Bud Grafting (1)

A secret realm expedition did not end merely by returning to the sect. Only once all expedition reports had been submitted and thirty percent of the gains handed over according to the rules was it considered complete.

Afterward, the steward elders would review those reports one by one, organize them, and file them away. Should any unusual circumstances arise, they would have to report them to the presiding elder or peak master for further discussion.

The magical artifacts additionally rented to disciples this time had all been refined by Spirit Artifact Peak disciples and deposited with the sect. They had to be collected afterward, with the appropriate rental fees charged. Any damage had to be compensated at full value. If a disciple found one handy to use, they could also apply to purchase it.

Such were, more or less, the mundane affairs of disciples and elders. In ordinary secret realm matters, unless there was a major upheaval, it was usually only necessary to submit a summary report to the sect master.

This time, however, the circumstances were special, so Yu Xiao True Person personally went to find True Person Yu Qing.

By the time Yu Xiao True Person stepped into Yuqing Hall, dusk had quietly washed over the flying eaves beyond the hall. Inside, a set of purple clay tea ware sat silently upon a sandalwood table. The freshly brewed tea gave off curling white mist, its elegant fragrance drifting through the hall and shutting the mountain peak's chill outside.

Seeing his junior brother arrive, True Person Yu Qing casually picked up a teacup filled seven-tenths full. With a slight movement of his fingertips, the cup, carrying a wisp of fragrance, glided steadily over the polished tabletop and stopped precisely before the guest seat just as Yu Xiao True Person