Incense Hall.
Night had already fallen.
Though it was late, the number of Outer Sect cultivators heading to Incense Hall had only grown. It was even more crowded than Greenwood Market.
They were all going to Incense Hall to collect their stipends.
Most of them were cultivators below Qi Refining Layer Three.
After all, for these cultivators, their monthly stipends were extremely important. They determined whether they could survive in Greenwood Sect and whether they could afford resources for cultivation.
Zhao Huaian squeezed through the crowd, spending quite some time before he found Lin Dongpeng, who was busy at work.
Lin Dongpeng was the only person Zhao Huaian knew in Incense Hall.
Lin Dongpeng thought highly of his talent and prospects. If he wanted to collect the stipends he had accumulated over the past few months all at once, his only option was to start with Lin Dongpeng.
"Senior Brother Lin!"
Seeing Lin Dongpeng hard at work, Zhao Huaian called out with a warm smile.
At the sound of his voice, Lin Dongpeng looked up.
When he saw that Zhao Huaian was standing before him, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"Junior Brother Zhao?"
Looking over Zhao Huaian's cultivation, Lin Dongpeng asked curiously, "Junior Brother Zhao, where have you been all this time? Why haven't you come to collect your stipend for so long?"
"I was held up by a few things. Then I spent time cultivating in seclusion, and later took on several missions, so I never got around to coming here to collect my resources."
Zhao Huaian smiled as he explained.
Lin Dongpeng nodded at his explanation. Glancing over his cultivation, he asked, "When did you break through to Qi Refining Layer Four, Junior Brother Zhao? You seem to have plenty of Spiritual Energy. It must have been a while, right?"
With the help of the Concealment Talisman, Zhao Huaian had hidden his cultivation at Qi Refining Layer Four, but his Spiritual Energy still appeared quite abundant.
That was why Lin Dongpeng assumed Zhao Huaian had broken through to Qi Refining Layer Four some time ago.
"It has been a while," Zhao Huaian replied with a smile and a nod. "I broke through a little over three months ago. After that, I went straight on several missions and reaped quite a few rewards. I'm not far from Qi Refining Layer Five now."
"Hahaha, you really do have a gift for cultivation, Junior Brother!"
At Zhao Huaian's words, Lin Dongpeng laughed heartily, his tone turning warmer.
Back when he had broken through to Qi Refining Layer Five, it had taken him nearly three full years. Now, in just over a year, Zhao Huaian was already on the verge of reaching Qi Refining Layer Five. With talent like that, Foundation Establishment was surely within his reach someday.
After laughing, Lin Dongpeng didn't hesitate. He rummaged through the counter and soon took out thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Handing them to Zhao Huaian, Lin Dongpeng said with a smile, "Since you broke through three months ago, Junior Brother, I'll calculate your stipend accordingly. Including what you'd accumulated before, you're owed thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Looking at the thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones, Zhao Huaian smiled, and his favorable impression of Lin Dongpeng shot up.
The extra Spirit Stones didn't amount to much to him—at most, they would cover a day or two of expenses.
But Lin Dongpeng's attitude pleased and comforted him greatly.
"No need to thank me. This is what you're entitled to."
Lin Dongpeng waved him off with a smile, then seemed to remember something and asked, "Do you have a Dharma Artifact now, Junior Brother?"
"I bought a low-grade Dharma Artifact, a Flying Sword, after completing a mission."
Though he didn't know why Lin Dongpeng was asking, Zhao Huaian nodded and answered honestly.
"You've already bought one..."
Lin Dongpeng nodded and thought for a moment. Then he took another twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones from the counter.
Seeing Lin Dongpeng hand him twenty more Low-grade Spirit Stones, Zhao Huaian asked in confusion, "Senior Brother Lin, what's this for...?"
Lin Dongpeng explained with a smile, "Have you forgotten, Junior Brother? The sect rules say that once you reach Qi Refining Mid-stage, you can collect a low-grade Dharma Artifact from Incense Hall."
"So you mean that since I've already bought a Dharma Artifact, you're giving me its value in Spirit Stones instead?"
At once, Zhao Huaian understood.
His favorable impression of Lin Dongpeng climbed even higher.
After all, the people at Incense Hall usually didn't care whether you'd already bought a Dharma Artifact. Once your cultivation met the requirements, they'd simply toss you a random, inferior low-grade Dharma Artifact.
But Lin Dongpeng was using the convenience of his position to give Zhao Huaian the value of the Dharma Artifact in Spirit Stones instead—and he was valuing it as a fairly high-quality artifact.
"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Lin!"
With a broad smile, Zhao Huaian accepted the Spirit Stones, then took five Low-grade Spirit Stones from the pile and offered them to Lin Dongpeng. "Senior Brother Lin, these are the five Low-grade Spirit Stones I borrowed from you before. Have a look and see if the amount's right!"
"No need. Those Spirit Stones were a gift to you, Junior Brother Zhao. Keep these for now. Buy some more Elixir Pills and try to reach Qi Refining Layer Five as soon as you can."
Lin Dongpeng shook his head and hurriedly waved away the Spirit Stones Zhao Huaian offered.
He had never lent Zhao Huaian any Spirit Stones. Now that Zhao Huaian had suddenly offered him five Low-grade Spirit Stones and called it repayment, how could he not know what he meant?
He was simply trying to bribe him and show his gratitude with those five Low-grade Spirit Stones.
But Lin Dongpeng didn't want to accept them—or, more precisely, he couldn't.
He had done what he did today to build goodwill with Zhao Huaian and draw closer to him. He had no other ulterior motive.
If he accepted the five Low-grade Spirit Stones, it would change the nature of things. It would become a transaction between him and Zhao Huaian.
That wasn't what he had in mind.
He wasn't about to waste such an opportunity to build goodwill for the sake of a mere five Low-grade Spirit Stones.
"Alright, then. Thank you, Senior Brother Lin. Once I reach a higher cultivation level, I'll repay you double."
Seeing Lin Dongpeng refuse so firmly, Zhao Huaian knew there was no point insisting. He simply made him a promise.
A promise was worth a fortune to some people, and not a copper coin to others.
As for what kind of person Zhao Huaian was, that depended on what kind of person Lin Dongpeng was.
Those who treated him well—
Zhao Huaian would remember.
Those who treated him poorly—
Zhao Huaian would remember that, too.
In short, he knew kindness from grievance.
Residential Area.
Beneath the night sky, Zhao Huaian returned to his room with a full haul.
He had only a few dozen Spirit Stones left on him.
The Spirit Stones that had disappeared had naturally been turned into a large stock of cultivation resources and high-grade Monster Beast Blood and Flesh.
"With cultivation resources and Monster Beast Blood and Flesh worth over five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, my cultivation speed is bound to increase dramatically from here on."
Feeling the cultivation resources in his Storage Bag, Zhao Huaian's lips curled into a slight smile. He was full of confidence about his cultivation to come.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Just as Zhao Huaian was basking in satisfaction, a crisp knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?"
Hearing the knock, Zhao Huaian furrowed his brow and called out sharply.
"It's me! Liu Bohu!"
It was Liu Bohu. His voice carried a hint of urgency.
Zhao Huaian could hear the urgency in Liu Bohu's voice. Without hesitation, he hurriedly opened the door.
Outside, Liu Bohu looked utterly exhausted. His clothes were even spattered with blood, and he looked thoroughly disheveled.
"Brother Liu, what happened to you?"
Seeing Liu Bohu in such a state, Zhao Huaian asked in surprise.
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