In fact, Mo Tiange missed out on one benefit.
After they settled down, Qin Xi once again sent her a Summoning Talisman, telling her to go to the market square at the foot of the mountain.
The two of them lived in the same courtyard and were in adjacent rooms, yet they insisted on using Summoning Talismans to send messages. This made Mo Tiange rather speechless.
Even if he didn't knock on the door, he could just use a private message.
When she arrived at the market square and saw the bustling crowd and the cultivators going in and out of the shops, Mo Tiange finally remembered that when it came to profits, this was the real deal.
With so many cultivators, Tiandao Sect's shop would be able to do a lot of business in the near future. Even the other small shops would benefit from it.
Both of them were Core Formation cultivators. Although high-grade cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Sect had been coming and going recently, walking on the street like this still attracted a lot of attention.
The low-level cultivators only looked at them from afar with envy and jealousy in their eyes.
"Senior Brother Shoujing, where are we going?"
Although Mo Tiange had slowly gotten used to this scene, she wasn't a genius who had been the center of everyone's attention since the beginning. Qin Xi was happy and content in this kind of situation, but she felt very uncomfortable.
Qin Xi said, "Deal."
Mo Tiange was stunned. "What does Senior Martial Brother want to buy?"
Qin Xi didn't answer. With his hands clasped behind his back, he continued to walk forward.
Mo Tiange was already used to his temperament of not answering if he didn't want to, so she didn't say anything and just followed him silently.
After a while, the two of them entered a shop. Mo Tiange raised her head to take a look. What a coincidence! This shop was the Hundred Herbs Hall, the shop she came to buy a concocting furnace and materials the first time she came to Tiandao Sect. More than sixty years had passed since then, and the old Aura Refining man who sold her the concocting furnace had probably passed away a long time ago.
Thinking back to that time, things really remained the same, but people had changed. At that time, Second Uncle hadn't died, and she was still just a little Aura Refining cultivator. No one on Mount Yuheng cared about her at all.
Right now, she was already a Core Formation cultivator. Everyone treated her with respect, but Second Uncle would never come back.
As soon as they entered Hundred Herb Hall, a shop assistant immediately came forward and greeted them respectfully: "Welcome, Seniors. Is there anything this junior can help you with?"
Qin Xi didn't answer. He only said, "I'm looking for Hu Zonghai."
Upon hearing this, a surprised expression appeared on the shop assistant's face, but he immediately said, "Please take a seat inside. This Junior will immediately report to you.
May I know your name? "
"My surname is Qin."
The waiter led them to a side room and went to report.
Mo Tiange was filled with questions.
The old man she met here sixty years ago was a member of the Hu family. Thinking about it, this Hundred Herb Hall was most likely managed by the Hu family. If that was the case, then this Hu Zonghai was undoubtedly a member of the Hu family.
Qin Xi clearly said he was looking for Hu Zonghai. Could it be his old friend?
This wasn't strange at all. Master had once said that apart from cultivating in seclusion, this Senior Martial Brother also spent a lot of time outside. Presumably, he had gotten to know many strange people with different identities.
Not long after, the door to the room was pushed open, and a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothes walked in.
As soon as he entered, he saw Qin Xi and very enthusiastically greeted him. He laughed and said loudly, "Brother Qin, it's really you!
I haven't seen you in years. How are you? "
What astonished Mo Tiange was that this person was only in the Foundation Building realm.
Upon seeing this person, Qin Xi stood up to return the greeting.
Compared to this person's warm attitude, he was much calmer, but he didn't seem rude. "Thank you for your concern, Brother Hu. How have you been?"
The two of them clearly had different levels of cultivation, but they were peers.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the man's gaze fell on Mo Tiange. "This is …"
Qin Xi said, "This is my junior martial sister. Her Daoist name is Qingwei."
"Oh, so it's Master Daoist Qingwei!" The man suddenly realized and very politely saluted. "I'm Hu Zonghai. Greetings, Master Daoist Qingwei."
Hu Zonghai was only a Foundation Building cultivator. Under normal circumstances, Core Formation cultivators didn't need to return the greeting.
However, Qin Xi was her senior martial brother after all, and they treated each other as peers, so Mo Tiange couldn't put on airs. She stood up and raised her hand. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Hu."
"I don't dare, I don't dare," Hu Zonghai said repeatedly. "Master Daoist Qingwei, please sit, please sit."
After the greeting, Hu Zonghai very enthusiastically asked someone to serve them tea again and invited them to Hu Clan as guests.
Qin Xi declined, and Hu Zonghai didn't insist, so the two of them began to chat.
In the end, the gap between their cultivation levels was too big. Although Hu Zonghai spoke to Qin Xi as peers, his words were very polite.
The topics they talked about were also ordinary — nothing more than some ordinary things, news about the weakening of restrictions on Demonic Mountain this time, and some cultivation problems.
Mo Tiange just listened in silence. From their conversation, she roughly understood their relationship.
When she met Hu Zonghai, Qin Xi was only a Foundation Building cultivator. They went through trials and tribulations together, so they were now friends of the same generation.
Qin Xi was almost 200 years old now. For Core Formation cultivators, he was very young, but for Foundation Building cultivators, he was middle-aged. In a few decades, he would enter old age. Hu Zonghai was actually the same age as him, but because of the gap in their cultivation levels, he looked much older than him.
The two of them talked for a while. Hu Zonghai asked, "Brother Qin, you came to Tiandao Sect by asking someone to pass a message. Now that you've come in person, is there something important?"
The two of them seemed to have a good relationship, but they weren't close friends. Qin Xi came to visit them as soon as he came, and he even brought someone else with him. Obviously, he had another purpose.
Qin Xi smiled and said bluntly, "Brother Hu is right. I came to visit you today because I need your help."
"Oh?"
Hu Zonghai's expression was sincere. He smiled and said, "Based on our many years of friendship, Brother Qin, if you have something to say, just say it. As long as I can do it, I definitely won't refuse!"
Mo Tiange couldn't tell whether this was polite or not. This Hu Zonghai was obviously different from cultivators like them. His words were forthright, but he was also slippery and experienced. He must be someone who was very good at dealing with people.
Qin Xi only had a slight smile on his face. He said, "It's not a big deal. I just want to ask Brother Hu about two spiritual objects."
Mo Tiange's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't help but look at Qin Xi.
Hu Zonghai was surprised. "Oh?
Brother Qin, are you looking for some kind of natural treasure?
Even with Xuanqing School's connections, you still couldn't find it? "
Qin Xi smiled. "Since I can't find it, it must be something extremely difficult to find."
Hu Zonghai laughed. "You're right. Brother Qin, tell me about it. Although my cultivation level isn't high enough, I'm good at finding people and things. Maybe I've heard of it."
Qin Xi said bluntly, "I'm looking for two things. One is a thousand-year-old Chalcedony, and the other is Qiyun Stone. Brother Hu, have you heard of them recently?"
Mo Tiange lowered her head. Sure enough, he was looking for those two things.
"About that …" Hu Zonghai pondered for a while. "Brother Qin is indeed looking for rare things. A thousand-year-old Chalcedony is fine since I've heard of it occasionally, but Qiyun Stone … if I didn't manage the shop for the sect all year round, I'm afraid I wouldn't know what it is.
However, I manage Hundred Herbs Hall, and Qiyun Stone is a material for refining tools, so I have to ask around. "
Qin Xi said, "If Brother Hu can tell me where it is, I'll be very grateful."
Hu Zonghai smiled. "It's nothing. It's nothing.
Brother Qin, I can't guarantee anything about Qiyun Stone, but there seems to be news about a thousand-year-old Chalcedony a few days ago. If you don't mind, can you wait for me to inquire about it? "
"That'll be great. Thank you, Brother Hu."
The two of them chatted for a while before Qin Xi took his leave. Hu Zonghai saw the two of them out, asked where they were staying, and told them that he would inform them if he had any news in three days at most.
After saying goodbye to Hu Zonghai, the two of them went back in silence.
Qin Xi didn't say anything, and Mo Tiange also lowered her head, her mind wandering.
The monastery of a big cultivation group was naturally very high. From the foot of the mountain, there were thousands of jade steps that extended all the way to the clouds.
Under normal circumstances, only Aura Refining disciples who couldn't fly would climb these jade steps. After they built their foundation, they could only fly.
Mo Tiange didn't know what Qin Xi was thinking. He didn't use a flying magic weapon and just walked step by step.
However, Mo Tiange was preoccupied, so she just followed him with her head lowered and didn't think about this.
As they walked, the person in front of them suddenly stopped. Mo Tiange bumped into him, causing her nose to turn red. If it weren't for the spiritual aura protecting her body, she might've had a nosebleed.
Qin Xi turned around and stared at her with a frown. "What are you thinking about?
Why did you bump into him like this? "
Mo Tiange looked embarrassed.
Not to mention a Core Formation cultivator like her, even a small Aura Refining cultivator who had just entered the path of immortality wouldn't stupidly bump into someone else's back. It was clear that she was completely distracted just now. She clearly bumped into him, but she didn't react in time.
Fortunately, Qin Xi didn't ask her about it seriously. After saying that, he continued walking.
Mo Tiange touched her nose and continued to follow him.
Staring at the back of the person in front of her, she suddenly felt like she had returned to the time when she was in Yunwu Sect.
At that time, she didn't spend much time with Senior Martial Brother Qin, but every time they met, it was more or less the same. He would spontaneously walk in front of her and she would just follow him.
In the blink of an eye, more than sixty years had passed. The two of them were no longer the small cultivators from back then. Their statuses were as different as heaven and earth, but the situation they got along with each other was still the same.
At that time, they each had their own secrets. When they entered Yunwu Sect, they called each other senior martial brother and junior martial brother but kept a distance from each other. Now, they were real martial brothers and sisters, but they still kept their distance. Although they trusted each other, they didn't open their hearts to each other.
In fact, whether it was Senior Martial Brother Qin or Senior Martial Brother Shoujing, both of them treated her extremely well.
Senior Martial Brother Qin was cold, but he always cared about their relationship as fellow disciples. As for Senior Martial Brother Shoujing … he seemed indifferent, but if she thought about it carefully, her smooth journey might've been because he paved the way in front of her.
Just like now. She only mentioned it once, but he always remembered that the first thing he had to do after arriving at Tiandao Sect was to inquire about information for her.
It would be a lie to say she didn't feel grateful, but she had never been an outgoing person. Even if she felt grateful, she would only keep it in her heart.
"Senior Martial Brother Shoujing." She suddenly stopped.
Qin Xi seemed to answer her carelessly. He took several steps forward, but when he realized she wasn't following him, he stopped and turned around. He saw her standing about five or six steps away from him. Her head was lowered, so he couldn't see her expression clearly.
After a while, she finally said, "Thank you."
It was a sentence without any head or tail, but he understood it.
After a moment of silence, he said with an indifferent expression, "It was nothing. No need to mention it again."
Her head was still lowered, but she didn't answer.
He also didn't say anything.
After a long time, Mo Tiange finally said, "But … Senior Martial Brother, please don't treat me so well in the future."
* * *
Qin Xi suddenly turned around and walked up two steps. He then stopped and said coldly, "What are you worried about?"
Mo Tiange didn't say anything.
He turned his head, glanced at her, and sneered. "Or do you think I'm greedy for something?"
Without waiting for her answer, he waved his long sleeve and summoned his flying cloud. In a flash, he flew up the jade steps and went straight to Mount Yuheng. He didn't wait for her even for a moment.
Mo Tiange was left behind. She stared at his back and swallowed back the words "no."
She just wanted to say that he shouldn't treat her so well. If he treated her so well that she would overthink things, it wasn't what he thought …