Time ticked away and no one moved. Elder Hang just stared at Jake with murder in his eyes. I cannot wait to kill this little bastard, he thought. He became more excited about cracking his bones and hearing his screams.

Wang Ha then ran into the room and stopped in front of Elder Hang.

“Well report Wang Ha.” Said Elder Hang. “Tell me the truth that this trash is lying to us as we all suspect. You cannot lie to us and try and get rewards for nothing, Jake, you piece of trash.” He flexed his hands and moved toward Jake with murder in his eyes.

“The stone is gone!” shouted Wang Ha. “It is really gone.”

Everyone gasped and began muttering to each other.

“It is really gone, Jake did not lie.” Said one.

“How did he do it I wonder?” Said another. “Even the teachers and elders could not remove it.”

Elder Hang turned and grabbed the front of Wang Ha’s robe and picked him up.

“What did you say?” He shouted at Wang Ha, with spittle flying into Wang Ha’s face.

“Elder Hang, it is missing, there is no hole and even the ginseng has been replanted. Except for a few missing plants it is like the stone was never there. It is really gone!” Replied Wang Ha.

“Are you lying to me Wang Ha?” Shouted Elder Hang. “Are you in league with this trash to get the reward? I never expected this of you.” Elder Hang flung Wang Ha to the floor and kicked him in the side.

“Elder Uncle Hang.” Begged Wang Ha, with tears running down his face. “Please do not kick me. Why would I side with an outsider, it is not a lie. The stone is gone. I even checked for arrays to see if it was hidden, but it is really gone. He has really removed the stone!”

Elder Hang turned around a looked at Jake.

“Well trash explain how you removed the stone that no one else could remove?” Shouted Elder Hang.

“No.” Replied Jake.

“What do you mean no, you little worm!” Shouted Elder Hang at Jake. “As the leader of the mission hall I demand an explanation of how the stone was removed.”

Jake walked over to the mission desk and picked up the contract and read through it and then handed it to Elder Hang.

“It does not say anything in the contract about explaining HOW I removed the stone.” Said Jake with a smile. “It just states that it must be removed, the date it must be removed by, the rewards and also the penalty. It does not say I have to explain how I did it. For example, if someone kills a savage beast, do they have to explain every strike or every move? So why would I have to explain it?”

“Because I order you to.” Shouted Elder Hang. “Or I will beat you to death.”

Ling Lin stepped in front of Jake and smiled at Elder Hang.

“Elder Hang.” She said. “He has fulfilled the terms of the contract, I think Grandfather would be upset if you tried to change a written contract. You should honor it and let Jake continue with his day.”

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“There is no proof that he did it Ling Lin.” Shouted Elder Hang.

“The contract does not say he has to provide proof.” Replied Ling Lin with a smile. “The proof is the stone is gone and he had the mission to remove it. All you have to do is make sure he has fulfilled the terms of the contract and then you give him his rewards. So is the stone gone Elder Hang?”

“Yes.” Responded Elder Hang. You could see him getting redder and redder.

“So Jake has fulfilled the contract then?” Asked Ling Lin.

“Someone has removed the stone but there is no proof it was him.” Retorted Elder Hang.

“We have already established that no proof is needed. The stone being gone is the proof.” Replied Ling Lin. “You are saying the same thing over and over Elder Hang. Are you ok? Jake has said he removed the stone that no one else in the sect could remove, including you. Do you not agree?”

“Yes.” Replied Elder Hang.

“So if he has fulfilled his part of the contract, then the mission hall has to fulfill their part of the contract.” Said Ling Lin with a smile.

Elder Hang stared at Jake and Ling Lin, his face getting darker and darker. “Yes.” Replied Elder Hang. He kept staring at them.

Jake coughed. “Hmm, then should you not get my rewards?” He said.

He took the contract from Elder Hang and read from it. “Let’s see, 100 spirit stones, 1 low level sword, 1 low level armor and a low grade spirit ring.”

He passed the contract back to Elder Hang and smiled and said. “Can I get that to go please?”

Elder Hang turned and kicked Wang Ma again. “Get up and get the items for this trash.” He said.

Wang Ha jumped up from the floor and ran into back of the mission hall. This is where the storeroom was located where all the low level materials were kept. A few minutes later he returned with a ring in his hand, and passed it to Elder Hang and said. “Here you go Elder Hang. He cannot cultivate so the ring is useless to him.”

Elder Hang looked at the ring and flicked it at Jake.

“Here you go trash.” He said with an evil grin. “It is of no use to you, I will buy the ring from you for 10 spirit stones since you cannot open it. I also forbid anyone else from opening it for you, I have put my mark on it and I will know when and where it is opened.”

Jake took the ring and put it on his finger, held out his hand and looked at it admiringly and then smiled at Elder Hang.

“Why is it no good for me, Elder Hang?” He asked.

“You must have qi and push some spirit it into the ring to enable you to use it.” Replied Elder Hang with a smile. “Since you cannot cultivate, then you cannot use the ring.”

Jake reached into his dantian and pulled out some spirit and pushed it into the ring. For the first time he used his spirit! When he did so a wisp of dark smoke came out of his dantian into the ring as well. He could see a small space in the ring with spirit stones, a sword and some armor there.

“So if I could cultivate, Elder Hang,” he asked with a smile. “How would I get the items out?”

“Trash you have to pull it out with your mind and spirit.” Replied Elder Hang.

Jake reached back into the ring, it was easier this time, more natural. He did not have to reach into his dantian first. He thought about getting the sword out. The sword then appeared in his hand. He ran his spirit into the sword. When he did so a wisp of dark smoke came out of his dantian into the sword. Suddenly little bits of lightning ran along the edge of the sword.

“Wow a lightning sword.” He shouted. “Thanks Elder Hang.”

Everyone in the room stared at Jake in disbelief. He was trash, he could not cultivate, but here he was pulling a sword out of a ring and getting it to respond to him on his first try.

Jake went through a few martial sword forms with the sword and then stopped and smiled.

“Great balance.” He said. “It will be a great weapon.”

Ling Lin looked at Jake and grabbed his hand. “You can cultivate?” She asked in disbelief. “I thought you had a hole in your dantian?”

“Oh that.” He replied. “It healed, I can cultivate now and could for a while, and I just had no need to tell anyone till now.” Jake did not want anyone to associate the stone with his cultivation.

Ling Lin gave Jake a big hug then realized what she was doing and moved back blushing furiously.

Jake twirled the sword in his hands and then pushed it back into his ring making it disappear.

“So are we done now Elder Hang?” Jake asked. “I need to go back to get my villa back since I can cultivate. It was taken away by your Wang family because I could not cultivate. Also, all of my family’s resources will be returned as well.”

“Let’s go Ling Lin.” Jake said.

He took Ling Lin’s hand and walked out of the mission hall, leaving an amazed crowd behind him. Trash no more.