I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 360Book 2: : Illegal Gathering, Excessive Loyalty
Vol 2 Chapter 360 Illegal Gathering, Excessive Loyalty
At the foot of Huoshen Mountain in Zhongxuan Sect.
The night was dark and silent, with no sound around. In the distance, the hoarse caws of cold crows only made this place feel even eerier.
A figure slipped out silently from the darkness.
This person was completely shrouded in mist, making it impossible to discern their facial features, gender, age, or anything else.
At the mountain’s base, someone quietly approached from behind a large rock, voice urgent: “Has the goods arrived?”
The newcomer silently nodded.
“Really?”
“Give me the spirit stones first.”
“You!”
“This treasure will sell without worry.”
The person who had emerged from behind the rock hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a large handful of spirit stones from a storage pouch.
The stones glowed faintly, illuminating her face—it was Junior Sister Ye, Zheng Fa’s follower, a relative and disciple of Elder Jiu.
Her face was full of distress and hesitation. After a long moment, her hands trembled slightly as she held out the spirit stones to the other person.
The other party counted the stones slowly and nodded in satisfaction, then pulled out a storage pouch from their sleeve.
Seeing how reluctant she was to part with the stones, the person smiled and said, “Fairy Ye, don’t think I’m being heartless. This treasure’s price changes every day. The amount I take from you today might not be the same tomorrow.”
Junior Sister Ye took the pouch and opened it to find a Tongjian lying inside.
“Besides, this is something from the Jiushan Realm. Selling it to you Zhongxuan Sect folks is risky for me.”
Hearing this, Junior Sister Ye had no words to respond. The person smiled lightly, then vanished into smoke, dispersing with the wind.
...
On Huoshen Mountain, Junior Sister Ye’s cave.
The Tongjian on the table in the cave’s center projected a half-zhang-high light screen.
The light screen illuminated the opposite wall, showing several shadows.
Junior Sister Ye sat cross-legged on the platform. On the chairs nearby sat several other men and women.
They all stared intently at Senior Sister Yuan on the light screen, expressions deeply focused.
“Greetings, viewers. Now broadcasting Jiushan News.”
“The first resource distribution announcement has ended. Disciples with questions may submit materials within three days to request a review.”
“According to data from the General Affairs Hall, our sect’s monthly exports increased by 108%. The largest export product is the Tongjian.”
“Monthly imports increased by 50%.”
“Last month, an average of 140 merit points were distributed per person, an increase of 34%. The rise is expected to continue this month.”
Senior Sister Yuan’s voice was very soft, seemingly to avoid being heard outside the cave.
Junior Sister Ye still felt uneasy and kept glancing toward the cave entrance, constantly observing the others.
She actually did not want so many people watching the Tongjian together.
But she had no choice. The Tongjian was considered common property, though she was the custodian.
After all, such a large sum of spirit stones was involved. Being Elder Jiu’s disciple, she couldn’t just produce them at will, so she had to pool money with these few people.
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Fortunately, these people had known her for years.
Upon entering the cave, they had sworn heavy oaths and were forbidden to bring photo talismans or communication talismans.
Plus, since everyone had a share in this, if it were exposed, no one could escape punishment.
That made her somewhat relieved.
“Senior Sister, what can merit points in Jiushan Sect be exchanged for?”
A young female disciple, half asleep, interrupted.
The others, focused on the broadcast, showed some displeasure. A male disciple snorted:
“Do you have no ears? Didn’t yesterday’s news say that ten merit points are roughly equal in value to one spirit stone? Different spirit materials have different prices.”
The female disciple stuck out her tongue and mumbled, “I was on a mission yesterday and didn’t watch. So that means Jiushan disciples can get a dozen or so spirit stones every month?”
Her tone was tinged with bitterness.
“…Our Zhongxuan Sect isn’t bad either.”
“Far from it!” the female disciple retorted. “We did get more spirit stones a while back, but lately with all the big formations to set up, they’ve decreased. Unlike Jiushan Sect, which grows every month? This month, after working myself to death, I only earned five spirit stones!”
“That’s fine. I admit Jiushan Sect is better than Zhongxuan Sect!”
“Those five spirit stones were even docked by the disciples of Nascent Soul elders!”
“Yesterday on my mission, they took half!”
The disciple who had tried to argue was cut off by the female disciple: “Senior Brother, I grew up in the sect too. My feelings for the sect aren’t less! But facts are facts. We’re just not as good as Jiushan Sect, so why pretend?”
At this, silence fell in the cave, leaving only Senior Sister Yuan’s news voice.
The rising prosperity of Jiushan Sect in the news only made the silence more awkward.
“Enough. Why argue? We’re not Jiushan Sect, what does that have to do with us?” Junior Sister Ye swallowed her unease and said to the two, “Watch the news! Oh? A new program?”
At this, the two disciples’ expressions froze, eyes turning to the light screen with curiosity.
On the screen, Senior Sister Yuan smiled brightly, voice clear and lively, bringing joy to the listeners.
“Dear viewers, starting today, we launch a brand new program: Jiushan Interviews.”
“The purpose of Jiushan Interviews is to focus on current events, communicate honestly, confront issues directly, and leave no room for doubt.”
“Today’s special guest is Master Song, leader of the Alchemy Academy and head of Qingmu Sect. Master Song, welcome!”
“Hello, greetings to all disciples.”
Master Song’s voice was slightly tense.
“Master Song, don’t be nervous. Today we invited you first to explain the exam outline for the Alchemy Academy’s inner sect exam.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Secondly, we want to interview you about the changes in Qingmu Sect since joining the Hundred Immortals Alliance.”
“Changes?”
“Yes, good or bad changes, both are fine.”
“I will tell all I know.”
...
This program was truly new in the Xuanyi Realm. Even Jiushan disciples had not seen it before.
The Zhongxuan disciples were naturally captivated.
Senior Sister Yuan seemed well prepared.
Master Song seemed less so;at times he seemed to accidentally reveal truths and then had to backtrack.
After the interview, the cave was silent for the length of a full incense stick.
Then the female disciple broke the silence:
“From Master Song’s words, Qingmu Sect has become quite prosperous? I thought the rumor was that they were almost exterminated?”
“Seems so. Though they have no merit points, they apparently earn quite a lot in the alchemy guild. Prosperity isn’t certain, but it sounds better than before.” The male disciple who had argued nodded, “Didn’t Master Song say their disciples can also take the inner sect exam? If they pass, they can study at Jiushan University.”
The female disciple said nothing, not even envious, only smiling bitterly.
That bitter smile only made Junior Sister Ye more restless. She scanned their faces and saw confusion, disappointment, and self-doubt.
“Junior Sister.” The male disciple who had defended their sect lowered his voice, “Our Zhongxuan Sect was no worse than Qingmu Sect before…”
He seemed to hesitate, only saying half a sentence.
But everyone, including Junior Sister Ye, understood:
Jiushan disciples living better, of course they were envious, but after all, Jiushan Sect had Zheng Fa, putting them on equal footing with Haori Mountain.
Fairly speaking, they should be inferior.
They had to accept their fate.
But Qingmu Sect was different.
Zhongxuan Sect and Qingmu Sect had similar standing in the Hundred Immortals Alliance, strength close. Zhongxuan Sect was slightly stronger—after all, Qingmu Sect had been unlucky, repeatedly tormented by Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
In contrast, Zhongxuan Sect had Haori Mountain backing them, quick to flee, preserving their vitality.
After the demonic tribulation, Qingmu Sect visibly fell behind Zhongxuan Sect and declined.
But now...
“We rely on Haori Mountain, but Haori Mountain doesn’t seem to consider us their own.”
The female disciple’s voice was very low, but every word hit deeply into everyone’s hearts.
“The talented disciples left first. What will happen to us next? Who knows?”
Junior Sister Ye fell silent.
Although her master had not explicitly said so, his previous behavior had made her very uneasy.
Some disciples were ignorant, but the well-informed, clever ones surely had thoughts.
“If it’s like Qingmu Sect…”
“Junior Sister!” Junior Sister Ye snapped coldly, “Watch your words!”
The disciple knew she’d crossed a line and closed her mouth tightly, face still gloomy.
Junior Sister Ye nodded slightly, seeing she was sensible, then said to those inside the cave: “We buy this Tongjian only because it truly is a treasure.”
“Besides, as Jiushan News said, we must open our eyes to Xuanyi to avoid being ignorant of worldly affairs.”
“But some words, some thoughts, cannot be spoken or even thought!”
“Otherwise, we’ll die without a burial place! Understand?”
Everyone nodded earnestly.
Junior Sister Ye felt a little relieved. She knew these few well enough;their lips were sealed.
To be honest, this group was stuck in the sect’s middle ranks, powerless to change anything.
Some thoughts were better buried deep in their hearts.
At that moment, Senior Sister Yuan’s voice came again from the screen:
“That’s all for today’s program. Thank you for joining us.” She smiled, “Next is a preview: Jiushan Entertainment launches the new serialized drama ‘Jiushan Immortal Path’ starting today.” 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
“Jiushan Immortal Path is adapted from the sect leader’s namesake story, which has over ten thousand subscriptions on Jiushan Entertainment and sparked a wave of story creation, beloved by cultivators inside and outside Jiushan Realm.”
“The adapted drama is meticulously produced by our sect’s senior brothers. The first three episodes today are free to watch!”
“We welcome everyone to enjoy it on Jiushan Entertainment!”
Junior Sister Ye was stunned for a moment, then saw everyone else’s expectant faces, and simply opened Jiushan Entertainment.
Three episodes of the drama lasted just over an hour.
“Finished?” The male disciple who had defended Zhongxuan Sect looked disappointed, saying, “That Lu fellow from Haori Mountain really deserves to die!”
Junior Sister Ye: “...”
“Good thing the protagonist joined Jiushan Sect!”
Had he forgotten he was from Haori Mountain’s side?
Saying this in Zhongxuan Sect was even more damning!
But thinking of the drama’s plot just now, she had no words to refute.
She even wanted to nod.
“What about the rest? When will it air?”
Junior Sister Ye glanced at the small text below the screen and replied, “The serialized drama is very long. It will be made and aired simultaneously, one episode every two days.”
“So we come every two days...”
“It costs money.”
“...”
The cave instantly fell silent. The male disciple remained quiet for a long time, then said, “Jiushan Sect is good in every way, and the Tongjian is even better, but it sure costs money.”
“Senior Sister.” The female disciple suddenly spoke, “I still have four spirit stones here...”
Seeing the glowing spirit stones in the junior sister’s hand, Junior Sister Ye was speechless—
Those Nascent Soul disciples took two stones, she gritted her teeth, furious and resentful, almost ready to revolt.
Jiushan Sect charges money, and she generously contributed, selling everything she had, yet acted as if afraid she wouldn’t spend it all.
“I have some too!”
“Lend me two!”
“...”
Looking at the stones in her hand, Junior Sister Ye felt something was wrong:
No wonder Jiushan disciples’ merit points kept increasing.
So it was us, in Zhongxuan Sect, earning Haori Mountain’s spirit stones to feed them?
How could Jiushan Sect not be rich?
“Senior Sister, it’s not just for this drama.” The female disciple spoke again, “Remember that Xuanning Pill we saw in the mall? I want to buy a bottle.”
“Right, I have some things I want to buy too!”
Hearing this, Junior Sister Ye nodded slowly. Honestly, the mall’s goods were not just cheap but comprehensive.
Even after markups to deliver to Zhongxuan Sect, many items were still cost-effective.
She felt tempted too.
After noting everyone’s requests, the illegal gathering ended.
They all bid Junior Sister Ye farewell, with the female disciple walking last.
“Junior Sister, is there something else?”
“Senior Sister, what are you thinking?”
The female disciple suddenly asked.
“Thinking about what?”
“Our future in Zhongxuan Sect, our future.”
Her words were vague, yet Junior Sister Ye could only remain silent.
“Senior Sister, I want to be loyal to the sect, but has the sect ever shown me any kindness?”
Junior Sister Ye frowned, looking at the junior sister.
Seeing her stubborn gaze that refused to back down, she sighed, “Junior Sister, why say that? Saying this could harm me.”
“Senior Sister, even if we survive today, how many days do we have left?”
“...”
“Then tell me, what can I do?” The junior sister opened her mouth, then continued, “Our fate has never been in our hands.”
“...Senior Sister, don’t you have great trust from Senior Brother Li Hao?”
Junior Sister Ye’s expression flickered.
“Why not persuade him?”
...
When Zheng Fa ascended Huoshen Mountain again, he was actually quite bored inside.
The cultivation method of Heaven-Earth Crucible was truly refreshing:
As long as there was enough spiritual energy, the cultivation speed seemed to take off.
Of course, it wasn’t without problems—the main issue was the extremely high spiritual energy requirement, which could even damage the spiritual veins.
After just half a month, Jiushan Ancestor was already complaining nonstop that Zheng Fa demanded too much, almost exhausting him.
Zheng Fa did not believe this:
To some extent, Jiushan Ancestor was still a product of his refining, and he knew him well.
Jiushan Ancestor’s foundation was surely unharmed, but he did need some time to recover.
What annoyed Zheng Fa was:
He didn’t want to work overtime.
Especially after two days of great progress, now having to act as acting sect leader in Zhongxuan Sect was a big drop in status.
He sat in the cave, propping his head, thinking:
Though he held great power in Zhongxuan Sect, he actually did nothing and didn’t want to manage anything.
Zhongxuan Sect had many problems: bad atmosphere, unfair system, corruption inside, disciples uneasy.
But those had nothing to do with him.
Jiushan Realm affairs kept him busy enough.
But ironically, among Zhongxuan Sect’s Nascent Soul cultivators, only he had time to handle sect matters.
So all the disciples dumped everything on him.
Looking at the jade tube on the desk, Zheng Fa only felt bothered. After thinking for a while, he sent a voice transmission outside:
“Come to me.”
After a while, Junior Sister Ye’s voice came from the cave entrance:
“Fourth Senior Brother wants me?”
“Come in.”
Junior Sister Ye entered the cave and saluted Zheng Fa, her posture even more respectful than before.
“I have some supplies I snatched from Jiushan Sect here. Help me exchange them for spirit materials at the Tongshi Cave.” Zheng Fa instructed.
This side job was his only extra income, which he valued greatly.
A strange expression flickered briefly in Junior Sister Ye’s eyes, but she silently accepted the storage pouch.
“Also, I have to go down the mountain again. Every two months I must go to the summit. I really don’t have time.” Zheng Fa added, “Find a few trusted people to help me handle sect chores.”
This was his main reason for calling Junior Sister Ye:
Time was tight, and he didn’t want to deal with messy affairs, so he simply wanted a secretary.
“Me?” Junior Sister Ye asked, “Senior Brother, can I do it?”
“Why not? It’s just managing general affairs. No fighting needed, no cultivation level required.”
Zheng Fa looked at her indifferently.
He just didn’t want to be troubled by things he didn’t care about.
Junior Sister Ye whispered, “...Yes.”
Seeing her agree, Zheng Fa was a little pleased and encouraged, “Do well. Don’t worry. If anyone refuses, have them come to me.”
Hearing this, Junior Sister Ye quietly pressed her lips, then said after a pause, “I understand.”
...
“Se-Senior Sister? Li Hao actually trusts you so much?”
Looking at the mountain of jade tubes on the table, the female disciple who had previously eavesdropped on the enemy station was dumbfounded, almost unable to believe her eyes.
“Senior Brother Li Hao is a true cultivator. Power means nothing to him.” Junior Sister Ye shook her head in admiration.
“But this is the sect leader’s power. For him to entrust you with it shows he values you highly… How about persuading him?”
Junior Sister Ye was silent for a long time, unable to reply.
“Senior Sister?”
Seeing her complicated expression, the female disciple asked again.
She pulled out a storage pouch, showed it, and sighed, “These are spirit materials Li Hao snatched from the Hundred Immortals Alliance. Each time there’s more. This time, the Tongshi Cave disciples can’t even provide rewards and said we’ll have to wait two days.”
The female disciple’s expression was conflicted.
After a long silence, she softly sighed, “Senior Brother Li Hao is talented and kind. After gaining power, he has no petty behaviors and is broad-minded. He dares to delegate. He’s perfect in every way.”
Junior Sister Ye nodded gently.
“Only one flaw... He
