The Salary Scandal (Part 1)

The scene was somewhat chaotic. Bai Lan disliked jostling with others to snatch things; it felt akin to a bustling market. Since there would be enough for everyone, why scramble and quack like a flock of ducks?

“Linglong, Sister Yunxi, perhaps we should wait a little longer by the side,” Bai Lan suggested. “It’s not as if everything will be gone if we don’t grab it first. Why rush to compete?”

Li Yunxi, who had initially intended to join the throng, paused upon hearing this. After a moment of careful thought, she agreed with Bai Lan’s sentiment.

As for Xue Linglong, since Bai Lan had no intention of pushing forward, she naturally saw no need to rush in at that moment either.

“Don’t push me! What’s the rush?” shouted a girl from the agitated crowd ahead. “It’s not like there isn’t enough for everyone. Can’t you all just form a line?”

While no major conflicts erupted, minor shoves and verbal skirmishes were simply unavoidable.

“All of you, get out of the way!” Chen Xuan began her antics once more. “You lowly commoners can claim your provisions only after Her Royal Highness has finished!”

Her six guards, all cultivators in the Qi Refining realm, forcefully pushed aside every girl blocking their path.

Dealing with a group of young girls who had yet to begin cultivation was, for them, effortlessly simple.

Though the crowd seethed with anger, they dared not voice their displeasure.

In the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme; if one couldn’t defeat their opponent, enduring was the only option.

As the stipends were distributed one by one, the number of disciples at Hundred Flowers Terrace quickly dwindled by about half.

Chen Xuan, that woman, had long since collected her items and departed. However, as she left, she deliberately led her subordinates past Bai Lan and her companions, casting a meaningful glance at the trio.

“Hmph! Good birth, indeed, how grand!” Li Yunxi scoffed.

She hadn’t dared to show her fury in front of Chen Xuan, but once the princess was gone, she couldn’t help but glare at Chen Xuan’s retreating back and curse under her breath. “Just wait until I become a cultivator and surpass her cultivation level. Then we’ll see how I teach her a lesson!”

Bai Lan sighed, then stepped forward to claim their stipend.

However, just as the three of them were about to receive their provisions, something unexpected occurred.

“Alright, alright, the stipends have all been distributed. Everyone, please return.” The inner sect disciples in charge of the distribution suddenly announced.

The moment these words left their lips, nearly two thousand disciples who had yet to receive their stipends were instantly dumbfounded.

“Finished? What? We haven’t even received our stipends yet, how can they be all gone?” Some disciples stared at the inner sect members, their faces etched with incredulity.

Bai Lan and her two companions also stiffened, rooted to the spot. What kind of situation was this? Finished?

There had originally been five thousand disciples, yet only about three thousand stipends had been distributed, leaving two thousand without.

“Senior Sister, what is the meaning of this?” someone couldn’t help but demand. “There are still two thousand disciples present who haven’t received their stipends. How can they be all gone?”

“Exactly!” another chimed in. “Why? Why have only half been distributed? Do we not deserve our stipends? Or have you inner sect disciples secretly embezzled our provisions?”

Waves of accusations echoed into the ears of the inner sect disciples, and the scene began to descend into disorder.

Even with several inner sect members present to maintain order, the sheer volume of questioning voices overwhelmed them.

“This… Esteemed Junior Sisters,” one of the inner sect disciples distributing the stipends explained, “it’s not that we refuse to give you provisions. Rather, the sect only allocated cultivation resources for three thousand people. We truly have nothing more to give.”

Yet, this explanation made no sense to them. It utterly failed to convince the disciples present.

However, just as the situation threatened to spiral out of control, a cold, stern voice resonated through the air.

“Silence!” the voice boomed. “Let it be known that the Luoshen Sect can, at most, support three thousand outer sect disciples. This time, we exceptionally recruited five thousand. Therefore, I apologize, but if you desire a stipend, you must claim it by your own abilities each month when provisions are distributed. For the remaining two thousand who lack the capability, there will be nothing.”

The owner of this voice spoke with a severe and indifferent tone, imbued with an immense pressure that instantly quelled the crowd.

This had to be a high-ranking official of the sect.

As the voice subdued the outer sect disciples, the inner sect members quickly seized the opportunity to depart, eager to avoid further trouble.

The voice uttered only that single statement, then vanished. As it faded, the oppressive force that had weighed upon Bai Lan and her companions also lifted.

“What? How can this be?” Li Yunxi exclaimed, vexed, to Bai Lan. “They recruited five thousand disciples, yet only provide stipends for three thousand! Junior Sister Bai Lan, we shouldn’t have waited earlier.”

Of course, her anger wasn’t aimed at Bai Lan, but at the Luoshen Sect itself. Why would they establish such unreasonable and unfair rules?

Bai Lan, too, hadn’t initially understood why. However, after a moment of careful consideration, she managed to deduce something.

“This… I didn’t foresee it either, Sister Yunxi, and Linglong,” Bai Lan said apologetically. “I made a misjudgment.”

However, Xue Linglong shook her head.

“It’s not your fault,” Xue Linglong said. “I suspect the sect is trying to stimulate competition among outer sect disciples. That senior just said that the Luoshen Sect can only support three thousand outer sect disciples, which is why they only prepared three thousand stipends. As for the additional two thousand, it’s likely because too many people signed up this year, so they simply increased the recruitment quota.”

Xue Linglong seemed to have guessed the reason.

Indeed, this was certainly one of the reasons. Her guess was remarkably accurate.

Combining her hypothesis with Bai Lan’s deductions revealed the true intentions of the Luoshen Sect’s higher-ups. In fact, the entire scene of stipend distribution had been observed by the sect’s leadership; they had been watching all along.

And so, within the Luoshen Sect at this very moment, Luo Yan, Bai Yiren, and four other elders were gathered. Luo Yan, Bai Yiren, and Qiu Hanyun had all made appearances before, while the other two were Chen Xiangning, the Hall Master of Canglan Hall, and Hua Yushan, the Master of Tianxiang Garden.

The beauty of these five women present was varied, each possessing their unique charm, yet all were peerless beauties of the highest caliber.

“Tell me, Yushan,” Luo Yan asked, displeased, “why do this? Recruiting five thousand disciples but only distributing stipends to three thousand—doesn’t that seem rather unfair? What exactly is your Tianxiang Garden trying to achieve?”

The distribution of the sect’s pills and stipends fell under the purview of Tianxiang Garden. The woman in the pale green dress was the elder responsible for this matter.

Hua Yushan appeared to be a remarkably calm woman, sitting with her eyes mostly closed, as if napping. It wasn’t until Luo Yan spoke that she finally opened her eyes and glanced at her.

“Sect Master Senior Sister,” Hua Yushan countered, “you are well aware of how many disciples our Luoshen Sect can support. While we added two thousand extra slots this time, the sect did not increase its allocation of spirit stones and medicinal herbs, did it? If we were to give them stipends, we would have to deduct from the inner sect disciples. Do you find that appropriate?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan was rendered speechless for a moment, unsure how to refute Hua Yushan’s words.

After all, inner sect disciples were far more crucial than outer sect ones, and it was unthinkable to deduct from their stipends to provide for others.

“Then why not simply halve the outer sect disciples’ stipends?” At that moment, Chen Xiangning, clad in a flowing water-blue dress, spoke up.

She was a woman of noble bearing, Chen Xuan’s elder, and a former princess of the Chen Kingdom. Her demeanor naturally distinguished her from ordinary cultivators.