Chapter 34: Impact
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Zhang Su had just returned to his courtyard when someone knocked on the door.
Chu Dachuan opened the main gate.
An Outer Sect Steward stood outside.
"Is Zhang Su here?"
"Senior Brother is in his room. Please, Steward, come in."
Soon, the Steward met with Zhang Su.
"Zhang Su, you have defeated Luo Feng, one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples. According to the Sect’s rules, you may move into the tenth mountain peak. From now on, you are one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples and will receive ten Qi and Blood Pills every month."
"Furthermore, you will receive a ten percent discount on all items in the Trading Hall! And as one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples, you can apply for private instruction in Martial Arts techniques from an Inner Strength Elder each month."
Zhang Su’s eyes lit up.
The benefits of being one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples were worlds apart from those of an ordinary Outer Disciple.
The ten Blood Replenishing Pills were one thing, but what was truly important was the ten percent discount at the Trading Hall.
After all, Inner Sect Disciples received a twenty percent discount.
It was only slightly less than what an Inner Sect Disciple received.
And on top of that, he could apply for one-on-one Martial Arts instruction from an Inner Strength Elder.
Those who enjoyed such treatment were no longer just Outer Disciples being raised in the Sect’s Gu Cultivation Form.
They were disciples the Guiyuan Sect was actively grooming for success.
’So, it’s true. In a way, there’s not much difference between being one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples and an Inner Sect Disciple...’
Zhang Su immediately looked up.
"Thank you, Steward."
The Steward left.
Zhang Su now had ten more Blood Replenishing Pills in his hand.
"Chu Dachuan, Zhao Feng, Du Tian, go and clean up the mountain peak first."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
The three of them immediately set off for Luo Feng’s mountain peak.
This mountain peak now belonged to Zhang Su.
Several hours later, the three returned to the courtyard, covered in dust.
"Senior Brother, the peak is all cleaned up. You can move in anytime."
"Alright, let’s move then..."
Zhang Su stood up and headed toward the peak.
Soon, Zhang Su arrived at the mountain peak.
This tenth peak was called "Golden Domain Peak."
Now, Zhang Su was the master of Golden Domain Peak.
Golden Domain Peak was vast.
It had many rooms.
Moreover, according to the rules, the Ten Great Outer Disciples were allowed to have some Outer Disciples live on their peaks with them.
Zhang Su looked at the eager expressions on the faces of Chu Dachuan and the other two, then nodded. "Are the three of you willing to come live on Golden Domain Peak?"
The three were overjoyed and hastily replied, "We are, of course we are!"
"Good, then you’ll stay on Golden Domain Peak."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
The three of them didn’t dare disturb Zhang Su.
Soon, only Zhang Su remained in the room.
With his three hundred threads of Qi Blood and his Light and Shadow Killing Sword at the Perfection Realm, he had now firmly secured his position among the Ten Great Outer Disciples.
Now, he had only one goal.
To generate Inner Strength!
One of the Ten Great Outer Disciples was, in the end, still just an Outer Disciple.
Only by advancing to the Inner Sect and becoming an Inner Sect Disciple could one be considered a true disciple of the Guiyuan Sect.
Zhang Su was very clear on this point.
Being one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples was, at best, just having one foot in the door of the Inner Sect.
Fortunately, he now had an ample supply of Blood Replenishing Pills and could focus completely on his Qi Blood Cultivation.
...
「Qingquan Prefecture, the Gu Family Estate.」
The Gu Family, once the wealthiest in the region, had now completely fallen from grace.
Although Gu Ying worked hard, as a woman, she had no choice but to be the public face of the family, enduring the gossip and scrutiny of others.
But even with her great sacrifices, the Gu Family’s business continued to decline day by day.
Recently, Gu Ying had been plagued by a major problem with the family’s business.
"Miss, our business has dropped by thirty percent overall this month."
"The main issue is the Zhen Family in Bai Feng Prefecture. They’re holding up our shipments, using all sorts of excuses to cause delays. If this continues, our business in Bai Feng Prefecture will be completely ruined..."
The steward said anxiously.
Upon hearing this, Gu Ying fell silent.
She knew all too well how dire the Gu Family’s situation had become.
The Gu Family’s foundation had once been Qingquan Prefecture.
But now, Qingquan Prefecture was the Su Family’s domain.
In Qingquan Prefecture, the Gu Family could only continuously retract its influence and didn’t dare to compete head-on with the Su Family in business.
The Gu Family could only focus its efforts on Bai Feng Prefecture, doing everything it could to maintain its business there.
Unfortunately, Bai Feng Prefecture had its own local tyrant—the Zhen Family.
"Miss, Miss Du has arrived..."
a servant came to report.
"Du Xianxian? Let her in..."
Gu Ying rubbed her temples.
She felt utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Du Xianxian was one of her few close female friends, and the two saw each other often.
Soon, Du Xianxian arrived.
While Du Xianxian’s features weren’t as stunning as Gu Ying’s, her fair complexion was her advantage.
"Xianxian, I don’t have time to go out for a stroll today..."
Gu Ying said softly.
"Yingying, you look... Have you run into trouble?"
Gu Ying nodded.
"What kind of trouble? Tell me, maybe I can help."
Gu Ying shook her head and sighed deeply. "What other trouble could it be? The Zhen Family in Bai Feng Prefecture, of course..."
Du Xianxian understood.
As Gu Ying’s friend, she was naturally aware of the Gu Family’s situation.
"Yingying, you’re just too stubborn sometimes. Why don’t I go find my cousin? You know he has always wanted to form a marriage alliance with you..."
Du Xianxian advised.
But Gu Ying remained silent.
She knew who Du Xianxian’s "cousin" was.
Du Xianxian’s cousin was Bai Jingchuan, from a Martial Arts Family in Bai Feng Prefecture.
He had shown extraordinary talent from a young age.
He was hailed as the Martial Dao genius of Bai Feng Prefecture.
It was highly likely he would generate Inner Strength in the future and become an Inner Strength Martial Artist.
The Bai Family was indeed quite powerful in Bai Feng Prefecture.
If Bai Jingchuan were to intervene, even the Zhen Family would have to show some deference.
"But..."
Gu Ying had many reservations.
In truth, she didn’t dislike Bai Jingchuan.
But she also knew the Bai Family’s intentions.
The Bai Family was so eager for the marriage alliance for no other reason than to completely swallow up the Gu Family’s businesses.
This would allow the Bai Family to rise to an even higher level.
This was something Gu Ying could not accept.
"Yingying, sometimes you shouldn’t be so stubborn. Right now, the Zhen Family is advancing cautiously, constantly eating away at the Gu Family’s businesses. What other choice do you have?"
Du Xianxian said.
"The Gu Family sponsors an Outer Disciple of the Guiyuan Sect. If worst comes to worst, I can ask Zhang Su for help..."
Gu Ying gritted her teeth.
This was the Gu Family’s last resort.
Hearing this, Du Xianxian shook her head and said, "Yingying, the Gu Family sponsors an Outer Disciple of the Guiyuan Sect, but don’t you think the Zhen Family does too? In fact, the Zhen Family is wealthy and powerful; they sponsor two disciples from the Guiyuan Sect. And one of them, I hear, has a good chance of challenging for a spot among the Ten Great Outer Disciples."
"As for this Zhang Su you’re sponsoring, he’s said to have some talent and even defeated Jiang Cheng. But in Qingquan Prefecture, Jiang Cheng is nothing but a frog in a well. How could he possibly know how powerful the true geniuses of the Guiyuan Sect are?"
"I told you before, if you were going to sponsor someone, you should have sponsored a real genius from the Outer Sect. That Zhang Su, while his combat strength might be acceptable, is ultimately overage. His potential is limited, and it’ll be difficult for him to even get promoted to the Inner Sect in the future. And you even gave Zhang Su a First-level Funding Contract. All that silver has practically gone down the drain..."
Gu Ying’s brows knitted together tightly.
Although Du Xianxian’s words were harsh, there was some truth to them.
She could indeed call upon Zhang Su for help.
But the Zhen Family sponsored two Outer Disciples of the Guiyuan Sect.
And one of them was supposedly capable of contending for a position among the Ten Great Outer Disciples.
What could Zhang Su possibly do against two Outer Disciples from the Guiyuan Sect?
’Did I... really make a mistake?’
Gu Ying was lost in thought.
The First-level Funding Contract had nearly drained all of the Gu Family’s savings.
Now the Gu Family was in trouble. If Zhang Su was powerless to solve it, the Gu Family would likely be finished for good.
"Yingying, don’t hesitate. If you agree, I’ll write to my cousin right away..."
Just as Du Xianxian’s voice fell,
suddenly, a flurry of footsteps was heard from outside.
Immediately after, a servant rushed into the living room.
"Miss, good news! Wonderful news!..."
The servant’s face was filled with excitement.
"What good news?"
Gu Ying was also curious.
At a time like this, what good news could there possibly be?
"News from the Guiyuan Sect! Outer Disciple Zhang Su challenged Luo Feng, one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples, successfully defeated him, and has ascended to a position among the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples!"
"And what’s more, Luo Feng died at Zhang Su’s hands..."
BOOM.
As the servant’s words fell, it was as if a thunderclap had exploded in the minds of everyone in the living room.
Gu Ying’s eyes widened.
As if she couldn’t believe it.
"You’re saying... Zhang Su is now one of the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples?"
Gu Ying’s voice was trembling.
"Yes, it’s absolutely true!"
Gu Ying smiled.
She laughed heartily.
She even laughed so hard that tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Meanwhile, Du Xianxian wore a completely bewildered expression.
Zhang Su defeated and even killed Luo Feng, ascending to a position among the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples?
’What kind of joke was this?’