The sudden confrontation between Ye Ling and Zhang Muya cast a sudden chill over the room.
Zhang Xiaoxia, still a bit slow to react, was tidying up Zhang Muya's room when she said, "Grandma, I brought you some food, but something happened on the way and all the soup spilled. Are there any ingredients left in the kitchen? I can make something for you now."
Zhang Muya smiled, "Xiaoxia, don't trouble yourself. This old woman isn't hungry."
"How can you not eat? Grandma, you need to take care of yourself right now, you can't miss a single meal."
Zhang Xiaoxia tied up her hair and said earnestly to Zhang Muya, then plunged into the kitchen, using the available ingredients to whip up a dinner for Zhang Muya.
Only Zhang Muya and Ye Ling were left in the room, in complete silence.
Zhang Muya gave Ye Ling a deep look, got off the bed, and said, "Young Ye Ling, please sit anywhere."
Although she was over a hundred years old, her movements were more agile than those of a sixty or seventy-year-old man, showing no signs of her advanced age.
Ye Ling got straight to the point and asked Zhang Muya, "Grandma, you are the genius mystic of the Zhengyi Sect a hundred years ago, Zhang Muya, aren't you?"
"Young Ye Ling, my name is Jin Hui, not Zhang Muya." Zhang Muya had already composed herself and responded calmly to Ye Ling's inquiry, making tea as she spoke to him.
"That's a shame. I finally found Xu Shuya and rescued her from the Heavenly Net Ghost King. I wanted her to see her birth mother one last time before she was transcended."
"It seems that wish cannot be fulfilled."
Ye Ling stretched and got up, heading towards the kitchen, "I'll deal with those scoundrels from the Hongchen Pavilion for you, Grandma. I'll go help Xiaoxia with the cooking, Grandma, you don't need to..."
Before Ye Ling could finish speaking, Zhang Muya's withered hand grabbed him, "You... know where Shuya is?"
Her body trembled slightly, her eyes reddened.
She never imagined she would hear her daughter's name from Ye Ling!
A hundred years ago, when the Heavenly Masters of the Zhengyi Sect joined forces to hunt down Xu Shuya, Zhang Muya believed her daughter was no longer in this world. She had also lost all hope and lived on in solitude until now.
If it weren't for Zhang Muya's guilt towards her sect and her desire to see the Heavenly Net Ghost King slain by the Zhengyi Sect, she might have taken her own life in despair long ago.
Seeing that Zhang Muya had so easily admitted her identity, Ye Ling nodded and smiled, "Yes, she is on Longdao Mountain now."
"However, Grandma, before I take you to see Zhang Muya, I'd like to ask you a few questions."
Zhang Muya's mind was now entirely focused on her daughter, whom she hadn't seen in a century, and she quickly asked Ye Ling, "What do you want to ask?"
Ye Ling asked, "Do you know Ye Feng?"
Upon hearing the name Ye Ling mentioned, Zhang Muya's eyes flickered, and the hand gripping Ye Ling involuntarily loosened.
"I, I..."
Zhang Muya opened her mouth, took two steps back, and then said, "I don't know him."
However, despite her words, Zhang Muya's reaction confirmed that she knew Ye Feng.
Moreover, she was likely hiding some incredibly important secret!
The fact that Zhang Muya was still trying to deny it at this point could only mean that the importance of keeping Ye Feng's secret outweighed her desire to see her daughter.
The more cautious and resistant Zhang Muya appeared, the happier Ye Ling became.
This indicated that he had found the right person.
Ye Ling smiled, "Grandma, the people from the Hongchen Pavilion are after you. I don't know what secret you're keeping that would make the Hongchen Pavilion deploy several eighth-rank cultivators to take you away..."
"But I am sure of one thing: if you are taken by the Hongchen Pavilion, you will surely die."
"You are guarding Ye Feng's secret, but Ye Feng wants to kill you. Is it worth it?"
Zhang Muya: "..."
Seeing Zhang Muya fall into silence, Ye Ling continued, "Only I can save you now. Even if you don't believe me, you should believe Xiaoxia."
"Grandma, I've made you a bowl of meat congee. Your teeth aren't good, so the meat is finely minced." At this moment, Zhang Xiaoxia placed a steaming bowl of congee on the table and smiled at Zhang Muya.
Looking at Zhang Xiaoxia, a kind smile reappeared on Zhang Muya's face, "Xiaoxia is such a good child. I've been so well taken care of by you these past few years."
"Grandma, what are you saying? It's my duty to take care of you, and I'll continue to do so in the future." Zhang Xiaoxia smiled and helped Zhang Muya sit down, "The congee is a bit hot, let me blow on it for you."
"No need to trouble yourself, this old woman can manage."
Zhang Muya smiled at Zhang Xiaoxia, then casually asked, "Xiaoxia, I haven't seen young Ye Ling before. Won't you introduce him properly to your old grandma?"
Zhang Xiaoxia, unaware of Zhang Muya's true intentions, honestly replied, "Grandma, you don't know, Master Ye is so amazing!"
"Remember I told you about the Heavenly Net Ghost King that our Zhengyi Sect spent a hundred years hunting? Master Ye single-handedly slew the Heavenly Net Ghost King!"
Zhang Muya's pupils contracted slightly, and a storm of shock surged through her heart.
She suppressed her astonishment and tried to calm herself, asking, "Is that true?"
"Why would I lie to Grandma? The Dragon Department, the official mystic organization of Huaguo, notified us. However, our Zhengyi Sect is currently dealing with major issues and cannot go to Bailing Mountain to search for the ruins of the Heavenly Net Ghost City right now."
Zhang Xiaoxia revealed everything, both what she should and shouldn't say, without any reservation, much to Ye Ling's amusement and despair.
Although Zhang Xiaoxia's foolishly cute actions were a perfect assist for Ye Ling, from Zhang Xiaoxia's perspective, Zhang Muya was just an ordinary elderly widow. Not only could she not talk about the Heavenly Net Ghost King, but even revealing the existence of the mystic circle to Zhang Muya would violate the basic laws of mystic management.
If these matters were discovered by the Dragon Department, Zhang Xiaoxia could be detained for ten days to half a month.
Unaware of this, Zhang Xiaoxia spoke enthusiastically about Ye Ling. If Ye Ling hadn't interrupted her, Zhang Xiaoxia would have almost revealed Ye Ling's arrangements within the Zhengyi Sect.
After Ye Ling's reminder, Zhang Xiaoxia realized she had said too much and quickly apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry... I've said too much. Grandma, just take it as a story, please don't take it seriously!"
Ye Ling placed his hand on Zhang Xiaoxia's head and said sternly, "Alright, you girl. If you stay here any longer, you'll spill all of the Zhengyi Sect's secrets. Go outside and guard the door for me!"
With Ye Ling's hand on her head, Zhang Xiaoxia instantly tensed up, feeling guilty.
"I, I'll go out now. Master Ye, you take care of Grandma!"
Fearing she would cause further trouble, Zhang Xiaoxia quickly moved Ye Ling's hand from her head and hurried out in a panic.
Zhang Muya watched Zhang Xiaoxia's retreating back, swallowed slightly, and then looked at Ye Ling, her voice trembling, "You... really killed the Heavenly Net Ghost King?"