The Shakedown

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, since you know urine can cure Blackening Disease, why won't you let them tell anyone? Many of our sect's disciples have Spirit Grains and Spirit Herbs afflicted with Blackening Disease. If word gets out sooner, we can minimize the losses," the gray-robed elder asked, hesitating briefly in confusion.

"Junior Brother Li, have you ever wondered why Blackening Disease appeared in our sect?" Zhou Tongtian said meaningfully.

"This... Senior Brother Sect Leader, do you mean someone deliberately caused the Blackening Disease?" The gray-robed elder thought it over and caught on.

"Otherwise, how did Blackening Disease suddenly appear out of nowhere? This illness disappeared thousands of years ago. It was mentioned only briefly in the ancient texts. The Great Tang is neither vast nor small, so why did Blackening Disease appear in our Taixu Sect? As far as I know, it hasn't appeared anywhere else." Zhou Tongtian's face darkened.

"Then who could have done it? What are they after?" The gray-robed elder furrowed his brow.

"Who did it doesn't matter. What matters is their purpose. I'm worried they're using this incident to find out where our Ancestor Master is. Do you remember the Chen Family massacre several hundred years ago? An Evil Cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm learned that the Chen Family's Nascent Soul Cultivator wasn't in the fortress, then slipped in and went on a killing spree, slaughtering thousands of cultivators throughout the Chen Family. That's why every family and sect takes such care to protect the whereabouts of their own Ancestor Masters." By the end, Zhou Tongtian's face had turned grave.

"Then, in your opinion, what should we do, Senior Brother?"

Zhou Tongtian considered it briefly, then said, "Junior Brother Li, you're skilled at cultivation. Think of a way to mix something else into the urine to mask its smell. Then I'll issue a notice in the name of the Ancestor Master, saying this spirit liquid was developed by him to cure Blackening Disease."

"Mm, that's an excellent plan." The gray-robed elder nodded. Then he remembered something and continued, "Senior Brother Sect Leader, what about the mastermind? Are we just going to let them get away with it?"

"Hmph, of course not. I'll send people to investigate in secret. We'll find the culprit, then report everything to the Ancestor Master when he returns." Zhou Tongtian gave a cold snort and sneered.

The gray-robed elder nodded. After discussing the details with Zhou Tongtian, he left the Ancestral Master Hall.

After leaving the Ancestral Master Hall, the blue-robed man took Shi Yue on the Green Giant Eagle to the Deacon Hall.

"Greetings, Hall Master Li."

"Good day, Hall Master Li."

"Greetings, Hall Master."

As soon as the blue-robed man entered the Deacon Hall, the stewards greeted him one after another, their faces full of obsequious smiles.

The blue-robed man merely nodded at them.

"Junior Nephew Wang, credit Shi Yue with a thousand Contribution Points," the blue-robed man ordered as he approached Steward Wang.

"Ah!" Steward Wang stared in surprise, thinking he'd misheard.

"What? Didn't you hear me? Credit Shi Yue with a thousand Contribution Points. Sect Leader Martial Uncle gave the order himself. Are you planning to disobey?" The blue-robed man's expression darkened as he frowned.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Steward Wang hurriedly explained. Smiling warmly at Shi Yue, he said, "Junior Brother Shi, please take out your Identity Token."

Shi Yue nodded, took out his Identity Token, and handed it over.

Right in front of the blue-robed man, Steward Wang credited Shi Yue with a thousand Contribution Points.

"All right, that's all. Get back to work." The blue-robed man tossed out the words, then walked into a side room.

Shi Yue put away his Identity Token, grinning from ear to ear as he turned and headed for the exit.

"Wait, Junior Brother Shi!" Steward Wang hurriedly called after him.

"What is it, Steward Wang? That was Sect Leader Martial Ancestor's order. You're not going to dock me five hundred Contribution Points, are you?" Shi Yue frowned, turned around, and asked with some displeasure.

"Of course not. I just wanted to ask, did you meet Sect Leader Martial Ancestor?" Steward Wang shook his head and asked cautiously.

"Mm. And Ancestor Li, too," Shi Yue replied with a nod.

"What? You met Ancestor Li as well? May I ask what the two Ancestor Masters said to you?" Steward Wang's expression changed, and he asked nervously.

"Nothing much. They just asked why I was still stuck at Qi Refining Level Four. You know, my parents were Core Formation Cultivators, after all. It's only natural for Sect Leader Martial Ancestor and Ancestor Li to ask a couple of questions." Shi Yue shook his head and replied calmly.

"Junior Brother Shi, I've always treated you well! Don't go saying anything careless in front of the two Ancestor Masters. I haven't touched a single Spirit Stone you left with me over the years. Take this Mid-grade Spirit Stone." Steward Wang was startled. He forced a smile and spoke ingratiatingly, then produced a Mid-grade Spirit Stone and held it out.

In the past, Steward Wang would never have treated Shi Yue so courteously. But the fact that two Core Formation Cultivators had met with Shi Yue had given him the mistaken impression that they were looking after him because of his parents. Now, not only did he dare not offend Shi Yue, he also had to curry favor with him.

"Left with you?" Shi Yue replied with an amused smile.

"Of course! I was only keeping it safe for you, Junior Brother Shi. I never planned to use the Spirit Stones you left with me. Please put in a good word for me with the two Ancestor Masters." Steward Wang's face brimmed with a fawning smile as he nodded repeatedly.

"Is that so? But I remember leaving you more Spirit Stones than this." Shi Yue smiled knowingly.

A fool passed up a chance to get something for free. Besides, Shi Yue was only taking back what belonged to him; it wasn't as if he were taking advantage of anyone.

"I forgot, I forgot. There's one more." Steward Wang hurriedly produced another Mid-grade Spirit Stone and held it out, his face still wreathed in a fawning smile. A flicker of pain flashed across his eyes.

"Mm. Next time I see the Ancestor Master, I'll do my best to put in a good word for you." Shi Yue accepted the two Mid-grade Spirit Stones and nodded in satisfaction, making his promise.

"Then my thanks, Brother Shi!" Steward Wang was overjoyed and personally escorted Shi Yue out of the Deacon Hall.

"Kid Shi, I didn't know you had such a knack for shaking people down." As Shi Yue flew on his flying artifact, Xiaoyaozi's voice rang out in his mind.

"What do you mean, shaking people down? I'm just taking back what's mine." Shi Yue rolled his eyes and replied unconcernedly.

"Heh heh, Kid Shi, you made quite a haul today. How about sharing a little with me? I won't ask for much—ten Spirit Stones. No, how about five?" Xiaoyaozi asked ingratiatingly.

Shi Yue chuckled at that but didn't answer.

When he returned to Green Cloud Peak, a crowd of Qi Refining Stage disciples gathered around him again.

Sect Leader Martial Uncle had only told him not to reveal that urine could cure Blackening Disease. He hadn't said he couldn't help his fellow disciples treat their Spirit Herbs.

And so, Shi Yue got busy again, treating one Senior Brother's Spirit Herbs and another Senior Sister's Spirit Grains. He kept at it until the urine in his gourd-shaped artifact ran out. Only then did he use fatigue as an excuse to turn them down and fly back to his lodgings on Azure Origin Peak.