Chapter 71 - Trouble Brewing

Just as Fenrir had been able to sense her, Wen Xiulan had sensed Fenrir's descent from the mountain and already began making preparations to receive her. There were servants and disciples running around, pulling out various high-quality foods and teas. Wen Xiulan didn't know what kind of things Fenrir liked and, not wanting to offend their current 'Guardian', she had the servants prepare a little bit of everything. It wasn't uncommon for even high stage Cultivators to partake of a feast after exiting closed cultivation, so Wen Xiulan wanted to make a good impression by showing Fenrir how grateful they were for her protection...

In no particular rush, Fenrir found her way into a large dining hall with only three seats, even though there was enough food to feed twenty people. At the very center, there was an empty cushion that was slightly elevated while the person she had been seeking, Wen Xiulan, sat on the right side. The other cushion had been occupied by a young girl that Fenrir had never met but, based on the 'feeling' of her energy, it was obvious she had some relation to Wen Xiulan. Though she seemed very young, Fenrir could tell that her mastery of the Sacred Heart of the Ice Phoenix was at a higher stage than her own, even though she was significantly weaker.

As soon as Fenrir entered the dining hall, both Wen Xiulan, and her Direct Disciple, Jia Cai, bowed in a respectful manner while synchronously stating, "Juniors greet the Guardian Protector, Fenrir...!" Like Wen Xiulan, Jia Cai also had silky black hair, impeccably fair skin, and an almost ethereal beauty as a result of practicing the Sacred Heart of the Ice Phoenix cultivation method. Unlike her Master, however, Jia Cai had light-grey eyes that only had a touch of icy blue contained within, contrasting the icy blue eyes of Wen Xiulan who was at the sixth stage of mastery. When she reached the higher stages, Jia Cai would also have similarly icy blue eyes and, should they reach the ninth stage, they would become a stark bluish-white that could even freeze the energy in their enemies' bodies.

Fenrir was a little bothered by the fact that the two were bowing to them but decided to ignore it, asking, "Has anything happened while I was training?" Because she had agreed to protect the Heavenly Moon Sect, Fenrir wanted to make sure things were running smoothly. She knew that, with how the 'girly men' usually acted, it was very likely that trouble had been stirring while she was trying to learn the basics of the Sacred Heart of the Ice Phoenix. As expected, Wen Xiulan showed a troubled smile as she bowed her head slightly and said, "We have been working to restructure the Sect over the last two months. In that time, members of the Blazing Sun Sect have sent envoys into Heavenly Moon City, trying to ascertain the veracity of rumors regarding our Devouring Moon Sect..."

Hearing Wen Xiulan mention 'Devouring Moon Sect', Fenrir's brows twitched slightly since she was positive the Sect had been called the Heavenly Moon Sect, just like the City that had borrowed its name. She felt that the name was related to her and wondered if this was Wen Xiulan's way of trying to establish a connection between the Sect and herself. Since it would take a while for her to master the Sacred Heart of the Ice Phoenix, Fenrir decided to ignore it for the time being and just let Wen Xiulan do what she thought was necessary to protect the Sect. Instead of addressing the new name, Fenrir asked, "Do I need to teach them a lesson...?"

Wen Xiulan released a small sigh of relief after seeing Fenrir 'accept' the new name, even though she could tell this wasn't entirely the case. In response to Fenrir's inquiry, she smiled politely, saying, "It should not concern the Guardian Protector, there is a chance the situation could escalate. With the recent changes, our Sect's strength has decreased by a great deal. In order to try and steal our resources, there is a chance the Blazing Sun Sect could attack if they believe we are an easy target..." In this world, it was extremely common for similarly powerful Sects to absorb each other when one party had been weakened after experiencing misfortune...

Fenrir listened to Wen Xiulan's words attentively but, at the same time, she had already started thinking about how to deal with the Blazing Sun Sect. Waiting for the enemy to attack meant there would be unnecessary casualties while also showing other enemies that they were easy to target, even if not easy to defeat. This would become very troublesome in she let it get out of control so Fenrir nodded her head after Wen Xiulan finished speaking, saying, "Show me a map of where the Blazing Sun Sect is located. If they are thinking of attacking us, I will attack them to discourage other Sects from troubling me in the future...!"

(Fenrir's Commentary: 'Sometimes, the best way to protec, is to attac...')