An opening show of authority

Huang Tianrong, the eldest senior brother, snorted coldly. Perhaps because of his preconceived impression, everything about this new junior brother rubbed him the wrong way.

On his very first day in the sect, he dared speak to his eldest senior brother in such a tone. If Huang Tianrong did not teach him a lesson and everyone followed his example, what would become of the eldest senior brother's dignity?

Most importantly, this new disciple needed to learn how high the heavens were and how deep the earth ran!

"As a new disciple of Emerald Bamboo Peak, do you know what you should and shouldn't do?" Huang Tianrong asked him.

Qin Yi said, "I'd be happy to hear the details."

Huang Tianrong pointed toward the kitchens. "New disciples must follow the rules. Is this training ground somewhere you're allowed to come? Every new disciple must do odd jobs in the kitchens for three years. Only then, depending on their aptitude, can it be decided whether they qualify to come to the training ground. You're barging around here on your very first day. Do you really think Emerald Bamboo Peak is some marketplace in the mortal world?"

He stood on the high ground of sect rules, using their boundaries to call Qin Yi to account. Although anyone with eyes could see he was making things difficult for Qin Yi, even an elder would find no fault with this sort of treatment.

At most, they could say he was a little too strict.

Qin Yi chuckled inwardly. Trying to crush me under the rules?

Rules were meant to bind ordinary people, and every rule and royal law under heaven was meant to govern the ignorant masses and ordinary people.

How could a transmigrator like him, stacked with buffs, be bound by rules?

He immediately replied, "That's a shame. Doing odd jobs may be the rule, but it has nothing to do with me. Master already said I don't have to do any chores, and whatever I learn from now on, he'll teach me personally. I'm different from the rest of you."

Qin Yi had a very clear understanding of his own role.

The system he had awakened was one for stealing others' lovers. By normal reasoning, could someone who constantly stole others' lovers be an upright character?

Of course not.

So he knew full well that, as things developed, he might very well become a villain.

Since he was a villain, did he still need to keep a low profile, be modest, or behave with impeccable courtesy?

A villain ought to act like a villain. When dealing with ordinary people, he should be arrogant when it suited him.

Follow his heart!

Do whatever felt good!

Hearing this, Huang Tianrong's face suddenly darkened to the color of pig's liver.

Different from the rest of us?

Strictly speaking, that was true. On all of Emerald Bamboo Peak, only Qin Yi had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining the very first time he touched the Dao Comprehension Stone.

That was something the others could only watch from far behind in his dust. In terms of talent alone, no one could match him.

But for Qin Yi himself to say something like that so brazenly, right in front of all these people...

Wasn't that a little too arrogant?

Did he understand nothing of modesty, tact, or concealing his abilities?

"Did Master say that?" one disciple asked, scratching his head.

He had witnessed Master accepting Qin Yi as a disciple on the training ground earlier, but Master did not seem to have said that.

"Don't believe me? Go ask him." Qin Yi shrugged.

If you don't believe me, run along and ask Master yourself.

Let's see if you dare.

Given these rigid people's temperaments, Qin Yi was certain they most likely would not dare ask.

Huang Tianrong looked at that disciple. "Did Master say it or not?"

The disciple began to stammer. "Well..." He hesitated. Seeing how certain Qin Yi was, he began to wonder whether he had remembered wrong.

Pressed by Huang Tianrong, he sighed. "I think... I think he did. I might have remembered wrong."

Huang Tianrong shoved him aside in anger. "Even if Master exempted you from doing odd jobs in the kitchens, as a new disciple, shouldn't you still make some gesture when you meet your eldest senior brother? Acting as though no one else exists is far too disrespectful toward your seniors."

"A gesture? What sort of gesture should I make?"

Huang Tianrong gave the disciple beside him a look. Catching his meaning, the disciple nodded, then stepped back three paces and cupped his hands toward Huang Tianrong with a half bow.

This was the courtesy ordinary disciples showed their eldest senior brother!

Respecting those above and showing consideration to those below was a basic virtue. Etiquette could not be discarded.

"Besides me, there are your second, third, fourth, and fifth senior brothers... This is your first day in the sect, so you probably haven't formally greeted your senior brothers yet. That goes against the rules. You must fulfill these basic requirements."

Huang Tianrong pointed at the people meditating on the training ground. In any case, from the eldest senior brother to the seventh, eighth, and ninth, then the twenty-fourth and thirty-sixth, Qin Yi, as the youngest junior brother, ought to formally greet every one of them.

This was basic etiquette!

Huang Tianrong currently had no pretext to teach Qin Yi a lesson, but basic etiquette was still something he could use.

As long as Qin Yi followed his arrangements, humbled himself, and cupped his hands and bowed to every senior brother, his objective would be achieved.

What was an opening show of authority? This was!

So what if you reached the fifth level of Qi Refining just by touching the Dao Comprehension Stone?

So what if you're talented and Master values you? If I tell you to bow, you still have to bow. That's called respecting your superiors!

Hearing this, Qin Yi could not help looking disgusted.

It reminded him of the workplace in later times. When someone joined a company, the old employees generally liked to bully them this way on their very first day.

But does being an old employee make you hot shit? You're all just wage workers. Where does that sense of superiority come from, treating yourself like a senior or a boss?

Ordering new employees to do this and that was nothing but bullying them because they did not dare say no.

By the same logic, these disciples of Emerald Bamboo Peak had merely joined the sect before Qin Yi. Did that alone give them the nerve to style themselves his venerable seniors?

Were they worthy?

Qin Yi had no need to cultivate a harmonious group atmosphere, so he refused outright. "With your level of talent, you don't deserve to have me bow and cup my hands to you."

With those words, he made to stride away.

But Huang Tianrong, who had been waiting for him to back down and humble himself, immediately flew into a rage when he heard him say such a thing.

Don't deserve it? You're a newcomer, yet you're truly arrogant!

"Stop right there." Huang Tianrong stepped ahead and blocked Qin Yi's path.

Qin Yi gave him a sidelong glance. "Anything else you'd like to teach me? If it's more of that rules nonsense, save it. I can't be bothered to listen. If you have a problem, you can take it up with Master."

Of course Huang Tianrong did not dare go to Master. If he went to Master over something this trivial, Master would instead reproach him for being so petty despite being the eldest senior brother. And if even this trifling matter required disturbing the old man, what use was he as the eldest senior brother?

"You're talented. Everyone knows how impressive you are. Since you're so impressive, come spar with these senior brothers you look down on. If you can beat them, we'll let it go. If you can't, then you'll have to properly learn what modesty means and how to conduct yourself."