Jun Changxiao had squandered 97 Contribution Points in a single night.
There was no helping it. Having come to this world, if he wanted to grow stronger, he had to pay the price.
"Next, I'll wait for Sect Missions to appear, earn Achievement Points, and upgrade Sect Construction."
Jun Changxiao murmured to himself.
There were no Side Quests, and he had no idea what Hidden Tasks were.
For now, he could only rely on upgrading Sect Construction to expand the member limit and obtain Contribution Points.
"Sect Leader."
Li Qingyang walked over and said, "We're out of money."
"Out of money again?"
Jun Changxiao's mouth twitched.
This fellow came asking for money every day, with no idea how to spend sparingly.
Li Qingyang said, "Sect Leader, the sect was too dilapidated. Renovating it was practically rebuilding it, so naturally it cost more."
"Fine."
Jun Changxiao tossed him several more banknotes and said, "Your junior brothers will be reporting in three days. Can it be finished by then?"
Li Qingyang said, "There shouldn't be a problem."
"Alright."
Jun Changxiao waved a hand. "Go get busy."
Li Qingyang took his leave, while Jun Changxiao sat cross-legged in the courtyard and began circulating the Calm Heart Art.
With no Contribution Points left, he could only honestly cultivate the traditional way.
Yet after an entire day, Spiritual Energy gathered in his Dantian at an agonizingly slow pace, making Jun Changxiao realize that the higher his cultivation, the harder it became to break open his meridians!
"Ah."
He sighed. "If only I had Contribution Points I could use without end."
The next day.
Jun Changxiao stopped cultivating, rose, and left the Inner Court for the Outer Court.
During this period, he had kept his head down cultivating. Aside from providing money every day, he had not asked a single thing about the sect's renovations.
The Iron Bone Unyielding Sect covered roughly a hundred acres and was divided into the Inner Court and Outer Court. The Inner Court was where the sect leader and disciples lived, while the Outer Court was used for martial training and cultivation.
When Jun Changxiao walked down the winding path paved with pebbles and entered the Outer Court, the expression on his face suddenly froze.
Before him, the Main Hall that should have been a scene of utter desolation had become completely renewed. Vermilion eaves and jade-green tiles gleamed brightly, and even the stone steps had carved railings and jade-like masonry!
The Pillars supporting the main beams had been freshly painted, with lifelike birds and beasts carved upon them.
Quite a few pavilion buildings had also appeared on both sides of the Outer Court, looking grand and imposing!
Between the Main Hall and the gate was a large Training Ground paved with bluestone slabs. One could tell at a glance that the materials were extremely high-end!
Even more flamboyant was this.
In the empty spaces of the Outer Court, there were not only ponds and artificial hills, but also terraces, towers, and pavilions for resting and sightseeing!
For such a small place to be designed so sensibly, only an architectural master could have managed it!
"Is this my sect?"
Jun Changxiao stood rooted to the spot, feeling as though he were in a dream.
He even secretly wondered whether he had transmigrated again, into the inner court of some dynasty's Imperial Palace.
It was not a dream. It was real!
Because Li Qingyang emerged from the Main Hall, came before him, and said, "Sect Leader, are you satisfied with the Outer Court's renovation?"
This was not renovation. It was practically a complete reconstruction!
"Satisfied!"
Jun Changxiao said, "Very satisfied!"
As he spoke, he headed for the Main Hall.
The moment he entered, he was shocked again. The floor was likewise laid with neat stone slabs, while rows of mahogany chairs stood along both sides, extravagance pushed to its very limit!
"Sect Leader."
Li Qingyang pointed at the exceptionally imposing chair at the head position and said, "Your throne is made from thousand-year nanmu wood."
"Is that so?"
Jun Changxiao dropped onto it, immediately finding it far more comfortable than the old broken chair that had creaked and groaned before.
He naturally rested both arms on the armrests and said with great satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad!"
This was what a sect was supposed to look like.
"Sect Leader."
Jun Changxiao handed over an Account Book and said, "This contains the detailed expenses for the renovations. Please inspect it."
As expected of someone from a distinguished family, every tael spent on the reconstruction had been recorded with meticulous precision, ensuring every account could be checked.
"Qingyang."
Jun Changxiao took the Account Book, casually flipping through it as he praised him. "Your performance has made me very satis—"
His voice came to an abrupt halt.
Because on the final page of the Account Book, he clearly saw the total expenditure recorded there—4,650 taels!
Jun Changxiao nearly jumped up. "It cost that much?!"
As he spoke, he hurriedly inspected his Spatial Ring and discovered that there were only a pitiful three hundred taels' worth of banknotes left inside!
Sect Leader Jun had been busy cultivating these past few days. Every time Li Qingyang came to ask for money, he gave it to him, never paying attention to how much he gave or how much remained.
His Contribution Points had been spent clean, and the silver he had earned was nearly gone as well.
This made Jun Changxiao howl inwardly, How am I supposed to live from now on?!
"Sect Leader."
Li Qingyang said, "This disciple plans to renovate the Inner Court as well. It will probably cost around four thousand taels."
"Pfft!"
Jun Changxiao slumped against the nanmu chair and foamed at the mouth.
Money was a good thing.
Spend it wherever needed, and that place would become good!
Under Li Qingyang's lavish transformation, the rundown Iron Bone Unyielding Sect had taken on a completely new appearance and finally possessed the bearing a sect ought to have.
But whenever Sect Leader Jun thought of the more than four thousand taels of banknotes that had died, he felt the urge to hug Pillar and weep bitterly.
He did not actually care much about money, but the disciples would be reporting in tomorrow. With so many people, would they not need food, drink, and daily necessities? Would they not each need two sets of sect uniforms? What could a few hundred taels do?
"Ah."
Sitting on the stone steps with their carved railings and jade-like masonry, Jun Changxiao was not only worrying about how to obtain Contribution Points, but also how to make money to support the sect's daily expenses.
"Qianqian."
He asked for help, "Do you know any way to make money quickly?"
"Go rob someone."
Lu Qianqian said indifferently, "Money comes quickly that way."
Jun Changxiao's mouth twitched slightly. "My Iron Bone Unyielding Sect is, after all, one of the Righteous Sects. How could we commit such lowly, disgraceful deeds that would be scorned by the people of the martial world!"
Lu Qianqian said, "Then sell swords."
"This..."
Jun Changxiao held his chin and said, "That would not be a bad emergency measure."
"Sect Leader!"
Just then, Li Qingyang walked in from outside and said, "The junior brothers have arrived!"
"Let them come in."
Jun Changxiao stood, patted the dust from his backside, and put on the majesty befitting a sect leader.
Before long.
More than twenty disciples entered the sect one after another.
Standing on the Training Ground and looking at the magnificent buildings around them, every one of them wore an astonished expression.
Who knew our sect was this high-end and grand!
After spending several thousand taels of banknotes, how could it not be high-end? How could it not be grand?
"Why are there only this many people?"
Jun Changxiao frowned. "Where are the other disciples?"
"Reporting to Sect Leader."
One disciple respectfully said, "Some senior and junior brothers live in relatively remote mountain villages, so it will take them a little time to get here."
"I see."
Jun Changxiao understood. "Qingyang, arrange accommodations for them."
"Yes."
Having received the order, Li Qingyang was about to lead his junior brothers toward the Inner Court when a weak cry came from outside the gate. "Sect... Sect Leader..."
Jun Changxiao frowned and hurried out with quick strides.
Li Qingyang and Lu Qianqian followed him as well.
The three had barely reached the gate when they saw a youth lying on the ground, covered in blood!
"Junior Brother Sun!"
Li Qingyang hurriedly crouched down, placing a hand on his pulse to examine his junior brother's injuries.
The injured disciple endured the pain and said weakly, "Sect... Sect Leader, more than thirty of us disciples encountered an ambush by mountain bandits on the road. The junior brothers were taken away..."
Before he could finish, his eyes closed, and the bloodstained letter clenched in his hand fell to the ground.
Li Qingyang said, "Sect Leader, Junior Brother Sun has merely fainted. He is not seriously injured."
Jun Changxiao picked up the letter. Upon opening it, he saw a crooked line of writing: Prepare the money within three days and come to Black Mountain to ransom them, or the hostages will be torn up.
"Damn it!"
Jun Changxiao clenched the letter in fury and shouted, "They dared to rob disciples of my Iron Bone Unyielding Sect? They must be tired of living!"
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