The Arrogant Immortal
Chapter 90: My Excellence Can No Longer Be Hidden

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: My Excellence Can No Longer Be Hidden

Xie Jiuniang felt nervous inside as she contacted Jian Lingyan and asked, "How did the Sect find out that the amount was less than half?"

"Master, I suspect it’s that Secret Realm Token that’s fishy. As long as the required half is not met, the token won’t light up," Jian Lingyan quickly pinpointed the key reason.

With that knowledge, Xie Jiuniang felt annoyed but then had an epiphany.

However, Xie Jiuniang grabbed the Storage Bag on the table and collected it, looking very much like she had no intention of handing it over.

Everyone was surprised by her actions.

Xie Jiuniang took the initiative and huffed indignantly, "Are you playing with me? I took out all my gains, and you’re still saying it’s not enough?"

Then she pointed at the table where the Token remained unchanged and angrily said, "How does this thing count anyway? It’s not like it counts every rock I dig up as one item. I was digging holes all over the Secret Realm and often used rocks to throw at the Water Beasts. If it counted those too, even if I cut off my hair and put it there, it still wouldn’t meet the half..."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people were stunned.

Someone caught on and asked loudly, "Junior Brother, there’s a water area in the Secret Realm full of holes, did you dig those?"

"So what if I dug them? Am I not allowed to dig?" Xie Jiuniang admitted without any shame.

"Hahaha..."

"Ha, hahaha..."

The disciples familiar with what happened began to laugh hard.

They never knew who had done such peculiar things, only to find out it was a disciple from their own Sect.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, the steward knew there must be truth to it.

However, the Token would only record objects touched by the disciple that contained Spiritual Energy, and as he was about to say this, Mo Chuan suddenly spoke up, "Steward, almost everything under the water of the Tianshui Secret Realm contains Spiritual Energy—sand, stone, and water alike."

The steward had never encountered such a scenario before; typically, the counts on the Token’s Formation were not completely accurate but wouldn’t be too far off. Because no one had gone around digging up stones like Xie Jiuniang had.

In fact, most people were somewhat convinced that it was an error with the Token. After all, how could a minor Qi Cultivation disciple turn in the contents of four Storage Bags, making them, who were in Foundation Establishment, feel ashamed?

Because most of them had not managed to even fill one Storage Bag in a year. If this was Xie Jiuniang’s total haul for the year, they would have considered it reasonable and attributed it to good luck.

Some chose to speak out for the sake of their own dignity, "Steward, I think the Junior Brother is not lying. A small Qi Cultivation disciple could at most gather four Storage Bags in a year, even if one of those bags is full of junk."

"Yes, I managed to fill two Storage Bags in a year, and I haven’t had a single day of rest."

"I’m even more unlucky, I haven’t filled a single Storage Bag..."

Disciples began talking in support of Xie Jiuniang, their chattering voices making the steward’s decision a challenging one. He was about to say it would be reported and handled.

Elder Chaoyan appeared just in time, swept his gaze across the scene, and inquired, "What has happened?"

Upon seeing him, Xie Jiuniang felt like she had seen a savior, her eyes immediately sparkling. However, she quickly switched back to a pitiful, silent pout.

The steward respectfully explained the situation to him.

Elder Chaoyan glanced back at Xie Jiuniang, then told the steward, "Give me the Secret Realm Token, I will take a look."

"Yes," the steward handed over Xie Jiuniang’s earlier Token to Elder Chaoyan.

Elder Chaoyan was about to examine the Token’s records with his Divine Sense, but that made Xie Jiuniang’s heart jump.

Chaoyan happened to meet Xie Jiuniang’s nervous gaze and halted his check, transmitting a message, "Little girl, got a secret?"

"Elder, if I put the Token in my Storage Bag, will it still record everything I do in the Secret Realm?" Xie Jiuniang transmitted her heavy feelings to Elder Chaoyan.

Elder Chaoyan earnestly replied, "It will, though it’s not as clear as wearing it openly; the general situation won’t differ too much. The Sect incorporated Shadow Stones when creating the Secret Realm Tokens."

At that, Xie Jiuniang’s heart sank, her face turning ashen.

She had known that the Sect’s creation of Secret Realm Tokens was not that simple; thus, while the Sect asked the disciples to hang it at their waist, she only pretended to comply and tossed it into her Storage Bag as soon as she entered the Secret Realm. However, could it still record even when thrown into the Storage Bag?

Then her secret...

Elder Chaoyan, guessing what might have happened, transmitted, "Did you do something naughty in the Secret Realm? Kill someone?"

"I didn’t kill anyone, as for naughty... Does stealing Minghua Sect disciples’ Nine-Apertures Heart-Connecting Lotus count?" Xie Jiuniang eventually decided to share something, "Elder, could you help me erase the records? I owe you a favor."

Elder Chaoyan’s eyebrows slightly raised.

The resourceful little girl was actually behind the uproar about the Nine-Apertures Heart-Connecting Lotus; indeed, it was his disciple who had done it—well played! But pinning the blame on the Lin Family, causing Lin Wangchen and Wu Yu to fight, that was indeed detrimental and definitely could not be leaked.

Luckily he had come over.

Then, as Elder Chaoyan raised his forefinger to wipe the Token, the inside records were erased cleanly in an instant.

Jian Lingyan excitedly said, "Wow! Master, this Elder Chaoyan is a real good person. He didn’t even check and helped you remove the records."

Xie Jiuniang felt a stirring in her heart.

Her heavy heart was finally at ease.

Truth be told, if her year’s experiences in the Tianshui Secret Realm were not erased, her secrets would have been exposed.

Her situation would have become quite difficult then.

At the same time, Xie Jiuniang was surprised by Elder Chaoyan’s actions; he hadn’t even reviewed the Token himself. This significantly increased her favorable impressions of him.

Xie Jiuniang looked at him gratefully.

Elder Chaoyan handed the token to the manager and instructed, "For the items in those four storage bags, simply collect half of the usual amount."

Turning to Xie Jiuniang, he said, "Take out the contents of two storage bags, not the one filled with the rubbish stones."

Xie Jiuniang, like a well-behaved child, turned over the two most valuable bags, keeping the one with the luminous stones for herself.

When the manager asked Xie Jiuniang whether she wanted contribution points or spirit stones, she didn’t hesitate to choose the superior spirit stones.

The manager took out twenty-eight superior spirit stones.

Xie Jiuniang had just put them away,

when Elder Chaoyan whisked her away.

The elders watching the situation chuckled, "Is that the little disciple Chaoyan has taken a liking to?"

"Exactly, hahaha, quite the amusing little fellow. If it hadn’t been for Chaoyan claiming her first, I would have liked to take her as my own."

"Her aptitude is a bit lacking, with only three spirit roots – forming her Infant will be difficult."

"Hahaha, her talents might be average, but her little brain is quite capable. At such a young age, she already knows how to earn her own cultivation resources, she’s a veritable little money god. Having her by your side will surely attract wealth."

"Indeed, haha..."

Xie Jiuniang was led away by Elder Chaoyan.

In an instant, they arrived at Shihao Mountain.

Elder Chaoyan asked, "Where are you staying now?"

"Small waterfall..." Xie Jiuniang named a location.

The next moment, he took her to the small waterfall.

A year had passed, and there were changes around the small waterfall, though they weren’t significant.

As the two of them arrived, they didn’t startle anyone.

Xie Jiuniang invited him into the small courtyard.

Elder Chaoyan glanced at the small courtyard and chuckled, "Pretending to be in secluded cultivation and then sneaking off to the Secret Realm, little girl, who are you guarding against?"

"Didn’t you know already that someone has been watching me? A bunch of people from who knows where, always trying to snatch things from me," Xie Jiuniang said openly, recalling the previous encounters hadn’t been very secretive.

Elder Chaoyan nodded.

He approved of her caution.

Xie Jiuniang invited Elder Chaoyan to sit down at the small pavilion, brewed a pot of spiritual tea, and placed a few homemade snacks her mother made on the table.

Elder Chaoyan’s gaze lingered on the snacks for a moment, "You have just come from the Secret Realm, where did these snacks come from?"

"Oh, they were made by my mother a year ago." Xie Jiuniang sat down and took a piece to taste first.

A year ago?

The girl must have nerves of steel to dare to offer him snacks made a year ago, considering he was to be her future teacher.

Was she not afraid of making a poor impression?

He thought this, but still picked up a piece and tried it.

Childish food didn’t suit him.

He didn’t reach for a second piece; however, Xie Jiuniang ended up eating more than half by herself.

After wiping her mouth, Xie Jiuniang realized he hadn’t yet spoken, so she rose and respectfully performed a deep bow, sincerely thanking him, "Elder, I’m grateful for your assistance this time."

"Don’t mention it, just focus on reaching Foundation Establishment."

Elder Chaoyan mentioned Foundation Establishment again.

Xie Jiuniang blinked, her confusion showing as she asked, "Is it because the sect has something good that one needs to reach Foundation Establishment to... that?"

"What are you thinking?"

Elder Chaoyan laughed softly, "Because once you’ve reached Foundation Establishment, you can become a disciple."

Xie Jiuniang was momentarily bewildered.

What did that have to do with her?

Suddenly, she thought of Elder Chaoyan’s favor toward her and had a suspicion creep into her mind... Could it be? No way!

Xie Jiuniang touched her little chin, shamelessly saying, "Elder, could it be that my excellence has become so apparent that not even someone as powerful as you can overlook it? Even you want to take me as your disciple."

What was she saying?

Elder Chaoyan’s eyelids twitched.

Picking up the spiritual tea, he took a big gulp... Should he reconsider?

Accepting a disciple, this shouldn’t be done hastily, should it?