Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 317 Before the Storm

Meanwhile, at the other side of "Lingqiao Workshop", Jiang Yun, after seeing off the young disciples who came to visit, did not rest, because there was a fat man left behind.

Jiang Yan, his uncle, was the one who most opposed his relationship with A Sheng.

The Lingqiaofang area quieted down, with only the faint sounds of the resort at night drifting in from outside the window.

Jiang Yan walked around the shop with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the exquisite wood carvings, woven ritual objects, and several potted plants that looked particularly vibrant on the counter.

"The shop is not bad," Jiang Yan said, his voice carrying the straightforwardness and rhythm unique to people from Sichuan and Chongqing. "It's more presentable than I imagined."

Jiang Yun was tidying up the tea set when he heard this, he paused, and said in a muffled voice, "Uncle, sit down, I'll make you a cup of tea."

"Why bother with tea? I just had a full belly at the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant. But it was indeed delicious and authentic, and rich in spiritual energy." Jiang Yan waved his hand, but still sat down on the bamboo chair next to the counter. He shrugged and looked at his nephew, "Yunwa, you seem to be having a pretty good time here?"

Jiang Yun put the cleaned cups back on the shelf, turned around, a smile on her face, but a hint of wariness in her eyes: "Comfortable, how could it not be comfortable? The mountains and water are beautiful, the people are kind, and the food is good. Fellow Daoist Chen and the others are also very considerate."

"Look after me..." Jiang Yan snorted, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "Is having someone look after you enough? What are you planning to do about your own affairs?"

They're here. Jiang Yun's heart skipped a beat, but she still smiled and said, "What's wrong, Uncle? Explain yourself."

"Playing dumb with me?" Jiang Yan glared at him. "About that kid Asheng! Do you really think our Jiang family is so out of touch? Do you really think we don't know about your messy affairs?"

Jiang Yun's smile faded slightly. He walked behind the counter, pulled up a stool, and sat down, looking at Jiang Yan across the counter. The warm yellow light in the shop illuminated his young yet composed face.

"Uncle," he said, his tone calming down and becoming more earnest, "Ah Sheng... isn't the kind of person you think he is. He helps out at 'Lingqiao Workshop,' he's skillful, meticulous, and reliable. We just work together, there's nothing shady about it."

Jiang Yan snorted, clearly not wanting to continue the topic, and simply said, "Oh right, what do you think about this?"

Jiang Yun knew his uncle was asking about the search of the Holy Maiden, not about him and Ah Sheng, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief. He picked up a rag and continued wiping the counter, his tone calm:

"Uncle, I've heard that the Holy Maiden is hiding in Cloud Hidden Mountain. But I've lived here for so long, and with so many people coming and going every day, I really haven't noticed any signs of a cult."

He paused, then looked up at Jiang Yan: "With Fellow Daoist Chen and Sect Leader Su overseeing the resort, if the Crimson Spirit Sect were to sneak in, they probably wouldn't be able to hide it from us."

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then tapped his fingers on his knee.

"You little rascal, you've gotten quite the calculating one after staying here for so long," Jiang Yan snorted, his tone ambiguous, neither praising nor criticizing. "So tell me, what should we Jiang family do?"

Jiang Yun put down the rag and said seriously, "Uncle, Fellow Daoist Chen and the others are honest and straightforward people, not the kind to play tricks. Regarding this matter, I think... it's best for our Jiang family to remain neutral and not be used as pawns. If they really want to investigate, then investigate properly and don't get involved in the commotion."

"Making a scene?" Jiang Yan laughed. "Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"Of course not," Jiang Yun laughed. "That's why I dared to tell Uncle these things."

Jiang Yan stared at his nephew for a few seconds, then suddenly sighed, "Yunwa, you've definitely grown up a bit over here. Alright, I know what I'm doing. You... be careful too, don't run around lately. As for that Asheng," he paused, ultimately not saying anything harsh, "tell him to behave himself and not cause trouble."

Jiang Yun nodded emphatically: "I understand, thank you, Uncle."

After seeing Jiang Yan off, Jiang Yun closed the shop door but didn't rest immediately. He walked to the window, looked at the dimly lit resort outside, and frowned slightly.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

…………

At the same time, the same scene was unfolding inside the "Feng Family Herbs Pavilion".

"Feng's Herbal Pavilion" closed its doors early tonight and ceased operations. However, the pavilion itself was brightly lit.

Feng Wenyuan sat upright in the armchair, a cup of tea in front of him that had gone cold.

Feng Lie and Feng Changyuan stood to one side, one with his arms crossed and the other with his hands at his sides, both with solemn expressions.

Feng Changyuan asked, "Where's Fourth Uncle? Didn't he come with you?"

"He said he gets annoyed seeing you two 'matchmakers,' so he went out for a walk."

Upon hearing the word "matchmaker," Feng Lie's lips twitched involuntarily. He and Feng Changyuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Fourth Uncle..." Feng Changyuan carefully chose his words, "...seems to have some opinions about Xiaolu's matter."

"It's more than just having some opinions." Feng Wenyuan picked up his iced tea and took a sip, but he didn't want to say more. Instead, he said, "This matter came suddenly."

After a moment, Feng Changyuan asked his father in a low voice, "Father, given the current situation... what is the Feng family's perspective on this?"

Feng Wenyuan put down his teacup, the candlelight flickering on his composed face. Without the slightest hesitation, he said, "Naturally, I'll stand on the side of my own people."

He looked up at his son and nephew, his gaze deep: "Whether it's your cousin Xiaolu, or the entire Yunyin Sect, they are all family members connected to the Feng family by blood and of the same lineage. Do I need to elaborate on which side we're on?"

He looked up at his son and nephew, his gaze deep: "Whether it's your cousin Xiaolu, or the entire Yunyin Sect, they are all family members connected to the Feng family by blood and of the same lineage. Do I need to elaborate on which side we're on?"

Feng Lie crossed his arms, his brows furrowed, and muttered, "But what if... what if they really have ties to a cult? After all, the Crimson Spirit Cult's holy maiden's whereabouts point here..."

"Foolish!" Feng Wenyuan scolded lightly, then softened his tone and looked at Feng Changyuan, "Changyuan, tell me."

Feng Changyuan's expression turned solemn. He took half a step forward and slowly said, "The distinction between good and evil is often not so clear-cut. Longhu Mountain is the leader of the righteous path, and Elder Zhang is highly respected. His blood feud must naturally be avenged. But revenge does not mean being used as a tool without knowing right from wrong. Over the years, how many conflicts have been stirred up in the name of 'righteousness'? Eliminating dissidents and seizing resources—which of these wasn't presented in a grand and respectable way? Our Feng family has survived to this day not by blindly following the crowd and taking sides, but by seeing clearly who is sincere and who harbors evil intentions."

Feng Wenyuan listened quietly to his son's words, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He picked up the cup of cold tea again, but didn't drink it; instead, he slowly swirled the cup around.

"Chang Yuan is right," Feng Wenyuan nodded and said, "The Feng family's stance was set the moment your third sister stepped into the Yunyin Sect's gates. Xiao Lu is the Feng family's daughter, and more importantly, a disciple of the Yunyin Sect. Chen Anran..." He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly sweeping over his two sons, "...regardless of what the future holds, at least for now, he treats Xiao Lu with sincerity and our Feng family with honesty. Sect Leader Su is calm and composed, Wei Qingyi is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and their disciples are all kind. I don't believe such a sect would collude with an evil cult."