Chapter 17: Keep Me?

"Is it him?" A flicker of doubt crossed Yun Yi's eyes.

"Who is he?" Mu Qianwen asked her aunt.

"A drunkard, Jian Chuan!" Mu Hong’s expression was sour. Jian Chuan was also a core elder; his choice of Yun Yi meant that Yun Yi would now enjoy the same preferential treatment as an inner-sect disciple.

"I’m Jian Chuan. You can call me the Drunkard," Jian Chuan said, swaying as he held a wine gourd in one hand and patted Yun Yi’s shoulder with the other.

"Teacher!" Yun Yi pondered for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and then cupped his fists respectfully.

"Let’s go!" Without waiting for Yun Yi to react, Jian Chuan grabbed him and took to the air, leaving the stunned crowd behind.

"Why would that drunkard come out to pick someone?"

"Senior Sister? Is that drunkard very powerful?" Lei Ling’er asked, looking at Feng Lingling, who stood nearby with an equally distinguished air.

"I don't know. I’ve never seen him in action, and I have no idea what his cultivation level is." Feng Lingling watched the departing Yun Yi, then glanced at Lei Ling’er, a thought flickering in her eyes.

...

"Teacher, where are we going?" Yun Yi asked, looking down at the path leading down the mountain.

"To buy wine!"

"Uh... Teacher, can I go back and cultivate first?" After just finishing the trial, he had gained deep insights and was hoping to trade for a mount to ride.

"You need to help me!" Feeling the scent of alcohol on Jian Chuan, Yun Yi couldn't imagine what help he could possibly provide.

An hour later...

"Greetings, customer! That will be fifty gold coins in total!" The waiter smiled at Jian Chuan; he was a regular.

"You pay!"

A vein throbbed on Yun Yi’s forehead, but he paid without delay. *So that’s it—he only picked me because he had no money to buy wine and needed a sucker!* Yun Yi thought, feeling quite disgruntled.

"Let’s go!" Yun Yi saw the direction Jian Chuan was heading and his face darkened—they were going to the largest tavern in Yingtian City. With a bitter laugh, he sighed and followed.

...

A month passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yun Yi had reached the point where he didn't even want to speak to Jian Chuan. Over the last month, the old man had asked him for gold coins forty times. In the end, Yun Yi simply gave him all the money Qian Duoduo had given him, just to have some peace.

Yun Yi slowly opened his eyes and stabilized his breathing. Sensing the concentration of spiritual energy in his dantian, he felt like crying. He had spent all his contribution points on dozens of bottles of Qi Gathering Pills. That amount should have been enough to propel someone who had just entered the ninth level of Qi Refining into the late stage, but despite the density of his energy, he was still only at the mid-ninth level!

He took a deep breath, intending to take on some tasks to earn more points; he still wanted to buy a giant eagle to fly in the sky.

As he opened his door, a figure suddenly darted out and slammed into his chin!

"Ouch!" Feng Lingling clutched her forehead and retreated, hitting the ground.

Seeing a young woman in his courtyard, Yun Yi sighed but remained wary. "Who are you? Why are you in my courtyard?" He didn't dare to be careless; anyone who could appear in his yard without him noticing was definitely stronger than him.

"Hmph! My name is Feng Lingling! Your Senior Sister!" Feng Lingling grumbled, still holding her forehead. She had dressed up beautifully today just to see her junior brother, but he was completely lacking in chivalry.

Yun Yi thought for a moment and recalled seeing her name in the freshman handbook. He looked at her coolly. "Is there something you need, Senior Sister?"

"Where are you going?"

"To take on tasks and earn contribution points."

"Is my junior brother short on points?"

Hearing this, Yun Yi nodded firmly. Feng Lingling looked around, took out her identity badge, and said imperiously, "Junior brother, how about I give you some?"

Yun Yi didn't believe in free lunches. He frowned and asked, "What do you need me to do? What are the conditions?"

Feng Lingling’s voice softened as she looked at him earnestly. "You just need to accompany me when I want to go out and walk around. I’ll give you 100 contribution points every month, and if that’s not enough, we can talk!"

"Wait, what? Are you trying to keep me as a toy boy?" A vein throbbed on Yun Yi’s forehead. He chuckled, "Senior Sister, let’s not joke around."

"I’m not joking!" Feng Lingling thought of something amusing, put her hands on her hips, and tilted her head up. "Since you won't agree, I'll point you toward another path!"

"Oh? A path?" Yun Yi asked, frowning in confusion. "What is your suggestion, Senior Sister?"

Feng Lingling giggled and said loftily, "Go take the second four-star task. It’s very simple—just delivering an item. I just found out about it! Go on, Junior Brother!" With that, she gave him a lingering look and skipped away with a smile.

*Delivering an item? Is there really such a good deal?* Yun Yi was deeply suspicious. In his month at the academy, he had learned that tasks were divided into five star levels. One-star tasks were the simplest and most common but paid poorly, while five-star tasks were the hardest and rarest, paying thousands but carrying life-threatening risks.

He shook his head, puzzled, and headed toward the Task Hall.

Before he could take a step, a sharp, piercing aura struck him.

"You again?" Yun Yi shouted and retreated rapidly. A moment later, a figure appeared where he had been standing, radiating a fierce aura.

"Who are you?" Yun Yi sensed ill intent and began to circulate his spiritual power.

"Someone you can't afford to mess with!" Shen Ziyi’s expression was dark and his gaze icy. His informants had told him Feng Lingling had visited Yun Yi, and he would not allow the woman he coveted to associate with another man.

Without waiting for Yun Yi to react, Shen Ziyi unleashed his Foundation Establishment strength and appeared before him in a flash. Yun Yi’s pupils contracted as he felt the ghostly presence behind him and lunged backward.

"I'm over here, kid!" Before Yun Yi could stop, Shen Ziyi was already behind him, throwing a punch straight at his heart.

Feeling the chill of the fist, Yun Yi pushed his Cloud-Striding Step to the limit, narrowly dodging the strike by grazing the edge of the fist. Shen Ziyi was clearly experienced; he immediately followed up with a palm strike.

Knowing he couldn't dodge, Yun Yi threw a Fierce Tiger Fist.

*Boom!*

With a roar of impact, Yun Yi flew backward while Shen Ziyi only stumbled.

"Cough, cough!" A sweet taste filled Yun Yi's throat as he spat out blood, his eyes icy as he glared at Shen Ziyi.

"Kid! Stay away from Lingling in the future. I’ll break your leg this time as a lesson!" Shen Ziyi walked toward him with a twisted grin.

Yun Yi’s eyes narrowed, preparing to hide within the Yanhuang Jade.

"Die, kid!"

Suddenly, Shen Ziyi froze, unable to move. A man holding a wine gourd appeared, looking down at Shen Ziyi with utter contempt.