A few days later, on the ***Black Star*** Sect's **Heavenly Cloud Peak**.
Early autumn had arrived, and the ***Black Star*** Sect had reached the day of its annual spiritual fruit and herbal harvest. The mountains and fields were brimming with spiritual energy, and the fragrance of medicinal herbs and fruits was everywhere.
However, not all disciples could enjoy the results of the autumn harvest.
Although the sect generally took care of the cultivation progress of inner disciples by providing essential items such as pills and spirit stones for free, after all, it was not a charity organization. Be it pills or spirit stones, they could only guarantee the minimum expenses for disciples.
In other words, it was just enough to avoid starvation.
When trying to advance in cultivation, relying solely on the resources periodically distributed within the sect would result in turtle-slow progress unless one's luck defied Heaven itself.
Regarding this issue...
Disciples from prestigious backgrounds received support from their families, so they didn't have to worry.
However, those disciples only accounted for a very small portion.
Most parents of the inner disciples of the ***Black Star*** Sect were cultivation partners at the *Foundation Building* or *Core Formation* stage.
Some were even inferior to their own children in terms of qualifications and cultivation level, and the help they could provide was extremely limited.
As for cultivators like Bai Yuexin, who came from ordinary households, they needed to be very careful with their expenses and save money.
For example, during the autumn harvest, she would go to the spiritual field and ask acquaintances for some work to pick spiritual fruits and herbs and earn extra spirit stones.
Sometimes, if she was lucky, she would receive some good stuff from those disciples, such as spiritual fruits.
"Phew--- Sister Bai, let's call it a day; we've almost finished harvesting this plot."
"Okay!"
Bai Yuexin picked the last fruit from the red fruit tree, threw it into the frame, and jumped to the ground. She loosened the straps that tied her sleeves and looked at Sister Feng, who was coming over. "Well, Sister Feng, is there any work tomorrow? After this harvest, it should be sown, right? I want to..."
Sister Feng smiled bitterly and shook her head. "You are a **Heavenly Cloud Peak** disciple and never learned how to sow. Spiritual plants are all easy to harvest but difficult to sow; each plant has a different method of sowing. You can't do it."
"Oh... Then, I can help fetch water. We still have to go to the spiritual spring to fetch water, right?"
"Last year, the elders made up a puppet specialized in transporting water from the pond. One puppet can replace five or six disciples a day, and it works day and night without rest. It only consumes about five or six pieces of spirit stones per day. So this year, all the water-fetching tasks were given to the puppet."
"Ah, really..."
Bai Yuexin frowned slightly, with a hint of helplessness.
Last fall, she could earn five or six spirit stones per bucket, fetching water for the Spirit Garden's disciples.
She got nearly ten thousand extra spirit stones last year, just from fetching water in about three months. But now that there were no more water-fetching tasks this year, her annual income had suddenly decreased significantly.
"Oh, I see."
Bai Yuexin lowered her head dejectedly and untied the straps on her shoulders. She placed the basket full of red spirit fruits behind her onto the ground and cupped her hands to Sister Feng. "Sister Feng, then, I'm going. If there's anything I can do, please let me know. I am available."
After saying that, she summoned her flying sword and prepared to leave but was stopped by Sister Feng.
"Wait."
"Oh? What is it?"
Bai Yuexin looked back and saw Sister Feng reaching into the bamboo basket at her feet, taking out five red spirit fruits of average quality, and handing them to her.
"I dare not give you the top-quality ones, but you can use these for your own cultivation, or you can go to the market to exchange them for spirit stones. You should be able to get ten thousand for these fruits."
"But..."
"Go on, take them~ The elders won't notice, don't worry."
Bai Yuexin's heart trembled, but she took the fruits and put them inside her storage bag without hesitating.
"Well... thank you, Sister Feng."
"You're welcome~"
Then, she bowed again and hurried back toward **Heavenly Cloud Peak** on her flying sword.
Bai Yuexin broke through the clouds in a good mood because she had gotten a few spiritual fruits today. She circled in the sky on her sword and arrived at the mountainside of **Heavenly Cloud Peak**. She saw that the gate of the courtyard below was still tightly closed, and after hesitating for a moment, she flew down.
She took out a token from her storage bag, unlocked the prohibition on the courtyard gate, and opened the door.
*Creak*---
She walked to the stone table in the courtyard, ran her fingers across the surface, and pinched it. Seeing her fingertips smudged with black, she sighed and hurried to the backyard to take a broom and linen cloth and start cleaning.
Every four days, Bai Yuexin would come over to take a look.
Before Xiao Yunluo and Feng Yu Die left the sect, she offered to help clean up the weeds and dust in the yard before they returned. Xiao Yunluo and Feng Yu Die naturally agreed, gave her some spirit stones, and handed her the "door key".
However, for Bai Yuexin, this matter was not just about earning spirit stones but also a wish.
Wouldn't it be nice when Ye Anping came back and saw his house clean and tidy?
When he came back, he would call her Big Sister.
Oh yes, there's also Sister Pei.
"Second Sister Bai" sounded so sweet.
She also got five red spirit fruits today, and although she didn't know if they needed them, she could share them with Ye Anping and Sister Pei.
And the physiotherapy center was waiting for him to come back and reopen it.
Should they redecorate it?
By the way, the rent should be due soon, right? She should go talk to the landlord of that shop and ask him to give a little discount to her little brother, Ye Anping.
"Hmm~~"
After Bai Yuexin finished tending the yard, she wiped the sweat on her forehead and looked up at the sky, finding that the sun was about to set. For a moment, a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes, and she felt her heart a little stifled. She was inexplicably worried and complained to herself. "It's been more than half a year. Didn't you say you'll be gone for five or six months? It's been almost a whole year."
*Hooo*--
The autumn wind blew gently on her face, ruffling her shiny black hair. Bai Yuexin tucked her hair behind her left ear as she let out a long sigh.
Suddenly, the spirit light of two flying swords emerged from behind the **Hundred Fragrance Peak** next door.
Bai Yuexin widened her eyes and stared at them for a while, unable to believe it. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Rubbed again, looked again.
Rubbed again, looked again.
Until her eyes turned red from all the rubbing.
A young man accompanied by a girl came down on flying swords in a gust of wind, causing the fallen leaves to swirl around them.
The young man looked at Bai Yuexin in front of the courtyard gate, his eyes squinting and full of tenderness, but the girl next to him was one step ahead, smiling and waving. "Sister Bai, we are back."
As if relieved of her burden, Bai Yuexin relaxed her shoulders and walked up to them. She nodded to Pei Lianxue, then looked at him and frowned as if waiting for him to speak first.
Ye Anping remained silent for a moment before taking out a small bag from his storage pouch. "Sister Bai, here are some pills and other useful items. Consider them a thank-you gift for helping us ask for leave from Mr. Zhang."
Bai Yuexin suddenly became unhappy. She crossed her arms and turned her head, pouting. "Hmph, we agreed that you will only be gone for five or six months. How many months have passed now? If I hadn't covered for you, Elder Qin would have reported you two missing. Now, you want to send me off with these things? Tsk, do you take me for a beggar?"
"..." Ye Anping didn't know how to react, so he said, "Then... what do you want, Sister Bai?"
"Hmph." Bai Yuexin snorted again and rubbed Pei Lianxue's head. Then, she moved her hand to her own neck and smiled as she asked, "Sister Pei, it's been a year since we last met. You've grown taller, haven't you?"
"Well..."
Seeing how friendly she was to his sister and how harsh she was to him, Ye Anping immediately understood and reluctantly called out in a low voice. "Sister..."
"Huh?" Bai Yuexin pretended not to hear, but a smile appeared on her face as she turned her ear. "What did you say? The wind is too strong."
"Sister."
"You taught Sister Pei to speak so loudly, but now you speak so softly... tsk tsk tsk."
"Huu--- Sister!!"
"Yes!!"
After answering, Bai Yuexin reached out and swept the brother and sister into her arms, hugged them together, buried her face between their heads, and pressed their backs tightly.
"It's good you are back, it's good you are back! I have seen it many times before. Many disciples left to travel and promised to return in half a year, but in the end, they never came back. You two had me worried for several months. There was no news at all."
Ye Anping and Pei Lianxue turned their heads and looked at the two crystal tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes. They were stunned but said nothing and just let her hug them.
"Well..."
"Mm-hmm."
After who knows how long, Bai Yuexin finally let go of them, turned around to wipe her eyes, and then turned back, saying, "The house is clean. I tidied up for you. You two can make your beds and sleep right away."
Ye Anping looked at the courtyard, pretending not to know anything, and prepared to inquire about the news. He asked, "Well... What about Sister Xiao and Sister Feng? Did they go out?"
"Well, they went to the ***Dragon House***. I heard that something big happened over there, but I'm not sure of the details. All I know is that it's related to demonic cultivators. Because of this incident, Elder Lei was kicked by the Sect Matriarch to the **Western Region**'s border."
The border... Ye Anping caught the keyword and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Eh? Why? What does it have to do with him?"
"Elder Lei is in charge of the boundaries of the **Western Region**. I heard that a demonic cultivator seemed to have crossed the boundary, which caused trouble in the ***Dragon House***. So naturally, the Matriarch put the blame on him."
"..."
"You should have seen it; at that time, the Matriarch was furious about this matter. That sight, you wouldn't believe it. We thought the sky was going to fall. *Void Returning* cultivators are too scary."
"How long ago did it happen?"
"About half a month ago. Elder Lei is probably fighting with the monsters on the border for water right now.
"Which border? East, South, West, or North?"
"The southeastern border of the **Western Region**."
The ***Moon Shadow Sword*** Sect that Ye Anping had been thinking about these days was located on the northwest border of the **Southern Region**, not far away.
This was too much of a coincidence.
Moreover, Ye Anping remembered that after the ***Dragon House*** incident, Si Xuanji exiled Lei Wanjun to the frontier, but it was in the desert area of the western border.
If players went there after the ***Dragon House*** plot, they would find Lei Wanjun hiding in a cave, avoiding waves of demonic beasts.
But now, Lei Wanjun was thrown at the southeast border.
Although it didn't affect anything, that was undoubtedly proof that the plot had been altered significantly.
If he was not mistaken, Si Xuanji should have heard that Yun Tianchong, the master of the ***Moon Shadow Sword*** Sect, was preparing to come out of seclusion. So, she deliberately had Lei Wanjun lurk around there.
However, the purpose should not be to help.
The incident in the ***Moon Shadow Sword*** Sect was an internal matter, and it was not appropriate for the ***Black Star*** Sect to send a middle *Deification* stage grand elder to intervene.
After all, intervening in other sects' internal affairs would devalue the reputation of the ***Black Star*** Sect.
Since it's not for help, most likely it's just waiting on the sidelines to take advantage of opportunities.
This Old Loli's foresight...
Ye Anping shrugged and asked, "Do we need to report to Elder Qin now?"
"I'll take you there later, and you can explain it to him yourself. If you persuade him, you'll get away with just an admonishment." Bai Yuexin smiled and took out two red spirit fruits from her storage bag. "By the way, these are for you, guys..."
"Red spirit fruits? No need. We don't need them, and we also have enough spirit stones. Sister, keep them for yourself."
"Huh... now that you are rich, you think I'm poor, and look down on my gifts, right?"
"We appreciate the thought, but aren't you actually poor, Sister Bai?"
"I... hiss-- you brat! Forget it, never mind! Let's go find Elder Qin. You dare to disrespect your sister, then how about trying to disrespect Elder Qin? Let's see if he makes you kneel on bamboo pieces."
