Chapter Twelve: Rivals Meet Again

Weiran Ju was a trading hall that combined dining and lodging within Xuanji City, managed by two outer disciple apprentices.

This trading hall was not someone’s private property but a public establishment set up by the Tianxuan Sect, allowing self-cultivating disciples to freely buy and sell various cultivation materials, including spirit talismans, spirit herbs, pills, magical artifacts, and more.

The two outer disciple apprentices were stationed there to maintain order and resolve disputes arising from transactions among the self-cultivating disciples. This was also a task assigned by the sect, lasting for one year, after which another pair of outer disciples would take over.

In other words, even outer disciple apprentices couldn’t just focus solely on cultivation; they also had to regularly complete designated sect tasks. Only by experiencing various aspects of life could their mental state keep up with their cultivation progress.

Mental state and cultivation level complemented each other.

Today, in one of the private booths at Weiran Ju, three young people were sitting together, drinking and chatting.

Two of them were slightly older, around seventeen or eighteen, dressed in white Taoist robes with a silver thread at the collar—likely the two outer disciple apprentices in charge.

The third was only fourteen or fifteen, with delicate features and a good appearance. However, he wore an obsequious expression and spoke cautiously.

If Su Che were here, he would immediately recognize that this young man was Jiang Chen, the one who had schemed against “him” in his memories.

Jiang Chen had hoarded the Red Flame Fruit and rushed back to Xuanji City, immediately handing over this valuable spirit herb to the sect in exchange for a large amount of contribution points and an additional 200 lower-grade spirit stones as a reward.

With these spirit stones, he could not only buy enough pills to help him condense true energy but also use the remaining funds to reward the two outer disciple apprentices at Weiran Ju, thereby building connections in advance. Once he officially joined the sect, he would have people to back him up.

Originally, these two outer disciple apprentices looked down on self-cultivating disciples like Jiang Chen. But since he was about to officially join the sect and brotherhood was only a matter of time, they accepted his gifts and included him in their small circle in advance.

The Tianxuan Sect had as many as 200,000 outer disciple apprentices, among whom countless small gangs, cliques, and factions inevitably existed—this was only human nature, something common everywhere, nothing unusual.

At this moment, the fatter outer disciple was proudly boasting about his achievements. Jiang Chen’s eyes moved rapidly, his expression changing constantly—sometimes in awe, sometimes in excessive flattery, showing considerable skill at sucking up. At just fourteen years old, he already possessed such scheming tactics; it was unclear whether it was innate or learned later on.

As they were talking, someone outside reported, “Two senior masters, there’s a self-study disciple named Su Che who says he wants to see Senior Brother Jiang Chen.” The boy who brought the message was also a self-study disciple, working at Weiranju to earn contribution points for the sect. This kind of work carried no danger and was suitable for young people who had just arrived in Xuanji City, still only twelve or thirteen years old and not under much pressure to fail.

“Su Che? Impossible!” Jiang Chen was stunned in the room and exclaimed in shock.

“What’s the matter?” The fatter outer disciple’s expression turned cold as he snapped, “Why such a fuss? It’s just someone looking for you, isn’t it?”

“Senior Master Song, it’s like this…” Jiang Chen reacted quickly and replied, “This guy holds a grudge against me, but he should have been dead. How could he appear again?”

“A grudge against you? A dead man…” It seemed that this fat Song was also a cunning man. After thinking for a moment, he guessed something and asked sideways, “Did you fail to kill him properly and now he’s coming after you again?”

“Heh…” Jiang Chen rubbed his forehead and laughed dryly. He didn’t intend to argue and simply said, “Senior master, it’s not a big deal. That kid has no backing, and besides, he can’t produce any evidence. I’ll just find an opportunity to kill him again.”

“Heh!” Fat Song smirked, his smile carrying a sinister tone. It seemed Jiang Chen’s cruelty suited his taste. Perhaps out of boredom, he wanted some fun, so he shouted outside, “Then bring him in.”

The boy outside responded and immediately went to fetch him.

Soon, Su Che was brought into the room. Seeing the two outer disciples, he didn’t seem very surprised. Instead, he calmly bowed and said, “Disciple Su Che, greeting two senior masters.”

Fat Song and the other disciple with the hooked nose didn’t even bother to pay attention to Su Che. They simply gave Jiang Chen a look, as if to say, “Take care of him. It’s up to you.”

Jiang Chen nodded eagerly, as if a servant receiving an imperial edict. But once his gaze shifted to Su Che, it turned as cold and merciless as a blade.

Jiang Chen frowned tightly and glanced at Su Che just once. For some reason, he felt that this man, who should have been rotting as a corpse, had somehow changed…
What was different?
He couldn’t say!
It seemed like…
Ah, it seemed he could no longer discern Su Che’s strength!
Could it be…
Jiang Chen’s expression changed again as he turned his head and asked in a low voice, “Uncle Song, his strength…”
“That’s right!” Fat Song still wore an aloof expression but gave a definite answer, “He’s now at the first level of Qi cultivation. Is that so surprising to you?”
“How is that possible!”
Jiang Chen’s hair stood on end as he nearly jumped up in shock. After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old boy; no matter how cunning he was, his schemes had limits.
Damn it! He wasn’t dead, and he had even condensed true Qi? If he accumulated enough contribution points to become an outer sect disciple, would there still be any chance for him to survive?
“What should I do?” Jiang Chen panicked instantly.
Looking at Su Che again, he had remained calm and composed since entering, his expression natural, not at all like someone who had encountered a mortal enemy. It wasn’t until now that he spoke calmly, “Junior Brother Jiang, my identity jade token is in your possession. I hope you’ll return it to me. I came to see you for this reason.”
“The identity jade token?” Jiang Chen’s face twisted in anger. Seemingly the victim of a despicable scheme, he pointed at Su Che and shouted, “How dare you ask me for my identity jade token? Why should I give it back to you?”
The fourteen-year-old boy’s voice was still changing, and in his anger, it became as shrill and piercing as that of a raped girl.
Fat Song and the man with the hooked nose grinned but stayed silent, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Yet Su Che could predict that at a critical moment, they would surely step in to create trouble for him. Judging from their looks and expressions, they were definitely not good people.
In fact, the nine spirit herbs in Su Che’s Qiankun Bag, if exchanged for contribution points, would be more than enough for him to join the sect, with plenty left over. Even if he had to make a new identity jade token, it wouldn’t pose any obstacle.
But the original over 500 contribution points in the jade token were the result of Su Che’s predecessor’s three years of hard work and sacrifice. Think about it—starting to strive for his ideals at the age of eleven, wasn’t it difficult for such a young child?
Those contribution points carried so much of his efforts and hopes. If he gave them up silently without even trying to fight for them, it would be too frustrating—truly unfair to the soul that once resided in this body.

Success or failure is one thing; doing or not doing is another.
“Jiang Chen!”
Su Che’s expression turned cold, and his tone lost all courtesy: “Right from wrong, you and I both know clearly. There’s no need to talk about anything else—I just want you to return my identity jade talisman. If there’s still a trace of humanity in you, it would be best if…”
“Never!”
This time, Jiang Chen really jumped up, waving his arms and shouting hoarsely, “Su Che, you should have died already! Why are you back to life? Do you still want to become an outer disciple? Dream on! Never even think about it! If you have the guts, kill me right here!”
Such a madman was beyond redemption! Su Che smiled coldly, sparing no further words for him, and instead bowed to Song Pàngzi and the hooked-nosed man: “Disciple Su Che earnestly asks these two uncles to judge fairly for me.”
Su Che’s move was also a form of offense turned into defense, striking first. According to the sect rules, fellow disciples should respect and care for each other, treating one another like brothers. Even if they found someone else’s identity jade talisman, they should return it voluntarily.
Yet here, Jiang Chen had indirectly admitted that Su Che’s jade talisman was in his hands, but he was blatantly acting stubbornly. So, with these two uncles present, if they didn’t uphold justice for Su Che, they would have to explain themselves and provide a reasonable account once word got out.
After all, the Tianxuan Sect was a legitimate immortal sect—no matter how small or large the matter, right from wrong had to be clarified. At the very least, that was how the sect rules stated.