In their hearts, Nebula Pavilion wa

In their hearts, Nebula Pavilion was the holy cultivation site of their dreams, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that being able to practice cultivation in Nebula Pavilion was their ultimate dream.

Ling Yushi and the rest continued to chat on the way.

The quartet arrived back at Ling Town just when the day was about to turn dark. The moment they passed through the town entrance, they received word that Ling Chengzhi and Ling Xuanxuan had returned from their travels.

“The moment the Third Master returned, he immediately went off with the Patriarch to the east end of the town, where Ling Lie’s house is. Ling Lie is already over seventy years old, and he has been bedridden for years. I do not know what business the Patriarch has at his house.”

Ling Yushi, Ling Feng, and Ling Ying were all confused by the situation, but only Qin Lie felt a small bit of surprise as he recalled the reason why Ling Chengzhi and Ling Xuanxuan went to the Nebula Pavilion and connected the dots. He couldn’t help but remember Tu Ze’s little party and thought: They couldn’t have run into Du Zhe and the others, could they?

“I’ll go over and have a look. Ling Feng, Ling Ying, please send Qin Lie back to his house first.” With doubts at the back of her mind, she left a parting instruction and hurriedly left for the town’s east entrance.

When she arrived at Ling Lie’s home, she saw Ling Chengye, Ling Chengzhi, and Ling Xuanxuan just walking out of the house. Ling Chengye and his brother appeared to be very disappointed as they shook their heads repeatedly.

The moment Ling Xuanxuan saw her coming towards them, her expression suddenly became wrought with agitation. In fact, she looked like she was about to cry.

“Daddy, what are you…?” Ling Yushi questioned in a sweet tone.

“We’ll talk when we get back home.” Ling Chengye waved his hands slightly.

A long while later, when the whole family was gathered in the living room, Ling Xuanxuan cried out with a pair of eyes that had long since been brimming with tears, “Big sis! Who told you to take my place and become engaged with that fool?”

“It was my own wish.” Ling Yushi smiled lightly.

“And who in their right mind would willingly be engaged with him?!” Ling Xuanxuan had been holding herself back all this time, but she finally couldn’t take it any longer and exploded in tears. “He’s only a fool! Why would you wrong yourself so? Did daddy force you to do this?”

“Be quiet!” Ling Chengye yelled angrily. “You’ve been to Nebula Pavilion and seen with your own eyes how they treat us! Do you think we, the Ling Family mean anything in their eyes? At least your sister knows how to make sacrifices for the family, but what do you know about responsibility? It’ll be enough if you would stop making more trouble for the family!”

Ling Xuanxuan had seldom seen him this mad before, so she was cowered immediately. As she recalled their encounters at Nebula Pavilion, she too bowed her head and wept silently.

“Either Nebula Pavilion was wrong, or this… ‘Ling Lie’ is someone else entirely!” Ling Chengzhi suddenly said.

“What’s going on?” Ling Yushi asked him.

“Oh, your third uncle ran into something strange when they were at Nebula Pavilion…” The Ling Family Patriarch explained the whole thing from beginning to end before continuing, “Han Qingrui, or Elder Han of Nebula Pavilion, informed us that not only has our family been absolved of any tribute of spirit plants for the next two years, he even said that Ling Lie had done them a great service and was thus registered straight into Nebula Pavilion’s core member list, in addition to being rewarded one thousand and two hundred contribution points! If it wasn’t for this ‘Ling Lie’ person, your third uncle and your sister probably wouldn’t even be able to get through the front door! Perhaps they may have been humiliated even further…”

Ling Yushi’s pretty face turned into an expression full of shock as she cried out, “Ah! Not only was he ranked among the core members instantly, he even obtained this many Nebula Pavilion contribution points? Since when did our family produce such an amazing person?”

“Ling Town only has one Ling Lie, and we just visited him. He’s been bedridden for almost two years, and frankly, it’s a miracle he’s still alive. He told us that he hadn’t left the town for ten years, so there’s no way it could be him. But then again, there’s no one else in the Ling Family who is called ‘Ling Lie,’ not even one with the character ‘Lie’ in their name…” muttered the Ling Family Patriarch as he frowned deeply and shook his head.

“Big brother, do you think it’s possible that… Qin Lie is that person? His name does have a ‘Lie’ character in it, doesn’t it?” Ling Chengzhi said suddenly.

“That fool is an odd one alright, but that ‘oddness’ has nothing to do with anything amazing at all! How can it possibly be him?” Ling Xuanxuan broke away from her crying and sneered with a face full of tears and