Chen Xun, you heartless bastard!

"If you ask me, can you people in the dining hall take some responsibility?! You could've just apologized to us in front of the steward, but instead you had the nerve to spout nonsense!"

One disciple complained.

The disciple serving food flushed crimson and snapped, "I'm telling the truth!!"

Qian Laifu's eyes flickered. Someone came to mind, and he asked, "Was that disciple wearing shabby blue robes and carrying a battered wooden sword on his back?"

The serving disciple lit up and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes! That's him!"

Oh?

The disciples were startled. Someone really had come to the dining hall before them?

Some of the servant disciples in the dining hall narrowed their eyes. They had already guessed who Qian Laifu meant.

It had to be that madman who had disturbed their cultivation yesterday by making strange movements on the training grounds!

"Ahem, I forgot to mention this back at the training grounds." Qian Laifu gave a dry cough, swept his gaze around, and announced, "I might as well take this opportunity to tell you. We do have a mortal here on Servant Disciple Peak who isn't a sect disciple. His name is Chen Xun, and he's currently living in the thatched hut on the western side of the peak. He'll be eating with everyone from now on. He isn't quite right in the head, so don't be too surprised when you see him."

An uproar broke out.

Qian Laifu's words sent the dining hall into a clamor.

Not a sect disciple?

A mortal?

"Wait, Steward, aren't we getting sidetracked? Even if a mortal did come to the dining hall first, we're talking about how much food was prepared. We're short of breakfast for several hundred disciples. Are they bringing this up because they want to pin the blame on that mortal?? Shameless!"

A disciple spat as he glared at the serving disciples.

"Exactly! Don't tell me you dining hall people are going to claim that mortal secretly ate several hundred disciples' breakfasts? Even a pig couldn't eat that much!"

Another disciple sneered.

The serving disciple's face turned red as he shouted, "I never said he ate it! I just suspect he had something to do with it! Otherwise, how could a whole barrel of porridge, several hundred steamed buns, and two basins of pickled vegetables sprout wings and vanish??"

"Tch, you should be asking yourselves how they sprouted wings and vanished! What, now you suspect Chen Xun carried all that food away and dumped it? A whole barrel of hot porridge, plus those buns and cabbages-where could he have dumped them? Tell us! Even taking a step back, could he have moved that much stuff?"

"Besides, these pots and bowls are so clean it's ridiculous. Do they look like they had food in them? If they did, surely there'd be at least a few crumbs left?" one disciple said, hitting the nail on the head.

"Well..." The serving disciple was dumbfounded too, at a loss for how to argue back.

A whole barrel of hot porridge was heavy. Even he needed another disciple's help to carry it...

"Enough." Qian Laifu waved a hand. "Go cook another barrel of porridge and steam some buns. Let the disciples who haven't eaten have their breakfast first."

"Yes."

The dining hall disciples reluctantly complied and headed back to the kitchen one after another.

Qian Laifu's eyes flickered as he gave another order. "Go fetch Chen Xun."

"Yes." The disciple standing behind Qian Laifu answered and hurried off. He was the same disciple who had shown Chen Xun the way yesterday.

Qian Laifu looked at the crowd and said evenly, "All right, sit down and wait for your food. Chen Xun will be here shortly. I'll question him properly then and find out what happened."

Still, Qian Laifu held little hope. He probably wouldn't get anything out of him.

At the foot of Servant Disciple Peak.

Chen Xun was sweeping meticulously with a broom, his expression utterly, utterly solemn.

"Brother Chen! Brother Chen!"

Just then, Zhao Ting came running from afar, waving his hand.

By the time he reached Chen Xun, he was drenched in sweat. He bent over, braced his hands on his knees, and laughed breathlessly:

"Whew... whew... Brother Chen, I've got good news! I've become the Fourth Elder's disciple! In a few days, they'll hold the ceremony to confer my rank as a Purple-Robed Disciple. Hehehe, pretty glorious, right?!"

Chen Xun tilted his head toward Zhao Ting and grinned. "Kekeke, congratulations, congratulations!"

Zhao Ting was delighted. Though Brother Chen had somehow gone mad, at least he still recognized him.

"Come on, Brother Chen, stop sweeping for a bit." Zhao Ting pulled Chen Xun over to sit beside the mountain path. "Brother Chen, do you know who my master, the Fourth Elder, is? She's the disciplinary elder in charge of punishments throughout the entire sect! From now on, I've got your back!"

Seeing Chen Xun bob his head and keep grinning madly, Zhao Ting couldn't tell whether any of it had sunk in, so he let the matter drop. But looking at Chen Xun and remembering their first meeting in Clear Sky City, he couldn't help feeling a pang of sorrow. How had a perfectly fine man suddenly ended up like this?

Zhao Ting pressed his lips together. "Brother Chen, how about I ask my master to take a look at you? You've still got a long life ahead of you. I really can't bear to see you stay like this forever."

Though he had only known Chen Xun for a short time, Zhao Ting inexplicably felt a subconscious urge to grow closer to him.

Besides, having only just arrived at the Heavenly Dao Sect, Chen Xun was the only person Zhao Ting knew.

"I'll take that as your agreement, Brother Chen. I'm not a Purple-Robed Disciple yet, but once I'm granted the rank in a few days, I'll take you to my master and ask her to examine you."

Zhao Ting spoke solemnly.

Seeing Chen Xun like that, Zhao Ting pursed his lips. His gaze was drawn to the wooden sword on Chen Xun's back, and he reached toward it curiously. "By the way, Brother Chen, why do you always carry this wooden sword? I've been curious since the day we met."

Just as Zhao Ting was about to grasp the hilt, Chen Xun suddenly reached out and seized his wrist!

Zhao Ting's expression changed. A terrifying force gripped his wrist, preventing him from moving it another inch!

Fortunately, Zhao Ting was still only a mortal and didn't dwell on it. He simply assumed Chen Xun was naturally strong.

Chen Xun's grip hurt his wrist so badly that Zhao Ting could only say awkwardly, "Brother Chen, I won't look, then. It was presumptuous of me to try without asking your permission."

Chen Xun released him with a mad laugh.

Zhao Ting hastily pulled his hand back and rubbed his wrist, which Chen Xun's grip had left bright red. "I didn't expect you to be so strong, Brother Chen."

Little did he know, if anyone else had dared touch that wooden sword without Chen Xun's permission, the consequences would have been far worse than a sore wrist.

Afterward, Zhao Ting chatted with Chen Xun a while longer-though he mostly talked to himself-then left.

Shortly after Zhao Ting departed, the servant disciple Qian Laifu had sent arrived. Without a word, he grabbed Chen Xun and led him up the mountain.

The dining hall.

The servant disciples who had never seen Chen Xun all studied him curiously.

Those who had dealt with Chen Xun yesterday also watched him with narrowed eyes. After all, that outer sect disciple had forced them to apologize to Chen Xun.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's him!"

The serving disciple spoke up the moment he saw Chen Xun.

Qian Laifu nodded, turned to Chen Xun, and pointed at the serving counter. "Chen Xun, when you were here earlier, did you see a large barrel of porridge and food like steamed buns on that counter??"

The disciples stared intently at Chen Xun. They would soon know whether these dining hall bastards had simply prepared too little food.

Chen Xun pouted and gave the counter a blank look, then began bobbing his head as usual, laughing foolishly.

But to everyone watching, that head-bobbing meant something entirely different!

Their gazes suddenly sharpened!

Was Chen Xun shaking his head to say he hadn't seen any?

So the dining hall had made too little breakfast and stubbornly refused to admit it, even trying to frame a madman?!!!

Qian Laifu narrowed his eyes and turned toward the disciples responsible for breakfast. "I am utterly disappointed in you! You could have just admitted to such a minor mistake, yet you tried to frame a mortal who isn't right in the head?"

The disciple who had served Chen Xun earlier fell apart. He picked up his ladle and pointed it at Chen Xun with a trembling hand, his eyes red as he roared,

"Chen Xun, you heartless bastard!!!"