Chapter 227: Bear the Consequences

Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Bear the Consequences

"Turns out it was this simple."

Ji Ming gazed at the Jade Token in his hand, which signified his position in Purple Bamboo Peak’s Hundred Affairs Hall, and couldn’t help but shake his head. He had tried to become a member of Purple Cloud Valley in the past, but not only did his letters vanish without a trace, he was even mocked by members of the Royal Family.

Yet from the moment Liu Chen began his preparations to the matter being finalized, barely half a month had passed. And that was including the time spent in the Great Xia Imperial City; without it, the whole affair had taken less than a day.

"I suppose that makes us colleagues now."

Ye Hui secured the Jade Token at his waist, his feelings a complicated mix. This new status was several tiers higher than his former position as Patriarch of the Ye Family. The current Patriarch would have no choice but to curry favor if they were to meet.

Ji Ming and Ye Hui exchanged a glance, each shaking his head with a bitter smile. Both had fallen on hard times and tried to turn their fortunes around, but in the end, they still had to rely on their daughters’ connections. In a way, they were companions in misery.

"Who do you think will be the ’older sister’?"

"I’m not sure, but that doesn’t really matter. My only worry is that our worthy nephew might not even be interested in them."

Compared to the men’s conversation, the topic between Lady Ye and Lady Ji was a bit more sensational. With their other worries gone, it was only natural for them, as mothers, to start fussing over their daughters’ marital affairs.

Hearing this, Ye Hui and Ji Ming exchanged a look of pure resignation.

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"Four hundred thousand Spirit Stones for an auction house and twenty Meridian Passage Cultivators. This is a very good deal."

Inside the Bamboo Garden, the Grand Elder nodded as he looked at the signed Spirit Contract. Though he didn’t know what exactly Liu Chen and the Peak Master’s disciple were planning, he knew the Peak Master would be leaving in a few days. He had anticipated that Liu Chen would sell off his property.

The Hundred Affairs Hall was an excellent buyer under the circumstances, but he hadn’t expected to gain so many Meridian Passage Cultivators in the deal, and what’s more, he wouldn’t even have to worry about their backgrounds.

The parents of the Peak Master’s two disciples were a given. The remaining twelve were Meridian Passage Cultivators from the families of other Purple Cloud Valley Inner Sect Disciples. Under such circumstances, he naturally didn’t have to worry about them causing any trouble.

"This is a one-time exception. As for the auction house, handle it as you see fit."

The Grand Elder glanced at Steward Lin, who stood before him with a deferential, lowered gaze, and finally shook his head with a sigh. He was treating this as a personal favor to Liu Chen, but if such dealings within Purple Bamboo Peak’s Hundred Affairs Hall became rampant, the entire institution would be abolished.

"I will bear it in mind."

Steward Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief; the worst-case scenario had been avoided. ’Still,’ he thought, ’arranging the remaining four slots is going to be difficult.’

"By the way, since you’re opening an auction house, make sure it’s fully staffed. It’s run by Purple Bamboo Peak, after all; we can’t let it become a laughingstock. You can handle the remaining four slots yourself."

The Grand Elder added this last sentence before closing his eyes. Seeing his cue, Steward Lin hastily took his leave. Once he was out of the Bamboo Garden, he turned and walked away, a wide smile spreading across his face.

’The Lin Family’s matter is finally settled,’ he thought. ’The Grand Elder has tacitly approved my control over the four slots. However, if any problems arise at the auction house because of this, I’ll be the one taking the fall.’

’For someone from a Loose Cultivator background to have come this far, he’s a rare talent. If he can successfully achieve Foundation Establishment, his future will be boundless.’

The Grand Elder opened his eyes, watching Steward Lin’s departing figure and shaking his head. The Three Immortal Sects all recruited Loose Cultivators, but the requirements were extremely strict. Normally, reaching the rank of a lesser Steward was the highest a Loose Cultivator could hope to achieve.

The fact that Steward Lin had broken convention to become a high-ranking Steward in the Hundred Affairs Hall was a testament to his capabilities. Without genuine skill, he would have been blocked, even if the Peak Master himself had wanted to promote him.

Not long after Steward Lin left, Yang Haichen appeared outside the Bamboo Garden.

"How is that roster I asked you to compile coming along?"

The Grand Elder raised a hand, stopping Yang Haichen from bowing, and got straight to the point. In the future, the Grand Elder would be responsible for all of Purple Bamboo Peak’s affairs. He would be overwhelmed trying to manage it all alone. Compiling the roster was a test to see if this disciple of his had what it took to help.

If he did, that would be wonderful; it would mean he could take more time to observe candidates for the vacant Elder seats. If not, then filling those seats would become an urgent priority. He would be worked to death if he had to handle both his own duties and those of the Peak Master.

"Please take a look, Master."

Yang Haichen gave an awkward laugh and placed the compiled roster on the table. The Grand Elder gave his disciple a surprised look. He hadn’t actually believed Yang Haichen could handle the task, but he had stubbornly held out a sliver of hope and tested him anyway.

Although he had braced himself for Yang Haichen’s usual poor performance, the Grand Elder’s anger flared the moment he saw the completely nonsensical roster.

"I’m giving you two months. If you still haven’t broken through to the Meridian Passage Realm by then... you’ll face the consequences."

What the Grand Elder had wanted to say was, "I’ll expel you," but he decided against it. It wasn’t easy finding a disciple he actually liked. Still, as he glanced at the disaster of a roster, he began to seriously doubt his own judgment.

"This disciple will take his leave."

Sensing things were turning sour, Yang Haichen beat a hasty retreat. He truly had tried his best to organize the roster. But Purple Bamboo Peak had a massive number of Outer Disciples, and he had to clearly document the origins of each one. By the end of it, he’d begun to doubt whether he was even literate.

’Let’s see who can take over the Fourth Elder’s position.’

The Grand Elder tossed Yang Haichen’s roster aside and took out a list of candidates for the Eldership, mulling it over. Once he officially became Peak Master, the other three Elders would all be promoted one rank.

This was the best way to prevent chaos on Purple Bamboo Peak. Even if the newly appointed Fourth Elder needed time to adjust, they would only be managing the Outer Disciples. Any mistakes they made wouldn’t affect the entire peak. The Inner Sect Disciples and True Disciples, however, were a different matter. Their supervisors had to be experienced.

This was especially true for the Grand Elder, who was responsible for overseeing all disciple trials and their overall cultivation progress.

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Liu Chen returned directly to his Bamboo Garden and began practicing the Thunder Sound Technique, a skill he’d worked on before. Although there was only an hour before he had to prepare lunch, Liu Chen wanted to use the technique to test how quickly he could practice Magic now.

[Thunder Sound Technique Proficiency +40]

As he unleashed the Thunder Sound Technique, Liu Chen ignored the pulverized bamboo leaves and glanced at the notification that appeared. Previously, casting the technique had only granted him twenty Proficiency points, but now it had doubled. The only downside was that while his casting speed had increased, for sustained practice, he could only maintain his previous training intensity.

He could now cast twice as many spells simultaneously in battle, but if he were to practice at full tilt, the rate at which his Spirit Ghost processed Spiritual Power couldn’t keep up with his consumption. He was still limited to his previous training regimen.

Even so, his rate of Proficiency gain had doubled across the board. For a Basic Magic Technique, he could now gain two thousand Proficiency in an hour. For an Intermediate Magic, it was one thousand, and for Advanced Magic, five hundred.