The Divine Mansion Sect wasn’t actually located within the city, but on Daqiao Mountain just outside of it.

Initially, Huanglong Prefecture City didn’t connect to Daqiao Mountain. It was only after continuous expansion that the city walls eventually reached the foot of the mountain.

"Excuse me, how do I get to the Divine Mansion Sect?"

Bai Yuan asked a passerby.

"You’re not from around here, are you, little brother? For the Divine Mansion Sect, just head east. You’ll see a mountain, and that’s it," a young man said with a smile.

In Huanglong Prefecture, even a young child could point you to the Divine Mansion Sect.

The young man was very enthusiastic, a hint of pride in his voice.

The Divine Mansion Sect was not just a big name in Huanglong Prefecture; it was considered a first-rate sect in all of Ling Province.

When people from Huanglong Prefecture mentioned the Divine Mansion Sect to outsiders, they would involuntarily straighten their backs, their voices filled with confidence.

"Thank you."

Bai Yuan smiled and cupped his fist.

He had spent the last little while getting a feel for the situation in Huanglong City, and only then did he prepare to report to the Divine Mansion Sect. He couldn’t delay for too long, after all.

Seeing Bai Yuan about to turn and leave, the young man kindly reminded him, "Little brother, the Divine Mansion Sect isn’t a place you can just walk into."

Bai Yuan replied, "I’m just going to admire it from afar."

"Oh, good."

Only then did the young man leave, relieved.

...

The Divine Mansion Sect.

Bai Yuan looked up at the three words inscribed on the stone gate’s plaque, which stood a hundred feet high, and a smile touched his lips.

’I’m finally here.’

"Elder Zhang, you took three hundred taels of silver from my father, how could you..." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

A young man in front of the mountain gate shouted, his face flushed with anxiety.

But before he could finish, the middle-aged Martial Artist in front of him sent him flying out of the mountain gate with a single palm strike, drawing glances from many onlookers.

’So domineering!’

Although many people saw it, most chose to look the other way.

Nearly everyone here was from an outer county seeking opportunities, or they were servant disciples. Who would dare to intervene?

Bai Yuan was secretly stunned.

’Three hundred taels!’

’So expensive.’

The three hundred taels the young man mentioned must have been the bribe to become a servant disciple in the Divine Mansion Sect. Unfortunately, that conscienceless middle-aged man had just pocketed it.

Things like this weren’t uncommon at the Huwei Arts Hall, either.

Many Instructors would secretly pocket their apprentices’ tuition fees, then turn around and deny ever receiving them. It happened all the time.

As the supreme power in Huanglong Prefecture, the Divine Mansion Sect had extremely high standards for aptitude, even for its servant disciples. Only those with an aptitude rated ’mid-low’ or higher could enter.

Clearly, the young man’s aptitude wasn’t up to par, which was why his family had resorted to back-door methods.

Unfortunately for him, it was a classic case of dog-eat-dog.

There was no reasoning with this kind of situation.

Even if he reported it to the Divine Mansion Sect, no one would care. The highest-ranking person the young man could possibly reach was likely of a lower status than the middle-aged man himself. How could he possibly win that case?

He could only accept his loss.

’As expected, conflict is unavoidable, no matter where you are.’

Bai Yuan lamented internally.

The young man struggled to his feet and turned to leave, helpless. He was just an outsider from another county; how could he fight a colossal dragon coiled on its mountain?

As he walked down the mountain, he happened to brush past Bai Yuan.

"You should eat some hawthorn. It helps with blood circulation and dispels stasis."

The young man looked with surprise at this other youth who seemed to be about his own age.

"Are you a physician?"

"A cook."

"..."

Still, a grateful look appeared on the young man’s face. "Thank you."

Bai Yuan nodded and strode toward the mountain gate.

He had only said a few extra words because the boy reminded him of himself when he first went to apprentice at the Huwei Arts Hall.

There weren’t many people coming and going at the mountain gate.

Only a few servant disciples were around, which was why the middle-aged man had dared to be so blatant.

Any real Outer Disciple would be inside the sect training diligently most of the time; who would have the leisure to come down the mountain?

Martial arts training was, after all, grueling work.

The middle-aged man saw another youth walking toward the mountain gate.

But this time, his attitude was a great deal better, all because of the Jade Pendant at the young man’s waist.

Only disciples of the Inner Sect and above were qualified to wear this Daqiao-style Jade Pendant, which meant the young man before him was at least an Inner Sect Disciple.

The Divine Mansion Sect had plenty of Strong Internal Martial Artists, but Inner Sect Disciples were a rare sight.

To become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect, one had to meet a strict age requirement: you had to become a Strong Internal Martial Master before the age of forty, or you would lose the chance for life.

The middle-aged man himself had been forty-five when he broke through the Strong Organ Pass, well past the age limit. In the end, he could only settle for being a Steward.

"This junior brother looks so familiar. Which peak are you from, I wonder?"

His face was wreathed in smiles.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that both Inner Sect Disciples and Stewards are Strong Internal Martial Artists; their statuses are worlds apart.

To the Divine Mansion Sect, Inner Sect Disciples were family, while Stewards were just hired hands.

’Which peak?’

Bai Yuan was taken aback; neither Dong Wanjun nor You Shengnan had told him.

Although he had gathered a lot of news about the Divine Mansion Sect recently, there was no way for him to learn about this kind of internal information.

Seeing the look on Bai Yuan’s face, the middle-aged man understood at once.

’So he’s a greenhorn.’

’Probably a new disciple of some Elder.’

The smile on his face grew even wider. This was the perfect chance to build a connection.

"Senior Brother, I wonder which Elder’s disciple you are? I’m very familiar with the Thirteen Peaks of the sect. I can take you there directly."

Bai Yuan said, "Dong Wanjun."

When the middle-aged man heard the name Dong Wanjun, the smile on his lips froze.

"Give me your Token. All new disciples must have their identity verified upon reporting."

It was like he had changed masks, instantly switching to the face of an iron-faced judge, all impartial justice.

Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’It seems Old Dong isn’t very popular in the Divine Mansion Sect.’

The middle-aged man was barely concealing his animosity toward Old Dong. If a mere Steward dared to act like this, one could only imagine how others behaved.

Bai Yuan said, "In that case, I think I’ll come back another day."

This wasn’t his first time in the Jianghu; how could he not see that the middle-aged man was clearly looking to cause him trouble?

If he handed over the Jade Pendant now, he might not get it back.

The middle-aged man’s brows knitted together. "The Divine Mansion Sect is not a place you can just come and go as you please!"

His figure suddenly shot toward Bai Yuan like a hawk, his right hand forming a claw as he grabbed for him.

Bai Yuan’s gaze turned icy.

Tapping his toes to the ground, he leaped down ten steps in a single bound.

The middle-aged man’s palm strike missed. His eyes narrowed, and he stared at Bai Yuan for a long moment.

"Yijin?"

He had excellent perception, able to judge Bai Yuan’s cultivation level from his footwork alone.

For a mere Yijin Martial Master to obtain an Inner Sect Disciple’s Token, he must be highly regarded. Such a situation was rare among the Thirteen Peaks of the Divine Mansion Sect.

A vicious glint appeared in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

’Just what kind of person is Dong Wanjun? A being who could barely be held in check even when the Peak Masters of the other twelve peaks worked together.’

’Of course I wouldn’t dare to kill his disciple, but humiliating him is another matter. Afterward, I can go to the other Peak Masters to claim credit and receive a handsome reward.’

Bai Yuan keenly sensed the middle-aged man’s intentions.

His right thumb pushed against the hilt of his blade, and the Blood Tiger Scimitar slid an inch from its sheath.

’Waiting for death is obviously not an option.’

Besides, it wasn’t as if he had never killed a Strong Internal Martial Artist before. If necessary, he wouldn’t mind killing another.