Collecting Debts

"Host, Le Qing and Nan Xianshi, who came to deliver Spirit Stones, are arguing outside." The System reminded.

Bai Lan, who was drawing talismans, looked up and listened carefully. She indeed heard two familiar voices arguing.

"With your personality, you'll be disliked by others no matter which inner sect peak you go to!"

Nan Xianshi looked like she was on the verge of breaking down from anger: "What does it have to do with you? I'm not from Jade Purity Peak anymore, what right do you have to talk about me!"

"Your actions have already angered Master greatly. If Little Junior Sister hadn't spoken up for you that day, Master would have taught you a lesson long ago. And now you still haven't repented?" Le Qing continued to pour fuel on the fire.

"Repent? What did I do wrong? Which rule of the Azure Origin Sect states that one cannot change Masters after joining a peak? True Person Qing Xuan doesn't want to teach me, so I can just leave!"

Le Qing, unable to refute, resorted to moral pressure: "You! You disrespect your Master and are shameless!"

"Heh, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. If you like Bai Ling, just say it. Hiding it like this is pathetic. And who knows if the Little Junior Sister you're trying so hard to please even likes you." Nan Xianshi also started to poke at Le Qing's sore spots.

Le Qing's scar was hit, and he gritted his teeth: "As long as I'm good to Little Junior Sister, she'll eventually respond to me."

"You're dreaming!"

What a lively argument.

Bai Lan slowly pushed open the door and peeked out. She met their gazes and shook her head: "It's fine, you guys continue arguing, I like listening."

Le Qing: "..."

Nan Xianshi: "..."

"Huh? Not arguing anymore? Alright then, pay this month's Spirit Stones first." Bai Lan looked at Le Qing and extended her hand.

Le Qing gritted his teeth and handed over a Storage Bag. Bai Lan probed it with her Spiritual Sense, then nodded with satisfaction.

"Good, the amount is correct."

So this is what it feels like to collect debts.

Three hundred Spirit Stones easily entered her account, and Bai Lan's mood instantly improved.

The strange Spirit Stone transaction made Nan Xianshi curious. She glanced at the two of them: "Do you know each other?"

"No!" Le Qing decisively wanted to distance himself from Bai Lan.

Bai Lan, however, raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Of course we know each other. Yesterday, in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he was attacked by three rogue cultivators..."

"Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone about this?" Le Qing exclaimed, surprised that Bai Lan would bring up his embarrassing past.

Bai Lan spread her hands: "I remember I also said at the time that silence comes at a price."

Le Qing: "..."

Facing Nan Xianshi's suspicious gaze, Le Qing gritted his teeth. Naturally, he didn't want Bai Lan to reveal his embarrassing past in public.

The fact that he fell into the hands of rogue cultivators and was saved by an outer disciple at Qi Refining level two was a humiliating incident. If it spread, he would become a laughingstock among the inner disciples.

"Three hundred Spirit Stones, that should be enough for hush money!" Although his tone was fierce and his teeth were gritted, Le Qing finally succumbed to Bai Lan's might.

Bai Lan nodded with satisfaction: "Good, good, deal. I'm very tight-lipped, don't worry."

Nan Xianshi became even more curious. She watched Le Qing's retreating back, which looked like he was fleeing, and whispered, "What exactly happened that made that kid spend three hundred Spirit Stones for hush money?"

"Of course it's something worth three hundred Spirit Stones for hush money, otherwise why would he spend three hundred Spirit Stones to shut me up."

Nan Xianshi: "...Listening to you is like listening to nothing."

"When do you plan to move back to the inner peak?"

"Even you are starting to dislike me and want me to leave!" Nan Xianshi's tone held a hint of grievance.

Bai Lan shook her head: "Didn't you hear me changing the subject?"

"Hmph, forget it." Nan Xianshi tugged at Bai Lan's sleeve: "By the way, does the outer peak have a canteen?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a dull rumble came from Nan Xianshi's stomach.

Cultivators at the Qi Refining stage had not yet reached the stage of abstaining from grains and still needed to eat. Therefore, the outer sect had a canteen.

Seeing Nan Xianshi's weak legs and feeble voice, it was clear she hadn't eaten since yesterday.

She shook her head helplessly: "Follow me, I'll take you."

"You really are a good person!" Nan Xianshi became happy and started her chatterbox mode again: "Don't worry, even though I'm not a Jade Purity Peak disciple anymore, I'm still an inner sect disciple. When I reach Foundation Establishment later, I'll definitely cover for you! I won't let anyone bully you."

"Mm."

"When I achieve success in my cultivation, a Tribulation Crossing stage Elder will surely take notice of me and accept me as a disciple. I don't care about True Person Qing Xuan; Bai Ling is nothing. One day, I will be stronger than her!"

"Mm."

"Why are you just saying 'mm'? Don't you believe me?"

"Mm."

"...You're just placating me!!!" Nan Xianshi bristled.

"'Mm' expresses agreement," Bai Lan said, pointing forward: "We're here at the canteen."

After sending Nan Xianshi into the canteen, Bai Lan took the opportunity to buy half a month's worth of dry rations and stored them in her Storage Bag.

She was going to go into seclusion for a while, at least until she broke through to Qi Refining level three before her duel with Long Aotian.

She couldn't kill the Child of Destiny, so she had to ensure her own strength would always be above his. That was the only way to be safe.

"When you first became a disciple, didn't you ever consider becoming a disciple of the Sect Master?" Bai Lan asked, looking at Nan Xianshi, who was burying her head in her food.

Nan Xianshi looked up blankly, a piece of meat still in her mouth. "Zongzhu?"

"Yes."

The Azure Sect Master, True Person Qing He, and Jade Purity Peak's True Person Qing Xuan, were fellow disciples. Both were direct disciples of the Azure Sect's Nascent Soul stage Grand Elder.

Qing Xuan had better aptitude, possessing a pure ice Spiritual Root, making him one of the sect's top prodigies. Consequently, he received more cultivation resources. The Grand Elder wholeheartedly taught him his life's knowledge, and ultimately, he passed down his Heavenly Tier secret cultivation technique only to Qing Xuan.

Qing He, however, had inferior aptitude. He was merely a disciple who entered the inner sect through sheer effort in cultivation, and his comprehension was unremarkable. He wasn't particularly valued by the Grand Elder.

Later, both of them became Tribulation Crossing stage cultivators. However, the Grand Elder passed the position of Sect Master to Qing He, only appointing Qing Xuan as the Peak Master of Jade Purity Peak to focus on his cultivation.

Outsiders didn't know the reason behind this, but Bai Lan, with her omniscient perspective of the plot, knew it all too well.

Managing a vast sect was an extremely energy-consuming task. Not only did one have to navigate various factions, but all matters, big and small, within the sect had to be handled by the Sect Master.

It looked impressive, but in reality, it was the opposite.

Holding the position of Sect Master greatly reduced one's cultivation time.

Conversely, becoming a Peak Master provided more free time, allowing one to focus on cultivation, remain detached from worldly affairs, and solely pursue the path to Ascension.

Who could truly know what was better or worse, especially those immersed in it like Qing He?

If one could cultivate, who wouldn't wish for eternal longevity and to ascend to immortality?

The Sect Master, who outwardly appeared gentle, humble, refined, and magnanimous, and was renowned throughout Wuyun State for his benevolence, likely harbored long-standing dissatisfaction towards his junior disciple, Qing Xuan.