Chapter 113: Failing to Appreciate a Favor

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Failing to Appreciate a Favor

Cheng Jun stared at Chen Yue, his cold voice dripping with undisguised pressure.

"Only thinking of yourself? Then why did you come to the Panshi Sect? Wouldn’t it be more liberating to be a Loose Cultivator, free from all ties?"

The words were incredibly blunt, practically branding Chen Yue as selfish.

Chen Yue’s brow furrowed slightly. He mulled it over for a moment. "This is a serious matter. I’ve only just arrived and will need a few days to think it over. How about I give you two an answer then, Senior Brothers?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on Liao Xunzhen’s face nearly vanished. He waved his hand dismissively, his tone growing impatient.

"What’s there to consider? Just agree today! We’re all martial brothers of the Panshi Sect; we’re not going to hurt you! Junior Brother Chen, you’re overthinking things."

Seeing their aggressive posture, Chen Yue suddenly let out a soft chuckle and slowly shook his head. "I’d still like two days to think it over. In two days, I’ll give you both a definitive answer."

Seeing that Chen Yue was completely unfazed, the smile on Liao Xunzhen’s face vanished entirely. He and Cheng Jun exchanged a look.

Cheng Jun looked at Chen Yue and suddenly took a step forward. A heavy pressure faintly bore down on Chen Yue as he spoke in an icy voice, "Have you thought this through? Are you sure you won’t come with us right now?"

Chen Yue watched Cheng Jun’s advancing figure, felt the subtle pressure, and slowly shook his head.

If before he had only suspected something was fishy about this Mutual Aid Association, now, seeing the drastic shift in their attitudes, he was absolutely certain. This so-called association was nothing more than a small, parasitic clique.

Seeing Chen Yue’s resolute stance, Liao Xunzhen suddenly clapped his hands and forced a smile back onto his face, though it looked stiff and cold.

"Fine! Junior Brother Chen certainly has a mind of his own! Alright, we can’t force you. We’ll be back in two days!"

He said nothing more, simply turned, and strode out of the courtyard gate.

Cheng Jun, however, didn’t leave right away. He stood his ground, staring coldly at Chen Yue as if looking at an ungrateful fool.

A cold sneer touched his lips. He said nothing, but as he turned and walked out the gate, he suddenly lifted his right foot and violently kicked the half-open wooden gate next to him.

BANG!

With a tremendous crash, half the gate shattered into several planks under Cheng Jun’s furious kick, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Without a backward glance, Cheng Jun sneered and strode away.

Chen Yue stood where he was, gazing at the shattered gate and the splinters littering the ground, his face expressionless.

He made no move to clean up the mess or find someone for repairs. He just stared quietly at the splintered doorway, his gaze profound.

He knew this was far from over.

The shattered gate was both a threat and a warning.

It was their way of telling him that if he didn’t play along, he would face the consequences.

At dusk, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed Dan Peak in a golden light.

The sound of hesitant footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard. A moment later, Yao Jin appeared at the broken gate.

His steps faltered when he saw the splintered gate, and a complicated look crossed his face.

He looked toward Chen Yue, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation inside the courtyard. He opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated.

Chen Yue opened his eyes. A smile touched his lips when he saw it was Yao Jin, and he rose to his feet as if nothing had happened. "Senior Brother Yao? What brings you here?"

Yao Jin hesitated before stepping into the courtyard. His gaze lingered on the shattered gate for a long moment before he lowered his voice. "Junior Brother Chen... did some other senior brothers come see you this afternoon?"

Chen Yue nodded, making no attempt to hide it. "Two senior brothers came by. They wanted me to join some Mutual Aid Association, but I haven’t agreed yet."

An "I knew it" expression crossed Yao Jin’s face.

He hesitated, seeming to weigh his words, before finally leaning in and speaking in a low, persuasive tone.

"Junior Brother Chen, if you can, you really should join. A lot of disciples on Dan Peak are part of that Mutual Aid Association."

Chen Yue looked at Yao Jin and thought for a moment. "Senior Brother Yao, this Mutual Aid Association... do Martial Zhao and the others not get involved?"

Yao Jin instinctively glanced around. After confirming they were alone, he lowered his voice even further, a hint of apprehension in his tone.

"There are several Inner Sect Disciples in the Mutual Aid Association. One of them, a Senior Brother Zhao, has extremely high Alchemy Skill—he can even refine Nourishing Spirit Pills! With him around, even the average Steward Martial Uncle is reluctant to say much."

Chen Yue’s brow twitched at his words.

Yao Jin’s answer was evasive, but Chen Yue caught a key piece of information: the Senior Brother Zhao who could refine Nourishing Spirit Pills... his surname was Zhao.

The image of Zhao Weiyuan instantly flashed through Chen Yue’s mind.

Chen Yue’s thoughts raced, but his face remained impassive. He continued, "So, if I don’t join this Mutual Aid Association, does that mean I can’t continue my alchemy on Dan Peak?"

Yao Jin waved his hands frantically. "No, it’s not that bad! The Sect Rules are in place; no one can openly forbid you from performing alchemy."

Chen Yue nodded, not pressing the issue.

He understood Yao Jin’s meaning. He wouldn’t be openly forbidden from alchemy if he refused to join, but they would secretly make things difficult for him, making his path as an alchemist rough and uneven.

That, perhaps, was the true source of the Mutual Aid Association’s power.

Chen Yue took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, releasing some of the frustration that had been building up in his chest all day.

He had always believed that as a renowned Major Sect in Celestial State Prefecture, the Panshi Sect would have strict rules and a good reputation. He’d assumed that even if there was competition among disciples, it would be open and follow the rules.

But today’s events had taught him a vivid lesson: wherever there are people, there will be a Jianghu.

The Sect Rules could only provide a broad framework, punishing those who blatantly crossed the line.

But beneath that framework, the subtle, borderline acts of ostracism were beyond the reach of even the strictest Sect Rules.

Outer sect disciples, after all, had not yet entered the Panshi Sect’s true inner circle. Even being on Dan Peak didn’t change that.

In this vast Sect, outer sect disciples like them were merely the foundation, cogs in the machine, a reserve force still under probation. Until they demonstrated enough value to be noticed by the Sect, the unspoken rules of the shadows would apply to them.

Chen Yue looked at Yao Jin, mulled it over for a moment, and asked:

"Senior Brother Yao, if I don’t join the Mutual Aid Association, will the trouble I face day-to-day just be harassment from other disciples, or will there be more to it?"

The blatantness of Chen Yue’s question made Yao Jin’s hesitation even more pronounced.

He fell silent for a long moment before speaking in a low voice.

"Those Inner Sect Disciples rarely get involved personally. But they’ll put the word out, and there will naturally be people under them who’ll do things to curry favor.

"A lot of it is minor stuff, not big enough to break the Sect Rules, but it adds up. It’ll wear you down and make it impossible to focus on your work."

Yao Jin looked up, his expression serious.

"So, Junior Brother Chen, I’ll say it again: join the Mutual Aid Association. I’m in it too. Even though you have to ’contribute’ some Contribution Points every month, at least you get some peace and quiet in return. You can focus on your alchemy. When you weigh the costs, it’s not a bad deal."

Chen Yue nodded, not answering whether he would join. He simply cupped his fist. "Thank you for your honesty, Senior Brother Yao. I will remember this kindness."

Seeing Chen Yue’s expression, Yao Jin knew he had already made up his mind and couldn’t be persuaded further. He just sighed, glanced one last time at the shattered gate, shook his head, and left.

Chen Yue watched Yao Jin’s figure disappear into the twilight before slowly retracting his gaze.

He turned his right hand over, and the copy of the Panshi Sect Rules materialized in his palm, drawn from the Little Pill Furnace.

Chen Yue flipped to the first page, his eyes landing on a line of large, bold characters at the very beginning:

"All disciples of our sect shall respect their masters, cherish their peers, and are strictly forbidden from harming one another. Should grievances arise, they must be reported to the sect elders or brought to the main peak’s Martial Arts Arena to be settled fairly under the witness of a Steward. Violators shall face whipping for minor offenses, or have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the sect for major ones."

Chen Yue’s gaze lingered on this rule for a long time. Then, page by page, he began to meticulously study the entire book of Sect Rules from cover to cover.

He read slowly, mulling over every single word.

The next morning, Chen Yue went to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion as usual.

He felt a change in the atmosphere the moment he stepped through the doors of the pavilion.

The few Dan Peak disciples who had nodded in greeting or even exchanged pleasantries with him yesterday now avoided his gaze, pretended to be engrossed in the herbs in their hands, or shot him furtive, unreadable glances.

Not a single person greeted him.

As if he hadn’t noticed a thing, Chen Yue calmly walked to the exchange counter to prepare for his daily task: refining three furnaces of Solid Essence Pills.

As the furnace fire flared to life, Chen Yue’s movements were as steady and fluid as ever, as if he were completely oblivious to the subtle shift in the atmosphere around him.

A little over an hour later, all three furnaces of Solid Essence Pills were complete. The result was the same as always: a stable yield of eleven Upper Grade pills per furnace.

He submitted the Elixirs, exchanged them for Contribution Points, packed his things, and, under the watchful gazes of those around him, both overt and covert, he calmly departed from the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.

Back in his courtyard, Chen Yue sat down cross-legged.

He weighed his options. ’Should I reveal my ability to refine the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill right now? I could use it to get promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple and escape this nest of vipers in the outer sect.’

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

He suddenly had a realization. The reason those bloodsucking jackals dared to pressure him so brazenly wasn’t because he was an outer sect disciple. It was because they were certain he had no backing.

They were certain that even if he were wronged, he could only swallow his anger and would be powerless to fight back.

An outer sect disciple with no backing was, indeed, an easy target.

’But what about an Inner Sect Disciple with no backing?’

’His value would only be greater. He’d be an even more tempting prize.’

The value produced by an Inner Sect Disciple who could refine the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill was in a completely different league from someone who could only make Solid Essence Pills.

How many Contribution Points was a Solid Essence Pill worth? And a Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill? The two weren’t even in the same league.

When that time came, the people hiding behind the Mutual Aid Association would only become more excited. After all, a sheep that could produce higher-quality wool was obviously more worthy of their efforts to fleece.