The process of reclaiming a lost robe had been explained to them by He Ming, but actually getting to the Hall of Legislation was a whole new experience for Chen Hao. Fellow disciples, who would have once greeted him as he walked past, now looked at him with expressions of disgust. They moved out of his way as if he were the bearer of a plague.

“Not having a robe means you’ve got something to hide. Practically a murderer at that point,” Jun wisely nodded as he stuck beside the boy, trotting along the stone road.

“This is... horrible.” Chen Hao muttered, his previous enthusiasm gone.

“Considering what the butcher lady did to you, they’re not wrong. Let’s move before someone decides to harass us.”

The Hall of Legislation was much the same as before—huge pillars, wooden tables, comfortable chairs, stuffy air, and magical, floating brushes. The disciples here looked eternally bored. This time, a young woman, nineteen at best, with her hair tied in a ponytail, looked up at them.

“How can I help you?”

Much like a worker at any bank, she had a fake cheery voice that hid deep sadness.

“I lost both my robe and badge,” Chen Hao bashfully said. The very first thing he had been told in the sect was to not lose his badge.

“You spent months in a thieves’ den and murdered a woman, and now you’re ashamed that you lost a badge? Is it because she’s a woman? What about Li Xia?” Jun aggressively inquired.

“Name?”

“Chen Hao.”

Very soon, a bamboo slip shot through the air, arriving precisely in her hand.

“Joined the sect four months ago. Reported missing three months ago. I assume you’ve been found?” she asked. Jun burst out in laughter.

“I’ve... found myself.”

“Mhm. You are an outer disciple still in the trial period. Fifty spirit stones for the robe, and another fifty for the badge.”

The price was genuinely mind-boggling. That was ten months of a new disciple’s stipend. If Jun wasn’t already rolling in spirit stones, he could make a business out of stealing badges and asking for a king’s ransom.

Chen Hao’s ring flashed, and a small pouch appeared in his hands. The young woman raised her brow when she saw the scene.

“Now he’s learned how to show off. Which bastard taught him this?”

Chen Hao’s outfit consisted of dirty and torn robes, worth practically nothing, and a storage ring that could go for thousands of spirit stones. It only went for that price because of the massive space inside of it, and no one would know if he kept silent, but any storage artifact, no matter how big or small, was still worth hundreds.

‘Ignore the brand new watch that I bought for a hundred thousand dollars. I’m a common plebeian, just like you.’

The woman counted the spirit stones before grumbling and heading further into the building. A few minutes later, she came back with a shiny new badge and a pristine grey robe. Along with that, she handed the boy thirty spirit stones and nine Meridian Cleansing Pills.

“Your unclaimed sect provisions for three months. Also, if I may ask, have you reached the third stage yet?”

“No. Is there some sort of benefit once I do?”

The lie almost brought a tear to Jun’s eyes. At least he wasn’t stupid enough to reveal his true strength.

“It depends. Once you do, you can become an official outer sect disciple. It comes with fifty spirit stones and an Essence Infusion Pill every month. You lose your access to the Outer Disciple’s Quarters, but you can rent much closer to the lake. The Scripture Pavilion will allow you to access higher floors, and in general, your badge will offer a whole variety of new services previously inaccessible to new disciples. Though, of course, most will cost contribution points.

“Besides that, you will need to clear Sect Mission every six months, unless you get a special exemption from an elder or you join the inner sect.”

The inner sect was something they hadn’t heard about in a while. Jun wondered how the girl from their village, Sun Ping, was doing.

“I’ve always wanted to ask. How can I join the inner sect?”

“Reach Foundation Establishment before twenty years of age or become a disciple of an elder. Oh, you can also join if you do something that greatly benefits the sect.”

Suddenly, Jun also remembered the cat. Now that he had some formation mastery, perhaps he could catch it and ask the elder to teach Chen Hao in exchange. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Alright. Thank you for the help. I’ll come here right away when I reach the third stage,” the boy said, waving goodbye to the young woman.

Finding a spot to change into the grey robe was harder than he imagined, but eventually, he no longer stuck out from the crowd like a sore thumb.

“Feels weird,” he said, tugging at the robes. “They’re too smooth. Not enough pockets to hide things.”

“Your thieving days are behind you. Chin up,” Jun said, walking along the street with a spring in his step.The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. It was those little things that made him suddenly tear up.

Returning here together with the boy was genuinely one of the greatest things he had experienced ever since coming to the sect. Only at this moment, as they were making their way back to the disciple’s quarters, did he feel free from the butcher’s influence. The inn had grown on him, but at the end of the day, the patrons there were thieves and murderers. Every time he went out into the streets, he would cautiously sniff around and sneak through alleys so that he wouldn’t mysteriously go missing during the night..

Here, they were back in civilization. Junior sisters were excitedly asking their senior brothers for lessons. A bunch of disciples were heading over to the library, excitedly talking about the properties of an extinct herb. Far away, a small crowd was gathered next to the Immortal Platform, cheering on as two cultivators controlled flying swords, unleashing fancy but impractical techniques.

“It’s time for a new beginning. Let’s rent a house. Somewhere where the Hall of Justice patrols often and virtuous cultivators look after each other.” Jun said, feeling overwhelmed by the scene in front of him.

Alas, the words didn’t reach Chen Hao.

Soon enough, they arrived at the familiar stone building named the “Outer Disciple Quarters.” Jun had been here yesterday, and the boy often spied on this place in his water cup, but standing in front of it here and now, they both experienced a sense of melancholy.

At this moment, one of the disciples coincidentally left the building. He stopped, stared at Chen Hao, rubbed his eyes, and then went back inside.

“I’m still dreaming. Yeowch! That hurt,” he said, presumably pinching himself.

In no time flat, a small crowd, consisting of ten disciples, assembled in front of the building. Standing at the forefront of them was Zhao Bin, the merchant’s son who had, once upon a time, proposed an alliance. The boy was still slightly plump, with large ears and a bulbous nose, but compared to before, his head was now completely bald, and he was carrying around a monk’s staff.

‘A level 2 baldie. Impressive,’ Jun thought, noticing how his head shone, reflecting the midday sun. It was, quite potentially, a lethal weapon in battle.

“Amitabha. The ghost of Chen Hao has come to haunt us. I will exorcise it now,” Zhao Bin said, waving his monk staff around and chanting a scripture.

“A ghost?” the boy gaped at the chubby disciple. “I don’t think I’ve died just yet. Unless I have?” He pinched himself a few times to make sure.

“No. I went missing a few months ago, but I didn’t die,” Chen Hao resolutely said.

“You’ve been safe then. Buddha has once again shown his infinite wisdom. What happened? Why do you look like a pale ghost now? ”

“I... One day, while I was walking down the street, I ran into a mighty elder. Then, he practically abducted me, saying I was perfect for his cultivation method. Can you imagine it? In broad daylight, in front of numerous people.” Chen Hao put on a face of outrage and shock.

“Then, he took me to a fancy house and taught me non-stop for three months, so much so that I didn’t have time to visit here anymore. As for why I’m like this—I’ve finally mastered the devilish techniques he taught me.”

“I pray that the evil man repent his sins and see the error of his ways. This can’t continue! We must head to the elders and ask for justice.”

“No, no. It’s completely fine. While the methods he used were extreme, I’ve learned a lot from the lessons. It’s a blessing in disguise, really. What about your... new developments?” Chen Hao said, pointing at the monk staff.

“It’s no great story worth telling. When I first came here, I succumbed to greed and began taking advantage of everyone I could. That lasted until I ran into fellow Buddhists in the sect, who showed me the error of my ways. There are not many of us here, but we’ve got a small temple set up. You should visit one day. Find your own light.”

Jun could smell that there was more to the story than that, but the mystery would have to wait for another day.

“In any case, it is a great blessing to know you have returned. I only pray that other disciples have encountered a similar fate.”

“What do you mean?”

“Besides you, six disciples have gone missing in these past months. I have hope, yet others say that they’ve all perished.”

The news struck Jun like lightning from the blue. He had just relaxed and felt safe for the first time in months, just to have it all vanish in front of him. Similarly, Chen Hao went silent at the words.

“Come now, do not be scared. Every day we practise magical techniques, and there is even a formation expert among us. For a few spirit stones, you can arm your room with formations so that none may assault you in the night.”

Jun’s mouth twitched at the words. Chen Hao's mouth did as well, but for a different reason. He had first-hand experience with formations and how they "protected" you at night.

The two chatted for a bit, and even more disciples joined in on the conversation. After some time, the gathering dispersed, and a servant delivered to him the key to room 19. Chen Hao intently gazed at the white-robed disciple who meekly bowed and retreated.

“This is not right,” he once again said, gazing at the disciple's back before going back to his old room. It was supposed to be nostalgic and comforting, but as the boy sat down on the bed, his eyes nervously darted from corner to corner.

Before long, he stood back up, pacing around the room.

“This place isn’t safe. The windows are made of common glass. The door has too wide of a gap between it and the floor. The locks are way too simple, and there’s not enough space for any formations. Plus, there’s plenty of servants to coerce into giving up information.”

Chen Hao assessed the place as he often did with He Ming. Even he, as untrained as he was, could easily break into here. Jun fully agreed with the sentiment.

“I’m so glad you see it for yourself. Now, let’s go to the one person that actually matters,” he said, grabbing Chen Hao by the robes and nudging him along.

“Huh? You want to show me something?”

He did. After all, they were going to see the great benefactor herself—a person flush with information, money, and connections, someone who could enlighten common mortals such as Chen Hao.

The great deity was called Li Xia, and there was no way he wouldn’t fold when she found out about everything.