A Gift

Lu Yang opened the menu and scanned it from top to bottom, at once finding himself at a loss for words.

For much the same ingredients and Spirit Cuisine of the same grade, the Golden Rainbow Restaurant's prices were a full fifty percent higher than those at the sect cafeteria.

A serving of braised Flamehorn Wolf meat cost three Spirit Stones at the cafeteria. Here, a different arrangement on the plate brought it to four and a half.

If he were paying for himself today, he wouldn't have minded the higher prices.

As a tycoon, meals were never something he skimped on. Enjoying his food was what mattered.

But Senior Sister Lin Ying was treating them today, and she had earned every Spirit Stone through the hard work of refining pills. How could he go and order the expensive dishes?

Last time Senior Sister Lin Ying had eaten at the cafeteria, she had even asked him to order a little less.

To be honest, if they hadn't already sat down in a private room, he would have suggested going back to the cafeteria instead.

Lu Yang grumbled inwardly for a moment, then ran his finger quickly down the menu and picked out only a few inexpensive dishes. "The Spirit Cuisine here costs quite a bit more than at the cafeteria, so let's just order a few things. Roasted spirit lamb chops, honey-glazed roast spirit chicken, golden needle and jade soup, and red bean spirit rice—that should be enough."

The moment he finished speaking, Lin Ying objected.

Her brows knitted slightly, and her voice turned somewhat earnest. "Junior Brother, order a few more dishes. The two of us ate more than this last time. How could it be enough for three today?"

Qin Nanyue, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at his words, and her gaze softened a little as she looked at Lu Yang.

The roasted spirit lamb chops and honey-glazed roast spirit chicken were among the most affordable meat dishes on the Golden Rainbow Restaurant's menu.

This junior brother was clearly trying to save Yingying money when he ordered.

He was a decent person.

Lu Yang smiled and explained, "Last time we were at the residence cafeteria, so we could go straight back to our rooms to meditate and refine the Spiritual Qi after eating. We're at the market here, and it'll take more than two hours to get back. If we eat too much, we won't have time to refine the Spiritual Qi, and it'd be a shame to waste it. A taste is enough."

Lin Ying pressed her lips together and lowered her lashes.

How could she not tell it was an excuse?

Leaving aside whether the Spiritual Qi would go to waste, the care he had taken to save her money already spoke for itself.

She didn't pursue the subject. Instead, she reached over, took the menu, and added three more dishes herself.

Those three dishes cost considerably more than everything Lu Yang had ordered put together.

Lu Yang glanced at the total and silently did the math.

This meal would cost close to thirty Spirit Stones.

But since Lin Ying had ordered them herself, he could hardly say anything more.

Once they had ordered, the handy disciple deftly took out the Spirit Cuisine from a Storage Bag plate by plate before them, setting the steaming dishes on the table.

The Spirit Cuisine was a feast for the eyes and nose. Spiritual Qi wreathed the table, and mingling aromas filled the private room.

The handy disciple bowed and withdrew, gently closing the door.

Qin Nanyue glanced over the dishes covering the table, then looked at Lin Ying and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Yingying's really had to bleed money today~~ We'd better eat plenty and not let any go to waste."

Lu Yang nodded along and picked up his chopsticks.

Lin Ying smiled slightly, her tone gentle. "Nothing will go to waste. If we can't finish it, I can pack it up and take it back to my residence."

The three chatted as they ate.

During the meal, Lu Yang mostly listened while Qin Nanyue and Lin Ying took turns talking about the outer sect.

After all, he was still in his assessment period, and what he knew of the outer sect was limited to a few brief lines in the introductory handbook.

Only when he heard them talk about the reality of daily life there did he learn that the outer sect was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Formal disciples who entered the outer sect received a fixed monthly stipend of twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

If they wanted more Spirit Stones, they had to take missions from the sect's affairs hall themselves: patrolling the mountains, slaying demons, gathering herbs, escorting people, and so on.

The missions came in all varieties, and their rewards varied as well. Completing them earned Spirit Stones and Sect Contribution Points.

Becoming an outer sect disciple didn't mean one could lie flat and while away the days collecting a monthly stipend.

At the end of each year, the outer sect held a major assessment for everyone.

The five hundred people at the bottom of the rankings were directly demoted from outer sect disciples to outer sect stewards.

A steward's monthly stipend was cut in half, leaving just ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones. On top of that, they had to take on a great deal of miscellaneous work. Their circumstances were a little better than those of handy disciples, but they were still only higher-ranking servants.

Hearing this, Lu Yang couldn't help sucking in a breath of cold air.

Good grief, a system that weeds out the bottom ranks!

He hadn't expected competition in the outer sect to be so ruthless.

He also learned from the two that, aside from disciples of Pill Peak, Artifact Peak, and Talisman Peak, the disciples of every other peak had to complete one sect mission each year.

It was a mandatory rule, with no shirking allowed.

The disciples of Pill Peak, Artifact Peak, and Talisman Peak, meanwhile, had monthly production quotas for refining pills, forging artifacts, and drawing talismans.

Lu Yang had already thought that the entire Golden Rainbow Sword Sect resembled a giant company.

From the bottom to the top, everyone had their own duties, tasks, and assessments.

Now, after listening to the two of them, that impression had grown even stronger.

"However..." Qin Nanyue took a sip of soup and put down her spoon, speaking in a relaxed tone. "Though the outer sect assessment is a little harsh, the rewards are also extremely generous if you make tremendous progress within a year or rank near the top in the assessment. I suppose that's one way the sect spurs people on."

"That's right." Lin Ying nodded repeatedly beside her. "Nanyue is among the top ten in the outer sect. The support she gets from the sect alone is no small amount."

Lu Yang's interest was piqued. He put down his chopsticks and asked, "Are the rewards all Spirit Stones?"

Qin Nanyue shook her head and counted them off on her fingers. "There are Spirit Stones, of course, but that's far from all. High-grade Law Treasures, rare spirit fruits, Cultivation Methods and Law Techniques unique to the sect—there are quite a few kinds of rewards. Whatever you lack, the sect will provide."

As Lu Yang listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

If it were only Spirit Stones, he honestly wouldn't have been very interested.

He already had eight thousand on hand as a base, and with Tycoon's Confidence providing a steady stream of income afterward, Spirit Stones were no longer in short supply for him.

But Cultivation Methods, Law Techniques, and rare spirit fruits—those weren't things money alone could buy.

That was especially true of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect's exclusive Cultivation Methods. Not only did one need to be a formal disciple, but one also had to exchange Sect Contribution Points for them. They couldn't be bought at all in the outer sect market.

Seeing his interest, Qin Nanyue added with a smile, "We children of Golden Core Lineages traveled thousands of miles to cultivate at the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect precisely for these rare resources, didn't we? Once you enter the outer sect, do your best to get a good ranking in the outer sect assessment. The first-place winner each year can even be promoted early to the inner sect as an exception and choose an elder as their master."

Lu Yang sighed, sounding rather helpless. "...I really am not a child of a Golden Core Lineage."

Qin Nanyue's expression didn't budge. She still wore that half smile that said, "Do you think I believe you?"

Beside her, Lin Ying also wore a gentle smile, clearly not taking his words seriously either.

Lu Yang gave up.

They could believe him or not.

The three talked and laughed, their chopsticks never stopping.

Before they knew it, they had swept the table of Spirit Cuisine clean, leaving not even the broth behind.

After eating, all three leaned back in their chairs, thoroughly satisfied.

Qin Nanyue patted her stomach and winked at Lin Ying with a beaming smile. "Hehe, thanks for the meal, Yingying~~"

Lin Ying shot her an irritated sideways glance. "It's your turn to treat next time! I'll eat my fill at your expense!"

"No problem." Qin Nanyue swept a hand through the air, as generous as though she were the one who had paid for this meal.

Then she turned to Lu Yang. "Next time I treat, Junior Brother Lu, come along too if you're free."

Lu Yang naturally wouldn't decline and replied at once, "Then let me thank you in advance, Senior Sister Qin."

He agreed readily, but he was considering another matter.

Senior Sister Qin was a ten-out-of-ten beauty certified by the system.

If an affection module were added in the future, the rewards would be the real deal.

Another friend meant another path; another beauty meant more rewards. He couldn't lose on this.

With that thought, he took the opportunity to say, "Senior Sister Qin, how about we exchange transmission marks first? It'll make it easier to contact each other next time."

As soon as he spoke, Lin Ying, who was holding a teacup beside them, gave an almost imperceptible tremor of her fingertips.

She set the cup down and lowered her eyes to the clear tea, an indescribable sourness welling up in her heart.

Why is Junior Brother Lu taking the initiative to exchange transmission marks with Nanyue...?

But a moment later, she gently shook her head inwardly.

She and Junior Brother Lu were merely ordinary acquaintances, with no special relationship. What right did she have to concern herself with whom he associated?

Qin Nanyue didn't think much of it and readily agreed.

In her view, Lu Yang's background was certain to be extraordinary.

There was nothing wrong with befriending a scion of such a major power.

Besides, spending more time around Lu Yang would also let her look out for Yingying.

The girl was too softhearted; if someone swindled her, she might even help them count the Spirit Stones.

The two took out their sect tokens and touched them lightly together, completing the exchange of transmission marks.

Lu Yang put away his token and turned to Lin Ying, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as his tone suddenly grew serious. "By the way, Senior Sister Lin, I have a gift for you."

Lin Ying paused and raised her head, a little puzzled. "A gift? What gift?"

Qin Nanyue also raised an eyebrow in curiosity, her gaze passing over Lu Yang.

After seeing how he had behaved when ordering, she had quite a good impression of this junior brother.

Given Lu Yang's wealth and background, whatever he gave shouldn't be too shabby, should it?

Under their curious gazes, Lu Yang smiled slightly and gave the Storage Bag at his waist a light pat with his right hand.

The next moment, a stream of plain white light tinged with purple poured from his palm.

The Purple Cloud Pill-Nurturing Robe slowly unfolded in his hands, and the Spiritual Qi in the private room seemed to stir for an instant in response to the robe.

The robe was plain white, with pale purple cloud patterns winding along the cuffs and lapels, flowing and shifting like living things.

The fabric was exceedingly light and thin, cascading down like a waterfall, yet an air of luxury shone through every thread.

Spiritual light flickered across its surface, and the entire robe seemed shrouded in a thin, pale purple mist, so ethereal it hardly looked like something from the mortal world.

The private room fell silent for a moment.

Qin Nanyue stared straight at the robe, her pupils abruptly contracting.

As a direct descendant of the Golden Core Qin Household, she had developed a discerning eye from childhood. Once a Law Artifact's spiritual light showed itself, she could estimate its grade with considerable accuracy.

Yet precisely because she could tell, she was all the more shocked.

She jerked her head up. "This... this is a supreme-grade Law Artifact?!"