Chapter 61
[After transferring Yuan Chenxing to work under him, Jin Du did not treat him with obvious warmth. At most, he occasionally offered guidance on cultivation or showed concern for his daily life.]
[Because of that, Yuan Chenxing never noticed Jin Du's disgusting intentions. Instead, he wholeheartedly believed Jin Du was a good person.]
[He was deeply grateful to him and even thought about repaying him properly someday.]
Lou Yuqing sighed in regret.
Ruan Qingzhu, meanwhile, broke out in cold sweat.
This Jin Du was terrifyingly calculating.
His disguise had been flawless.
Back then, for Senior Brother Yuan, being noticed by the young sect master had practically been a chance to rise in a single step. No wonder he had fallen for it.
Beside her, Yuan Chenxing rubbed the Silver Moon Wolf's fur and let out a self-mocking laugh.
Back then, he had truly been young and na?ve.
He thought his hard work had earned the young sect master's appreciation.
Who would have thought there was no such thing as a free lunch?
Soon after, reality shattered those beautiful illusions completely.
[Jin Du, this scumbag, is extremely skilled at manipulating people.]
[He likes raising someone high first, then suddenly turning cold and ignoring them. Once the other party can't handle the emotional drop, they naturally start trying to cling to him.]
[And if the target happens to be stubborn, Jin Du creates trouble for them instead. He lets others grind away their pride little by little before finally stepping in as their savior.]
[Yuan Chenxing appears gentle on the surface, but he's actually very strong-willed underneath. Jin Du's original script clearly wasn't progressing the way he wanted.]
[In the beginning, while Yuan Chenxing was taking care of the Silver Moon Wolf, Jin Du often showed concern for him and acted like a considerate master.]
[But the moment Yuan Chenxing placed his trust and loyalty in him, Jin Du suddenly became indifferent, leaving Yuan Chenxing wondering whether he had done something wrong.]
The hand stroking the wolf's fur suddenly paused.
A cold smile appeared on Yuan Chenxing's face.
That despicable bastard only knew how to play these disgusting games.
If he had been more experienced back then, he never would have failed to notice Jin Du's sinister intentions.
Ling Yunxiao's gaze flickered faintly.
To him, the scheme itself was crude and full of obvious flaws.
But for an inexperienced rogue cultivator desperate for a foothold?
It was more than enough.
[And during this period, trouble naturally came looking for him.]
[As the young sect master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Jin Du possessed top-tier resources from birth. Even a tiny bit leaking from between his fingers was enough for countless followers to fight over.]
[But resources are limited. Everyone wanted a larger share.]
[So while they desperately tried to curry favor with Jin Du, they also tacitly suppressed newcomers from standing out.]
[Yuan Chenxing's arrival meant someone else would lose resources.]
[The first person affected was the disciple who had originally cared for the Silver Moon Wolf.]
[Not only did he lose his position, he also lost his chance to show his face before Jin Du.]
[From that day onward, he hated Yuan Chenxing.]
Lou Yuqing frowned in disgust.
[If you have the guts, go hate Jin Du instead.]
[He's the one who replaced you. What does that have to do with Yuan Chenxing? Bullying the weak instead of the strong—how pathetic.]
Ruan Qingzhu nodded furiously in agreement. Exactly! If you're angry, take it up with your young sect master! Senior Brother Yuan clearly had no control over the situation. That person's heart was completely crooked.
[After Yuan Chenxing fell out of favor with Jin Du, that disciple became overjoyed.]
[He gathered a group of followers and deliberately provoked Yuan Chenxing, demanding one hundred spirit stones every month as "tribute."]
[Otherwise, they would beat him until he couldn't get up.]
One hundred spirit stones?!
Ruan Qingzhu was stunned.
That price was outrageously vicious.
As an outer sect disciple of the Wendao Sect, she only received ten spirit stones each month along with a few miscellaneous cultivation resources.
In other words, it would take her nearly ten months to save that amount.
Even without knowing Yuan Chenxing's exact situation back then, she could already tell the demand had been intentionally impossible.
And she was right.
At the time, Yuan Chenxing had only been in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect for three months.
He had practically no savings at all.
The spirit stones from his first two months had been spent immediately on cultivation resources.
The environment inside the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was terrible. If he kept valuables on him for too long, he would be targeted sooner or later.
It was safer to turn everything into cultivation as quickly as possible.
As for the third month—he had already been transferred to serve Jin Du.
Because he had not worked a full month yet, he never received the supposedly generous spirit stone allowance.
Thinking back on it now, dark malice flashed through Yuan Chenxing's eyes.
At the time, he never knew that while those people beat and humiliated him—Jin Du had been quietly watching from somewhere nearby.
His fingers slowly curled into his palm.
Beside him, the Silver Moon Wolf let out a low whine before circling around to his other side and gently nudging his hand with its head.
Comforting him.
Yuan Chenxing's expression softened slightly. He raised his left hand and quietly stroked the wolf's fur.
[Yuan Chenxing couldn't produce the spirit stones, so he tried using Jin Du's name to intimidate them.]
[Unfortunately, those people were far too perceptive.]
[They immediately realized he had already "fallen out of favor."]
[That night, they beat Yuan Chenxing badly, robbed him of the few spirit stones he still possessed, and left him unconscious on the freezing ground.]
[He remained there the entire night.]
[The next day, dragging his injured body behind him, Yuan Chenxing went to seek out Jin Du—but he was denied entry.]
[The servant guarding the entrance claimed the young sect master wasn't inside—yet Yuan Chenxing could clearly hear laughter coming from within the cave.]
Lou Yuqing instantly exploded with anger.
[That bastard is disgusting!]
[While Yuan Chenxing was being beaten half to death, he just stood there watching the show! He didn't even bother appearing personally!]
[Worse, he probably enjoyed it!]
[I'm getting angry just listening to this!]
Ruan Qingzhu quietly lowered her eyes.
Just imagining that scene made her chest feel heavy.
Back then, Senior Brother Yuan must have been utterly desperate.
He had trusted Jin Du.
Believed Jin Du would help him.
Only for that hope to be personally crushed by Jin Du himself.
Nearby, Steward Xie's fists clenched so tightly that cracking sounds echoed faintly from his knuckles.
Yuan Chenxing's experience struck painfully close to home.
Before joining the Wendao Sect, he had also once belonged to a large sect.
A sect just as rotten as the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.
During one mission, he suffered severe injuries. The physician informed him that only a precious healing pill could restore his body.
Coincidentally, the sect's contribution hall possessed that exact medicine.
And his contributions during the mission had been more than enough to exchange for it.
But during the reward distribution—the greatest merit was instead handed to an elder's son who had joined the team.
The other party stole his achievements openly. Then even sent people to threaten him.
Thinking about it now, Steward Xie's heart still turned completely cold.
At the time, he had nearly wanted to risk everything and fight them to the death.
But he knew very well that if he did, he would only die miserably.
In the end, because his injuries were too severe, the sect simply discarded him outright.
How laughable.
A meritorious contributor—thrown away like garbage.
The moment he ceased being useful, they eagerly cleared him out to make room for others.
Steward Xie let out several cold sneers.
Should he have thanked them for sparing his life?
Fortunately, heaven always leaves a path open.
After completely giving up on that sect, Steward Xie left its territory and settled in Ping'an City, relying on his cooking skills to make a quiet living.
Then one day, an outer sect elder from the Wendao Sect visited his restaurant.
The elder was an unapologetic food lover. Even after reaching the stage of abstaining from grains, he still enjoyed searching for delicious meals everywhere.
The moment he tasted Steward Xie's cooking, he was stunned.
Not long after, he invited Steward Xie to join the Wendao Sect and become the dining hall's cook.
Steward Xie refused immediately.
At the time, his injuries still plagued him constantly.
More importantly—he had developed a deep psychological aversion toward sects themselves.
No matter how the outer sect elder persuaded him afterward, he remained unmoved.
Steward Xie originally thought the matter had ended there.
Unexpectedly, the elder later returned carrying a healing pill.
"If you join the Wendao Sect," he said, "this pill is yours free of charge."
Steward Xie's resolve instantly wavered.
With that pill, his chronic illnesses could finally disappear.
For several days, he tossed and turned in indecision before finally deciding to investigate the Wendao Sect's reputation.
To his surprise—the sect's reputation was genuinely excellent.
Not fabricated.
Not exaggerated.
Real praise.
Real goodwill.
Before he realized it, decades had passed since he joined the Wendao Sect.
His old illnesses had long been cured.
His life had become peaceful and comfortable. He had even risen to the position of steward.
Such a life... was something he once never dared imagine.
And once comparison entered the picture, the ugliness of his former sect became even more unbearable.
Over the years, Steward Xie had continued paying attention to news from that sect.
Hearing that it had gradually declined over time made him so happy that he drank himself drunk on countless jars of spirit wine.
As Steward Xie sank into old memories, he suddenly realized something strange.
Lou Yuqing's inner voice had gone silent for quite a while.
His head snapped upward instantly—only to meet Lou Yuqing's suspicious gaze directly.
Steward Xie: "..."
For some reason, he suddenly felt guilty.
[Steward Xie looks really angry.]
[Wait... did the three of them secretly fall out or something without telling me?]
Lou Yuqing's eyes darted suspiciously between Steward Xie, Yuan Chenxing, and Ruan Qingzhu.
Yuan Chenxing and Ruan Qingzhu immediately tensed.
Afraid she might notice something strange, they hurriedly spoke up.
"Steward Xie," Yuan Chenxing said quickly, "if you're dissatisfied with the compensation, feel free to raise the price."
In reality, Steward Xie had never discussed compensation with them at all.
He had only scolded them for failing to supervise their spirit beasts properly.
Now that the conversation suddenly shifted toward negotiation, he could only awkwardly follow along.
"How about this amount?"
As he spoke, he held up one hand.
Truthfully, he had no idea what price to ask for. He just wanted to muddle through the situation somehow.
Ruan Qingzhu looked toward Yuan Chenxing instinctively.
Yuan Chenxing subtly gestured for her to speak instead.
After all, it was technically the little monkey who had drunk the wine, so it was awkward for him to take the initiative.
He could only silently encourage her from the side.
Under pressure, Ruan Qingzhu blurted out the first number that came to mind.
"Five thousand spirit stones?"
Everyone: "..."
That was a little too outrageous.
[So rich!]
[Steward Xie actually has spirit wine worth five thousand stones?!]
Lou Yuqing's eyes sparkled instantly.
The pressure on Steward Xie doubled.
Forcing out an awkward but polite smile, he waved his hands frantically.
"I know you feel guilty, but it's really not worth that much. Besides, I don't think your spirit beast did it intentionally, so how about we just-"
Before he could finish speaking, a furious voice exploded from above.
"What?! That little rascal stole your spirit wine?!"
A blur flashed before Steward Xie's eyes.
Two figures descended instantly.
Their extraordinary aura made Steward Xie's expression tighten.
"Greetings, Seniors."
Lou Yuqing and the others immediately bowed as well.
"This disciple greets Senior Shi Hua and Senior Lingzhu."
Lingzhu Zhenren waved a hand impatiently, lifting everyone upright before asking directly, "Enough formalities. What happened with the stolen spirit wine? Explain."
Everyone silently turned toward Ruan Qingzhu.
Ruan Qingzhu immediately stepped forward.
After all, she was technically half the little monkey's caretaker too.
"Senior," she began honestly, "Xiaoling secretly drank all of Steward Xie's spirit wine and even encouraged Zhizhi to steal more from the dining hall afterward. But when Zhizhi arrived, the wine vat was already empty, so it got caught on the spot instead."
She took a breath before concluding quickly. "That's roughly what happened."
The moment Lingzhu Zhenren heard this, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Very good."
Her voice became terrifyingly calm.
"That little rascal is getting bolder and bolder. Daring to commit crimes right under my nose now?"
A terrifying aura burst outward instantly.
Mixed with overwhelming anger, it pressed down on everyone until nobody dared raise their heads.
And then—Lou Yuqing's inner voice suddenly echoed again.
[She's making it hard to breathe.]
Lingzhu Zhenren's terrifying pressure abruptly froze.
Before Shi Hua could stop her, she had already withdrawn the aura completely.
Then she turned toward Steward Xie and spoke decisively. "Name your price. I'll compensate you."
Steward Xie immediately waved his hands awkwardly. "No need, Senior. Just consider it this junior's small tribute—"
"Stop rambling and give me a number," Lingzhu Zhenren interrupted impatiently. "I heard your conversation earlier. Five thousand spirit stones, right?"
Before anyone could react, she directly tossed over a storage pouch.
"Here."
Steward Xie caught it reflexively.
Opening the pouch, he nearly stopped breathing.
Inside were fifty mid-grade spirit stones. Equivalent to five thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Steward Xie: !!!
Happiness had arrived far too suddenly.
He instinctively wanted to refuse again, but Lingzhu Zhenren cut him off immediately.
"Just take it. I never reclaim what I've given away."
Everyone nearby silently fell into jealousy.
Making spirit stones this easily was simply unreasonable.
After watching the two seniors leave, Lou Yuqing also prepared to slip away.
Ling Yunxiao instantly saw through her intentions.
If she left now—the gossip would stop too.
Absolutely unacceptable.
His eyes flickered slightly before an idea emerged.
He immediately shot Steward Xie a meaningful glance.
"Old Xie," he said lazily, "you made a fortune today. Shouldn't you at least treat Junior Sister Yuqing to a meal?"
Steward Xie froze briefly before instantly understanding.
Then he burst into hearty laughter.
"Of course! Luckily you all arrived earlier, otherwise the culprit behind the stolen spirit wine would've escaped completely. Speaking of which, more than ten years ago..."
Seeing them suddenly chatting so enthusiastically, Lou Yuqing abandoned the idea of leaving.
Instead, she happily picked up the next piece of gossip and continued reading.
[After everything that happened, Yuan Chenxing finally understood one thing clearly.]
[Jin Du was not gentle. His heart was colder than iron.]
[The endless humiliation and suppression nearly suffocated Yuan Chenxing. Eventually, he no longer wanted to continue humiliating himself before Jin Du and secretly began planning a way to leave his side.]
[Meanwhile, Jin Du remained convinced that this "beauty" would eventually lower his head and beg for help.]
[Unexpectedly, Yuan Chenxing stubbornly refused to yield.]
[Furious at his resistance, Jin Du secretly instructed others to intensify the harassment.]
[Yuan Chenxing's life became increasingly miserable. At one point, he genuinely thought he might die there.]
[Until one night—he finally saw hope.
The Silver Moon Wolf awakened its innate divine ability.]
[And then—it voluntarily expressed its desire to form a contract with him.]
Everyone looked at Yuan Chenxing in shock.
They had always assumed he abducted the Silver Moon Wolf while fleeing the sect.
No one expected the wolf itself had initiated the contract.
Yuan Chenxing smiled faintly.
Zhizhi had been his salvation.
Even someone as mentally resilient as him could not avoid resentment after enduring that kind of life.
Whenever Zhizhi sensed his emotions, it would quietly hold his hand with its paws and silently comfort him.
So—everything he endured for Zhizhi had been worth it.
[The Silver Moon Wolf is a wind-attribute spirit beast.]
[After awakening its divine ability, its speed becomes unimaginably fast.]
[Once a Beast Tamer forms a contract with their natal spirit beast, they receive the beast's blessing.]
[If Yuan Chenxing successfully contracted the Silver Moon Wolf, his injuries would heal, and escaping the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect would become possible.]
[Unfortunately—Jin Du arrived.]