JSCMU-Chapter 107: Public Sentiment

Zhao Wuji’s glare at Ye Cheng was laced with murderous intent!

That Ye Cheng dared to acknowledge it?

If he didn’t acknowledge defeat, Zhao Wuji could’ve still shamelessly stalled and tried to think of another way out.

But Ye Cheng, as the competitor in the match, directly admitted defeat. At that moment, the Heavenly Dao didn’t hesitate at all and immediately judged that the contract conditions were fulfilled!

How was he supposed to go back on it now?

“Sect Master, thank you for your concession,” Yun Jin said with a respectful bow.

Zhao Wuji’s expression could no longer keep up the pretense of calmness. He gritted his teeth, unable to get a single word out for a long time.

In fact, the entire arena fell into total silence.

Everyone present felt a little dazed.

So…

Yun Jin once again performed a miracle?

She actually won?!

Then according to the contract, didn’t that mean the spiritual fields of each peak would now have to be returned to their respective peak masters?

If that truly happened, the disciples from other peaks and even the outer sect disciples’ lives would improve significantly. After all, the outer sect originally had their own fields too, but they were all unified under the Sect Master’s management.

Several Peak Masters’ expressions subtly changed.

They wanted to reclaim the spirit fields for a long time.

But every time a new disciple with potential appeared, it was always the Sect Master’s side that got first pick. Any disciple with talent in botany would be taken away by the Sect Master. In addition, with the only fifth-rank botanist, Ma Hongyu, on the Sect Master’s side, the Sect Master’s faction had long monopolized all of the sect’s spiritual plants.

Even if the other peaks wanted to farm independently, they didn’t have the ability. So year after year, they were forced to submit to the Sect Master’s authority.

But now.

This impasse, which even they as Peak Masters had failed to break, was smashed open by a newly admitted disciple through an entirely blunt and forceful method!

Perhaps the days of Tianxing Sect were truly about to change.

“Sect Master, now that the contract is fulfilled, I wonder when the spirit fields will be returned to each peak’s management?” Lin Ya asked with a smile.

Zhao Wuji’s face remained grim.

He really didn’t want to answer that question but there was no use in dodging it either.

Expressionless, Zhao Wuji coldly replied, “Since the contract was made beforehand, even I, as Sect Master, must abide by it. The spirit fields originally belonged to each peak anyways, if you want to take them back for self-management, then go ahead and do it yourselves.”

Lin Ya narrowed his eyes. “The contract also stipulated that until each peak has their own botanist, the Sect Master must provide botanists to assist. Each peak will also pay compensation at a fair market rate.”

Zhao Wuji responded calmly, “Of course. Hongyu, the two newly admitted disciples are quite good. Send them over to assist the other peaks.”

Lin Ya couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

New disciples?

How many botany techniques could they have possibly learned?

Clearly, Zhao Wuji was trying to weasel out of it.

Yet the way he went about it cleverly skirted the terms of the contract. It was disgusting, but left people with no rebuttal.

At this moment, a faint smile finally appeared on Zhao Wuji’s face. “You can use these new disciples for now. But since they just entered the sect, if the harvest from your spiritual fields are poor in the future and yields decline, I trust you won’t hold it against them too much.”

There was no mistaking the threat beneath those words.

The contract was one thing, but as long as the peak masters behaved obediently, there were still many ways to circumvent the agreement through mutual cooperation.

He would only stop taking profits on the surface. No one could interfere with what goes on behind the scenes .

The peak masters immediately caught the subtext behind Zhao Wuji’s words.

Long Yi was the first to speak, “Everything the Sect Master arranged previously was for the good of the entire sect! This Yun Jin is just being willfully troublesome. Does she want to ruin Tianxing Sect?! I, Long Yi, will be the first to say this, even though I’m forced to reclaim my spiritual field under the contract, I will still, as before, hand over the majority of the profits to the Sect Master. This is what the Sect Master deserves after so many years of effort.”

Zhao Wuji was instantly comforted and said in a mild tone, “Long Yi, don’t say such foolish things. Everything I’ve done was for the good of the entire sect. It’s not like I’m greedy for a little profit.”

Long Yi immediately replied righteously, “Of course, the Sect Master didn’t mean it that way. But we cannot only enjoy the Sect Master’s protection without giving anything back. This is all of our own volition!”

Long Yi even called out directly. “Huo Lie, what do you think of this matter?”

Huo Lie was silent.

To an alchemist, spiritual herbs were too important.

He finally got the chance to grow his own…

Zhao Wuji casually glanced over at him.

Huo Lie’s heart trembled. In the end, he said, “What Peak Master Long said was reasonable. I’m also willing.”

“What about the rest of you? What do you all say?” Long Yi asked directly. “Fang Mingyue, let’s start with your stance.”

Fang Mingyue sat in her seat, her face expressionless.

She was thinking of many things.

She thought about how, ever since Zhao Wuji became Sect Master, Tianxing Sect became utterly corrupt.

She thought about how each of them bore the title of Peak Master, but were merely Zhao Wuji’s puppets.

She thought that nothing would change until Zhao Wuji stepped down.

But now.

A newly admitted disciple tore a crack into this iron wall with brute force.

That disciple dared to challenge authority without fear.

What about her?

Is she really going to stay a coward forever?

Just as Long Yi assumed Fang Mingyue would remain silent, Fang Mingyue suddenly laughed. “Bright Moon Peak has been running a deficit for years. Since the fields have been returned, I might as well try managing them myself. Perhaps it’ll improve the situation here.”

Fang Mingyue clearly intended to take full control of her spiritual field.

Zhao Wuji’s face darkened slightly, a bad feeling creeping in.

If no one stepped up, he could still keep the situation under control.

But if even one person stepped out of line, the rest who were already restless, would be hard to suppress.

And indeed.

Next came Yang Hui of the Artifact Forging Peak, Chen Wenqian of Luoxia Peak, Mo Tianxin of Qianfu Peak, and Lin Ya, making it six Peak Masters in total (TL. I think the author forgot one lmao.) . They all declared they would fully reclaim their fields.

Huo Lie and Long Yi were the only two who clearly stated their intent to remain with Zhao Wuji.

The last two peak masters spoke vaguely, making it hard to tell what they meant.

Right away, Zhao Wuji felt a sharp pain in his chest.

He spent so many years managing Tianxing Sect like an iron fortress and now it was slowly slipping from his grasp.

Yun Jin looked at the many peak masters expressing their stance and couldn’t help but smile.

To change Tianxing Sect, only the people within Tianxing Sect could do it.

She could only ignite a tiny spark.

If they didn’t want change, then no matter what she did, it would be meaningless.

But now, with Fang Mingyue and the other peak masters stepping forward, the desire for change truly becomes a rising tide.

In the future, Heavenly Sword Peak would no longer stand alone. These peak masters, having fully offended Zhao Wuji by reclaiming their spiritual fields, would naturally begin drifting toward Heavenly Sword Peak.

The chessboard that is Tianxing Sect finally came alive as everyone began to resist.