Chapter 77: Junior Brother, Do You Really Have No Way?

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Junior Brother, Do You Really Have No Way?

Although it was late at night, the end of the Inner Sect Disciple assessment sent the entire Purple Cloud Valley into a frenzy.

Two disciples from Purple Bamboo Peak were cheering on the summit, screaming like madmen. An uninformed observer might have thought they’d suffered a cultivation deviation!

Yang Haichen watched these two senior brothers from the plaza, his mind elsewhere. He had intended to go back and rest, but as soon as he had lain down, a large group of Outer Disciples—some familiar, some not—had arrived to offer their congratulations.

Left with no other choice, he had to leave his Bamboo Garden and come here.

’I wonder if Master, whose home isn’t far from my Bamboo Garden, has been able to rest. It would be a terrible offense if I were the reason his sleep was disturbed.’

"Are those two senior brothers alright?"

Yang Haichen watched as the two senior brothers did a full, laughing lap around the paths of Purple Bamboo Peak before collapsing directly onto the plaza. They lay there, muttering incomprehensible words, a strange mix of crying and laughing. It was hard to believe these were two senior brothers who had commanded such high prestige among the Outer Disciples.

’To be precise, they should be called Inner Sect senior brothers now.’

Whether in the Outer Sect or the Inner Sect, the rule in Purple Cloud Valley was that seniority was based on who joined first.

Of course, this only applied among disciples of the same rank. The True Disciples, Inner Sect, and Outer Sect were distinct groups, but a strict hierarchy existed between them: a True Disciple was always senior to an Inner Sect Disciple, and an Inner Sect Disciple was always senior to an Outer Disciple.

"It happens every year. This is perfectly normal."

The Inner Sect Disciple, who had appeared beside Yang Haichen at some point, was quite calm. When he became an Inner Sect Disciple two years ago, he hadn’t been quite so wild, but he had spent an entire night sitting alone in a bamboo forest.

"That’s good to hear."

Yang Haichen nodded. His master was the Grand Elder of Purple Bamboo Peak, after all. Even though he was only responsible for matters of master-apprentice lineage, it would likely be a huge hassle if something were to happen to these two newly-promoted senior brothers.

"May I ask for Senior Brother’s name?"

Yang Haichen’s gaze fell upon the senior brother who had been by his side for a while. ’He’s probably here for Junior Brother Liu,’ he predicted. ’The apprentice of the Purple Bamboo Peak Grand Elder is certainly outstanding, but compared to the apprentice of the acting Peak Master—who is also a Second Grade Spirit Chef—that title is hardly worth mentioning.’

"I am Ren Xunchun. Please forgive my forwardness in approaching you, Junior Brother."

Ren Xunchun was very candid. He made no pretense of this being a chance encounter; he had come specifically for Yang Haichen. If he hadn’t seen him in person, he would have, at most, continued to watch from the shadows like the other Inner Sect Disciples.

"Senior Brother Ren, you’re too kind. This is Purple Bamboo Peak; how could you possibly be intruding?"

Yang Haichen shook his head. Although he didn’t know what this senior brother truly wanted, as long as the man showed no malicious intent, he was willing to converse with him.

"In that case, if I may be so bold: is it true that Junior Brother Liu’s Spiritual Cuisine is only sold to True Disciples?"

Ren Xunchun couldn’t resist asking. The fact that True Disciples were buying Spiritual Cuisine couldn’t possibly be kept secret from the Inner Sect Disciples on Purple Bamboo Peak. True Disciples needed Spiritual Cuisine to advance their cultivation, and Inner Sect Disciples, naturally, needed it too.

This was especially true for Inner Sect Disciples stuck at the Body Tempering Peak, trying to break through to the Meridian Passage Realm.

Breaking through to the Meridian Passage Realm from the Body Tempering Peak results in a boost more than twice as powerful as breaking through from the Body Tempering Late Stage. This was the benefit of taking the Peak Path, but the price was that the difficulty of the breakthrough also more than doubled.

With the help of Second Grade Spiritual Cuisine, even if he couldn’t achieve a breakthrough in one go, he could at least save some precious time. The Inner Sect Disciple trials were just around the corner, and it was natural to want to be as strong as possible.

"So, Senior Brother is interested in the Spiritual Cuisine?"

Yang Haichen couldn’t help but ask. This was the first time an Inner Sect Disciple had inquired about the Spiritual Cuisine.

"To be frank, I reached the Body Tempering Peak two years ago, right after becoming my master’s disciple. Two years have passed, and I am still just a hair’s breadth away from even beginning the Meridian Passage Technique."

Ren Xunchun explained helplessly. He had learned of the Peak Path from his master and had reached the same height his master had in the Body Tempering Realm. But his master had been unable to advance further, leaving Ren Xunchun with no guidance. He had no choice but to attempt the breakthrough to the Meridian Passage Realm on his own.

But alas, he had already wasted two years just trying to make the breakthrough, and he still hadn’t even begun the Meridian Passage Technique, let alone mastered what came after.

"Junior Brother Liu only asked me to sell the Spiritual Cuisine; he never specified who I should sell it to. If you could manage to find me before the True Disciples do, Senior Brother, you might be able to obtain some."

Yang Haichen didn’t press the issue. He thought back on Junior Brother Liu’s original instructions and couldn’t recall any mention of not selling to Inner Sect Disciples.

’As long as the Spiritual Cuisine sells, Junior Brother Liu doesn’t care who buys it.’

"Do you really think that’s possible, Junior Brother?"

Ren Xunchun shook his head. Setting aside the difficulty of competing with True Disciples in the first place, just being able to beat them to Yang Haichen’s side the moment he emerged from the back of the mountain was something no Inner Sect Disciple could accomplish. If they could do that, why would they still be an Inner Sect Disciple?

"You’re right, it is impossible. But Junior Brother Liu doesn’t take pre-orders, and I can’t exactly refuse to sell to the True Disciples just to save a portion specifically for you." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Yang Haichen shook his head. ’I could, technically, but to offend the True Disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak—and perhaps the entire Purple Cloud Valley—for one Inner Sect Disciple? The loss would far outweigh the gain.’

"Is there truly no other way, Junior Brother?"

Ren Xunchun was growing anxious. If he could get his hands on the Spiritual Cuisine, he was confident he could break through to the Meridian Passage Realm just as the trial was beginning. If that happened, his chances of surviving it would increase dramatically.

"Well, it’s not that there’s no way at all. You must know about the upcoming Inner Sect Disciple trial. Before, Junior Brother Liu traded some Spiritual Cuisine for three Magical Artifacts, each capable of withstanding a full-powered blow from someone in the Meridian Passage Late Stage. If you could bring me a similar Magical Artifact, Senior Brother, then selling the Spiritual Cuisine to you would be perfectly reasonable. Even the True Disciples couldn’t complain about that."

Yang Haichen thought for a moment before deciding to make the offer. ’Junior Brother Liu said he was bartering for items on Purple Bamboo Peak, not specifically bartering with the True Disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak,’ he reasoned. ’So, as long as the Magical Artifact is satisfactory, Junior Brother Liu shouldn’t have any objections.’

Even so, Yang Haichen had no intention of hiding this from Junior Brother Liu. If Junior Brother Liu didn’t agree to the deal tomorrow, he wouldn’t sell to Senior Brother Ren.

’Besides, whether Senior Brother Ren could even produce a Protective Spiritual Artifact was another question entirely. And even if he had one, why wouldn’t he just use it himself?’

"Thank you, Junior Brother. I’ll be heading back to rest now."

Ren Xunchun’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stood to take his leave. A Protective Spiritual Artifact of that quality would be difficult to find, but at least now, he saw a glimmer of hope.

"Take care, Senior Brother."

Yang Haichen nodded. He glanced over at the two senior brothers helping each other stumble to their feet, and only after confirming they were back to normal did he return to his Bamboo Garden to rest.

「Early the next morning.」

Liu Chen’s eyes slowly opened. Stepping out of the Bamboo Garden, he saw a box made of Cyan Bamboo sitting on a table.

Opening it, Liu Chen found a set of Inner Sect Disciple robes.

After a moment’s thought, Liu Chen put the robes directly into his Storage Ring. ’There’s no one else here on the back of the mountain. Wearing these would only add to my two junior sisters’ pressure to cultivate.’