Miscellaneous Affairs Hall

Lin Ye returned to courtyard C-37.

He closed the door and began to tally his recent gains. "Twenty contribution points per stalk, plus what I've saved up, should be enough to exchange for a high-grade Mortal technique."

The next afternoon, he put on his outer disciple robes and headed to the Mission Hall.

"Turning in a mission." Lin Ye placed seven stalks of Purple Ginseng on the counter.

The deacon disciple glanced at him, looking somewhat surprised. "Purple Ginseng? And seven stalks at that?"

"I got lucky," Lin Ye said calmly.

"That is some good luck." The deacon disciple inspected them and nodded. "The quality is perfect. Twenty points each, one hundred and forty points total. Your identity token."

Lin Ye handed over his token.

His contribution points increased to six hundred and forty.

Technique Hall.

"I would like to exchange for this high-grade Mortal martial art, Flowing Cloud Steps."

"Flowing Cloud Steps? Are you sure?" The old man looked him over. "This is a high-grade Mortal technique, and it is very difficult to master. Most disciples at the seventh or eighth level of Body Tempering cannot succeed."

"I would like to try."

"Very well, six hundred contribution points." The old man deducted the points and pulled a thin booklet from the shelf behind him. "Return it within a month. No copying allowed."

Lin Ye took the booklet, tucked it away carefully, and left the Technique Hall.

He went straight to the mountain cave, opened the booklet, and began to browse through it quickly.

Flowing Cloud Steps, high-grade Mortal, emphasizes "body like flowing clouds, steps like startled geese," and is divided into three levels: the first level "Moving Clouds," the second level "Flowing Water," and the third level "Flowing Cloud."

With a thought, he initiated the deduction of Flowing Cloud Steps.

[Deducing Flowing Cloud Steps (high-grade Mortal) requires 250 martial arts points.]

[Proceed with deduction?]

"Deduce."

A phantom image appeared and began to practice Flowing Cloud Steps.

[Deduction complete.]

[Flowing Cloud Steps (high-grade Mortal) optimized. Speed increased by 50%, evasion effect doubled.]

[Duced fourth level "Shadowless": when executed, the figure becomes ghost-like and difficult to lock onto, comparable to a low-grade Spirit movement technique.]

Lin Ye opened his eyes, a flash of joy in them.

"Let's try it out."

Lin Ye stood up and began to practice according to the optimized Flowing Cloud Steps.

Lin Ye finished his practice, feeling the changes in his movement technique.

He was now at least 50% faster than before, and his evasion ability had nearly doubled.

If he were to face the Green-Scaled Python again now, even if he couldn't win, his chances of escape would be much higher.

"Next, I will focus on the Azure Origin Technique and strive to break through to the True Qi Realm as soon as possible."

"But to the outside world, I must maintain the appearance of being at the sixth level of Body Tempering."

Lin Ye finished his planning, left the cave, and returned to his residence.

For the next month, he kept to himself and had almost no contact with anyone.

He "practiced" in the courtyard during the day and went to the cave to practice at night.

The Azure Origin Technique improved steadily, reaching the sixth level, and his True Qi became increasingly pure.

Flowing Cloud Steps also became more proficient, and he could now freely execute the third level, "Flowing Cloud."

His cultivation quietly broke through to the seventh level of Body Tempering. Everything was proceeding methodically according to plan.

Until this day, when Deacon Li came knocking.

"Lin Ye, open the door!"

Deacon Li's voice came from outside the courtyard.

Lin Ye frowned, stood up, and opened the door.

Outside, Deacon Li stood expressionless, with two Law Enforcement Hall disciples behind him.

"Lin Ye, come with me," Deacon Li said coldly.

"Deacon, what is the matter?" Lin Ye felt a tightening in his chest.

"You'll know when you get there." Deacon Li waved his hand. "Take him!"

The two Law Enforcement Hall disciples stepped forward, one on each side, and grabbed Lin Ye.

Lin Ye did not resist.

He was taken to the Law Enforcement Hall.

Inside the hall, an old man in black robes sat in the main seat; he was clearly an expert in the True Qi Realm.

Below him, several people were standing.

Zhou Ming, Chen Feng, and a few unfamiliar outer sect disciples.

"Lin Ye, do you know your crime?" the black-robed elder spoke, his voice icy.

"This disciple does not know, I ask the elder to clarify," Lin Ye bowed.

"One month ago, near the Green-Scaled Python nest at the cliff on the east side of the back mountain, someone stole Purple Ginseng, startling the Green-Scaled Python and causing the deaths of three disciples." The black-robed elder stared at Lin Ye. "Someone reported that your whereabouts were suspicious that night. Was it you?"

Lin Ye felt a jolt in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. "Elder, please investigate clearly. This disciple was in my room practicing that night and never went out."

"Who can prove it?"

"No one."

"But this disciple's cultivation is low; I would not dare to provoke a Green-Scaled Python."

"Enough!" the black-robed elder interrupted. "I have investigated. Two people appeared near the cliff that night. One was you, and the other was Chen Feng."

"Chen Feng, where were you that night?"

Chen Feng stepped forward and said calmly, "Reporting to the elder, this disciple was hunting Shadow Wolves on the west side of the back mountain that night. I have the Shadow Wolf pelts as proof."

The black-robed elder frowned.

These two brats both had alibis, but neither had witnesses.

"Elder, this disciple has something to say," Zhou Ming suddenly spoke up.

"Speak."

"That night, I saw Lin Ye leave his room in the middle of the night, looking hurried," Zhou Ming said.

Lin Ye's eyes turned cold.

"Oh? At what time?" the black-robed elder asked.

"Around the hour of the Rat," Zhou Ming said.

"Senior Brother Zhou must have seen wrong," Lin Ye said calmly. "That night, this disciple was in my room the entire time and never went out."

"I saw it clearly!" Zhou Ming insisted.

"Enough." The black-robed elder waved his hand. "Although there is no conclusive evidence for this matter, you two are the prime suspects. Starting today, I sentence you both to three months of hard labor in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall as a warning to others!"

The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall?

Lin Ye's heart sank.

The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall was the most grueling and exhausting place in the outer sect, where disciples who committed offenses or had poor talent were sent.

There, one had to perform heavy manual labor, which would hinder one's cultivation.

More importantly, once labeled as a "menial laborer," one could never hold their head high within the sect.

"This disciple accepts the punishment," Lin Ye did not argue.

"This disciple accepts the punishment," Chen Feng also said.

"Take them away." The black-robed elder waved his hand.

Two Law Enforcement Hall disciples stepped forward and escorted Lin Ye and Chen Feng away.

Walking out of the Law Enforcement Hall, Lin Ye looked at Chen Feng.

Chen Feng looked back at him.

Their eyes met, and both understood what the other was thinking.

They had been set up.

Someone had reported them, and Zhou Ming had given false testimony.

The goal was to get them into the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

"Three months..." Lin Ye calculated in his heart.

Three months of hard labor would delay his cultivation, but it was not entirely unacceptable.

"Move!"

The Law Enforcement Hall disciples shoved the two of them.

Lin Ye and Chen Feng were escorted toward the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

Along the way, many disciples pointed and whispered.

"Look, that's Lin Ye, top hundred in the minor tournament, now he's a menial laborer."

"Serves him right, he must have committed a crime."

"What a pity, he actually had some talent..."

The gossip reached his ears, but Lin Ye's expression remained calm, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Chen Feng simply closed his eyes to rest, not caring in the slightest.

Soon, they arrived at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

It was a dilapidated courtyard, filled with all sorts of clutter: firewood, ore, medicinal herbs, dirty clothes...

Dozens of disciples wearing gray miscellaneous robes were busy working.

"Head Li, a new arrival is here," the Law Enforcement Hall disciple shouted.

A middle-aged man with a face full of flab walked out of the room, sized up Lin Ye and Chen Feng, and sneered, "Yo, isn't this the genius from the top hundred of the tournament?"

"Head Li, here is their punishment document," the Law Enforcement Hall disciple said, handing over a piece of paper.

Head Li took it, glanced at it, and grinned, "Three months of hard labor? Leave them to me. I guarantee I'll help them 'reform' properly."

The Law Enforcement Hall disciple left.

Head Li walked up to Lin Ye and Chen Feng and patted Lin Ye's face, "Kid, in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, if you're a dragon, you coil; if you're a tiger, you crouch. Understand?"

"Understood," Lin Ye said, lowering his head.

"Good if you understand." Head Li nodded with satisfaction and pointed to the pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the courtyard, "Today, wash all of these."

Lin Ye looked at the pile of clothes; there were at least three or four hundred pieces.

If one person washed them, they wouldn't finish even by nightfall.

"What, do you have an objection?" Head Li glared.

"No," Lin Ye shook his head.

"What about you?" Head Li looked at Chen Feng.

Chen Feng didn't speak; he simply walked over to another pile of firewood, picked up an axe, and began to chop wood.

"Heh, you've got some sense." Head Li laughed, "Fine, you chop wood, he washes clothes. If you don't finish by dark, neither of you gets to eat!"

After saying this, he turned and went back into the room.

Lin Ye walked to the pile of dirty clothes, rolled up his sleeves, and began drawing water to wash them.

As he washed, he calculated in his mind.

If it's just washing clothes and chopping wood, it won't delay my cultivation time too much.

Miscellaneous Affairs Hall?

Besides, with so many people here, it's actually suitable for staying hidden.

Lin Ye lowered his head and continued washing.

The setting sun cast his shadow long across the ground.

In the distance, from a pavilion, Zhao Liang was watching the direction of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall with a cold sneer on his face.

"Lin Ye, Chen Feng, you want to fight me? This is the outcome."

"Three months of hard labor is enough to ruin your cultivation progress. Let's see what you have left to compete with me!"

He turned and left.

Back in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Lin Ye had already finished a third of the laundry.

He looked up at the sky, then at the remaining clothes, calculating in his heart.

At this speed, I can finish before dark.

A flash of light crossed Lin Ye's eyes.

If he appeared too capable, they would just pile more work on him.

He slowed his pace.

Night fell, and he still had thirty or fifty pieces left to wash.

Head Li came out to inspect and, seeing so much left, his face darkened, "Trash! You can't even finish this little bit of work! No food for you tonight!"

"Yes," Lin Ye lowered his head.

Lin Ye gathered the unwashed clothes, walked to the corner of the courtyard, and sat down in a secluded spot.

Chen Feng had also finished chopping the wood and sat down opposite him.

Neither of them spoke; they just sat quietly.

Until the other miscellaneous disciples returned to their rooms to rest, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard.

"You did that on purpose," Chen Feng suddenly said.

Lin Ye smiled and did not deny it.

"Smart," Chen Feng said, "In this place, you can't appear too capable."

"You're the same," Lin Ye said, "Your chopping speed was controlled very well."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"How do you plan to spend the next three months?" Chen Feng asked.

"Cultivate, work, and wait for an opportunity," Lin Ye said.

Lin Ye looked up at the night sky. "The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall is also a part of the sect."

Chen Feng gave him a deep look. "You have more patience than I thought."

"You are the same," Lin Ye said.

"Let's survive these three months first." Lin Ye stood up. "I'm going to cultivate."

"Mn."

Lin Ye walked to a secluded corner of the courtyard, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

The spiritual energy in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall was thin, but after the Azure Origin Technique had been deduced and improved, its absorption efficiency was very high, so it did not have much of an impact.

Not far away, Chen Feng also slowly closed his eyes and entered a state of cultivation.