Chapter 16

Ge Tong was completely in the dark, but he could also see that the spirit of the chi-dragon paperweight was more vibrant, not an ordinary item, and couldn't help but play with it in his hands.

Chen Hai saw the shopkeeper put away the pot and tripod, and smiled as he asked, "I haven't yet heard this senior brother's dao name?"

"How could I have a dao name? You can just call me Zhou Jingyuan. I returned from Shuie City a couple of years ago, and the sect didn't abandon me. I usually stay in the artifact-making institute to do odd jobs and don't dare to be called a senior brother. In my spare time, I manage this shop, thinking that in a few years, when I can no longer cultivate in the Dao Academy, I won't be without a place to stand."

The shopkeeper Zhou Jingyuan had a handle on him, and at this moment, he could only smile along. Otherwise, if this matter became a big deal, he might be expelled from the sect, which would be the least of his worries.

After a certain period of cultivation, the black-robed disciples need to be assigned to the army to serve as low-ranking military officers. If a black-robed disciple doesn't get promoted in the army or doesn't break through in cultivation, it would be difficult for them to return to the Dao Academy to cultivate. Chen Hai guessed that Zhou Jingyuan might be special, and there must be some unique reason; as for Ge Tong, he must have made some breakthrough in cultivation to be able to return to the Dao Academy.

Ge Tong still didn't want to have any dealings with the notorious "Xing Gongzi." He politely looked at the chi-dragon paperweight and returned it to Chen Hai, saying, "I really can't bear to part with it, Yao Shixiong," and then said to Zhou Jingyuan, "You should part with those two bronze artifacts!"

Chen Hai looked at Zhou Jingyuan with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Zhou Jingyuan forced a bitter smile and said to Ge Tong, "Compared to the treasures Yao Shixiong brought out, Gu Yijing's bronze pot and tripod are inferior. I can't offer them anymore. I won't sell them, no matter what Ge Shixiong says today..."

"I was expelled from Jian Yun Cliff, and the two senior brothers might have heard about it. The cultivation in Tieliu Ridge is quite hard, so I brought out this useless trinket to exchange for some scarce items."

Chen Hai wouldn't let this opportunity slip by easily and said with a smile, "If Ge Shixiong is afraid I might change my mind later, I can sell this paperweight to Zhou Shixiong's shop first. If Ge Shixiong really likes it in the future, he can ask Zhou Shixiong to part with it, and it won't matter to me..."

"Such a rare treasure, how could I refuse it?" Zhou Jingyuan asked, "How much does Yao Shixiong want to price it? Do you want to exchange it for money or sect merit points?"

"I think this paperweight should be worth the two bronze artifacts Zhou Shixiong mentioned earlier. How much did Zhou Shixiong plan to price those two bronze artifacts for Ge Shixiong?"

Chen Hai was new to the sect and didn't know the 'antique' market inside the sect. He had never even been to Mengyi City, which was just a dozen miles away, and didn't know that disciples could privately trade sect merit points. He could only follow Zhou Jingyuan's lead.

"That would be twenty sect merit points or 200,000 coins. This price is a bargain for me, Yao Shixiong..." Zhou Jingyuan didn't expect Chen Hai to take advantage of him. Although the price was a bit high, it was worth it to keep Chen Hai quiet.

"Then let Zhou Shixiong have a bargain, but Zhou Shixiong will have to treat us to a drink later." Chen Hai, having Zhou Jingyuan's handle, could only force him to invite Ge Tong, which would help him get closer to Ge Tong.

Chen Hai didn't want to be so mercenary, but Ge Tong might be his only chance to break free from isolation. Even if he needed to send a message to Chen Lie for help in the future, only a purple-robed disciple like Ge Tong could freely enter and exit the Dao Academy.

"Good, good, good..."

Chen Hai didn't press the matter, and Zhou Jingyuan had no choice but to agree. He called out a twelve- or thirteen-year-old pretty girl from the back room to watch the shop and invited Chen Hai and Ge Tong to a restaurant at the end of the street for a meal.

Chen Hai noticed the girl's beautiful face but saw that she hadn't cultivated. He couldn't help but ask Chen and Ge, "Why are there so many ordinary people in the Tieliu Ridge Dao Academy?"

Chen Hai thought the girl was Zhou Jingyuan's maid and didn't avoid her when he asked. The girl's expression turned gloomy, and she didn't say anything. Zhou Jingyuan smiled awkwardly, not wanting to hurt his daughter's feelings.

Ge Tong, now entangled and unable to get away, put aside his cold and distant attitude. He thought the notorious Xing Gongzi was truly a high-born youth who didn't know the hardships of the world and explained with a smile, "Cultivation in the Dao Academy seeks immortality, but how many people can truly achieve it over thousands of years? Even achieving the Ming Qiao realm, sensing the heavens, and extending one's life by a hundred years is a one-in-a-million chance. Most disciples will eventually start families and have children. If they want to continue cultivating in the sect, their families and children will be placed nearby—this girl is Zhou Shixiong's daughter, right?"

Chen Hai then realized that the beautiful girl was Zhou Jingyuan's daughter. He thought it made sense; many black-robed disciples were in their thirties and couldn't quickly break through to higher cultivation realms, so starting families was normal.

"Qingyun, come over and greet Ge Shibo and Yao Shixiong..." Zhou Jingyuan instructed the girl.

The girl stepped forward and bowed to Ge Tong and Chen Hai, "Qingyun greets Ge Shibo and Yao Shixiong."

Chen Hai couldn't help but look at the girl, Zhou Qingyun, more closely. He saw that her beautiful eyes held a rare spirit and asked Zhou Jingyuan, "I think Qingyun has good cultivation potential. Why hasn't she entered the Dao Academy to cultivate?" He then asked Ge Tong, "Ge Shixiong, what do you think?"

Zhou Jingyuan's expression turned even more bitter, and Ge Tong explained with a smile, "Even the junior Dao soldiers in the Dao Academy have a quota. The noble families can barely arrange for their own children, so it's even harder for others to enter. If one enters the Taowei Sect, even if they don't cultivate within the sect, they are still a disciple of Taowei Sect for life, and their children cannot enter other sects to cultivate—Zhou Shixiong, do you have such concerns?"

Chen Hai, sorting through Yao Xing's memories, didn't know the difficulties of the lower disciples. At this moment, he suddenly understood that there were so many restrictions on Dao soldiers. Zhou Jingyuan just nodded and smiled bitterly.

Hearing this, Zhou Qingyun's expression turned gloomy, and tears welled up in her eyes, almost spilling over.

Chen Hai thought that Zhou Qingyun must have endured a lot to enter the Dao Academy. If she couldn't enter in the next two years, she would waste her good potential and live a mediocre life.

Without experiencing the true cultivation of the Dao Academy and the power to move mountains, living a mediocre life wouldn't be painful, but at this moment, Chen Hai thought that if he had to live a mediocre life as an ordinary person, he would be extremely unwilling.

Thinking of this, Chen Hai said to Zhou Jingyuan, "I lack a medicine boy in my courtyard to help me manage the herb garden. If Zhou Shixiong doesn't mind Qingyun's status, she can come to my courtyard as a medicine boy. If there's an opportunity, I will do my best to help Qingyun start her cultivation path."

Chen Hai didn't know if his identity as Chen Lie's nephew would be useful or if he could pull Zhou Jingyuan into his scheme, but he had to try.

Hearing Chen Hai's words, Zhou Qingyun's face lit up, but Zhou Jingyuan, an old hand, knew that this Xing Gongzi had been expelled from the Yao clan and the Chen clan, and his reputation was at its worst. How could he let his daughter fall into a tiger's mouth?

Zhou Jingyuan thought of ways to decline, and Chen Hai said with a frown, "Zhou Shixiong must have heard many unfavorable rumors about me. I want to ask Zhou Shixiong and Ge Shixiong, do you think I look like the notorious person in the rumors?"

Chen Hai didn't care about what Yao Xing had done before or how notorious he was. He had to cut ties with Yao Xing's past to stand a chance in Tieliu Ridge.

Anyway, saying these words didn't make him blush or his heart race.

Chen Hai spoke so righteously and seemed so wronged that Zhou Jingyuan and Ge Tong were extremely confused.

"Yao Xing's" notorious reputation made them unwilling to have any dealings with him, but as experienced people, they trusted their own eyes. Although they hadn't interacted with Chen Hai for long, his extraordinary speech and measured demeanor were very different from the notorious person in the rumors.

Seeing that Zhou Jingyuan didn't say anything, Chen Hai smiled slightly and didn't push the matter, saying, "I just mentioned it casually. Chai Rong plans to make things difficult for me in next month's disciple competition. I don't know if I can get through this, and there are many things I need to ask the two senior brothers."

Seeing that Chen Hai no longer mentioned the medicine boy, Zhou Jingyuan smiled and invited Ge Tong to the restaurant to accompany Chen Hai, detailing the disciple competition in the Tieliu Ridge Dao Academy:

"Besides the purple-robed disciples who can enter the inner gate of the Seven Upper Peaks at any time, the Dao Academy holds a competition every six months to encourage cultivation and to cultivate more reserve military officers for the various camps. Junior Dao soldiers and black-robed Dao soldiers compete for rankings. Those who rank high and improve quickly receive corresponding sect merit points. Even if they haven't reached the Tongxuan realm, they can wear black robes and enter the transmission hall to receive personal guidance from the instructors. Those whose rankings consistently hover at the bottom, even if they haven't reached the age limit of 24, will be expelled from the Dao Academy and sent to the army to serve as soldiers..."

Zhou Jingyuan paused, and Ge Tong kindly reminded Chen Hai, "Yao Shixiong previously served in Uncle Chen's cave, and now that he has just transferred to Tieliu Ridge, his ranking among the junior disciples should start from the bottom. The problem is that Chai Rong might secretly arrange for a few strong new disciples to enter the Dao Academy to compete with Yao Shixiong. If Yao Shixiong's ranking is at the bottom for two consecutive times, it will be troublesome..."

Chen Hai nodded. Staying in the Dao Academy to cultivate was more free, but if he was sent to the army to serve as a soldier, especially under a Chai family descendant, he wouldn't be able to cultivate.

When Chen Lie left Jian Yun Cliff, he was extremely disappointed in him and might not even bother to get him out of the army.

Perhaps this was Chen Qing and Su Ziling's plan?

Chen Hai had previously brushed off Zhou Jun, saying he would directly concede on the martial stage to avoid Chai Rong's group, but he wasn't really willing to leave a laughingstock. Now, the disciple competition and his ranking on the Qingque Dao soldier list were related to his future in Taowei Sect, so he couldn't easily give up. He needed to prepare well.