Xue Qiang, sensing Feng Fan's predicament, stepped forward, her voice ringing with determination. "If Feng Fan isn't allowed to cultivate, then I won't cultivate either! And if he doesn't get the same resources as everyone else, I'll share half of mine with him!"
Feng Fan's eyes widened, his heart softening at her words. 'Xue Qiang... she's way too good to me!' he thought, his chest tightening with emotion.
Elder Jia, however, turned visibly pale at her declaration. The thought of squandering an Immortal Talent was unthinkable, an unforgivable waste.
But his years of experience dealing with sensitive situations helped him regain his composure. Forcing a warm smile onto his face, he quickly stepped forward.
"Wait, wait! There's been some kind of misunderstanding," Elder Jia said, his tone smooth and reassuring. "Of course, Feng Fan will be allowed to cultivate! We'll ensure he has the resources he needs to succeed. You don't need to worry about that."
His gaze flicked nervously to the sect master, silently pleading for backup. The last thing the White Crow Sect could afford was to lose an Immortal Talent over an incident like this.
"Indeed, there's no need to worry," the sect master interjected smoothly, his tone calm and authoritative.
"My name is Yin Jian, sect master from the White Crown Sect. You've all had a challenging day, and rest is essential, our disciples will escort you to your accommodations. While you recover, we will finalize the allocation of resources. Rest assured, every one of you from Earth will be trained diligently and receive the best support the White Crow Sect has to offer."
He smiled warmly, his words carefully chosen to defuse any lingering tension.
After hearing the sect master's words, Xue Qiang nodded, though her expression remained unreadable, void of any smile.
Feng Fan, unable to hide the wry smile curling on his lips, glanced at Elder Jia. 'Damn, that sly old fox. We both know exactly what you wanted. No worries, I'll make sure to pay you back in due time…' he thought, his mind already plotting how he would handle the situation later.
Favor had to be repaid in kind: if someone helped him, he would return the favor twofold; but if someone plotted against him, he would ensure they received double the consequences!
'Tsk, just as I thought I would get rid of Feng Fan… doesn't matter, sooner or later Xue Qiang will see how worthless he truly is,' Gong Long thought, a sneer crossing his face. 'He was useless on Earth, and he's just as useless here!'
Lucky for him, Feng Fan didn't hear his thoughts, or else he would have been added to the punishment list!
As Feng Fan walked through the sect's main peak behind the disciple responsible for guiding him to his accommodations, his mind was filled with thoughts about his new ability. 'I can't hear everyone's thoughts, so why did I hear Elder Jia's?'
If he could hear everyone's thoughts all the time, he would likely go mad from the overload of information, so it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, his new abilities didn't come with a manual, so he could only experiment slowly.
'A system would've been more helpful, but fine, I'll make do with what I have,' he thought with a resigned smile.
He focused on the disciple in front of him, who was leading him to his accommodation, and soon enough, a voice echoed in his mind.
'Haha, once I finish this month's task, I'll head to the Void Forest and try to get that Immortal's legacy. Good thing the only person who knew about it is already dead. I, Zhang Qi, might even have the chance to become an Immortal!'
Zhang Qi's thoughts continued to race. 'Too bad I'm too poor and don't have a space ring to securely keep the map to the legacy's location. But the map is hidden under my bed. No one would have so much free time to search my room and find it by chance.'
Feng Fan was baffled. He had only wanted to test his new ability, and yet he stumbled upon something so unbelievable. 'What kind of cliché plot is this?'
He couldn't help but smirk. 'This idiot must've killed his own sect brother to keep the treasure all to himself. Well, as a person with a righteous heart, it's only fitting that I, Feng Fan, step in and punish him by taking that treasure for myself!'
'It seems I was wrong,' Feng Fan thought with a grin. 'My cheat isn't mind-reading—it's protagonist aura!'
Feng Fan couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. 'I guess all those idiotic xianxia plots I've written really prepared me for this moment!'
He silently followed Zhang Qi until they reached a big wooden house. Zhang Qi flashed a smile and gestured to the door.
"Junior brother, this will be your accommodation. Look inside for toom 53945. A menial disciple will bring you food three times a day. But once your cultivation improves, you won't need to eat as much."
A sign with the numbers 53940-53960 was clearly visible on the door.
Feng Fan flashed a polite smile, hiding his true intentions.
"Thanks, senior brother!" he said, his voice smooth and friendly. "Where do you live? I'll be sure to come by and thank you properly for your help in the future."
Zhang Qi, pleased by the respectful tone, nodded. 'Even if this junior brother didn't have a good talent, at least he knew how to treat people well.'
With a casual wave, Zhang Qi dismissed the gesture. "No need to thank me for such a small favor. It's just my job. But if you really insist, I live in room 2563."
Feng Fan's grin widened as he made a mental note. 'Perfect. I'll visit him soon enough. This senior brother is really shameless. He says I don't need to thank him, but still hands over his room number. He clearly expects something in return.'
"I understand, Senior Brother. When the cultivation resources are distributed, I'll be sure to pay you a visit," Feng Fan said, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.
Feng Fan stepped into the house, made his way to his room, and surveyed the sparse furnishings. A small futon lay on the floor, and there was a bathroom, but no windows or additional furniture
A wry smile tugged at his lips as he muttered to himself, 'What's this, a prison cell? Am I being looked down upon, or is this how all the rooms are?'