Chapter 35: Repaying Debts

After calming his excited emotions, Wang Zhenshu said in a low voice, “The day before yesterday, Jiang Chen also came back for a visit.”
“Jiang Chen?” Su Che frowned slightly. “If I calculate the time, he should have become an outer disciple by now, right?”
“Yes, not only has he become an outer disciple, but he also came back.”
Su Che nodded silently. He had expected this outcome. Jiang Chen, having mixed with Song the Fat from Tianwu Peak, might already be serving as a lackey under some inner disciple there…
“He came back to show off, right?” Su Che guessed.
“That’s right, Senior Su,” Hu Tou replied with a resentful expression. “He acted all arrogant, completely unlike the Jiang Chen we knew before. He even said a lot of bad things about you.”
“What kind of bad things?” Su Che smiled faintly.
“He said that even if you became an outer disciple, you wouldn’t have a good life for long.” At just thirteen, ‘Hu Tou’ still had a childlike mind, lacking cunning, and spoke truthfully without any pretense. “He also said we shouldn’t get too close to you, or else we’d suffer the same fate… Senior Su, I don’t believe him, and I’m not afraid of him!”
Su Che chuckled and patted Hu Tou’s shoulder. “It’s okay. None of us are afraid of him.”
Jiang Chen had already been added to Su Che’s list of those to be eliminated. If he got the chance to capture him and bring him to Immortal Prison, he would execute him to honor the spirit of the other ‘Su Che’.
A gentleman can take revenge after ten years—fighting privately within the sect wasn’t feasible, but he would surely find an opportunity to deal with him outside!
After chatting for a while, Su Che got up to leave, giving final instructions: “This bear meat should be enough to help you reach the first level of Qi cultivation. The entrance exam isn’t too difficult either… After joining the sect, you can go to Xianyuan Peak to seek your own fates. Even if you can’t join the ten main peaks, don’t be discouraged. I believe it won’t take long before I gain enough qualifications to help you join Xuanji Peak.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
Wang Zhenshu and Hu Tou stood up respectfully and bowed. For some reason, they didn’t doubt Su Che’s words at all, as if whatever he said would surely come true.
…
The next step was naturally to buy medicinal pills and sell some excess supplies. Su Che chose a shop named ‘Fengyuan Residence’.
Fengyuan Residence was one of the most famous shops in Xuanji City and belonged to Xuanji Peak. Following the principle of keeping profits within the sect, Su Che naturally chose this place for transactions.

Han Youming and Lu Laodao were captured in Yinfeng Gorge, and their assets added to Su Che’s wealth. The items he could offer for trade included: 27 ordinary spirit herbs, the complete bodies of three demon beasts, two extra flying swords, and over 170 lower-grade spirit stones.
The transaction went smoothly without any complications. The spirit herbs, demon beast bodies, and flying swords were sold for a total of 180 spirit stones. Since none of these items were particularly valuable, that was a fair price.
Afterward, Su Che spent another 140 spirit stones to buy ten bottles of “Xiesui Dan,” ten bottles of “Ningqi Dan,” and a matrix disc for embedding a spirit stone array. After the transaction, he still had 210 lower-grade spirit stones left in his bag.
While this was a significant amount, it wasn’t extremely outrageous, so it didn’t draw the attention of the two attendant disciples guarding the area. The shopkeepers in charge of daily operations could handle such matters on their own. Su Che had no interest in making more acquaintances, so he didn’t go to see those two fellow disciples from the same sect.
After leaving “Fengyuan Residence,” Su Che planned to return to Xuanji Peak to retreat and cultivate as soon as possible. But as the saying goes, enemies often meet again. Before even leaving the city gates, he encountered Jiang Chen and Song Pangzi’s group on the street.
There were five of them in total. Su Che only recognized Jiang Chen and Song Pangzi, but today, they clearly played supporting roles, surrounded by two other outer sect disciples, protecting a cold-looking young woman.
This young woman was strikingly beautiful. Her white Daoist robes had silver thread embroidery at the collar and cuffs, and she wore a “Tianwu” jade plaque around her waist. Clearly, she was an inner sect disciple of Tianwu Peak, with a status equivalent to Senior Brother Yu Qing from Xuanji Peak.
“If nothing goes wrong, this woman must be the senior sister backing Jiang Chen and Song Pangzi—the leader of their little circle,” Su Che thought, lowering his head in an attempt to avoid them.
A true man doesn’t suffer losses right in front of him. With their numbers advantage, if Jiang Chen and Song Pangzi saw him, they would surely provoke him or even insult him.
“Su Che!”
Jiang Chen had sharp eyes and was extremely sensitive to Su Che’s presence. He spotted Su Che in the crowd from over a dozen zhang away.
With his call, the other four people also turned their attention to Su Che.
Su Che frowned and cursed inwardly, “Do these guys have nothing better to do? Instead of cultivating at the mountain gate or going out to gain experience, they just wander around in Xuanji City!”
With no way to avoid them, he had no choice but to face them head-on, even going so far as to bow politely and greet them, “Su Che, a disciple of Xuanji Peak, greets his senior sister.”

Out of respect for the sect’s traditions, outer sect disciples must take the initiative to greet inner sect disciples; otherwise, they might be exploited by the latter to accuse them of disrespecting elders. The young woman remained expressionless, as cold as ever, not even responding. In her view, it was not worth replying to a stranger from the outer sect who simply greeted her. Song Fatty’s round face was covered in flattering smiles as he whispered something in her ear, after which she finally showed a cold smirk: “Someone from Yuqing? Hmph, great!” Her tone was quite hostile, and Su Che felt a chill in his heart: “It seems this woman holds deep resentment toward Senior Yuqing…” “Su Che…” Jiang Chen’s eyes flickered, and he immediately came up with a scheme. He stepped forward and shouted, “I’ve been looking for you for days—what a coincidence. Well, you still owe me a hundred spirit stones. You must pay me back today!” Owing him a hundred spirit stones? Complete nonsense! Unperturbed, Su Che smiled faintly and said, “Junior Jiang Chen, you still owe me my life. When do you plan to repay it?” Jiang Chen’s expression changed slightly; still feeling guilty, he avoided Su Che’s gaze and turned to Song Fatty for help: “Senior, look, he’s trying to play tricks.” Song Fatty smiled at Su Che and said slowly, “Su Che, that’s not right. It’s only natural to repay debts! As your witness, I must remind you that the hundred spirit stones should have been returned to Junior Jiang Chen long ago.” “If it’s a loan, there should be an IOU. Then please show me the IOU, Junior Jiang Chen,” Su Che said calmly. During his time as a patrol officer, he had handled no fewer than a dozen such false accusations—how could he be fooled by such simple words? Song Fatty looked at Jiang Chen, continuing his act: “An IOU? Do we have one?” “No!” Jiang Chen shook his head, looking aggrieved. “I trusted him too much back then and was too embarrassed to ask for an IOU. But, Senior Song, you were there when the loan was taken!” “That’s right!” Song Fatty laughed. “There may be no physical evidence, but my testimony is just as valid, right?” “Empty words can be twisted however you like,” Su Che said, shaking his head. “Without an IOU written by me, all your words are invalid! How about we go to the Enforcement Hall to sort this out?” “The Enforcement Hall?” Song Fatty smirked darkly, temporarily at a loss for words. He cursed inwardly: “Damn, this kid is calm and composed—definitely not like a fourteen-year-old kid!”

These days, Su Che and Song Pangzi are both outer sect disciples with equal status. There’s no need to be so polite with him, nor to fear him. Besides, private fights are forbidden in Xuanji City; at most, one would end up in the Enforcement Hall. Su Che felt at ease and fearless.

“Not repaying borrowed money is a betrayal of others’ trust in you,” the cold and arrogant woman took over the conversation, looking down on Su Che with disdain. “Yu Qing’s taste is getting worse by the day. How could he even take a scumbag like you in consideration!”

Su Che remained silent, his expression calm, his heart equally unperturbed. Given her status, it would be foolish to argue with her. Moreover, her sarcasm and insults applied just as well to her own situation. Look at who surrounded her—Jiang Chen and Song Pangzi were outright despicable people. Hiring such scoundrels as subordinates only proved her poor judgment was beyond remedy.

On the first level of the Immortal Prison, Lao He was seething with anger. He crouched down and stood up again, resembling an agitated wild beast.

His master had been mistreated and insulted. Lao He wasn’t just angry but also deeply guilty—too incompetent to punish those beasts for his master. How hateful!

“Catch them all! Let me, Lao He, torment them!” Lao He roared inwardly but dared not make a sound, fearing it might disrupt his master’s precious calmness.

“Lao He, there’s no need to go this far.”

Su Che still sensed Lao He’s suppressed fury. As the person involved, he advised calmly, “Our strength is low, so we need to strengthen our hearts even more. On the path of cultivation, we face all kinds of challenges and hardships. What are these verbal attacks? They can be ignored. They’re just a few petty clowns. It won’t take long to trample them underfoot…”

“Yes, master.” Lao He panted heavily before gradually calming down. Eventually, he sat down with a thud and mumbled, “The master is right. Lao He admires you!”

“Still knows how to flatter at a time like this,” Su Che thought with a smile.