The night was still, and the moonlight, like water, spilled onto the stone-paved path of the Cyan Wood Institute’s rear courtyard.

Peng Zhen stood in the rear courtyard of the Cyan Wood Institute. He took a deep breath before raising a hand to knock gently on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

A rustling came from within, and moments later, the courtyard door opened.

Li Baichuan, dressed in gray cloth sleepwear, poked his head out. His hair was slightly disheveled and his eyes were heavy with sleep.

Recognizing the visitor, a flicker of surprise crossed his murky eyes.

"Nephew Peng?"

Li Baichuan looked puzzled. "It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here in my rundown courtyard instead of enjoying yourself at your Kun Earth Institute?"

Peng Zhen forced a smile and cupped his hands. "Junior Martial Uncle Li, I apologize for disturbing your Cultivation. It’s just... something has been weighing on my mind, so much so that I couldn’t sleep. That’s why I took the liberty of coming here."

Li Baichuan yawned, waved a dismissive hand, and stepped aside. "Come in and talk. The dew is heavy outside. I’m old and useless now, can’t stay up late."

Peng Zhen quickly stepped into the courtyard. The furnishings were still simple, and the air was filled with the faint, mixed scent of medicinal herbs and old wood.

He offered some flattery, "Junior Martial Uncle, you are merely concealing your brilliance and returning to simplicity. A true role model for our generation."

Li Baichuan shot Peng Zhen a glance and said irritably, "Alright, alright, stop with the flattery. You didn’t come here in the middle of the night just to kiss an old man’s ass, did you? If you have something to say, say it."

Peng Zhen coughed lightly. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "Junior Martial Uncle, you’re a straightforward man, so I’ll be direct. Didn’t you... tell me before that for one million taels of silver, you would consider letting Chen Qing transfer to my Kun Earth Institute?"

Li Baichuan’s hand, holding the teapot, paused. He raised his eyes to look at Peng Zhen. "Yes, I did say that at the time."

Hearing that the door was still open, Peng Zhen hurriedly said, "Junior Martial Uncle, you see, it’s difficult to gather one million taels of current silver on short notice. However, I have a few Treasure Medicines I’ve collected over many years. Their medicinal properties are superb, and they’re nearly impossible to find on the market."

As he spoke, he took out a carefully wrapped Jade Box from his robes. Upon opening it, two strangely shaped medicinal herbs, brimming with Spiritual Qi, were revealed. They exuded a rich, fragrant aroma.

"Additionally, here are six hundred thousand taels in silver notes, all from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and redeemable on sight."

He then pulled a thick stack of silver notes from his sleeve and placed it beside the Jade Box.

"Together, this is definitely worth a million taels. Junior Martial Uncle, what do you think..."

Peng Zhen had truly gone all out this time. These few Treasure Medicines were his most prized possessions, and the silver notes represented nearly all of his personal savings.

Before coming, he had even specifically sounded out the Sect Leader, He Yuzhou. Although the Sect Leader hadn’t said so explicitly, his words implied he would be happy to see Chen Qing transfer institutes and seemed to be in strong agreement.

Li Baichuan’s gaze swept over the Jade Box and the silver notes, his expression calm and unreadable.

He slowly set down the teapot and smacked his lips.

"Ah, Nephew Peng,"

he began slowly, "that was then, and this is now. Times have changed."

The look of expectation on Peng Zhen’s face froze. He was stunned. "Junior Martial Uncle, what do you mean? Don’t tell me... the price has gone up?"

Li Baichuan lifted his eyelids to glance at him, his tone flat. "The Chen Qing of back then, who was just beginning to show his talent, was worth one million taels of silver. As for the Chen Qing of today..."

He paused, then softly uttered, "Do you think he’s still only worth that price?"

Peng Zhen was instantly at a loss for words. "This..."

’If Chen Qing could become a Direct Disciple, his value would be far more than a mere one million taels of silver.’

’It’s something that can no longer be measured in mere silver.’

Li Baichuan waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, if there’s nothing else, you should head back. The hour is late, and this old man is exhausted. I need to rest."

With that, he turned and made to walk toward the inner chamber.

"Junior Martial Uncle!"

Peng Zhen took a half step forward and asked in a low voice, "Is there no room for negotiation?"

’He still hadn’t given up hope. After all, this Junior Martial Uncle of his was known to love wealth as much as his own life.’

Li Baichuan stopped in his tracks. "That’s enough. Go home, wash up, and go to bed."

As soon as the words fell, he ignored Peng Zhen and walked straight back into the inner chamber.

Peng Zhen stood alone in the outer room, the muscles in his face twitching.

He knew that Li Baichuan’s words had completely shattered his hopes.

’Could it be that my Junior Martial Uncle saw back then that Chen Qing was no ordinary person?’

’Otherwise, why would he have quoted a price of one million taels of silver!?’

Peng Zhen silently closed the lid of the Jade Box, tucked the silver notes back into his sleeve, and cupped his hands toward the inner chamber. He said in a low voice, "I’ve disturbed your rest, Junior Martial Uncle. This nephew will take his leave."

There was no response from inside, only the faint chirping of insects outside the window.

Peng Zhen shook his head, turned, and left the small courtyard without a sound.

In the inner chamber, Li Baichuan sat cross-legged on a cushion, muttering to himself, "One million taels... what a foolish boy. He really has some nerve."

....

「In Lin’an Prefecture, outside the Task Hall beside the Sword Grinding Platform of the Haisa Sect, a crowd was bustling with activity.」

Unlike the relatively relaxed atmosphere of the Wutai Sect, the competition among the disciples of the Haisa Sect was particularly fierce.

A huge Profound Iron List stood majestically, densely packed with countless tasks divided into three grades according to difficulty and risk: A, B, and C.

Every month, all disciples, and even Stewards, had to complete at least one basic task.

Sect rankings were closely tied to the quantity and quality of completed tasks, as well as one’s own Cultivation Realm. This directly determined the amount of Cultivation Resources one could obtain each month.

At this moment, Zhou Yu was gazing at the task board.

She was dressed in the unique, water-blue Martial Attire of the Haisa Sect’s female disciples. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with intricate wave patterns, outlining her now graceful and elegant figure.

A few years of Sect life had shed her of the slight immaturity she had back in Gaolin County. Her skin, from years of outdoor Cultivation, had a healthy, radiant white glow, and her features had grown even more beautiful. Yet, deep within her eyes, there remained a subtle, hidden trace of aloofness and tranquility.