JSCMU-Chapter 96: Victory and Defeat

Yue Lin was so frightened he abruptly stood up and stammered, “Imp—impudent!”

A small commotion broke out at the scene.

To say that everyone in Tianxing Sect had no opinions about Zhao Wuji’s complete control of power was impossible.

But…

You just can’t beat having a good father!

With a father like that, no matter what he did, they couldn’t bring him down.

In this kind of situation, to offend the Sect Master would be cutting off one’s own retreat.

This Yun Jin is far too reckless.

Wait…

It seemed Heavenly Sword Peak had already completely offended the Sect Master.

They had long since burned their bridges.

Now, it was as if the people from Heavenly Sword Peak were barefoot, while the Sect Master was the one wearing shoes.

Those barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes. Yun Jin had completely thrown off all scruples.

On the high platform, Fang Mingyue glanced at Lin Ya.

He sat there calmly, not showing a trace of surprise. It seems he knew what his little disciple intended to do.

Fang Mingyue couldn’t help transmitting her voice, “Lin Ya, are you insane?”

On the surface, she had no ties with Lin Ya, but in private, she secretly helped Heavenly Sword Peak several times.

Lin Ya calmly asked back, “Don’t you think this Tianxing Sect needs to change?”

Three months later.

He would lose his position as peak master.

If in these three months, he could still shelter his disciples and let them do what they wanted, that would be fulfilling his role.

Change was certainly needed, but…

Fang Mingyue’s lips trembled slightly, but in the end, she said nothing.

Zhao Wuji’s cultivation wasn’t especially high, and his conduct wasn’t exactly outstanding either.

Yet no matter how many foolish things he did, his position was never shaken.

Fang Mingyue sighed.

The Four Holy Lands!

They were the holy lands in every cultivator’s heart, and also four sharp swords hanging over their heads!

Under the Holy Lands, all were ants. This wasn’t just an empty phrase.

As long as that father existed, even with the worst crimes, what could they do to Zhao Wuji?

If resistance was truly useful, they wouldn’t have stayed silent for so many years.

A mere disciple like Yun Jin wanting to shake Zhao Wuji was too naïve.

Even knowing it was impossible, Fang Mingyue still felt a strange sliver of hope in her heart.

This Yun Jin is a very unusual disciple.

She had only joined the sect for a short time, yet already performed countless miracles.

If… she could stir up some waves in this stagnant Tianxing Sect…

Then maybe… the rest of them could also help fan the flames?

There were quite a few who wanted to resist Zhao Wuji.

What was missing was someone igniting the first flame.

Could Yun Jin be that person?

Inside the great hall.

Yun Jin looked directly at Yue Lin and calmly said, “The sect rules clearly state that the spiritual fields of each peak are to be cultivated by each peak, and the profits also belong to each peak. But the Sect Master used the small trick of monopolizing the botanists to gather the majority of spiritual herb profits into his own hands. Is this really right? Are you all truly willing to accept this?”

Zhao Wuji sneered coldly, unmoved.

To argue with a junior would only lower his status. Naturally, someone else would speak up for him.

Sure enough, Huo Lie couldn’t sit still. He sternly said, “Yun Jin, without the Sect Master’s help, the spiritual fields of the other peaks would never be cultivated. So what if the Sect Master takes more profits? Isn’t that only fair?”

Yun Jin laughed: “First monopolize all disciples with talent in botany, then send them to help everyone else grow their fields? That’s what you call ‘help’?”

Before Huo Lie could speak again, Yun Jin continued: “Peak Master Huo, I know you and the Sect Master are close, but I want to ask. Do you genuinely want to be his close friend, or were you forced to? After all, as an alchemist, you rely on spiritual herbs more than anyone. If you could grow and harvest your own herbs, would you still have to lower yourself to beg every time?”

Huo Lie’s expression subtly changed.

Yun Jin’s words hit the mark.

Yes, he is a fifth-rank alchemist, and yes, he is a peak master.

Those titles carried great weight in the outside world.

But.

He is too old.

He is nearly a thousand years old this year, before barely being able to reach his current level.

Someone like him, even if he had high cultivation, would never catch the Holy Lands’ attention.

If he joined an upper-tier sect or a super sect, he wouldn’t be made a peak master. At best, he’d be an elder in charge of logistics.

Huo Lie’s future seemed like a dead end but he still had ambitions.

He wanted to attempt becoming a sixth-rank alchemist.

That required a lot of practice, better pill recipes, and a massive amount of spiritual herbs.

And only Zhao Wuji could provide all of that.

Rather than say it was his choice, it was more accurate to say he had no choice but to choose Zhao Wuji.

“You… you…” Huo Lie wanted to argue back, but after a long while, he couldn’t say a word.

Zhao Wuji’s gaze grew slightly cold.

“Yun Jin!” Long Yi saw the situation going awry and immediately shouted in anger, “To speculate about your elders like this, is this the kind of upbringing Heavenly Sword Peak teaches you?!”

Since reasoning didn’t work, they could only appeal to seniority.

Zhao Wuji also spoke calmly, “Long Yi, no need to fuss with juniors. Yun Jin, let this Sect Master tell you. This monopoly of botanists was not something I deliberately orchestrated. The fifth-rank botanist Ma Hongyu is under my tutelage. Other disciples who wished to pursue the path of botany naturally sought his guidance and thus joined me. This was not intentional on my part, it was simply an inevitable outcome.”

Yun Jin smiled. “Is that so?”

Zhao Wuji calmly nodded. “It certainly is. Ma Hongyu is not only a fifth-rank botanist himself but also has great experience in teaching disciples. Every one of his disciples has become successful. With such talent, it’s only right that those with a talent in botany be taught by him personally. Otherwise, their talent would be wasted.”

“If those disciples are forcibly assigned to other peaks, wouldn’t that be wasting their gifts? For the benefit of the sect as a whole, having a dedicated group of specialized disciples focus solely on cultivation is the best outcome. And since they’ve worked hard, what’s wrong with receiving some compensation for their labor?”

Zhao Wuji spoke indifferently, with an air of complete confidence.

Yun Jin narrowed her eyes, suddenly stared straight at Zhao Wuji, and then pointed at Ye Danxia, “Ye Danxia, guilty of conspiring against her fellow sect members. According to sect rules, that’s a capital offense!”

Ye Danxia’s face turned pale, and she couldn’t stop trembling.

“But,” Yun Jin continued, “I can give her a chance to live.”

Zhao Wuji frowned, thinking Yun Jin was about to do what she did before, forming a contract with Ye Danxia.

He instinctively prepared to refuse.

But Yun Jin calmly said, “The botanist legacy in Tianxing Sect lies solely in the Sect Master’s lineage. I exchanged for a few manuals from Elder Ming and trained myself through self-study. Isn’t it said that Master Ma is excellent at teaching, and that’s why disciples with talent in botany naturally enter the Sect Master’s faction?”

“Master Ma’s most outstanding disciple is supposedly a Senior Brother Ye at late Golden Core stage, right? In ten days, I, a self-taught learner, am willing to compete in botany techniques against this Senior Brother Ye taught by a renowned master!”

“If I win! All profits from the spiritual fields will return to each peak. The planting disciples will still assist, but they can only receive fair compensation! Until each peak has their own botanists!”

“If I lose!” Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. “I’ll spare Ye Danxia’s dog life!”

If Yun Jin wins.

Heavenly Sword Peak doesn’t even benefit that much; she’s fighting for the interests of the other peaks!

If Yun Jin loses.

The condition is merely to spare Ye Danxia!

Are those two conditions even on the same scale?

Can Ye Danxia’s life be weighed against such massive benefits?

Everyone couldn’t help but look toward Zhao Wuji.