"Me?"
Wu Jian's smile vanished when he saw Qin Shu nod again. He reluctantly handed over his storage bag to Qin Shu.
"That's enough. Get lost."
Qin Shu weighed the storage bag in his hand. Although it didn't contain a substantial amount of spirit stones, it still represented several months' worth of hard-earned savings for an outer sect disciple.
Wu Jian didn't dare to linger any longer. He quickly retreated with the other defeated disciples, vowing not to be the first to provoke Qin Shu next time.
"I heard there's trouble here?"
At that moment, Xiong Tie arrived with Law Enforcement Hall disciples in tow, noticing Qin Shu sitting outside his house, surrounded by several injured disciples.
"Oh, just a small misunderstanding."
Qin Shu gestured to the injured disciples and casually replied.
Xiong Tie's face twitched slightly. While individually, these disciples weren't much of a threat, together, they could pose a challenge. Xiong Tie believed he would have to be cautious in dealing with them.
"Since that's the case, Brother Qin, please cooperate with our investigation and accompany us to the Law Enforcement Hall."
Xiong Tie's tone was firm, and he bowed slightly, attempting to press Qin Shu into compliance.
Upon seeing Qin Shu's current attire, not wearing the inner sect disciple's clothing, was the source of Xiong Tie's confidence. If Qin Shu wore the inner sect attire, Xiong Tie would not dare to speak to him this way.
"Oh?"
Qin Shu understood that even if he was innocent, visiting the Law Enforcement Hall could lead to false accusations. Xiong Tie held a grudge against him for crippling Wang He earlier.
"I have many things to attend to right now; I can't go."
Qin Shu leaned against the stone house and acted as if he had no other choice.
"Anyone involved in a fight within the outer sect must visit the Law Enforcement Hall for questioning. It's not up to you," Xiong Tie asserted, unyielding.
"Well, it seems I'll have to go later," Qin Shu sighed. "Can you find two people to help me clean up?"
Qin Shu took out the inner sect token from his waist and tossed it toward Xiong Tie.
One of Xiong Tie's subordinates caught the token and informed him, "This is an inner sect token. He's an inner disciple now."
"Impossible! He's still wearing outer sect attire," Xiong Tie protested, but before he could finish, he saw Qin Shu swiftly change into inner sect clothing.
The inner sect attire was more colorful and made of higher-quality materials than the outer sect's clothing. It also had a longer lifespan and easily distinguished disciples' ranks.
Xiong Tie's expression shifted as he realized that things had changed. While the elders might not care if an outer sect disciple faced trouble, the Law Enforcement Peak wouldn't tolerate any issues involving an inner sect disciple.
"Brother Qin, what's going on here?" Qin Shu's fellow countryman, Zhao Tian, arrived at that moment. Zhao Tian had entered the sect with Qin Shu but his cultivation level was a mere Level 2 Qi Refinement and he had failed the outer sect exam. He had become a servant disciple, performing various odd jobs to pass the time. He often visited Qin Shu's place to chat and relieve his boredom.
"Brother Zhao, how has your cultivation been lately?"
Qin Shu ignored the others and gestured for Zhao Tian to sit beside him. He took the clothes from Li Yuan's hands and placed them nearby.
"It's been alright, Brother Qin."
"But why is the Law Enforcement Hall here? Did something happen?"
Zhao Tian wanted to pull Qin Shu away, but he soon realized he couldn't move him at all. Helplessly, he looked up and down, finally breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that Qin Shu didn't have any major wounds.
"Brother Qin, it's good that you're not hurt."
"By the way, where did you buy these clothes? They look nice," Zhao Tian scratched his head, looking quite simple and innocent.
"These clothes? I passed the exam and joined the inner sect. This attire belongs to inner sect disciples."
"Could you help me pack my things and take them to this location? If you need to find me in the future, just go there."
"Is that so?"
Zhao Tian's eyes flickered with envy and disappointment. He knew that Qin Shu's entry into the inner sect meant that there would be a growing gap between them. Qin Shu would make friends with people Zhao Tian could never hope to know.
"Is there anything else? If not, please avoid lingering around here."
Qin Shu noticed that the disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall seemed hesitant, so he decided to provide them with a way out. He didn't want to escalate the situation unnecessarily. After all, Zhao Tian hadn't passed the inner sect assessment, and he was only an outer sect disciple. If Qin Shu provoked trouble, it might ultimately affect Zhao Tian.
As an inner sect disciple, Qin Shu couldn't protect Zhao Tian all the time. Therefore, it was crucial to maintain a good relationship with the Law Enforcement Hall, at least for Zhao Tian's sake.
"I apologize, Senior Brother Qin. I'll take them away now," Xiong Tie said, understanding the implicit message in Qin Shu's words. He quickly instructed his subordinates to remove the injured disciples and left without further confrontation.
"Please help me pack my belongings. I have something to attend to," Qin Shu told Zhao Tian, handing him the key to his stone house. With that, he briskly headed toward the elixir room, eager to acquire the elixirs that could enhance his strength.
Nestled within an inconspicuous mountain peak was a small room that seemed like a temporary dwelling from the outside.
However, stepping inside would reveal an entirely different world. Although it lacked the extravagance of the examination hall, it far surpassed the facilities of most imperial families or sects. Countless shelves held equipment used for storing medicinal pills.
Qin Shu pushed open the door and entered, making his way toward the hall.
Inside, only a few individuals were present, including disciples from the elixir room. Their alchemical robes identified them as such.
"Elder, how many spirit stones can buy these pills?"
A disciple approached the counter, where a bookkeeping disciple sat with a white-haired old man behind him.
The old man's beard floated in the air, an unusual sight that set him apart.
"For one Blood essence elixir, five Health elixirs, and one Foundation Establishment Elixir, the total is two hundred spirit stones."
"Quite expensive..." muttered the disciple under his breath. Despite his inner grievances, he retrieved spirit stones from his storage bag and counted them meticulously before handing them to the bookkeeper.
"Your payment has been received. Please visit us again in the future," the bookkeeping disciple said with a polite smile as he watched the disciple leave.
"May I help you with something?" asked one of the elixir room disciples, noticing Qin Shu standing by the door, looking around as if searching for someone.
"I'm looking for him," Qin Shu replied, pointing at the bookkeeping disciple. The elixir room disciple followed his gaze.
"Me?" the bookkeeping disciple questioned, his confusion evident. He had never been involved in any trouble, had no relatives in the Blackheaven Sect, and couldn't fathom why Qin Shu was seeking him out.
"No, I'm here to find the Elder of Elixir Refinery Room," Qin Shu clarified upon realizing the misunderstanding.
"Why are you looking for me?" the Elder of Elixir Refinery Room inquired, his beard hanging down in front of him as he scrutinized Qin Shu with an intense gaze that seemed to penetrate his very being.
Qin Shu felt as though the Elder's gaze weighed upon him heavily, enveloping him entirely.
"Reporting to Elder, I have passed the inner sect examination and received a special slot."
"I humbly request Elder Fifth to provide some elixirs, and Elder Fifth instructed me to come here and seek your guidance," Qin Shu explained as he presented the token the Fifth Elder had given him, which was passed on to the Elder by a nearby disciple.
"It's the Fifth Brother's token. Tell me, what kind of elixirs do you need?" the Elder said, giving the token only a cursory glance.
"I'd like twenty Health elixirs, one Foundation Establishment elixir, and several other Blood essence elixirs, if possible. I hope Elder can accommodate my request," Qin Shu replied.
"He's here to clean us out!"
"Wow, that's a lot of elixirs. If we give them to him, our Elixir Room will have worked for nothing this month!"
Some of the disciples in the Elixir Refinery Room were taken aback by the quantity Qin Shu requested. They rarely saw anyone reject guidance from the Fifth Elder and sought elixirs from them. However, this was the first time they encountered someone asking for such a substantial quantity.
"Why do you need so many elixirs, especially the Health elixirs?" the Elder inquired, especially curious about the Health elixirs.
They were typically used by disciples at death's door, as they could extend their lives. However, they came at a steep price, with a single elixir costing dozens of spirit stones.
Such elixirs were rarely used by ordinary disciples, and those who did often didn't have enough funds to buy them. Consequently, the Elder had a surplus of Health elixirs.