16: Things that can be solved with money aren't really problems.

The very first sentence of the text made Hong Yu frown.

"All Disciples are strictly forbidden from private fighting Inside the Mansion. In case of violation, regardless of the reason and depending on the severity, the one who strikes first will be fined starting from one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, with a cap of five hundred."

"As long as you fight, you'll be fined Spirit Stones, and regardless of the reason, the punishment is so severe. No wonder Mu Xue was stopped when she wanted to attack earlier," Hong Yu thought to himself.

With this rule in place, wouldn't it mean one could verbally abuse others anytime, anywhere?

If the keyboard warriors from his past life came here, they would probably be overjoyed; not only could they troll online, but they could also continue offline.

One must know that Spirit Stones are extremely valuable. Even for Low-Grade Spirit Stones, producing a hundred at once would practically empty the coffers of a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator.

Hong Yu had worked hard on missions in the Outer Sect for eight years, living frugally to finally save up three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Feeling his pocket, which was so empty it didn't even have a single Spirit Stone, Hong Yu hurriedly looked further down, desperate to know what would happen if one had no Spirit Stones.

The more he read, the more alarmed he became. He had already lowered his hand from his chin and was now rhythmically tapping the edge of the bed.

The sect rules detailed a mountain of clauses: damaging the environment, picking fights, theft and leaking secrets, spreading rumors and insults, and a whole series of taboos large and small. Without exception, any violation resulted in a fine, and the amounts were not small.

Even the final rule was even more cruel.

"For any fighting Inside the Mansion resulting in a Disciple's disability or death: ordinary disciples are fined starting from five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones with a cap of thirty thousand; Core Disciples start from thirty thousand with a cap of one hundred thousand; True Disciples start from one hundred thousand with a cap of one million."

At the end, the sect rules thoughtfully included a deadline for the fines: they must be paid in full within one month. As long as the fine was paid, the matter would be considered settled.

If the fine could not be paid, then one might as well close their eyes for good. The Physical Body would be used to refine Puppets, the soul extracted for Artifact Refining, and the essence blood used as fertilizer for spiritual soil. It could be said that the Xuan Yun Residence had arranged one's after-death affairs so clearly that there was absolutely no need for any future worries.

In short, within the Xuan Yun Residence, everything could be solved with Spirit Stones, and there wasn't a single word mentioned about benefits or welfare.

After reading the sect rules, Hong Yu's face turned pale. When he first received them, he thought the Xuan Yun Residence was a safe place for peaceful cultivation, but he didn't expect it to be written all over with the words 'cannibalism'.

"So my life is only worth freaking thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones?" Hong Yu muttered. "No wonder Old Man Liu praised me for having a good temperament; so that was the reason."

Hong Yu tossed the sect rules aside and forced himself to calm his emotions. It was lucky he hadn't clashed with Mu Xue earlier; after all, according to the sect rules, even hurling a single insult at her would result in a fine of three Spirit Stones.

However, since a grudge had been formed, he would definitely have to settle this Karma later; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to achieve peace of mind.

The sect rules only dictated behavior Inside the Mansion, but they didn't say anything about following them outside, Hong Yu thought.

Just as his thoughts were wandering, there was a noise outside. He hurriedly opened the door, and three men arriving together came into view.

Presumably, these three were his roommates, so Hong Yu quickly greeted them: "Hello, three Senior Brothers. My name is Hong Yu, and I'm a newly joined ordinary disciple."

"Hong Yu?" The tallest man among the three was somewhat surprised. "It's not time for recruiting new Disciples yet. How did you get in?"

Then he introduced himself: "My name is Li Fei."

Then he introduced the other two men beside him: the somewhat short and stout one was named Tong Ming, and the somewhat thin and weak one was named Zhang Meng.

These two also gave Hong Yu a lukewarm greeting.

Seeing that their attitude was acceptable, Hong Yu said, "I'm from the Qifeng City Outer Sect. I happened to encounter the Saintess and Mountain Master Pang while they were on business. I helped out a little, so Mountain Master Pang brought me to the Inner Sect."

Hearing this, Li Fei's eyes flickered, and he said casually, "I know about that. Since you're here, it means the Saintess's business must have gone smoothly this time."

Zhang Meng also nodded and said disdainfully, "It seems Saintess Xu's chances of Nascent Soul formation have increased a bit more, and she'll gain more support within the residence. That trash Pang Hu isn't much in terms of cultivation, but he's certainly skilled at clinging to someone's coattails."

Hearing this, Hong Yu blankly observed the cultivation levels of these three; they weren't very high, all at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining like him.

Wasn't Pang Hu a Mountain Master? Why did his status seem so low that even ordinary disciples dared to gossip about him behind his back?

Li Fei quickly shot Zhang Meng a look, then cupped his fists toward Hong Yu and said, "Junior Brother, please don't take offense. Don't take these jokes to heart. Zhang Meng is blunt; his brother is also a Mountain Master and has always been at odds with Pang Hu, which is why he dislikes the Mountain Master. We weren't gossiping or spreading rumors behind anyone's back."

Hong Yu laughed inwardly, remembering that the sect rules seemed to stipulate a fine starting from thirty Spirit Stones for those spreading rumors. So he cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Senior Brother. I'm not the talkative type."

Li Fei breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "Since you've entered the sect and are fated to share a dormitory with us, feel free to come to me if you need anything in the future. Although I'm not very capable, my grandfather is one of the Elders of Pan Mountain, and many matters, large and small, can be decided with a single word from him.

Since you've caught Saintess Xu's eye, you'll surely achieve great things in the future. When that time comes, don't forget our friendship as fellow students."

Tong Ming, who had been silent, also chimed in: "My Elder sister is also one of the True Disciples. Since Brother Hong is favored by Fairy Xu, then from now on, we brothers are on the same side."

Hearing this, Hong Yu's heart stirred. Did Li Fei's words seem to be testing the relationship between him and Xu Jing?

He hadn't seen Xu Jing since getting off the multi-story ship, and even his entry into the residence was handled by Pang Hu. Presumably, she didn't want to be associated with him either.

And how could their relationship be told to outsiders?

He couldn't exactly tell them that the Saintess, who was unattainable in their eyes, had been slept with by him.

Furthermore, Xu Jing had a ten-day agreement with him. Under such circumstances, he felt embarrassed to use her name for clout.

So, after thinking for a while, Hong Yu said, "To be honest, I come from a humble background and couldn't possibly catch the Saintess's eye. It was only by chance that I earned some merit, and Mountain Master Pang showed special grace by bringing me into the residence."

"Why be so modest, Junior Brother? We all know Pang Hu is Fairy Xu's lick... subordinate. If it weren't for the Saintess's indication, how could he have brought you in? You should know the Inner Sect isn't that easy to enter." Li Fei's tone was playful.

Hong Yu continued to deny it: "Perhaps in the Saintess's eyes, this matter wasn't worth her attention, so she let Pang Hu decide. I'm really not familiar with the Saintess."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Then name a price for that top-grade magic tool on your back; I'll take it." Zhang Meng, who had been silent, pointed at the longsword on Hong Yu's back and said.