Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 315 The Sound of Bells in the Stone Chamber - A Night Banquet in the Hidden Clouds

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Wei Qingyi and Qi Lan, his voice low and deep: "When Lingdang was lucid, she said that if the people from the Crimson Spirit Sect came in her current state, the situation would truly be beyond saving."

The stone chamber fell silent for a moment, as both Qi Lan and Wei Qingyi admired Lingdang's actions.

As an undercover agent sent by Longhu Mountain to infiltrate a cult, she remained in hiding for five hundred years. Later, she and Zhang Nanshan planned to lead the Chiling Cult onto the right path and reform it.

Qi Lan stopped playing with the copper coin and sighed softly, "This guy knows exactly what's going on. He's stubborn too."

Wei Qingyi listened quietly, her gaze fixed on Lingdang's furrowed brows, her cold eyes revealing no emotion.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Wei Qingyi took out her phone, and the screen displayed the name "Chen Anran".

Wei Qingyi answered the phone, and Chen Anran's calm voice came through the receiver: "Senior Sister, the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant is preparing to start the banquet. Senior Sister has also come down the mountain with Xiaoling'er, Xiaoman, and Mengmeng. Would you and Fellow Daoist Qi like to come over?"

"Okay." Wei Qingyi replied briefly, hung up the phone, and looked at Qi Lan, "Xian Shan Fang is hosting a banquet. Are you going?"

Qi Lan put on her baseball cap, covering her animal ears, and then lazily straightened up.

"Go, of course I have to go. I'm supposed to be associated with Maoshan, after all. The sect leader and my junior disciple are there. If I don't show up, it'll seem like I have something to hide." She walked to the stone bed, bent down to examine the bell carefully, and then instructed the stone, "Stone, you stay here and guard it. Don't leave for a moment. Fellow Daoist Wei and I will be right back. We'll bring you some food in a bit."

Shi Tou nodded heavily, his large, fan-like hands carefully tucking the blanket around Ling Dang's neck. "I know, Boss Qi, don't worry."

Wei Qingyi glanced at the bell again, then left the secret room one after the other with Qi Lan.

Climbing the narrow stairs, they returned to the first floor of "Meow Fairy Abode," filled with the aroma of coffee and the purring of cats. Qi Lan gave a few instructions to the young girl helping out in the shop, then left with Wei Qingyi, heading towards the Immortal Cuisine Shop.

As dusk settled and the resort's lights began to twinkle, the Xian Shan Fang restaurant was exceptionally lively tonight. Many cars were parked outside, and the lobby was brightly lit, with the faint sounds of people emanating from within.

When Wei Qingyi and Qi Lan stepped into the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant, Fatty Li was leading several cultivators dressed in Taoist robes to a private room on the second floor with a beaming smile. Several large round tables had already been set up in the main hall, and many people were seated there, dressed in a mix of different sects, talking in hushed tones.

Among them were many ordinary wealthy people, such as Zhao Mengmeng's father Zhao Qiming and a group of CEOs. They were all very surprised today because Xian Shan Fang caters to the upper class. Usually, even if there are more people, it is only the main hall that is crowded, and the private rooms are not always fully booked.

At this moment, Zhao Mengmeng was explaining to her father.

Seeing his daughter's unusually serious expression, Zhao Qiming's heart skipped a beat. He put down his wine glass and lowered his voice: "Mengmeng, tell Dad the truth, is there some trouble on the mountain... or at the resort?"

Several executives nearby also noticed that something was wrong and stopped talking to look over.

Zhao Mengmeng looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before leaning close to her father's ear, "Dad, don't worry, it's nothing serious. It's just that a lot of people from the cultivation world have come here recently to do business, and with so many people around, things might get a bit chaotic. It's best if you and your uncles and elders don't come over for a while, so you don't get unintentionally dragged into it. It's better to have some peace and quiet."

"The cultivation world?" Zhao Qiming frowned. "Won't it be dangerous? You're here..."

"Dad," Zhao Mengmeng interrupted him, a reassuring smile on her face, "I'm perfectly safe here. Master, the sect leader, and all the other senior uncles are here. They're all very capable people and can handle it. Don't worry, once this is over, I'll invite you and Mom to stay for a few more days."

Looking into his daughter's determined yet pleading eyes, Zhao Qiming knew she was no longer the little girl who needed his complete protection. He remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed and reached out to ruffle Zhao Mengmeng's hair: "Okay, Dad understands. Be careful, and call me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes!" Zhao Mengmeng nodded vigorously, her smile becoming even brighter.

After comforting her father, Zhao Mengmeng turned around to look for Chen Anran and the others, when she saw Wei Qingyi and Qi Lan walking in one after the other.

"Second Martial Uncle! Boss Qi!" Zhao Mengmeng's eyes lit up, and she quickly went to greet them. "You're here! Master, Sect Leader Uncle, and Martial Uncle Little Deer are already in the private room on the second floor, waiting for you."

Wei Qingyi nodded slightly. Qi Lan curled the corners of her lips and teased, "Quite a commotion, Fatty Li must be exhausted today."

"You bet the kitchen is swamped!" Zhao Mengmeng laughed, leading the two towards the stairs. "Let's go upstairs quickly."

The three of them walked through the slightly noisy lobby and stepped onto the wooden staircase leading to the second floor. A landscape painting hung at the corner of the staircase, creating a tranquil environment that somewhat isolated them from the noise downstairs.

The three of them walked through the slightly noisy lobby and stepped onto the wooden staircase leading to the second floor. A landscape painting hung at the corner of the staircase, creating a tranquil environment that somewhat isolated them from the noise downstairs.

The door to the innermost private room on the second floor was slightly ajar, and the sound of peaceful conversation could be faintly heard from inside. Zhao Mengmeng knocked twice, then pushed the door open.

The room was spacious and elegantly decorated, with glimpses of the night view of the mountains and forests visible through the windows. At a large round table, Su Wan sat at the head of the table, her expression gentle and serene, speaking softly to Daoist Tianbao beside her. Chen Anran sat to her left, with Feng Xiaolu next to her, enthusiastically gesturing and talking to Lin Xiaoman and Xiaoling'er. Huiming sat a little further away, watching everyone with a smile.

As soon as Wei Qingyi and her two companions entered, everyone at the table turned their attention to them.

"Second Senior Sister, Fellow Daoist Qi, we've been waiting for you." Chen Anran stood up and greeted them gently.

Su Wan also looked up and smiled: "Qingyi, Fellow Daoist Qi, please take a seat. You must be hungry after traveling all day."

Wei Qingyi nodded to Su Wan, apologized to Daoist Tianbao and Shen Zui, and then quietly sat down in the empty seat reserved next to Feng Xiaolu. Qi Lan casually strolled over to the empty seat next to Shen Zui, took off her hat and hung it on the back of the chair, revealing her slightly twitching black animal ears, and winked at her senior brother and junior nephew.

Once everyone was present, Fatty Li personally led his apprentices to serve the dishes. One after another, meticulously prepared spiritual dishes were placed on the table, steaming hot and filling the air with their aroma. Afterwards, Chen Anran also asked Fatty Li to find a seat and let him hand over his work to Xiao Zhou.

How could Fatty Li not understand Chen Anran's meaning? He just wanted to liven up the atmosphere with his "battle-hardened" drinking prowess.

After a few rounds of drinks, the crowd gradually warmed up under Fatty Li's encouragement. Representatives from various factions toasted and exchanged pleasantries, and the conversation mainly revolved around their experiences in cultivation and interesting stories from different places, temporarily setting aside the matter of the "Holy Maiden of the Crimson Spirit Sect".

After a few cups of aged spirit wine, Master Tianbao's face flushed red, and he became more talkative. His eyes, which had originally been piercing and reserved, were now shrouded in a lingering sense of melancholy.

He held up his wine glass, his gaze gradually losing focus, as if through the clinking of glasses before him, he saw distant old friends and stories.

"...Speaking of which, Old Zhang used to be a real heavy drinker." Master Tianbao suddenly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from the alcohol, interrupting the discussion about a certain historical site. He forced a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "Longhu Mountain has many rules and regulations. When he was young, he always liked to sneak down the mountain and come to my dilapidated temple to mooch drinks. Most of the few jars of pine nut wine I had stored away ended up in his stomach."

A brief silence fell over the table. Several people familiar with the situation, such as Shen Zui, Qi Lan, and Chen Anran, all put down their chopsticks. Zhang Qingyuan's expression darkened, and he lowered his head to take a sip of tea.

Master Tianbao was completely unaware and continued talking to himself, his eyes glazed over: "His alcohol tolerance is actually not very good. He can't handle three cups, but he insists on pushing himself, saying things like 'The universe is vast in wine, and time is long in a pot'... Bullshit, he's just greedy." He chuckled, tilted his head back and gulped down another cup. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, choking him and making his eyes red.

"Later, after he became a Celestial Master, he became more composed, and... he didn't come often anymore." Master Tianbao put down his wine cup, his voice lowering. "The last time he drank with me was... last spring. He seemed very troubled that time; he barely drank any wine, didn't say much, and just sat under my old tree, staring blankly at the sky. I asked him for a long time before he finally sighed and said, 'The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; some debts cannot be avoided, and must always be repaid…'"

He sniffed hard, raised his hand and vigorously wiped his face, trying to remove non-existent dust and the moisture welling up in his eyes: "I laughed at him back then, saying that now that he's a Taoist priest, he speaks in such a cryptic way. He didn't argue, he just smiled, and that smile... now when I think about it, it's just exhausting."

"If only I had known... if only I had known that would be the last time..." Master Tianbao's voice choked. He lowered his head, his gray hair trembling slightly in the lamplight. "I shouldn't have let him go! I should have kept him at Maoshan! Who cares about being a Celestial Master or any debts! Keeping him on the mountain, playing chess with me, drinking, and cursing, would be better... better than now..."

He couldn't continue. His chest heaved violently, and finally, he couldn't hold back his turbid tears, which rolled down his wrinkled cheeks and dripped into the wine glass in front of him.

The spacious private room fell silent for a moment. Only the faint sound of the wind outside the window and the indistinct noise from downstairs could be heard. Everyone was silent, even the most lively Feng Xiaolu, who had her lips tightly pursed and her eyes slightly red.

Shen Zui's throat bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only silently poured a cup of hot tea for his senior master. Qi Lan turned her face away, gazing at the dark night outside the window, the animal ears under her hat drooping slightly. Zhang Qingyuan clenched his fists tightly.

Chen Anran stood up, walked to Daoist Tianbao's side, handed him the clean, hot towel, and said gently, "Senior Tianbao, Master Zhang was a man of great righteousness. He sacrificed his life to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path for the cultivation world. Heaven can bear witness to this, and all fellow practitioners admire him. If he has a spirit in heaven, he would not want to see his old friend so heartbroken."

Master Tianbao took the towel, wiped his face haphazardly, and looked up at Chen Anran with bloodshot eyes. His gaze then swept over the others at the table, filled with grief, confusion, and a long-suppressed resentment: "Young friend Chen… tell me, what… what did Old Zhang discover? Who did he offend? Why… why him of all people? The Crimson Spirit Sect… those rats in the gutter, how could they…"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Qingyuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up abruptly, causing the chair to clatter. His face was ashen, and his chest heaved; clearly, he too was on the verge of a breakdown. Shen Zui quickly reached out to pull him back: "Qingyuan!"

Zhang Qingyuan shook off Shen Zui's hand, his eyes bloodshot, and glared at Daoist Tianbao, his voice hoarse as if questioning everyone at the table: "Uncle-Master Tianbao is right! My master was an upright man all his life, why did he end up like this?! The Crimson Spirit Sect is indeed hateful, but that Holy Maiden... who exactly is that Holy Maiden? How could she infiltrate Dragon Tiger Mountain and commit such a heinous act?! And why... why is there news now that she is hiding here?!"

Zhang Qingyuan's question echoed in the private room, carrying pain and confusion, striking the hearts of everyone present.

Chen Anran slowly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting Zhang Qingyuan's furious, red eyes. He did not get up, but simply placed the teacup in his hand back on the table.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang's question is exactly what I wanted to ask."

Chen Anran's gaze swept over everyone at the table, finally settling on Zhang Qingyuan. "The reappearance of the Crimson Spirit Sect's Holy Maiden, and the news pointing directly to Cloud Hidden Mountain, is itself suspicious. What intrigues me even more is that this news first came from Dragon Tiger Mountain. I wonder what the details are? Furthermore, with all the sects gathered today, why are your fellow Daoists He Qingyun and Mo Han from Maoshan not here?"

Zhang Qingyuan's agitated emotions calmed slightly after Chen Anran's question. He took a deep breath, sat back in his chair, and his face showed a mixture of complex emotions and weariness. "What Fellow Daoist Chen asked about... the information did indeed originate from within Longhu Mountain. A few days ago, a disciple traveling outside sent back a secret message, saying that traces of what appeared to be the activities of the Crimson Spirit Sect's Holy Maiden were discovered in a neighboring prefecture, and the direction she last disappeared from pointed to the Yunyin Mountain area. This matter... was confirmed by several elders remaining at the mountain gate before being reported to the various sects." He paused, then added, "As for Senior Brother Qingyun, he led a team to a neighboring town to investigate another lead, so he couldn't arrive in time. As for Junior Sister Mo Han's situation, I'm not entirely clear on that."

Su Wan spoke up gently at the opportune moment, breaking the brief silence: "I see. Fellow Daoist Zhang, please accept my condolences, and Senior Tianbao, please also find peace of mind. Since all of you have gathered at the Yunyin Sect today, it means you trust us. Finding the true culprit and clarifying the truth is not something that can be accomplished in a day, nor is it something to rush. It is already late at night, and the food and wine are warm, so let's put our minds at ease for now. Anran," she turned to Chen Anran, "as the host, let me offer another toast to all the seniors and fellow Daoists. We can discuss the specific matters in detail with Shen Ke, Fellow Daoist Zhang, and the representatives of each sect tomorrow."

Chen Anran understood, raised his cup and stood up, his eyes clear, and said loudly, "Senior Sister is right. You have all come from afar, and the Yunyin Sect has not been hospitable enough. Please forgive us. It is the Yunyin Sect's duty to investigate the heretical cult and uphold the righteous path. Tonight, please rest and recharge. This cup is to toast the enduring righteousness of Master Zhang, and also to all of you fellow practitioners for your concerted efforts."

Upon seeing this, everyone at the table, regardless of their own thoughts, raised their glasses in response.

"Homage to Zhang Tianshi!"