62: Chapter 62 Taking on the Duties of the Sect

Xia Shaoxin said coldly: "I have been cultivating inside properly. You suddenly opened the door. If I hadn't been distracted listening to the movement outside and remained vigilant, I would have suffered a Qi deviation."

Senior Brother Chen Jingrao's face twitched, and he snorted: "You were originally a Bug Catcher, long eroded by poisonous miasma. Being able to achieve a Breakthrough to the Lower Stage of Qi Refining is already a miracle. The Spiritual Qi in the Spirit Cave is so strong; you simply cannot handle it."

"Since you also know that my ability to Cultivate is a miracle, could it be that this miracle ends at the Lower Stage of Qi Refining?"

"Hmph, impossible!"

"But I am able to handle this cultivation for these few hours right now!"

A look of astonishment appeared on Senior Brother Chen Jingrao's face, as if he wanted to say, I thought you couldn't handle it, so how dare you handle it?

"Why did you strike me with your palm just now?"

Xia Shaoxin was stunned. He was actually changing the subject and turning the tables?

He never expected this Senior Brother Chen to be such a domineering character.

"I just wanted to push you away so you wouldn't affect my cultivation."

He did his utmost to speak calmly in the gentlest tone he could control at that moment, not wanting to entangle himself with such a person.

He turned his head and said to Liu Tingting: "Senior Sister Liu, I disappointed you tonight. I am going back."

Liu Tingting nodded slightly.

It was originally a chance to pick up scraps; not finding any scraps meant he couldn't be angry.

As he bypassed Senior Brother Chen Jingrao, he didn't expect Senior Brother Chen Jingrao to suddenly strike with a palm. Xia Shaoxin had been very vigilant, but in terms of strength, he was still far behind, and was sent flying by the strike.

"What are you trying to do?" Liu Tingting scolded angrily in a low voice.

Senior Brother Chen Jingrao wanted to strike again, but was blocked by Liu Tingting, and the two traded a palm strike.

Liu Tingting assumed a defensive posture, and Senior Brother Chen Jingrao did not continue the attack.

Having returned the strike and not suffering a loss tonight, he flicked his sleeves, snorted coldly, and walked out.

Xia Shaoxin climbed up from the ground, physically unharmed, but feeling aggrieved and furious inside.

"Many thanks, Senior Sister Liu."

If Liu Tingting hadn't blocked him just now, he would have suffered a few more strikes.

Liu Tingting said with a stern expression: "Elder Qian is in seclusion over there. You cannot make loud noises here. Go back."

"This Senior Brother Chen is very difficult to talk to."

Liu Tingting glared at him deeply and said in a low voice: "Your cultivation is so low, yet you dare to discuss others behind their backs. Are you tired of living comfortably?"

Xia Shaoxin was speechless, feeling uncomfortable all over.

He bowed to Liu Tingting and turned to leave.

Back in his room, dawn was breaking. He should have caught up on sleep, but he found it hard to fall asleep.

Liu Tingting's face kept flashing in his mind. He felt that the way Liu Tingting looked at him held both pity and contempt.

Lies don't hurt, but the truth hurts the most.

Before, when he was a Utility Disciple, seeing an Inner Sect Disciple was like seeing an Elder in the family—full of awe, cautious, careful, and amazed.

After becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, the looks he got from those Utility Disciples were full of both respect and fear.

However, he was only an Entry-Level Inner Sect Disciple. After entering the gate, the stairs inside were still out of reach.

With low cultivation, one should keep a low profile.

A Genius like Liu Tingting, who didn't let power go to her head, was because she was kind.

Someone like Senior Brother Chen Jingrao was obviously used to running rampant on Xueyan Cliff, and it wasn't specifically targeting Xia Shaoxin.

With this kind of person, unless you can suppress him, you can only stay away from him.

In the next few days, Xia Shaoxin used up his cultivation time every day.

Liu Tingting's gaze towards him was not as enthusiastic as before, but she no longer ignored him.

Once, after finishing his cultivation and coming out, just as they were about to pass each other, Liu Tingting suddenly said: "A miraculous change has occurred in your body. Your Cultivation Technique has changed your Aptitude."

"Oh, is that so?" Xia Shaoxin felt a bit guilty, not wanting to discuss this topic.

"At first, I thought you had taken some kind of Medicinal Pill that improves your Physique and helps with cultivation."

Xia Shaoxin's eyebrows jumped sharply. Was the case solved just like that?

Had the Senior Sister from the Danfang Pavilion at Baotong Tower already passed the news here?

"Later I thought again, even if you could get that kind of Pill Formula, where would you get the Spirit Stones to eat it? You'd lose everything."

"Right, right."

"I remember Elder Qian said that a person's talent for cultivation is determined at birth, but a very small number of people can improve their physical Aptitude through cultivation. Are you perhaps such a person?"

Liu Tingting's eyes twinkled, appearing to have a bit more respect.

Xia Shaoxin felt uneasy inside, feeling like a fraud deceiving an ignorant Senior Sister.

He also felt that this explanation was quite good and could save a lot of trouble.

"Ah, is there such a saying?"

"Elder Qian said it." Liu Tingting reaffirmed the authority of this view.

Xia Shaoxin did not dare to discuss it deeply with her, mumbled a few perfunctory words, and hurriedly fled.

Ten days flew by. The three-flower spirit gathering pill was almost finished. He prepared to go to Baotong Tower to buy some medicinal materials and, incidentally, sell his dried Poisonous Insects.

Just as he was about to go out, Deacon Wang came over to inform him that, by the decree of the Elder, he needed to assume certain Sect duties.

"What do I need to do?"

"You are going to guard the shop at Baotong Tower."

"Guard what shop?"

"It seems to be guarding the Danfang Pavilion shop."

Xia Shaoxin was overjoyed. The two places he was most interested in at the Chiyan Sect were the Spirit Field and the Danfang Pavilion.

He had originally wanted to go to Baotong Tower, so he went happily.

Just as he left, he met Senior Brother Shao Junwei. Hearing that he had been assigned Sect duties, he said coldly:

"Every new Inner Sect Disciple, logically speaking, does not need to assume any duties for at least three years; one should just focus on cultivation. You have only been an Inner Sect Disciple for a month, and they are already in a hurry to arrange work for you..."

Deacon Wang interrupted: "Junior Brother Shao, be careful, don't talk nonsense. This is the intention from above."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei snorted coldly and asked Xia Shaoxin meaningfully: "Did you forget what I told you before?"

"What words?" Xia Shaoxin was confused.

"There are many affairs in the Sect that must be done by Inner Sect Disciples. Some good errands are fought over by everyone, and some bad errands are left to those the Sect doesn't look favorably upon."

Deacon Wang's face turned dark, and he shouted: "Junior Brother Shao!"

Senior Brother Shao Junwei brushed Deacon Wang aside and pulled Xia Shaoxin to the side, saying in a low voice:

"The errand of guarding the shop at Baotong Tower requires you to go every day. It's dozens of miles back and forth, which seriously affects your rest and cultivation."

Xia Shaoxin was a bit surprised. Does he have to go every day?

That was indeed a bit far.

"It must be that the people above don't look favorably upon you, feeling that you won't amount to anything in your cultivation, so they are sending you to work early."

Deacon Wang stepped forward and pulled Senior Brother Shao Junwei away, saying angrily: "Junior Brother Shao, why must you say these things? It makes everyone unhappy."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei asked: "Did he offend someone?"

Deacon Wang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head vigorously, "Don't guess randomly."

This expression was covering up the truth.

Xia Shaoxin hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "I recently had a small conflict with Senior Brother Chen Jingrao."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei frowned deeply: "It's him? Why?"

Xia Shaoxin clearly explained the reason.

"No need to guess, it must be him causing trouble behind the scenes." Senior Brother Shao Junwei snorted and stared at Deacon Wang.

"Why are you looking at me? I don't know!" Deacon Wang was annoyed by the stare.

In fact, when Xia Shaoxin said he had a conflict with Senior Brother Chen Jingrao, Deacon Wang understood everything.

But he was just a Deacon, and a Deacon's job is to do what is arranged from above, not to meddle in other people's business.