"I have no intention of provoking your North Island Cangwu Sect, still less of opposing the entire Primordial Alliance. I have come only to take my Snow Sword Sect's people back. Stand aside." Bing Wushuang rarely deigned to explain himself.

Xin Yi'an did not shift so much as an inch, looking at him askance as he said mildly, "My apologies, but this islet currently belongs to my North Island Cangwu Sect. Taking people is your affair, but to come onto North Island Cangwu Sect's territory and seize them without so much as a word of notice—who gave you that nerve?"

At this Bing Wushuang's eyes narrowed once more, and the frigid aura spilling from his body made several prospective disciples nearby shiver until their teeth chattered, each staring at the other in dismay. Where in the world had this monster sprung from? Simply standing beside him was enough to freeze a man to death, and no mercy about it!

The Primordial Alliance could not be provoked, and neither could the North Island Cangwu Sect, one of the ten minor sects—for it had, after all, the kindred North Island Chongtian Sect and North Island Xuanji Sect at its back. Even one as proud as Bing Wushuang did not dare tear the mask off openly. To set oneself against a sect like that—say nothing of a mere early Golden Core, even an early Nascent Soul might not have the nerve.

"Harboring a renegade disciple of my Snow Sword Sect without leave—who gave *you* that nerve? The Snow Sword Sect and the North Island Cangwu Sect have ever been on good terms. I have no intention of stirring up trouble today; I have merely come to take back my Snow Sword Sect's renegade disciple. This is the unanimous order of every elder of my Snow Sword Sect. Xin Yi'an, are you certain you mean to stand in the way?" Bing Wushuang's voice was grave.

*Renegade disciple*—this was the first time he had fastened that label on Leng Leng's head. Circumstances forced it; had he not done so, Xin Yi'an would likely never have let the girl go easily.

Xin Yi'an raised an eyebrow at that. He had always taken this Bing Wushuang for one of those so-called prodigies with no one in his eyes, and had never expected him to have such a tongue in his head. He had indeed underestimated the man.

In truth, if Bing Wushuang lacked the nerve to provoke the North Island Cangwu Sect outright, Xin Yi'an likewise lacked the nerve to provoke the Snow Sword Sect outright. To push things that far—even if his sect could preserve his life, he would have no future worth speaking of in the Primordial Alliance thereafter.

What gave Xin Yi'an some headache, however, was the martial uncle Wei Zhao. From Wei Zhao's earlier bearing it was plain he would never allow Leng Leng to be dragged back by the other side; and Wei Zhao had not yet returned. If he simply handed Leng Leng over to Bing Wushuang now, how would he answer to Wei Zhao thereafter?

Yet if he insisted on keeping her, Bing Wushuang was no easy man to deal with either—after all, he had no grounds to forcibly shelter a renegade disciple of the Snow Sword Sect. That would be to offend the Snow Sword Sect, and he might well be punished by the North Island Cangwu Sect into the bargain. Plainly it was a thankless task.

For a time Xin Yi'an was caught in a quandary, and the scene lapsed into a deadlock.

"Martial Uncle Xin, if you cannot make up your mind, why not simply let Leng Leng decide for herself? Perhaps she will be willing to go with us," Xue Jianming said suddenly.

"Hm?" Xin Yi'an furrowed his brow. It had to be said, this was a workable compromise: if Leng Leng herself were willing to go back with Bing Wushuang, then even Wei Zhao could not lay the blame at his feet. He nodded. "Very well. I can take you to see her. But whether she goes or stays must be her own decision; you are not to compel her."

"Then let us go." Bing Wushuang glanced at Xue Jianming. Truth be told, he thought little of this second-generation cultivator, yet the man had shown a flash of quick wit just now. Without that remark of Xue Jianming's, Xin Yi'an might not really have relented—and so long as he could see Leng Leng without hindrance, whether he took her away would rest on a single thought. And if it came to force then, would Xin Yi'an really risk his life for the sake of a Leng Leng who meant nothing to him?

After a word to the prospective disciples, Xin Yi'an at once led the two to another spirit eye. The scene there was bustling with life: Wu Chengtian had a whole crowd of people hard at work building seaside villas.

A few rather elegant little wooden cabins had already been put up beside the spirit eye, though these were only temporary stopgaps. Wu Chengtian had found people to draw up a great pile of blueprints, and even for nimble hands like theirs—Heaven-rank grand completion masters though they were—building so much as a rough approximation of the designs would take at least half a year. For now they were still only laying foundations.

Seeing Xin Yi'an bring visitors, Wu Chengtian and the rest came up one after another to greet them. These days Xin Yi'an dropped by from time to time to have a look, and on account of Wei Zhao the group got on with him well enough; by now they were long since familiar faces to one another.

"Old Xin, what did you bring this thing here for?" Qiu Lingshan asked, frowning at Xue Jianming with open disgust, while the others exchanged glances. In their eyes Xue Jianming was a repulsive clown, thoroughly unwelcome here.

Under such undisguised looks of loathing, Xue Jianming shook with rage. Had Xin Yi'an not been present, he would have liked nothing better than to cut down these insolent wretches with a single sword stroke. But with both Xin Yi'an and Bing Wushuang before him, he had no room to erupt at all, and could only choke down his fury by force.

Qiu Lingshan, Wu Chengtian, and the others were merely puzzled; but Leng Leng, sitting amid several girls and listening to their gossip, caught sight of Bing Wushuang and went pale, springing to her feet in a rush of alarm.

"Oh? Already mid Foundation Establishment?" Bing Wushuang's gaze fell upon Leng Leng at once, and he could not help feeling some astonishment. Even with his formidable talent he could not match Leng Leng's Crushed Ice constitution; if there was one disciple in the Snow Sword Sect who could make him look at her with new eyes, it was Leng Leng alone. As for Xue Jianming, he did not even rank.

Here was a seed of boundless potential! Such was the verdict of most sect elders upon Leng Leng. Bing Wushuang did not wholly agree, yet he had to admit the girl's talent was extraordinary—and now, in a scant two months, Leng Leng had actually vaulted two levels from early Foundation Establishment to mid Foundation Establishment. That alone was near enough to the strongest proof of that verdict!

"Martial Uncle Bing, this too is evidence of her betrayal of the sect. That Wei Zhao gave her vast quantities of pills to buy her over—otherwise how could she have broken through so fast?" Xue Jianming said, sowing discord.

Bing Wushuang neither affirmed nor denied it, and simply said to Leng Leng in a tone of command, "You are coming back with me."