The two exchanged awkward smiles. Neither was a connoisseur of tea, so what could they possibly say about it?

Gu An scratched his head and couldn't help asking, "Senior Sister Yun, may I ask what the purpose is for summoning the two of us here?"

Yun Xiuyan parted her red lips and blew gently on the tea: "Nothing much. I just wanted to invest in you both."

?

That direct?

Is this right?

I have no experience with this. Senior Brother Huang Xuan is older; let's see what he says.

Gu An looked toward Huang Xuan and found him also staring back with a puzzled expression, as if saying, "I don't know either!"

Huang Xuan truly had never experienced such a situation. If he had ever been sponsored before, he wouldn't have needed to ask Gu An to pull strings for him.

"Cough."

Although Yun Xiuyan's offer of investment was tempting, both were cautious people and naturally knew there was no free lunch in the world. So Gu An cleared his throat: "I hope Senior Sister will explain in detail."

Huang Xuan also nodded in agreement. He didn't want to take money that might cost him his life.

"The Beastmaster Sect and the Qingyuan Sect are about to go to war. The You Kingdom will be the center of the storm. I hope you two can take care of the Yun family to the best of your ability." Yun Xiuyan took a light sip of tea and said calmly.

The words were simple, yet they struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, shaking both of them greatly.

Even Huang Xuan had only previously speculated that the Beastmaster Sect might retaliate. Such minor skirmishes occurred every few years. Though unfortunate, they were barely tolerable.

The two sects had maintained peace for a hundred years!

How could they suddenly go to war?!?!

Huang Xuan let out a dry laugh and said eagerly, "Senior Sister Yun is joking, right? Right?"

Yun Xiuyan sighed. Not only could these two junior brothers not accept it, but she herself hadn't expected the two True Persons to be so impatient. Thinking back to the letter the Purple Cloud Goose had brought back from True Person Qingxiao, it still felt surreal.

She had thought that even if war broke out, there would be several rounds of back-and-forth among the lower-level cultivators first!

"My master said it personally. What do you think?"

Gu An quickly interjected: "Senior Sister Yun, we were just planning to ask someone to put in a good word for us to be transferred back. We won't take this investment!"

"Heh, even the True Person Qingxiao I invited couldn't return. Who did you ask?" The letter Yun Xiuyan brought back was too late. By the time it reached True Person Qingxiao, the decision to go to war had already been made.

They were already sending disciples to the You Kingdom. Her master couldn't forcefully pull people out; it would be too damaging to morale.

"How could it be so sudden?" Seeing no hope of returning, Gu An still pressed on relentlessly.

"Yes, how could it be so sudden?" Huang Xuan also chimed in, hoping to learn the reason.

Yun Xiuyan's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She was also far from calm inside. "Because a Spirit Stone mine was discovered within the You Kingdom's borders."

Well, the hanging heart finally died!

The Qingyuan Sect had always been short on resources and had been eyeing the Beastmaster Sect covetously. If not for this Spirit Stone mine, they might have had the patience to gradually encroach. But now that the mine had been discovered, the war would only accelerate.

Gu An and Huang Xuan looked utterly dejected. Why was it so hard to cultivate in peace!

And it wasn't over yet. Yun Xiuyan continued: "The war has already begun. A few days ago, the Zhou family of Qingbai Commandery was breached by the Beastmaster Sect's villains. Except for the two who came to attend the You Kingdom gathering, all the rest are dead."

"Some Foundation Establishment uncles have already led teams into the You Kingdom, but their main target is to infiltrate the You Kingdom and investigate the Spirit Stone mine."

"The Beastmaster Sect will inevitably come to the You Kingdom to cause destruction, targeting various Spirit Lands. At that point, life or death will depend on us."

Huang Xuan's expression turned grave. "Then why does Senior Sister Yun want to sponsor us two? Aren't Senior Brother Tan and Senior Brother Qian higher in cultivation than us?"

Yun Xiuyan straightened her posture and said calmly, "We're all at Qi Condensation. The difference isn't significant. If my third uncle can hold the line, you seven are no different. It's better to invest in your future."

"If my third uncle can't hold the line, then I need to pick people with good character to protect a sliver of hope for the Yun family."

"You two, though timid and afraid of trouble, have decent character. Your reputation among fellow disciples is good, and your aptitude is acceptable."

"This is why I chose you two. Understand now!"

Gu An suddenly realized. So they were being treated as a backup plan, a casual move on the chessboard!

Now that he understood the cause and effect, many of his concerns were alleviated. Gu An was the first to make a decision: "Since Senior Sister Yun thinks highly of me, if it's within my ability, Gu An will surely repay you."

Huang Xuan also nodded: "I, Huang Xuan, feel the same!"

For now, the Yun family's investment was beneficial to both of them with no drawbacks. There was no reason to refuse.

Moreover, with war imminent, improving their strength was the top priority. This investment was like timely rain for them.

Hearing this, Yun Xiuyan nodded with satisfaction: "Good. This is the Yun family's support for you. Take a look."

As she spoke, Yun Xiuyan tossed two Storage Bags to them. Gu An caught one and opened it, finding it much better than his own, as large as half a room.

There were many items inside, radiating spiritual light, and the quality should be good. Gu An began to count.

A First-Grade Middle-Tier magical artifact, Water Origin Pearl. When activated, it could form a water spiritual power shield.

A First-Grade High-Tier Divine Wind Talisman, a life-saving tool for escape.

A First-Grade High-Tier Chain Fireball Talisman.

A First-Grade High-Tier Vajra Talisman.

A jade slip, and a talisman brush.

Gu An took a deep breath. This set was worth at least two or three hundred spirit stones. The Yun family had really bled for this.

Glancing at Huang Xuan, Gu An saw that he too was overjoyed, clearly very satisfied.

Yun Xiuyan watched the smiles they couldn't suppress and nodded slightly: "The three Talismans and one magical artifact need no further explanation. You two received the same."

"I found out that Gu An, you had previously thought about learning Talismans, so I prepared a Water Cloud Talisman Scripture jade slip and a low-grade Snow-Bristle Brush."

Gu An wasn't surprised that the Yun family had looked into his past. In fact, if they were going to sponsor him without checking, that would be surprising. But that they had found out he wanted to learn Talisman Crafting was astonishing.

Gu An didn't have a fire spiritual root, so he wasn't suited for alchemy or artifact refining. Formations were too profound and complex. In the end, he had thought about learning Talisman Crafting.

But after asking around among his fellow disciples, he learned that although Talisman Crafting had the lowest threshold among the Four Arts of Cultivation, the spirit stones it consumed were astronomical for Gu An, so he gave up the idea.

He hadn't expected the Yun family to dig this up. It seemed their influence within the Qingyuan Sect was not to be underestimated!

"Huang Xuan, your Storage Bag contains a Qi Condensation stage technique, Blood-Burning Escape. It should suit your taste." Yun Xiuyan took a sip of tea and continued: "You two must remember that both of these inheritances were exchanged from the sect's Scripture Depository. They are absolutely not to be passed on! You are well aware of the strictness of the sect's rules."

Gu An and Huang Xuan answered in unison: "We understand. We will not make things difficult for Senior Sister."

Yun Xiuyan nodded with satisfaction and continued to advise: "The Zhou family's destruction is a signal. Since the mission cannot be changed, you two should prepare well when you return. Build more connections with the local families and take more precautions."

Gu An and Huang Xuan nodded repeatedly. This was indeed a good approach.