Chapter 256: The Ordeal of Zhang Suannai

Jianzhou, Sword Sect.

Zhang Suannai gripped the Star Iron bars with both hands and poked her head out, her large, black-and-white eyes darting around with extreme agility.

Faint, earth-shaking muffled sounds and the ringing of a Sword could be heard from outside.

This was a specially made prison cell.

After returning to the Sword Sect yesterday, Zhang Suannai had quietly evaded the notice of her senior brothers and sisters, sneaking back to the sect first to find her master. Having not seen her for over a year, the Old Sword Master naturally missed his youngest Personal Disciple dearly, asking after her well-being before calling over the other senior brothers and sisters to share a heartwarming meal of Huangmen Chicken Rice.

With their master presiding, the dinner was naturally full of joy.

After all, even the First Senior Brother was only at the Eighth Stage.

That night, Zhang Suannai didn't dare return to her room and slept next to her master instead; considering her hardships while drifting, her master did not refuse.

As it turned out, not long after she woke up this morning, her master asked her with a smile if she had finished washing up; she nodded to say she had, and was immediately seized.

By the time she realized what was happening, she had already been locked in here.

Presumably, he felt she had disgraced... disgraced...

Well, there wasn't really any sect reputation to speak of.

It was probably just that her master didn't like the look of her.

The good news was that the First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, and Fifth Senior Brother were also locked in here.

What? Fourth Senior Brother?

Fourth Senior Brother had fled the sect on his Sword overnight, saying he would return once the heat died down.

Sixth Senior Sister and Seventh Senior Brother?

They were the ones fighting outside right now.

The reason was that Sixth Senior Sister had finally learned that the frequent cases of underwear theft she had suffered over the past few decades were actually committed by the junior brother she trusted most. Poor her—every time she was furious and wanted to drag out the culprit, this junior brother would always offer her advice and run errands for her, and after failing to find the thief, he would even earnestly urge her to calm down.

Sixth Senior Sister was so angry she nearly exploded on the spot.

They were fighting quite fiercely now.

Zhang Suannai curled her lips, her eyes filled with irrepressible joy, her ears pricked up high.

She reckoned they would both end up injured, right?

Then, because the damage to the surroundings of the Sword Sect would be too great, they would either go out to take refuge like Fourth Senior Brother, or both end up injured and recuperating in the sect, or Zhang Suannai would be able to see them here in a little while.

But there was also bad news—

Zhang Suannai gripped the Star Iron bars tight and pulled her head back with force, scraping her ears painfully in the process, and then she looked behind her.

Four figures sat cross-legged behind her, seemingly closing their eyes to rest, but in reality, all were intently listening to the commotion above.

They were locked in the same cell.

This damn Sword Master!

Zhang Suannai gritted her teeth.

Before long, the person delivering the prison meal arrived.

There was no need to guess what the prison meal was: Huangmen Chicken Rice.

This was the staple meal of the Sword Sect.

Zhang Suannai had grown up eating Huangmen Chicken Rice; as long as she was in the Sword Sect, she had Huangmen Chicken Rice every day, except on specific holidays. Let's put it this way: it is said that when the Dayi Emperor came to offer birthday wishes to the Sword Master at the beginning of the year, he arrived on the afternoon of the first day, and the entire Imperial Family ate Huangmen Chicken Rice that evening.

The reason was that the Sword Master loved to eat it and never grew tired of it.

This man had a bit of a problem; it wasn't enough for him to eat it himself, he had to make everyone eat it with him. Day after day, everyone else was sick of it, but he wasn't.

The commotion outside gradually subsided.

Eh? Was the fight over? Or had those two gone to eat as well?

The four people behind her opened their eyes at the same time.

Zhang Suannai felt their gaze and couldn't help but feel her scalp tingle; she continued to reach out and grab the Star Iron bars, poking her head back out to pretend she was intently listening to the commotion outside and knew nothing of what was happening behind her, pinning her hopes on the idea that "if I can't see it, it isn't happening."

In front of her, a disciple acting as a guard stood with his hands in his pockets, a look of schadenfreude on his face.

That idiot!

When I get out, I'll break his legs!

Just at this moment—

Out of the corner of her eye, Zhang Suannai saw the guard's expression turn solemn, as if he had seen something, and he hurriedly rubbed his face and straightened his uniform, pretending to be diligently on duty.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Suannai rolled her eyes, her brain rapidly whirring.

What could she do to ensure her own safety?

If it were Ning Qing, what would she do?

If it were Chen Shu, what would he do?

"Emmm..."

Zhang Suannai decisively turned around, pretending to be startled with wide eyes, and shouted in a panic: "What do you want to do? This is a prison cell!"

"To settle accounts with you," said the First Senior Brother.

"Settle... settle what accounts?" Zhang Suannai asked fearfully.

"Still playing dumb?" The First Senior Brother paused, gritting his teeth, "You deceived us so miserably! Deceiving us for money is one thing, but the main thing is, I called you Master for several years!"

"And among so many senior brothers and sisters, you told them all to send twenty thousand, but you specifically told me to send thirty thousand; do you think I'm easier to fool?" The Second Senior Brother felt his intelligence had been insulted.

"That's right! You told them all to send twenty thousand, but you only told me to send ten thousand; do you look down on me?" The Third Senior Sister felt her character had been insulted.

"And you got us thrown into this cell; that's an additional crime!" the Fifth Senior Brother added.

"But I'm your Junior Sister, don't you have the heart to do this?"

"We do."

"This... this is a prison cell!!"

"So what if it's a prison cell?"

"Sect regulations state that fighting is forbidden in prison cells, kitchens, and outhouses. If you start a fight here, you'll be... you'll be... you'll be committing an even greater crime!" Zhang Suannai was so scared that she started stuttering. "The Sword Sect isn't your Sword Sect yet; it's Master's Sword Sect. You all shouldn't be so lawless in the sect!"

"It's useless. Today, we must break your legs." First Senior Brother shook his head and said, "Choose which one yourself."

"Let's just break both," said Second Senior Brother.

"Seconded," said Third Senior Sister.

"I only intended to break one originally... How is it? How does it feel to turn one into two through your own efforts?" Fifth Senior Brother leaned in and asked.

This person seems like a villain.

Zhang Suannai thought this, but she shouted aloud: "You... you treat sect rules as nothing! You aren't the Sword Master yet!"

"It's useless," said First Senior Brother.

"Master is already three hundred years old and doesn't have many years left. We aren't the Sword Master yet, but the position of Sword Master will sooner or later be handed to us." Second Senior Brother sneered as he walked toward Zhang Suannai, loosening his joints, which crackled and popped.

"When I become Sword Master, I will definitely abolish the rule that fighting is forbidden in prison cells," said Third Senior Sister. "Only the kitchen and outhouse will remain off-limits for fighting."

"You become Sword Master?" Fifth Senior Brother was stunned. "Then what do I become?"

"You become the jailer," said Third Senior Sister.

"Are you all being a bit delusional?" First Senior Brother frowned. "No matter how you rotate it, it wouldn't be your turn, right?"

"Yeah! It's more like it would be my turn!" said Second Senior Brother.

"You are also being a bit delusional," said First Senior Brother.

"That's not for sure," said Third Senior Sister. "The succession of the Sword Sect's Sword Master position has always been decided by martial prowess, regardless of seniority. Don't look at how your cultivation seems slightly superior right now; that's only because you are older and have practiced for longer. By the day Master dies, the advantage you have from practicing for a dozen more years will be completely wiped out. Who wins and who loses then is still unknown."

"Senior brothers and sisters, stop arguing!" Fifth Senior Brother said, unable to bear it. "Everyone, be harmonious. When I become Sword Master, I will definitely treat you all well!"

"..."

Zhang Suannai peeked quietly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn't need to intervene anymore.

However, she scoffed at the bickering of these four people. With Master's health, there was no problem with him living for several more decades, and in several decades, with her talent and the protection of the Sword God, she would definitely be able to hang them up and beat them.

The Sword Master can act recklessly in the Sword Sect, hit whoever they want, scold whoever they want, and set whatever rules they want. Who wouldn't want to be that?

Just like the current Sword Master and Huangmen Chicken Rice.

If she became Sword Master, the first thing she would do is abolish the status of Huangmen Chicken Rice as the sect meal.

Change it to Yuer Chicken.

Hmm? It seems that in Yuanzhou, it is also rare to see a cook who can make Yuer Chicken?

Good! Then catch Chen Shu back to be the cook!

The Sword Master is just that willful.

It's just that she couldn't say that now.

Zhang Suannai seized the opportunity and shouted at the top of her lungs: "Stop arguing! Master is in great health. I hope Master can live for a thousand years!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Are you scared stupid!?"

"Master will always be my Master!" Zhang Suannai said with a firm tone, not compromising on this issue. "The Sword Master in my heart can only be Master! None of you will do!"

"Fine! When I become Sword Master, I'll expel you from the sect!"

"Let me be the one to expel her!"

"This villainous act should be done by me!"

"I'll do it, I'll do it..."

"Master! You're here!"

"Master your..."

Fifth Senior Brother's unfinished words stuck in his throat.

The prison cell suddenly became quiet.

Not a sound was heard.

The final result—

The four of them had their crimes increased by one degree.

Zhang Suannai was released without charges. Before leaving, she even took the pickled radish that went well with rice, leaving the more nutritious Huangmen Chicken Rice for her senior brothers and sisters.

Lingzhou, Spirit Sect.

Wooden crates were lined up, filling the courtyard.

The courtyard was also packed with people.

Deacons responsible for sect property and storage were present, coordinating with experts to conduct an inventory and directing disciples to move them away.

Chen Shu watched silently from the side.

The crates were filled with all kinds of heavenly treasures.

Except for a small portion that was renewable and of relatively low value to this era and the Spirit Sect, the rest were non-renewable, or required millions to tens of millions of years to gestate again. In the thousands of years of cultivation civilization, they had already been consumed for the most part, making them extremely precious to the modern era.

It would be no exaggeration to say they were worth a fortune.

Consider it giving back to the sect.

Although the value of these heavenly treasures far exceeded the help the Spirit Sect had given him... since the Spirit Sect did not mention any return when they helped him, he was unwilling to haggle over it when handing these things over.

Haggling too much makes one's heart tired.

Contentment brings constant joy; an open heart brings constant joy.

The vast majority of things would indeed only gather dust in his hands, whereas handing them over to the Spirit Sect and the state could allow them to exert a huge effect, or even return them to the world; he could distinguish which was light and which was heavy.

This process of taking inventory was quite troublesome.

Because the value of the items was too high, many needed to be counted individually, and required precision down to the milligram. Some, besides being weighed, also needed to have their individual diameters measured, their growth years measured using special methods, their manufacturing craftsmanship judged, and so on.

Yet Shengzu had treated them like small commodities from Yiwu, storing them in piles in wooden crates, to the point that even the well-informed bigwigs of the Spirit Sect felt shocked.

Compared to Shengzu back in the day, all the descendants of the present day are like beggars. Even the Dayi Imperial Family is no exception.

And Chen Shu could not leave halfway through.

Because every time an item was finished being inventoried and the disciples were allowed to move it away, it required the joint confirmation of the finance deacon and the storage deacon, and also needed his signature, saying that all of this had to be recorded into his sect contribution.

It kept on being a hassle until evening before it ended.

Chen Shu felt helpless and mentally exhausted, so he had no choice but to go to the ancient town again to stroll around, watch the young ladies dance, do a fish spa to relax, and then return to the mountain to continue researching the Cloud Sky Technique.

Daily Cultivation.

The next few days were basically all like this—

During the day he researched the Cloud Sky Technique, sometimes when tired he would also read other books he was interested in, at mealtime he went to the canteen to eat, changing between different canteens, sometimes he also went to the ancient town outside the mountain to eat barbecue or hot pot skewers, after dinner he would stroll around, and when it was about time he would return to his room to take a shower and have a video call with Qingqing.

Daily Cultivation.