Qin Xiao merely put on a polite front; he did not genuinely need any treasures, nor did he believe such a place held anything of real value. He only agreed to let Ye Qiuyue set her mind at ease.
The group soon arrived outside the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion treasury.
"Aunt, are you truly certain about this?"
Ye Tianyi still felt a twinge of reluctance. These were items she had painstakingly gathered over many years.
"What? Does your aunt's word carry no weight now?"
Ye Qiuyue shot Ye Tianyi a sharp look.
Although her eldest brother had originally established the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion for Tianyi, ever since his perishing, she had managed the pavilion herself. It was only after Tianyi reached the Soul Formation stage that she relinquished control and settled into long-term seclusion at Seven Stars Peak.
Truth be told, the majority of the items in this treasury had been found by her in the first place. What harm was there in giving a small portion away?
"Aiya, Aunt, I did not mean it that way. It is fine."
Despite her lingering reluctance, Ye Tianyi stepped forward and unlocked the doors.
"This is the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion treasury. You may each select one item freely."
With the doors open, she addressed Qin Xiao and his companions.
"Then I must thank Master's Wife and Senior Sister."
Qin Xiao offered a brief word of thanks and stepped inside, intending to pick out whatever caught his eye.
Instead of rushing, he motioned for Yun Man and Lin Shimeng to choose first. As their master, he could not very well contend with his own disciples for treasures; he would simply take whatever remained.
Yun Man and Lin Shimeng showed no false modesty. Each selected a Low Grade Dharma Treasure.
Pain was clearly visible on Ye Tianyi's face, though she forced a stiff smile and kept silent.
"Master, this pair of shoes appears quite suitable for you."
Yun Man, having secured her choice, noticed a pair of footwear resting on the uppermost shelf. Upon closer inspection, she realized they were a Middle Grade Dharma Treasure and called out to Qin Xiao.
"Shoes? That will do. Retrieve them for me, Yun Man."
Qin Xiao raised no objections and let his disciple fetch the item.
"Perhaps Junior Brother would care to inspect a few other things?"
Unable to contain herself any longer, Ye Tianyi winced. That particular Middle Grade Dharma Treasure was the most valuable item in her entire collection.
"Ah, it is quite all right. I am merely browsing without design, Senior Sister. Do not fret over value; the thought is what matters most, be it costly or meager."
Believing that Ye Tianyi was simply worried he had settled for something trivial out of politeness, Qin Xiao hurried to reassure her that intentions superseded worth.
"Aunt..."
Unable to voice her grievances, Ye Tianyi resorted to acting coquettishly toward Ye Qiuyue. That was her most cherished treasure-a veritable life-saving divine artifact!
"Give it to him."
Though Ye Qiuyue knew the item was far from ordinary, it still paled in comparison to the Saint Origin Spirit Fruit Qin Xiao had bestowed upon her.
"Aunt, tell me the absolute truth: is he your child with Elder Qin? Why else would you show him such boundless favoritism?"
Suspicious of the excessive indulgence, Ye Tianyi asked with a trace of jealousy.
"What utter nonsense! Changqing and I agreed long ago never to conceive heirs until we reached Tribulation Transcendence. Cease such idle talk at once."
Caught completely off guard by the accusation, Ye Qiuyue flushed with irritation.
Naturally, the exchange did not escape the ears of Qin Xiao and his two disciples.
"I still find it baffling," Lin Shimeng whispered, leaning close to Yun Man. "Even if he is not her actual child, could he be Elder Qin's illegitimate son? He does share the surname Qin."
"Indeed, it makes little sense," Ye Tianyi's words echoed in their minds, while Yun Man and Lin Shimeng murmured quietly among themselves.
"How should I know? I only entered as a Novice three little months ago," Yun Man replied under her breath. "Were you not raised within the Tianyuan Sect since childhood, Shimeng? Have you no inkling?"
"I am just as clueless. Over three years ago, Grandpa Qin brought him back without a word of explanation. The Sect inquired, but Grandpa Qin insisted on taking him as a Personal Disciple, leaving everyone with no choice but to acquiesce. Just three days later, Grandpa Qin perished in battle for the Sect. None of us truly know the truth."
"It matters little to me," Yun Man said calmly. "True or false, nothing changes. I only know that Master treats me well."
Yun Man harbored no curiosity regarding Qin Xiao's origins. Lin Shimeng, however, remained unconvinced.
"Very well, if you say so... though I intend to question my father the moment we return."
Up front, Ye Qiuyue firmly dismissed the notion. "Impossible. I investigated his background; Qin Xiao is barely nineteen years old. Nineteen years ago, Changqing and I were deep in Secluded Cultivation without a single day apart. He cannot possibly be Changqing's bloodline."
"How can you be certain? There are methods to delay birth or conceal an heir. Why not ask him directly whether he was raised by a father or solely by his mother in his youth?"
Determined to uncover the truth, Ye Tianyi refused to let the matter drop, feeling deeply aggrieved.
"Xiao'er, answer her so she holds her tongue," Ye Qiuyue said, exasperated by her niece yet reluctant to resort to physical correction.
"Ah?"
Caught entirely unawares, Qin Xiao found himself thrust into the position of having to prove his own origins.
The critical issue was that he could do no such thing.
He was not a physical transmigrator, but a soul transmigrator. The very first moment he opened his eyes in this world, he had been lying flat upon Qin Changqing's flying sword. Upon returning to Seven Stars Peak, he had been hastily inducted as a disciple while still dazed. He knew his name was Qin Xiao, but possessed zero memories of the original body's childhood.
He had often wondered himself whether the original body had been incapable of cultivation from birth, or if his own arrival had altered things. Asking him to recall his early years was an impossible demand.
"What ails you, Xiao'er?" Ye Qiuyue asked, noting his silence.
"It is nothing. My master can hardly be my father-for one, I am far more handsome than he was, and we bear little resemblance. Beyond that, I can say no more," Qin Xiao replied vaguely.
Even he was beginning to wonder if he truly was the secret descendant of the elder. What kind of situation had he stumbled into?
"Precisely," Ye Qiuyue seized upon his words to refute her niece. "How could Xiao'er be Changqing's child? Changqing possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root. Had Xiao'er been his descendant, how could he have remained unable to cultivate?"
"Then explain why you treat him with such absurd generosity, far beyond your own blood niece!"
Realizing her hypothesis was likely flawed, Ye Tianyi pouted with lingering spite.
"Aiya, Senior Sister, you are over two hundred years old yet still prone to jealousy. Come, let us speak privately for a moment."
Pulling an unwilling Ye Tianyi a short distance away, Qin Xiao covertly retrieved a Saint Origin Spirit Fruit and pressed it into her hand.
"Senior Sister, we are all of one house. I have no intention of competing for favor. Take this small token of goodwill, and let the matter rest. How does that sound?"
"What? Could this be..."
"Hush, do not speak of it aloud. I have only ever given one to Master's Wife; this second one is for you. You know full well the value of this item, so accept it quietly and keep your voice down."
Comprehending the immense worth of the fruit, Ye Tianyi promptly pocketed it without another word.
No wonder Aunt favored him so, she thought to herself, a sudden realization dawning. She must have broken through rapidly thanks to a Saint Origin Spirit Fruit from him. Everything makes sense now.
Returning to the entrance of the treasury, her demeanor underwent a sudden, dramatic shift.
"Take whatever you wish! Choose to your heart's content, Junior Brother. Your senior sister is not so petty!"
"There is no need for anything else; these selections will suffice. If there is nothing further, we should return to the Tianyuan Sect, as we have already been away for two days."
Having successfully mended relations, Qin Xiao had no intention of selecting additional treasures.
"Are you leaving already, Xiao'er? Your master's wife has yet to properly host you," Ye Qiuyue said regretfully.
"Though the visit was brief, Master's Wife, we must prepare for the upcoming trials. The Spirit Medicine Valley opens in three months, and the qualifying bouts take place in two. We must return to our cultivation."
His primary purpose in visiting Tianyi City had been to familiarize himself with the route and see the sights; a prolonged stay had never been part of the plan.
"Since the hour is late, you may depart at first light tomorrow."
Seeing his resolve, Ye Qiuyue relented and insisted only that he stay the night.
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