Even though they had returned to the sect, their treatment was exceptionally poor. No one offered any care or warmth to these disciples who had been through what felt like a rebirth. They were merely given a small, secluded place to live, and occasionally, the sect would send them the most basic supplies—otherwise, they were completely ignored.
Except for Yuan Qing.
Since they returned from the Green Leaf Secret Realm last year, it was Yuan Qing who had been taking the time to look after them. Although he couldn't provide them with ample cultivation resources on his own, he worked hard to take on numerous sect missions, exchanging the rewards for more resources to barely support these abandoned disciples.
As a result, Yuan Qing's diligence in completing sect missions had once made him a model disciple in the eyes of the elders. He was often praised as an example of hard work and perseverance.
However, rumors started to circulate among the disciples, suggesting that Yuan Qing had already been chosen as an inner disciple by default. This caused him to make enemies.
Later, when it was discovered that most of the resources Yuan Qing earned were being used to support these abandoned disciples rather than for his own cultivation, this information was leaked to the elders and his master.
Consequently, Yuan Qing went from being a model disciple to being labeled as "lacking ambition," "foolishly kind," "stupid," and "hypocritical." Because of this, when his enemies framed him, others were quick to turn against him, leading to his expulsion from the sect.
Whenever the Talisman Masters' Conference is held, the required manpower is determined through discussions within the Lian Ying Association. Some sects are required to send lower-level disciples, while others are tasked with sending higher-level disciples.
For this conference, Tianxuan Sect was assigned the responsibility of providing Qi Refining stage disciples. However, the timing of the conference coincided with Tianxuan Sect's secret realm trials for Qi Refining disciples, and this time, it was their sect's turn to provide the needed manpower.
Unfortunately, the number of Qi Refining disciples left in the sect was insufficient. After tallying up the remaining disciples, they found that the disciples who had "come back to life" from the Green Leaf Secret Realm seemed to have recovered well and their cultivation was passable. So, they decided to include these abandoned disciples to make up the numbers.
As a result, those disciples from Tianxuan Sect who had survived the Green Leaf Secret Realm were now in Banshang City, fulfilling their duties.
Pan Han was one of them.
When Yuan Qing contacted him, Pan Han was both surprised and delighted. In the sect, information didn't flow well, so they had no idea what had happened to Yuan Qing after his incident—they just assumed he had gone off on another mission.
After their bodies had recovered somewhat, they had also started taking on missions at the Mission Hall, so they didn't need much help from Yuan Qing anymore. However, the rumors about them leeching off Yuan Qing had already spread, painting Yuan Qing as a foolish, principle-lacking person who helped others at the cost of his own progress. The elders had already formed their opinions, and Yuan Qing found it impossible to clear his name.
Pan Han and the others had no friends left in the sect—no one would inform them of what was happening. Tianxuan Sect was vast, and they couldn't just go around asking about Yuan Qing. So, they had remained in the dark until some more amiable disciples on their way to Banshang City noticed that they didn't look as weak or sickly as the rumors suggested and finally talked to them, revealing what had happened to Yuan Qing.
Learning that their brother Yuan Qing had suffered such an injustice made them all deeply saddened.
But in such a vast cultivation world, trying to find Yuan Qing after he had been expelled from the sect was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Until a few days ago, when Yuan Qing managed to contact Pan Han.
Upon hearing from Yuan Qing, Pan Han was overjoyed.
That day, Pan Han had a break, and following Yuan Qing's instructions, he went to a very secluded corner of Banshang City to wait for him.
When he saw Yuan Qing, who still appeared somewhat weak but with a good spirit, much of his worry eased.
"Junior Brother Yuan, are you… alright?" he asked cautiously.
From the way he phrased his question, Yuan Qing knew that Pan Han was aware of his situation. He nodded with a gentle smile. "Rest assured, Senior Brother. I've met some very good people."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Pan Han asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, Junior Brother?"
Yuan Qing took out a storage bag from his robes and handed it to Pan Han. "I know Senior Brother is a cautious person. I have something here that I'd like you to help deliver to Xu Juan."
Due to the rumors that had circulated earlier, Yuan Qing had distanced himself from his close friend Xu Juan, fearing that he might drag him down with him in the sect's eyes. When he was expelled, he hadn't even had the chance to speak with Xu Juan.
Xu Juan had been with him from the very beginning, and the two had supported each other through thick and thin. If there was anyone Yuan Qing could trust with this matter, it was Xu Juan. Xu Juan also understood Yuan Qing's connections and circumstances better than anyone else, making him the best person to handle this situation.
Pan Han accepted the storage bag and nodded. "Don't worry, Junior Brother. I'll make sure to deliver this to Junior Brother Xu personally. The disciples participating in the secret realm trial should have already entered by now. Before Xu left, he came to us and asked us to keep an eye out for any news about you."
Hearing that his friends still cared about him, Yuan Qing couldn't help but smile.
Pan Han continued, suddenly remembering something important. "By the way, Junior Brother Yuan, there's something I need to warn you about. A few days ago, Elder Gu from the sect came to question those of us who were trapped in the Green Leaf Secret Realm. He asked if we had encountered anyone or anything unusual while we were inside. We were worried that lying outright might be detected, so we all claimed that due to our weakened state and foggy consciousness, we hadn't noticed anything special."
Although they had indeed been in a daze, they still remembered being saved by a young man, though they couldn't clearly recall his face. But Pan Han knew that Yuan Qing must know who that young man was.
After a pause, he added, "The sect might be investigating something. They didn't just ask us—they also questioned other disciples who entered the Green Leaf Secret Realm last year. I have a feeling it might be related to that person. If you… know him, you should warn him."
Yuan Qing hadn't expected the sect to suddenly start investigating this matter.
If they had alerted an elder, it was certainly no small issue. Yuan Qing suddenly remembered the exit that Lin Xiao had found for them in the secret realm…