Chapter 141: The Emerging Downside
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
At the Five Elements Dao Sect, Zhang Jun ended his month-long seclusion and stepped onto the plaza at the Main Peak, seeking to relax. Unexpectedly, he spotted Senior Sister Zhou Jin Yue walking up the mountain with a frown etched on her face.
Blocking her path, Zhang Jun asked, “Senior Sister, who dared to upset you?”
Zhou Jin Yue was well-known in the sect for her gentle demeanor. It was rare to see her so visibly distressed, and Zhang Jun’s curiosity was piqued. Who could be bold enough to provoke her?
“You’ve finished your seclusion?” Zhou Jin Yue’s tense expression softened slightly upon seeing him, though her face still carried an air of solemnity.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Zhang Jun quickly abandoned his playful tone and grew serious. “Yes, I just came out. Senior Sister, what’s going on?”
After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Jin Yue shook her head. “It’s nothing major.”
“That’s impossible,” Zhang Jun countered firmly. “Senior Sister, I’m your close junior brother. You can’t hide this from me.”
Zhang Jun knew her too well. Having been instilled with a sense of duty toward the sect from a young age, Zhou Jin Yue only became this unsettled when something significant involving the sect was at stake. Now anxious himself, Zhang Jun pressed further.
“Senior Sister, please don’t keep me in the dark. Tell me what’s troubling you, and we’ll figure it out together.”
Realizing she couldn’t evade his persistence, Zhou Jin Yue let out a long sigh and explained her concerns.
After hearing her, Zhang Jun was baffled. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re uneasy because some disciples have been neglecting their cultivation recently?”
Zhou Jin Yue nodded. “I just passed by the Inner Disciples’ training grounds. Except for Xiu Luo and Feng Qi Yun, no one else was there.”
Zhang Jun was stunned.
Inner disciples were recognized as the most diligent group within the Five Elements Dao Sect. Their days were spent either training or sparring, especially with the upcoming Cultivation World Competition fueling their enthusiasm. It was said that even a dog wandering past them would be dragged into a practice fight.
Given the stakes, their sudden laxity was indeed perplexing.
“Where did they all go?” Zhang Jun asked.
“To Lone Moon Peak.”
“Lone Moon Peak?” Zhang Jun was even more confused. “Why there?”
“More accurately, to the foot of Lone Moon Peak,” Zhou Jin Yue clarified, her eyes shadowed with worry.
Since Lone Moon Peak was the residence of Master Qing Yan, no one but his personal disciples were allowed to ascend without permission. Unable to enter, the inner disciples had gathered at the mountain’s base instead.
“What are they doing at Lone Moon Peak? Surely they’re not arrogant enough to think they can compete with Master Qing Yan’s disciples?” Zhang Jun speculated.
“They’re waiting for Ye Cong Xin,” Zhou Jin Yue said, her lips curling in a faint but cold smile.
This was the root of her unease.
According to the inner disciples, after conversing with Senior Sister Ye Cong Xin, they experienced a sudden clarity, as if a veil had been lifted. Some even claimed to have achieved minor breakthroughs after just a few exchanges with her.
This led them to regard talking with Ye Cong Xin as a new, effortless, and highly effective way of cultivating. Every day, they enthusiastically gathered at the base of Lone Moon Peak, hoping for even a brief conversation with her.
Zhang Jun was dumbfounded. After a long silence, he scratched his head and muttered, “Could it be that they’ve trained so hard they’ve lost their minds?”
Believing such nonsense!
If breakthroughs could be achieved just by chatting, why would cultivators bother with rigorous training? They could simply hound Ye Cong Xin every day—gaining a level in one day, three in two days. How convenient would that be?
“They aren’t falling into demonic obsession; they are just seeking a shortcut. Among these people, aside from inner sect disciples, there are even quite a few personal disciples involved.”
Zhou Jin Yue had observed that the top-ranked disciples among the inner sect and personal disciples weren’t among them, which was her only source of comfort in this troubling situation.
“Strange, this is way too strange,” Zhang Jun muttered, thoroughly puzzled.
If one or two people believed in such nonsense, he would dismiss it as a joke. But with so many disciples swayed, doubt began to creep into his own thoughts.
He asked, “Does Master know about this?”
“Not yet, but many elders in the sect have noticed. It’s only a matter of time before word reaches Master’s ears,” Zhou Jin Yue replied.
Zhang Jun let out a sigh of relief. “Senior Sister, I think it’s best if you stay out of this. Let Master handle it.”
This situation, if not dealt with carefully, could easily spark resentment among the disciples. Zhang Jun didn’t want Zhou Jin Yue to get implicated.
“I understand,” she nodded.
Zhou Jin Yue was well aware of the complexities involved. Although deeply worried, she didn’t recklessly head to Lone Moon Peak to disperse the gathering disciples.
Instead, she felt a mix of heartbreak and confusion—and a growing wariness toward Ye Cong Xin. Previously, her impression of Ye Cong Xin had been that of a harmless, optimistic junior sister.
It wasn’t until she noticed Yu Zhao struggling under abnormal pressures at Lone Moon Peak that she began to suspect Ye Cong Xin wasn’t as innocent as she appeared. The tipping point came during their expedition to Dragon Roar Valley, where Ye Cong Xin, despite contributing nothing, attempted to claim the Starry Sky Stone from Yu Zhao. Rejected by everyone, Ye Cong Xin returned to the Five Elements Dao Sect and even lodged a complaint with Master Qing Yan, forcing Yu Zhao to request an early departure from the sect.
From that moment on, Zhou Jin Yue’s view of Ye Cong Xin plummeted. Still, she had only considered her to be scheming and manipulative. However, this current gathering of disciples made Zhou Jin Yue realize she had greatly underestimated Ye Cong Xin.
How on earth had Ye Cong Xin convinced the disciples to have such unwavering faith in her abilities?
While Zhou Jin Yue harbored deep suspicion toward Ye Cong Xin, the latter was at her wit’s end with the chaos spiraling out of control at Lone Moon Peak.
“System, can I lower my Affinity Level?” Ye Cong Xin asked anxiously.
Ding! [Host, once a transaction is completed, it cannot be reversed.]
“But didn’t you see those people acting like maniacs? I’ve told them this has nothing to do with me, but they just won’t believe it. This damned Affinity Level is going to be the death of me!” Ye Cong Xin fretted as she paced back and forth in her room.
Initially, to quickly gain favor, she had raised her Affinity Level to 90. Anyone with a weak mind would see her and immediately regard her as a trusted confidante, believing every word she said.
At first, the high Affinity Level was immensely helpful. She easily completed tasks requiring good impressions and freely plundered others’ luck values. But after returning to the Five Elements Dao Sect, she realized how inconvenient a high Affinity Level could be.
Those who already liked her became clingy to the point of suffocation, while even those with previously neutral impressions grew overly attentive and eager to please.
For a while, Ye Cong Xin basked in the adoration. Yet, wherever she went, it wouldn’t take more than the time of a single incense stick burning for a crowd of disciples to gather around her. Crowds inevitably led to disputes, and the more hot-headed disciples often escalated from words to blows.
Because of this, she was repeatedly reprimanded by the elders of the Disciplinary Hall.
She wanted to distance herself from the overly zealous disciples, but they only grew more determined. Now, they were blocking the base of the mountain, leaving her too frightened to even step outside.
If this continued, her unusual situation would undoubtedly draw the attention of the Sect Master, or even her own master. And if that happened, the existence of the system might be exposed.
Ding! [No one in the cultivation world can detect the system’s presence. Please use it without worry.]