According to Liu Qingmei, that Lu Chen was the nephew of an elder from the Fifth Peak and would surely be protected by the sect. He wouldn't be foolish enough to hand over the Seeking Dust Incense and Liu Qingmei's corpse directly.
"If what Sister Qingmei said is true, given Lu Chen's sinister nature, he might even try to find out who reported the crime and kill me to silence me."
While dragging Liu Qingmei's body back to his courtyard, Xu Ye pondered in his heart.
—
"Bang!"
That night, a loud explosion suddenly erupted from Xu Taiping's bedroom in Qingzhu Residence, followed by his youthful yet furious voice:
"Beast!"
After placing Liu Qingmei's corpse properly, he lit a stick of Seeking Dust Incense. From the images formed in the incense smoke, he saw the scenes of Lu Chen tormenting Liu Qingmei.
What he witnessed was far beyond what words could describe. Calling Lu Chen a beast was the mildest thing he could say, for the man's actions were worse than that of an animal.
"Sister Qingmei, I will make sure to deliver this Seeking Dust Incense to Sister Zijin. Your grievances, and Lu Chen's crimes, I will expose them to the world."
Xu Taiping carefully stored away the last two sticks of Seeking Dust Incense, clenched his fists tightly, and stared blankly at the shattered table beneath him.
He never considered himself a person of great righteousness; in fact, he believed that a little selfishness was necessary to survive. However, if a villain like Lu Chen could go unpunished, he would begin to question the very meaning of being human.
"Grandfather always said, 'Out of sight, out of mind.' But now, even if I close my eyes, I cannot forget the sight of Sister Qingmei begging that beast for mercy."
Staring at the pile of broken table fragments, Xu Taiping's voice grew unusually cold.
—
The next day, at noon.
"Did you report the case?"
Two men dressed in the disciple robes of the Azure Profound Sect arrived at the entrance of Xu Taiping's small courtyard.
"Yes, Senior Brothers, I was the one who reported it."
Xu Taiping responded politely.
"You, an outer disciple, dare to call us Senior Brothers?"
The hawk-nosed man on the left glared viciously at him.
These two disciples belonged to the Fierce Wind Hall of the West Wind Pavilion, responsible for handling cases of disciples being attacked by monsters outside the mountain. Although they also resided at the foot of the mountain, they were genuine inner disciples, with a status only slightly lower than that of the Seven Peaks' disciples.
"If you have something to say, say it. Don't try to get chummy with us."
The pockmarked-faced disciple waved impatiently.
Seeing this, Xu Taiping didn't waste words and recounted his encounter with the ghost servant and the monster it controlled. However, he omitted all details related to Liu Qingmei.
"This is a troublesome case. I need to report it to our hall master first, then the hall master will report it to the West Wind Pavilion master, who will then submit it to Elder Black Dragon for handling."
The pockmarked-faced disciple rubbed his chin and spoke with a troubled expression.
"How long will that take?"
Xu Taiping asked anxiously.
"At best, three months; at worst, a year or more."
The hawk-nosed man crossed his arms, a sly smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he glanced at Xu Taiping.
"That long? Can't it be faster? That ghost servant has already set its sights on me."
Xu Taiping immediately frowned.
"Do you think our Fierce Wind Hall exists just for you? We'll handle cases when we see fit!"
The hawk-nosed man glared at him again.
"Brother Zuo, no need to be so harsh on the little brother."
The pockmarked disciple suddenly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Actually, if you want to get rid of that ghost servant sooner, there is a way."
He grinned at Xu Taiping, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"What way?"
Xu Ye asked, now intrigued.
"That depends on how much contribution money you can offer."
The pockmarked man rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, hinting at bribery.
"So that's why they hesitate to report cases. These people are just using monster hunting as an excuse to extort us outer disciples. No wonder Sister Qingmei didn't trust them."
Xu Taiping cursed inwardly, finally understanding why Liu Qingmei had been reluctant to file a report.
"Brothers of the Fierce Wind Hall, I've only recently come to Qingzhu Residence and don't have much contribution money on me."
Though he had seen through their schemes, he did not expose them immediately, wanting to see just how shameless they could get.
"No contribution money? That's fine. Just put on this bracelet and sign a contract with us, agreeing to hand over seventy percent of your harvest this year. In return, we'll ensure your safety."
The hawk-nosed man took out a copper bracelet from his sleeve.
"Seventy percent?"
Xu Taiping took a sharp breath.
He had expected them to ask for a high price, but seventy percent was far beyond his expectations. If he agreed, he would have nothing left for himself, and by next year, he wouldn't even have enough to pay the sect's fees, leading to his expulsion.
"Seventy percent is not much. You have to understand, you're being targeted by a ghost servant. If you're not careful, you might not even keep your life!"
The pockmarked-faced disciple threatened.
The sight of these two made Xu Taiping feel nothing but disgust. He thought to himself, "Sister Linglong was right. At the foot of the mountain, you can only rely on yourself."
With this, the last hope he had of relying on the sect to deal with the ghost servant was extinguished.
However, to avoid conflict, he did not outright refuse. Instead, he feigned hesitation and said,
"Brothers, seventy percent is really too much. Let me think about it."
"You—"
"Fine. Think it over. Here, take this communication talisman—consider it a gift from me. If you encounter the ghost servant again, just tear it apart, and we'll be there quickly."
The hawk-nosed man was about to lose his temper, but the pockmarked-faced disciple stopped him, then handed a talisman to Xu Taiping.
"But we'll be taking this demon wolf. It's evidence and must be brought back to Fierce Wind Hall."
The hawk-nosed man grabbed the demon wolf's leg and shot another venomous glare at Xu Taiping before leaving.
—
"With people like them managing the outer disciples, no wonder they say most don't last more than three years."
Watching the two drag the demon wolf corpse away, Xu Taiping muttered to himself.
"Brother, why did we just leave? That kid has a medicinal garden in his yard. With a contract and the bracelet, he'd be working for us for years!"
"What's the rush? Ghost servants hold grudges. Give it some time, and he'll come begging us for help."
"Brother, you're brilliant!"
"Keep your voice down!"
"Don't worry, that kid hasn't even reached the Opening Realm. He can't hear us."
Xu Taiping was about to enter his house when he suddenly caught their whispered conversation.
He hadn't expected them to be so sinister. Glancing at the communication talisman in his hand, he sneered in his heart.
"Don't worry. That day will never come."
4o