Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Apology Gift
Spirit Beast Peak’s Peak Master, Jin Wang Chou, arrived in a hurry. The instant He Zhen Tang sent his message, she came.
Her cultivation was lower than his. Worse, she was in the wrong. Even after he flayed her with sarcasm, she kept a strained smile as she stepped inside.
“Senior Brother He, I’m sorry. My two disciples were careless, and the beast slipped out. Thank you for helping me discipline it.”
He Zhen Tang didn’t soften. “Last time, your two disciples let out a Yuan Hu. That kid An Ru Xu roasted it and ate it. You shielded your disciples and kept them out of the Discipline Hall. Now they’ve let a Tu Lou loose to harm people. What do you say now?”
Jin Wang Chou’s smile tightened at the corners. “I failed to teach my disciples well. When I return, I will punish them severely and send them to the Discipline Hall.”
She knew she couldn’t cover for them this time—not with He Zhen Tang watching. Better to name the punishment herself.
He Zhen Tang’s gaze slid to Jiang Li Sheng.
She stood off to the side, caked in dirt, sleeves torn, doing her best to shrink into the wall.
“This beast nearly harmed a new disciple,” he said. “What do you say about that?”
Jin Wang Chou had already noticed the new-disciple robes and the early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation. She gave Jiang Li Sheng a brief look, then turned back to He Zhen Tang.
“She isn’t injured,” Jin Wang Chou said evenly. “One Heavenly Fragrance Pill, plus one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Senior Brother He, what do you think?”
“As if that’s enough.” He Zhen Tang’s voice stayed flat. “If I hadn’t arrived, the beast would’ve eaten her. One hundred top-grade spirit stones.”
Jin Wang Chou’s brows lifted. A single top-grade spirit stone was worth a hundred mid-grade ones. For a new disciple, that was an outrageous apology gift.
He Zhen Tang watched the displeasure flicker across her face, then spoke again, slow and deliberate. “Her name is Jiang Li Sheng.”
Jin Wang Chou frowned. “And?”
He Zhen Tang didn’t change expression. “Qing Xu Sect’s Jiang Li Sheng. Sect Master Yu’s only personal disciple. You think her life isn’t worth one hundred top-grade spirit stones?”
Jin Wang Chou’s eyes widened. She turned sharply—this time looking Jiang Li Sheng up and down, properly.
“Sect Master Yu’s personal disciple?” she blurted. “Why are you in Kun Lun Sect?”
Jiang Li Sheng stepped forward and bowed neatly. “Peak Master Jin, hello. I came to Kun Lun Sect to study. Master said Kun Lun Sect’s rules are strict, and told me to learn them properly.”
Jin Wang Chou still looked dazed. “To study rules? Where are you studying—under Senior Brother He?”
“The Discipline Hall,” Jiang Li Sheng answered.
Jin Wang Chou blinked. “That is under Senior Brother He. He teaches there.”
Jiang Li Sheng thought about it, then nodded. That was true.
Jin Wang Chou’s gaze sharpened with curiosity. “Did you cause trouble in Qing Xu Sect again? Otherwise, why would Sect Master Yu send you here instead of disciplining you himself?”
Jiang Li Sheng nodded.
Jin Wang Chou leaned in, delighted by the scent of gossip. “What did you do this time?”
Jiang Li Sheng stayed silent.
Was she supposed to say she’d destroyed a medicine field? That tens of thousands of spirit plants were half ruined?
She could tell An Ru Xu in private. She couldn’t say that in front of a Kun Lun Sect peak master. If she admitted it, would Kun Lun Sect still keep her?
Her master had suppressed the matter. Better not to speak.
Jin Wang Chou read the silence and didn’t press. She exhaled, then conceded cleanly. “Fine. Spirit Beast Peak will compensate one Heavenly Fragrance Pill and one hundred top-grade spirit stones.”
She reached into her storage ring, produced the apology gift, and handed it to Jiang Li Sheng. “Martial Niece Jiang, you won’t think it’s too little, will you?”
Jiang Li Sheng accepted it with both hands. “Not at all. Thank you, Martial Aunt Jin.”
That one “Martial Aunt” seemed to please Jin Wang Chou. Sect Master Yu’s only personal disciple—useless or not—was still Sect Master Yu’s. Not everyone could receive that form of address from her.
Jin Wang Chou pulled out another item and placed it in Jiang Li Sheng’s hands. “This is a Universe Bangle. Next time you run into a disobedient beast that escapes, bind it with this and send it back to Spirit Beast Peak.”
A mid-grade artifact, handed over like it was candy.
Jiang Li Sheng held it as if it might evaporate. “Thank you, Martial Aunt Jin.”
Jin Wang Chou taught her the incantation, expression gentler now. Having given so much, she didn’t look pained at all—almost pleased.
Then she turned to He Zhen Tang. “Senior Brother He, thank you for acting today. Otherwise this beast might’ve caused a real disaster. Ying Zhao gave birth to a litter a few days ago—one of the cubs is especially cute. Shall I have someone deliver it to Heaven Sword Peak? If you raise it from young, once it’s tame it can guard your gate.”
He Zhen Tang nodded without hesitation. “Thank you, Junior Sister Jin.”
He withdrew the white silk and released the Tu Lou.
Jin Wang Chou grabbed the Tu Lou by the horn. Earlier it had been savage; now it let her drag it away obediently. Before it left, it flicked its eyes toward Jiang Li Sheng—strangely reluctant.
Jiang Li Sheng glared back. What, it hadn’t had enough snacks?
Or was it regretting it hadn’t eaten her?
After Jin Wang Chou left, Jiang Li Sheng turned to He Zhen Tang and bowed again, sincere despite the ache in her bones. “Thank you, Instructor He.”
Then she held out the compensation she’d received. “Thank you for saving me.”
Her logic was simple: if her life was worth this much, then the life-saving favor should be worth this much, too.
Better to offer it than risk doing the wrong thing.
He Zhen Tang didn’t even glance at the items. He waved her away. “Go back. Don’t be late tomorrow.”
And just like that, he vanished.
Jiang Li Sheng stared at the spirit stones in her hands, dazed—and delighted.
One hundred top-grade spirit stones was ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones. She’d once traded five mid-grade spirit stones and a thousand low-grade spirit stones, plus a bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills and a bottle of Grain-Avoidance Pills, just to get an ordinary sword.
Now she could buy a hundred ordinary swords and shatter them for fun, with plenty left over.
Being rich felt incredible.
It was almost funny—before all this, she’d barely have glanced at a sum like this as Sect Master Yu’s only personal disciple.
Then reality punched her in the face.
Even if she could buy a hundred swords… she didn’t have a single one on her right now.
She still had to walk to the Sword Hall.
Her face fell.
Thankfully, after she trudged on for a while, An Ru Xu came racing toward her, panting. “Junior Sister Jiang!”
“Senior Brother An?” Jiang Li Sheng’s eyes lit up like someone had opened a door in a dark room.
An Ru Xu jumped off his sword and stared at her. “What happened to you? Why are you covered in dirt? Your clothes are torn!”
“I ran into a Tu Lou,” Jiang Li Sheng said. “It tried to eat me. I dodged until I ended up like this.”
“A Tu Lou?” An Ru Xu gaped. “Spirit Beast Peak let one out again? You’re really in a state.” He frowned harder. “Tu Lou aren’t like Yuan Hu. Those things are vicious. You can’t eat it—but it can eat you. You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No,” Jiang Li Sheng said. “My sword got destroyed again, though. I have to buy another.”
She looked at him. “Senior Brother An… were you looking for me?”
“Of course I was!” An Ru Xu groaned. “I searched half of Kun Lun Sect. How did you end up all the way out here—because of the Tu Lou?”
He shook his head like fate had it out for her. “Where is it now?”
“Peak Master Jin from Spirit Beast Peak dragged it away.” Jiang Li Sheng lifted her bag slightly. “She compensated me with one hundred top-grade spirit stones, a bottle of Heavenly Fragrance Pills, and a mid-grade artifact.”
An Ru Xu made a strangled sound. “How come I never run into luck like that?”