The Sect's First Principle

Jun Changxiao went up the mountain and brought his disciples back down.

The bandits on the mountain, their chieftains, and Black Wind Stockade had all turned to ashes in the blaze, completely becoming a thing of the past.

This trip had yielded quite a harvest.

Not only had he completed an additional Hidden Quest and gained 50 Contribution Points, but the gold, silver, and jewels in the Spatial Ring alone had nearly piled into a small mountain.

Jun Changxiao knew little about the currency of the Starfall Continent, but he could roughly estimate that if everything were exchanged for silver, it would be worth at least ten thousand taels.

"Doesn't that mean we have the money to rebuild the Inner Court?"

As he traveled back, Sect Leader Jun wore a broad smile, but his gaze gradually turned cold.

Spirit Spring Sect.

Hiring bandits to rob my disciples? Fine.

When he had first arrived at Black Wind Stockade, Zhou Tianba had called out his name directly, which had already made Jun Changxiao suspicious. Who would have thought that after asking around, there really was something fishy going on!

"Kidnapping disciples for ransom—if I didn't go, the other disciples would lose heart, and word getting out would damage the sect's reputation. If I went, then even if I paid the ransom, I would still die."

"Not a bad scheme." Jun Changxiao shook his head. "Unfortunately, neither the Great Chieftain nor Spirit Spring Sect could have dreamed that I possessed an Uncollectible Blade capable of wiping out Black Wind Stockade with ease."

"Ah."

He rubbed his temples and said irritably, "I only wanted to keep a low profile on the Starfall Continent, complete the Main Quest, and stay alive. Why did they have to provoke me?"

"Spirit Spring Sect."

Stretching lazily, he said, "Sooner or later, I will come seek justice from you."

Why sooner or later rather than now? Because the Uncollectible Blade had been sealed again. With his current Cultivation, seeking justice at Spirit Spring Sect would definitely be rather troublesome.

"Does the Mall have a Talisman of Seal Breaking?"

Jun Changxiao opened the Data Panel and searched through the Mall, but failed to find a Talisman of Seal Breaking.

The system said, "The Talisman of Seal Breaking is not for sale. The host can only have a chance of obtaining one by completing specific tasks."

"Specific tasks, with a chance of obtaining one?"

Jun Changxiao shrugged. "So if I want a Talisman of Seal Breaking, I still have to rely on luck?"

"Correct."

"This is harder than winning the lottery..."

Sect Leader Jun muttered to himself. He had always believed he was an African when it came to luck, destined to stay black to the very end.

"Senior Disciple Sister, Second Senior Brother!"

"The Sect Leader has returned with the senior and junior brothers!"

In the Iron Bone Sect's Outer Court, a disciple ran over excitedly, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Li Qingyang hurried out of the Main Hall. When he saw the Sect Leader returning safe and sound with more than thirty disciples in tow, the stone hanging over his heart finally fell.

Although he had not been in the sect for long, Qingyang City's number one genius already deeply identified with Jun Changxiao.

The eldest disciple, Lu Qianqian, was different. Leaning against the entrance before the hall, she glanced at Jun Changxiao and said coolly, "How come you do not even have a scratch on you?"

With the Sect Leader's return, the Iron Bone Sect immediately became lively.

"What?"

"Black Wind Stockade on Black Mountain was destroyed by the Sect Leader?"

The disciples who had not witnessed the corpses strewn across the ground were all left utterly dumbfounded upon hearing the news.

Li Qingyang asked in disbelief, "Sect Leader, did you really eliminate the bandit leader on Black Mountain?"

Jun Changxiao said, "Mm."

Li Qingyang cupped his hands and said admiringly, "The bandits on Black Mountain had plagued the local people for years. By eliminating them, Sect Leader, you have truly eliminated evils for the people!"

"It was only a small matter, not worth mentioning."

Jun Changxiao said.

The authorities and the major sects had repeatedly gone up the mountain, only to suffer repeated defeats. Yet the Sect Leader had wiped them out and called it a small matter. Then what counted as a major matter?

Li Qingyang asked doubtfully, "Sect Leader, there were thirty-two disciples who were abducted. Why is one missing?"

Jun Changxiao said, "That cowardly fellow was killed by the bandit leader."

The disciple who had begged Zhou Tianba for mercy before being killed had greatly disappointed him. It also made him realize that disciples could be recruited freely, but backbone and loyalty were major problems.

A cowardly fellow?

Li Qingyang understood something, so he did not ask further.

Lu Qianqian remained leaning against the Main Hall entrance and said, "Sect Leader, since you destroyed Black Wind Stockade, you must have gained quite a good haul, right?"

Jun Changxiao said, "A little."

When Li Qingyang learned the bandits had been wiped out, his first thought was eliminating evils for the people, showing that he had the heart of a righteous hero.

Lu Qianqian focused on the gains instead. Clearly, she had no interest in anything else—only money could stir her interest.

My eldest disciple and second disciple really have completely different personalities.

"Sect Leader."

Li Qingyang said, "Will the Inner Court still be renovated?"

"Renovated. Of course it will be renovated."

Now that Jun Changxiao had money, he generously tossed him several gold bricks. "Are these enough?"

"E-Enough!"

Though Li Qingyang came from a prestigious Lineage, he had always buried himself in cultivation. When had he ever seen such heavy gold bricks?

"Have the other disciples all reported to the sect?"

"Reporting to Sect Leader, they have all arrived!"

"Pass down the order. Gather at the Training Ground early tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

The next day.

Jun Changxiao stood on the Main Hall steps, dressed in a fairly clean long robe.

In the Training Ground, ninety-eight disciples stood in neat formation. Since no uniform sect attire had been issued, they all wore different clothes, making them look rather mismatched standing together.

I still need to find a tailor as soon as possible and make a batch of sect uniforms.

"Ahem!"

Jun Changxiao cleared his throat twice, clasped his hands behind his back, and said, "Since you have come to the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect, you must remember that the sect's first principle is this: be people of the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect, and do deeds of unbending iron bones!"

"So what are people of unbending iron bones, and what are deeds of unbending iron bones?"

Jun Changxiao paused briefly before saying, "Within the sect, share its glory and disgrace, advance and retreat together. Outside it, walk upright and sit straight. That is what it means to be people of unbending iron bones!"

The disciples shouted in unison, "Share glory and disgrace, advance and retreat together, walk upright and sit straight!"

Jun Changxiao continued, "When faced with others' humiliation and provocation, so long as it is within your power, you must return the color. Even at death's door, keep your spine straight and never cling to life in fear of death. That is what it means to do deeds of unbending iron bones!"

"Yes!"

The disciples shouted together.

"OK, dismissed." Jun Changxiao flicked his sleeve and drifted away.

The disciples in the Training Ground looked at one another in confusion, wondering what the Sect Leader's "OK" meant.

The first time he gathered all the disciples for a sect assembly, Jun Changxiao did not ramble at length. It was enough to point out the most important principle.

Of course, a sect could not have only one principle. It needed more comprehensive sect rules, so he called Li Qingyang over to discuss them.

"Sect Leader, sect rules should be established by you and the sect's higher-ups. This disciple is not qualified to take part."

Li Qingyang said humbly.

"If I say you are qualified, then you are qualified." Jun Changxiao handed him the sect rules he had written. "Quickly, quickly, see if anything needs changing or adding."

"This..."

Li Qingyang felt rather awkward, but he still read through the rules on the paper, offered corresponding corrections, and added several necessary rules, such as disciples being forbidden from leaving the sect without permission and absolutely forbidden from killing one another.

After a round of discussion, the Iron Bone Sect's rules were preliminarily completed.

They were not much different from those of other sects, but they placed greater emphasis on being people of unbending iron bones and doing deeds of unbending iron bones.

Jun Changxiao handed over another sheet of rough paper and said, "Go into town and find a tailor shop with decent craftsmanship. Following the specifications in the drawing and the ratio of male to female disciples in the sect, make two sets of school uniforms for each of them."

"School uniforms?"

Li Qingyang was somewhat bewildered.

Jun Changxiao said, "Uniform clothing worn by the sect."

"Oh."

Li Qingyang took it. Upon seeing the different male and female outfits drawn on the rough paper, he was instantly struck dumb. "Sect... Sect Leader... Aren't these clothes a little..."

"Go!"

"Yes!"