Tang Honggong stood like a towering pine tree at the entrance of the estate.
Qian Duoduo scurried over to him, noticing his eyebrows were furrowed. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Dajiu…” Qian Duoduo called out, his voice trembling with apprehension.
Tang Honggong swept a glance over Qian Duoduo. Qian Duoduo knew he was checking his Cultivation.
Qian Duoduo quickly circulated his Spiritual Vein, exuding the aura of Qi Condensation Level Four. When he left the Gold Vault, Qian Duoduo was only Qi Condensation Level Two, so this progress was not slow.
Nodding slightly, Tang Honggong asked, “What’s going on with the words on this stone?”
His words carried a hidden meaning; he was asking about the situation, not just the words.
“I lacked Cultivation resources, so I reclaimed this land, built an estate, planted grass, raised Spirit Chickens, and sold equipment to earn money. Dajiu, since the loan business was taken by the Sect, aren’t I poor?”
Qian Duoduo lowered his voice, feigning misery.
At this moment, Wang Meiruo and Huang Guiren obediently came over. After saluting Tang Honggong, they stood ramrod straight at a distance.
“Reclaiming land? Our Refining Spirit Sect has no barren land; every inch of land belongs to the Sect.” Tang Honggong’s face darkened.
Qian Duoduo felt a piece of ice press against his face, “D-D-Dajiu, you’re not going to take back the estate, are you?”
If anyone else said that, Qian Duoduo would fight them to the death. But since his Palace Lord Dajiu said it, Qian Duoduo felt a bit helpless.
He was anxious but dared not show it, angry but could not express it.
“Take it back? What for?”
“Hehe,” Qian Duoduo immediately laughed, his suspended heart finally settling, “It’s good if you don’t take it back. We just managed to get it going, it took over a month and more than a million.”
“However, Mengyuan Mountain belongs to the Sect, and naturally, the Outer Sect land of Mengyuan Mountain also belongs to the Sect.” This sudden turn by Palace Lord Dajiu made Qian Duoduo’s heart clench again.
“You also contributed to reclaiming it, with effort and investment. Therefore, you will take the larger share of the harvest, and the Sect will take the smaller share. For all output from the estate, you will hand over one-tenth to the Sect and keep nine-tenths for yourselves. As your Palace Lord, I have made this decision, do you think it is good?”
Qian Duoduo, Huang Guiren, and Wang Meiruo all nodded like Spirit Chickens pecking at food.
“Right, right, right, Palace Lord’s decision, we completely agree, completely convinced.”
Qian Duoduo stared at Palace Lord Dajiu’s face and saw that his eyebrows had relaxed.
He didn’t know what his Dajiu was thinking, insisting on one-tenth of the estate’s income for the Sect. But if they kept the larger share, it was much better than the loan business.
Tang Honggong narrowed his eyes, then spoke again: “The words ‘Bu Huan’ are a bit ugly. I’ll rewrite them for you.”
Before Qian Duoduo could react, he saw him wipe his palm across the stone, and the original words were erased. With a slight movement of his finger, the two powerful characters “Bu Huan” appeared vividly, with the small inscription “Tang Honggong” at the bottom right.
He had to admit, with Dajiu rewriting it like this, the estate instantly looked much grander.
“Oh, that’s right. In three months, it will be the Outer Sect Minor Competition of this mountain, with Disciples of levels four, five, and six participating. I remember you were first last time. This time, the requirement isn’t high; just get into the top five.”
Palace Lord Dajiu waved his hand, and a golden sword appeared beneath his feet. Having finished speaking, he was ready to leave.
“Dajiu, I just entered Level Four, and my Cultivation is still unstable.” Qian Duoduo immediately felt like crying.
Qian Duoduo shouted in his heart: The one who got first place was Jin Buhuan, not me, Qian Duoduo.
“If it’s unstable, go to the Martial Arts Field. After a few matches, it will stabilize.” Tang Honggong and his sword were already in mid-air.
“Top five is too difficult, can it be lower?” Qian Duoduo shouted, looking up.
“No.”
“Then is there a way not to participate?” Qian Duoduo persisted.
Participating in the Minor Competition meant going to the Martial Arts Field, which would take too much time, and he wouldn’t have much time to take care of the estate.
Palace Lord Dajiu grabbed in the air, and Qian Duoduo immediately flew up, following him towards the mountaintop.
“Dajiu, where are we going?” Seeing Tang Honggong’s face turn green, Qian Duoduo knew something was wrong.
“You want to know how not to participate in the Outer Sect Minor Competition, I’ll take you to see.”
As they flew higher and higher, Qian Duoduo felt the fierce wind howling around him and white clouds flying past.
In a flash, Palace Lord Dajiu, whose mood changed faster than lightning, carried Qian Duoduo over the mountaintop and arrived at an unfamiliar valley.
The valley was filled with bone-chilling Yin wind, completely different from the outside, as if it were another heaven.
Qian Duoduo looked down, “Oh my god,” the valley floor, among the grass and on tree branches, was completely covered in snakes.
Those snakes were red and white, black and silver, each with cold eyes and short, thick tails, clearly venomous.
Seeing someone approach, many snakes stood up, flicking their tongues and revealing their snow-white teeth.
“Dajiu, I was wrong.” Qian Duoduo quickly shouted.
Tang Honggong seemed not to hear. He pressed the golden sword beneath his feet downwards, forcing a path through the snake swarm, revealing a cave on the cliff ahead.
The cave was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. Before entering, a foul, fishy smell assailed his nostrils.
Qian Duoduo immediately felt dizzy and lightheaded. “Dajiu, won’t it be enough if I participate in the Minor Competition?” Qian Duoduo’s voice trembled.
After entering the cave, Tang Honggong’s body vibrated. Immediately, there was a commotion in the cave, and some light appeared.
Qian Duoduo saw venomous snakes, thicker than those outside the cave, coiled together in bundles, hissing from their mouths.
Qian Duoduo’s Spiritual Awareness told him that these snakes in the cave actually had Cultivation.
About ten feet away, there was a thick, patterned snake whose aura was even stronger than Qian Duoduo’s!
“I promise to get into the top five. Dajiu, I want to go back.” Qian Duoduo was almost crying.
Fighting people, one-on-one, he still had a chance. But fighting snakes, whose numbers he couldn’t even count, how could he fight?
“This place is called Little Dragon Valley, and it raises highly venomous snakes. Deeper inside, there’s even a Snake King, whose Cultivation is the same as a Cultivator at Qi Condensation Great Perfection. If it bites you, let alone me, even the Sect Leader couldn’t save you. You asked if there was a way not to participate in the Minor Competition, didn’t you? Anyone willing to come here and collect venom for the Sect can be exempted from participating in the Minor Competition.”
Tang Honggong’s voice was flat, but listening to it, it sounded as if countless venomous snakes were crawling.
“Dajiu, I’ll participate in the Minor Competition and do my best to get first place, like last time. However, if I don’t get first, Dajiu, you can’t blame me.”
Qian Duoduo’s throat felt as if it were filled with sand, producing a low, hoarse, dry voice.
“What did you say? Speak louder.” Tang Honggong tilted his head.
“I’ll do my best in the Minor Competition, guarantee to get into the top five, and strive for first place!” Qian Duoduo coughed lightly and said loudly.
“Mm. In the Dao, strive for first; the Heavenly Dao rewards diligence. The higher your Cultivation, the less you can be complacent, and you must not lose your sharp spirit of progress.”
Palace Lord Dajiu nodded in satisfaction, then flew Qian Duoduo back to the Mengyuan Mountain Outer Sect, dropped him off at the archway, and flew away on his sword.
Recalling the terrifying sight of the entire mountain covered in venomous snakes again and again, Qian Duoduo didn’t know how he walked back to the estate.
Huang Guiren and Wang Meiruo hadn’t left. Seeing him looking distraught, they asked in unison, “Where did Palace Lord take you?”
Qian Duoduo thought he shouldn’t scare them again, so he said, “It’s nothing. Absolutely nothing. My Dajiu just gave me some pointers for the Minor Competition.”
Wang Meiruo stepped forward and touched Qian Duoduo’s cold forehead with the back of her hand, “Are you really okay?”
“Really, I’m fine. The wind was strong up there, that’s all.” Qian Duoduo straightened his bent back.
“Participating in the Minor Competition is a big deal. I’ll take care of all the work at the estate. You prepare well, top five is no problem.”
Huang Guiren’s comforting words made Qian Duoduo unable to cry or laugh. “Top five is no problem, then you try it? It’s easy to talk when you’re not the one doing it.”
“Oh, how did you three end up together?” Just then, a sarcastic voice came from behind them.