Uncle Hu, the person in charge who had brought them in, was slightly stunned for a moment. First, he leaned over and whispered a few words in the woman's ear, and then he left the room.
Seeing that he had really gone to prepare things, Xiaotuanzi (Niannian) stopped urging.
But her direct gaze fixed on the woman seemed to say: I'm watching you. Don't even think about backing out or slacking off.
Children have clear and innocent minds, and they almost always wear their thoughts on their faces.
The woman wasn't offended at all by being treated so warily by Niannian. She let out a soft laugh and asked, "Which master do you study under?"
"An obscure Taoist temple."
Niannian didn't want to reveal her background. She even didn't want to mention her master's name.
The shrewdness and calculation in the woman's eyes made her feel uncomfortable all over.
Even though she didn't understand much, her intuition told her that something was off.
Niannian didn't say anything, and the woman didn't press.
Just then, Uncle Hu, who had just left, came back from outside.
He brought a bell and handed it to the woman.
She propped herself up with difficulty, let out a soft sigh, and said, "Let's go. Let's go and see your senior brother."
"Okay."
Niannian nodded eagerly.
The two of them walked slowly one after another to the room where Shen Weixun was being kept.
The yin energy on Shen Weixun's body had started to spread out. This didn't mean that his condition had improved.
It only meant that his body could no longer contain any more yin energy, and the excess had seeped out.
The woman slightly raised her hand. Holding the bell, she mumbled something under her breath.
Then she placed the bell on Shen Weixun's head and shook it continuously.
Niannian saw wisps of yin energy surging out from Senior Brother Shen's forehead and being sucked into the bell.
This bell was a yin artifact.
Something specifically made for ghosts.
As the yin energy was gradually absorbed by the bell, Shen Weixun's complexion visibly improved.
And the woman, who had originally looked pale and weak, also seemed to be in better condition.
After a while, Shen Weixun frowned, his eyelids fluttered a couple of times, and finally he opened his eyes.
The first thing he did after opening his eyes was to look around for Niannian. Seeing the little girl standing unscathed in front of him, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Where is this?"
Shen Weixun took a quick look around the room. It looked more like a residence.
In any case, it definitely wasn't the kind of place like the Metaphysics Exchange Conference.
"This is the Hu family. I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused you. I already know what happened to you at the Metaphysics Conference. The young man who competed with you is actually my nephew. The Hu family has always adhered to the idea that strength is supreme. Whoever has stronger spiritual power can become the head of the family.
I'm the outstanding one among his elders, so I naturally took the position of the family head. But his father wasn't willing to accept this. While I was in seclusion for cultivation, he took advantage of my love for the younger generation and trapped my soul.
This happened a year ago. At that time, the Metaphysics Exchange Conference hadn't officially started yet. Most of the Hu family members were unaware of the underhanded things they did. I hope you can forgive us."
With just a few words, the woman distanced herself and the Hu family from the arrogant people at the conference.
She didn't care whether Niannian, such a young girl, could understand or not.
In fact, this apology was meant for Shen Weixun.
The young man looked extraordinary. One could tell at a glance that he came from a special background.
The calmness, composure, and steadiness in his temperament were not something a person of his age should have.
At just a dozen years old, he already had such a bearing, even stronger than most adults.
The woman believed that Shen Weixun could understand.
She could tell that Niannian listened to Shen Weixun very much.
As long as he understood, this little girl with powerful Taoist skills wouldn't pursue the matter any further.
"I'm not interested in the affairs of your Hu family. What I really want to know is how you're going to deal with that person. And isn't the Soul-Replenishing Herb the prize for the first place?"
Shen Weixun didn't take the bait at all. His face was expressionless.
It wasn't coldness or disdain. One simply couldn't tell his emotions, making it impossible to figure out his attitude.
"Yes, yes! The Soul-Replenishing Herb. I only need that!"
Xiaotuanzi quickly nodded in agreement. She didn't care about the first place or anything else.
The prize was more important than the ranking.
But when the Soul-Replenishing Herb was mentioned, the woman's face stiffened slightly. Her smile froze on her face, and then she frowned, looking a bit embarrassed. "This was just a childish prank. Normally, a thing like the Soul-Replenishing Herb would never be used as a prize in the Metaphysics Exchange Conference. It took us the Hu family a great deal of effort to collect just one plant.
You should have also noticed that our Hu family focuses on soul cultivation. The Soul-Replenishing Herb has a powerful effect on the soul. For our Hu family, it's a life-saving medicine.
I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. Those rascals came up with the idea of underhanded means because they wanted both the fame and to avoid giving up the prize. This matter is indeed our fault, and I'll definitely punish them later."
In other words, she just didn't want to give it.
There was no need for the woman to remind them how precious the Soul-Replenishing Herb was.
This thing was priceless on the market.
Shen Weixun knew that this was just the woman's excuse. Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, Niannian picked up the conversation.
Children didn't understand the complicated schemes of adults.
She only listened to the literal meaning.
What Niannian understood from the woman's words was that the woman wanted to punish those two people in exchange for her not asking for the Soul-Replenishing Herb.
That wouldn't do!
Whether those two people lived or died had nothing to do with her.
"No, no. I only need the Soul-Replenishing Herb. And didn't you say, auntie, that as long as I could save you, you would grant me a wish? I don't want anything else. Just give me the Soul-Replenishing Herb."
Niannian was only six years old. It sounded completely natural for her to say such a thing.
Originally, the woman had deliberately avoided this topic, hoping to just ignore the matter.
But she didn't expect that the little girl remembered it so clearly.
The words she had said at that time were just a temporary measure in a moment of desperation.
Even though she was dealing with just a six-year-old child, she had immediately chosen to use an offer of benefits as a means to save her own life.
But in fact, even if she hadn't said anything at that time, Niannian definitely wouldn't have allowed them to casually destroy a soul.
She had shot herself in the foot.
After much thought, the woman's brow gradually relaxed, and she said, "It's not that I don't want to give it to you. It's just that the place where the Soul-Replenishing Herb is located is a bit special. It's in the restricted area of our Hu family. It's full of dangers and many taboos. Even if I wanted to give it to you, I might not be able to. Of course, if you can find a way to get the Soul-Replenishing Herb from there, I'll definitely offer it with both hands. Is that okay?"