You Want to Compete with Me on Background?

Niu Yuanshan, one of the Nine Stewards of Outer Sect, appeared in the dungeon.

Chu Huai Xu's little housekeeper followed at his side, her face etched with worry as she looked at the young man.

When she spotted the wound on his arm, her already icy expression grew another layer of frost.

"He's injured!" Han Shuangjiang's heart tightened.

Chu Huai Xu let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Niu Yuanshan.

Before his transmigration, the goofy players had already dug up every detail of the organization.

Later on, many players started memeing it—reciting the organization's "Admonition" by heart, throwing around "Fellow Daoist" left and right, and shouting "Loy-al-ty!"

Just a while ago, Chu Huai Xu had been joking to himself: "Fellow Daoist, save me! Loy-al-ty!"

But once he was actually in the dungeon, the change in surroundings brought the atmosphere crashing down.

He was genuinely a bit nervous.

Old Niu, don't you dare be late!

Thankfully, Niu Yuanshan showed up right on time.

This made Chu Huai Xu silently swear: "From now on, I'll meme the memes, not the people."

Old Niu, you're a good one.

What was touching was that as Niu Yuanshan approached, he immediately stepped in front of Chu Huai Xu.

This middle-aged man with thick brows and big eyes wore a face of unwavering integrity, but he was actually half a head shorter than Chu Huai Xu and had a slight hunch.

Yet somehow, he radiated a sense of safety.

Before shielding the young man behind him, he even gave him a warm smile.

It really felt like a protective elder.

Han Shuangjiang hurried over and asked with concern, "You're hurt."

"It's nothing, just a scratch." Chu Huai Xu didn't care at all.

The old man named Liu Tianfeng furrowed his brow. "Niu Yuanshan?"

He never expected this guy to show up here.

And with such a hostile tone!

This was a far cry from the Niu Yuanshan he knew.

No help for it.

The real Dao Sect steward: slacks off, delegates orders, abuses authority, runs wild.

The fake undercover steward: works hard, diligent, fair in conduct, a beast of burden.

Niu Yuanshan had been undercover in the Dao Sect for three years, then another three—truly like a willing ox.

But the absurd thing about the workplace was this: the more work this undercover did, the less everyone else did.

Honestly, without Niu Yuanshan, the Outer Sect would fall apart!

Liu Tianfeng, also an Outer Sect Deacon, had worked with him for years and knew Old Niu's temperament.

The guy was a total pushover.

So he never imagined that one day this old ox would say something like this!

"Saying I've got quite the air of authority!" Liu Steward felt a surge of unexplained anger.

Funny thing—when a goody-two-shoes who's done all your work suddenly snaps at you, your first reaction is fury.

Liu Tianfeng and Niu Yuanshan were about equal in strength, both at Great Perfection of the Third Realm. They'd never sparred, so it was unclear who was stronger.

As fellow stewards, Liu Tianfeng had more seniority—in fact, he was one of the old-timers among the nine.

He glared at the uncharacteristic Old Niu and said in a low voice, "Niu Yuanshan, are you sticking up for him?"

Qi flow surged as the pressure of the Third Realm spread through the dungeon, making the air feel thick and hard to breathe.

"And what if I am?" Niu Yuanshan's thick brows furrowed as his eyes sharpened, and spiritual power began to ripple from his body.

In an instant, the dungeon became tense and bristling.

Liu Chengqi and Liu Chenggong exchanged glances.

The former gritted his teeth in rage, never expecting that dead dog surnamed Chu would have someone backing him.

The latter, aside from his surprise, was still marveling at Han Shuangjiang's beauty—truly a national treasure!

—"No wonder my cousin fell for it!"

The atmosphere had reached a boiling point, and neither steward could easily back down.

Liu Tianfeng roared, "Niu Yuanshan! Think carefully—this brat severely wounded my son!"

"I already know the full story. Liu Chengqi was clearly in the wrong first." Niu Yuanshan didn't budge.

In his view, the newcomer in the organization had done nothing wrong.

He didn't know that Han Shuangjiang possessed a Profound Yin Physique, requiring a blood test to verify her spiritual fetus, but even that day he could tell how much Li Chunsong valued this girl.

Old Niu wasn't stupid. He was certain that the Sixth Elder's regard for this young woman outweighed his interest in this newcomer to the organization.

Thus, he concluded she was absolutely a heaven-blessed prodigy.

Sure enough, she had already broken through two apertures right after entering the sect.

Chu Huai Xu befriending her came with no downsides.

"I deliberately arranged their lodgings together back then—it was a hint in itself."

"He must have understood by now." Old Niu felt a warm satisfaction.

In his view, though Chu Huai Xu acted ostentatiously and had injured someone as soon as he joined the sect, it wasn't without reason; at least he'd established a reputation as an upright man.

A temperament like that might well catch the eye of some Dao Sect higher-ups.

Niu Yuanshan had seen the ruthless side of that Fox Face before.

Even after a man was dead, he'd still slap him a few times.

In his eyes, the fact that his son was still alive and kicking, with a chance to retaliate, meant Chu Huai Xu had already held back.

At this moment, Liu Tianfeng, stared at by his beloved son and nephew, found it hard not to stand his ground.

"Niu Yuanshan, even if you protect him, you can only keep him alive—but punishment must still be dealt!"

The Old Man lunged forward, reaching out to snatch Chu Huai Xu away.

The burly, thick-browed Niu Yuanshan raised his arm to block, solid as a rock.

After a brief clash, he retreated with Chu Huai Xu and Han Shuangjiang, unwilling to reveal too many of his techniques, and spoke:

"Steward Liu, are you sure you want to fight? Without even asking me the reason first?"

Liu Tianfeng snorted coldly in response: "Spit it out if you've got something to say!"

Niu Yuanshan sent a voice transmission to the Old Man, audible only to him:

"Let me give you a tip: Chu Huai Xu and Han Shuangjiang were personally brought up the mountain by the Sixth Elder."

"What!" The half-gray-haired Liu Tianfeng jolted violently, his face turning pale.

In the Dao Sect, the Inner Sect and Outer Sect were separated by a chasm.

Li Chunsong, honored as an Inner Sect Elder and a peerless Seventh Realm powerhouse, could reduce Liu Tianfeng to ashes with a flick of his finger or strip him of his steward position with a single word.

The Old Man had already been stunned, thinking Niu Yuanshan was Chu Huai Xu's backer.

But who would have guessed his backing was far higher than imagined?

It was among the highest peaks in the entire Dao Sect, even the whole Eastern Continent!

Liu Tianfeng had spent years in the Outer Sect, the most senior steward there, a veteran among veterans.

If Chu Huai Xu had been exceptionally gifted, a once-in-a-century genius, his fear might have been less.

But no—he was just a low-grade spiritual fetus!

"What kind of trash spiritual fetus is worth the Sixth Elder personally bringing him up the mountain?"

The more he thought about it, the more Liu Tianfeng felt the two had a deep connection.

The worse his talent, the stronger the ties!

"With Niu Yuanshan's easygoing nature, he's sticking his neck out this time—could the Sixth Elder have already told him to look after the boy?" The Old Man's mind raced, and the more he speculated, the more uneasy he grew.

He even started sizing up Chu Huai Xu, wondering if he resembled the Sixth Elder...

Well, he was far too handsome for that.

"Could he be the son of an old friend of the Sixth Elder?"

Liu Tianfeng's expression flickered with uncertainty as suspicions churned within him.

Seeing this, Niu Yuanshan spoke up: "Steward Liu, can I take him away now?"

Liu Tianfeng dared not stop him.

He even cupped his hands toward Niu Yuanshan and said, "Thank you, Steward Niu, for the earlier advice."

Old Niu was still the same Old Niu, a good man—he was saving me!

Niu Yuanshan nodded with satisfaction, turned to look at Chu Huai Xu, as if about to call him along.

But his gaze landed on Chu Huai Xu's arm.

"You're injured?" he asked.

Without waiting for Chu Huai Xu to answer, Niu Yuanshan turned back again, facing Liu Tianfeng and the others.

A simple, honest smile spread across the burly, thick-browed middle-aged man's face.

"Looks like we can't just leave like this now," he said.