Chapter 103: Returning to the Inner Sect

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Uncle Da was busy in the kitchen when he overheard Hua Bing mention that his senior brother had arrived and wanted red-braised pork. He was momentarily taken aback but then heard Hua Bing continue, saying the pork should be cut into smaller pieces, with more meat and fewer vegetables, and the flavor should neither be too sweet nor too bland. At that moment, he understood perfectly.

Who else but Li Sibai could have such specific demands?

Da quickly found someone to take over the cooking and hurried out to look for Li Sibai.

Looking at the middle-aged man before him, though still dressed in the robes of the Xuanyuan Sword Sect, his figure somewhat resembled Li Sibai's, yet his entire demeanor seemed sleazy. Da had no recollection of him whatsoever.

If the man hadn’t just recited all of Li Sibai’s preferences for red-braised pork, Da wouldn’t have come over.

“May I ask if you are looking for me?” Although Da had his suspicions, he couldn’t bring himself to believe this was truly Li Sibai.

Li Sibai smiled at him, “Junior brother, is the red-braised pork ready?”

“This…?” Da hadn’t expected the man to mention red-braised pork right away. Knowing this might be Li Sibai but with too many people around to ask directly, he hesitated briefly before saying, “Please come this way.”

Li Sibai nodded and followed Da back to his room.

Closing the door, before Da could ask anything, Li Sibai stepped forward, bowed, and lowered his voice to say quietly:

“Uncle Da, it’s me, Xiaobai!”

“So it really is you, boy. Why are you dressed like this? Have you encountered any danger out there recently?”

“Uncle Da, I’m fine. You already know what’s been happening with me? Has someone been giving you trouble?” Li Sibai’s heart skipped a beat—this was exactly what he feared.

“It’s nothing serious. As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters.” Da looked resigned and unwilling to say more, but to Li Sibai’s eyes, the past half-month had aged him considerably.

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After persistent questioning, Da finally revealed recent events, and Li Sibai briefly explained his past conflicts with Guo Jian.

It turned out that after Li Sibai left Da’s place half a month ago, someone informed Guo Jian. Guo Jian sent people searching for Li Sibai for days but couldn’t find him. In his anger and shame, he dragged Da into the mess.

Using a flimsy excuse, Guo Jian aimed to expel Da. Inner disciples technically had veto power over outer disciples and could expel those deemed unfit. But Da had been with the Xuanyuan Sword Sect for many years and was a veteran staff member.

Several acquaintances interceded, and in the end, Da was docked three months’ salary and demoted from head chef to assistant cook.

“Uncle Da, I’ve caused you trouble,” Li Sibai said regretfully. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come to you directly—I should have just sent a message.”

Da waved his hand dismissively: “It wouldn’t have made a difference. Even if you hadn’t come, they would have still targeted me. Luckily, Mo Yun hasn’t returned yet. This little trouble is nothing. As long as you’re safe, that’s what counts. What are your plans now?”

Li Sibai thought for a moment before answering, “Uncle Da, I’ve broken through to the first level of the Qinxin Realm. I originally wanted to advance further to the third level before returning to the inner sect. I disguised myself because I was worried about you and didn’t want you to be troubled. Now that Guo Jian has shown such arrogance, I’ve decided to return to the inner sect first, confirm my rank, and find a master to apprentice under. That way, he won’t be able to bully me anymore. One day, I will make him pay for what he’s done.”

Da nodded. “Alright, Xiaobai. If you’ve made up your mind, then go for it. I won’t hold you back. People like Guo Jian, aside from his quarrel with you, are bullies who take advantage of the weak and use any means to get their way. He’s no good. So hurry back to the inner sect and become a formal disciple. If he doesn’t bother you, fine. But if he does, we’ll show him we’re not to be trifled with.”

Li Sibai was deeply moved by Da’s words.

Da was Da—reliable when it truly mattered. He silently vowed to make Guo Jian pay for his actions.

But for now, his cultivation was still too low; he needed to work hard to improve.

He exchanged a few more words with Da, wary of lingering too long and arousing suspicion. He said nothing about the Tourmaline Vase—partly because he wanted to confirm some details and partly because it was inconvenient to mention Cai Yao and the Old Tree Spirit for now. So he chose to keep silent.

At present, his primary task was to enter the inner sect, find a master, and raise his cultivation. Everything else was secondary.

…

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After saying goodbye to Da, although he didn’t get to eat the red-braised pork, Da still packed some food for him. Near dusk, Li Sibai finally arrived at the inner sect of Xuanyuan Sword Sect.

He chose this time to enter because there were fewer people, making it easier to remain inconspicuous. However, as soon as he reached the gate, he was stopped.

Entering the inner sect was not as easy as the outer sect. One had to show an identity jade token. This token was not just a piece of jade—it contained a small formation embedded within, capable of simple communication over short distances. Li Sibai couldn’t replicate such a thing, so he reluctantly presented his identity jade token.

The senior disciple at the gate glanced over it and found nothing amiss, so Li Sibai breathed a sigh of relief and entered.

Instead of going to his quarters, Li Sibai headed straight for the Tianyun Pavilion.

He had long inquired about the inner sect’s disciple verification procedures from Yao Xueqing, so he acted decisively, knowing he had to act quickly before anyone noticed his return.

Arriving in front of a tall building within Tianyun Pavilion—the usual venue for large classes—he found it growing dark and the number of disciples greatly reduced. Only the martial arts training ground still had some people.

Li Sibai walked directly to a room on the second floor. This room was usually staffed by a teacher available to help disciples with urgent questions.

He knocked on the door. Inside, an elder was practicing calligraphy. Hearing the knock, he paused, somewhat displeased by the interruption to his refined pastime.

Looking out, the elder saw Li Sibai’s unfamiliar face and immediately frowned, sensing his disguise.

“Whose disciple are you? What brings you here? Are you having problems with your cultivation?” the elder asked.

Li Sibai, however, was delighted to see this elder. This was the same elder who had registered him and given him his jade token when he first entered the inner sect. Li Sibai felt an instant warmth toward him.

He quickly cupped his hands and said, “Elder, I wish to test the nature of my internal true qi and apply to use the Spirit-Testing Pearl. May I?”