Stone Fairy!

"But..." Daozhen frowned slightly.

"Xie Ning's father doesn't seem to have stabilized things as he claimed."

Daozhen was extremely sensitive to death energy, and deep within the brightly lit mansion, he sensed a dense aura of death.

As for why Daozhen judged Xie Ning to be the city lord's daughter, he sensed that in the entire Yunmei City, only the Xie family occupied the best and largest location. The scale of the mansion, the plaque at the gate, and the pair of stone lions in front of the gate were not things that ordinary wealthy families could have.

Considering the attitude of the armored soldiers when Xie Ning showed his token at the city gate, it's highly likely that the head of the Xie family is the city lord of Yunmei City.

But now... Daozhen couldn't help but sigh, and turned back into the house to meditate.

They stayed there for three days.

For three days, no one came to disturb him.

Every morning, a servant would bring water and food, placing them respectfully at the door, knocking three times, and then leaving. Daozhen would sometimes eat some, sometimes not, and the servant wouldn't ask any questions, simply coming and going on time.

Daozhen could sense that the atmosphere in the Xie residence was becoming increasingly tense.

Xie Ning arrived on the evening of the third day.

When she appeared at the courtyard gate, it was already getting dark. The last rays of the setting sun slanted in from the western courtyard wall, casting a long shadow of her.

She was wearing a simple light blue dress, not the red outfit she wore before, and her hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, not in a ponytail. She looked much softer than before, but also much more haggard.

Her eyes were slightly red, and there were dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't slept well for the past few days.

Xie Ning stood at the courtyard gate, looked at Dao Zhen, and forced a smile.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice slightly hoarse and apologetic.

"This happened so suddenly, I didn't treat you well."

Daozhen looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then stepped aside to let her pass.

"Have a seat."

The two walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down.

Daozhen picked up the teapot on the table and poured Xie Ning a cup of clear tea. The tea soup was clear and bright, and a few tea leaves slowly unfurled in the water.

Xie Ning took the teacup, held it in her palm, lowered her head and took a sip. As the hot tea went down her throat, her brows relaxed slightly, and she seemed less tense overall.

Daozhen poured himself a cup and drank it slowly without saying a word.

Xie Ning sat opposite him, holding a teacup in both hands, her gaze fixed on the tea leaves in the cup, as if looking at something, yet also as if looking at nothing at all.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice low.

"You tell me... why does someone suddenly become ugly?"

Daozhen slowly sipped his tea, not in a hurry to answer.

He had seen too many people like that. Every year, many people would come to the Taoist temple to seek guidance.

They came with all sorts of troubles, some of whom simply wanted to find a place to talk and someone willing to listen to them.

They don't need answers.

Or perhaps they already had the answer in their hearts, they just needed an outlet to express what was stuck in their chests.

So Daozhen didn't say much, just listened quietly, occasionally glancing at Xie Ning, waiting for her to continue.

Xie Ning lowered her head, her fingers slowly tracing the rim of the teacup.

"My father..." She paused, as if trying to compose herself, "He had an accident on his way back from the capital, and he's dying."

Daozhen's gaze shifted slightly.

"And those uncles and elders who were originally very kind to me..." Xie Ning's voice carried a hint of bitterness.

"Now they're all jumping out, trying to take away my father's power in the family."

Xie Ning raised her head and looked at Dao Zhen, her eyes reddening again.

"They even argued about it until they were red in the face."

Daozhen looked at Xie Ning. Although she seemed much more mature than her peers, she was still just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.

At fifteen or sixteen years old, in the Taoist sect, one is only at the age of just beginning to enter.

Daozhen gently placed the teacup on the table, without saying anything to comfort her, but simply poured her another cup of tea.

Xie Ning took it, took a sip, and began to ramble on and on.

After saying that,

Daozhen roughly understood the Xie family's situation. The Xie family had been cultivating Yunmei City for over a hundred years, and their presence was felt in all walks of life. Naturally, the position of city lord fell to their family.

The current head of the Xie family is Xie Ning's father, Xie Tian. Xie Tian only has one daughter, Xie Ning. Xie Ning's mother passed away from illness in her early years, so Xie Ning is the only daughter in the main line of the family.

Normally, with Xie Tian keeping them in check, no one in the clan dared to speak out. But now that Xie Tian is nearing his end and Xie Ning is only fifteen or sixteen, it's hard for the others not to be tempted by such power.

"I've known since I was little that those people were kind to me because of my father," Xie Ning's voice lowered, "but I thought... they would still care about family ties."

"At least, while my father is still alive, they will be more restrained."

The twilight deepened in the courtyard, bamboo shadows swayed on the walls, and the sound of flowing water from the artificial hill murmured incessantly.

Daozhen sat opposite her, listening quietly.

Xie Ning stayed with Dao Zhen for about an hour.

By the time she finally stopped, it was completely dark.

Xie Ning let out a long breath.

"Thank you for listening to me." Xie Ning looked at Dao Zhen with sincere gratitude in her eyes. "In this family, I don't know who I can talk to."

Daozhen smiled and shook his head: "It's nothing. Providing me with accommodation is just a small favor."

Xie Ning stood up, preparing to leave, when Daozhen suddenly called out to her.

"Oh, right."

Xie Ning turned around, looked at him, and asked with some confusion, "What's wrong?"

"I've sensed that quite a few people with spiritual cultivation have come to your house these past two days."

Upon hearing Daozhen's words, Xie Ning's expression turned cold.

Those people must be the so-called "uncles and elders," the retainers and guests invited from various places.

Xie Ning looked at Dao Zhen: "Thank you for the reminder. I will thank you properly after I have resolved my family matters."

After saying that, Xie Ning walked out of the courtyard.

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the courtyard gate closed gently.

Daozhen sat on the stone bench without moving.

A night breeze rustled the bamboo leaves. The tea on the table had gone cold; two teacups sat side by side, with a little tea residue remaining at the bottom.

He raised his head and looked up at the night sky.

The moon had not yet risen, and there were only a few sparse stars in the sky, as if they might go out at any moment.

Deep within the Xie residence, a completely different scene unfolds.

Passing through numerous corridors and courtyard gates, the lights along the way became increasingly dense, and the guards became increasingly strict.

The outermost layer consisted of squads of soldiers clad in black armor, the plates gleaming coldly.

They stood ramrod straight, long swords at their waists and halberds in their hands, their eyes scanning their surroundings like those of hawks. Every few steps there was a sentry post, and the patrols moved back and forth in perfect unison, their armor clanging with a dull thud.

Further inside, the black-armored soldiers' armor was adorned with silver patterns, clearly indicating they were higher-ranking guards. They no longer patrolled, but instead remained stationed at every doorway and corner, expressionless and silent, like silent iron statues.

At the entrance to the innermost courtyard, two people were standing.

They wore ordinary blue robes and looked no different from ordinary people, but if you looked closely, you would find that their eyes were completely different from those of the soldiers.

A glint of light shone in those two pairs of eyes, like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath, its edge concealed, yet commanding respect.

Their imposing presence far surpassed that of the black-armored soldiers.

Passing through this door, you'll find Xie Tian's bedroom.

The door was ajar, and dim light shone through the crack.

A faint fragrance wafted out from inside the door; it was the scent of calming incense, subtle and lingering, carrying a power to soothe the soul.

In the very center of the room was a large bed, with dark blue silk curtains hanging down, covering most of the bed.

Xie Ning sat on a round stool by the bed, her hands on her knees, her back straight, her gaze fixed on the person lying inside the bed curtains.

The bed curtains were half-drawn, revealing the face of the person on the bed.

He was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with regular features and a hint of his youthful vigor still visible between his brows. But at this moment, his face was as pale as paper, his lips were bluish-purple, and he was barely breathing.

Xie Tian's lips moved slightly: "Ni..."

Xie Ning's body trembled violently.

"I'm afraid I won't make it through tonight."

Xie Tian's voice was very soft, each word carrying an indescribable weariness. As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Xie Ning, his eyes filled with grief and reluctance.

Xie Ning finally couldn't hold back her tears, and large drops rolled down her cheeks, landing on the back of her hand that was gripping her father's.

"Dad, don't say anymore... You'll get better..."

Xie Tian shook his head, his movements so light they were almost imperceptible.

"I've already taken care of the rest for you."

"If your uncles and elders continue to act the same way, I hope you won't be soft-hearted, understand?"

Xie Ning's face was streaked with tears, and she pursed her lips tightly.

Xie Tian seemed to have used all his strength to pat Xie Ning's head.

"A major event has occurred in the capital; the world is about to change."

"You need to become stronger quickly."