“Senior Brother Qi.”

Jiang Hao turned and greeted him politely.

Qi Yang was an inner disciple of Thunderfire Peak, currently at the early Foundation Establishment stage. He had been Jiang Hao’s companion back when they were both outer disciples. Under the same roof, they had a fairly good relationship, though they rarely saw each other after joining different branches.

“Huh? You’ve already reached Foundation Establishment? That’s fast!” Qi Yang exclaimed in surprise as he approached Jiang Hao.

The two disciples standing nearby were equally astonished. Such a young Foundation Establishment cultivator was rare.

“Just fortunate,” Jiang Hao replied with a faint smile.

This was the trouble with having no concealment technique; his cultivation level was immediately apparent. He made a mental note to acquire one soon. But for now, his priority was earning enough spirit stones—1,000 to be exact.

No matter how reluctant he felt, he had to fulfill the compensation. Otherwise, if the Tianhuan Pavilion took action, it would spell certain doom. Not even the Severed Emotion Cliff could shield him then.

He couldn’t understand why the Tianhuan Pavilion would go to such lengths for an inner disciple who had betrayed them. Was it really, as Senior Sister Yun Ruo suggested, because someone coveted her body? Jiang Hao found that unlikely—Yun Ruo wasn’t so stunning as to warrant such measures. Compared to the one who attacked him, her beauty was far inferior.

“Senior brothers, senior sister, let me introduce you to Jiang Hao,” Qi Yang said. “He was my junior when we were both outer disciples.”

“To have two exceptional disciples come from the same place is truly rare,” said a nearby man with a friendly smile. “I’m Xu Feng, and this is my junior sister, Liang Yue.”

“Senior Brother Xu, Senior Sister Liang.” Jiang Hao bowed politely.

“Which branch are you from, Junior Brother?” Liang Yue asked with a smile, clearly interested in befriending him. A young Foundation Establishment cultivator was undoubtedly a talent worth knowing.

“The Severed Emotion Cliff,” Jiang Hao replied.

Upon hearing this, Xu Feng and Liang Yue were visibly taken aback. “The Severed Emotion Cliff?”

“Junior Brother, do you know who killed Yun Ruo from Tianhuan Pavilion?” Xu Feng asked cautiously.

The abrupt question left Jiang Hao momentarily unsure of how to respond. After a brief pause, he admitted, “It was me.”

At that moment, not only Xu Feng and Liang Yue but even Qi Yang were stunned. Xu Feng and Liang Yue, in particular, subtly began to distance themselves.

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After a few more exchanges, Xu Feng led the group away.

Jiang Hao didn’t mind. Perhaps it was because the Tianhuan Pavilion had a fearsome reputation. He had no intention of forming too many ties with others, especially in a sect filled with mutual exploitation like this one.

Yet he couldn’t shake the thought: Why is someone like me, who eliminated a threat to the sect, treated like a criminal instead? Why is everyone avoiding me?

In a secluded corner.

“Qi Junior Brother, you’re familiar with Jiang Hao. What do you think of his talent?” Xu Feng asked.

After some thought, Qi Yang replied, “He seems to be above average.”

“Above average?” Liang Yue said, surprised. “How old is he?”

“Nineteen, about two years younger than me,” Qi Yang answered honestly.

“Nineteen and already at Foundation Establishment? How did he achieve it with only above-average aptitude?” Xu Feng asked the question that was on both their minds.

“It’s because he had a fortuitous encounter,” Qi Yang explained, still curious. “His sudden rise in cultivation was due to that. I suspect his Foundation Establishment is also tied to it. Why, does something seem off?”

Xu Feng and Liang Yue exchanged glances, their expressions subtly changing.

“Junior Brother, you’d best avoid getting too close to him,” Xu Feng advised, his gaze fixed in the direction Jiang Hao had left. “Initially, I was curious why the Severed Emotion Cliff didn’t fully back him. Now it makes sense—he advanced through a stroke of luck. It means his future path will be challenging, with limited value.

“He’s offended the Tianhuan Pavilion. Even if he’s fine now, trouble will find him sooner or later. Keeping your distance will spare your master any unnecessary complications.”

Xu Feng had initially wanted to befriend Jiang Hao, despite knowing about his conflict with the Tianhuan Pavilion. After all, a young Foundation Establishment cultivator was undeniably talented—someone who could potentially break through barriers others couldn’t.

But learning that Jiang Hao’s progress was due to a fortuitous encounter changed everything. Xu Feng no longer saw value in the connection and even felt a tinge of disdain.

Who isn’t a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Qi Yang looked in the direction Jiang Hao had gone but chose to remain silent.

After wandering around, Jiang Hao realized that high-paying tasks either required leaving the sect or had stringent prerequisites. Given his current strength and limitations, he could only take on minor tasks.

He noticed that alchemy, forging, and talisman crafting were the most lucrative skills. Unfortunately, he knew none of them.

Should I learn one?

Alchemy and forging were out of the question—they were too difficult to start, and obtaining recipes or methods required more spirit stones than he had. Though he had some knowledge of herbs, it wasn’t enough to make a difference.

That left talisman crafting.

It was relatively simple to learn, and the techniques were readily available.

“I’ll buy some materials and give it a try.”

With this decision made, Jiang Hao planned to take on a simple task to earn some spirit stones. Accumulating wealth bit by bit, while slow, was better than wasting time.

He accepted a task to care for Pure Yang Flowers. The job paid 20 spirit stones for seven days of work—a decent reward, albeit with strict requirements. Fortunately, Jiang Hao’s experience in the herb garden made him a suitable candidate.

The task originated from White Moon Lake, an area renowned for its talented cultivators and overseen by a guardian elder. Jiang Hao had never met this elder before.

Elders like the guardian elder, instructional elder, peak masters, or pavilion masters were figures he rarely, if ever, encountered—even his own master, the Severed Emotion Cliff’s peak master, was a distant figure.

“First, I’ll buy some talisman crafting materials and instructions, then head over to White Moon Lake to assess the situation.”

Pure Yang Flowers are said to be sacred herbs. Perhaps caring for them will yield some valuable rewards.

If the flowers produced spirit stones, Jiang Hao’s financial woes might finally ease.