Chapter 38 Senior Brother 5 Buy
Qianji Institute.
A young female cultivator received a bill. She looked conflicted and hesitated for a long time before tentatively asking a pale-faced male cultivator with a slight beard beside her, "Senior Gong, the cost of repairing this trial arena is to be shared equally by disciples Li Yuan and Xu Xing, but isn't this cost... a bit inappropriate?"
Although the fifth arena collapsed due to the power of the high-level Thunderburst Bead, injuries are inevitable in the disciples' competition. Moreover, Li Yuan's father is Master Li Hong, who has a wealthy family background. Xu Xing is just a disciple with no foundation. How can he afford to pay for thousands of mid-grade spirit stones?
The male cultivator glared at the speaker with displeasure and said irritably, "If she won't pay, are you going to?"
“Everyone in the sect demands spirit stones. If we, the Thousand Machine Academy, don’t be strict, these cultivators will become lawless! They even dare to destroy the arena, what else wouldn’t they do!”
After being reprimanded, the female cultivator immediately dared not speak, and stammered in agreement with her head down.
In the Thousand Machines Academy, she was specifically responsible for issuing compensation slips for damage to items belonging to the sect. To put it bluntly, she was "collecting debts." Cultivators often didn't know their own strength when they fought, and bumps and knocks were common. Once someone damaged a building or item, whether intentionally or accidentally, the Thousand Machines Academy would rush over quickly, calculate the value, and demand compensation in spirit stones. This series of actions could leave the disciples stunned.
The female cultivator, clutching the list, was about to approach Li Yuan and Xu Xing when the male cultivator continued to grumble in dissatisfaction, "The Void Peak and the arena need repairs, and these Immortal Dao Academy disciples need treatment. This month's expenses have increased so much, and instead of thinking about generating revenue, you dare to question me!"
He spat, "If you're really that kind, then pay for their losses! Otherwise, get back to work!"
Several cultivators from the Thousand Machines Academy passed by and subconsciously looked over. Faced with so many gazes, the female cultivator named Liu Rui lowered her head further and further, feeling somewhat lost.
She has cultivated diligently for decades and is now at the Foundation Establishment stage. Her talent is quite good, but since entering the Thousand Machine Academy, she has been doing things like going around collecting debts. Perhaps some of it is reasonable, but most of it is unreasonable.
If a lightning tribulation damages a spiritual peak, you have to pay with spirit stones. If a disciple accidentally destroys an arena during a competition, you also have to pay with spirit stones. Spirit stones, spirit stones, everything is spirit stones!
Liu Rui didn't understand why she was doing such a thing.
A surge of frustration welled up inside her, and Liu Rui abruptly threw the list at her disciple, her face flushed, and exclaimed, "I! I'm not doing it anymore!"
The male cultivator stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes, and sneered, "Liu Rui, you signed a ten-year contract with the Thousand Machine Academy. If you leave now, you're breaking the contract! Do you know how many spirit stones you'll have to pay in compensation?!"
As the oppressive feeling dissipated, Liu Rui's upright chest slumped blankly. She bit her lip, slowly squatted down, and tried to pick up the sheet, but then a voice sounded behind her.
"Compensation with spirit stones? What's going on?"
The male cultivator was startled and quickly pushed past Liu Rui, smiling obsequiously as he stepped forward and said respectfully, "So it is Elder Ning and Hall Master Jin who have graced us with their presence. This cultivator is making a scene here for no reason, which is quite improper. This junior will take her away and teach her a lesson."
He pulled Liu Rui, who had picked up the list, to leave, but Jin Chu raised his hand to stop them. "Wait, I think I saw the words 'Trial Platform.' The Punishment Hall is investigating the graduation assessment of the Immortal Academy. The Punishment Hall is responsible for any related matters. Let me see it."
Before Liu Rui could react, the list in her hand floated into Jin Chu's hands.
"Xu Xing and Li Yuan damaged the fifth arena during their graduation competition. The repair cost for the arena totaled eight thousand mid-grade spirit stones, with each of them bearing four thousand..."
Looking at the list, Jin Chu's gaze lingered briefly on the words "Xu Xing," and he revealed a cryptic smile. "So, this disciple has to pay for damaging the arena during a serious competition? And an arena costs eight thousand mid-grade spirit stones?"
He held the list up with his fingertips, looking at Ning Wenbin with a half-smile, "Elder Ning, would you like to take a look too?"
Jin Chu and Ning Wenbin originally came to visit the disciples who were tainted with demonic blood, but they unexpectedly stumbled upon this incident.
Over the years, the reputation of the Punishment Hall has spread throughout Yuxiao. Jin Chu went to great lengths to suppress some of Kan Yuansi's shady dealings, but unexpectedly, the Thousand Machine Academy, the largest institution in Yuxiao Sect, was not clean either. They even went so far as to demand four thousand mid-grade spirit stones in compensation from a Qi Refining stage disciple.
Ning Wenbin glanced at the Thousand Machines Academy cultivators who had stopped in their tracks upon his arrival, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger, "Bring over all the bills for this year's claims against the disciples."
When cultivators join a sect, they naturally enjoy the sect's protection. Accidentally damaging objects during a competition is perfectly normal; how can they use that to demand compensation? Besides, that trial platform was originally for low-level cultivators; it was just one of the arenas. How could it possibly require eight thousand mid-grade spirit stones for repairs?! Where did the extra spirit stones go?
"this……"
The cultivators exchanged glances, all somewhat hesitant. The Dean of the Thousand Machines Academy was still in seclusion, and all affairs were handled by Vice Dean Yuan Chengzhou. Elder Ning Wenbin had been the Dean for a hundred years, and now…
Liu Rui clenched her fists, hesitated for a moment, and then boldly said, "Please wait a moment, Elder, I will go and get it right away."
"Liu Rui! Dean Yuan hasn't arrived yet, you..."
The male cultivator who had been pointing his finger and cursing earlier tried to stop him, but Ning Wenbin flicked his sleeve and sent him flying, knocking him heavily against the wall. He coughed up blood and fainted.
Seeing this, the cultivators of the Thousand Machine Academy dared not utter a sound.
Jin Chu, still smiling, said slowly, "Elder Ning, don't worry. That disciple disobeyed the sect rules and deserved to be punished. The Punishment Hall won't come to take you away."
He was in the mood to joke, but Ning Wenbin couldn't laugh. The sect leader had only been in seclusion for a hundred years, and the various forces within the sect were already in such chaos. It was truly hateful!
Over time, the disciples will naturally become alienated from the Jade Cloud Sect, so how can they feel a sense of belonging?
What's more, now there's been an incident where a new disciple was tainted by demonic blood...
These events will inevitably shake the very foundation of the Jade Cloud Sect, even though it is a colossal entity that transcends the Eastern Pole!
Once the sect leader emerges from seclusion, how can Ning Wenbin, as a core elder, have the face to meet the sect leader?
Soon, Liu Rui retrieved this year's invoices. In just two or three months, there was a thick stack of payment reminders, with the top one being the compensation receipt for Ruxu Peak that had been destroyed by lightning.
Presumably because Shen Du, who underwent tribulation at Ruxu Peak, attracted the Heavenly Lightning of the Nine Heavens and became a Golden Core cultivator, Qianji Academy dared not falsify the fees and even reduced it by 20,000, but...
Ning Wenbin laughed in anger, "It's a great thing for a disciple to survive the tribulation of lightning, and even the main peak should reward him, but you want to demand spirit stones in return?"
Whether it's a tribulation or a competition, the sect is responsible for any accidental damage to items. Unless it's malicious damage, there's no need for compensation.
"I had no idea that the Thousand Machines Institute had started doing such a business!"
"Tell Yuan Chengzhou to get over here and see me!"
Watching Ning Wenbin fly into a rage and order a thorough investigation into these unreasonable charges and a reorganization of the Thousand Machine Academy, Jin Chu smiled enigmatically. Of course, the Thousand Machine Academy had been doing this for quite some time. Did Ning Wenbin really not know?
Jin Chu didn't care about the Thousand Machines Academy at all. He stroked his chin, thinking that he had solved a small problem for that little guy this time.
What reward should Fu Shuang ask for?
...
Early in the morning, Xu Xing and Shen Du went to the Spirit Plant Garden to buy some spirit fruits and also went to Liujin Street to buy spirit wine.
Taking this opportunity, Xu Xing glanced at the shops. Most of the shops on Liujin Street were full. Over the years, the street had been expanding, and there were only vacant shops in remote corners.
Shen Du already knew about her idea of opening a shop and agreed to help her rent it, becoming the "owner" behind the shop.
After buying the spirit wine, he slowed down when he saw Xu Xing looking around curiously.
At the end of the street are several clothing shops, but they don't seem to be doing very well.
Many ascetic monks don't care about the luxury of their clothing, and those with wealthy families have better options. As a result, these clothing shops are deserted, and one of them has already closed down, with a "For Rent" sign posted on its dusty door.
Most of the Jade Cloud Sect disciples that Xu Xing had seen wore very ordinary clothes. It was possible to add special effects such as defense, but that would require engraving formations or runes on the clothes, which would be very complicated and impossible for ordinary cultivators to do.
Imagine if a garment were covered with intricate patterns, or even had spirit stones sewn onto it in inconspicuous places to maintain the magic array, would such a garment look good?
The robes made of materials with special effects, such as snow silk and star cotton, are very expensive and few people can afford them. It takes ten days to half a month to sell a single one.
High-level inner sect cultivators might buy it, but the main customers of Flowing Gold Street are outer sect cultivators. Apart from the Pill Pavilion and Spirit Weapon Shop where inner sect disciples occasionally appear, other places don't get any benefit.
"Senior brother, what do you think of this shop?"
Xu Xing tiptoed closer to Chen Du and whispered something to him.
As Shen Du leaned slightly to listen to her speak, he felt a slight warmth on his ear and subconsciously turned his face away, looking up at the shop she was talking about.
The location is indeed a bit remote, and it's surrounded by clothing shops, so if Xu Xing only sells pills, this isn't a good choice.
Just as Shen Du was about to speak, he suddenly felt a heat in his sleeve. He took out the heated object and saw that it was a debt slip left to him by Qianji Academy.
Seeing that he made no attempt to hide it, Xu Xing also looked over and thought to himself: This Qianji Academy is really ruthless, they actually want to pay so much money!
To their surprise, the two watched as the spiritual energy imprint on the IOU suddenly vanished, and the entire IOU turned to ashes.
Xu Xing's eyes widened slightly. "What's going on? Does this mean I don't have to pay it back?"
“I don’t know either,” Chen Du said with a slight frown, “I’ll go to the Thousand Machines Institute to ask another day.”
Suddenly, a warm voice rang out.
"Are you two immortals looking to buy clothes? Our Heavenly Garment Pavilion has a wide variety of styles, why don't you come in and take a look?"
It turned out that the owner of Tianyi Pavilion next to the empty shop had taken a sudden inspiration upon seeing people standing outside the door and had come out to solicit business.
This was a strikingly beautiful female cultivator, dressed in a bright red robe, yet her beauty was not vulgar. Her voice was melodious and alluring, immediately attracting Xu Xing's attention.
Xu Xing thought for a moment, then went into the clothing shop to take a look.
She always wore the disciple's robes of the Immortal Dao Academy, and made her own clothes. Over the years, Xu Xing's sewing skills had been slowly improving, but because alchemy and weapon crafting were already very demanding, she hadn't had time to properly study sewing.
Xu Xing has many life skills and can make a wide variety of things, so from the beginning she planned to open a shop that sells everything, currently including pills and magical artifacts, and will add magical robes in the future.
The shopkeeper's gaze shifted from the two young men and women to the female customer, completely ignoring the sword cultivator who clearly wouldn't buy new clothes.
"What style does the little fairy like? Robes, feathered garments, capes, short outfits... we have everything! Feel free to try them on~"
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the man who had been watching the girl's movements. The shopkeeper's red lips curled slightly as she added, "We also have wedding clothes for the Daoist couple's ceremony."
Upon hearing this, Shen Du looked up at the shopkeeper and saw that Xu Xing seemed not to have heard and did not care at all, so he said softly, "Junior sister, take a look."
Xu Xing thought the shopkeeper's words were just an attempt to attract business, and he didn't take them seriously. He also failed to notice the implied meaning behind Shen Du's slight emphasis on the word "junior sister".
She had only intended to browse casually, but unexpectedly, she actually took a liking to a smart and neat dark blue narrow-sleeved trouser suit.
How much is this one?
"Oh! If you like it, little fairy, try it on first. The price is negotiable!"
The shopkeeper smiled, took the clothes off, and led Xu Xing to the inner room to try them on.
Shen Du looked outside and noticed that although there weren't many people coming and going in this corner, it wasn't that no one was walking this way.
After a moment's thought, he understood that a less desirable location meant that prices might be slightly lower than other places, so it was natural for cultivators with limited funds to come here to try their luck.
Moreover, the owner of this clothing shop seems to be...
"Senior brother, how is it?"
Xu Xing had already changed into that outfit and came out, twirling lightly in a circle.
She hadn't experienced shopping for clothes in a long time, and she was genuinely excited. She had been wearing that long-sleeved disciple's robe for too long, and when she changed out, she felt lighter.
Moreover, the shopkeeper was very skillful; in no time at all, he turned her long, loose hair into two buns, which matched her outfit perfectly!
Shen Du had always known he wasn't very good at distinguishing between beauty and ugliness; disciple's robes were no different from other clothes to him. But now, seeing his junior sister with a beaming smile in her new clothes, the dark garments highlighting her golden eyes, it was indeed...
Very lively.
However, after a few moments of thought, Shen Du couldn't bring himself to say anything nice. He nodded dryly and pulled out his storage bag, saying, "Buy it."
"Senior brother, you're too kind. It's just a piece of clothing; I can afford it."
Xu Xing smiled and refused Shen Du's offer to pay.
She had initially agreed to "invest" in her senior brother, but after he came out of seclusion, he not only helped her decorate her cave dwelling, but also prepared an alchemy room and a weapon-forging room. She had already spent so much, how could she let him pay for her clothes as well?
The fabric used for this garment is spirit silk, which is soft to the touch, lightweight, and comfortable. However, although spirit silk has spiritual energy, it is not comparable to celestial silk. Therefore, the price is only one hundred or sixty low-grade spirit stones, which is quite affordable.
Intrigued, Xu Xing continued to select clothes while inquiring about the price of the robes from the shopkeeper. He learned that the prices varied depending on the effect and style, with even the cheapest Heavenly Silk Robe costing over a thousand low-grade spirit stones.
This robe is actually more expensive than a magic weapon with the same effect. Xu Xing thought to himself that perhaps he should put the research on the [Sewing] skill on the agenda.
He subtly inquired about the rent and other issues, and after gathering enough information, Xu Xing picked out three outfits, which cost a total of 520 low-grade spirit stones.
When it came time to pay, the shopkeeper, who rarely made a sale, rounded down the price by twenty spirit stones.
Just as Xu Xing was about to take the spirit stones, Shen Du tossed his storage bag into the shopkeeper's hands and turned to leave.
The shopkeeper acted swiftly, taking the storage bag, counting it, and saying with a smile, "Five hundred yuan, just right. Thank you for your patronage, and welcome back next time!"
She handed the wrapped clothes directly to Xu Xing, her expression clearly indicating that the transaction was complete.
"Hey! Senior brother!"
Xu Xing stamped his foot and had no choice but to catch the clothes and chase after them.
Smiling as he watched the young couple leave, the shopkeeper leaned lazily against the shop door. What a surprise! Do sword cultivators these days know how to please girls?
She's really getting old; her impression of sword cultivators is still that of those clueless guys who only know how to live with their swords...
Why did she encounter only smelly and hard rocks when she was young?
Looking at the vacant shop next door, the beautiful shopkeeper's smile deepened; perhaps she would soon have a new neighbor.
I'm really looking forward to it!
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Author's Note: Xu Xu: Senior Brother actually wants to pay more than three thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Qianji Academy is really greedy!
Jin (Anonymous) Chu: Hehe, you almost had to pay four thousand!
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Thank you to the lovely users Jiu, Zui Ai Kapai Wen, and Xi Xi for the nutrient solution! Sending you love~
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