Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

"Junior Martial Uncle... Zhang, we just arrived. We came looking for you..."

Qin Susu and the others were just debating whether to knock when, to their surprise, Zhang Chi appeared from behind, startling them.

Hearing Zhang Chi call Qin Susu "Junior Sister," the group relaxed slightly, realizing that he didn’t look down on them just because he had achieved Foundation Establishment.

"Let’s talk inside."

Zhang Chi smiled faintly and immediately led the four into his cave residence.

Over the years, he had maintained correspondence with Qin Susu and the others, and had even greatly expanded the business of contracting out Spirit Fields.

However, Qin Susu and the others had written to him far more often than he had replied. Not wanting to expose his situation or discourage them, he never mentioned his Cultivation in his return letters.

As a direct result, Qin Susu and her group had only just learned of Zhang Chi’s breakthrough. It was mentioned unintentionally by Chen Ling’er when they went to visit her.

Of course, it wasn’t that Chen Ling’er had deliberately kept it a secret; she had assumed Qin Susu and the others already knew, so she hadn’t made a point of mentioning it.

Besides, Chen Ling’er was no longer the person she used to be. It was impossible for her to be as open with Qin Susu and the others as she once was.

When Qin Susu and the group learned the truth, they were utterly stunned. They had rushed here immediately after.

But they were also worried that the reason Zhang Chi hadn’t told them sooner was that he didn’t want to be too involved with them. This left them agonizing over whether they should disturb him at all.

"Of course, Junior Martial Uncle!"

At this, Qin Susu and the others were overjoyed and breathed an even deeper sigh of relief. Looking at Zhang Chi’s tall, straight back, they couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

When Zhang Chi left back then, he had said that once he returned from the Demon Abyss, they would all be calling him Junior Martial Uncle.

They had taken it as a joke, but now they realized that joke had become reality.

’Perhaps, when Zhang Chi left all those years ago, he had already foreseen all of this.’

Of course, they didn’t know that Zhang Chi had already reached Foundation Establishment back then. If they had, they would have been even more astonished.

And because he had already been at Foundation Establishment when he left, with his Cultivation simply being a bit higher now, his attitude toward them naturally hadn’t changed much.

"Congratulations on your Foundation Establishment, Junior Martial Uncle. This is a small congratulatory gift we prepared. We hope you won’t find it lacking."

Inside the cave residence, Qin Susu and the others had already adjusted their mindsets. Qin Susu immediately stepped forward on behalf of the group, presenting a gift with both hands.

The gift was a sum of Spirit Stones, about two thousand of them. For them, this was already a huge expenditure.

However, to maintain their relationship with Zhang Chi, such an expense was absolutely necessary.

They were even afraid that Zhang Chi would look down on their offering.

"Mm, thank you. I’ll accept the gift. What was it you wanted to talk to me about outside?" Zhang Chi nodded slightly and accepted the Spirit Stones as he spoke.

He had invested a significant number of Spirit Stones in them over the years, and Qin Susu’s group had benefited greatly. It was only natural that he accept this gift.

If he didn’t accept it, they would be the ones to get anxious.

"We want to pledge our allegiance to you, Junior Martial Uncle Zhang! From now on, we will work for you and follow your every command!"

Qin Susu said, steeling herself.

He Yan, He Shi, and Zhao Yi didn’t speak, but they all nodded repeatedly. They then watched Zhang Chi nervously, terrified that he would refuse.

Before, they had been partners, but that wouldn’t work anymore. After all, they were no longer on the same Level.

They no longer had the right to be his partners.

Furthermore, there would surely be no shortage of Qi Cultivation Disciples wanting to work for Zhang Chi in the future. They had to make a decisive choice now, or they would miss this golden opportunity.

They used to be friends, but now they had to become subordinates. Their feelings were complicated, but they had no choice but to accept this reality.

If they didn’t pledge allegiance now, they might never achieve Foundation Establishment. By then, with no potential left, they might not even qualify to be his subordinates.

"Why not choose the Chen Family Siblings? Weren’t you always following Chen Ling’er? And I remember you all used to admire Chen Bufan," Zhang Chi asked, puzzled.

"We feel that you, Senior Brother Zhang, are a better choice. Your talent is no less than that of the two Junior Martial Uncle Chens. After all, you had no family or Sect backing you; you reached this point all on your own."

"Besides, while the two Junior Martial Uncle Chens are excellent, they are people of a great family. Only you, Junior Martial Uncle Zhang, are like us—you started as a Loose Cultivator. We’ve worked together more, and you’ve always treated us more as equals, so..."

Qin Susu and the others had clearly thought this through, and they immediately laid out their reasoning in an orderly fashion.

"We’re all from the same Sect, and could even be considered friends. It’s not impossible for you to follow me."

Zhang Chi nodded slightly.

He wasn’t surprised by this.

Chen Ling’er was a good person, but she was from a prominent family, after all, which made her unavoidably proud and willful at times.

She was great to those who were her equals.

But to subordinates and the like, she would only ever treat them as subordinates.

Otherwise, Qin Susu and the others wouldn’t have been reduced to mere helpers during the Sect’s entrance assessment back then.

Moreover, if the need arose, Chen Ling’er would undoubtedly abandon them without a second thought for the sake of her family.

In contrast, influenced by his past life, while he also believed in fair exchange, his way of dealing with people was clearly a cut above Chen Ling’er’s.

"However, if you become my subordinates, you’ll have to follow my rules. I will only grant you my protection if you make contributions to me. Are you mentally prepared for that?"

But even so, there were some things he had to make clear.

He didn’t mind lending Qin Susu and the others a helping hand if he could, but he wouldn’t help them unconditionally.

The amount of help he gave them would depend on how much value they could create for him.

Only on that foundation would he consider things like friendship.

"Of course, we understand completely. And we’ve already thought of some terms. Please take a look, Junior Martial Uncle."

Qin Susu and the others were overjoyed to hear this. Qin Susu immediately handed over a Spirit Contract.

"Not bad. But this clause about not seeking a Daoist partner during your service... what’s this about?"

Zhang Chi was a bit puzzled after reading the contents of the Spirit Contract.

"Since we’re going to be serving you, Junior Martial Uncle, we must be completely focused. We can’t be distracted by other matters. What if it causes us to neglect our duties, or worse, leak your private affairs? Wouldn’t that be troublesome?"

"Exactly. A Daoist partner would only distract us."

Qin Susu and the others quickly explained.

The two women among them blushed.

It was obvious there was something left unsaid: they were worried that Zhang Chi might have designs on them, which was why they had specifically added this clause.

This way, they could prevent a situation where Zhang Chi might grow dissatisfied and discard them simply because they found Daoist partners in the future.

"Alright!"

Zhang Chi nodded slightly, thinking this was indeed a more stable arrangement.

He didn’t really have any particular designs on the two women.

But they were indeed quite beautiful and pleasant to look at. If they really did find Daoist partners, he admitted he would instinctively feel a bit uncomfortable.

With this agreement in place, such a thing wouldn’t happen.

And so, both parties immediately signed the Spirit Contract. Afterward, their relationship instantly became much closer.

Of course, the Spirit Contract placed no restrictions on Zhang Chi. It only stipulated that he was to protect the group, while they, in turn, were to serve him, obey his every arrangement and command, and protect all his private information.

"Take this batch of supplies. They are your starting capital to manage and put to use. For the next year, you can do whatever you want. As long as the profits meet my expectations, the rest is yours."

"As for what happens after a year, I will have new arrangements. It will all depend on your performance!"

With that, Zhang Chi waved his hand, directly taking out a large stash of materials, including Ores and Spirit Pills.