more beautiful than Zhan Shi, so if Zhan Shi could cause the downfall of nations, then what could Jia Li do?

Li Ying was really annoyed this time. Even though many disciples questioned his methods, no one questioned his character. These girls were thinking that Li Ying was seeking their attention.

As an old scholar, Li Ying could maybe tolerate such a humiliating moment, but after becoming younger with such a powerful cultivation, his ego was once again rising. He felt insulted by their remarks.

Li Ying took deep breaths. He was experienced and had already subconsciously considered the consequences of interacting with these girls. He cut off his hearing, as a cultivator in the golden core realm, he had learnt to do that with practice. He continued practicing.

The night fell, and the stars shone in the sky. Li Ying opened his eyes. He saw Jia Yun was busy giving orders to the servants. They were setting up tables and chairs in the yard, to serve dinner to the disciples.

He looked around, and saw the two girls were still sitting on the stone bench, chatting away. One of them was wearing a revealing red robe, which marked her as a core disciple of the sect. The other one was wearing a maroon robe, which made her stand out from the rest. They looked beautiful under the moonlight.

Li Ying once again enhanced his senses to hear their conversation.

"Dinner will be served soon. Sister Zhan Shi, what are your plans for the night?" Jia Li asked, with a mysterious and naughty smile on her face.

"What are you implying, Sister Jia Li?" Zhan Shi asked, while smiling back.

"It's just that my brother admires you very much. How about returning the feeling?" Jia Li said, while batting her eyelashes.

"What are you saying? Don't you know I am engaged…" Zhan Shi said, while blushing.

She looked at Jia Yun, who was also looking at her while ordering the servants. He smiled at her. 

Jia Li slipped something into Zhan Shi's hands. "You clearly like my brother too. Don't be reluctant to your feelings, Sister Zhan Shi. Enjoy the present and don't think about the future."

Zhan Shi looked at the pill that Jia Li had secretly given her. She asked, "What's this, Sister Jia Li?" Jia Li looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"This is a magic pill, Sister Zhan Shi. It is especially prepared by Alchemist Zi Ling from the Star Gate City. If you take it after spending the blissful night with my brother, your yin essence will be restored. Not even your father, the Sect Leader, will notice any changes in your body."

"Sister Jia Li, what are you talking about…" Zhan Shi said, while blushing, but she still held the pill. 

Li Ying was in a daze. These girls were too shameless. Didn't she say she was already engaged? 

"Li Ying, you are the type of guy who falls in love with a girl like that. Hahaha…" Li Ying heard Mu Xuanyin's laughter in his head.

"Don't worry, Master. If I fall in love, it would be someone at least better looking than you." Li Ying said, while being indifferent.

"Hmph. Good luck with that." Mu Xuanyin said, while snorting.