Just as Mo Yuanjiao was about to turn back to the sect, he noticed a figure moving cautiously from the direction of Xiushui Village, heading toward Heart of Inquiry Path. The figure was dressed as a man, wearing a large straw hat with the brim pulled low, emitting faint but stable spiritual energy.
Despite the disguise, Mo Yuanjiao immediately recognized who it was.
"What are you doing here, Han—" Before he could finish, the figure spotted him and rushed over.
"Young Master Mo! This is a gift from the Qinghe Sect, to congratulate Lingxian Sect in advance for the successful recruitment of new disciples!" The person handed him a storage pouch.
Seeing the well-concealed Han Weishu, Mo Yuanjiao was unsure of her intentions. Upon receiving the gift, he assumed she was representing Qinghe Sect and thanked her politely.
Due to his frequent visits to Lin's residence because of Baojian, Mo Yuanjiao was somewhat familiar with Han Weishu. After handing over the gift, she quietly asked, "Hey, Mo Yuanjiao, can you give me special treatment? Let me take the disciple test early?"
Hearing this, Mo Yuanjiao didn't answer right away but instead asked, "Weren't you never interested in cultivation? You always said you'd rather live a carefree life as a mortal."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Han Weishu scratched her cheek. "I heard that Mr. Sun plans to take A-Liang into the Heart of Inquiry for treatment… Also, I've been thinking, if I could become Mr. Sun's disciple and learn medicine, maybe I could help with A-Liang's recovery. And, well, when I heard about Lingxian Sect's recruitment, I thought I'd give it a try."
What she didn't mention was that she had sneaked out of her sect this time.
Upon hearing that her father was sending someone to deliver gifts to Lingxian Sect, Han Weishu devised a plan. With the help of her playful companion, she knocked out the Qinghe Sect disciple assigned to the task and took the gift herself.
Her initial goal was simply to visit Tong Jia-Liang and see if she could successfully join Lingxian Sect. If things didn't work out, she planned to return quietly. She wasn't trying to cause trouble for her fellow sect member, as she had left a note explaining everything, allowing the disciple to report back.
However, Han Weishu suspected that her father, being the head of Qinghe Sect, would never allow his daughter to join another sect. So, she decided to act first and inform him later.
After hearing her explanation, Mo Yuanjiao helplessly spread his hands and said, "If you'd come a year ago, I might have been able to help. But now, it's not possible. The Heart of Inquiry has been sealed by our senior brother, the sect master. It won't be reopened to outsiders until the official recruitment date."
Mo Yuanjiao was simply explaining why he couldn't help her take the test early, but he didn't mention Lin Xiao's seclusion. As Elder Liao had once explained, when the most powerful elder or sect master of a sect enters seclusion, it is considered a sect secret. This is something that, as the sect grows, might not even be shared with all members.
Though Han Weishu was a friend, she wasn't part of Lingxian Sect, and Mo Yuanjiao knew better than to reveal sensitive information.
Han Weishu, disappointed, realized there was no chance of taking the test early. After thanking Mo Yuanjiao, she returned to Lin's residence, planning to stay there while she waited for the official recruitment process. In her heart, she hoped her sect master father would be too busy to come and drag her back.
What Han Weishu didn't know was that her father, Han Shangyi, had already learned of her escape to Lingxian Sect from the disciple she had left a letter for.
Upon reading the note and considering the timing—why she had chosen this particular occasion to run away, and the news of Lingxian Sect's recruitment—Han Shangyi quickly deduced what his daughter was up to.
However, contrary to Han Weishu's expectations, Han Shangyi didn't plan to stop her. After reading her letter, he quietly put it away.
His eldest disciple, Yu Jie, noticing this, asked, "Master, do you need me to bring junior sister back?"
Han Shangyi glanced at him and then sighed. "No need. Even if she returned, she wouldn't cultivate seriously. Now that she's decided to try Lingxian Sect, let her be. If she can succeed and cultivate diligently there, it'll be better than her remaining here, indulging in a carefree life as a mortal."
Early the next morning, Hu Liang carried a bucket of fresh water from a nearby spring and carefully watered the Ten Miles Peach Blossom Tree at the mountain pass. Afterward, he took out a spirit stone and fed it to the tree.
For the past three years, Lin Xiao had watered and fed the tree with spirit stones every morning. If he wasn't available, he would assign the task to someone else.
Perhaps because of this daily care, the peach tree now looked much more robust than when it had first been planted three years ago, far stronger than after it had saved Mo Yuanjiao and the others from Wei Hai's attack.
Additionally, Lin Xiao had stopped plucking its flowers and leaves like he did in the beginning. Now, the tree was lush with foliage and full of vibrant pink blossoms.
After admiring the beautiful tree swaying in the breeze for a moment, Hu Liang headed toward the valley where they had agreed to build the plaza.
When he arrived, he found several people already at work.
Since they had planned everything the previous night and had years of experience working together, everyone immediately got to work without wasting time, focusing on their respective tasks with only occasional murmurs of coordination.
Even Liao Pantou had come to help.
Although he was busy researching the fusion of cultivation techniques, this was a long-term project, and he always made time to assist with major sect construction.
With a Golden Core cultivator like Liao Pantou present, along with many others who were at the Foundation Establishment and late Qi Refining stages, the progress on the plaza was rapid.
By late afternoon, the initial shape of the plaza had already taken form. A large, flat, smooth surface had appeared amidst the dense forest.
From a bird's-eye view, it looked like a square patch of cleared land.
Of course, a proper sect plaza needed more than just a cleared area. It would require a raised platform, sound projection formations for those with lower cultivation levels to hear speeches, and various elements to give it a grand and dignified atmosphere.
All of these aspects were being handled under Liao Pantou's guidance, with the Artifact Refining and Formation Halls working together to complete the project.