Upon hearing their questions, Yuan Qing lowered his gaze, his expression filled with despondence as he said:
"I was framed by my fellow disciples and expelled from the sect. Later, I had no choice but to return home, but on the way, I was ambushed and chased down..."
"Do you know who was chasing you?" Lin Xiao asked.
Yuan Qing answered honestly:
"I don't know them personally, but I saw the emblem of my fellow disciple's family on their clothes. They must be from his family."
After a moment of thought, Lin Xiao asked again:
"Did they chase you outside Yuanling City?"
Yuan Qing shook his head, replying:
"No, I was attacked two cities away from Yuanling City. I only managed to escape here using a life-saving technique."
"Is your fellow disciple's family based in Yuanling City?"
Yuan Qing understood what Lin Xiao was worried about and shook his head again, explaining:
"Their family is far from Yuanling City, and they don't have any influence here. The local families wouldn't allow them to act freely within the city."
Hearing this, Lin Xiao felt somewhat relieved.
If that was the case, the people pursuing Yuan Qing wouldn't likely show up in Yuanling City anytime soon.
This meant that rescuing him didn't pose too much of a risk.
It wasn't that Lin Xiao wouldn't have saved him if the risk were higher, but it would have required more careful planning and precautions.
Now that the situation seemed manageable, it made things much simpler.
At this point, Jiang Youfu, who had been silently listening to their conversation, swallowed nervously and asked:
"Brother Yuan, your fellow disciples... actually framed and tried to kill you?"
He was genuinely shocked.
Although he had heard similar stories before, seeing someone who had experienced it firsthand made it all feel more real to him.
When the stories of the cultivation world first became a part of Jiang Youfu's reality, he was deeply shaken.
Yuan Qing nodded lightly, looking down in despair, his entire demeanor filled with dejection.
Inside the Soul Nurturing Pendant, Senior Liao thought: This is just the beginning. You haven't seen anything yet.
At that moment, he had the urge to jump out, point at the injured young man on the bed, and shout to Jiang Youfu:
"See that? This is what's normal in the cultivation world! It's common! Our sect is the anomaly! When you're out exploring, remember to keep your wits about you!"
But being over five hundred years old, Senior Liao held himself back.
Now wasn't the time. It wouldn't be proper in front of an outsider.
Besides, using a sound transmission technique wouldn't have the same impact.
They were heading to the Talisman Master Conference soon anyway. There would be plenty of opportunities for them to experience the harsh realities of the cultivation world firsthand.
Noticing that Yuan Qing was already showing signs of exhaustion, Lin Xiao stood up and said:
"You should know by now that you're in Yuanling City, and you're safe for the time being. Your injuries are severe, so it's best if you rest and recover. Once you're feeling better, I'll take you home."
Jiang Youfu chimed in:
"Yes, rest well!"
As Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu reached the door, just about to leave, Lin Xiao suddenly remembered something. He poked his head back into the room and asked:
"By the way, you're from that prominent Yuan family in Yuanling City, right?"
Yuan Qing nodded, then hesitated before speaking but ultimately decided to remain silent.
He didn't tell Lin Xiao which branch of the Yuan family he belonged to.
Lin Xiao didn't press for more information. He nodded to show he understood, then left the room with Jiang Youfu, closing the door behind them.
Outside the room, Lin Xiao set up a protective barrier around the door to prevent anyone from entering.
The two of them then returned to their own room next door.
After resetting the protective formations, Lin Xiao sat down at the table, resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Senior Liao finally emerged from the Soul Nurturing Pendant and started pacing around the room.
Jiang Youfu, completely unbothered, happily ran over to a nearby armchair, sat down, and pulled out a variety of snacks from his storage pouch, placing them on the small table beside him.
Seeing this, Senior Liao felt his temples throb.
"How much food did your mother prepare for you? You've been eating non-stop for days."
Jiang Youfu, carefully chewing on his snack, shook his head and replied:
"Senior, this wasn't prepared by my mother. It was my grandmother who packed all this. She made sure it was tasty and could last a long time. She spent ages getting everything ready."
As he spoke, he picked up a piece of fried dough and handed it to Senior Liao, asking:
"Would you like some, Senior?"
Senior Liao looked at the crispy, golden piece of dough covered in fragrant sesame seeds. He tried to resist, but in the end, he took it and, while eating, said to Jiang Youfu:
"Did you hear what was said earlier?"
"Hear what?" Jiang Youfu, confused, blinked his bright eyes at Senior Liao.
Senior Liao pointed toward the room next door and said, "That kid—did you see the state he was in after being chased down? Did you hear him say that his fellow disciples framed and tried to kill him?"
Jiang Youfu, still chewing on his snack, nodded while looking puzzled.
"Do you now understand how dangerous the cultivation world is? You think this is all fun and games... You need to be cautious and careful when you're out! Don't let all the flashy things around you distract you. Don't stare at passersby, no matter how oddly they're dressed!
And when you're out, stick close to your Brother Xiao, got it? Don't get distracted by something interesting and wander off!"
"We'll be heading to the Talisman Master Conference soon, and that's no place like Yuanling City. Yuanling is a remote city with low-level cultivators, but at the conference, there will be many cultivators far stronger than us. You can't be as careless there as you are here, understand?"
"And let me tell you..."
And so, while Lin Xiao sat in silence, deep in thought, Jiang Youfu munched on the snacks his grandmother had packed while receiving a long lecture from Senior Liao that lasted over half an hour.
The next day, they prepared to head out to buy their tickets for the spirit ship bound for the Talisman Master Conference.
Before leaving, Lin Xiao decided to check in on Yuan Qing.
"Do you have any messages you'd like me to pass on to your family?" he asked.
Since being rescued by Lin Xiao, Yuan Qing had slept for three days. Thanks to the healing pills provided by Lin Xiao, he had been resting and recovering well. By now, his energy had improved significantly, and he had been awake since early morning.
Hearing Lin Xiao's question, Yuan Qing hesitated for a moment before responding:
"Lin Daoyou, you saved my life, and I should do everything I can to repay you. But in my current state, expelled from my sect with a tarnished reputation, I don't have the face to claim I'm still a part of the Yuan family."
He lifted his head to look at Lin Xiao.
"I will repay your kindness in the future, but as for my family... please don't disturb them."
Lin Xiao understood that this was Yuan Qing's pride talking, so he nodded and said:
"Alright. Focus on recovering. I'll be heading out for a bit."
As he spoke, Lin Xiao pulled a sound transmission talisman from his storage pouch and handed it to Yuan Qing.
"If you need anything, use this to contact me."