Wu Huang let out a sigh heavy with fatigue as he returned to the humble servants' area. However, before secluding himself in his own dwelling, he took a detour to look for the Head Servant.
"I heard the rumors that you had been kidnapped, but I see you have returned intact," the man commented, his tone of voice betraying his own exhaustion.
Wu Huang calmly recounted everything that had happened from the moment he left until his return. Upon hearing it, the Head Servant nodded with a slight expression of surprise etched on his face.
"You have been through a lot. Go rest for now; I will take care of reporting this matter."
Wu Huang nodded respectfully and withdrew. His mind and body were crying out for rest after being pushed to their limits, so he headed straight to his austere room. Once alone, he fixed his gaze on a particular treasure.
"And now... what am I supposed to do with you?" he murmured, looking at the Red Ginseng.
The spiritual plant showed no movement at all, but by extending a slight thread of his divine consciousness, Wu Huang could perceive that its life force was still intact; it was still alive.
"It will die if I do not provide it with a proper environment to nourish itself," he muttered to himself. Immediately, a list of celestial materials and necessary ingredients to recreate said environment flooded his mind. Nevertheless, a flash of frustration crossed his eyes: having lost his spatial ring, he was left without a single spirit stone. His options were limited: he could either plant it in some mundane place hoping it would survive, or engrave a formation to suppress its energy and refine it directly into a high-level pill or elixir.
"Well, that will have to wait. I have no energy left to deal with this right now," he sighed exhaustedly, letting himself fall onto his bed to sink into a deep rest for the remainder of the day.
Meanwhile, in another part of the sect, Mu Qinlian broke the silence of her stride.
"Are you capable of tracking the ring?"
[Child's play. That ring was with little Wu long enough to leave an indelible aura trail. As long as we are within a reasonable range, I will be able to detect it without any problems,] replied her master's voice, resonating directly in her mind.
Mu Qinlian nodded and quickened her pace toward the inner disciples' residential area. Unlike the crowded shacks where the servants eked out a living, this area consisted of a vast mountain range where the most capable disciples excavated their own cultivation caves to meditate in seclusion.
In this place, the earth's spiritual veins were rich; the ambient Qi was immensely denser and purer than on the servants' small mountain, making it a true paradise for training.
Given that the mountain range spanned multiple majestic peaks, Mu Qinlian knew she would have to inspect them one by one, a task that would take her some time. However, she did not advance much before her master's voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
[Wait! I feel a reaction.]
Mu Qinlian stopped and, before she could ask where, a warm voice greeted her:
"Junior Sister Mu, how are you faring?"
Mu Qinlian's face became quite unpleasant as she turned around. There, wearing a flattering smile, was Senior Brother Liu Rufeng.
"Senior Brother," Mu Qinlian greeted politely, forcing her composure.
[It seems he took it,] her master's voice said in her mind.
Upon hearing that, Mu Qinlian's face turned completely cold.
"Senior Brother Liu, may I ask you something?"
Liu Rufeng's face became lively upon hearing that, believing he was finally scoring points with her. "Of course, Junior Sister Mu. Anything I can help you with, I will gladly do. Do not hesitate to ask," he replied with a smile that overflowed with friendliness.
"May I ask... why did you attack and rob my senior brother?" she asked directly, cuttingly, and without a shred of courtesy.
Liu Rufeng's face froze completely at the sudden accusation. His eyes went wide and, visibly nervous, he tried to force a laugh.
"I... I do not understand at all what Junior Sister Mu is asking," he stuttered slightly. "Could you explain to me what you mean by such an accusation? There must be a misunderstanding."
"You have my senior brother's storage ring on your finger, which was just stolen a moment ago. Explain why you have it," she sentenced, locking her cold gaze onto the object.
Liu Rufeng felt a drop of cold sweat run down the back of his neck. With a hardened face, he frantically thought of a believable lie before responding, trying to regain his composure.
"Oh! You mean this ring?" he said with feigned surprise and in a casual manner. "What a huge coincidence. A low-ranking disciple gave it to me as a respectful offering just a few minutes ago. I would have never imagined it was a stolen item, let alone from your family. What an atrocity!"
Mu Qinlian did not believe his clumsy lie at all. However, as her current intention was only to recover her brother's item and then deal with the actual people involved calmly, she simply extended her hand toward him.
"In that case, I assume there will be no inconvenience. Return the ring to me right now with all its contents intact and tell me the name of the person who gave it to you."
"That is a bit... complicated, Junior Sister," Liu Rufeng said, taking half a step back. He did not want to hand over the ring for anything in the world; the treasures inside were worth a fortune. "You see, as the leader of the disciples, I cannot simply betray my subordinates without a prior investigation..."
"Are you telling me then that you were directly involved in the attack?" Mu Qinlian interrupted him, taking a step forward as a gelid aura began to emanate from her body.
Taken aback by her momentum, he tried to use his own momentum to counteract it, but it was like a drop in the ocean, completely unable to stop it.
"Wait, Mu Qinlian, I think you are rushing into things."
"I do not care what you say, Senior Brother Liu. Either you willingly hand over the ring to me this instant, or I will assume you are the mastermind behind the robbery and act accordingly," she sentenced without giving him any room to escape.