The junior disciples instantly stopped sweeping and offered deep, respectful bows upon recognizing the gray apron and the Third Generation jade token at her belt.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle Lin!" they chimed in unison, though they kept a wary eye on her spatula, clearly still believing the rumors that she regularly turned disobedient juniors into spicy hot pot.
"At ease, kids," Ji'an waved her hand dismissively. "What's the situation on the peak? Did... did a weather array break? Why is it so peaceful? Where is your Senior Brother Xie?"
The two disciples exchanged a bewildered glance.
"Senior Brother Xie is in his private quarters, Martial Uncle," one of the boys replied, scratching his head. "And... the peak is peaceful because nothing has happened? Aside from Elder Qin confining himself to the inner sanctum to recuperate from a sudden Qi fluctuation, everything has been perfectly normal."
