Chapter Thirty-Two: The Wrath of the People

The sky quickly darkened, and Chen Qi patiently awaited the arrival of eight o’clock. He was surrounded by a circle of contract holders; among them, he caught sight of the mage girl in a corner, but this time she was alone.

He had no inclination to go over and greet her. Instead, Chen Qi quietly organized his thoughts, conjuring up yet another devious scheme...

Soon, the appointed hour arrived.

Chen Qi rose with enthusiasm and greeted those around him, presenting the contract notarized by “Sprout Space.” The contract stated that Chen Qi would provide them with a method to advance early to the rank of Outer Sect Disciple, in exchange for twenty Cloud Sea Sect contribution points or three hundred universal points, with the stipulation that they could not disclose the information to other contract holders.

Seeing that the contract was sound, Chen Qi collected the payments smoothly, one by one.

When he passed by the mage girl, he paused briefly, intending to say something, but she briskly handed over her payment.

Noticing her lack of interest in conversation, Chen Qi had no desire to force the issue.

He tallied his earnings: thirteen contract holders had paid, totaling one hundred Cloud Sea Sect contribution points and two thousand four hundred universal points!

Outwardly, Chen Qi remained composed, but inwardly, his spirits soared.

He discreetly noted those who had paid with Cloud Sea Sect contribution points, thinking to himself:

“No wonder I’ve buttered up so many stewards—picked up a brother, too.”

Pulling himself back to the present, he began to explain the details of the individual assessment to the contract holders.

“First, you must pay one hundred contribution points as the price. The first trial is to prove you can single-handedly slay a Grade Seven ferocious beast and bring back its materials…”

Chen Qi described the first two stages in detail, emphasizing the characteristics of the Wooden Man Formation and the flaw he had exploited.

At that moment, a burly man clad in beast pelts interrupted from the crowd:

“Are those wooden men really impervious to weapons? Are they truly so hard to damage?”

Chen Qi took a closer look, his gaze lingering on the mountainous muscles of the man’s arm. He had marked this contract holder as a potential threat from the moment he entered this world.

Moreover, this man had paid with Cloud Sea Sect contribution points and had no teammates, suggesting he possessed the ability to venture alone into the mountains to hunt beasts. After all, mere odd-job workers wouldn’t have earned twenty contribution points in just two days.

Unlike others, who might act in teams, a lone hunter could be as strong as Chen Qi himself.

Page 2/3

Seeing the contract holders still eagerly awaiting the rest of the information, Chen Qi pressed on:

“The third stage is to challenge the shadows of ten of the strongest odd-job disciples in Cloud Sea Sect, and you’ll also trigger a hidden quest with generous rewards. Though, I’m not sure if it’s still available.”

He paused, then continued:

“The hidden quest rewards are astonishing. I’ve even received a reward higher than a purple-quality scroll.”

Chen Qi deliberately highlighted the rewards for completing the hidden quest, hoping to tempt those around him.

As he spoke, he noticed their breaths grow heavier, their eyes glinting with greed. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Qi delivered the speech he had prepared:

“Well then, as for the detailed information about the final stage—the shadows—that’s not covered in our current contract. If you wish to know, you can pay for another consultation. I promise to answer all your questions, nothing held back!”

As expected, his words sparked immediate dissatisfaction. A fiery woman brandishing a crimson dagger was the first to protest:

“You dare withhold information? If you don’t finish your explanation, you won’t leave here tonight!”

A bespectacled man with gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward, threatening:

“Don’t get too greedy, kid. I have several teammates in this world. Don’t push us to block your escape!”

Others even drew weapons that gleamed coldly, laughing maliciously.

Chen Qi hadn’t anticipated that his dual charges would incite such anger; perhaps he had underestimated the wealth of the other contract holders.

But Chen Qi understood one thing well: once anger had been aroused, backing down was pointless. There was only one path forward.

Besides, he still believed the moral high ground was his. Why should he fear anyone?

He exhaled deeply, forced a smile, and said,

“Anyone interested can come to me privately. I’ll be here again tomorrow.”

With that, he pushed through the crowd and left.

Truth be told, Chen Qi felt a slight unease. He wasn’t quite ready to face everyone’s hostility; he certainly didn’t possess the overwhelming strength of a protagonist or boss from other novels.

“Right, time for a drink!”

He quickly decided how to ease his worries, heading toward Sun Ruohai’s quarters. He had to admit that alcohol was a peculiar thing—this college student, who rarely drank, was now developing a bit of a habit!

Page 3/3

Just as Chen Qi expected, upon entering, he saw Sun Ruohai practicing swordplay under the moon.

The pale blue sword in his hand moved ceaselessly, its blade reflecting moonlight. From a distance, it resembled a rushing spring, or perhaps frost descending from the heavens.

Chen Qi approached from behind. Sensing his presence, Sun Ruohai’s energy surged, and his swordplay grew fiercer.

Suddenly, Chen Qi saw the sword tip covered in dense threads of blood, countless killing intent radiating from the blade, causing his pores to ache.

The sword grew even faster, its edge accumulating a deeper crimson. Excited by the challenge, Chen Qi drew his long knife, adjusted his breathing, and unleashed a slash with all his strength.

Clang!

Blade met sword, the collision of their energies producing a dull, drum-like sound.

A force surged up the blade, and Chen Qi’s not-yet-fully-healed body throbbed with pain. For a moment, his knife flew from his grasp.

Staring at Sun Ruohai, who now pointed his sword at him, Chen Qi exaggerated a cry of pain and said,

“You’re breaking the rules, bullying a wounded man.”

Sun Ruohai’s expression became awkward, his brows raised unconsciously, his cheeks flushed.

Chen Qi smoothed over the embarrassment,

“Come, let’s have a drink!”

Hearing Chen Qi shamelessly come to mooch another round, Sun Ruohai hesitated, then reluctantly went inside to fetch some wine.

Chen Qi, meanwhile, roasted the remaining wild boar meat and began planning his next steps. Tomorrow, he intended to rest and see if he could gain any insight from the martial artists sent by Cloud Sea Sect to train the odd-job disciples.

The day after, he would join the Inner Sect Senior Sister to sweep through the mountains. Chen Qi was counting on this trip to earn the one thousand contribution points required by the main quest.

This time, Chen Qi waited nearly half an hour before Sun Ruohai finally emerged, carrying a jar of wine.

Seeing Sun Ruohai’s worried face, anxious that he’d be scolded by his grandfather for pilfering too much, Chen Qi smiled and reassured him,

“No worries. If your grandfather finds out you’ve sneaked off into the mountains, he’ll break your legs—he won’t care about a few jars of stolen wine!”