Once Tang Jie got back to the Carefree House, he pushed through the pain and changed his clothes. As he looked at the wounds that covered his body, he shivered in fear.
While he had won this battle with Qi Shaoming, this was the worst he had ever been injured in a battle at the academy. Purely in terms of offensive power, Qi Shaoming’s Passing Shadow Phantom Clone Slash was probably the strongest attack among all students of his class. It was only the limitation of his spiritual energy that prevented him from using it several times in a row.
Once Qi Shaoming rose in cultivation level and had more spiritual energy, Tang Jie would no longer be any match for him.
Thus, cultivation was similar to rowing a boat upstream. To not advance was to fall back, and the slightest neglect would have others hot on one’s heels.
Alas, laundering his identity had laundered away his advantages as well, and he also owed a big debt. Advancing by leaps and bounds in a short period of time was now impossible.
But all Tang Jie could do about this problem was sigh at his helplessness.
In the middle of his melancholy, the jade amulet on his waist suddenly flashed.
Startled, Tang Jie hastily grabbed the amulet. A line of graceful words appeared: “I’ve returned to Horizon Ocean Pavilion.”
These simple words felt like they had seized Tang Jie’s heart, and he shuddered.
At that moment, he understood why he had not received a message from her in so long.
This was because, having given him her paper crane, she could only return to Horizon Ocean Pavilion to reestablish communications.
Half a month… She was rather fast.
Tang Jie felt his heart heat up.
After the battle with Qi Shaoming, Tang Jie’s life returned to its normal track.
Every day involved simple and tedious cultivation.
Ten days later, Tang Jie received some news.
Qi Shaoming had entered Spirit Lake.
When he learned this, he smiled. He knew that Qi Shaoming had accepted his suggestion and would no longer be so anxious for momentary achievements.
With his talent, effort, and family circumstances, he would probably soon be the talk of the entire academy.
Thirty days later, Tang Jie used up his last True Essence Pill. His Spiritual Space could now hold 2200 drops. The four bottles of True Essence PIlls had saved Tang Jie half a year, but now, Tang Jie no longer had any medicines to assist him in cultivation.
Forty days later, Tang Jie used up the last of the five-thousand-some spirit coins he had.
His golden grain had doubled in size and now appeared like a golden glass marble. Alas, it had little other use than becoming a needle that was somewhat thicker and longer.
Fifty days later, a letter arrived from the Wei Clan.
It had been personally written by Zheng Shufeng to Tang Jie.
It was a very long letter, written with the refinement befitting a great clan, but it could be summarized thusly: “Don’t make any more trouble, but what’s past is past. I support you.”
Just as Tang Jie had predicted, Wei Tianzhi had received a letter from Zheng Shufeng that scolded him harshly.
Besides that, Tang Jie was sent one hundred spirit coins.
It was a significant sum, but alas, for Tang Jie, it was like a cup of water on a burning cart, gone after buying just a few broken tools.
He also received some news from Xu Miaoran through the jade amulet from time to time.
But they were mostly unimportant topics or helpless complaints.
For example: “Grandma had me learn etiquette today. I hate it.” “Have you been doing well? Please don’t send me a reply. You only have that one, and it will be gone once it’s used.” “I took a liking to some clothes, but my dad won’t let me wear them.” “I’ve finally succeeded at learning the Seaflash Gale. I’m so happy…” “Hey, if you have the time, remember to come to Endsea to see me.”
In Tang Jie’s rather monotonous cultivation life, these messages were like dazzling moments of beauty.
Sixty days later, Tang Jie had to deal with another imminent problem.
It was time to pay the interest.
The interest was calculated from the time he had taken the loan. After being kidnapped by Godhead Palace, he had been out for forty-some days. It had been two months since his return, which meant that his interest payment had run out, and his next interest payment would come in twenty days.
It was time to get back that money and pay off the debt. Otherwise, the monthly interest would eventually crush him.
But what sort of reason could he use?
Nah, I don’t need a reason!
Rather than saying that the other party was being deceived, it was better to say that the other party just didn’t want to ask.
Madam Shui had never asked where the one hundred thousand spirit coins had gone.
So Basking Moon Academy would also not ask about how the one hundred thousand spirit coins were repaid.
The matter of Godhead Palace’s kidnapping had already been settled, so the Basking Moon Sect would not confiscate any money that Tang Jie took out after the fact.
So long as the academy’s interest was not harmed, Basking Moon Academy would not ask too many questions.
Moreover, even if they didn’t ask, everyone could still guess.
Since it was this way, why act insincere?
There was no need to speak a lie that no one would believe. It was better to just take everything in stride.
It was normal for a person to be selfish, and Basking Moon Academy would presumably understand.
With his mind made up, Tang Jie decided to head off in the next few days to take those items.
It would take several days to get to the hiding spot and back. Fortunately, Tang Jie had already passed the examination, and Spirit Lake students could go out on missions. He just needed to take a mission to solve that problem.
With this thought in mind, Tang Jie headed to the Bounty Platform on the same day.
The Bounty Platform was where the academy issued contribution missions to students.
Any student that had reached Spirit Lake could take missions from the academy for contribution points.
Contribution points could be exchanged for certain rewards, even secret arts from the Divine Firmament Sword Classic. Of course, this would require many contribution points, and besides that, one would need to take a loyalty test and have their identity verified.
This was precisely why the secret arts of the Basking Moon Sect were not some far-off dream for Basking Moon Sect disciples. It was just that lower-level students didn’t have the ability to get the contribution points to obtain these secret arts.
Tang Jie currently owed 120 contribution points, so he had no hope of getting rewards. Paying back the debt came first. Fortunately, he had never hoped to get any rewards. He just needed a chance to get out and pay back his debt.
As he arrived at the Bounty Platform, Tang Jie saw a group of students circled around something.
The Bounty Platform was where missions were picked up. People normally left after taking a mission, and completing a mission would often take ten days to half a month. Thus, not many people gathered here.
So it was rather strange for there to be so many people gathered around.
As Tang Jie was wondering what was going on, he spotted Cai Junyang in the crowd.
Spotting Tang Jie walking over, Cai Junyang chuckled. “I didn’t think that you would also come to join in on the fun.”
The other students spotted Tang Jie and moved away, but Cai Junyang strode right up to him.
Tang Jie bitterly smiled. “You should keep your distance. I happen to stink right now, so be careful not to get my smell on you.”
“I don’t care about what others think about you. After all, I’m your friend,” Cai Junyang chuckled.
“Thank you,” Tang Jie replied. “Right, what’s this fun you’re talking about?”
“How do you still not know?”
Tang Jie spread apart his arms. “How could I know what happened? I came over to see if there are any missions I can do… I still owe the academy contribution points.”
Cai Junyang erupted in laughter. “I forgot you were so badly in debt. It seems like you won’t have a chance at this True Inheritance.”
“True Inheritance?” Tang Jie was stunned when he heard this term. “You’re saying that one of the esteemed masters of the Basking Moon Sect is looking to take a disciple?”
An esteemed master of Basking Moon’s taking a disciple was a rare event indeed.
When Tang Jie had talked about the subject with Wei Tianchong, he had mentioned a special status above the top ten disciples: True Inheritors!
True Inheritors were not under the rules of the academy. They were decided by esteemed masters of the Basking Moon Sect, and no one could say when they would be appointed.
As cultivators had long lives, they did not lightly take disciples. It was something that usually happened only once every few years.
Tang Jie hadn’t expected to run into such a situation after only one year in the academy.
“Correct!” Cai Junyang replied. “The news has already begun to spread. It’s almost certain that there will be a True Inheritor chosen this time.”
“Which esteemed master is it?” Tang Jie asked.
“True Person Changfeng.”
Yan Changfeng?
Tang Jie was stunned again when he heard this name.
He was far too familiar with this name.
The record holder for the Celestial Pivot Hall’s Spirit Sea Tier.
A Celestial Heart True Person.
He was the Hall Master of the Service Hall, his status higher than Xie Fengtang’s.
The Basking Moon Sect had eight inner halls and eight outer halls. The inner halls were: Storehouse, Selection, Instruction, Law, Agriculture, Formation, Medicine, and Tool. The eight outer halls were: Ritual, Tribute, Combat, Commerce, Service, Canon, Search, and Secret.
The Combat Hall was also known as the Combat Department. It was the only one organized as a department, and it had three halls under it. The master of the Combat Department was Xiao Biehan, the number one fighter of the Basking Moon Sect and the Sword of the Basking Moon Sect. He held the supreme weapon of the sect: the God-Conquering Merak Sword.
Yan Changfeng was the master of the Service Hall of the eight outer halls. He was primarily charged with providing protection and being paid for these services. Every year, the Basking Moon Sect took in tribute from the various sects of the kingdom, so it naturally needed to provide some protection to ensure that the interior of the country was stable. The Service Hall had the responsibility of protecting outsiders. Of course, they charged for their services. From a certain perspective, the Service Hall was an escort company, but the ruling sect couldn’t go around calling itself an escort company. Rather, this was considered a service, so it was called the Service Hall.
Yan Changfeng’s taking a disciple was a major event for Basking Moon Academy, and it was no wonder so many people had gathered here.
When Tang Jie heard this news, he asked Cai Junyang in shock, “How is it going to be done?”
True Persons had different standards when it came to taking disciples, and the method would differ every time. But most of them required some sort of test rather than relying on the academy to recommend someone.
“I’m not sure about the details. Can’t you see that everyone is waiting?” Cai Junyang replied. “It won’t be long before the specifics come out.”
“Oh, I see.” Tang Jie nodded. “I guess there’s no harm in me taking a look.”
Someone sneered, “True Person Changfeng would never pick someone as treacherous as you. Stop daydreaming.”
Others voiced their agreement.
This again.
Was there really no end to it?
Cai Junyang angrily said, “Shut your mouths! Is it up to you what sort of person True Person Changfeng picks as his disciple? You’re laughing now, but you’d better not hope that Tang Jie actually becomes a True Inheritor. You’ll all be suffering then.”
These words carried some intimidating power, and the crowd was instantly silenced.
