Chapter 41: Reporting In
There were no items in Lu You's room that emitted spiritual energy.
The only thing that did was the spirit token Zhou Lei had given him.
That thing was basically more like a room key or access card. After Evil Eye checked the area thoroughly, it confirmed that there were no surveillance-type techniques hidden here.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lu You tidied up the room a bit. Only then did he have time to look through the beginner's guide Zhou Lei had given him.
The areas within the Deep Literary Pavilion were divided into three sectors: Heaven, Earth, and Human.
Qi Refining Outer Sect disciples lived in the Human sector. Foundation Establishment cultivators lived in the Earth sector, while Golden Core elders lived in the Heaven sector. As for those mighty Nascent Soul experts, they had their own cave abodes and usually wouldn't come to a place like the Deep Literary Pavilion at all.
Qi Refining disciples who joined the Deep Literary Pavilion were generally a bit weaker in strength and cultivation talent, but everyone could make talismans—or at least had some aptitude in the Dao of talismans. According to the rules of the Deep Literary Pavilion, Qi Refining disciples had to submit thirty unranked talismans each month to be considered qualified—basically one per day. This was a kind of balancing act: if your talent and strength weren't enough, you made up for it by drawing talismans.
That said, Deep Literary Pavilion disciples weren't forced to take part in other sect trials. For example, in this recent legacy tomb expedition, the Deep Literary Pavilion suffered the least losses. The few who went had all volunteered to seek their own opportunities. If Lu You hadn't killed Zhang Xiansheng and those Foundation Establishment cultivators, it wouldn't even have been his turn to join the Outer Sect.
In terms of treatment, Deep Literary Pavilion Outer Sect disciples were the same as other Outer Sect disciples. Each month, they received one bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills, with three pills per bottle, to help with Qi Refining. In addition, the Minor Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique was replaced with the Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique. Comparatively speaking, the Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique was more comprehensive and more effective.
The handbook also listed various miscellaneous rules—most of them tedious and cumbersome. But there was still content that made Lu You's eyes light up: as long as you obediently handed in talismans, you would accumulate contribution points. Every thirty unranked talismans counted as 1 contribution point. Each first-tier talisman was also worth 1 contribution point. With every 100 contribution points, you could go to the scripture repository and read for one hour, and even make a rubbing copy of a talisman you didn't know yet to take away and study. If you had trouble learning, you could spend 200 contribution points to ask a teaching senior brother at the repository for guidance.
"Seriously black-hearted. Verdant Cloud Sect is ruthless to menial disciples—and I didn't expect it to be just as ruthless to Outer Sect disciples!" Lu You couldn't help but complain. Working the fields for the Verdant Cloud Sect required handing over ninety percent of the harvest, plus an extra half-percent in 'taxes.' That so-called tax was still collected by the Verdant Cloud Sect anyway. In other words, after slaving away for a whole year, you only got five percent of the income.
But after entering the Verdant Cloud Sect as an Outer Sect disciple, it was the same story. If you had no connections, you'd have to draw unranked talismans for ten years just to earn the chance to learn first-tier talismans. And the contribution point system was a massive rip-off too: each first-tier talisman—like the cheapest Divine Speed Talisman—cost ten spirit stones. A hundred contribution points only represented about a thousand spirit stones. With this kind of brutal taxation, if this were Lu You's previous world, the "immortals" of the Verdant Cloud Sect would've been strung up on streetlights by now.
"Luckily, for me this isn't complicated at all. The handbook only says that I have to submit thirty unranked talismans each month, it doesn't say I'm not allowed to submit more. With my small cauldron, as long as I hand in extra, I can rack up contribution points quickly."
After finishing the guide, Lu You immediately got up and headed to the Earth sector to report in. Joining the Outer Sect meant he could obtain the Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique—and Zhou Lei hadn't given him that cultivation technique just now.
Between the Human sector and the Earth sector stood a mountain. Lu You's small courtyard was located in the center of the Human sector, so every time he went out, he had to pass by the big shared compound.
Seeing his fellow sect brothers training, Lu You originally wanted to greet them. But the group only let out mocking snorts—no one paid him any attention. Some even looked at him with eyes full of pity, ridicule, and schadenfreude.
"Is this some kind of rich-people-hate?"
Lu You quietly raised his guard. But these fellow disciples didn't really look like they resented the rich—the schadenfreude in their eyes wasn't even concealed.
"Could it be that there's something fishy about the place I'm living in?"
Lu You couldn't figure out what they were thinking. He just kept it in mind, stopped paying attention to them, and walked straight through the shared courtyard into the Earth sector.
The Earth sector was more neatly organized than the Human sector. The moment he entered, he saw a large azure hall. Inside the hall were different branch halls with plaques hanging above them—places to exchange contribution points and places for Outer Sect reporting. Behind the main hall were rows of private courtyards, which made Lu You itch with envy.
"Senior Brother, my name is Lu You. I've just joined the Outer Sect and came to receive the Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique."
At the reporting desk, Lu You respectfully handed over his spirit token. The token displayed both his room number and his identity.
Three Foundation Establishment disciples were sitting there with their eyes closed in meditation. When they heard Lu You speak, all three opened their eyes and sat up at the same time.
"Ha, Lu You, right?"
The leading Foundation Establishment disciple took the token to verify it. He couldn't suppress the smile in his eyes as he handed Lu You the cultivation technique. Then he took out a stack of talisman paper. "Junior Brother, now that you've joined the Outer Sect, you have to fulfill your Outer Sect duties. You must submit thirty unranked talismans each month. Of course, if you're capable, you can also submit two first-tier talismans instead."
"Our sect's talismans aren't like the ones sold outside. Each one represents the sect's face—you must guarantee quality and quantity. Even the talisman paper has to be the sect's special supply. Here are five sheets of talisman paper—your free monthly quota. Every additional sheet after that has to be bought with spirit stones. A fair price: one spirit stone per sheet."
The Foundation Establishment disciple deliberately pointed at the surface of the talisman paper. In truth, it was just low-grade talisman paper. Outside, it sold for ten sheets per spirit stone. But the Verdant Cloud Sect's version had a faint green character printed on it—basically a logo—and yet the price was ten times higher.
Lu You's eyelids twitched. Based on the monthly quota, after deducting the five free sheets, he'd still have to spend twenty-five spirit stones. And that assumed a one-hundred-percent success rate in drawing talismans. If there were any failures, he'd have to spend even more.
"Senior Brother, if someone is short on funds, is there any other way to exchange for talisman paper?"
Lu You recalled the looks on the cultivators in the shared courtyard. No matter how he looked at them, they didn't seem like people who could afford these fees.
"You think anyone can be a talisman master?"
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged glances, and the leading one's expression darkened. "You could afford to butter up that fat Zhou, but when it comes to us, suddenly you have no money? Are you looking down on the three of us? Let me tell you, you're here through expansion recruitment, not direct promotion. If we're unhappy, we can kick you out anytime and pick another one from the menial disciples."
Another Foundation Establishment cultivator chimed in, "Lu You, don't think we don't know your little tricks. You only got in because your Senior Sister greased Zhou's palm. If you don't have enough, go ask your Senior Sister for more. She even lent you a treasured artifact—put in a little more effort at night and borrowing a few spirit stones should be easy, right?"
Lu You suddenly lifted his gaze and looked at the three men who were speaking so smugly, engraving their faces deep into his memory.
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