28 - The Divine Physician’s Overbearing Wife

**Banxia Novel Chapter 28** The recruitment event for new disciples at Fenghua Immortal Sect concluded successfully, even though most new disciples, trailing behind some of the Elders or gathered in small groups, didn't seem particularly joyful. The exception was Yan Zhu Guang, who stood beside Yun Mi Xue as she had hoped, appearing extremely at ease. Overall, Fenghua Immortal Sect achieved its aim of showcasing the sect's vitality through this recruitment gathering. Once word of the event spreads, the sect is likely to enjoy a minor surge in reputation. After all, a talent like Yan Zhu Guang, with her rare combination of a wood spiritual root and a wood spirit body, is exceedingly uncommon in the cultivation world, renowned for its abundance of prodigies. One can't help but wonder how far such an astounding talent will go in the future. For now, Yan Zhu Guang's name has caused a small stir within the world of cultivation. But that's a tale for another time. Presently, the gathering dispersed, and attendees began to depart. Gu Chen seemed to want to discuss some sect matters with Yun Mi Xue, but it wasn't urgent. He asked Yun Mi Xue to first help Yan Zhu Guang settle in. Yan Zhu Guang had already gained entry to Fenghua Immortal Sect. What remained were the entrance formalities: lighting the soul lamp, receiving a disciple badge, entry rewards, and standard provisions for newcomers. These steps weren't all handled in one location. If Yan Zhu Guang were to manage them alone, it would be quite troublesome. But with Yun Mi Xue by her side, things were different. She gathered Yan Zhu Guang close, rose on her cloud, and flew off directly. When they were alone, Yun Mi Xue couldn't help but ask, "Why are you insisting on staying by my side, little girl? The Elders are much stronger and could offer more guidance in your cultivation. If you stick with me, your progress will depend entirely on yourself." Yan Zhu Guang tilted her head with a smile, "I promised to repay you, Senior Sister. How could I break my word? Back at Yi Miao Sect, I cultivated on my own, and I believe I can do the same here." Yun Mi Xue was resigned, "Why do you feel the need to repay me? Cultivating here and at Yi Miao Sect are worlds apart. As you advance, you'll face more and more challenges. Let's see how you handle them then!" Yun Mi Xue playfully "flicked" Yan Zhu Guang's forehead. Covering the spot, Yan Zhu Guang grinned, "We'll tackle those when they come. You don't need to worry about me, Senior Sister." Yun Mi Xue shook her head, feeling somewhat helpless dealing with this stubborn girl. Oh well, since things had turned out this way, she'd just have to think of more solutions for her in the future. Yun Mi Xue first brought Yan Zhu Guang to the Soul Lamp Hall. Yan Zhu Guang, being an inner disciple, had her soul lamp managed by the Inner Soul Lamp Hall. The recruitment took place in the Qingfeng Square of the southern gate of Fenghua Immortal Sect, so they'd have to pass through the outer disciple area to reach it. As Yan Zhu Guang stood on Yun Mi Xue’s cloud, overlooking the Fenghua Immortal Sect below, the system, which usually remained silent in others' presence, spoke, "Host, that is the small forest from before." Yan Zhu Guang glanced down at the forest a few times. Noticing Yan Zhu Guang's gaze, Yun Mi Xue said, "That's a trial forest for outer disciples of the sect. Inside are beasts below the Golden Core stage. Inner disciples encounter them occasionally too." Yan Zhu Guang nodded thoughtfully. Since it was a trial forest, He Sheng wouldn't have specifically headed there when leaving the sect. So, was it a coincidence that he met his end there, or was he drawn there by something sinister? Yan Zhu Guang asked, "Senior Sister, is this the only path to the Inner Soul Lamp Hall?" "This is the shortest path from the Inner Soul Lamp Hall to the southern gate of the sect," Yun Mi Xue replied. "Not far ahead is the Outer Soul Lamp Hall, where the soul lamps of honorary and outer disciples are kept." "Honorary disciple..." Yan Zhu Guang carefully continued, "By the way, Senior Sister, how is that Sister who approached me earlier?" For some time, Yan Zhu Guang had been preoccupied with finding He Sheng's killer, but she hadn't yet questioned Yun Mi Xue about him. Yun Mi Xue paused, then replied, "Considering how she treated you, she wasn't fit to remain a disciple of our sect. I expelled her from Fenghua Immortal Sect that day." Yan Zhu Guang opened her mouth, "Expelled like Tao Zhi?" Yun Mi Xue responded, "Abolishing one's dantian is too severe. Her transgressions didn't warrant such a punishment." "Oh," Yan Zhu Guang added, "Was she like Tao Zhi, also removed from the sect records?" "In Fenghua Immortal Sect, one must extinguish the soul lamp before erasing other records," Yun Mi Xue explained, though puzzled by Yan Zhu Guang's keen interest in expulsion procedures. "Even records of her as an honorary disciple under a senior will be erased." Yan Zhu Guang was intrigued, "Where are these records kept?" "In the depths of the Inner Soul Lamp Hall, within the Titled Disciple Soul Lamp Hall. As an honorary disciple, part of her soul lamp's aura would be hung beside that of a senior disciple." This step seemed crucial. As they soon reached the Soul Lamp Hall, Yan Zhu Guang wondered if she might glean any clues. Yun Mi Xue's cloud was swift; despite intentionally slowing for Yan Zhu Guang, they arrived at the Inner Soul Lamp Hall in no time. As there were no new disciples lighting their soul lamps at the moment, the Elders wouldn't personally escort disciples here. They would most likely take them to their residences and have other disciples or honorary disciples bring them over later. Few like Yun Mi Xue directly brought Yan Zhu Guang, so they didn’t need to queue. The Elder from the Soul Lamp Hall had also sent a representative to the recruitment event. The number of new disciples and their appearance details had already been reported back. Yun Mi Xue and Yan Zhu Guang barely had time to explain their purpose before the Elder ushered them into the Inner Disciples' Soul Lamp Hall. This hall was vast, dark, and empty. Apart from the sea of stars-like, flickering orange flames, the grand hall was silent. No matter how light one's steps, any sound could be heard. Of course, given Yun Mi Xue and the Elder's prowess, Yan Zhu Guang was the only one making noticeable footstep sounds. Feeling nervous, she walked cautiously. Noticing this, Yun Mi Xue kindly matched her pace, producing quiet footsteps of her own. Yan Zhu Guang turned, gratefully smiling at Yun Mi Xue. They didn't venture deep, pausing after only a few steps in an area dimmer than the rest, with fewer soul lamps set up. The Elder retrieved a palm-sized metal lotus lamp with a long handle and instructed Yan Zhu Guang, "Expel a drop of your essence blood." Yan Zhu Guang complied. Instead of taking the blood, the Elder held the lotus lamp forward, having Yan Zhu Guang infuse the essence into the core before beginning to employ spells on it. Before long, with a resonant hum, the lamp "released" a narrow, two-finger-wide silver badge. With a gentle yet firm motion, the Elder levitated the lamp onto a gently rising mound, where it settled securely. Handing the silver badge to Yan Zhu Guang, the Elder said, "This is your disciple identity badge. It's essential within the sect. Keep it with you, but avoid storing it in spatial tools when inside the sect." "Yes, thank you, Elder." The Elder nodded. With the soul lamp lit, he prepared to see Yan Zhu Guang and Yun Mi Xue out. Yan Zhu Guang played with the silver badge, intrigued. As they neared the hall's exit, she softly asked Yun Mi Xue, "Senior Sister, is the Soul Lamp Hall always so quiet?" Her whisper, though hushed, didn’t escape the high-level cultivator's ears. The kindly Elder of the Soul Lamp Hall also heard. Yun Mi Xue started to say, "It's always like this," but the Elder chimed in, chuckling, "Indeed, it's mostly quiet here. Only when you new disciples join does it get slightly lively." "New disciples joining?" Yan Zhu Guang asked Yun Mi Xue, "How often do new disciples get recruited?" Yun Mi Xue explained, "The grand recruitment happens every ten years, with smaller sessions occasionally every few years." "Then this place must be quiet most of the time." The Elder laughed, jesting, "Besides entries, there's the expulsion of disciples. If you think it's too quiet, you might find yourself here a second time. I’d welcome the company." "Are many people expelled?" Yan Zhu Guang widened her eyes and shook her head, "Coming a second time would mean expulsion, right? I don’t want that!" The Elder laughed even more, "Oh, it's not so bad here. Occasionally, we do have a bit of excitement, but the innermost Titled Soul Lamp Hall is even quieter, sometimes going decades without a visitor." "But speaking of expelling disciples, wasn't there an honorary one expelled just last month?" The Elder teased Yan Zhu Guang, "Next time, who knows who it will be? Better watch yourself." Both Yun Mi Xue and Yan Zhu Guang knew who was expelled last month. What surprised Yan Zhu Guang was that the Inner Soul Lamp Hall’s Elder was also aware of it. Yan Zhu Guang subtly glanced at Yun Mi Xue, who reassuringly smiled at her. He Sheng might have been expelled by her, but how could she ever expel Yan Zhu Guang? The Elder, not observing their exchange, continued, "Still, last month the Soul Lamp Hall was rather lively, with several people coming to inquire—" The Elder seemed to realize something, his expression becoming reserved as he withheld from saying more, “It's best for the Soul Lamp Hall to remain peaceful. If it becomes too lively, it's usually not a good sign.” Yan Zhu Guang's eyes flickered with a hint of awareness, recognizing that the Elder was concealing some crucial information. As the Elder had already grown cautious, she knew it would be difficult to extract more information now. Understanding this, Yan Zhu Guang chose not to pursue further inquiries. Meanwhile, the system was in turmoil within Yan Zhu Guang's mind. Why did he stop talking? They were so close to uncovering something important! Yan Zhu Guang ignored the system’s frustration. As she pondered, a thought emerged—the culprits who killed He Sheng might have been among those who came to inquire at the Soul Lamp Hall. Yun Mi Xue heard the Elder's words, her expression subtly shifting, but she made no remarks. By then, they had already exited the Soul Lamp Hall. Coincidentally, just as they stepped out, they encountered another group arriving to light their soul lamps. Leading the group was a woman in a water-colored gown. Her gaze swept over Yan Zhu Guang briefly before landing on Yun Mi Xue, a faint smile appearing on her face, "Did you arrive that quickly, Sister?" Yan Zhu Guang frowned deeply and suddenly spoke to the system, "No need to look further, the culprit is her." The system paused dramatically, “What?!” So hasty, Host! Are you abandoning all your previous deductions? Just because she seemed unfriendly to your Senior Sister, you picked her? Let me remind you, Host, the penalties for failing a main quest are severe!