Mortal: I'm in Tianxing City, intelligence updates daily.

"No rush, let's wait for Fan Jingmei to arrive before we talk about it."

Yun Zhiyao stood obediently below, but her heart tightened.

A short while later, a female cultivator in a white dress walked in. After glancing at Yun Zhiyao beside her, she bowed to the beautiful woman in palace attire and said, "This subordinate, Fan Jingmei, greets the sect leader."

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the beautiful woman in palace attire said coldly, "Yun Zhiyao, Fan Jingmei exposed your unauthorized entry into the sect's treasury. Do you admit to this?"

Yun Zhiyao sensed that something was off about the atmosphere, and her expression changed several times.

He thought to himself, "Could it be that I've offended too many people lately, and the sect leader wants to punish me by making me appease my fellow disciples? Oh well, I'll just soften my stance for now and let them calm down. I'll deal with them later, especially that bitch Fan Jingmei."

She enjoys the sect leader's deep trust and is one of the few people who possess the sect's treasure vault jade token. This is not the first time she has entered without permission.

None of the other disciples had seen it before, and even when the sect leader found out, he only gave them a few words of reprimand.

She was accidentally spotted by Fan Jingmei when she came out this time, but she made up an excuse by saying that it was a secret order from the sect leader.

However, she only went in and admired a few rare treasures without taking anything, so the punishment shouldn't be too severe.

After a moment's hesitation, Yun Zhiyao quickly knelt down and admitted her mistake, saying, "Zhiyao knows she was wrong, please punish her, Sect Master."

Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman in palace attire suddenly said sternly, "So that means you admit it. Although you usually obey me, I, the sect leader, cannot show favoritism because of this. According to the sect rules, entering the sect's treasury without permission is a serious crime. I will punish you specifically after I have inventoried the treasury."

As soon as she finished speaking, the beautiful woman in palace attire raised her hand, and a silver rope flew out, binding Yun Zhiyao tightly.

Yun Zhiyao was startled at first, and then realized that she could not mobilize the magic power in her dantian.

Thinking back to the last time a fellow disciple was treated this way by the sect leader, the grass on their graves must be incredibly tall by now.

The punishment exceeded her expectations, and she was filled with great fear, beginning to beg for mercy: "Sect Master, please investigate! I only went in to..."

Before she could finish speaking, a talisman was placed over her mouth, rendering Yun Zhiyao unable to utter a word.

Fan Jingmei, the female cultivator in white standing to the side, had a look of joy in her eyes, but she tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth that were turning up.

"I'm going to the vault to take inventory now; you all wait here."

After speaking, the beautiful woman in palace attire gracefully left the secret room. When she returned, her face was covered in frost.

"Two level-six demon cores and one piece of purple jade spirit coral are missing."

Yun Zhiyao, lying on the ground, turned ashen-faced upon hearing this; she hadn't taken any of those items.

By now, he understood that he had been abandoned by the sect leader.

She had done many shady things for the sect leader and knew that this day would come sooner or later, but she didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

A deep hatred welled up in her heart. The sect leader could have killed her with just a word, yet he had to put on such a show, making her lose face in front of her mortal enemy.

When Fan Jingmei goes out, she'll exaggerate her current disheveled state, and those people will laugh their heads off.

Thinking of this, Yun Zhiyao felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

"Jingmei, you can go out now. You have done a good job this time, and I will reward you."

Upon hearing this, the female cultivator in white bowed respectfully and took her leave. After leaving the secret chamber, she could no longer suppress the smile on her lips. Once she was far away, she couldn't help but burst into laughter a few times.

......

Inside a sealed room.

The frost on the beautiful woman's face had vanished, and she stared expressionlessly at Yun Zhiyao on the ground.

This woman knew many of her secrets and needed to deal with her before handing her over.

So he said, "Will you open your mind yourself, or will I use torture?"

She was met with a venomous look.

Soon, a piercing scream echoed through the secret room.

Wang Ning, standing to the side, looked somewhat reluctant and wanted to speak up to stop him several times, but after thinking it over carefully, she swallowed her words in the end.

The beautiful woman in palace attire watched this unfold. After completing her spell, she said solemnly, "My daughter, if you want to take charge of the Miaoyin Sect in the future, you must not be soft-hearted. Don't be fooled by their usual respect for you. If I am not around one day, their superficial respect for you will be considered a sign of their conscience."

"Mother, I know."

"Good to know. Come with me to that person's cave later."

Not long after, the cultivators within the Miaoyin Sect received a message.

Yun Zhiyao, a Foundation Establishment female cultivator within the sect, trespassed into the sect's secret vault and has now had her cultivation crippled by the sect leader, awaiting further punishment.

Fan Jingmei was promoted to Left Envoy of the Gate for her meritorious report.

......

Tianxing City Sacred Mountain.

Li Shizhou was sitting cross-legged on the bed meditating when suddenly someone knocked on the door outside the array's light barrier.

He probed with his divine sense and saw two female cultivators outside.

One of the beautiful women in palace attire, with a cultivation level at the early stage of Core Formation, had the emblem of the Miaoyin Sect embroidered on her cuffs. She should be the Sect Master Wang who had already perished when she first appeared in the original book.

The other female cultivator was Fairy Ziling, Wang Ning, who had visited just a few days prior.

Besides the two women, there was also a flying magical artifact resembling a sedan chair parked outside the door, inside which was a female cultivator bound by silver ropes.

"Yun Zhiyao, this Sect Master Wang is quite a remarkable person."

Since the other party had brought the person over themselves, relieving him of a worry, Li Shizhou naturally wouldn't refuse.

He transmitted a few words telepathically, then activated the formation and waited in the reception room.

A moment later, the two female cultivators entered the reception room, while the sedan chair remained in the courtyard.

After entering, the beautiful woman in palace attire first introduced herself, and then said, "Fellow Daoist Li, I apologize for my unauthorized visit."

After pouring three cups of tea, Li Shizhou replied, "Guests are welcome. Sect Leader Wang and Fairy Ziling, please have a seat. May I ask what business you have with me?"

"To my shame, I have been busy with cultivation these past few years and have neglected to discipline my subordinates. A disciple named Yun Zhiyao broke into the sect's treasury. After the incident, I searched her soul and found out that she had committed a heinous crime decades ago, harming the grandmother of my fellow Daoist and her partner. I have brought her here; she is in the courtyard. Now you can do whatever you want with her."

The beautiful woman in palace attire said with a face full of shame.

Li Shizhou wasn't interested in these explanations; all he cared about was that Zhuo Ruting get her revenge. So he said, "I see. Since it's a personal grudge, then let my wife handle it."

After he finished speaking, he transmitted his voice to Zhuo Ruting, who was meditating in his stone chamber.

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Ruting ended her cultivation practice, flew to the courtyard, and saw Yun Zhiyao inside the sedan chair. She was both angry and delighted, and without saying a word, she used her magic to bring him back to her stone chamber.

Li Shizhou continued to drink tea and chat with the two women from Miaoyin Sect.

During this time, the beautiful woman in palace attire also showed her intention to win him over, but he neither refused nor agreed.

After drinking for a while, Li Shizhou suddenly asked, "Sect Leader Wang, I've heard that your Miaoyin Sect is well-informed. Could you help me find out the whereabouts of a cultivator?"

"I am not boasting, but my Miaoyin Sect has only achieved minor success in the business world. Our intelligence gathering ability far surpasses that of merchants. I wonder who you are looking for?"

Li Shizhou believed this. Many of the sects in the Chaotic Star Sea had their Daoist partners and concubines from the Myriad Sounds Sect, so they naturally had many channels for gathering information.

He revealed the name of the cultivator he wanted to find out: "Yuan Yao."