NOVPUB
Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Protection Fee, Green Cloud Trial!
"Monthly tribute? What monthly tribute?"
Looking at the servant disciple kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear, Luo Cheng was even more surprised.
The young man looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, thin and frail. Seeing that Luo Cheng hadn’t agreed, he was so anxious that he almost broke into tears, choking with emotion:
"Senior Brother Luo Cheng, please grant me a few more days! I promise I’ll find a way to make up for the monthly tribute!"
Nearby, another servant disciple couldn’t help but interject: "Senior Brother Luo Cheng, Junior Brother Yu’s family suddenly suffered a tragedy. His village was attacked by bandits, and his mother’s life is on the brink of death. That’s why he sent this month’s Essence Energy Pills back home. Please, Senior Brother Luo Cheng, show some mercy and give him a little more time."
Luo Cheng glanced at Zhang Lian standing nearby.
Zhang Lian pulled Luo Cheng aside and explained, "You should know, as servant disciples, we are entitled to a certain number of Essence Energy Pills each month based on our cultivation level."
"A martial artist in the Body Tempering Realm receives three Essence Energy Pills monthly. Those in the Transcendence Realm receive anywhere between four and nine pills."
Luo Cheng nodded.
He had read about all this in the Xuanyuan Record.
"But what is this monthly tribute about? There’s no mention of it in the Xuanyuan Record."
"Of course, it’s not in the Xuanyuan Record."
Zhang Lian displayed a bitter smile, looked around cautiously, and said in a low voice, "The so-called monthly tribute refers to the protection fee that servant disciples have to pay to those above us every month. You can think of it as a kind of unofficial tax."
Luo Cheng was surprised: "Protection fee? Paid to whom?"
Zhang Lian pointed upward with his finger: "Obviously to the higher-ups. In the past, Li Hui handled this matter and handed the monthly tribute over to Elder He. As for whether there’s anyone above Elder He, I don’t know."
Luo Cheng frowned: "This kind of thing actually exists!"
Zhang Lian chuckled bitterly: "Where there are people, there are power struggles. Just think about it—there are tens of thousands of servant disciples in the Outer Sect. Even if each of them is extorted for just one Essence Energy Pill a month, that’s already an enormous fortune!"
"Money moves people, and cultivators aren’t saints. It’s only natural..."
Shaking his head, Zhang Lian glanced sympathetically at the kneeling disciple and added:
"The situation is better on the other peaks. Only one Essence Energy Pill per month is demanded from each person. Some elders are wise enough not to extort anything at all. Unfortunately, he’s assigned to our Purple Rhythm Peak. Here, servant disciples in the Body Tempering Realm have to pay two Essence Energy Pills every month!"
"That much?"
Luo Cheng was shocked.
Servant disciples in the Body Tempering Realm only receive three Essence Energy Pills a month. If two are immediately taken away, how are they supposed to continue cultivating?
"Isn’t there anyone to regulate this?" Luo Cheng frowned and asked.
Zhang Lian gave a bitter laugh: "We servant disciples are, to put it nicely, disciples of Xuanyuan Sect. To put it plainly, we’re just laborers. Those lofty figures above us—why would they care about the life or death of servant disciples?"
"Moreover, not everyone has to pay the protection fee. Those with potential for promotion to Outer Disciples won’t be targeted. The ones who suffer are people of average talent with no background or connections. People like them have no choice but to be exploited!"
Zhang Lian gestured towards the three servant disciples nearby.
Hearing this, Luo Cheng clenched his fists tightly, feeling his blood boil and rush to his face.
He recalled all the hardship and ridicule he’d faced since awakening his Martial Soul.
Simply because he’d awakened a Wasted Martial Soul, he had been looked down upon and bullied at every turn!
Did poor talent make someone less of a person?
Did servant disciples not count as human beings?
Were they fated only to be exploited by those high above?
To have their dignity trampled upon?
If he hadn’t defeated Li Hui, as someone with a Wasted Martial Soul, would he have been forced to hand over his monthly Essence Energy Pills without resistance? To endure it all silently?
Huff!
After a long moment, Luo Cheng let out a deep breath, walked up to Junior Brother Yu, and said:
"Stand up."
Junior Brother Yu looked at Luo Cheng with trembling fear: "Senior Brother Luo Cheng, did you agree?"
Luo Cheng didn’t say much. He simply returned four Essence Energy Pills to the other two servant disciples and then took out several more pills, placing them in Junior Brother Yu’s hands.
"Take these and use them to cultivate."
Luo Cheng still had several million taels in wealth, so a handful of Essence Energy Pills wasn’t much to him.
"Senior Brother Luo Cheng, this is—?"
The three stared at Luo Cheng in astonishment.
Zhang Lian also exclaimed, "Luo Cheng, you..."
Luo Cheng waved his hand and turned to walk towards the distant White Jade Square.
Luo Cheng understood that, with his current strength, he couldn’t change anything.
Still, he refused to go along with the corruption.
Junior Brother Yu froze for a moment, staring at the Essence Energy Pills in his hands. Tears quickly welled up in his eyes as he bowed deeply toward Luo Cheng:
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Zhang Lian hurried to catch up with Luo Cheng, hesitating several times before finally saying, "Luo Cheng, why did you decide to do that?"
"Nothing much, I just wanted to."
Luo Cheng replied calmly.
He wasn’t someone who went out of his way to be charitable; he just refused to violate his own principles.
Zhang Lian stared at him for a moment before sighing: "The interests involved in this are enormous. You... acting like this might offend Elder He."
Luo Cheng knew this all too well.
But he had already offended many people—what was one more?
After a brief silence, Zhang Lian suddenly spoke earnestly: "No matter what anyone else says, I, Zhang Lian, deeply admire you!"
Luo Cheng chuckled: "Come on, let’s head to the square. It looks busy over there; wonder what’s going on."
Zhang Lian glanced toward the square and replied, "It’s the Green Cloud Trial. It was announced some time ago."
"The Green Cloud Trial?"
Zhang Lian nodded and elaborated: "The Green Cloud Trial is an annual event for servant disciples. Beyond its generous rewards, the top ten performers are even directly promoted to Outer Disciples of the sect!"
"Direct promotion to Outer Disciples?"
Luo Cheng’s eyes lit up.
Zhang Lian nodded again but then added with a bitter smile, "But we shouldn’t get our hopes up. Every year, the top ten spots in the Green Cloud Trial are held by disciples in the Transcendence Realm Fifth Layer. Occasionally, there’s an exception or two, and they’re at least in the Fourth Layer of the Transcendence Realm!"
"Let’s go take a look!"
Luo Cheng couldn’t contain his excitement and quickly made his way toward the square.
The square, a hundred feet in length and width, was paved entirely with meticulously arranged White Jade stones, exuding a sense of grandeur and majesty.
At the center of the square stood a towering wall, adorned with a massive announcement. The golden characters for "Green Cloud Trial" were strikingly prominent.
Below the announcement, a large crowd had gathered, all craning their necks to read its contents.
Luo Cheng followed their gaze.
"It really resembles the Hunting Festival in certain aspects..."
Luo Cheng couldn’t help muttering to himself.
The Green Cloud Trial involved hunting Demon Beasts on Qingyun Island near Xuanyuan Sect. Rankings were determined by the total points gained from hunting Demon Beasts.
Aside from the top ten performers earning direct entry into the Outer Sect, the Green Cloud Trial offered exceptionally generous rewards.
The first-place winner would receive five hundred Essence Energy Pills as a prize, the second-place winner three hundred, the third two hundred... while the tenth place received thirty Essence Energy Pills.
Anyone placing in the top hundred would still be rewarded with ten Essence Energy Pills each.
Servant disciples below the Sixth Layer of the Transcendence Realm were eligible to participate, excluding those in the Sixth Layer.
As for why Sixth Layer disciples weren’t allowed, Zhang Lian explained:
The Green Cloud Trial was intended to inspire servant disciples and give them hope.
Those in the Sixth Layer already had the opportunity to advance to the Third Stage of Tongxuan Realm.
Furthermore, Sixth Layer martial artists had sharp spirits, Essence Qi akin to flame, the power of dual attributes, and could unleash strength up to fifty thousand pounds—essentially living Fierce Beasts with overwhelming power!
If these individuals were allowed to participate, the Green Cloud Trial would lose all competitiveness!
"Huh? The Green Cloud Trial is scheduled for September 17th! Isn’t that tomorrow?"
Noticing the trial’s start date, Luo Cheng’s pupils constricted.
