But Ji Jue was still sighing, waving his hands, wanting to refuse. "Ah, that's not what I meant."

"I know, I know, it's just a little token!"

"Ah↑ ah↓ ah↑"

Ji Jue tried to decline helplessly, but in the end, under the craftsman's insistent demand, he was forced to accept such a Blessed Creation as an apology gift, with nothing left to do but let out a light sigh:

"Alright, then. My bad."

Seeing that he was willing to graciously accept, the craftsman didn't care about heartache anymore; he directly dragged the student by the hair toward the infirmary, afraid that if he didn't move quickly, he might kill the student on the way.

Then, what followed was only natural.

Ji Jue said, "I think the ring is all right."

"Indeed," Ye Xian nodded.

...

"The gloves are mediocre, but there are two of them, so it'll do."

"Then let's make do. The earrings are quite good, and just add a piece of material of the same grade, and it'll be about right."

...

"This doesn't feel quite right."

"Then..."

"Wait!"

The twisted-faced craftsman bit his teeth in exasperation and, with no other choice, yanked the bracelet off his own wrist and offered it up with both hands. Ye Xian, however, didn't pay any attention to him, as if she couldn't see him.

Not until he turned to hand it to Ji Jue.

Only then did Ji Jue open his second pocket, resignedly sign for it to be shoved in.

This really wasn't something I asked for, ow!

And so, in front of many masters, a cruel punishment turned into an officially recognized act of extortion. After the idiotic fools got beaten up, they cried as they stripped off their valuable possessions, paid their ransom, and lay on the stretchers, weakened and gasping for breath...

Yet Ye Xian's eyes were deadly; mere trinkets couldn't fool her. Her basic asking price was always spot on, right at the craftsman's limit of acceptance.

Stretching your neck meant a quick chop; withdrawing your neck meant more than one chop, and probably several.

Eventually, it turned into the embarrassing scene of victims rushing to pay the ransom.

Only Zhou Chong's face was turning greener and greener by the side.

When it was his turn, he simply let out a cold laugh.

He didn't plan to bow his head.

He just waved his hand, tapping the shattered chin of Zhou Cheng on the ground with his cane: "This blind fool has affronted Professor Ye's valuable apprentice and yet Ji Jue's esteemed nephew has graciously spared his life. There's no need to give me face, just kill him!"

"Alright."

Ji Jue nodded without hesitation and immediately pulled out his gun.

Without any trace of hesitation, he pulled the trigger!

Not even giving a chance to bargain.

By the time Zhou Chong remembered that the gun chamber was loaded with that Mutated Bullet he'd seen himself, he couldn't hold back anymore, his face rapidly changing color.

He instinctively reached out.

"Slow down!"

In his shock, he even forgot to hold back, forcibly interfering with the space, halting the air, enveloping Zhou Cheng.

But sadly... nothing happened.

The trigger was pulled, but there was no gunshot.

No bullet flew out.

"Huh? Weird... what's going on?"

Ji Jue was puzzled, inspecting the gun, bringing it close to his eye, pulling the trigger several times until he finally realized: "Oh no, seems like the primer got wet."

Saying that, he ejected the Mutated Bullet that was loaded.

Zhou Chong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Even forgetting his dignity and that he was being toyed with by Ji Jue, he was about to speak when he heard an unanticipated boom.

Bang!

A flash of the gun, and Zhou Cheng on the ground, pretending to be dead, suddenly cried out, clutching his leg, wailing sharply.

Ji Jue was stunned, looking down at the gun in his hand, his finger clearly not on the trigger.

"Ah, it misfired!" he exclaimed in shock, annoyed, slapping the malfunctioning gun: "Piece of junk, why does it even have a delay? It could've killed me!"

Only Zhou Chong by the side, not sure whether to be angry or not, his expression gradually resembling a dead horse.

Staring hard at Ji Jue, finally, he let out a light sigh:

"Truly a good apprentice."

"Thanks for the compliment." Ji Jue, not backing down, just nodded, "I'll try to keep it up."

Zhou Chong didn't speak again.

He pointed to his grandson thrashing on the ground, motioning the others to drag him away, and then he turned around and left with his entourage.

Only Ji Jue watched them leave, unable to help a sigh, "Grandmasters are truly impressive, not even a token gesture was given."

Beside him, Ye Xian casually tossed the Heart Poison Arrow left behind into Ji Jue's arms.

Telling him to keep it safe.

From now on, this thing belonged to the Ji family.

And with that, he nodded slightly to the others and turned to leave.

Ji Jue followed behind all the way back to her residence. Once inside with the door closed, he looked at Professor Ye, who was holding her teacup with an expressionless face, and tried an awkward smile, growing nervous:

"Stirring up all this trouble, will it affect your work here?"

"Yes, but that's just as well, saves me the trouble of saying something unpleasant."

Ye Xian seemed unconcerned, "If I wanted to avoid trouble, I wouldn't have brought you along. This little matter is still within my capability to deal with."

This counts as a little matter?

In broad daylight, Ji Jue felt that with just a little more strength, he could have slaughtered the Taiyi Association, yet in his teacher's eyes, it didn't even qualify as a big deal?

What then constituted a big deal?

Killing a Grandmaster?

Ji Jue didn't understand but was deeply shaken.

While shaken, he didn't forget the rules, obediently placing the two large sacks he was carrying onto the table. After carefully selecting a few pieces of defensive equipment that could be used at the moment, the rest were confiscated.

After all, it was of no use to have too much.

Then, the bags were flung over by Ye Xian.

"Dispose of them yourself, do you take my place for a trash heap?"

Ye Xian, having put down her teacup, suddenly asked, "What did you learn from today's incident?"

"Uh..."

Ji Jue was at a loss, and after a long pondering, he tentatively asked, "Always take the initiative in everything? Never let any challenges go unanswered? Or is it... to convince with reason?"

It surely wasn't to fight anyone on sight or to beat them until they bowed, right?

The look Ye Xian gave him was as if she was looking at an idiot.

"What use are principles if you still need alchemy?" she said, "Don't hold too many illusions, the Association is the most pragmatic of places, even more so than Desert Market, it's just that everyone pretends to be civilized until they even believe it themselves."

Survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle is the rule of White Deer, and the principle of the Embers is the same that the capable rise to the top and the accomplished take precedence.

Only one is exhibited through strength, while the other is more focused on knowledge and talent.

At the root of it, there is no difference.

If you're capable, then you're awesome; if not, kneel down and don't talk.

It's that simple.

Ye Xian, who's been unrestrained for so many years and a headache to everyone she meets, isn't it because she's stronger and more ember-like than anyone else?

Over the years, if anyone within the Association's upper echelons had the potential to become the next Master of the World, Ye Xian would definitely be at the top of the list, with few able to challenge her for the top spot.

"The only thing you should learn is not to become one of those people. No matter how much the weak wail, they're still clowns; only when you're strong enough that others dare not point fingers, do you have the right to walk your own path."

Ye Xian paused for a moment, giving a self-mocking smile, "I only learned that principle when I was twenty-five years old, you are actually better off than me."

Ji Jue wanted to speak, but she waved him off.

It was unclear whether she was too lazy to listen to self-deprecation and flattery or whether she simply didn't care if he wanted to refute.

"Alright, go on, get to work!"

After being a teacher for so long, if she hadn't noticed that Ji Jue's growth in capability required dismantling equipment, then Ye Xian's eyes might as well be scooped out and played with. Many things, she simply didn't bother to say.

The people were beaten, the money was collected, and he was naturally pushed into a rice vat, provided with a luxurious buffet.

At that thought, Ye Xian's fists subconsciously clenched.

How come all the good things fall into your lap, kid?

And you run off so fast!

Should I call you back and give you a good thrashing?

At the outpost, within a silent office building, on the top floor.

In the Hai Province Town office, the secretary bent down, picked up the documents that the old man had accidentally dropped to the floor, and put them back on the desk. He then took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the drool from the corner of the old man's mouth.

"I thought I heard a tremor just now," he sighed softly, "I hope nothing serious happened."

"It's nothing... seri..."

Tao Gong leaned back in his recliner, his words slurred, "All small matters..."

Yet for some reason, the corners of his mouth seemed to curl into a slight smile.

As if in pleasure.

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