After waving off the Wandering Inspectors and explaining Xu Qi's presence to them, Wang Jinshi turned to him and said, "Tell me honestly, Disciple Xu. You're connected to this artifact, correct?"
Her eyes were sharp as she scrutinized him, waiting for a truthful response. Xu Qi knew that hiding his connection would be futile in front of her discerning gaze so his response was a truthful nod.
"Connected might not be the right term, Sect Master. This artifact is bound to me."
With the Rising Phoenix Conference and the many dangers that lurk behind the current turmoil within the realm which was actually kickstarted by him, he knew he couldn't just remain a bystander. Furthermore, although not fully proven, he has this gut feeling that trouble will continue finding its way to him.
So, rather than stifling his growth and waiting like a sitting duck, Xu Qi decided to be proactive.
And the first step to that is to deepen his understanding of this artifact that became bound to him.
