Chương 13: Beg and Ye Shall Receive (I)

Down the mountain now I go~~ Restless not to get lost~ Khm. Just like I told Long Tao, I decided to descend the mountain and go into Sect today. Though there were the memories of the place, and that one time I climbed it (though, to be honest, I can barely remember three images from that day), I still needed to take in the full scope of the place. I'd also hoped to... borrow a few extra resources, though how feasible that might be is yet to be seen.

Not because the sect didn't occasionally loan things, especially to Elders, but because Lu Qi had barely ever paid back whatever he borrowed. In fact, I might spend the first year of my earnings just paying back the sect... It was one thing to stick me into a talentless body, in the middle of nowhere, with a bad reputation, and a system dependent on Disciples but giving me no Disciples at all... but to also saddle me with debt? That was just cruel.

Forget the 'Nightmare' difficulty; this is one of those 'you are not meant to beat this difficulty' difficulties. I feel almost like a passenger, with barely any agency. This body's weak, and my future progress is entirely dependent on other people. Though I can potentially create immortal and heavenly arts, what of it? Occasionally, to own the treasure was worse than not. If I can't protect it, I can either give it away or die. Haah, so many, just so many things to fix.

The descent, naturally, was far quicker than the ascent; furthermore, last time I had to slow down for Long Tao, but this time, I could utilize my cultivation a bit. Truth be told, I didn't experiment much--partially because I am still getting used to the body, but partially because, well, it would be sort of like putting a complete newbie into an F-15 or something. Sure, he could mess around with buttons and nodules and knobs and switches and whatnot, but that doesn't mean he'd be able to fly the damn thing.

Speaking of flight, you can imagine my sheer disappointment when I learned that only those at Void Transformation Realm can--well, they can't fly. They can kind of, sort of glide... for a little bit. In fact, as far as this body thought, only those Immortals from ancient times were capable of flight. Wouldn't that be depressing, though? Whatever. I was finally pulled out of my thoughts as I came upon the first buildings on my way down.

The Spirit Sword Sect housed numerous pavilions, though everything orbited the central valley itself. My peak was situated east and up, while the Ancestral Peak was north and up, the furthest away from the valley's entrance. There was a decent bustle ongoing, with quite a few blue-robed Disciples coming and going. They were mostly Inner Disciples, from what I recalled, ranging in strength from peak Qi Condensation to late Foundation Establishment.

The center of the valley was sort of a hub with diverging paths to the other parts of the Sect; there were stalls erected haphazardly about, mostly by disciples themselves, selling random things. None of it interested me, however, because... I was kind of poor, even by Disciple standards. The reason why I received so few stones was precisely all that debt, and today... today I was headed for the Administration Hall to query whether they can overlook my past inability to pay the debt and give me some more money.

Face? Pride? Psh. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I can't afford rice, man! Rice. It was no wonder that people here found it difficult to cultivate. Spirit Stones were absolutely necessary, but I think even the Sect Master, at best, used some sporadic high-quality stones. Now, mind you, that 'high-quality' was relative, as this corner's Qi was so thin, it couldn't produce anything better.

I climbed up the hundred or so stairs, ignoring the piercing gazes of people who recognized me, and came upon the magnificent-ish structure. The arched, slated gates were certainly imposing but also quite infested with cracks, waned due to time. The tiled floor below, too, showed signs of aging, though considering the foot traffic, it made sense. There was quite a line stretching all the way to the outside, but, luckily, I was still an Elder, with certain privileges. Such as outright skipping lines. So, I did.

With a hidden grin. I've waited in hundreds of lines in my life and gotten the VIP treatment of skipping them precisely thrice. And it never got any less exhilarating. Yes, I am very petty. Anyway, I ignored the gazes and drifted left through an opening and down a winding hallway that led to the back, where the Elders were supposed to go. After all, it would not do any good for the prestige of the Sect if the old Elders mingled with the disciples when it came to these mundane affairs.

At the end of the hallway was a simple squared chamber with a table and two praying mats. Well, it wasn't the only one--all of the ten or so rooms were identical. I went in and sat down, calming my quickly beating heart. This would not go well. While I hope that they give me something, that isn't the true goal of my journey here; the true goal was to plant a seed. If I ever want to fix 'my' awful reputation, I have to start small.

I waited for about fifteen minutes before the doors opened and a person walked through. As soon as I saw his face, my heart sank a bit; not because the person in question loathed my previous self, but the opposite. It was one of the Elders that did not hate Lu Qi. You'd think that was a good thing, but...

"Elder Lu," the man in question was Elder Qin, one of the most senior members of the sect. According to this body's memories, he was at the very least 200 years old and the only one in the sect with a chance to break through to the Void Transformation Realm like the Sect Master. Beyond all that... he was a stickler for rules. No, that didn't do him any justice. This man was the most inflexible human being perhaps on the continent--he obeyed the sect's Laws to the letter.

I suspect if even the Sect Master broke them, this guy would be the first one to point it out.

"Elder Qin," I greeted back; what's done is done. I won't get any new resources, but, perhaps, this worked out... in a way. Elder Qin had no feelings for me--at least publicly--either way. So long as I can leave a minimally good impression, or at least an impression of a man trying to change, it would be good enough.

"I expected you'd come three days ago," Elder Qin, despite his age, actually looked a bit younger than me. After all, his cultivation was reached naturally and not by sapping all existing potential like 'me'.

"I've been busy," I said.

"I hope I haven't made you wait."

"... clever. Why are you here?"

"To beg for a loan."

"Denied."

"You won't even hear me out?"

"Let me guess--you owe money to some brothel, and it turned out that the owner is stronger than you and is threatening to kill you."

"No."

"You bought some rare wine on credit, and now you're being asked to pay it?"

"No."

"You used your genitals so much you've worn it down to a tip, and now--""--How about I just tell you?" I quickly interrupted; he... he wasn't wrong. These were all the reasons Lu Qi legitimately used to beg for a loan. Oh. My. God.

"Oh? A new one? Hmm. If you entertain me, I will grant you something from my personal vault. Not a loan: a gift."

"... khm," I coughed lightly, not knowing whether to laugh.

"As you know, I have taken in a disciple."

"Hm."

"Well," I could lie--I am very good at it, indeed--but I didn't know whether this stern-faced stooge had means of seeing through me. So, I just told the truth.

"The other day, when we climbed up the mountain, and I had to escort him into the house of horrors, I felt something, Elder Qin."

"Oh? What did you feel?"

"Shame."

"Oh my."

"The kid didn't say anything," I chuckled.

"Thankfully. But... he didn't have to. Even if he didn't mind, I did. So, yesterday and the day before, I worked all day. I cleaned, ripped up the old floorboards and replaced them with new ones, changed the basic furniture, and even the doors and doorframes."

"You did?"

"You can check."

"I believe you," tsk. This guy really had a way to figure out if I'm lying. Hooh. Thankfully I told the truth.

"There's only so much, however, I can do with just grass and wood from the mountain."

"So, you're here to ask for resources for your Disciple?"

"... yes."

"... it is indeed new," The old man tapped his finger against the desk rather gently, staring directly into my soul, it felt. The gray eyes had a modicum of sympathy within them, though for who--me or the disciple--I didn't know. The silence lasted a long while before he suddenly sighed.

"Very well." Eeeh? Eeeeeh? Really?!