Chapter 323 Generous Monthly Payments!

"Pavilion Master, what do you need our tokens for?"

Zhao Tiezhu's simple and honest face was filled with confusion.

Lin Kuo and Xiao Yutian also looked at Jiang Yun with puzzled expressions.

Jiang Yun looked at these three fellow townsmen who had come all the way from City C with him, a peaceful smile appearing on his face.

After experiencing today's turmoil...

The fact that they could disregard the danger and run over immediately to care about him made his heart feel a touch of warmth.

"Since you are all founding Elders of the Longxiang Pavilion, as the Pavilion Master, I naturally cannot mistreat my own people."

Jiang Yun shook the purple-gold Identity Token in his hand.

His tone was matter-of-fact.

"From today onwards, the Longxiang Pavilion is officially established and stationed in Lingqi Valley. As the founding Elders of the Longxiang Pavilion, you should rightfully receive a monthly stipend. This first batch of stipends will come from me."

"Monthly stipend?!"

Hearing this, the three of them...

...exclaimed almost in unison.

Immediately after, they repeatedly waved their hands and shook their heads.

"No, no! How can that be!"

Zhao Tiezhu shook his head like a rattle-drum.

He said urgently,

"Jiang Yun—no, Pavilion Master! We joined the Longxiang Pavilion because we believe in you and want to follow you to gain a firm foothold in the academy, not because we're greedy for some monthly stipend! These contribution points were earned by you through your strength and by taking risks; how can we take them?"

Lin Kuo also hurriedly stated,

"That's right, Pavilion Master. If you hadn't turned the tide today, let alone keeping our base, it would have been difficult for us to even stay in the academy. We haven't even been able to help with anything yet, so how can we take your contribution points instead?"

Although Xiao Yutian didn't speak, the refusal in his eyes was also very clear.

Even though they came from a small border town...

...where resources were scarce...

...and their knowledge might not be as vast as the students from the provincial capital...

...they still possessed basic backbone and loyalty.

Jiang Yun had long anticipated they would react this way.

He explained patiently,

"Iron Pillar, Lin Kuo, Xiao Yutian, listen to me first."

His gaze swept over the three of them, his tone sincere.

"Although the Longxiang Pavilion has been established, the specific daily management, resource allocation, task coordination, recruitment of new members, and even the construction and maintenance of Lingqi Valley in the future—these complex matters all need someone to worry about and handle. Although I am the Pavilion Master, my goal is to Cultivate, train my familiars, and pursue a higher Realm to complete the goals the academy has given me. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to do everything personally."

He paused and looked at Zhao Tiezhu.

"Iron Pillar, you are steady and loyal. I plan to have you serve as the Vice Pavilion Master, in charge of the pavilion's daily affairs."

He then looked at Lin Kuo and Xiao Yutian.

"You are meticulous in your work and are also a Prodigy from City C. The two of you will serve as Elders, assisting Iron Pillar in managing the Longxiang Pavilion together."

"And if you want to do these things well, if you want to guard this foundation for me in this dog-eat-dog environment of the academy, and even develop and grow the Longxiang Pavilion in the future, your own strength must keep up!"

Jiang Yun's tone grew heavier.

"Training familiars, buying resources, exchanging for Materials—which of these doesn't require contribution points? If you rely solely on slowly accumulating them through tasks yourselves, the efficiency is too low, and it will seriously slow down the overall pace of the Longxiang Pavilion."

He watched as contemplation and hesitation gradually appeared in their eyes.

"Moreover, we are fellow townsmen, and now we all belong to the Longxiang Pavilion; we are an entity that rises and falls together. My contribution points, when used on you, improve the foundation and strength of our entire Longxiang Pavilion. This is by no means a waste, but the wisest investment."

These words were reasonable and persuasive.

They both affirmed their value and the responsibilities they would undertake in the future, while also pointing out realistic needs and long-term considerations.

Zhao Tiezhu and the other two looked at each other.

The firm refusal in their hearts began to waver.

They truly needed contribution points too much.

As students from City C...

...struggling at the bottom of the academy...

...they had suffered enough disdain and exclusion.

The tasks they received were always the hardest and most exhausting with the lowest rewards, and they were often suppressed.

They knew better than anyone the preciousness of contribution points and the difficulty of obtaining them.

A Medicinal Pill that could accelerate Cultivation...

...a skill manual suitable for a familiar...

...a rare Ore to strengthen Aptitude... all required massive amounts of contribution points.

How could they not long to possess resources...

...and quickly become stronger?

If... if the monthly stipend Jiang Yun gave was only a few dozen points, or even one or two hundred, they might still be able to grit their teeth and refuse, treating it as relief between friends.

But from Jiang Yun's tone, it seemed like it wasn't a small amount... seeing the three of them still hesitating.

Their faces were written with the internal conflict of wanting it but being too embarrassed to take it.

Jiang Yun intentionally put on a stern face...

...and used reverse psychology.

"What? If you insist on not taking it, thinking this is charity, then I have no choice. It seems I can only find a few more members who know the situation and understand the rules to manage the Longxiang Pavilion and give them the monthly stipend. It's just a pity that this wealth will have to go to outsiders."

"Don't, don't, don't!"

Zhao Tiezhu got anxious as soon as he heard this.

He hurriedly called out,

"We'll take it! We'll take it, okay! Jiang Yun! This reverse psychology of yours is too obvious!"

He scratched his head and chuckled.

Although he was a bit embarrassed...

...his gaze had already become firm.

"Since it's the monthly stipend given by the Pavilion Master for us to improve our strength and manage the Longxiang Pavilion, then I, Zhao Tiezhu, will thick-headedly accept it! In the future, I will definitely manage the Longxiang Pavilion as if it were my own home!"

Lin Kuo and Xiao Yutian also finally stopped being hesitant.

They nodded one after another.

"Thank you, Pavilion Master!"

Lin Kuo solemnly cupped his hands.

"Rest assured, Pavilion Master, we will certainly do our utmost!"

Xiao Yutian also said in a deep voice.

"That's more like it."

A smile appeared on Jiang Yun's face.

He reached out his hand and said,

"Bring me your tokens."

Zhao Tiezhu and the other two no longer hesitated.

Each of them handed over their Identity Tokens.

Their tokens were the most Common Bronze color.

It formed a sharp contrast with Jiang Yun's purple-gold Heavenly Saint Token.

Jiang Yun took the three tokens.

He lightly touched them with the purple-gold token in his hand.

With a slight movement of his Divine Sense...

...he began to transfer contribution points.

He already had a plan in mind.

The distribution was not equal.

Soon, the transfer was complete.

Jiang Yun handed the three tokens back to them one by one.

The three of them took their tokens.

They subconsciously used their Divine Sense to check the balance inside.

"This..."

Xiao Yutian and Lin Kuo's bodies shook almost simultaneously, their eyes widening abruptly, and expressions of disbelief appeared on their faces!

"Five... five hundred contribution points?!"

Xiao Yutian cried out in a low voice.

The hand holding the token was even trembling slightly.

Since he entered the school, he had lived frugally and desperately taken on tasks, and even now, he had only saved less than three hundred contribution points in his token!

Jiang Yun, in one go... gave five hundred points!

It was more than his entire net worth!

Lin Kuo's breathing was also rapid.

He confirmed it several times.

It was indeed five hundred points, no mistake!

He looked up at Jiang Yun.

His eyes were filled with shock and complexity.

One must know.

Back in City C...

...he and Xiao Yutian had even challenged Jiang Yun.

Although they reconciled later...

...there was still some lingering friction.

He never expected...

...that Jiang Yun would not only let bygones be bygones...

...and let him join the Longxiang Pavilion as an Elder...

...but would also be so generous with the first monthly stipend!

And on the side, Zhao Tiezhu...

...after checking his own token...

...his reaction was even more exaggerated!

"Holy crap!!!"

A world-shaking curse word jumped directly out of Zhao Tiezhu's mouth.

He was like a cat that had its tail stepped on.

He almost jumped up.

He pointed at Jiang Yun, stuttering,

"O-one, one thousand... one thousand contribution points?! Jiang Yun! You, you, you... did you give me the wrong amount? Or did your hand shake and you pressed an extra zero? This is too much!!"

One thousand contribution points!

Zhao Tiezhu felt like he was dreaming!

In all his life...

...let alone possessing it...

...he had never even seen so many contribution points concentrated on a single student!

This was simply a huge sum of money!

It was enough to exchange for dozens of good Materials, or buy precious resources that could raise his familiar's Aptitude by a small sub-rank!

Hearing this, Xiao Yutian and Lin Kuo...

...were also shaken.

They both looked at Zhao Tiezhu.

A flash of envy passed through their eyes.

But soon, this envy was replaced by understanding and acceptance.

Zhao Tiezhu was Jiang Yun's close friend.

Their relationship was naturally closer than theirs.

When Jiang Yun first entered the school and returned to the Holy Son Courtyard...

...the first person he met was the bullied Zhao Tiezhu.

It was also for him that Jiang Yun decided to lead and establish the Longxiang Pavilion.

This kind of friendship was something they couldn't compare to.

It was perfectly reasonable for Jiang Yun to give Zhao Tiezhu more.

Furthermore...

...Jiang Yun had given each of them five hundred points.

This was already a generous gift that far exceeded their expectations!

They were more than grateful.

How could they feel jealous?

They only deeply realized...

...what a correct choice it was to follow Jiang Yun and be on good terms with him!

They secretly vowed in their hearts...

...that in the future, they would definitely do their best...

...to repay this trust and generous treatment.

"What's there to be so surprised about."

Jiang Yun found it a bit funny seeing Zhao Tiezhu so shocked that he was incoherent.

He then turned serious.

"Is one thousand points a lot? Is five hundred points a lot? I think I still gave you too little!"

He looked at the three of them, his tone earnest.

"The Longxiang Pavilion is newly founded, and the contribution points I have on hand are limited, so I can only give you this much for now. In the future, when our Longxiang Pavilion develops, we have more channels for contribution points, and I earn more, I will increase your monthly stipend limit. Right now, this is only enough for your temporary needs and to build a foundation. You must not be slack; you must improve your strength as quickly as possible. The future of the Longxiang Pavilion needs you to hold up a piece of the sky."

These words were like a warm current.

Instantly, the last bit of unease and awkwardness in the hearts of the three was washed away, leaving only full emotion and the determination to follow him to the death!

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes were a bit red.

He slapped Jiang Yun's shoulder hard.

His voice was choked with emotion.

"Jiang Yun... no, Pavilion Master! I won't say anything else; you are my, Zhao Tiezhu's, best buddy for life! No! You're my foster father! From now on, the Longxiang Pavilion's business is my, Zhao Tiezhu's, business! Whoever dares to be unfavorable to the Longxiang Pavilion will have to step over my body first!"

Xiao Yutian and Lin Kuo were also surging with emotion.

They were moved beyond words.

Together, they gave Jiang Yun a deep bow.

"The Pavilion Master's great kindness is something we will never forget! we will certainly not fail the Pavilion Master's trust!"

Jiang Yun hurriedly helped the two of them up.

"Alright, we're all our own people, don't be so formal. In the future, the Longxiang Pavilion will still rely on you to put in more effort."

Afterwards...

...the four of them had a brief exchange regarding some of the Longxiang Pavilion's recent arrangements.

Jiang Yun instructed them to first use these contribution points to quickly improve their own and their familiars' strength, at least breaking through to High-tier Silver Rank as soon as possible, so they would have the ability to deal with general challenges.

At the same time...

...they could start working on simple base organization and drafting basic regulations.

As for more specific recruitment and development plans...

...they would discuss them in detail after he finished learning about the academy's resource market situation.

After finishing the instructions...

...Jiang Yun intended to leave.

He still had three thousand five hundred contribution points left, which was a significant amount of capital.

He planned to immediately head to the academy's Myriad Phenomena Treasury to see for himself exactly what resources were inside and what the prices were. Along the way, he would also look for some treasure resources that he, Little Fire, and Little Skylark could use in the near future to improve their strength.

To prepare for the upcoming battle for slots in the Molten Cavern.

However...

...just as he turned around...

...and was about to leave...

Zhao Tiezhu seemed to suddenly remember something.

He spoke with some hesitation.

"By the way, Pavilion Master, there's one more thing..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Jiang Yun looked back.

Zhao Tiezhu pointed towards the entrance of Lingqi Valley, his expression a bit strange, mixed with excitement, worry, and a hint of being at a loss.

"Outside... a lot of people have gathered, and they've been shouting... how should we handle it?"

"What people?"

Jiang Yun's brow furrowed slightly.

Following the direction Zhao Tiezhu pointed...

...he cast his gaze towards the slightly messy entrance of Lingqi Valley that had been affected by the previous battle.

He saw that outside the valley entrance...

...on the originally open ground...

...there was actually a dense crowd of no less than several hundred people!

And the number seemed to be constantly increasing!

Most of these people were wearing the standard uniforms of Sky Dome Academy, with Cultivation ranging from Black Iron to Silver, and occasionally a few Low-tier Gold Rank figures could be seen.

They did not enter the valley without permission, but they all craned their necks, peeking into the valley with expressions of excitement, longing, curiosity, and expectation. The noisy sound of discussion came faintly like a tide.

And when Jiang Yun's gaze turned there...

...the crowd outside the valley seemed to be ignited instantly.

They became even more excited.

Many people raised their arms high.

They began to shout into the valley.

The voices converged into a blurred but passionate wave of sound.

"Sacred Student! Senior Jiang Yun!"

"Is the Longxiang Pavilion still recruiting?"

"I want to join the Longxiang Pavilion!"

"Accept me! I can do anything!"

"Senior Jiang Yun, look at me! I have a special talent!"

"Long live the Longxiang Pavilion!"

The waves of sound grew higher and higher.

They clearly reached the ears of Jiang Yun, Zhao Tiezhu, and the others.