As it turned out, the little girl belonged to Lihua Hall. She was Lin Fei, the daughter of Wang Yun, Liu Jingli’s third disciple. Since Li Lin and Lin Fei were the only two children in Dongyang Palace, they naturally grew close in the days that followed. Li Xue believed that a child's childhood was important; though Li Lin had been sensible from a young age and lacked playmates, it did not mean he lacked a child’s heart. Wang Yun shared this sentiment. Although there was a discrepancy in their generational seniority, the cultivation world was primarily ranked by strength. Generational titles were usually strictly observed only within the same master's lineage; for everyone else, status was determined by one's level of cultivation.
When Li Xue went to return little Lin Fei, she encountered Liu Jingli’s second disciple, Zhao Shanshan, at Wang Yun’s residence. Zhao Shanshan hailed from the Zhao family, a powerful faction within the Yunjin Sect. She was as cold as frost and exceedingly haughty.
"I say, Third Junior Sister, is it really necessary to call her 'Little Great-Aunt' so affectionately? Look at her—she hasn't even reached Foundation Establishment!" Zhao Shanshan pointed at Li Xue, her voice laced with dissatisfaction.
Wang Yun’s expression darkened upon hearing this. She retorted, "I am addressing her according to her rank. What is wrong with that? I suggest you show some respect, Second Senior Sister!"
"Hmph. What kind of ability is it to rely solely on the backing of elders without any strength of one's own?" Zhao Shanshan said disdainfully.
Before Li Xue could even speak, Wang Yun snapped back in anger, "Second Senior Sister, that 'elder' is your own Grandmaster. What is wrong with him supporting his own blood descendant? Besides, if we’re talking about who has the most backing, who can compare to your Zhao family? You can even get away with murdering fellow disciples to silence them. Whose face carries more weight than the Zhao family's?"
"You!" Zhao Shanshan’s face flushed red, a mix of rage and shame. "What do you mean 'silencing witnesses'? That person didn't even die!" Her voice dropped an octave by the end of her sentence.
"Oh, if they had died, there would be no one left to testify!" Wang Yun emphasized pointedly. Originally, she had no grievances with her second senior sister and they were usually polite to one another. However, Zhao Shanshan had come to her cave-dwelling and directed such cold mockery at the Grandmaster’s descendant. Given the Grandmaster’s protective nature, he might grow to dislike Wang Yun as well if she didn't take a stand. Moreover, she was delighted that her daughter finally had a companion of the same age—especially one with a Heaven Spiritual Root. She wouldn't allow Zhao Shanshan to create a rift between them.
Finally, Zhao Shanshan glared at the group and swept away.
Only then did Li Xue fully snap back to reality. Although she was displeased by Zhao Shanshan’s targeting, she wasn't about to argue over such a trivial matter. It was true that her current strength was too low; there was no need to get worked up over a few sneers. Besides, it was impossible for anyone to be liked by everyone in the world. There would always be people who disliked you for no reason at all—it was perfectly normal and best ignored. However, hearing Wang Yun’s mockery of the Zhao family, she realized there was some juicy gossip involved.
"Is this Zhao family very famous in the Yunjin Sect?" Li Xue couldn't help but ask. Women were naturally fond of a bit of gossip.
"The Zhao family? What I used to needle Second Senior Sister just now was the truth. That matter caused quite a stir throughout the entire sect," Wang Yun said, her own gossiping spirit clearly ignited. She continued, "To be honest, the Zhao family's actual strength isn't that great. It's just that their ancestors once did a great favor for the Yunjin Sect. As a result, any of their descendants with decent talent can be admitted into the Inner Sect. To this day, there are only a few of them. There was one Zhao disciple in the Inner Sect at the Qi Condensation stage who was arrogant and overbearing. He extorted, threatened, and insulted disciples from both the Inner and Outer Sects who had no background, acting just like a pampered wastrel from the secular world. His Great-Uncle is Master Jingluo of Xiyang Peak, who is extremely protective."
"Once, that disciple was threatening an Inner Sect disciple again. Little did he know that the disciple had just accepted a mission and held a task tablet. Driven to desperation, the victim crushed the tablet. At that moment, the Sect Leader and various Elders happened to be at the Hall of Affairs. The fluctuations from the task tablet resonated within the sect, and the Sect Leader and Elders rushed to the scene, catching that Zhao disciple right as he was attempting to kill the other to silence him. Such an act of harming a fellow disciple should have been severely punished—his spiritual root should have been destroyed and he should have been expelled from the sect. However, Master Jingluo insisted on protecting him in the name of the Zhao ancestors. In the end, he was merely sent back to his family!" Wang Yun finished with a sigh of lament.
Li Xue had seen far too much of this in her previous life. Many "second-generation officials" and "rich kids" shared this exact temperament. However, such descendants were morally corrupt and would only bring ruin upon their families.
Li Xue also sighed. "Such things are common in the secular world. The cultivation world is also made of human cultivators, and where there are people, such things are unavoidable. However, if such a descendant is not disciplined properly, their character will eventually bring disaster to the clan."
"Indeed. Although my Second Senior Sister has a sharp tongue, she isn't a bad person. She actually went back to the family and punished that junior quite severely. I only mentioned it to shut her up so she wouldn't say anything more unpleasant. Little Great-Aunt, please don't take offense!" Wang Yun explained.
Hearing this, Li Xue looked at Wang Yun with newfound respect. This woman was open and candid, someone worth befriending. She could feel at ease letting Li Lin and Lin Fei be companions.
None of them noticed Li Lin, who was playing with Lin Fei nearby. His brow furrowed slightly as he thought to himself: *The Zhao family, hmph. Don't let me catch you doing anything wrong in the future, or I'll make you pay. How dare you speak of my mother that way!* In his heart, anyone who was unkind to his mother was a villain.
