Chapter 88: Trial by Fire

“Brother, you’re not joking, are you?”

Although the fat brother’s expression radiated humble enthusiasm, Zheng Fa’s response was cold.

Going back was impossible—if this ship turned around, he’d offend everyone aboard.

This brother’s words sounded insincere.

The fat brother smiled awkwardly and gave a glance to another brother beside him.

That brother immediately handed over a small, square box.

“What’s this?”

Zheng Fa had already suspected.

Sure enough, when opened, it was piled high with gold.

A rough estimate put it at fifty to sixty taels.

“Thanks to your luck, our book sales have been excellent—I already planned to give you a share, but now that we’re both under Sister Zhang’s tutelage and one family, it’s even less of an issue.”

Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment, then asked: “Brother, how much does this book sell for at Jiushan Sect?”

“Eight taels in the marketplace,” the fat brother whispered. “Cost is four taels—we make six taels profit per book…”

Zheng Fa nodded. These three brothers were more restrained than he’d thought.

This box held roughly sixty taels of gold—the extra two taels each these three earned were all here.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment, took out two taels, then closed the box again.

“I’ll take this money.”

The fat brother’s face broke into a smile.

Then Zheng Fa added: “Please return the rest of the money in this box—two taels each to all three of you.”

“Huh?”

“Is that not acceptable?”

“The money was given to you, so it’s yours to dispose of—but… return it?”

“Return it.”

“Brother, you really are… fine!”

The fat brother stared at him for a long while; his smile grew fainter, and he no longer spoke of them being “one family”—he simply grabbed the box and walked out the door.

After walking a few steps, one of his companions asked: “Why are we leaving?”

“Leave? This Brother Zheng isn’t easy to fool!” The fat brother’s smile vanished; he frowned.

“Huh?”

“Why did we give him money?”

“To apologize?”

The fat brother shook his head: “Clinging to a powerful person’s leg! We keep talking about Sister Zhang, but does she even know us? This brother was actually trained by her. Give him money, and we’re just his servants.”

The younger brother suddenly understood: “So he’ll join us in our shady dealings!”

“Pah!” The fat brother kicked him: “That’s called sharing the same boat!”

“Then why are we leaving?”

“This brother is proud—he refuses to mix with us over a few taels. He’s not one of us!”

“I get it—he wants to be a good person.”

“No—he’s taking our money and playing the good person.”

The fat brother glared at the box in his hands.

“We really return it?”

“Return it this time—I want to see if Sister Zhang truly values him!” The fat brother sneered. “Do you think I don’t know her nature? Who has she ever been close to? We’ll hold onto this money until I learn this man’s true character.”

…

“Jiushan Sect has arrived!”

Cheers echoed down the corridor; Zheng Fa couldn’t help but open his door and step down onto the deck, where everyone was gathered.

Several new disciples greeted Zheng Fa.

Because of the fat brother’s return of the gold, Zheng Fa’s popularity among them had slightly risen.

“Zheng Fa!” Zhou Gan waved from the far end of the deck: “Look—Jiushan Sect.”

Ahead rose nine towering, connected peaks.

The central one was especially tall, resembling the Ninth Mountain Zheng Fa had once climbed.

The other eight were split into two groups, like arms stretching out to cradle a valley.

Where the arms met was a valley entrance, beyond which surged a wild, turbulent river.

As Zheng Fa stared, he felt a strange familiarity—

If these nine peaks were a city wall, the river would be its moat.

Defending the valley entrance would make this place easy to hold, but he wondered how Jiushan Sect guarded against cultivators who could fly and teleport.

Zheng Fa’s boat gave a gentle tremor and slowly settled into the river at the valley entrance.

This was a dock, crowded with boats, bustling with activity.

The shore teemed with a constant, noisy stream of people.

Only one spot was relatively empty—a figure Zheng Fa recognized stood there.

It was Sister Zhang.

Sister Zhang seemed to notice Zheng Fa and nodded slightly, gesturing for him to come over.

Behind him, the fat brother stared dumbfounded as Zheng Fa walked toward Sister Zhang.

“That’s Sister Zhang!” his companion shouted.

“I’ve seen her!”

“But have you ever seen Sister Zhang smile like this?”

“… ”

“So… are we still investigating him?”

“… Don’t mention my name before you die.” The fat brother turned and walked away quickly.

Zheng Fa looked at Sister Zhang’s radiant smile and her outstretched palm, and felt speechless.

She wasn’t here to welcome him.

She was here to collect his manuscript.

Zheng Fa handed her the completed exercise book; she took it, weighed it in her hand, and nodded in satisfaction: “I’ll take you to your quarters.”

As they walked away from the dock together, Sister Zhang suddenly asked: “What did you buy on the way?”

“?”

Zheng Fa looked up at her.

Sister Zhang glanced at him and said: “Did you think I told you to bring extra money for no reason?”

“Sister knows about this?” Zheng Fa pulled out *The True Person Zhang’s Treatise on Talismans*.

“This is my lecture compilation from the Talisman Pavilion,” Sister Zhang said. “I take one tael of gold per copy sold.”

… So you really are the shield for those three lawbreakers?

“Only when I take my cut by the rules do they dare earn theirs by the rules,” Sister Zhang said coolly, as if reading his thoughts.

“… So Sister also knew about what happened on the boat?”

“What happened? I don’t know—I can guess. First, scare you on board, then lock you in your cabin and sell things. New disciples dare not offend them and think them dangerous, so they all buy.”

“… ”

“Do you think spiritual energy’s decline is recent?” Sister Zhang glanced at him. “Elder disciples bullying new ones, squeezing money from those who know nothing—it’s been going on for ages.”

Zheng Fa finally understood.

He’d been puzzled: two or three hundred taels of gold wasn’t trivial, but to cultivators, it shouldn’t be worth the risk—why would those three brothers take such a chance?

Turns out it was tradition.

What kind of sect was Jiushan Sect?

“There are rules. They won’t do anything extreme—if you refuse to buy, they won’t truly harm you,” Sister Zhang said, as if sensing his thoughts.

Zheng Fa realized she was right—the three brothers were rough, but they hadn’t actually hurt anyone; if you ignored their initial coldness, they seemed almost law-abiding.

“Why is this so?”

He still couldn’t understand.

“After spiritual energy declined, lower-tier disciples grew more resentful… Killing for treasures is unacceptable, but taking a little money? The sect can tolerate it.”

Zheng Fa fell silent.

Sister Zhang turned to Zheng Fa and suddenly said: “I was tricked by elder brothers too.”

“What happened after?”

“After that, those brothers sold books for me,” Sister Zhang said calmly, stopping before a small courtyard. “As long as you’re strong enough, you can ignore all this.”

As she left, Sister Zhang added to Zheng Fa: “Under spiritual energy decline, immortal sects are no paradise. If you can’t handle these people and events, I’ve misjudged you… These things now? Consider them a small trial.”

…

The next day, Zheng Fa opened his door to find the fat brother squatting outside his courtyard, face grim.

“Brother, what’s this…”

“Sister Zhang said you’re new to Jiushan Sect, so I’m to guide you for a few days,” the fat brother said mournfully, clearly not willing at all. “Today we’ll register your life token and receive your cultivation technique…”

...Why does it feel like Sister Zhang is aiming to temper this senior brother?