Chương 32: The Spoils of a Survivor

The Contribution Hall was the beating heart of the Green Mountain Sect's economy. It was a massive, bustling pavilion located at the base of the central peak. It was a place where disciples came to turn in mission objectives, trade materials, and use their hard-earned contribution points to purchase everything from cultivation pills to spiritual artifacts. The air hummed with the energy of commerce and ambition. He walked directly to the main counter, where a bored-looking inner sect elder was processing requests.

Li Yu presented his silver disciple token. The elder glanced at the token, his expression unchanging.

"Name and purpose."

"Li Yu. Here to claim the rewards for the Whispering Fen mission as decreed by the Sect Master." The elder's bored expression finally cracked. His eyes widened slightly as he looked up, truly seeing the small boy in front of him for the first time. He quickly composed himself and consulted a large, glowing crystal ledger on the counter. His fingers flew across its surface and a moment later he let out a low whistle.

"Ten thousand contribution points," he murmured, his voice now laced with a newfound respect.

"And the right to choose one Earth-grade manual from the Myriad Tomes Pavilion." He looked at Li Yu again, his gaze sharp.

"Your token has been credited. Is there anything else?"

"Not at this time, Elder," Li Yu said with a polite bow. He turned and walked away, leaving a silence in his wake. Ten thousand points. It was a sum that most inner disciples would have to work for years to accumulate. To have it all bestowed upon a boy who was until recently a menial laborer, was a fact that sent waves of envy and speculation through the hall. Li Yu's next stop was the Myriad Tomes Pavilion. This time, he did not stop at the first three floors.

He presented his token to the wizened, sleepy elder at the entrance, who seemed to recognize him.

"The Sect Master's decree grants you access to the fifth floor," the old man mumbled, his eyes barely open.

"Earth-grade techniques. Do not dally. The spiritual pressure on that floor is not something a Body Tempering disciple can withstand for long." Li Yu thanked him and ascended the spiraling staircase. The fifth floor was a world apart from the lower levels. It was a single, quiet chamber, much smaller than the floors below. There were no teeming shelves, only a few dozen jade slips and ancient-looking tomes, each one resting on its own pedestal, radiating a faint, powerful aura.

The spiritual pressure was indeed immense, a heavy, scholarly weight that seemed to press down on his very soul. He could feel his "official" Ninth Stage Body Tempering cultivation straining under the pressure. He ignored the powerful, domineering auras of the offensive techniques—the saber arts that promised to cleave mountains and the fist arts that claimed to shatter the heavens. His gaze was fixed on a small, neglected corner where the movement and evasion arts were kept. He found it almost immediately.

It was a set of three, dark, almost black jade slips, bound together with a silver thread. They radiated an aura that was incredibly deep, ancient, and fluid, an aura that resonated perfectly with his own spirit. The name was carved in an elegant, archaic script: «Abyssal Dragon's Shadow». He picked it up and infused a thread of his True Qi. The information flooded his mind. It was an Earth-grade movement art, but it was unlike any other. It was not about speed, but about presence.

It taught the user to merge their aura with the natural flow of the world, to become a shadow in the water, a whisper in the wind. A true master of this art could move through an enemy's domain completely undetected, their very presence erased from their opponent's spiritual sense. It was a technique of profound stealth. But the reason it was neglected was clear. The cultivation requirements were absurd.

It required a practitioner to possess an incredibly deep, pure, and vast sea of water-attribute Qi, and an innate, almost instinctual understanding of the concept of "flow." For many of the disciples, it was a useless scripture, a profound theory they could never put into practice. For Li Yu, it was as if the technique had been tailor-made for him. It was the ultimate evolution of his «Rippling Shadow Step», a true art of the hidden predator.

"An interesting choice." The cool, familiar voice startled him. He turned to see Su Ling standing a few feet away, a thick, ancient-looking book in her hands. She must have been in the chamber the entire time, her own presence so well-concealed he hadn't even noticed her. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Senior Sister Su," he said, bowing his head. Her gaze fell upon the jade slips in his hand.

"The «Abyssal Dragon's Shadow». A profound technique. It is said that our sect's founder acquired it from a deep-sea ruin thousands years ago. In all that time, only two elders have ever managed to achieve initial mastery. It is famously and tragically, useless for most." She looked at him again.

"You choose an evasion art over a powerful offensive technique. After what happened in the Fen, I would have thought you would be eager for more killing power."

"A dead warrior cannot kill anyone, Senior Sister," Li Yu replied calmly.

"To survive is to win. This technique, I feel… it suits me." Su Ling stared at him for a long moment, the cogs of her mind clearly turning.

"You are a strange one, Li Yu," she finally said but with a smile on her face.

"You have the talent, the caution of an old man and the luck of a god." She gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head.

"Perhaps that is what it takes to survive in our world." She turned and walked away, leaving him once again with his thoughts. He registered the technique with the sleepy elder but his journey was not yet over. Instead of returning to the inner sect, he took a detour, a path that led him back down the mountain, towards the familiar, fishy scent of the outer sect Aquatic Pens. The place was just as he remembered: a collection of crude huts and muddy lakes, a world away from the elegance of Azure Cloud Peak.

He found Uncle Wei mending a net on the same dock where he had first discovered his ability to absorb Qi. The old man looked up as Li Yu approached, his wrinkled face breaking into a wide, proud smile.

"Brat," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"I heard what happened. The whole sect is talking about it. You faced down a core disciple and walked out of the Whispering Fen with the prize. You've made this old man proud." Words seem to travel fast in this sect, Uncle Wei had already heard of what happened. It was big news. Li Yu sat down on the dock beside him, the familiar, muddy scent a strange comfort.

"I only survived because of the lessons I learned here, Uncle Wei. You taught me to be cautious and to observe. That is a greater treasure than any spirit art." They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the Green-Scaled Carp swim lazily in the pond.

"Your path is a high one now," Uncle Wei said, his voice soft.

"This old place… it is beneath you. You shouldn't come back here anymore, they might talk about you."

"No place where a friend resides is ever beneath me," Li Yu replied. He took out his silver token and a small unassuming pouch.

"Uncle Wei, when I was a helpless orphan, you gave me a meat bun and so much more. It was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me outside of my parents. I am here to repay that debt." He held out the pouch.

"This contains one thousand contribution points. It is enough for you to purchase a Longevity Pill from the Contribution Hall. It will not increase your cultivation but it will add at least twenty years to your life and heal the old injuries in your body." Uncle Wei stared at the pouch as if it were a venomous snake, his hands recoiling.

"No," he said, his voice firm.

"Absolutely not. That is your reward, your resource for cultivation. I am an old man with no talent. To waste such a treasure on me is a crime."

"It is not a waste," Li Yu insisted, his voice gentle but unyielding.

"It is a son repaying the kindness of an elder. You gave me a chance when no one else would. You protected me. Allowing you to live out your years in health and peace is the least I can do. If you refuse, you will be doing this disciple a great disservice." The old man's eyes grew slightly misty. He looked out and it seemed like he was thinking of something. Perhaps a memory of his past or someone he's known. He looked at the determined and sincere face of the boy he had once called a "strange brat."

He finally let out a long shuddering sigh and took the pouch his calloused hands trembling.

"You are a good boy, Li Yu. A good boy." Li Yu stayed for another hour, sharing stories and listening to the old man's advice. It was a quiet, peaceful moment, a final farewell to the life he had left behind. When he finally returned to the Azure Serpent Lake, he was greeted by the anxious faces of his three friends. He led them into the main pagoda and sat at the head of the table.

"Junior Steward, you've returned!" Hu Jian boomed.

"Did you claim the rewards?"

"I did," Li Yu said with a smile.

"And I have made some decisions." He looked at Brother Kai.

"Senior Steward, your cultivation has been stalled at the Second Stage of Qi Condensation for many years, has it not?" Brother Kai looked surprised.

"It has, Junior Steward. My foundation was damaged in a mission years ago." Li Yu then looked at Hu Jian and Lin Tao.

"And you two are at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm." He pushed a heavy pouch onto the table.

"This contains four thousand contribution points. Brother Kai, you will purchase a 'Mending Pill'. Hu Jian, Lin Tao, you will each purchase a high-quality Qi Condensation art and enough Qi Establishment Pills to guarantee your breakthrough. I want the three of you to become Qi Condensation experts." The three men stared at him in silence for a while.

"Junior Steward… this is…"

"You can and you will," Li Yu said, his voice firm.

"Your strength is my strength. This is an investment in our collective survival." He then pushed another two thousand points forward.

"This is for the lake. I want new high-grade defensive and concealment formations added here and don't want to trouble my master." He had spent seven thousand of his ten thousand points not on himself but on his people and place he was living at. Hu Jian, the boisterous guard, had tears welling up in his eyes. He cupped his fist in his palm in the formal, solemn salute of a warrior pledging his life.

"Thank you, Li Yu. We will do our best to guard this place better." Lin Tao and Brother Kai did the same, their faces now filled with determination to get stronger. To help this little boy, no, to help their friend out as much as they could. Li Yu had won their respect with his power. Now, with his generosity and friendliness through all their time together, he had started to win over their hearts.