The sky was bright, if you ignored the black smoke above Evil Spirit Sect's mountain. The parts that weren't blocked by it were very clear. Because of that, it made the black smoke look incredibly distinct, and at the same time, anyone who lifted their heads upwards would be able to see the blue shade in the sky serving as a contrast against it.
There were also some white clouds floating about, and under the radiant sun, a person would inevitably start feeling lazy. If it had not been winter, this weather might perhaps have been even more perfect.
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the sky. Qian Chen's suggestive words were still ringing in his ears. This was something he had never experienced before. It did not matter whether it was when he was in Dark Mountain, in the ninth summit, or when he was in the land of the Shamans. He had never experienced such a thing like this, not before he entered this sect.
He was not a successor disciple, and no one paid too much attention to him. He was chased out of the Outer Sect as if he was banished, and when he came to the laborer's lodge, he met this Qian Chen, who was giving him a filthy smile, and as Su Ming looked at this man, a faint smile gradually appeared on his own face.
He suddenly found that he very much liked this feeling.
He did not need to use too much of his mind to know why this person was being so friendly. It was all because he still was unable to figure out his origins. After all, on the surface, Su Ming seemed like he was sent down from the Outer Sect.
He looked as if he was banished, and this was the punishment dealt towards disciples who had done wrong in Evil Spirit Sect. Hence, the possibility of these disciples being summoned back existed. Because of that, it was only logical that this Qian Chen would be so logical.
When Su Ming thought about this, he smiled at the man and shook his head.
Qian Chen did not hesitate even for a moment. His expression immediately morphed into one of seriousness. It gave off a solemn air, and at the same time, there was also respect and admiration contained within it.
After casting a profound gaze at Su Ming, he slowly nodded his head.
"As expected of an Outer Sect disciple. I originally wanted to use this to test you because I wanted to find out about your character, junior brother Chen. If you agreed to go and manage the servant girls and have numerous beautiful girls listen to you and serving you every single day as if your word was law… then I would look down on you.
"How could we cultivators neglect training our character for lust? This sort of thing is something we must absolutely not do!
"If you had agreed to this, I would have tried persuading you not to do it, because we're fellow disciples and I am your senior brother. I have a duty to tell you that this isn't something we should do!
"Junior brother Chen, I have always been selfless, or else the sect wouldn't have given me the important task of managing the laborers. And you are the most valiant person I've seen here, and also the person who deserves the most amount of respect among all those here!" Qian Chen stated slowly. As he spoke, his expressions shifted and changed, according to what was required in that part of his speech.
It sounded as if he had done all these things because he was merely being considerate of Su Ming, as if he was truly just testing him.
"Then, junior brother Chen, please take care of the purchase of items. This is incredibly important…" As Qian Chen spoke, he suddenly noticed that Su Ming was frowning slightly when he heard that. A thought immediately appeared in his head, and his tone as well as his words swiftly changed.
"...but even though this is incredibly important, it's impossible for you to do it!" His expression changed into that of burning righteousness as he looked at Su Ming solemnly.
"Because while this might be a great job for other people, this is a dirty thing you should never do!
"Purchasing items from the world outside requires you to always go down the mountain. This is a humiliation to someone like you who immerses yourself in training, junior brother Chen. I'll just be causing you harm and making you waste your training time!
"What is time, junior brother Chen? Time is life, this is something I believe in wholeheartedly. Don't worry, I will never make you waste your life. You don't know about this, but I was testing you again just now!
"Junior brother Chen, my respect for you has surpassed the one I hold for everyone else. I'm proud that Evil Spirit Sect has received a talented person like you, junior brother Chen…" Qian Chen's words continued like flowing water, and since the start, Su Ming had never said anything. Only Qian Chen's voice echoed in the place.
As Qian Chen continued speaking, he continued observing Su Ming's facial expressions, and anxiety started gradually welling up in his heart.
He found that he could not fully grasp this boy's thoughts. He had seen some of the disciples who had been banished here as punishment by the Outer Sect, but with just a few words, he could somewhat tell what they were thinking, and from there, he could determine their importance to the Outer Sect, which would also tell him whether the person had any backing.
From there, he could also tell whether he could use that person, and then, he would be able to give that person a rank in his heart.
He always bemoaned how tough his job was, because he had to observe other people's moods and determine which of the ones that were sent down had to be oppressed, which had to be fawned upon, which had to be treated aloofly, and which he had to be friendly towards.
To him, this was his most important task.
Yet he could not see through this Chen Su. Right from the start, this person had not said a single word. The composure he maintained also made him seem as if he was not chased away from the Outer Sect, but was instead akin to one of those rich kids that was occasionally taking a stroll outside.
This bearing made Qian Chen's heart thump.
'He's an ace! He's definitely an ace! This isn't about him having a high level of cultivation, but is a matter about him having a powerful background, or else it'd be impossible for him to be so composed at his age!' Qian Chen immediately made an assumption.
'These are the most troublesome ones! This person can rank in the third tier on the 'Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke' chart I've made after examining all the people sent here through the twenty years I've worked in the laborers' lodge!' Qian Chen was smiling, but his heart was on guard.
He had met arrogant and aloof ones among those who were chased down from the Outer Sect, and dealing with these sort of people was a piece of cake to him. He had also seen those who liked putting on airs, those with murderous aura all over their bodies, and had even met those who might be smiling, but whose eyes would be flashing with a sinister glint.
He had met far too many kinds of people during the twenty years, and he only had a few words for the disciples who were chased out of the Outer Sect, which were…
"Damn you all, even if you're a dragon, you put your head down when you're in my territory! Even if you're a tiger, you lie down!"
'Something's not right, something's definitely not right! There's something off about this Chen Su, something incredibly off about him!' Qian Chen bent his back a little, and a bright smile appeared on his face.
"I know what job suits you the most, junior brother Chen. You're the most suited for distributing spirit stones. Don't worry, so that you will have a better future and Evil Spirit Sect will continue growing stronger, I will selflessly offer you this position. From now on, the task of distributing spirit stones will be handed to you!
"I know that this job will definitely not enter your sights, but I just realized today that you are even more suited for it than I am. Please don't reject it. This matter… concerns the future of Evil Spirit Sect. It affects the entire situation in Eastern Wastelands and is linked to the fates of tens of thousands of people…"
The compassionate look on Qian Chen's face towards all of mankind, the emotion in his voice, and the slight shiver in it made him seem as if he had turned into the lord of Eastern Wastelands, and right at that moment, he was it handing over to Su Ming.
Even Su Ming was momentarily taken aback by his words. If it hadn't been that he was absolutely certain that this Qian Chen standing before him was not hiding anything from him or had gone through any sort of transformations, he would have thought this man was actually the bald crane.
To Su Ming, only the bald crane could even hope to compete with his way with words. As for who would win… Su Ming would lean more towards the bald crane, after all, the level to which they catered to his desires was different...
"Give me a quiet and slightly remote place. I want to go into isolation." Su Ming cast Qian Chen a glance and spoke for the first time. His voice was calm and flat, but there was a might within it that allowed no room for dispute.
Qian Chen's heart let out a loud thump once again and he took two steps back before carefully sizing up Su Ming from head to toe.
'Rank increase. This person isn't ranked in the third tier on the Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke chart, he's on the second tier!'
He was feeling slightly nervous in his heart, but not a single hint of it was shown on his face. He continued showing a radiant smile, and when he heard his words, he nodded his head with a pleased expression.
"Not bad. As expected, I didn't misjudge you, junior brother Chen! I respect you!" As he spoke, he even gave Su Ming a thumbs up. There was not a hint of falsehood in the pleased look on his face, and there was even sincerity within his respectful expression.
He no longer bothered with any nonsense and patted his body with his right hand before immediately bringing out a jade slip for Su Ming.
"Junior brother Chen, I respect you, so I won't say much now. You can choose one of the glowing spots here as you please. You don't need to do anything, just relax and concentrate on your training. Junior brother Chen, I support you wholeheartedly. If anyone from above comes down here and checks, I will bear all responsibility for you! That's right, I'm that much of a fair and honest person, I'm that much of an upright person. I'm a man who loves thinking for others and won't bother with his own losses!
"Once we've been in contact for a longer period of time, you'll figure this out naturally, junior brother Chen."
There was a rather strange look on Su Ming's face. Once he accepted the jade slip, he sent his divine sense to scan it. Immediately, a map of the foot of the mountain with many glowing spots appeared in his head.
Qian Chen was watching Su Ming carefully. A barely noticeable glint shone in his heart, and he was feeling pretty smug about himself.
'If you choose a spot near the Outer Sect, then it means that the possibility of you returning there is incredibly high! If you choose a spot in the middle, then it means that you are also uncertain about it...
'Heh heh, if you choose the location at the bottom, then it means that you are also at a loss about your own future. This method might not be entirely accurate, but it can also tell just what exactly is going on with you.'
Once Su Ming scanned the map on the jade slip with his divine sense, he recalled the double-story building near the top of the mountain. After a moment, he chose a spot close to the Outer Sect. It was the place nearest to the double-story building.
Once he chose it, he handed the jade slip back to Qian Chen, who smiled and focused his attention on the jade slip once he received it. Immediately, his expression became a little unnatural, but it soon recovered. However, there was a faint glint in his eyes when he looked at Su Ming.
'There's no way I can be wrong about this. This person has an incredibly huge background, and he'll leave this place in at most a month. I'll have to serve him well. He might not be among the people ranked in the first tier in the Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke chart, but he's definitely in the top in the second tier!
'Ah, it's a pity that I've never met someone from the first tier in the Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke chart… Er, well, best not to meet them.'
The sky was bright, if you ignored the black smoke above Evil Spirit Sect's mountain. The parts that weren't blocked by it were very clear. Because of that, it made the black smoke look incredibly distinct, and at the same time, anyone who lifted their heads upwards would be able to see the blue shade in the sky serving as a contrast against it.
There were also some white clouds floating about, and under the radiant sun, a person would inevitably start feeling lazy. If it had not been winter, this weather might perhaps have been even more perfect.
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the sky. Qian Chen's suggestive words were still ringing in his ears. This was something he had never experienced before. It did not matter whether it was when he was in Dark Mountain, in the ninth summit, or when he was in the land of the Shamans. He had never experienced such a thing like this, not before he entered this sect.
He was not a successor disciple, and no one paid too much attention to him. He was chased out of the Outer Sect as if he was banished, and when he came to the laborer's lodge, he met this Qian Chen, who was giving him a filthy smile, and as Su Ming looked at this man, a faint smile gradually appeared on his own face.
He suddenly found that he very much liked this feeling.
He did not need to use too much of his mind to know why this person was being so friendly. It was all because he still was unable to figure out his origins. After all, on the surface, Su Ming seemed like he was sent down from the Outer Sect.
He looked as if he was banished, and this was the punishment dealt towards disciples who had done wrong in Evil Spirit Sect. Hence, the possibility of these disciples being summoned back existed. Because of that, it was only logical that this Qian Chen would be so logical.
When Su Ming thought about this, he smiled at the man and shook his head.
Qian Chen did not hesitate even for a moment. His expression immediately morphed into one of seriousness. It gave off a solemn air, and at the same time, there was also respect and admiration contained within it.
After casting a profound gaze at Su Ming, he slowly nodded his head.
"As expected of an Outer Sect disciple. I originally wanted to use this to test you because I wanted to find out about your character, junior brother Chen. If you agreed to go and manage the servant girls and have numerous beautiful girls listen to you and serving you every single day as if your word was law… then I would look down on you.
"How could we cultivators neglect training our character for lust? This sort of thing is something we must absolutely not do!
"If you had agreed to this, I would have tried persuading you not to do it, because we're fellow disciples and I am your senior brother. I have a duty to tell you that this isn't something we should do!
"Junior brother Chen, I have always been selfless, or else the sect wouldn't have given me the important task of managing the laborers. And you are the most valiant person I've seen here, and also the person who deserves the most amount of respect among all those here!" Qian Chen stated slowly. As he spoke, his expressions shifted and changed, according to what was required in that part of his speech.
It sounded as if he had done all these things because he was merely being considerate of Su Ming, as if he was truly just testing him.
"Then, junior brother Chen, please take care of the purchase of items. This is incredibly important…" As Qian Chen spoke, he suddenly noticed that Su Ming was frowning slightly when he heard that. A thought immediately appeared in his head, and his tone as well as his words swiftly changed.
"...but even though this is incredibly important, it's impossible for you to do it!" His expression changed into that of burning righteousness as he looked at Su Ming solemnly.
"Because while this might be a great job for other people, this is a dirty thing you should never do!
"Purchasing items from the world outside requires you to always go down the mountain. This is a humiliation to someone like you who immerses yourself in training, junior brother Chen. I'll just be causing you harm and making you waste your training time!
"What is time, junior brother Chen? Time is life, this is something I believe in wholeheartedly. Don't worry, I will never make you waste your life. You don't know about this, but I was testing you again just now!
"Junior brother Chen, my respect for you has surpassed the one I hold for everyone else. I'm proud that Evil Spirit Sect has received a talented person like you, junior brother Chen…" Qian Chen's words continued like flowing water, and since the start, Su Ming had never said anything. Only Qian Chen's voice echoed in the place.
As Qian Chen continued speaking, he continued observing Su Ming's facial expressions, and anxiety started gradually welling up in his heart.
He found that he could not fully grasp this boy's thoughts. He had seen some of the disciples who had been banished here as punishment by the Outer Sect, but with just a few words, he could somewhat tell what they were thinking, and from there, he could determine their importance to the Outer Sect, which would also tell him whether the person had any backing.
From there, he could also tell whether he could use that person, and then, he would be able to give that person a rank in his heart.
He always bemoaned how tough his job was, because he had to observe other people's moods and determine which of the ones that were sent down had to be oppressed, which had to be fawned upon, which had to be treated aloofly, and which he had to be friendly towards.
To him, this was his most important task.
Yet he could not see through this Chen Su. Right from the start, this person had not said a single word. The composure he maintained also made him seem as if he was not chased away from the Outer Sect, but was instead akin to one of those rich kids that was occasionally taking a stroll outside.
This bearing made Qian Chen's heart thump.
'He's an ace! He's definitely an ace! This isn't about him having a high level of cultivation, but is a matter about him having a powerful background, or else it'd be impossible for him to be so composed at his age!' Qian Chen immediately made an assumption.
'These are the most troublesome ones! This person can rank in the third tier on the 'Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke' chart I've made after examining all the people sent here through the twenty years I've worked in the laborers' lodge!' Qian Chen was smiling, but his heart was on guard.
He had met arrogant and aloof ones among those who were chased down from the Outer Sect, and dealing with these sort of people was a piece of cake to him. He had also seen those who liked putting on airs, those with murderous aura all over their bodies, and had even met those who might be smiling, but whose eyes would be flashing with a sinister glint.
He had met far too many kinds of people during the twenty years, and he only had a few words for the disciples who were chased out of the Outer Sect, which were…
"Damn you all, even if you're a dragon, you put your head down when you're in my territory! Even if you're a tiger, you lie down!"
'Something's not right, something's definitely not right! There's something off about this Chen Su, something incredibly off about him!' Qian Chen bent his back a little, and a bright smile appeared on his face.
"I know what job suits you the most, junior brother Chen. You're the most suited for distributing spirit stones. Don't worry, so that you will have a better future and Evil Spirit Sect will continue growing stronger, I will selflessly offer you this position. From now on, the task of distributing spirit stones will be handed to you!
"I know that this job will definitely not enter your sights, but I just realized today that you are even more suited for it than I am. Please don't reject it. This matter… concerns the future of Evil Spirit Sect. It affects the entire situation in Eastern Wastelands and is linked to the fates of tens of thousands of people…"
The compassionate look on Qian Chen's face towards all of mankind, the emotion in his voice, and the slight shiver in it made him seem as if he had turned into the lord of Eastern Wastelands, and right at that moment, he was it handing over to Su Ming.
Even Su Ming was momentarily taken aback by his words. If it hadn't been that he was absolutely certain that this Qian Chen standing before him was not hiding anything from him or had gone through any sort of transformations, he would have thought this man was actually the bald crane.
To Su Ming, only the bald crane could even hope to compete with his way with words. As for who would win… Su Ming would lean more towards the bald crane, after all, the level to which they catered to his desires was different...
"Give me a quiet and slightly remote place. I want to go into isolation." Su Ming cast Qian Chen a glance and spoke for the first time. His voice was calm and flat, but there was a might within it that allowed no room for dispute.
Qian Chen's heart let out a loud thump once again and he took two steps back before carefully sizing up Su Ming from head to toe.
'Rank increase. This person isn't ranked in the third tier on the Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke chart, he's on the second tier!'
He was feeling slightly nervous in his heart, but not a single hint of it was shown on his face. He continued showing a radiant smile, and when he heard his words, he nodded his head with a pleased expression.
"Not bad. As expected, I didn't misjudge you, junior brother Chen! I respect you!" As he spoke, he even gave Su Ming a thumbs up. There was not a hint of falsehood in the pleased look on his face, and there was even sincerity within his respectful expression.
He no longer bothered with any nonsense and patted his body with his right hand before immediately bringing out a jade slip for Su Ming.
"Junior brother Chen, I respect you, so I won't say much now. You can choose one of the glowing spots here as you please. You don't need to do anything, just relax and concentrate on your training. Junior brother Chen, I support you wholeheartedly. If anyone from above comes down here and checks, I will bear all responsibility for you! That's right, I'm that much of a fair and honest person, I'm that much of an upright person. I'm a man who loves thinking for others and won't bother with his own losses!
"Once we've been in contact for a longer period of time, you'll figure this out naturally, junior brother Chen."
There was a rather strange look on Su Ming's face. Once he accepted the jade slip, he sent his divine sense to scan it. Immediately, a map of the foot of the mountain with many glowing spots appeared in his head.
Qian Chen was watching Su Ming carefully. A barely noticeable glint shone in his heart, and he was feeling pretty smug about himself.
'If you choose a spot near the Outer Sect, then it means that the possibility of you returning there is incredibly high! If you choose a spot in the middle, then it means that you are also uncertain about it...
'Heh heh, if you choose the location at the bottom, then it means that you are also at a loss about your own future. This method might not be entirely accurate, but it can also tell just what exactly is going on with you.'
Once Su Ming scanned the map on the jade slip with his divine sense, he recalled the double-story building near the top of the mountain. After a moment, he chose a spot close to the Outer Sect. It was the place nearest to the double-story building.
Once he chose it, he handed the jade slip back to Qian Chen, who smiled and focused his attention on the jade slip once he received it. Immediately, his expression became a little unnatural, but it soon recovered. However, there was a faint glint in his eyes when he looked at Su Ming.
'There's no way I can be wrong about this. This person has an incredibly huge background, and he'll leave this place in at most a month. I'll have to serve him well. He might not be among the people ranked in the first tier in the Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke chart, but he's definitely in the top in the second tier!
'Ah, it's a pity that I've never met someone from the first tier in the Absolutely-Do-Not-Provoke chart… Er, well, best not to meet them.'
