Staying at an inn naturally required getting off the carriage. Wu Feng released the body-binding spell on the two, but used the Soul-Locking Rope to first lock one of Zhou Yin's wrists.

The Soul-Locking Rope could be opened or closed according to the owner's will. With one hand tied by the Soul-Locking Rope, as long as Wu Feng was still alive, Zhou Yin couldn't escape. But in the eyes of others, Zhou Yin following behind Wu Feng and Chen Zhong just looked like a young man accompanying his elders, with no signs of anything unusual.

Wu Feng asked for three top rooms, one each for himself and Chen Zhong. To make it easier to keep watch, he locked Zhou Yin and Chen Yuanzhi in one room together. There was no need to serve meals either, as they were cultivators, a single pill was enough to take care of it.

Chen Zhong didn't actually restrict Chen Yuanzhi. Although he set up a prohibition to prevent her from using spells, he didn't limit her freedom of movement like he did with Zhou Yin.

To be fair, even with interests at stake, and Chen Yuanzhi opposing him in every way, he still had feelings for this daughter. On the way here, he had used the body-binding spell on her, just hoping she wouldn't wail and attract pursuers, and also hoping to let her calm down and realize who was better for her.

"Yuanzhi, be good and listen to your father. When we get to Qinggu Sect, life will only be better than in Mirror Sea Sect. Now that Mirror Sea Sect is about to be merged into Shangxuan Sect, there's even less room for us there." He spoke earnestly.

Chen Yuanzhi was silent for a while. "Dad, let me ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"The Jade Spirit Rhinoceros Horn, did you... take it?" She originally wanted to say steal, but after a pause, changed her wording.

Chen Zhong's face darkened. "Who told you that?"

Chen Yuanzhi said, "I overheard you and Uncle Wu talking about taking something earlier, and we've been on tenterhooks the whole way. Isn't it the Jade Spirit Rhinoceros Horn? You took it to present it to Qinggu Sect?"

Chen Zhong said, "You don't need to know too much. Just remember that your father won't harm you."

Chen Yuanzhi bit her lower lip. "Dad, return it! That's Mirror Sea Sect's treasure. Without it, how can you let Senior Brother Lu handle things? If we go back now, we might still make it. Maybe they haven't even discovered it yet. You're still an elder of the Mirror Sea Sect!"

A voice interjected. It was Wu Feng stepping into the room with one foot. "Dear niece, your father has spoiled you too much, filling your head with naive thoughts. Since we've left, we have no intention of going back. Your father brought you out of old affection, so you should be filial to him."

Chen Yuanzhi lowered her head without speaking. Since the incident, she found that the people around her had all become very unfamiliar, especially this Uncle Wu. He used to be so kind and amiable to her, but now every sentence was laced with hidden barbs, making her very uncomfortable.

Zhou Yin sat in a chair with his eyes closed, as if he hadn't heard their conversation and had no interest whatsoever.

Seeing his daughter remain obstinate, still single-mindedly trying to persuade him to return to Mirror Sea Sword Sect, Chen Zhong gradually lost patience and dropped a sentence: "In any case, no matter what you think, it's best not to stir up any trouble, or don't blame me for not considering our father-daughter relationship!"

With that, he left with a sweep of his sleeve.

Wu Feng didn't follow him out, but sat down instead, smiling kindly. "Dear niece, listen to a piece of advice from your Uncle Wu. With your looks, staying in Mirror Sea Sect is truly a waste. When you get to Qinggu Sect, even if you marry Elder Lexian of Qinggu Sect as a concubine, you'll definitely be favored. By then, won't you have whatever you want?"

Chen Yuanzhi lifted her head in surprise, not daring to believe it. "What did you say?"

Wu Feng smiled and didn't elaborate further, just hinting at it. "Think it over carefully. Your Uncle Wu won't disturb you anymore."

With that, he got up and left.

Chen Yuanzhi was in a daze for a long time, then suddenly laughed softly, as if crying.

She hugged her knees and buried her head in them.

"Back then on the mountain, many senior and junior sisters secretly envied me, saying I was born lucky and had everything without needing to cultivate hard. I thought so too. But in the blink of an eye, everything changed. It turns out I was the most foolish one."

Zhou Yin didn't make a sound. She didn't mind and just continued talking to herself.

"My dad isn't my real dad after all. He brought me along just to let me be that Elder Lexian's concubine. I used to not cultivate diligently, always thinking that even if the sky fell, my dad would protect me. Only now do I realize how ridiculously foolish I was."

You can't rely on anyone, only yourself is the most dependable. Zhou Yin had already understood this truth back in his previous life when he was displaced and wandering.

But Chen Yuanzhi had lived in a carefree environment since she was young. Only when cruel reality was placed before her eyes and her fate was controlled by others did she realize this point.

When interests are at stake, everyone's heart will be moved. If you're not moved, it's because the temptation isn't great enough.

Worldly people like gold, silver, and wealth, fame and fortune. Cultivators like magic treasures and spiritual pills, pursuing greater power. They're essentially the same. If you truly have no desires, there's no need to cultivate immortality.

"What should I do?" Chen Yuanzhi looked at the porcelain vase with flowers on the table by the window and murmured.

"Become stronger." Zhou Yin's tone was indifferent.

When you have enough strength to control your own fate, often the fates of others will depend on you to decide.

Chen Yuanzhi seemed to not expect Zhou Yin to answer her and was stunned for a moment.

Then she saw the window behind the sky-blue glazed pine and crane vase she had been unconsciously staring at creak open.

It seemed like an invisible hand was prying open the crack, but due to insufficient strength, it appeared extremely slow and eerie.

After a good while, when the window had been opened to a gap wide enough for a hand to enter, it stopped.

Chen Yuanzhi stared wide-eyed at this strange scene unfolding before her, even forgetting to react.

A gray, chubby bug slowly, bit by bit, crawled in from outside.

It advanced with extreme difficulty. When it finally wriggled over the window sill and fell with a thud onto the table, it couldn't move anymore and just lay there playing dead.

Zhou Yin slightly furrowed his brows.

"Why did you come here?"

The bug's eyes snapped open and stared straight at Zhou Yin, as if it had many things to say, its watery eyes filled with admiration.

It desperately wriggled forward, wanting to reach Zhou Yin's side, but when it crawled to the edge of the table and looked down at the distance to the ground, it instantly felt a bit weak.

Zhou Yin was amused. "Change back to your original form, fool."

His tone was very light, especially the last two words. It sounded no different from usual, but carried a hint of intimacy that only the bug could detect.

It just felt its body fill with strength again, its chubby frame wiggling involuntarily.

Then others saw its body swelling up even more, slowly growing feathers all over, finally transforming into a little gray chicken with an extra pair of wings.

Chen Yuanzhi: "..."