: Unyielding Sword Amidst Wind, Frost, and Snow

Our clan's martial arts techniques cost money too!?

Yan Chen was stunned for a moment, almost blurting out the word "black-hearted," and had to swallow his emotions, his expression strange.

"The lineage of the Dharma is of great importance and is not transmitted to those who are without heart or virtue. Before seeking the Dao, one must obtain 'permission'. This is the law of our ancestors, and all clans and Daoist schools in the Nanzhuo region are included in this category."

"Whether it is a cultivation method or a Taoist art, it must be practiced by oneself. It cannot be easily passed on to others without the permission of the Taoist lineage."

"As a member of the Shangyang Yan clan, don't you understand the ways of the world?"

Wang Guian raised an eyebrow at Yan Chen, then, as if realizing something, said in a sudden realization:

"Or are you feeling frustrated because all your money was robbed and you can't exchange it for your clan's cultivation techniques?"

Yan Chen lowered his head slightly, feigning a depressed expression.

It's so dark! It's incredibly dark!

The children of the local clans who practice their clan's martial arts have to buy the right to use it!

It's utterly inexplicable, completely insane!

"In my past life, 'paid employment' at least gave me some work experience. But here, not only do they take advantage of me, but they also expect me to be grateful, practically prostrating myself and shouting 'loyalty'!"

Yan Chen's mind was in turmoil, but he remained outwardly calm, still wearing that depressed expression.

"Manager Wang is wise."

Wang Gui'an, with an expression befitting his role, stroked his beard and chuckled:

"In your situation, there is a solution. You can write a document and pledge the clan's token here. You can still take the 'Crimson Cloud Bright Light Control Technique' with you."

"However, within the next month, you must return these two thousand coins, including interest, to the valley, otherwise..."

Wang Guian glanced at Yan Chen's handsome and refined appearance, with his bright eyes and sparse eyebrows, and said in a low voice:

"There are ways to recover the losses within the valley."

When Yan Chen met the other person's gaze, he trembled as if he had been electrocuted, feeling his bones go weak and his heartstrings tighten.

He could tell that what the other party said was no joke.

How could a sect as prestigious as the Jade Sleeve Sect do something that would be a loss for them?

"The servants of the Nine Courts have their own way of making a living. They can earn money by working every day. As long as you are diligent and willing to endure hardship, you can still afford a mere two or three thousand coins."

Wang Guian gently rubbed his temples, his tone calm and even.

Yan Chen knew in his heart that the so-called "work" must be related to his own cultivation.

If I don't change my cultivation method, I'm afraid I'll become useless as soon as I get to the Forging Academy, and then it will be too late.

Left with no other choice, he had to take on the "debt" and just planned to take it one step at a time, hoping that another opportunity might help him break out of this predicament.

"Yes, I do have a karmic connection with those two guards."

Yan Chen took a deep breath and rallied his spirits.

After putting away the "Crimson Cloud Bright Light Control Technique," he prepared to take his leave.

Just then, two more people walked into the hall together, and Wang Guian looked slightly impatient.

But when his gaze passed over Yan Chen and he saw who it was, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"So it's Supervisor Qu. Why did you come to me in person?"

"Of course, there are some minor matters that require my attention, Steward Wang!"

Qu Ying was tall and slender, with handsome features and elegant manners, exuding the air of a refined gentleman.

He gestured for the young man beside him to step forward, and then said:

"This is Xu Hui. He used to work at the Engraving Institute, but now he hopes to transfer to the Forging Institute. He hopes Manager Wang can do him a favor!"

"Transfer to the Engineering Department?"

Wang Guian glanced at the young man named Xu Hui, his tone somewhat troubled.

"Supervisor Qu is also aware that each time the Nine Academies recruit new members, they do so according to the number of vacancies within the academies. Now that the number of ordinary servants in the Forging Academy is already saturated, this matter is probably..."

"Steward Wang is overthinking it!"

Qu Ying smiled and waved her hand, saying:

"Compared to the Forging Workshop, the Grinding Workshop's work is much lighter. As long as Steward Wang is willing to help, there are plenty of servants who would be happy to switch workshops with my esteemed brother Xu!"

The young man named Xu Hui also spoke up:

"Lu Mao, the supervisor of the Engraving Institute, is my sister's betrothed. He usually takes good care of me. But since I have become a disciple of Yu Xiu, how can I rely on others for support in every way?"

"Therefore, I hope to leave the Engraving Academy and join the Forging Academy to hone my skills, hoping that one day I can become a master craftsman!"

So it turns out he was a relative... Yan Chen overheard this and understood it all.

"Ahem!"

Wang Guian coughed twice, then suddenly remembered that Yan Chen was still there, and immediately said to Qu Ying:

"Supervisor Qu has arrived just in time. This young man is Yan Chen, a new mortal servant in the Forging Academy. He is a member of the 'Shangyang Yan Clan'."

"He has already received the clan's teachings. All that's left is for the supervisor to take him to his residence so he can wait to start work tomorrow."

The Yan family of Shangyang!?

Qu Ying's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if she had stepped from a warm spring day into the dead of winter.

But he quickly recovered and nodded to Yan Chen, saying:

"In that case, junior brother, come with me!"

"Yes, Senior Supervisor!"

Yan Chen's brows were calm and his expression was indifferent, as if he had never seen this Senior Brother Qu before!

Leave the steward's hall.

Qu Ying led the way, with Yan Chen following behind, the two keeping a distance of three feet and not exchanging a word.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the two climbed the stone steps and arrived at a flat area halfway up the mountain. People passed by them from time to time, bowing and greeting them as "Supervisor Qu" or "Senior Brother Qu".

After another 15 minutes or so, the path underfoot was no longer a slippery mountain road, but a series of narrow, winding paths paved with cobblestones.

Yan Chen looked up and gazed into the distance. At the end of the road, he saw several small courtyards arranged in rows, with black tiles layered on top of each other and covered with snow like cotton. They looked quiet and peaceful. Although they were not grand, they had a fairy-like feel to them.

"Our Jade Sleeve Sect is the leader of the righteous path in the Southern Dusk Immortal Continent, and we emphasize 'people-oriented' principles."

"It is far from comparable to the demonic path in Dongcang Wuzhou, where a group of people are crammed into a large courtyard, eating and living together, and reciting the ancestral teachings every morning and evening."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the gate of a small courtyard.

Qu Ying accepted the token handed to her by Yan Chen, and after verifying that it was correct, she returned it.

At the same time, a pair of eyes were scrutinizing Yan Chen from head to toe. If eyes were a knife, Yan Chen would probably be nothing but a skeleton swaying in the wind.

"Does Senior Brother have any other instructions?"

Yan Chen looked at Qu Ying with a blank expression and a puzzled look on his face.

Upon hearing this, Qu Ying realized she had been somewhat out of line, and gave an embarrassed smile, saying:

"It's nothing. It's just that my junior brother is so handsome and extraordinary, he seems like an old friend of mine, which made me feel a little dazed."

"Senior brother, you flatter me!"

Yan Chen quickly waved his hand, looking every bit the panicked young man, his expression and tone perfectly controlled.

Upon seeing this, Qu Ying couldn't help but think to herself—

"In the Lianqi Village, there is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Could it be that these two are one legitimate and one illegitimate, and therefore neither of them knows of the other's existence?"

Thinking of this, Qu Ying couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, her doubts greatly reduced.

He began to entrust Yan Chen with many trivial matters after he became a mortal, such as working hours, salary, and taboos.

After speaking for more than a quarter of an hour, Qu Ying finally nodded slightly and said:

"The Forging Academy is a place full of opportunities. Junior brother, you must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, work diligently and strive for excellence. As long as you are willing to endure hardship, you will eventually succeed."

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Qu, I understand."

Yan Chen smiled and nodded, steadily accepting the offer.

Qu Ying nodded slightly, glancing at the obedient Yan Chen, but then she remembered Wang Gui'an's method of bypassing him and exchanging the cultivation technique. She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed and secretly plotted how to get her revenge.

After seeing Qu Ying off, Yan Chen let out a long sigh of relief, only to feel a chill on his back, which was already soaked with sweat and exuded a slight coldness.

This time, we've managed to get through it all; what happens next is entirely up to fate.

A strange emotion welled up in Yan Chen's heart. He immediately pushed open the wooden door, went straight into the courtyard, stepped over the threshold, and headed straight for the bed.

I've been working day and night and am completely exhausted.

At this moment, weariness surges up like a flood or a ferocious beast; how can one resist it?

Before we knew it, the night had passed.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

White mist hangs in the sky, and frost clings to the windowpanes.

Having calmed down, Yan Chen sat on the edge of the bed, looking around the empty room, silently doing some mental calculations.

"Now that I have joined the Jade Sleeve Taoist lineage, I need to provide for all my needs, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, with Taoist money."

"Just this small courtyard alone costs a full five hundred fa coins per month in rent, not including necessities like quilts and mattresses."

"Not to mention that I still owe Gold Melting Valley a full two thousand magic coins, and with the interest for thirty days... that's nearly three thousand magic coins."

"According to Supervisor Qu, working six hours a day earns one hundred coins. If one works hard like this for a month, after paying off the debt, there will still be some left..."

"That's it!?"

Yan Chen's face darkened.

The sect earns money and spends it, but don't even think about taking a single penny home!

"This feels like I've accidentally wandered into a shady factory or a torture chamber..."

The workday was over, and without daring to delay, Yan Chen stood up, put on a cotton robe, squatted in front of the bucket, and endured the biting cold to wash up quickly.

He then hurriedly pushed open the door and went straight to the Forging Institute.

The morning wind was biting cold, howling as it swept in, and sand, pebbles, and snowflakes swirled up in front of the door, pelting his face like a chaotic rain.

Walking on the road, Yan Chen was filled with a mix of emotions.

"Such a situation is truly..."

Before the thought was finished, lines of small golden characters fell like rain and snow before Yan Chen's eyes, one line in particular standing out—

One day ago, Qu Ying and Yan Mo conspired to rob cultivators, luring and killing mortal servants and members of the Shangyang Yan clan within the academy, stealing a total of 11,022 magic coins and a small number of nourishing pills.

Fearing discovery by Zhu Zhilan, the head of the Melting Gold Valley, it was temporarily stored beneath a shallow pond 219 steps east of the Fragrant Branch Forest outside the market town at the foot of the mountain.

……

"It's just a little bit of hardship."