It’s just cultivating immortality, who isn’t a favorite of heaven?

Cheng Shuyan had just arrived in the market and entered an inn to rest for a day when he heard everyone in the inn talking about the same topic.

"Have you heard? The Li family's most talented disciple has betrayed the clan and absconded!"

"That's right! I think his name was... Li Zhiyi? I heard he killed a lot of Li family members before he ran away!"

"You guys... don't know the truth. I heard that Li Zhiyi was possessed by a demon. The Li family ancestor discovered her and wanted to eliminate her. But that girl was so cunning that she somehow managed to escape from the clutches of a dignified Jindan Zhenren!"

"I heard that the Li family forced her brother to death, and that's why she betrayed the family in anger."

"You're not being credible! How could the Li family force their own disciples to death? It must have been Li Zhiyi who was possessed first!"

Cheng Shuyan listened to all these words without missing a word. Seeing that everyone had almost finished talking, he sat down next to the cultivator who said that the Li family forced Li Zhiyi's brother to death.

"Fellow Daoist, I just arrived here and am curious about what you just said. Can you tell me more?"

She asked the waiter to bring a new pot of Wuling tea and poured a cup for the monk before asking.

The cultivator only had the Qi training level, and when he felt the pressure from her, he immediately stood up respectfully and wanted to salute, but she stopped him.

"You're welcome, fellow Daoist. I'm just curious and want to ask you something."

"Yes, yes, since you want to know, I will explain it in detail."

The monk poured her some tea and continued, "Senior, I only heard what an outer disciple of the Li family said. I don't know whether it's true or not."

"That's all right. Just tell me."

The monk looked around the two of them cautiously, making sure no one else was approaching. Then he leaned close to her and whispered:

"I heard that the Li family's ancestor was possessed by a demon and wanted to force Li Zhiyi to join him in the demon clan. That's why he captured Li Zhiyi's brother. But her brother didn't want to implicate his sister, so he gave him the opportunity to kill himself. That's why Li Zhiyi defected!"

"Oh?" Cheng Shuyan looked at him in disbelief. "Fellow Daoist, don't say that. The Li family is a long-established immortal cultivation family in Ziyun Ridge. How could they possibly be related to the demons?"

Seeing that she didn't believe him, the monk immediately became anxious and quickly explained:

"Senior, I didn't say that! The person who told me was a disciple from the Li family's side branch. He accidentally saw this and was terrified. He has now quietly left the Li family!

To be honest, Senior, I feel that... Ziyun Ridge is not peaceful anymore. I plan to leave Ziyun Ridge in the next two days. I don't dare wade into this muddy water!"

Cheng Shuyan pondered for a moment after hearing this, and then said to the cultivator, "Thank you for telling me, fellow cultivator. I originally thought that the Li family is a well-established family of immortal cultivators, so I was planning to see if I could become a guest official. If it's as you said, I'd like to reconsider it."

Although the foundation of a cultivation family is composed of its own family members, in order to expand the family's power, they will also recruit some powerful outsiders as guest officials. What she said is very reasonable.

The monk nodded upon hearing this and said, "Where there is smoke, there is fire. Senior, I need to consider this carefully."

After finding out everything she needed to know, she paid for the tea and left the restaurant.

Thinking about what Li Zhiyi had said before, what this monk said was probably the truth.

Moreover, if her brother were still alive, Li Zhiyi would definitely be controlled by Li Ziqian.

Only when Li Zhiyi's brother died would she have no scruples and betray the Li family.

Li Zhiyi has suffered such a great change and her whereabouts are now unknown. Cheng Shuyan can't help but worry and just hopes that she can survive.

……

Since Li Zhiyi had disappeared, there was no need for her to stay. After resting for two days, she headed towards Xuanfengmen.

The Forest of No Return is located near the Xuanfeng Gate and does not belong to any force. When the entrance to the Forest of No Return is opened, all foundation-building cultivators can enter.

She went to the Forest of No Return this time, firstly to look for silverleaf grass, and secondly, to see if she could meet Xie Jingxiu and confirm his identity.

Cheng Shuyan walked and stopped along the way, and unknowingly entered the area of ​​Qinglan Mountain.

One day, she happened to catch a young chicken and planned to roast it to satisfy her stomach.

As soon as the firewood started burning, I heard someone approaching in the distance.

She didn't care. The highest cultivation level among this group of people was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and posed no threat to her.

Unexpectedly, this group of people walked straight towards her, holding a compass emitting blood-red light in their hands.

As soon as the group saw her, the leader showed an expression of ecstasy, and he and several Qi-cultivating monks behind him knelt down in front of Cheng Shuyan.

"My dear lady, I have finally found you!"

The old man in the Foundation Establishment Stage spoke to her with tears in his eyes, and his tone actually contained a kind of joy of regaining something that had been lost.

This confused Cheng Shuyan. What "young lady"? Who is the "young lady"? Whose young lady is she?

"Fellow Daoist, have you recognized the wrong person?" Cheng Shuyan took a step back and looked at this group of inexplicable people warily.

The old man raised the compass in his hand and explained to her anxiously:

"There's no way I could be mistaken! This compass was made by the head of the family using your fingertips' blood when you were born. It will glow blood-red whenever it gets close to you. You are the eldest daughter of our Cheng family!"

"Cheng family?" Cheng Shuyan asked doubtfully, "Qinglan Mountain Cheng family?"

The old man nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, you are from the Cheng family of Qinglan Mountain. You were originally the eldest daughter of our Cheng family. Due to some reasons, you were left away from home when you were born. The head of the family and his wife only found out recently and specially ordered this old servant to take you home."

What a coincidence? This was truly a perfect coincidence. She had originally planned to go to the Cheng family to see if she could find out about her family's origins, but before she could take any action, the Cheng family found her first.

Thinking about this, Cheng Shuyan decided to take advantage of the situation and see how it goes.

"You said you were from the Cheng family of Qinglan Mountain, but do you have any proof?"

"Of course there is!"

The old man hurriedly took out a jade slip, on which was engraved the Cheng family's exclusive spiritual seal. She had seen it in a book introducing the forces in the world of immortal cultivation.

"This is a jade slip sealed by the Patriarch...your father himself. It requires your blood and essence to open. Try it and you'll know."

She didn't dare use essence and blood in such an inexplicable place. She put the jade slip into her storage bag and said to the old man, "I believe you. All of you get up."

The old man led everyone to stand up. He looked at the roasted chicken in front of him that was sizzling with oil, waved his hand behind him, and a fat monk immediately stepped forward.

He took out a table from his storage bag, followed by spiritual honey, roast chicken sauce, a brush, and cutlery...

He deftly brushed the seasoning on the roast chicken, constantly turning it over, while the old man explained:

"Miss, he is a spiritual chef of the Cheng family. When the master of the family asked me to come out to look for you, he specifically asked me to bring him along."