The Black Mountain Stockade Was Destroyed by Me

Although the newly unlocked Disciple Mall had cheaper goods than the Initial Stage Mall, their effects left much to be desired.

For instance, there was an item called Qi Gathering Powder. It differed from the Qi Gathering Pill by only one word, yet it merely doubled absorption speed and lasted six hours.

"They've cut away so much."

Jun Changxiao shook his head and continued examining the goods.

He soon found a weapon called the Low-grade Wooden Sword and said speechlessly, "A wooden sword? Isn't this far too shabby?!"

However, recalling the might of the Low-grade Cold Edge Sword, he concluded that although this sword was made of wood, its power should be comparable to a low-grade mid-tier weapon on the Starfall Continent.

Jun Changxiao looked through several more items and found that most were of little use, so he bought the Qi Gathering Powder and the Low-grade Wooden Sword.

As soon as the items appeared in the Spatial Ring, the Contribution Points beside Su Xiaomo's name were instantly cleared to zero.

"Why wasn't there a notification sound?" Jun Changxiao asked.

The system said, "Disciple purchase notifications are muted by default. If the host enjoys hearing 'ding ding' sounds, they can be enabled."

"Keep them muted by default."

Jun Changxiao naturally did not want every little thing to come with a notification. That would be far too annoying.

"Oh, right. Can my purchase notification sounds be muted?"

"The host currently does not have a muting function."

"Currently?"

Jun Changxiao asked, "What does that mean?"

The system said, "The higher the host's cultivation realm and Sect Construction level, the more functions the system will gradually improve and unlock."

Jun Changxiao said, "If I grow stronger, you'll grow stronger too?"

"You may understand it that way," the system said.

Jun Changxiao thought carefully, and a chill ran down his spine. "If I fatten you up, you won't plot against me someday, will you?"

The system said, "If the host dies, the system dies."

"I see."

Reassured, Jun Changxiao asked, "How much time remains on the Talisman of Speed?"

"Forty-five minutes," the system said.

Jun Changxiao rested his chin on his hand. "I can use the remaining time to make a trip to Qingyang City and check out that so-called reward of a thousand taels of gold."

"Tian Qi."

"Here!"

"I'm heading out. Train them properly."

"Yes!"

With little time left on the Talisman of Speed, Jun Changxiao did not waste a moment. The instant he stepped out of the Iron Bone Sect's gates, he stood still. A moment later, his figure gradually faded away.

That fellow was truly fast. In the blink of an eye, he had gone from the mountain to its foot.

"It really is an essential item for travel and adventure."

"Unfortunately, the Mall doesn't sell it. Otherwise, I'd buy a few more to keep as backups."

As he spoke, Jun Changxiao vanished from where he stood and sped toward Qingyang City.

In the wilderness.

A woman leaned against a tree, her face flushed with shyness as she said, "Brother Li, don't fool around. What if someone sees us?"

The young man called Brother Li moved closer, one hand stroking her face as he smiled. "Meimei, there's no one around here. No one will find us. I haven't seen you for days, and I've missed you so much I can barely eat."

"Uh."

The woman lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Me too."

The young couple gradually embraced, kissing deeply and forgetfully, as though time itself had stopped.

But when the girl called Meimei happened to glance upward, she suddenly spotted a youth crouching in the tree, grinning at her.

"Ah!"

A scream rang through the wilderness.

"Meimei, what's wrong?" Brother Li hurriedly asked.

Meimei pointed at the tree, panic-stricken. "Th-there's someone in the tree!"

Brother Li hurriedly looked over and immediately saw the youth.

"Uh..."

Jun Changxiao scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, I interrupted you two."

Brother Li roared, "Who are you? When did you get here—"

Before he could finish, the person in the tree gradually vanished. He was so frightened that he fell to the ground, crying in terror, "M-my god... a... a ghost!"

Without caring about anything else, he grabbed Meimei and fled toward the village in blind panic.

Jun Changxiao stopped at the edge of the wilderness. Seeing that the man had not forgotten to pull the woman along even in his fright, he said, "They should be a couple truly in love. I wish you eternal unity and a long life together until your hair turns white."

"Ah."

Remembering that he was still alone and solitary, he could not help feeling sad. "I'll be eighteen in another month. When will I finally get a girlfriend?"

Having come to another world, developing a sect was a dull process. It would not be bad if he could experience the feeling of being in love.

Lu Qianqian?

Forget it, forget it.

It was better not to ask for trouble with that woman who had a story behind her.

Qingyang City.

Jun Changxiao stopped before the city gates.

It had taken him only five minutes to get here from Iron Bone City, and that was only because he had lingered to enjoy the scenery along the way. Had he come at full speed, he would have been even faster.

"Huh?"

"Why is there one more person?"

"It's Sect Leader Jun of the Iron Bone Sect. Why is he here?!"

The martial artists entering and leaving the city gate recognized Jun Changxiao at a glance.

"Sect Leader Jun."

A martial artist hurried over and said with a smile, "I have a difficult problem in martial arts. I'm willing to pay two hundred taels, and I hope you can—"

"No time."

Jun Changxiao strode into the city.

It had to be said that after the Hundred Sects Recruitment, he had become somewhat well-known in Qingyang City. The moment he entered the city, he attracted many gazes.

Jun Changxiao ignored them and fixed his eyes on the notice board at the crossroads. His eyes immediately gleamed.

The notice was written in classical language. Translated, it meant that the City Lord deeply thanked the righteous hero who had destroyed the Black Wind Stockade and was willing to reward them with a thousand taels of gold, to be collected at the City Lord's Mansion.

"Tsk, tsk."

Jun Changxiao said, "Who would have thought that after I destroyed the Black Wind Stockade, there'd be a reward of a thousand taels of gold?"

Silence.

The street fell deathly quiet.

Jun Changxiao sensed something strange. Turning his head, he saw the nearby vendors, passersby, and martial artists all staring at him as though they had seen a ghost.

One martial artist was the first to recover. "Sect Leader Jun, you destroyed the Black Wind Stockade?"

"Yeah." Jun Changxiao answered truthfully.

"..."

The corners of everyone's mouths twitched.

After he had heavily defeated the Spirit Spring Sect at the Training Ground, the martial artists in the city had concluded that the Iron Bone Sect's leader had merely relied on the superior quality of his weapon.

Destroying a Black Wind Stockade? Absolute nonsense!

"Hey."

Jun Changxiao asked, "Where is the City Lord's Mansion?"

That martial artist said weakly, "Sect Leader Jun, are you going to collect the reward?"

Jun Changxiao pointed at the notice board. "Doesn't it say that whoever destroys the Black Wind Stockade can collect the reward?"

The martial artist lowered his voice. "Sect Leader Jun, impersonating a righteous hero to collect the reward will get you thrown into prison at best. At worst, your head will roll."

"Impersonating, my ass."

Jun Changxiao said, "I was the one who destroyed the Black Wind Stockade."

"Ah."

The martial artist shook his head. "Another man blinded by wealth."

The surrounding passersby and commoners shook their heads as well.

They believed that the Iron Bone Sect's leader must have gone mad from wanting money and was risking his life by impersonating a righteous hero.

Jun Changxiao was speechless.

So, even though he had done something to Eliminate Evils for the People, they found it hard to believe without seeing it with their own eyes.

His strength was still too weak. If it had been the leader of the Cangshan Sect, merely standing before the notice board would have been enough to make everyone firmly believe that he had destroyed the Black Wind Stockade.

"Sect Leader Jun?"

A call came from the left. Li Qingyang's father, Patriarch Li, approached with a cupped-hand salute and a smile. "What brings you to Qingyang City?"

A month had passed since they last met. His bearing had changed, so he must have benefited greatly from the guidance and made considerable progress in his cultivation realm.

Jun Changxiao said, "Patriarch Li, you came at just the right time. Take me to the City Lord's Mansion."

Patriarch Li was stunned. "Sect Leader Jun, what are you going to the City Lord's Mansion for?"

"To collect the reward," Jun Changxiao said.

Silence.

The smile on Patriarch Li's face froze.

After a long while, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Sect Leader Jun, don't tell me that the Black Mountain Stockade was..."

"That's right!"

Jun Changxiao said indignantly, "I destroyed the Black Mountain Stockade. Believe it or not, just take me to the City Lord's Mansion first!"

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