Cold sweat streamed down Chen Zhi’s back.
No one else knew, but he knew very well that, aside from anything else, the sudden stabbing pain in his eyes had to be Nangong Yu’s doing.
He had suffered the same thing in Luoxia City. So had his junior brothers Wang Hezheng and Meng Yanqing.
At the time, she had not yet joined the sect, and there had been no Xu Wanzhong standing in front of her. It was impossible for anyone else to have helped her.
And she had personally admitted, “Sometimes, when people harbor ill will toward me, they suffer retribution.”
Excruciating eye pain, blurting out one’s secrets, vomiting and diarrhea… Just how had she managed to make a cultivator look like an ordinary mortal?!
Chen Zhi could not figure it out. He was even starting to lose his bearings. Things he could not understand made him begin to doubt everything around him. Was any of this real?
Could he be trapped in an illusion? Perhaps he was actually inside a secret realm, hallucinating all of this?
No one noticed anything strange about him. Although he was a Golden Core cultivator, he was completely inconspicuous among the disciples on Disciple Peak at that moment.
“Clean up the sect’s atmosphere? It is indeed time to do so.” The Sect Master spoke indifferently. “It’s a matter between children, yet you actually brought a Golden Core cultivator in to resolve it. Since when has this sort of practice become common in the Ziyang Sect?”
Yu Shuo’s expression changed. “Disciple…”
“You couldn’t beat them, so you called for help—and even summoned your master. Yu Shuo, do you know what this place is? This is a sect.” The Sect Master’s tone remained indifferent.
Cold sweat streamed down Yu Shuo’s face. “Disciple… Disciple only wanted to seek justice for my junior brothers and sisters!”
“And you?” The Sect Master turned toward Elder Fuyun. “Whose justice were you seeking?”
Elder Fuyun was just about to speak, but the Sect Master impatiently waved him off. “Since all of you have called for reinforcements, I’ll say a few words on behalf of certain disciples as well.”
Everyone assumed he was about to speak up for Nangong Yu. It was hardly surprising; he and the Master of the Discipline Hall were fellow disciples.
“A disciple reported to me that Elder Fuyun of Jadeclear Peak has used his position to extort valuables from disciples, pocketed spirit stones from the sect’s mines, lined his own pockets repeatedly, and engaged in improper dealings with several peak masters…”
Elder Fuyun’s face changed dramatically. “Nonsense! I have done no such thing!”
“The evidence has already been delivered to me.” The Sect Master spoke calmly. “Some time ago, my state of mind became unstable, and I was occupied with cultivation, so I had yet to transfer the evidence to the Discipline Hall.”
As he spoke, he waved a mass of golden light toward Xu Wanzhong. “Since Nephew Xu is here, I may as well hand it over to you.”
Xu Wanzhong leaped into the air and caught the golden light. “Yes, Sect Master!”
“According to the rules of the Discipline Hall, Elder Fuyun will confine himself to Jadeclear Peak until the investigation is complete,” the Sect Master continued.
With Elder Ling Heng absent, and no one else of sufficient status present, only he could issue such an order.
Elder Fuyun’s expression shifted several times. Though unwilling, he ultimately said nothing in front of Elder Baihe, Luo Qingyuan, Master of Danhua Peak, and the others.
“The innocent have nothing to fear.” He gave a cold snort, then flew away.
Yu Shuo swayed in midair before following him. His temperament was not as steady as his master’s, and his flight was unsteady and lurching.
“Elder Baihe will temporarily take charge of teaching on Disciple Peak.” The Sect Master looked at Elder Baihe. “If you leave the peak without cause again and fail to fulfill your teaching duties, you will be stripped of your title as an elder.”
Not every peak master could be called an elder. Although uninformed disciples habitually addressed them all that way, only the master of a peak who had made contributions to the sect was entitled to the title.
Nor was the title of elder merely ceremonial. It came with certain benefits within the sect. Elder Baihe did not care about such things, but since the Sect Master had spoken, he could only accept.
“Yes, Sect Master.”
“You did well today.” After finishing his reprimand, the Sect Master turned to Luo Qingyuan, the elder who had promptly summoned a healer and called witnesses.
Luo Qingyuan was somewhat flattered. “You praise me too highly. I only did it for Little Yu, my disciple.”
“Little Yu, my disciple?” The Sect Master raised an eyebrow.
Luo Qingyuan pressed her lips into a gentle smile. “Little Yu and I hit it off at first sight. She achieved enlightenment after cultivating my Scripture of Nurturing Spiritual Energy Throughout the Heavenly Cycle, so I took the liberty of becoming her Second Master.”
The Sect Master suddenly understood why, when they had been at Hengxu Peak, Elder Ling Heng had said, “Anyone can be her master?”
So that was the reason.
“You two can handle the rest.” After all, he was the Sect Master of an entire sect. Matters concerning a junior disciple were not important enough to require his personal attention.
Before leaving, he swept his gaze across the new disciples and offered them a word of encouragement. “Cultivate diligently, and do not let outside influences change your character.”
Before his voice had even faded, his figure had already vanished from their sight.
From beginning to end, he did not say a single word to Nangong Yu or even spare her a glance.
However, at that moment, whether they were disciples from Class A or Class B, their fear, wariness, and vigilance toward her had reached its peak.
Because of her!
Elder Fuyun had been arrested!
Hadn’t they heard what the Sect Master said? He had not originally intended to deal with Elder Fuyun. It was only because he happened to run into him today.
Why had he run into him today? Because Elder Fuyun had been summoned by Yu Shuo to back him up. Why had Yu Shuo called for his master? Because he could not beat Nangong Yu.
And why had Yu Shuo wanted to fight Nangong Yu?
Because of them!
They owed Nangong Yu money!
“These are the talismans we owe you.” The remaining disciples trudged over one after another. Without saying another word, they shoved the talismans into Nangong Yu’s hands.
They did not even dare ask her for an IOU. Once they had handed them over, they immediately left.
Some were afraid she would refuse to accept them, so they simply threw the items onto the ground before running away.
“Honestly, what a day.” Nangong Yu glanced at the sun sinking toward the west and complained, “All this fuss over nothing.”
It had taken an entire day to return just a few talismans.
Hearing her complain, Chen Zhi did not know what to say.
Only Luo Qingyuan felt sorry for her. “Don’t worry. Your Second Master will make up the lessons for you.”
“Oh, right!” Nangong Yu immediately clutched her stomach. “I’m starving. Great-grandson, take me to the dining hall.”
Luo Qingyuan chuckled, choosing not to expose her. “All right. Go eat first. I’ll come find you later.”
Putting it off for a while was better than nothing. Nangong Yu nodded vaguely. “Thank you, Elder Luo.”
She pushed Chen Zhi along, and the two of them flew away on his sword.
Xu Wanzhong nodded toward Luo Qingyuan. “Thank you.”
Because she had promptly called for help, he had been able to arrive in time and protect his junior sister.
“You’re welcome. We’re family, after all.” Luo Qingyuan’s voice was gentle, and she was especially courteous.
Xu Wanzhong recalled that she had called herself Little Yu’s Second Master and nodded before flying off.
It had nothing to do with him. It was not his disciple who had been stolen away.
Elsewhere.
“They didn’t follow us, did they?” Nangong Yu stood on Chen Zhi’s sword and twisted around to look behind them, speaking with lingering fear.
Chen Zhi was utterly helpless. “No.”
This Little Grand Martial Aunt had fearlessly faced a Nascent Soul elder, yet attending a single class had left her so frightened.
“That’s good.” Nangong Yu relaxed. Remembering that Luo Qingyuan had said she would tutor her that evening, she added, “I still haven’t finished consolidating my insights from my last bout of enlightenment.”
Chen Zhi did not dare say anything. He merely replied, “Little Grand Martial Aunt, you should decide for yourself.”
As a junior several generations below her, he had no place to interfere.
“We’re here.” Nangong Yu did not expect much from him anyway. She pointed ahead.
Chen Zhi guided his flying sword into a steep dive.
In one respect, Nangong Yu was very steady on a flying sword. She never suddenly grabbed hold of him, nor did she shriek or make a fuss.
That left Chen Zhi feeling a little unfulfilled. When he had first entered the sect, he had made a huge commotion for quite some time.
“What would Little Grand Martial Aunt like to eat?” Chen Zhi asked after they entered the dining hall.
Nangong Yu waved him off. “You don’t need to spend any spirit stones. My senior brother got me a meal card.”
She went to the window serving spiritual food and ordered a huge pile of dishes.
When they reached the place that handled the special meals, Nangong Yu asked, “Are there any for Taixuan Peak and Yuqing Peak?”
The disciple in charge of the special meals nodded.
“Give them to me.” Nangong Yu held out her hand.
The disciple said, “Does Little Grand Martial Aunt have a written authorization?”
Nangong Yu lifted her chin. “Elder Xuanqing of Taixuan Peak falsely accused me of destroying his cave abode. He’s been arrested, so he can’t eat anymore.”
Of course, not every special meal was for Elder Xuanqing. Some were for his disciples.
“Otherwise, you can ask the people at Taixuan Peak,” Nangong Yu said. “Are you going to give me the meals, or should I go to Icebound Cliff and ask Elder Xuanqing for the authorization myself?”
The junior disciple’s eyes gleamed. He looked exactly like someone who had just gotten hold of some juicy gossip. Although messages could be sent quickly through the disciples’ tokens, news did not always reach everyone equally fast.
“Yes, Senior Sister.” The disciple immediately took out his token and began making inquiries.
Before long, his eyes shone even more brightly. After putting away the token, he said politely, “These two portions belong to Taixuan Peak.”
“The ones for Yuqing Peak are the same.” Nangong Yu accepted them and put them into her storage pouch. “Elder Fuyun abused his position in the sect to commit wrongdoing and has been confined to Yuqing Peak. Ask him whether he’ll give me the special meals, or whether I should bring people to Yuqing Peak to comfort him.”
Comfort him? What a joke.
Her implied meaning could not have been clearer. If they refused to hand them over, she would spread the two elders’ misdeeds far and wide.
“Senior Sister, please wait a moment.” In addition to the excitement of someone enjoying the gossip, the junior disciple’s eyes now held deep admiration.
As expected, once the junior disciple’s communication ended, the three portions belonging to Yuqing Peak also landed in Nangong Yu’s hands.
Nangong Yu stored them away with satisfaction. When she turned around, she saw Chen Zhi standing there with a stunned expression.
“Let’s go,” she said.
Chen Zhi followed her on unsteady feet.
As they flew through the air on his sword, his feelings were complicated. Nangong Yu’s way of doing things had left him dazed once again.
“We’re not going to Hengxu Peak.” The young girl behind him had no idea what was going through his mind and crisply ordered, “I’m going to your cave abode. Hurry up.”
Chen Zhi did not know why, but since she had given the order, he turned the flying sword around.
Before long, they arrived.
Chen Zhi went ahead and opened the restrictions around his cave abode.
“It’s really bare,” Nangong Yu remarked. “I’ll give you two pots of flowers.”
He had no idea where she had found them. She simply picked out two pots and placed them in the empty space.
Chen Zhi had not expected such treatment, and his feelings grew even more complicated. “Thank you, Little Grand Martial Aunt.”
Back then, he had still been her senior fellow disciple, yet he had failed to fulfill his responsibilities as one.
Now that she had become his Little Grand Martial Aunt, she was displaying the full bearing of an elder.
“I want to ask you something.” Nangong Yu sat down casually, took out the spirit food, and set a whole table. “You eat, too.”
How could Chen Zhi dare to eat? He replied politely, “This disciple has abstained from mortal food for a long time.”
Sure enough, a satisfied expression appeared on Nangong Yu’s face, and she began eating. “Tell me about Elder Fuyun.”
“What does he do as an elder?”
The moment Chen Zhi heard the question, he knew what she wanted to ask. His expression grew somewhat complicated as he sighed. “When I joined the sect, he was also the elder in charge of Class A.”
Elder Fuyun had taught him as well.
The moment Nangong Yu heard this, she knew she had asked the right person. “Then tell me quickly.”
What was he supposed to say?
Chen Zhi actually did not want to discuss the sect’s ugly secrets. But Elder Fuyun had already been confined, so whether he spoke about it or not no longer mattered much.
“He is a sect elder,” Chen Zhi explained. “One step higher, and he would become a Grand Elder.”
Nangong Yu hurriedly asked, “Are Grand Elders very powerful?”
“Grand Elders can participate in decisions concerning major sect affairs. They oversee more responsibilities and wield greater authority,” Chen Zhi answered.
He gave her an example. “Take Grand Patriarch Elder Ling Heng. He is one of the Grand Elders. His status is second only to the sect master, and in many situations, he can act on the sect master’s behalf.”
Since cultivators were cultivators, they could not focus solely on studying the Dao and spells. What were the Dao and spells? They were not about rising above everything or transcending all things, but about understanding and connecting with all things.
His master had once told him that if a cultivator did not understand the suffering of ordinary people, how could he understand the joy of escaping that suffering?
And if one did not understand worldly affairs, how could one seize resources and rise to the heavens?
At this point, it was necessary to discuss the sect’s underlying logic, its background, and its resources.
These were not taught in the introductory classes for new disciples. They were explained by masters, senior brothers, and senior sisters.
And these were not things Chen Zhi ought to be explaining to her. But since she had asked, he could only follow the conversation and continue.
“The sect has spirit veins, spirit fields, shops and other industries… But the most important and special one is the secret realm.”
“Every industry has someone specifically assigned to manage it.”
“Spirit veins produce spirit stones. Ordinary people cannot mine them, so the sect’s disciples are responsible for the mining.”
“Spirit fields are also cultivated by the sect’s disciples, most of whom possess wood, water, or earth spiritual roots.”
“The shops are mainly scattered throughout Taihua Prefecture, though there are some in the other eight prefectures as well. Most of them are located in the Central Prefecture.”
“There are secret realms suitable for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples, as well as ones suitable for Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators.”
“Many heavenly treasures can only be found in secret realms. This industry is therefore of the utmost importance.”
After saying so much, Chen Zhi pressed his lips together and lowered his voice. “Elder Fuyun is in charge of one spirit vein, several spirit fields, and two secret realms.”
Nangong Yu was shocked. “That old rascal!”
“He’s very old…” Chen Zhi thought. How old was she herself? Sixteen, yet she was calling someone several hundred years old an old rascal?
Nangong Yu had practically lost her appetite. “Then doesn’t that mean he’s incredibly wealthy?!”
What a mistake!
She should have gone after Elder Fuyun first!
Nangong Yu regretted it so much that she nearly beat her breast. Now that she had dealt with Elder Xuanqing first, she had probably alerted the others, making it difficult to deal with Elder Fuyun next.
“He is extremely wealthy,” Chen Zhi said, following her line of thought.
However, Elder Fuyun had accumulated merit. He was responsible for teaching every new batch of disciples, attending classes each day and teaching them for a full three years.
Many peak masters could not bring themselves to do such a thing and preferred a life of leisure. Thus, even though the sect’s benefits were excellent, they still were not tempted.
At first, Elder Fuyun had been extremely conscientious. He had not been like this. But over the years, his appetite had grown larger and larger, until the disciples under him had been pushed to the brink and finally reported him to the sect master.
Chen Zhi had heard about this several years ago, but it had never been dealt with.
Thinking of this, Chen Zhi gave Nangong Yu a complicated look. Was it a coincidence? The sect master had not dealt with the matter before, yet the moment she became involved, Elder Fuyun was immediately confined.
“There are so many benefits to being an elder?” Nangong Yu asked thoughtfully.
Chen Zhi said, “Yes. The benefits provided by the sect to its elders are excellent. They receive shares of the spirit ore, spirit field, and secret realm yields; priority access to newly acquired cultivation techniques, incomplete scrolls, and secret manuals; authority over the recruitment of new disciples; places in secret realms; and exemption from guard duty at the Demon Abyss Gate…”
Nangong Yu’s eyes widened. “The Demon Abyss Gate? Exemption from guard duty?”
She understood the dividends from the various industries and the right to choose resources first.
But what about that last one…?
Chen Zhi nodded and said softly, “The demon realm has been sealed for a hundred thousand years, but the seal has begun to loosen. In recent years, demons have emerged from it. Every sect is required to send people to guard the Demon Abyss. If any demon escapes, it must be slain immediately.”
“The conditions in the Demon Abyss are terrible. Spiritual energy and demonic energy are mixed together, and in recent years, the demonic energy has grown increasingly dense. Disciples below the Golden Core realm find it extremely difficult to endure the environment there.”
“However, the sect has a rule that once a cultivator reaches the Golden Core realm, they must go to the Demon Abyss and stand guard for twenty years.”
“Once your cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage, you have to spend a hundred years stationed at the Demon Abyss.”
“Take Elder Fuyun, for example. His accomplishments are so great that he was exempted from that duty.”
“Conversely, if a peak master renders meritorious service to the sect or volunteers to guard the Demon Abyss for a hundred years, they can earn the position of an elder.”
Chen Zhi continued explaining, but Nangong Yu’s interest had already begun to wane.
A hundred years of guarding the Demon Abyss just to become an elder? That was far too long. Who knew whether a player’s lifespan would even last a hundred years?
Meritorious service, on the other hand…
Her eyes shifted. “Are there any positions guarding the Central Continent?”
Chen Zhi sighed and nodded. “There are. But those plum assignments are all held by the sect’s Grand Elders.”
Guarding the Demon Abyss was grueling work. Guarding the Central Continent, on the other hand… that wasn’t called guarding anything. It was called living in luxury.
The Central Continent was rich in spiritual energy, making cultivation twice as effective. In such a prosperous place, once one of the sect’s Grand Elders went there, Chen Zhi had never seen them come back.
“Elder Fuyun still isn’t good enough,” Nangong Yu clicked her tongue. “He didn’t even manage to become a Grand Elder.”
Chen Zhi shot her a glance. “If this hadn’t been exposed, he would have been one soon.”
There were rumors that all the money Elder Fuyun had extorted and embezzled had been offered to the Grand Elders in the Central Continent, and that he would soon be transferred there.
“Did he betray the sect?” Nangong Yu wondered aloud.
Chen Zhi shuddered, his expression one of utter astonishment. “How could you possibly think that?!”
“If he hadn’t done those things, the sect wouldn’t have needed to punish him.” Nangong Yu lowered her head and shoveled another bite of rice into her mouth. “As long as he remained loyal to the sect, any spirit stones, ores, heavenly treasures, and the like that ended up in his hands would ultimately be used for the sect.”
Chen Zhi’s expression grew complicated. He seemed almost impressed. “Don’t say things like that.”
“Mm-hmm.” Nangong Yu lowered her head and earnestly continued eating.
She had learned what she wanted to know, and she had finished her meal as well. Just then, the disciple token lit up.
Nangong Yu didn’t answer, but the white light began to flicker. Suddenly, a figure was forcibly projected out of it, smiling brightly.
“Little Yu, my disciple, are you done eating? Your Second Master is at the entrance. Come out and greet your master!”
“I’m not at Hengxu Peak,” Nangong Yu said miserably.
Luo Qingyuan beamed. “Where is my good disciple? Master will come pick you up. It’s so late, and you’re still wandering around outside. That’s not good, you know.”
Nangong Yu had no choice. With a mournful expression, she rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
With a flash of white light, the figure was drawn back into the disciple token.
Unbelievable.
Her proper master didn’t care about her at all, yet this unorthodox master was always hounding her.
