Chapter 10 Something Happens

The quiet lasted exactly one more day. Lin Feng spent most of it completing two low value contribution tasks and earning a handful of points. No one provoked him or blocked his path anymore. Even the disciples who usually glared at him only looked away when he passed. The lack of reaction was starting to feel unnatural.

By evening, his Rage Points had not increased at all. He sat on his cot in Room 404, spinning the Echo Mockery Bell between his fingers. Lu Cang was writing something on a cheap paper slip with a serious expression, probably calculating how many contribution points he still needed.

"They’re really going to wait until the assessment," Lin Feng muttered.

Lu Cang didn’t look up. "Good. That means we get to live a little longer."

Before Lin Feng could reply, a sharp knock hit their door. Three short, official sounding knocks.

Lu Cang froze. Lin Feng stood up and opened the door.

Chen Yu from the Enforcement Hall stood outside, accompanied by one other disciple. His expression was the same cold mask as always.

"Lin Feng," Chen Yu said. "Pack nothing. Come with us."

Lu Cang’s face went white. Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Am I being arrested?"

"No, you are being reassigned," Chen Yu replied. "Elder Mo has requested additional hands for a task. You were specifically named."

That was unexpected. Lin Feng stepped out into the hallway. "What kind of task?"

Chen Yu already turned to leave. "You’ll find out when we arrive. Don’t make me repeat myself."

Lu Cang looked between them with pure panic. "I-I’ll just stay here in the room!"

Lin Feng gave him a small wave and followed the two Enforcement disciples. They walked past the usual outer sect paths and up a quieter stone trail that led toward the cliffs on the eastern side of the mountain. The sun had already started to set, painting the sky in dull orange. Fewer disciples came this way.

Eventually they stopped in front of a small, worn storage pavilion built near the edge of a steep drop. A few crates and sealed boxes were stacked outside. Elder Mo stood there with his hands behind his back, looking as sour as ever.

When he saw Lin Feng, his face clouded even further.

Elder Mo clicked his tongue. "Ahem! I asked for extra hands to move the damaged spirit herb crates before the assessment. I did not ask for the most troublesome disciple in the outer sect."

Chen Yu remained expressionless. "His name was on the list you approved, Elder."

Elder Mo’s eye twitched. He clearly regretted whatever administrative moment had led to this.

He turned his glare onto Lin Feng.

"You will move these crates to the lower storage room. You will not speak unnecessarily. You will not cause any incident. If you break even one jar, I will have you cleaning the Reflection Caves with your tongue."

Lin Feng gave a polite nod.

"Understood, Elder Mo."

Elder Mo stared at him for a long moment, as if waiting for the usual insolence. When it didn’t immediately come, he snorted and turned away.

"Chen Yu, watch him. I have other matters to handle."

The elder left with a sweep of his sleeves.For a while, the only sound was the wind moving across the cliff. Lin Feng looked at the stacked crates, then at Chen Yu.

"So," he said, "do I start now, or would you like to give me a motivational speech first?"

Chen Yu’s forehead vein made a small return.

"Move the crates. And stay quiet."

Lin Feng rolled up his sleeves and got to work. The first few crates were heavy but manageable. He carried them one by one down a short flight of stone steps into the lower storage room. Chen Yu stood nearby with his arms crossed, clearly assigned to make sure nothing went wrong.

It was boring. Which meant something was bound to happen. On his fifth trip back up the steps, Lin Feng noticed two outer disciples standing at the edge of the path, pretending to look at the view. He recognized one of them as a disciple who had been present during the Dining Pavilion garlic incident. The other was unfamiliar.

They weren’t Enforcement. They weren’t Tiger Claw either. But they were watching him too closely. Lin Feng carried the next crate past them without comment. As he went by, he caught a small movement from the corner of his eye, one of them slightly shifting his foot near a loose support brick under the remaining stack of crates.A pathetically weak attempt.

Lin Feng kept walking as if he hadn’t noticed.

When he came back up empty handed, the two disciples had moved closer to the stack. One of them gave a fake cough and bumped the loose brick more deliberately with his heel. The top crate wobbled. Lin Feng stopped and looked at them.

"If you’re going to sabotage the stack," he said calmly, "you should at least wait until I’m under it. Otherwise it’s just sad."

The two disciples stiffened. Chen Yu’s head turned sharply in their direction.

"You two. What are you doing here?"

"We were just passing by, Senior Brother!" one of them said quickly. "We didn’t touch anything!"

The crate wobbled again. This time the loose brick fully gave way. But Lin Feng moved fast.

He stepped in, caught the falling crate with both hands, and set it down heavily on the ground. The impact sent a dull thud through the stone. One of the sealed jars inside cracked with a sharp sound. Everyone went still.

Chen Yu’s expression turned ice cold.The two disciples had already started backing away.

Lin Feng looked down at the crate, then up at Chen Yu, then at the two pale faced saboteurs.

A slow smile spread across his face. This was more like it.