Chapter 70: Who is the Undercover Agent?

Qin Shixiong wore a sour face toward her, but Ruan Xing did not take it to heart.

With the experience of interacting in the simulation, she knew that was just his temperament, and he was not truly difficult to get along with.

She was in a great mood right now; she had tricked a Demon Cultivator, obtained treasure, escaped unscathed, and was about to enter the Sect to obtain a Foundation Establishment Technique.

She could hardly wait to hum a little tune to express her happy mood.

"Hey, don't be angry. In my opinion, Zhao Shijie only feels admiration for Xie Shixiong, with absolutely no romantic intentions. Look, I'll compensate you with this. How about you and Zhao Shijie each take a bottle?" Ruan Xing took two bottles of Gathering Qi Pill out of her Storage Bag.

Qin Shixiong looked at her suspiciously, "So kind?"

"Consider it a thank-you gift for giving me a ride." Ruan Xing smiled and stuffed them into his hands.

In truth, considering how hard Qin Shixiong and the others had worked as sparring partners in the simulation, it would not have been excessive for Ruan Xing to take out all the pills she had on her.

However, Ruan Xing was only ever generous in the simulation, and the tuition fees in the simulation had already been paid in the simulation, so there was no issue there.

Furthermore, if she gave too much, Qin Shixiong might easily overthink it; a gift like this, which had some value but was not overly precious, was just right.

"Thanks." Qin Shixiong accepted it without much refusal.

This meant he had accepted the signal of goodwill sent by Ruan Xing, though he was not a person who liked to owe others; he had already decided to repay Ruan Xing in other ways after returning to the Sect.

Ruan Xing then took the opportunity to ask him about some matters within the Sect, and Qin Shixiong gave her a brief introduction.

The Xuanbing Sect was one of the three top-tier sects on the entire Xianyuan Continent, but the Sect headquarters was in the Central Province; the branch in Nanzhou was only stationed here because there were two small Secret Realms and a Spirit Mine, and Qin Shixiong and the others were all disciples recruited by the branch, only gaining the qualification to practice at the headquarters after entering the Inner Sect.

While the Xuanbing Sect in Nanzhou was called a branch, it was not small; it had complete facilities and a magnificent mountain gate, far more imposing than some small local sects in Nanzhou, so many Cultivators vied to join, and mortals in nearby towns who gave birth to offspring with Spirit Bone would also prioritize sending them to the Xuanbing Sect, so the Xuanbing Sect had over seven hundred Outer Sect Disciples alone.

For these Outer Sect Disciples, the Sect would only provide one set of cultivation resources for guiding Qi into the body; after reaching Qi Refining Layer One, they could work in the Sect to earn Spirit Stones or Contribution Points, and after reaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer, they could go on field missions, such as this trip to the Hanshan Secret Realm, where these Outer Sect Disciples could not only enter the Secret Realm for free to earn extra money, but also receive Sect Contribution Point rewards upon returning.

However, these rewards were likely all washed away with the collapse of the Secret Realm.

Isn't this just a worker whose wages were docked because the project failed? Ruan Xing empathized deeply, silently saying "sumimasen" in her heart; it was better for her to take it than for the Demon Cultivator to take it, right? Calculating it this way, she had even stopped the Demon Cultivator from causing trouble; she had merit.

The Xuanbing Sect had four mountain peaks in total: the Main Peak where the Sect Master and Inner Sect Disciples resided, the Outer Peak where the Outer Sect Disciples and the Sect Affairs Hall were located, one peak that was the residence for Sect Elders and Personal Disciples, and one that was the Treasure Pavilion, a multi-functional building combining techniques, pills, talismans, and Magic Arts; beneath the Treasure Pavilion were various workplaces within the Sect such as Spirit Fields, Medicine Fields, and Pill Rooms.

The four Peak Masters all had Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, and in addition, there were three Golden Core Stage Sect Elders, all of whom had no hope of reaching Nascent Soul and were just collecting stipends and taking on disciples to pass their retirement here; any Golden Core True Person with a bit of ambition had basically gone to the headquarters.

What Ruan Xing cared about most was where she could earn Spirit Stones within the Sect.

When she asked this question, Qin Shixiong's expression was a bit strange, "Tasks at the Treasure Pavilion are generally done by servants or disciples below Qi Refining Layer Three, and you can probably get one or two Low-grade Spirit Stones per time; we mainly do tasks for Contribution Points to exchange for techniques. If you want to earn Spirit Stones, you still have to go on field missions; a trip to a Secret Realm or killing a Monster Beast can yield dozens or hundreds of Spirit Stones."

But I can't leave the Sect.

Ruan Xing groaned inwardly, unwilling to give up, and asked, "Are there no other ways?"

"I'm really not sure about that. After we go back, you can go to the Sect Affairs Hall to see if there are any tasks that meet your requirements." Qin Shixiong paused and advised her earnestly, "Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is higher than mine, why are you unwilling to go out and gain experience? If this continues for a long time, you will develop inner demons, which will inevitably affect your Foundation Establishment and Golden Core formation in the future."

Ruan Xing's cultivation realm relied entirely on the Simulator, so naturally, she didn't care about inner demons, but she didn't refuse Qin Shixiong's good intentions either, nodding and saying, "Thank you, I understand."

After thinking for a moment, Ruan Xing added, "What's the deal with exchanging Contribution Points for techniques?"

"The Sect only provides cultivation resources for guiding Qi into the body; the rest must be bought by earning Spirit Stones yourself or exchanged with Contribution Points. Contribution Points come from Sect tasks; one Contribution Point can be exchanged for one Low-grade Spirit Stone, and exchanging for techniques and other items is determined by their value, though it is generally cheaper than going to the market."

"I see." Ruan Xing pondered; it seemed her focus should be on doing Sect tasks to earn Contribution Points. Could she use the Simulator to exploit a bug with this? It seemed she could only earn them personally... but once she had enough Contribution Points, she could exploit a bug; in one simulation she could learn one technique or Magic Art, and with her eight hundred points, she could take out half to learn dozens.

Before long, they had arrived at the Xuanbing Sect; the location of the Xuanbing Sect was only a short half-hour journey from the Hanshan Secret Realm by Flying Sword.

Before her eyes were towering mountains and scattered pavilions; amidst the mountain mist, people flew by on swords from time to time.

Xie Shixiong, Zhao Shijie, and the other disciples also landed shortly after.

"Xie Shixiong, what should we do next?" They hadn't felt it on the road, but after stepping onto the stone steps of the Xuanbing Sect, the disciples felt a slow, creeping sense of unease and guilt in their hearts; now, Xie Shixiong, the person mainly responsible for the Formation, was their backbone.

Although the news had already been sent back and punishment was a certainty, they were still nervous before the blade fell, not knowing whether the Sect's punishment would be light or heavy.

Reasonably speaking, the collapse of the Secret Realm this time was not something they, a group of Qi Refining stage disciples, could have solved; they had only followed past procedures to maintain the Formation, collect entrance fees, distribute Wooden Tablets, maintain order, and purchase materials. Their basic duties were fulfilled without issue; who could have expected such an accident to happen? Moreover, their follow-up work had some remedial effect; they had maintained the Sect's reputation and prevented any deaths within the Secret Realm, and they had even gifted Healing Pills to some injured Loose Cultivators.

For a large sect like theirs, their public image was the most important thing; other problems could be resolved privately.

Xie Shixiong smiled calmly, soothing the panic of his junior brothers and sisters, and said gently, "This time it was my lack of supervision; I am guilty of dereliction of duty. Fellow disciples, rest assured, I will explain this matter to the Elders and take the blame upon myself alone; it will not implicate everyone."

As soon as these words were spoken, it immediately caused an uproar.

"How can that be? Xie Shixiong, you are innocent too."

"The collapse of the Secret Realm was definitely not because of poor maintenance of the Formation; none of us wanted this to happen."

"Xie Shixiong, we are willing to be punished with you!"

Qin Shixiong stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Let's all go to the Sect Affairs Hall to find the Elders first."

Xie Shixiong seemed quite moved, gave a hum, and said with concern, "Then this junior sister who has not yet entered the Sect...?"

"I will take her to enter the Sect first, and then I will arrive," said Qin Shixiong.

No one raised any objections to this plan; since everyone was being punished, Qin Shixiong wouldn't be able to escape even if he arrived a little late.

So he took Ruan Xing and stepped back onto the Flying Sword, flying in the same direction as the other disciples, only one was going to the mountain peak, and the other was going to the foot of the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain was a wooden structure, three meters high and five meters wide, with the door open, and two female Cultivators were chatting inside.

Qin Shixiong tapped the table to attract their attention and introduced her, "This is a new Loose Cultivator, named Ruan Xing; Junior Sister, please help register her." "Alright, Shixiong." The female disciple sat up straight, took out a booklet and wrote something down, then pulled two jade tokens out of the cabinet.

"This is the Sect Jade Token. Leave a wisp of your Divine Sense and Spiritual Power inside; keep one on your person, and hand the other to the Treasure Pavilion. Once they place the jade token in the Formation, you can record Contribution Points and contact other fellow disciples through the jade token."

The female disciple introduced the usage to her in detail, and Ruan Xing understood immediately.

Isn't this just an internal local area network?

After she left her Divine Sense imprint, the female disciple said somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, this... Shijie, you need to go to the Treasure Pavilion to collect your monthly Sect resources yourself. After collecting them for the first time, your residence will be automatically arranged within the jade token, and subsequent resources can be collected together for several months."

Calling a little girl "Shijie" felt strange.

Ruan Xing gave a sweet smile, "Alright, thank you, Shimei."

After going out with Qin Shixiong, he said, "I have to rush to the Sect Affairs Hall now. Although your jade token hasn't been placed into the Formation yet, you can already move freely in the Outer Peak. Feel free to wander around here and get to know the Outer Peak; I'll take you to the Treasure Pavilion after I come out. By the way, only in the Outer Peak; don't run to other peaks, the jade token won't recognize you."

"Alright, I know, you go ahead," Ruan Xing said casually.

Inside the Sect Affairs Hall.

Originally, the ones responsible for Outer Sect affairs were two Foundation Establishment stage Outer Sect Elders, but after they returned from the Secret Realm this time, what they saw was actually a Golden Core stage Sect Elder who almost never went out.

Their hearts skipped a beat; the disciples didn't dare to breathe loudly, lowering their heads and waiting.

The Elder's eyelids drooped, and his gaze swept over them calmly before he spoke, "When the message was sent back a few days ago, the Sect Master had already sent people to investigate; it was someone with malicious intentions who infiltrated the Secret Realm to steal the foundation supporting the Secret Realm. Although the fault does not lie with you this time, you are also guilty of dereliction of duty in supervision. Everyone is fined half a year's stipend, and Xie Huai is fined double. Do you have any objections?"

"This disciple is willing to accept the Elder's punishment."

The disciples spoke in unison.

The Elder nodded slightly, "Since the person who stole the foundation is so daring and reckless as to disregard my Xuanbing Sect, they must be prepared to endure the Xuanbing Sect's wrath. The Sect Leader has already personally inquired about this matter. There is news that an Outer Sect disciple has been colluding with them from the inside. If the news is true, the traitor is among you, and this Elder will certainly punish them without leniency."

The Elder suddenly released the pressure of the Golden Core Stage. The disciples immediately knelt and prostrated on the ground, unable to move. He sneered and said word by word: "Make this person wish for death but be unable to die!"

Without waiting for the disciples to express their loyalty, he suddenly withdrew the pressure, "Alright, you may all disperse."

Even with hearts full of questions, they dared not speak loudly in front of the Elder, so the Outer Sect disciples stood up one after another and left.

Qin Shixiong walked to the back, helped up the pale-faced Zhao Fengchun, and asked with concern in a low voice: "Are you alright?"

Zhao Fengchun shook her head, her whole body half-limp, her weight leaning on Qin Shixiong's arm as she walked out slowly, saying with lingering fear: "The Elder is so scary..."

"Xie Huai, you stay behind," the Elder said lightly.

Xie Huai paused, turned around, and bowed, "Yes."

This sudden sentence scared Zhao Fengchun so much that her heart almost stopped. At this moment, she could no longer care about her weak legs and hurriedly let Qin Shixiong pull her away, lest they be left behind for walking too slowly.

"Don't worry," Qin Shixiong comforted her, "If there really is someone colluding with outsiders, the Elder will investigate it clearly. It has nothing to do with us."

"But, who could it be? I feel that everyone is a fellow disciple who works hard and gets along well. I really can't imagine who would betray the Sect..." Zhao Fengchun frowned, her small face deathly pale.

"In any case, it won't be you or me. Stop thinking about these things. You've been fined half a year's monthly stipend; aren't you worried about that? Will your Pill supply be enough for next month?" Qin Shixiong began to change the subject.

Zhao Fengchun was simple-minded, and at this reminder, she immediately became worried, "Oh right, half a year's stipend, the Contribution Points for this Secret Realm trip weren't issued, and plus I have to redo this month's tasks, that makes seven months... I only earned sixty Low-grade Spirit Stones in the Secret Realm this time, and the Spirit Stones for the Spirit Gathering Array also need to be replaced. It definitely won't be enough next month, sigh."

"Then take these to use for now," Qin Shixiong gave her two bottles of Gathering Qi Pill, "Fellow Daoist Ruan entrusted me to give them to you, saying thank you for taking care of her these past few days."

"Eh?" Zhao Fengchun was a bit at a loss, "But, I didn't do anything, I just talked to her a few more times..."

"She doesn't know anyone else in the Sect; it's already very good that you accompanied her and talked to her. Don't let down Fellow Daoist Ruan's intentions, just accept them."

"Mm, okay, I will take good care of Fellow Daoist Ruan so she can integrate into the Sect as soon as possible." Zhao Fengchun happily put away the medicine bottles.

"Xie Huai, the Secret Realm was only open for twenty-some days this time. How many Spirit Stones were collected in total?"

"Xie Huai is incompetent and failed to guard the Sect's Secret Realm well. I am filled with fear. The first thing I did after returning to the Sect was to come to the Sect Affairs Hall for training; I have not yet been to the Treasure Pavilion to record the earnings. The total income this time is five thousand three hundred and fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones, all of which are here."

Xie Huai offered the Storage Bag with both hands, but the Elder did not take it.

The Secret Realm is open for a total of three months. Generally, the first month has the highest revenue. In the following two months, the ground inside the Secret Realm is almost turned over, so naturally, fewer people come. Therefore, the revenue for each opening of the Secret Realm is usually around ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.

It seems like a small amount, not even enough to pay the Outer Sect disciples' stipends for two years, but the significance of this Secret Realm, which has been maintained for so many years, does not lie in this.

It is an open, fee-paying Secret Realm, known as the safest Secret Realm for the Qi Refining stage, and Xuanbing Sect disciples can enter for free. This is the most effective recruitment brochure for the Xuanbing Sect in Nanzhou.

Once they enter the Sect, Outer Sect disciples must complete Sect tasks every month to obtain Spirit Stones and Contribution Points. The implicit benefits of this are much greater than the Hanshan Secret Realm. Moreover, if a disciple with high aptitude appears and reaches the Golden Core stage, this is also the achievement of the branch Sect Leader and Elders.

It is no exaggeration to say that the loss of the Hanshan Secret Realm is not the loss of ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones every thirty years, but the loss of at least thirty percent of new disciples joining the Sect every year.

The Elder was silent for a while and said to Xie Huai: "Originally, after returning from this Secret Realm, your Contribution Points would have been enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill and a Foundation Establishment Technique. Now, however, it has to be delayed by half a year. I guess you must be unwilling in your heart. Now there is an opportunity to perform meritorious service to atone for your crimes; are you willing?"

Xie Huai was expressionless and said in a deep voice: "This disciple will follow the Elder's orders."

"Good." The Elder nodded with satisfaction, "The Hanshan Secret Realm has been maintained for so many years, besides earning Spirit Stones and serving as a benefit for new disciples, it is also because its foundation cannot be used by the Sect. That treasure provides the greatest benefit to Evil Cultivators. The Sect Leader has already blocked Nanzhou and is secretly searching for the hidden Evil Cultivators. You are familiar with most of the Outer Sect disciples, and you were the leader for this Secret Realm trip, so I will send you to observe the other disciples and find the traitor who is colluding with the Evil Cultivators!"

"Yes." Xie Huai bowed his head in salute, "This disciple obeys the order."

Thanks to Haoning for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Qi Yufei for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Wukejun for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Professor Shi Lezhi for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Book Friend 20190927135209710 for the monthly ticket~ (End of chapter)