Jian Huan spent ten days familiarizing herself with the Jade Clarity Sect.
The author of "Sister Jiang Qiaoqiao" is a modern person, and the setup of the Jade Clarity Sect resembles that of a modern university.
Firstly, Jade Clarity Sect disciples have to pay tuition fees, accommodation fees, and also spend money on meals in the dining hall.
Secondly, the disciples' education system is four years long, with first-year students being outer sect disciples, and second-, third-, and fourth-year students being inner sect disciples.
As for the personal disciples, if you catch the eye of one of the peak masters, you can naturally skip the four-year system.
But catching the eye of a peak master is not easy; most people have to follow the standard procedure.
After a year of study and cultivation at the Jade Clarity Sect, first-year students will undergo an inner sect assessment. Those who pass will smoothly advance to second-year status and become inner sect disciples. Those who fail can either leave the Jade Clarity Sect to find another path or pay to repeat the year and continue as first-year students until they pass the assessment.
Once they become inner sect disciples, they can waive tuition and accommodation fees and learn deeper levels of techniques, which is why everyone is eager to become an inner sect disciple.
In Jian Huan's cohort, there are many senior brothers and sisters who were previously eliminated in the assessments and repeated their studies.
The one-month recruitment conference ended yesterday, and today marks Jian Huan's first official day of cultivation at the Jade Clarity Sect.
She and Gong Feihong are both dual-spiritual roots and were assigned to the Dual Spirit Hall.
At noon, in the East Dining Hall of the Jade Clarity Sect, Jian Huan was hungrily devouring her food.
Braised spiritual pork, stewed spiritual goose leg, spiritual tomato with spiritual egg...
Each dish was a feast for the eyes and nose, but Jian Huan barely had time to savor them before swallowing them down, warming her long-empty stomach.
Gong Feihong, who was treating her, watched her with a complex expression and couldn't help but advise, "Slow down, I ordered a lot."
Jian Huan, hearing this, could only manage to give a 'ok' gesture, indicating she had heard him.
Gong Feihong mimicked the 'ok' gesture and asked curiously, "What does this mean?"
Jian Huan swallowed her food and replied, "It means 'okay.'"
Gong Feihong exclaimed in surprise.
After saying that, Jian Huan accurately picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks and started gnawing on it, her mouth glistening with grease, completely disregarding her image.
The man sitting next to Gong Feihong on the other side looked at her with disdain.
He had narrow eyes and a small mustache above his upper lip, looking like he was twenty-six despite being only sixteen.
Hu Zhi had met Gong Feihong three days ago in Approaching Immortal City and, upon learning that Gong Feihong was the son of the Gong family patriarch, had been ingratiating himself ever since.
The Jiang, Gong, Xie, and Lin families are the most prominent cultivation clans on the Nine Provinces Continent. The Gong family had a patriarch a hundred years ago who is now the patriarch of the Beast Taming Sect and is currently in seclusion.
The Gong family descendants' cultivation talents are not remarkable, but with the patriarch's presence, no one dares to underestimate the Gong family.
Hu Zhi is not a disciple of the Dual Spirit Hall; he is in the Four Spirit Hall.
With four spiritual roots, his talent is poor, and Hu Zhi has given up on the path of cultivation, focusing instead on currying favor with a noble to ensure a life of wealth and comfort.
Gong Feihong fits the bill.
Hu Zhi speculated on Gong Feihong's thoughts and offered advice, "Feihong, I heard Jiang Qiaoqiao was admitted to the Single Spirit Hall?"
Hearing this, Gong Feihong, who had been studying the 'ok' gesture, immediately felt unhappy and responded perfunctorily with an "Mm-hmm."
Jian Huan, who had already eaten her fill but didn't know when she'd get her next meal, continued to stuff herself and looked up at Gong Feihong and Hu Zhi.
In the book, the Gong and Jiang families, both being cultivation clans, had ancestral grudges. After Hu Zhi's scheming, Gong Feihong carried out a series of actions to frame the female lead, ultimately ending up dead.
It was after Gong Feihong's death that Jian Huan, from the demonic race, arrived at the Jade Clarity Sect and took over, continuing to frame the female lead.
According to the plot, she and Gong Feihong should never have crossed paths.
But due to her time-traveling and arriving at the Jade Clarity Sect three years earlier, they coincidentally formed a friendship.
Just for Gong Feihong treating her to a big meal today, Jian Huan would do her best to prevent him from making mistakes.
After thinking for a moment, she got up with her bowl and chopsticks, pretending to leave.
"Feihong, I really worry for you," Hu Zhi poured Gong Feihong a cup of spiritual drink and lowered his voice to avoid being overheard, "The Jiang family patriarch failed in his tribulation a few years ago and perished. The Jiang family should have fallen into obscurity, but now there's Jiang Qiaoqiao. She is a rare variant wind spiritual root, and her future is limitless. In my opinion, Feihong, for the Gong family, you should make plans early!"
Gong Feihong's heart skipped a beat: "Hu Zhi, explain in detail, what do you mean?"
Hu Zhi whispered in Gong Feihong's ear: "This is the weakest time for Jiang Qiaoqiao. If you don't pull her down now, then later—"
At this point, Hu Zhi stopped his words meaningfully and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Gong Feihong hesitated: "This..."
Seeing Gong Feihong's interest piqued, Hu Zhi was about to continue his persuasion when suddenly, a voice came from behind.
"Hu Zhi, you're really being reckless!"
Hu Zhi and Gong Feihong were startled and turned their heads to see Jian Huan standing behind them, holding her bowl and crouching, with a piece of spiritual vegetable leaf still in her mouth.
It was unclear how long she had been eavesdropping.
Hu Zhi was furious: "Feihong and I were talking, how could you eavesdrop?!"
Jian Huan shrugged and gestured to Gong Feihong with her finger.
Gong Feihong leaned closer to her.
Jian Huan whispered, "Feihong, I think differently from Hu Zhi. Isn't your family patriarch still in the Beast Taming Sect?"
Gong Feihong nodded: "That's right."
Jian Huan continued: "Among the four great clans, only your Gong family has a patriarch, right?"
Gong Feihong nodded again.
His family patriarch was quite cautious, never daring to attempt ascension for decades. The patriarchs of the other three families were very bold, one after another attempting ascension and then failing, perishing in the process.
Jian Huan said: "That's it. Now your Gong family is number one. What are you anxious about? The other two families should be more anxious. Jiang Qiaoqiao's talent is so high; the other two families are more afraid of the Jiang family surpassing them. You just focus on your own cultivation; you don't need to worry about anything else. If you interfere, the Gong and Jiang families will both suffer, and the other two families will benefit. It's not worth it!"
Gong Feihong suddenly understood: "You're right! I almost went astray!"
His gaze swept over Hu Zhi.
Hu Zhi, seeing this, knew the tide had turned and quickly changed his tune: "Jian Huan is right; I didn't consider it thoroughly. I hope Feihong won't blame me."
Gong Feihong wasn't too bothered: "You were just thinking for my sake."
He and Hu Zhi got along very well, finding many common interests and endless topics to talk about after just three days of acquaintance.
Hu Zhi looked at Jian Huan with hatred in his eyes: "Jian Huan, you're so clever; I'll have to consult you more in the future."
Jian Huan waved her hand: "Hu Zhi, you're too kind."
Hu Zhi was so angry that his mustache twitched: "I'm not called Hu Zhi!"
Jian Huan returned to her seat with her bowl, casually replying, "Mm-hmm, okay."
Gong Feihong was very grateful: "Jian Huan, thank you for your wise words."
"No need to thank me, but these leftovers—" Jian Huan pointed to the remaining spiritual food on the table, "can you pack them for me?"
Gong Feihong: "..."
Outside the dining hall, Jian Huan waved goodbye to Gong Feihong and ran towards the Equipment Forging Hall with a bag of spiritual food.
Through ten days of thorough investigation, Jian Huan had a better understanding of Shen Jizhi's situation.
His poverty was due to his extremely unreliable master, Gu Shan, the peak master of Thunder Sword Peak.
Gu Shan loved wine and fighting, accumulating countless debts over a hundred years, with people coming to the Jade Clarity Sect to collect money every now and then.
Gu Shan himself always managed to slip away, leaving his personal disciple, who couldn't fly and escape, to deal with the debt collectors.
If it weren't for Gu Shan's rescue, Shen Jizhi would have died with his parents at the hands of a vicious demon. To repay the debt of gratitude, Shen Jizhi had to help pay off the debts.
Shen Jizhi was currently in the Equipment Forging Hall, moving heavy objects and forging to earn spiritual stones.
At the entrance of the Equipment Forging Hall, Jian Huan peeked in and waved at Shen Jizhi, who was carrying a large pile of spiritual iron: "Hey, Shen Jizhi!"
Shen Jizhi frowned and, after handing the spiritual iron to a fellow disciple, walked over to Jian Huan: "What's the matter?"
Jian Huan handed him the spiritual food.
Shen Jizhi: "I don't need it; you eat it yourself."
Jian Huan: "I've already eaten; these are the leftovers."
Shen Jizhi merely repeated: "I don't need it."
Jian Huan was so angry that her forehead twitched.
Shen Jizhi was just like that, preferring to starve or exhaust himself rather than accept any goodwill from others.
She thought he probably had PTSD from repaying debts, so he simply didn't want to owe anyone any favors.
It was said that back then, many people from the Jade Clarity Sect wanted to help Shen Jizhi, but he coldly refused them all, and since then, no one had offered a hand again.
To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that he had been giving her cleaning spells every morning and evening at her insistence over the past ten days, and had even split all the Elixir of Abstinence she bought into six portions for free, she wouldn't have packed them up.
Jian Huan tried to stay calm and asked him back, "If I had a spatial pouch, do you think I would give it to you?"
Wouldn't it be better for her to keep it for tonight and tomorrow?
Spirit food rots faster than ordinary meals and needs to be stored in a spatial pouch or made into Elixir of Abstinence to last long.
Shen Jizhi fell silent.
That was true.
Of course, Jian Huan wasn't going to give it to him for free: "These spirit foods would cost twenty or thirty spirit stones at the dining hall, but since they're leftovers, I'll sell them to you for five spirit stones. You can put it on your tab."
Shen Jizhi was quiet for a while but didn't refuse this time.
Jian Huan left after delivering the food. By the time she ran back to the cabin in the evening, Shen Jizhi was already home.
She was sweating profusely and, seeing him, shouted, "Shen Jizhi, quickly, give me a cleaning spell!"
Shen Jizhi was bending over by the bed, doing something unknown, and without looking up, he raised his right hand and a cleaning spell accurately hit Jian Huan.
Instantly, the sticky, sweaty feeling disappeared, and she felt refreshed. Jian Huan sighed in relief and plopped herself onto the bed with a thud.
The bed bounced several times, and the supporting parts creaked.
Shen Jizhi said flatly, "You'll have to pay thirty spirit stones if the bed breaks. No tab."
Jian Huan: "…I know."
She rolled over on the bed and leaned over curiously, "What are you doing?"
Shen Jizhi's long fingers were deftly tying knots, beautiful and nimble, but he didn't answer.
After finishing the knot, he stood up and said, "The ledger, take a look."
Only then did Jian Huan see the full picture.
A rope was tied to the bed frame, the other end hanging a notebook.
It was issued by the Jade Clarity Sect, and every disciple got five, including her.
Jian Huan opened it and saw a few lines of fiercely written words.
One hundred thousand minus one (half a piece of Elixir of Abstinence) minus two (ten days' lodging fee) plus five (spirit food) minus one (half of the ledger).
Today's balance: one hundred thousand and one spirit stones.
Jian Huan: "……"
