"Dao Brother, thank you for looking after my clan's junior these past days — she's caused you no small trouble."

Xu Wanyun poured herself a cup of tea, drinking tea in place of wine.

"No need for such courtesy. She's helped me a fair bit too."

Shen Yi nodded — and it was the truth. Aqing's saying earlier that she could repair the Nine-Sword Calamity-Ending Formation alone meant she'd never lack for protection anywhere. That was a formation capable of trapping and killing Spirit-Transformation cultivators.

Seeing the two exchanging courtesies, Aqing let out a breath in her heart. She was merely a touch mischievous, not truly unruly, and knowing both were exceedingly good to her, she had no wish for any rift to form between them. But then she felt something was off, though she couldn't say where the problem lay.

"Big Brother Shen, this is an elder of mine; she wants to come along—"

Before the words were out, Aqing took a flick to the forehead.

"I call him Dao Brother, and you call him Big Brother?" Xu Wanyun shot her a glance.

"..."

Aqing finally grasped where the problem lay, but looking at Shen Yi's handsome, young face, the words "Uncle Shen" simply wouldn't come out no matter what. She gave a sullen hum and buried her head, saying nothing.

"I hear Dao Brother has important matters on hand, and likely can't spare attention for this junior — better let me look after her. Should there be any place you need help, Wanyun is also willing to lend her meager effort."

As though to refute her niece's earlier scorn about shallow experience, Xu Wanyun spoke without a single leak, her every word and move by the book, not a fault to be found.

Watching her formal manner, Shen Yi raised an eyebrow. "Either's fine."

If Aqing could stay, that was best of all — never mind the news of the peerless-grade spiritual root, at least getting the sword-formation repaired first would give him one more exceedingly formidable asset. Still, this was a family affair after all; an outsider…