Chapter 72 - 70: The Sorrow of an Ordinary Outer Disciple

Zhang Xiu heard this and said doubtfully, "We’ve encountered a ton of snakes on our way here, from a long way off. This is almost a full-blown snake infestation.

They must have delayed until they had no other choice before finally posting the mission.

With time being so tight, aren’t they afraid no one will see a mission posted like this?"

Lu Ze shot Zhang Xiu a cool glance. "You really need to start using that brain of yours.

What kind of place do you think the Task Department is?

You think they just post missions for anyone to pick and choose?

The Sect’s departments are all vying for power, and the internal politics are incredibly complex. The Task Department is semi-affiliated with the Resources Department.

And what does the Resources Department prioritize above all else?

Isn’t it the control, allocation, and recovery of resources?

Why do you think the Sect supports these outside families?

Do you really think it’s just to waste resources on them?

Sending Senior Brothers with no potential out year after year, endlessly giving them resources just so they can act as stallions in the secular world?

What’s the point of that? We’re not raising pigs!

Do you think it’s possible to be a registered Cultivation Family of the Celestial Spirit Sect without paying a price? Just because their ancestors were once Outer Disciples?

As long as it’s not a new family or a newly acquired resource, any resource these families have that’s even remotely valuable is registered with the Resources Department. Otherwise, how could the Resources Department be one of the Sect’s four core departments?

And once a resource is registered, there will always be someone among the sea of Outer Disciples within the Resources Department keeping an eye on it.

After all, resources are what Outer Disciples lack most.

Furthermore, the Resources Department has its own internal system. Once you become a Disciple of the Resources Department and gain some authority, you begin to manage these resources under your name.

The people from the Task Department also keep an eye on these resources. As soon as a mission comes up—especially a valuable one with big profits—they directly notify the Inner Sect Senior Brothers to skim some benefits off the top.

The leftover scraps are for Outer Disciples like us.

Otherwise, where would the Disciples of the Task Department get their extra income?

How could the Resources Department, known for being the most lucrative, possibly have an office with no perks?

An office with no perks simply doesn’t exist in the Resources Department!

Even the most overworked Monthly Stipend Department has plenty of side benefits.

Of the Sect’s four core departments, only the Miscellaneous Department—which squeezed its way in due to the sheer number of Spirit Farmers—could possibly have a truly perk-less office.

Of course, not just any ordinary person is qualified for these Outer Sect scraps either.

To maintain balance between the major departments, and as part of a tacit understanding in their power struggles, the Resources Department will appropriately assign some to Outer Disciples from other departments.

And that’s why we’re here.

Now do you still think this mission isn’t worth it?

The people halfway up Little Hui Peak would fight tooth and nail for an opportunity like this.

A single Spirit Pearl Fruit is worth at least a dozen Contribution Points, and even more if you sell it for Spirit Stones.

This one trip is enough to cover half a year’s hard work for many newly promoted Outer Disciples—the kind of work they do while tightening their belts. What do you have to be dissatisfied about?

Or did you really think you could just stumble upon a great deal in the main task hall?

The Sect has hundreds of thousands of people and governs a dozen or so Prefectures. If you don’t seriously study the system and scheme a little, and you don’t have enough Talent, you’ll struggle to get Promoted to Tai Chi even if you barely make it into the Inner Sect.

Of course, if your Spirit Root is sixty or seventy points and your Talent is transcendent, you can treat everything I just said as bullshit.

Because even if you don’t scheme, plenty of people will be falling over themselves to scheme for you, arranging everything from start to finish.

If not, then you have to savor it carefully and truly understand.

Figuring this all out is no less valuable than an Enlightenment Dao session. At least, before you become a Duality Ancestor, grasping these things is comparable to an Enlightenment Dao.

Don’t think the Sect is some simple, transparent place. The ins and outs are enough to keep a mind like yours busy scheming for a lifetime."

Zhang Xiu listened intently. When Lu Ze finished, he gave a simple, goofy smile, scratched the back of his head, and said:

"That’s all too complicated. It’s enough to have you looking out for me, Senior Brother. I’ll just be in charge of hitting whatever you point at.

Anyway, with my personality, I’ll never be able to out-scheme others no matter how hard I think. I’m better off just following you, Senior Brother."

Lu Ze smiled slightly at his words. His current status was not low.

’If he wanted to, how could he possibly fail to find subordinates who knew how to scheme?’

’The Outer Disciples were as numerous as the sea; so many of them were desperate to climb out!’

’If he wanted to find someone several times smarter than Zhang Xiu, he could grab a handful anytime.’

’But he himself was that kind of person. He had climbed up the same way.’

’How could he not be wary of them? How could he be willing to do all the work just for someone else to reap the rewards? What if he became someone else’s stepping stone one day?’

’As an opportunist himself, when faced with other opportunists, the things he trusted least were so-called loyalty and so-called sentiment.’

’Instead, it was someone like Zhang Xiu who put him at ease and was worth cultivating.’

’For no other reason than that he was simple, straightforward, and controllable. Most importantly, he was loyal!’

In truth, being like Zhang Xiu was its own kind of Wisdom.

Having clear self-awareness and knowing one’s place was an incredibly rare quality.

By this time, the three of them had arrived at the entrance to the town.

Six or seven members of the Cheng Cultivation Family came forward to give them an enthusiastic welcome, and a stir went through the crowd.

The commotion, however, was tinged more with disappointment, because their appearance was a far cry from the expected arrival of Immortals.

While the three of them weren’t travel-worn, they also didn’t have the ethereal air of Immortals. If not for their reasonably stylish clothes, they would have looked just like three young masters wandering the martial world.

The group of six or seven from the Cultivation Family, led by a middle-aged elder, walked toward the trio.

Why a middle-aged elder?

Because although his face looked no older than middle-aged, his head was full of white hair.

"The three of you Senior Brothers must be weary from your long journey. We have long since prepared a banquet to welcome you," the middle-aged elder said warmly as he stepped forward.

The other family members followed silently behind him.

Lu Ze smiled and replied, "Mm, very well."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group walked through the parting crowd and stepped into Xiashui Town.

「...」

"If I may ask, Senior Brother, which department do you belong to in the Sect?" the middle-aged elder asked, seemingly at random, during the banquet.

Lu Ze glanced at him and chuckled. "It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I haven’t accepted any assignments. I just muddle through by doing missions occasionally."

The elder paused slightly at this. He seemed to know a fair bit about the Sect. "In that case, it seems Senior Brother is determined to achieve the status of an Inner Sect Disciple. Might I ask what Skill you used for your Entry Level?"

Lu Ze smiled. "Staff Technique."

The elder was slightly taken aback. He then looked at the two men beside Lu Ze and asked, "All three Senior Brothers entered using Close Combat Techniques?"

Lu Ze smiled and nodded. The elder was overjoyed. "Then this old one can rest assured."

He then clapped his hands. A servant girl, holding an exquisite tray, walked gracefully forward. On the tray was a palm-sized Jade Box made entirely of white jade.

She stopped in front of Lu Ze, and the elder gestured for him to open it.

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