02 Oct 2016
“What do you want?”
Scarface knew that Yang Chen would certainly not refine that Face Changing Pill for him without any good cause. That pill which could even cause an inconvenience to the Greatest Heaven Sect couldn’t be produced so easily.
“If you go to the area of demon beasts or devil cultivators and find some materials, I will have the right to purchase it first.”
Yang Chen’s request was not that difficult. Actually he provided Scarface with a way to make money.
“Those places are rich in natural resources, so you can get a group of people and get some commissions from the sects here and then trade the things you find at those places.”
Yang Chen said a few more enticing words:
“In any case, you like to run around, so maybe it will increase your knowledge and experience and at the same time, earn you some wealth.”
Hearing this, Scarface was extremely delighted. A person like him, who only lived for revenge, only needed to be given a desire, and he could continue his life. As for a higher cultivation, he hadn’t thought of it before, but maybe in the future he would be able to find a direction.
“Yes, I agree!”
After thinking for a moment, Scarface declared this without any hesitation.
Right now, Scarface could definitely take a stroll through markets where cultivators gather in large numbers and take a look at which things the Greater Mountains had and which were scarce, so that, when the time came, he could take some things with him and trade them to earn a large amount of spirit stones.
Scarface also wasn’t too reluctant to leave, and after having this idea, he immediately said his farewells to Yang Chen. He was a little ill at ease there. Although he was considered a guest, he was only there to apologise to Gao Yue, so he wasn’t very comfortable. Departing as soon as possible was a kind of release for him.
That old tree demon also didn’t urge him to stay, and as soon as Yang Chen had sent off Scarface, he asked, with a face full of smiles:
“You have enticed this distracted youngster to run errands around here and there for you, what are you attempting to do?”
“I can’t hide anything from you old man, huh?”
Yang Chen smiled:
“I am not attempting anything, I am just trying to create a way for the sect to make money. In fact, Scarface himself clearly knows it, but he still hadn’t thought about the future clearly.”
That old tree demon had lived for countless years, although he hadn’t communicated much with people, he had still faced countless hardships at the Greater Mountains. With an incisive gaze, he nodded his head, without saying anything.
“You are correct in this case. First, I want to borrow your place to live temporarily and will enter your sect’s Eccentric Hall.”
That old tree demon finally nodded:
“I intend to pass my Yin Fire Tribulation in a few days. Do you have any close friends who want to watch?”
The Yin Fire tribulation of a peak YuanYing stage expert was an opportunity which one couldn’t find by searching. Last time when he was at the Clear Sky Sect, he had allowed a group of people to see the Yin Fire tribulation of Hua Wanting. He was aware that his own sect’s experts were somewhat unworthy, but having such an opportunity now… Wasn’t it just a large meat pie which the Heavens had thrown into his lap?
How could Yang Chen reject such a request? After a night had passed, Yang Chen went to see the main body of the old tree demon, but despite knowing that the old tree demon was there, he still was intimidated by the old tree demon’s concealing trick.
Within Yang Chen’s courtyard, behind the house, many fist thick Cassia Trees, almost at the height of two people, with thin branches and newly grown leaves, could be seen. They were basically newly grown saplings. Anyone looking at it would never think this was the old tree demon who had been cultivating for countless years.
Apparently, under the nourishment of this abundant spirit power, that old tree demon’s Appearance Transforming Secrets had almost been perfected. Just this trick was sufficient to make people not pay attention to his main body. Who would care about a few little tree saplings which a house master had planted to decorate his courtyard?
Only if an enemy attacked and demanded to raze the entire courtyard, could he discover the anomaly of the old tree demon. But in this life, having Yang Chen, how could the Pure Yang Palace repeat the same mistake and get exterminated?
Moreover, there was one more benefit of having the old tree demon occupy Yang Chen’s backyard: That region would be the most fortified region of the Pure Yang Palace from then on. Moreover, with his roots, the old tree demon could monitor the entire Pure Yang Palace. Furthermore, which place could be safer than the one guarded by a Da Cheng stage expert?
The matter of the old tree demon settling down still hadn’t been reported to the Palace Master, but before he could do that, his servant, Ting Yuan, had come running to Yang Chen, saying that the Palace Master and the other hall masters were waiting at the Nine Earth Manor and had asked Yang Chen to come see them.
Yang Chen had arranged for Ting Yuan to look after the Nine Earth Manor and provide guidance to the disciples together with Shangguan Feng. but she had come running to him with an anxious expression on her face. This made him very confused. Especially, her words, that not just the Palace Master, but also the other hall masters were there was completely out of his expectations.
“How many other hall masters are there?”
Yang Chen asked, feeling confused.
“All of them!”
Ting Yuan replied with confidence, immediately continuing:
“It seems that they were all brought in by the substitute hall master of the Luminous Moon Hall, Song Hang!”
Since Yang Chen wasn’t very friendly with the people of Luminous Moon Hall, Ting Yuan directly said his name without any fear.
“Young Master, they all seem to be planning to condemn you.”
Ting Yuan had watched every detail attentively and had also seen the behaviour of these people, especially Song Hang:
“Apparently, as soon as they heard that young master had come out of the cultivation room, they immediately assembled there.”
“There is no harm in going!”
Yang Chen had spent much effort on the outer disciples, so if someone wanted to quarrel about them without any previous offence, Yang Chen would certainly not avoid it.
“Let’s go and take a look! The Palace Master is also there and we cannot let that old man wait for long!”
Using his flying sword, Yang Chen brought Ting Yuan to the Nine Earth Manor within an hour. The party of the Palace Master was present in the main hall of the Nine Earth Manor.
“Disciple Yang Chen greets Palace Master and all of the uncle masters!”
Without saying anything else, Yang Chen first greeted the Palace Master and then the other hall master successively. They were all his elders, so even if he didn’t want to, Yang Chen had to greet them according to the rules. Apart from one or two people, all returned his greetings with a smile.
“Good that you have come out of the cultivation room.”
The Palace Master spoke to Yang Chen with smile:
“I have heard that your master is doing good now, good work!”
This attitude of the Palace Master, made him feel relaxed and also gratified. Yang Chen had entered seclusion to treat Gao Yue. If the Palace Master had ordered him, regardless of anything to come out and receive his punishment, that would indeed have made all of the disciples within the sect terrified.
But the Palace Master had asked out of genuine concern, yet not all people could have similar concerns. At least the substitute hall master of the Luminous Moon Hall was one such person.
After the Palace Master had finished talking, and before anyone else could open their mouth, Song Hang slowly asked:
“Yang Chen, do you know your crimes?”
Luminous Moon Hall’s hall master, Liang Ming Shao, was still meditating and examining his conscience, because not only was his disciple Chu Heng a sect traitor, while dealing with Yang Chen, he had also unconsciously served as an accomplice, therefore he was punished by the Palace Master to temper himself. Luminous Moon Hall’s current hall master was Song Hang, who had been acting as a substitute hall master.
Yang Chen didn’t find the people of the Luminous Moon Hall’s pleasing to the eye, but they also didn’t like Yang Chen very much because of the matter with Liang Ming Shao. This also had some relation with the affairs of Chu Heng, as well as the Second Fierce Yang Courtyard.
At that time, Liang Ming Shao wanted to strip Yang Chen of the Second Fierce Yang Courtyard and take it for himself, but he was suppressed by the Palace Master. The result was that all of the elders of the Pure Yang Palace, including the Palace Master had a room there. Even the other hall’s masters had rooms there, only Liang Ming Shao didn’t.
Yang Chen certainly wasn’t a person who would return good for evil, and since they had wanted to seize his property, he wouldn’t let them enjoy the benefits of his property. This kind of thing wasn’t rare in the cultivation world, therefore no one in the Pure Yang Palace cared much about it.
But in the eyes of the people of Luminous Moon Hall, Yang Chen had clearly shown his disdain for them. Adding Chu Heng’s matter to that, the substitute hall master, Song Hang, didn’t like Yang Chen.
It just so happened that Yang Chen currently held the responsibility for outer disciples, but because of Gao Yue’s injuries, he had surprisingly left for half a year. In addition to the four months he had spent after returning to heal Gao Yue, Yang Chen didn’t fulfill his responsibility as the Merit Transferring Disciple for a whole ten months.
This proved to be a great opportunity for Song Hang to deal with Yang Chen. Previously, because Yang Chen was in the cultivation room, even if he had wanted, Song Hang couldn’t order him to come out, therefore he had been waiting for Yang Chen to come out. Not even half a day had passed since Yang Chen came out of the cultivation hall, and Song Hang had urged the Palace Master and the other hall’s masters to set a formal meeting and punish him.
“Disciple does not know of any crimes!”
Yang Chen replied, bluntly facing Song Hang:
“I request Uncle Master Song to give me some pointers!”
“Hmph, the hell you don’t!”
Song Hang coldly snorted, without caring about the frown of the Palace Master on the other hall masters faces, he continued:
“You are the Merit Transferring Disciple, yet you left without any prior notice, thus you are hampering their growth. Do you still have anything to say?”
Song Hang clearly knew that the Palace Master and the other hall masters would not investigate Yang Chen’s offences, but he still raised this accusation. Yang Chen had left the Nine Earth Manor ten months ago, this was public knowledge, so no one could say anything in support of Yang Chen.
On the matter of the Second Fierce Yang Courtyard, the Palace Master had openly sided with Yang Chen and suppressed the Luminous Moon Hall, giving them the reason that what he had earned, was his. Presently, Song Hang was using the same reason, which made the Palace Master and the other hall masters speechless and left them with no option except punishing Yang Chen.
Sure enough, when Song Hang opened his mouth, the others were completely dumbstruck. No one said half a word in support of Yang Chen. Everyone clearly understood that this matter was based on a past revenge.
The Palace Master had an embarrassed expression on his face. He wanted to help Yang Chen, but Song Hang had stated the sect rules and he could not show any favouritism. So it was clear that this time, he could only wrong Yang Chen.
“Uncle Master Hong, I want to know, which rule of my Pure Yang Palace says that Merit Transferring Disciples for the outer disciples cannot leave the Nine Earth Manor?”
Yang Chen however remained completely calm. Standing in front of everyone, he bluntly stated:
“I don’t know of any such rule regarding being absent, where is it written?”
Hearing Yang Chen’s point, the Palace Master had sensed that this matter was definitely not going in the direction which Song Hang had thought. A smile appeared on his face and then he took a seat, waiting for the next development. The minds of the other hall masters also jolted and they began to listen to the matter attentively.
“My sect’s rules, doesn’t have such a clause!”
The Medicine Hall’s hall master Zhu Chen Tao was the first one to jump out in Yang Chen’s support:
“And what were you saying?”
“Indeed, we don’t have such a clause. Song Hang, is being a little inconsistent a sin?”
Naturally nobody would support Song Hang, so the agreeing voices began to echo one after another.
This wasn’t something which Yang Chen had made up, instead it was a precedent set by all of the previous Merit Transferring Disciples. Only they hadn’t been absent for as long as Yang Chen, at most one or two days, but regarding this offence of absconding, a day or two compared to a month or two, or a year or two couldn’t be differentiated.
Since the previous Merit Transferring Disciples could leave the Nine Earth Manor when they wanted, then Yang Chen could also leave when he wanted, so this matter could not be said to be an offence. Yang Chen had cleverly used this point, so that Song Hang couldn’t say even half a word.
“Good, absconding is not your fault!”
Song Hang wasn’t discouraged in the least, Yang Chen had left the Nine Earth Manor for ten months, so the guidance of the outer disciples had definitely been obstructed. That was naturally a sound fact, therefore Song Hang generously let this accusation go.
“But, you haven’t guided them properly and have hampered their growth, what do you have to say about that?”
Song Hang immediately grabbed the later part of offence:
“For ten months you haven’t guided the outer disciples, haven’t you hampered their growth?”
This point, even if the Palace Master had tried to take the blame, he couldn’t do anything. But Yang Chen had previously shown great confidence, which had made the Palace Master think that Yang Chen surely had something to say.
“Uncle Master Song, about your words of hampering the progress of my disciples, you don’t have the final say in that matter!”
Yang Chen’s voice wasn’t very high, but it was clear enough to reach everyone’s ears.
“If I don’t have the say, then who does? The Palace Master?”
Song Hang sneered. He thought that Yang Chen was like a cornered beast, trying to find every possible method to escape the sin:
“Then I ask Palace Master, this behaviour of Yang Chen, is it regarded as hampering the progress of his disciples?”
This time, the ball was in the Palace Master’s court. He coughed lightly and was about to open his mouth, but surprisingly, before he could open his mouth, Yang Chen had already started speaking:
“Actually, the Palace Master is also not in charge!”
Once Yang Chen opened his mouth, he immediately gave everyone a huge scare. In the matters of the Pure Yang Palace, even the Palace Master did not have a say? How outrageous! This clearly was not putting the Palace Master in his eyes.
“What atrocity!
Zhu Chen Tao became anxious and hastily berated Yang Chen loudly making Song Hang choke on his words. Because Zhu Chen Tao’s berating would always be better than Song Hang opening his mouth.
“Yang Chen, then you tell me, who can check if you have hampered the growth of your disciples?”
The Palace Master was also slightly angry and asked in a heavy voice. If Yang Chen did not give him a good reason, then he would properly discipline him first.
“Since you are saying that the growth of disciples have been hampered…”
Yang Chen gently laughed and calmly spoke:
“Then naturally the final say must be with those disciples, whose development has been hampered.”