Lazybones Li Muyang

Qin Haie's death caused barely a ripple within the Demon Refining Sect.

Although Elder Qi Rui sent people to investigate who had secretly murdered her disciple afterward, they searched for ten days without finding a single clue.

And none of Elder Qi's other disciples were harmed.

Clearly, the real culprit had targeted Qin Haie alone. She must have somehow made an enemy somewhere.

Since that person had now disappeared of their own accord, Elder Qi Rui couldn't be bothered to look into the matter any further.

After all, Qin Haie had only been one of Qi Rui's disciples—and a dead one at that. The dead had little value.

Even Qin Haie's few sworn enemies in the inner sect gradually forgot about the arrogant, domineering woman as time went by.

But in the Demon Refining Sect's outer sect, the servant disciples were extremely interested in Senior Sister Qin's death, and all sorts of wild rumors flew around.

Qin Haie's death had been mysterious to begin with. She had failed to survive even with four elders joining forces to protect her, and after her death, her master, Elder Qi, had made no effort to investigate the cause...

To the outer sect's servant disciples, all these signs practically screamed of a mysterious conspiracy.

So these idle outer sect disciples offered their own opinions about Senior Sister Qin's death. Some even kept probing until they got what they claimed were "accurate reports from the inner sect."

And so, through word of mouth among the outer sect disciples, the death of the overbearing Senior Sister Qin became one of the Demon Refining Sect's outer sect's great unsolved mysteries.

People speculated about which big shot had killed Qin Haie, and why Elder Qi didn't dare investigate.

But as time passed, the outer sect disciples gradually lost interest in Senior Sister Qin's death.

With the Demon Refining Sect's gates closed, autumn was approaching, and soon it would be time for the sect's once-every-two-years selection.

This selection, held once every two years, would choose outer sect disciples with outstanding aptitude or cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining or above to join the inner sect.

For the vast majority of outer sect disciples, it was a chance to ascend to the heavens in a single bound.

Many young people from the Demon Refining Sect's territory crowded into the outer sect as servant disciples, working themselves to the bone. For many, this path to promotion was the very reason they had come.

If their aptitude was outstanding or their cultivation met the required standard, satisfying either condition was enough to enter the inner sect.

Once they entered, they would become true disciples of the Demon Refining Sect, receive an officially registered identity token, and gain access to more of the sect's cultivation resources.

Even if cultivation in the inner sect went poorly and they never became great cultivators, passing the sect's assessment still gave them a good chance of being sent to a county to serve as its magistrate or city lord.

For this bunch of nobodies in the outer sect, entering the inner sect would mean leaping up the social ladder and becoming one of the elite under the Demon Sect's rule. Their prospects would be boundless.

As the once-every-two-years selection drew closer, the atmosphere in the outer sect gradually grew tense.

Ning Wan'er, Guan Xiaoshun, Li Muyang, and the other new disciples who had never participated in the sect's selection were all nervous and eagerly awaiting the day, hoping they would be lucky enough to get picked and promoted to the inner sect.

The older disciples, who had been around for years, had begun peddling all sorts of spiritual treasures that supposedly "helped" with the selection.

Spiritual herbs said to improve one's aptitude in a short time were being sold in the outer sect, and they were practically flying off the shelves.

So-called "inside information" was also spreading like wildfire.

Whenever Li Muyang went down the mountain, he couldn't help shaking his head at the bustling outer sect.

The scene of old hands scamming newcomers felt strangely familiar, like freshman orientation back in college...

His adopted little sister, Li Yuechan, had fully recovered these past few days.

Every day, Li Muyang refined top-grade spirit rice for her to eat, and finally purged all the demonic energy from her body.

Now Li Muyang had returned to his old routine: farming, watering the fields, eating spirit-rice meals, and playing games.

His cultivation was also steadily improving with the nourishment of top-grade spirit rice.

[Li Muyang: Qi Refining, Seventh Level (13%)]

At this point, Li Muyang's cultivation had nearly reached the top tier of the outer sect.

But he kept a low profile, so in the eyes of others, he was still at the third level of Qi Refining.

Li Muyang had no interest in entering the inner sect. Life in the outer sect suited him just fine. Secretly cultivating while tucked away in this demonic outer sect was definitely safer than entering the inner sect.

After all, the outer sect was full of nobodies, while the inner sect was full of demonic big shots.

He planned to lie low in the outer sect until he reached Foundation Establishment and entered the ranks of proper cultivators. After that, he would look for a chance to leave the sect.

His adopted little sister, Li Yuechan, on the other hand, was very interested in the upcoming sect selection.

Together with Ning Wan'er, she had spent the past few days probing for inside information, trying to find some way into the inner sect.

And as always, dinner arrived right on time each evening.

She had even added another service: doing Li Muyang's laundry.

The first thing the young girl did after recovering and getting out of bed was hand-wash Li Muyang's sheets, bedding, and every single piece of clothing he owned.

After that, she did his laundry every few days. No matter how much Li Muyang tried to talk her out of it, he couldn't change her mind.

Her persistence had even made Li Muyang doubt himself. Was he really so smelly that Li Yuechan couldn't stand being around him?

But he wasn't lazy, either. Washing his clothes every few days was already considered diligent in the outer sect's austere living conditions.

There was no way he could possibly stink that badly...

"By the way, big brother, are you really not interested in the sect selection?"

At dusk, the young woman arrived carrying a food box. Standing on the ridge, she looked at Li Muyang sleeping beneath a tree, puzzled.

"Everyone else is busy preparing for the sect selection, but you spend every day sleeping here... Weren't you going to enter the Demon Sect, become a big shot, and return home in glory so Uncle and Aunt would regret looking down on you?"

The girl asked, her face full of confusion.

Hearing those words, Li Muyang felt his face heat up... Damn it! Of all the things to bring up, why that one?

Even though he hadn't been the one to do that cringeworthy, idiotic thing, the memories came with the territory. Hearing his adopted little sister say it still made Li Muyang's old face flush.

He glared at her and said, "What's meant for you won't pass you by. What isn't yours, you can beg for all you want and still won't get. Why worry about so much?"

He snatched the food box from her with an annoyed look and opened it to take a sniff.

"Mm, today's smells pretty good. Not bad. You can go now."

Li Muyang waved his hand. "Tomorrow I want braised pork."

Li Muyang now accepted his adopted little sister's meals without the slightest pang of guilt. He even got to choose the dishes and make requests.

Besides gaming and farming, he had his sister wash his clothes, cook his food, and even clean the house inside and out.

In the eyes of outsiders, he had become a lazybones, content to eat and wait for death.