Chapter 130: Honorary Disciple and The Money Devouring Pit

Standing in the lavish hall, Elder Qian invited Yu Liang to sit once again, his eyes still lingering affectionately on the box containing the Tier 5 pill. He cleared his throat, his tone shifting from a mere sect official to seasoned businessman explaining a premium investment

"You see, Young Master Yu," Elder Qian began. "The Cloudwater Sect, like all Great Righteous factions, values talent above all else. Those with High Level talent are promoted to Inner Sect and Core disciples, given free resources, free cave abodes, and free status. But you see, the sect’s grand arrays, the Pill Hall, the Weapon Forge and many other areas require massive amounts of spiritual stones to maintain."

Elder Qian paused, giving Yu Liang a meaningful look. "Therefore, the sect created the ’Honorary Disciple’ position. It is a status equivalent to a True Core Disciple, but it is entirely funded by wealth rather than talent. In short, it is a position for those who have money but lack the time or talent spen— ahem I mean to climb the traditional ranks."

Yu Liang raised an eyebrow. "So, I have to pay for the status?"

"Exactly!" Elder Qian nodded enthusiastically. "But the perks are immense. First, you get the treatment of a Core Disciple. Second, you can hire Top Tier Inner Disciples or even True Core Disciples, to act as your personal bodyguards or servants. Of course, you have to pay them a hefty daily fee, which the sect will help collect."

Yu Liang’s eyes flickered slightly. ’Hire Core Disciples as bodyguards? Interesting.’

"Third," Elder Qian continued, his voice rising with pride, "you can choose any cave abode it can be ordinary or luxurious or you can even select private estate on the main peaks. The best ones have Tier 4 or even Tier 5 spiritual arrays. Normal disciples get these for free upon promotion, but as an Honorary Disciple, you can only buy the deed to any cave you want, provided you pay the upfront fee and the daily array maintenance costs."

The Cloudwater Sect was divided into several major peaks, each responsible for a different aspect of the sect’s affairs.

Although all of them ultimately answered to the Sect Master, the peaks possessed considerable authority within their respective domains. Ordinary disciples might spend their entire cultivation careers dealing with only one or two of them.

These peaks are the backbone of the Cloudwater Sect.

They had different responsibilities, different traditions, and naturally different interests, but together they kept the enormous sect functioning. For an ordinary outer disciple, the peaks might seem distant and unrelated. But as one’s cultivation and status increased, it became increasingly difficult to avoid dealing with them.

And for a cultivator who intended to climb higher within the sect, understanding how these peaks operated was almost as important as understanding cultivation itself.

Yu Liang asked, "And what is the cost for this... Honorary Position?"

Elder Qian smiled, a slightly apologetic but entirely unrepentant smile. "Ah. Well. There is a monthly, quarterly, and yearly Contribution Quota. To maintain the status of an Honorary Core Disciple, the monthly quota is 10,000 High Grade Spiritual Stones. The quarterly quota is 50,000, and the yearly quota is 300,000 High Grade Spiritual Stones. If you fail to pay, your status is immediately revoked."

It was a very straightforward arrangement.

You pay, you receive the status.

You stop paying, you lose it.

The high prices also prevented ordinary cultivators from casually obtaining the title. After all, the sect was lending out the reputation of a Core Disciple. If anyone could obtain that status for a trivial amount, the title itself would lose its value.

He quickly added, "And if you want to hire a Top 10 Inner Disciple as a bodyguard, that’s an extra spiritual stones a day accordingly to the disciples. If you want a True Core Disciple, it’s roughly around 50 High Grade Spiritual Stones a day. The cave abode purchase fee starts at 10,000 High Grade Spiritual Stones, plus a daily maintenance fee of 50 Mid Grade Spiritual Stones or you can do it yourself."

To a normal wealthy young master, these numbers would be a nightmare. It was practically a bottomless, money devouring pit. A regular Core Disciple didn’t have to spend a anything, not even a single stone to live in this paradise, but an Honorary one had to bleed spiritual stones just to keep the things going on. Many new wealthy cultivators who bought this position ended up going bankrupt within a few years.

But as Yu Liang listened, his eyes didn’t dim in horror. Instead, they grew brighter and brighter, practically glowing with an almost terrifying light.

’Wait a minute,’ Yu Liang thought, his heart pounding with excitement. ’They want me to spend money? They are literally begging me to throw my spiritual stones into a bottomless pit?!’

His System was made for this. Its core function was to multiply his wealth whenever he spent. And now, with the System Store unlocked, he needed to spend massive amounts of money to generate System Points to buy those heaven defying items or physique.

This Honorary Disciple position doesn’t feel like a trap to him. To anyone else, it was a financial black hole. But to Yu Liang, it was a giant, automated System Point farming machine albit not many but a mosquito’s meat is still a meat.

The more he spent on these quotas, the more system would multiply it for him and the more System Points he would earn. The sect was basically handing him a golden shovel to dig his own treasure trove.

"How much money is required to apply for this position immediately?" Yu Liang asked, his voice incredibly calm, though the corners of his lips were twitching upward.

Elder Qian blinked, slightly taken aback by the young man’s eagerness. Usually, disciples frowned and hesitated when they heard the yearly quota. ’Didn’t I just told him The prices?’ he thought but said it anway. "The initial application fee is only 10 High Grade Spiritual Stones, and you must pay the first month’s quota upfront..."

"Done," Yu Liang interrupted smoothly. He waved his hand, and a spatial bag heavy with landed on the table with a thud. "Here are some crude items, please process the application and give me a recommendation for the Honorary Disciple Position. Also, prepare an extra letter if they didn’t get your first one just in case."

Yu Liang had no intention of missing this opportunity, no matter what.

Elder Qian’s jaw dropped. He looked at the spatial bag, then at Yu Liang, his eyes wide with sheer disbelief. ’This kid... he didn’t even blink. Wait... No... just how eager is he to give spatial bags on the drop of words. Is this guy’s family own a spiritual stone mine and a lot of them at that?!’

"Y-Yes! Right away, Young Master Yu! I will process it personally!" Elder Qian snatched the spatial bag as if it might fly away, his face flushed with extreme excitement. The sect would undoubtedly take a massive cut, but as the handler, his own personal handling fees for recommendation would be astronomical.

"Then I will take my leave, Elder Qian. I look forward to our future ’cooperation’," Yu Liang said with a polite smile, cupping his hands.

"Cooperation! Yes, absolutely!" Elder Qian practically leaped out from behind his desk. He didn’t just walk Yu Liang to the door, he escorted him all the way out of the grand courtyard, bowing repeatedly.

"Young Master Yu! No, I should call you Brother Yu now that we are so close!" Elder Qian beamed with warmth of a man who had just found a lifelong benefactor. "If you need anything else in the Handyman Disciple areas, just send a message, and don’t worry Xiao Fei and Wei Feng are my own nephews, I swear I will take care of them like my own family."

"Many thanks, Elder Qian. I’ll see myself out," Yu Liang chuckled, shaking his head slightly at the Elder’s shameless but endearing attitude.