Six and a half in the morning.
Over the years, the Yunxiao Inn has also expanded, too, or else they wouldn't be able to accommodate such a large number of guests, especially during the Intersect Competition.
"Woah… such a grand inn! Our disciple rooms are like a horse shed compared with this inn!" a cheerful voice spoke.
"Shut up!" a stern voice spoke. "Why are you always like this? So rambunctious…" Fei Luo said with a frown on his face.
"… sorry, cousin." Fei Huo apologized and acted like he zipped his mouth.
"Fei Luo-shixiong, I think Fei Huo-shixiong is nice…" Sun Ri spoke and smiled. "It's really boring… mmph." She looked at her elder brother Sun Yan who winked at her, telling her not to speak anymore.
Fei Huo glanced at them siblings and nodded, indicating that he is fine.
"Tch!" Xi He clicked his tongue and glared at Fei Huo. He thinks that Fei Huo is a disgrace of the sect because he is nothing like them. Such an improper disciple.
Xi Bing glanced at Xi He in the corner of his eyes. Then, at Fei Huo. He didn't say anything and just silently followed behind their elders.
They are the Shanliangde Sect. Amidst them who looked ascetic with their white robes, only one disciple looked out of the place because he was grinning while following behind them.
"Oh! The Shanliangde Sect has also arrived!" Tang Zhe spoke after the Huakai Sect and the Huli Sect came out of the room together with Fei Yinzi after they have finished eating their breakfast.
The Shanliangde Sect turned and saw the Huakai Sect and the Huli Sect. Tang Zhe, Kang Ce and the others nodded at the Shanliangde Sect elders and the elders nodded back at them. Meanwhile, their disciples…
"ER ZI!" Sun Ri called when she spotted Fei Yinzi among the disciples of the Huakai Sect and the Huli Sect since he stood out wearing his uniform, which is the only one different.
Fei Huo's eyes widened. He ignored his cousin Fei Luo and ran towards Fei Yinzi together with Sun Ri. "ER ZI!" he called as he widely grinned.
"Fei Huo-shixiong. Sun Ri-shijie. Good morning." Fei Yinzi greeted as he cupped his hands.
While the Yunxiao Inn became so lively early in the morning, the door of one of the houses in Zhongyang silently opened. A man wearing ordinary-looking robes and is wearing a wide, conical hat came out with the head of the household and his wife following behind him.
"Thank you very much, Master Cheng." The two spoke and deeply bowed with their eyes red because of tears. "If it weren't for you, sir, our xiao Cai would be… would be…" they said and then burst into tears.
Cheng Sheng nodded. "It is fine." He said. "The sunlight today happened to be perfect to conduct the treatment." He spoke.
The husband and wife nodded. They moved houses to where the sun would shine the most in order to help their daughter.
Cheng Sheng smiled and waved his hand to them and then left after refusing for the nth time the payment. Their daughter just happened to have lower body temperature than the ordinary humans. The couple suspected that she was possessed. And Cheng Sheng confirmed that she was, so he had the family move houses to where the sun shine at most. He told them to do it at noon, where the sun is shining at its peak, and the demon that is possessing her body would be sleeping deeply to avoid the sun.
Cheng Sheng knows that the demon, even if it noticed that the family moved houses, it still would not be able to do anything since the body it possessed became very weak due to its possession. Now that the girl is dying, it is too late for it to leave the girl's body since it possessed the girl for a long time and relief on the girl's vitality to live, so it was stuck on the girl's body.
"Elder Cheng?" a voice called, rousing Cheng Sheng from his thoughts.
Cheng Sheng stopped and turned to see Jing De, Jing Xu and Zheng Ming standing behind him. "Oh. You have become sensible to not just suddenly call one's name out loud, alarming the others of my location." He said and smiled at Jing De who immediately blushed in embarrassment.
"T – this disciple apologizes…" Jing De said and stopped when he heard Cheng Sheng chuckled.
"It's fine." Cheng Sheng spoke. "Why are you three here? Isn't this out of your way?" he asked and looked around the residential area.
"Answering elder Cheng. We had our fellow disciples continue to patrol in our behalf after we sensed a demonic presence in this area." Jing Xu answered.
Cheng Sheng nodded. "A girl was possessed by a demon for a long time and I had her parents moved here to suppress the demon using the sunlight." He spoke. "Today, I eliminated the demon, so that's why you sensed it." He explained.
Their eyes widened in surprise. "As expected of elder Cheng!" Jing De said.
Cheng Sheng chuckled. "You three are working so early in the morning. Have you already eaten your breakfast?" he asked.
As soon as his voice fell, the three's stomachs grumbled loudly.
Cheng Sheng smiled. "Come. I still haven't eaten yet, too, so I'll treat you." He told them.
Their eyes brightened. "Thank you, elder Cheng!" they said and bowed, then followed behind him.
At eight in the morning, the Youxiwang Sect has finally arrived in the Yunxiao Inn.
"Oh! Uncle!" Sun Yi exclaimed when he saw the Shanliangde Sect eating.
One of the elders of the Shanliangde Sect turned. "Yi-er." He called. "Why is your elder brother not up yet?" he asked. He is talking about Sun Rong.
Sun Yi smiled. "He must have slept very late last night." He just said. "Uncle, I will be excusing myself. I still have to meet with our sect's disciples!" he told him and immediately left before his uncle could speak.
"Elder Sun!" the Youxiwang Sect disciples greeted when they saw Sun Yi.
Sun Yi smiled when he saw them before his smile became stiff when he saw Wu Lian. "… why aren't you calling me 'dad'?" he asked as he stopped in front of them but his gaze is on Wu Lian. "… you are really as boring as your father!" he said and pinched both Wu Lian's cheeks.
Wu Lian didn't say anything and just let one of his adopted father pinch his cheeks.
The others. "…" poor child. They thought.
"So really boring!" Sun Yi said as he puffed his cheeks in anger. But, there is a smile on his face.
The others. "…" what a blessed child.
"I am boring?" a voice spoke behind Sun Yi.
Before Sun Yi could turn, he felt himself hugged from behind and saw two strong arms wrapped around his waist.
"Sect leader!" the Youxiwang Sect disciples and elders greeted and bowed.
"Yuan…" Sun Yi called as he blushed.
Wu Yuan saw his beloved's shy face and decided not to tease him since they are still in front of other people. "Lian-er." He called as he glanced at his and Sun Yi's adoptive son.
Wu Lian nodded. "Father." He spoke and bowed.
"Ah! Yuan, you are so unfair! Why is Lian calling you 'father' but he didn't call me 'dad'?!" Sun Yi asked and glared at Wu Yuan.
The others. "…" shouldn't it be the child to blame? They thought. But, the Youxiwang Sect has always been a loving family so they are very protective of their children. Thus, Wu Yuan was blamed instead.
Wu Lian. "…" I am just greeting along with the others…
Wu Yuan. "…" why are you blaming me? He thought. But, since his beloved said he is unfair, then he is unfair. "I'll make it up to you later." He said and kissed Sun Yi's cheek that blushed after.
"… you said it!" Sun Yi said and looked away.
Wu Lian and the others. "…" now we're being fed by dog food. We're already so full before we could eat. They thought.
Wu Yuan and Sun Yi led their sect to a dining room to eat first before they would settle in their rooms upstairs. They should fill their stomachs first.
…
"Huh? The Youxiwang Sect has arrived?" Chen Han muttered after he heard Sun Rong's subordinate spoke. "I'll see them later. Thank you." He told him and the person left.
"Oh? The Youxiwang Sect has also arrived?" Xie Lan spoke as he and Fan Wen walked towards Chen Han. "They were able to make it in time." He said.
Chen Han turned. "Sect leader Xie. Elder Fan. Good morning." He greeted.
"Good morning." Fan Wen greeted and smiled. "Since the Youxiwang Sect is also now here… then everyone is finally here!" he said.
Xie Lan nodded. "Yes." He spoke. "But…" he looked at Chen Han.
Chen Han nodded while Fan Wen's smile faded. "Xiao Sheng… will he be present in the Intersect Competition?" Fan Wen asked with a sigh.