He had never expected that, out of nearly a thousand violations in the Dao Sect's Code of Conduct Manual, he would fail to catch even one after walking through all five peaks.
It seemed this road to riches was a dead end.
Even completing his routine monthly assignment might very well be a problem.
"No wonder so many people were hiding in the dark corners outside when I left. Catching at least three violations every month... it looked simple, but it was actually incredibly difficult."
But it made sense. Every Outer Sect disciple on Emerald Cloud Peak was an enforcer, with countless pairs of eyes watching. Under such strict rules and relentless pressure, the Outer Sect disciples on the other peaks naturally dared not commit any violations.
"But then how am I supposed to earn points?"
Just then, Chen Yu arrived at the bustling plaza halfway up Emerald Cloud Peak and saw a large crowd gathered around the mission board.
He had come out to find ways to earn points, so he squeezed his way over too.
A clamor of voices filled his ears.
"A new mission!"
"Find Xu Yunnian's corpse? Ten points for providing a genuine lead, and one Spirit Essence for finding the corpse and bringing it back?!"
"Whoa, what a generous reward!"
"Is that real?"
"It is. Elder Song of Purple Bamboo Peak posted the mission."
Hmm?
Chen Yu was curious.
That mission had made it all the way to Emerald Cloud Peak?
That made sense.
The more people who took the mission,
the greater the chance of finding Xu Yunnian's corpse.
The discussion around him continued:
"The reward for this mission is ridiculously generous. A whole Spirit Essence!"
"But most of the time, rewards are proportional to danger. A mission worth one Spirit Essence... you might die doing it."
"Good point."
Many people hesitated, not daring to accept the mission lightly.
But,
a lavish reward was sure to draw brave men.
A crushing debt was also sure to drive someone into a corner.
A burly figure suddenly appeared, pushing the crowd around the mission board to either side to clear a path. He strode up to the board and tore down the mission sheet without hesitation.
"I'll take this mission!"
Who was that?
Chen Yu was wondering when
he heard the people beside him whispering.
"That's Liu He, a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining. He's easily among the top twenty of our Outer Sect disciples. But I heard he borrowed a full ten Spirit Essences from Elder Sun ten years ago. With all the interest that's piled up, he probably owes more than twenty now. Counting the days, his final repayment deadline must be coming up."
"Final repayment deadline?"
"Yeah. Elder Sun's loans have a final repayment deadline: the tenth year. If you haven't paid everything back by the tenth year, you'll be liquidated."
"Liquidated? How?"
"No idea. Nobody who's been liquidated has ever shown up alive afterward."
"!!!"
Liu He.
Sixth level of Qi Refining.
Chen Yu looked him over.
He was tall and heavily built, with dark skin and an ordinary face. Probably because his loan's final repayment deadline was approaching, a faint air of agitation and worry hung over his expression.
After tearing down the mission sheet, he turned and left without wasting a second.
"Come on, let's go look too."
"Look for what?"
"Xu Yunnian, obviously."
"But hasn't Liu He already taken the mission?"
"Yeah, but if we find any leads, we can still get ten points. With those points, we'll have something to cover the deduction for this month's routine assignment."
"Good point!"
Hearing that, quite a few Outer Sect disciples immediately dispersed.
The mission board was no longer crowded.
Chen Yu looked at the board. Almost no missions remained. Those that did had clearly been posted ages ago, difficult missions that nobody would accept and that seemed impossible to complete.
"Or maybe I should look for clues behind Little Bamboo Peak too? Ten points is better than nothing."
That was what Chen Yu was thinking.
However,
just then,
a voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"Excuse me, Junior Brother. Are you worrying about how difficult your routine monthly assignment is, and struggling to find a suitable way to earn points?"
"Yeah..."
Chen Yu answered instinctively, then turned to look.
He saw a neatly dressed Senior Sister whose every detail conformed perfectly to the regulations. She had an innocent-looking face and a slender frame laden with ample fruit. "Since these things are troubling you, Junior Brother, as your Senior Sister, I can recommend a way."
This feeling...
Looking at her professional smile, Chen Yu found it strangely familiar.
He raised an eyebrow.
He listened as she continued:
"Our organization offers a service called 'Worry-free happiness.' You only need to pay ten points to become a member for six months. If you haven't completed your routine assignment, you can contact me anytime. I'll send a disciple to commit a violation in front of you so you can report them."
"If you can't spare ten points right now, that's fine too. Our organization offers loans. Borrow ten points, and there's no interest if you repay them within seven days."
After listening, Chen Yu put on a surprised expression.
"Ten points for six months of coverage? Wouldn't you lose money?"
"No," explained the Senior Sister with the slender frame and ample fruit. "Our organization has a group of people catching violations all day. Basically, we distribute the violations they catch to disciples like you who haven't completed their routine assignments."
"Oh."
It sounded pretty convincing.
"Why should I trust you?" Chen Yu folded his arms across his chest.
This handsome Junior Brother had chatted with her for quite a while without politely excusing himself.
Realizing there might be a chance, the Senior Sister with the slender frame and ample fruit explained even more enthusiastically, "Because our organization's founder is Han Feng, one of the top five strongest Outer Sect disciples. With an expert backing us, we're naturally worthy of your trust!"
"Sounds pretty impressive." Chen Yu nodded, looking tempted.
"Right?"
The fish was about to bite.
The Senior Sister facing him smiled even more broadly.
"How about this?" Chen Yu suggested. "Cooperation takes sincerity. Ten points isn't a small amount. Let me catch a violation first to demonstrate what you can do, and then I'll naturally become a member."
The Senior Sister froze for a moment.
Her beautiful eyes studied Chen Yu suspiciously, as though trying to determine whether this was a trap.
"Seriously? Didn't you say your organization has a whole group dedicated to catching violations? Such a big organization, and you can't even show a little sincerity first?" Chen Yu immediately looked disappointed and turned to leave. "Then forget it."
"Hey, wait!"
The Senior Sister with the slender frame and ample fruit immediately called him back.
Chen Yu looked so honest, and he was a newly admitted disciple too. Surely he wouldn't lie. She gritted her teeth.
She nodded and said:
"All right!"
"If you're sure you'll become a member, I'll agree!"
After speaking, the Senior Sister with the slender frame and ample fruit glanced at the other disciples around them and took a deep breath, as though making an enormous decision. "Come on. To do that sort of thing, we should at least go somewhere with no people..."