A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold

"Steward Wu, I'm here to settle a mission. This is the receipt." Inside the Sect Main Hall, Ye Zhen walked up to Elder Steward Wu, who was specifically in charge of Sect Missions, and handed over Fairy Caiyi's receipt.

"Good, let this old man take a look..." Elder Steward Wu had just raised his head and glanced at Ye Zhen when his voice abruptly stopped. "I remember you only accepted one mission issued by Fairy Caiyi. You finished it so quickly? Don't tell me you're pulling this old man's leg?" Elder Steward Wu's face was filled with astonishment.

"This is the receipt. Take a look, sir!"

Elder Steward Wu snatched the receipt Ye Zhen handed over. After one glance, he froze again. "It's real. You really completed it? Hey, kid, tell me—what exactly was wrong with Fairy Caiyi's Flower Civet? For over a month, from elders down to Inner and Outer Disciples, no one could cure it. How did you manage it?"

"Steward Wu, give me the Sect Contribution Points reward first," Ye Zhen said with a smile.

"Hand over your Identity Jade Token."

Ye Zhen handed over his Identity Jade Token. Spiritual Light flashed in Steward Wu's hand, and it was done. "All right, the five hundred Sect Contribution Points have been given to you. What exactly was wrong with that Flower Civet? Tell me."

"That's... a secret."

With a faint smile, Ye Zhen took back his Identity Jade Token and turned to leave, leaving only Elder Steward Wu behind, blowing his beard and glaring. "That damned brat, what mystery is he playing at? He actually refused to tell this old man. He's truly maddened me..."

The moment Ye Zhen stepped out of the Sect Main Hall, a figure suddenly descended from the sky and blocked his path.

"Ye Zhen, what illness did Caiyi's Flower Civet have? How did you cure it?" The white-robed young master Fan Chuyu stood in front of Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen revealed a troubled expression. "Senior Brother Fan, I truly cannot say."

"Cannot say?" Fan Chuyu's brows shot up, and a pill bottle suddenly appeared in his hand. "Ten Blood Origin Pills. As long as you answer my question, they're yours."

Ye Zhen smiled bitterly and shook his head again. "Senior Brother Fan, please forgive me. I truly have reasons why I cannot say."

"Twenty Blood Origin Pills!" Fan Chuyu's expression was cold. With his head held high, he looked down on Ye Zhen icily, his eyes full of contempt.

In his view, Ye Zhen merely wanted to jack up the price on the spot. He had seen far too many people like that.

"Thirty!"

"Forty!"

"Fifty!"

"Sorry, Senior Brother Fan, I truly cannot say. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first." Even when Fan Chuyu raised the offer to fifty Blood Origin Pills, Ye Zhen remained unmoved, greatly infuriating Fan Chuyu.

In his view, Ye Zhen was simply too greedy. Fifty Blood Origin Pills were a normal Outer Disciple's annual pill allocation. Outside the Qi Yun Sect, it would be enough to buy several lives.

Seeing Ye Zhen turn to leave, Fan Chuyu's voice suddenly turned cold. "A bottle of Condensing True Pills! Ye Zhen, a man should know when to be content!"

The Inner and Outer Disciples watching nearby immediately sucked in a breath at Fan Chuyu's offer. Condensing True Pills were worth several times more than Blood Origin Pills, and they were even more precious. Even Inner Disciples would grow red-eyed over a bottle of Condensing True Pills.

Among Inner Disciples, one Condensing True Pill could be exchanged for seven or eight Blood Origin Pills—and people would fight to trade with you.

Ye Zhen forced out a smile uglier than tears. "Sorry, Senior Brother Fan, I truly cannot say..."

"Ye Zhen, I advise you to tell me. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it!" Before Ye Zhen could finish speaking, Fan Chuyu's face turned cold. His figure flashed, and he blocked Ye Zhen's path. An aura as vast as the sea and deep as the abyss suddenly enveloped Ye Zhen, clearly intending to make him lose face on the spot.

The gap was too great. If Fan Chuyu fully unleashed his aura, even an Inner Disciple would be humiliated on the spot, much less Ye Zhen, an Outer Disciple.

The instant the mountain-like aura pressed down, anger flashed across Ye Zhen's face. His body crouched and sprang—Snake Springing Grass! In an instant, everyone's vision blurred, and Ye Zhen's figure appeared fifteen meters away, having just escaped Fan Chuyu's aura range.

Fan Chuyu's expression sharpened as he was about to make another move when Ye Zhen's voice rang out. "Senior Brother Fan, if you truly have the ability and truly want to know, then ask Fairy Caiyi. Why make things difficult for me?"

That single sentence made Fan Chuyu's expression extremely awkward, leaving him rooted to the spot.

Ye Zhen, who quickly left the area, wore a bitter expression.

To be honest, Fan Chuyu's offer had been truly high—high enough that Ye Zhen had been greatly tempted. Moreover, if not for that promise, Ye Zhen would have answered Fan Chuyu's question even if Fan Chuyu had offered nothing.

But a man's promise was worth a thousand gold!

When he had parted from Fairy Caiyi, she had asked Ye Zhen not to reveal the Flower Civet's true condition.

Fairy Caiyi had caused such a huge stir in the sect for the sake of her Su'er that nearly everyone knew about it. If word got out that the Flower Civet's true illness was simply that it had entered mating season, and that the cure required it to find one of its kind to mate with...

If this matter spread, Ye Zhen did not think it was any great issue, but Fairy Caiyi, whose skin was rather thin, would probably truly be too ashamed to face anyone.

Ye Zhen had agreed to Fairy Caiyi's request without hesitation then, so he refused just as thoroughly now.

Ye Zhen reckoned that a bottle of Condensing True Pills on the market was worth far more than a thousand gold. His single promise truly was a promise worth a thousand gold!

After leaving the Sect Main Hall, Ye Zhen appeared at the entrance of the Qi Yun Sect's Scripture Depository. He had come mainly to verify a bold idea.

Today, after the Mirage Dragon Pearl absorbed all the essence, qi, and spirit of the Phantom Snake King into the Mirage Dragon Pearl First Layer Space in the dense forest behind the mountain, Ye Zhen's Snake-Wandering Steps, which he had long been unable to fully master, had suddenly reached the pinnacle of perfection.

Ye Zhen began considering a question. Since the Phantom Snake King within the Mirage Dragon Pearl First Layer Space had allowed his Snake-Wandering Steps to instantly reach the pinnacle of perfection, would practicing other snake-related martial arts and movement techniques yield twice the result with half the effort?

He had come to the Scripture Depository to verify this idea.

This time, his goal was clear. Ye Zhen quickly selected four snake-related cultivation manuals from the first floor of the Scripture Depository.

They were Snake Palm, Boneless Snake Fist, Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand, and Turtle Snake Art.

After considering them, Ye Zhen chose the Mortal-tier High Grade Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand. It was a nimble close-combat grappling art. Once cultivated to minor success, it could sever meridians and dislocate joints, robbing opponents of their ability to attack. It had endless marvelous uses in battle.

"Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand? Mortal-tier High Grade, one hundred and fifty Sect Contribution Points." The Old Deacon guarding the first floor of the Scripture Depository glanced at Ye Zhen's choice and spoke.

Ye Zhen handed over his Identity Jade Token with some heartache. After the first free selection of cultivation manuals, whether Inner or Outer Disciples, all had to pay a certain amount of Sect Contribution Points to choose manuals for cultivation.

This one manual had consumed a third of the Sect Contribution Points he had just received.

"Hm? Ye Zhen, half a month ago, you chose Five Peaks Divine Fist and Snake-Wandering Steps. Before you have mastered those two arts, you've come to choose another martial skill. This is a great taboo in cultivation," the Old Deacon said.

"To be honest, Old Deacon, I have already mastered both Five Peaks Divine Fist and Snake-Wandering Steps," Ye Zhen said.

"Mastered them?"

A trace of mockery appeared at the corners of the Old Deacon's mouth. "I can believe that you mastered Five Peaks Divine Fist, but without half a year of hard work, do not even dream of achieving initial success in the essence of Snake-Wandering Steps.

"Kid, biting off more than you can chew is no good. I advise you to focus on cultivating one martial skill. Besides, the Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand you chose this time is no less difficult to cultivate than Snake-Wandering Steps."

Ye Zhen could only smile bitterly. Why was it that no one believed the truth these days?

"Thank you for your guidance, Deacon. I truly have mastered them." Ye Zhen still held great respect for this Old Deacon, who had so patiently advised him.

"Stubborn beyond redemption." Seeing Ye Zhen insist so firmly, the Old Deacon grew somewhat annoyed and no longer wished to persuade him. With a few swift motions, he completed the procedures for Ye Zhen and tossed the Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand manual to him.

"Hmph, young people these days are becoming less and less humble. Mastering Snake-Wandering Steps in half a month—does he take these old eyes of mine for..."

Swoosh!

In the next instant, Ye Zhen crouched and sprang. His figure shot forth like lightning and appeared fifteen meters away, displaying a move for the Old Deacon on the spot.

Naturally, Ye Zhen had held back in this display. If he went all out, a single spring of Snake Springing Grass would carry him at least thirty meters.

Yet even this restrained display made the Old Deacon suddenly start in shock, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a fist inside.

"Snake Springing Grass, the hardest move in Snake-Wandering Steps? He really mastered it..." Several breaths later, the Old Deacon still looked dazed.

Ye Zhen, having just shown that move, was walking while flipping through the Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand manual. As he read, his body twisted in strange ways, occasionally making extremely fierce and bizarre movements, while the smile on his face grew broader and broader.

His guess had been correct!

The Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand, which the Old Deacon had called even more difficult, now seemed exceedingly simple to Ye Zhen. Some rather difficult moves could be performed by him with a casual gesture.

Ye Zhen estimated that in less than half a day, he would be able to master the Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand. With just a little more time, he could cultivate it to the pinnacle of perfection.

At that time, with Snake-Wandering Steps at the pinnacle of perfection, Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand, Five Peaks Divine Fist, and those few drops of True Essence, Ye Zhen would truly have the foundation to stand firm among the Outer Disciples.

At that thought, Ye Zhen's pace quickened. He only wanted to return quickly and cultivate the Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand.

Before long, Ye Zhen returned to his room on East Arrival Peak. The instant he pushed open the door, his expression froze. There were unexpectedly two more people inside his room.

Two black-clad Outer Disciples who had been beaten black and blue.

P.S. I got stuck, and this chapter was revised three whole times. I wrote from seven in the evening until twelve forty before I was satisfied with the revisions.

Seeing how hard Old Pig worked, brothers, please reward Old Pig with a recommendation vote!

Seeking recommendations, seeking clicks, seeking bookmarks!