Free Web NovelChapter 276: Chapter 179: The Weight of Being First (Part 2)
"We’re taking you in," Ren Qian said softly. "Junior Brother, please come with us. Coincidentally, Junior Sister Yu wishes to speak with you.
"We can discuss the rest later. After all, you’re the top-ranked disciple, Junior Brother. We wouldn’t dare lock you up."
He was wrongly accused to begin with. Moreover, he was a key contributor in the matter of the Evil God, having discovered the existence of that fog-shrouded, ruined temple.
For them, this was also a major discovery.
So there was no way they would actually imprison him.
As for being exposed?
If he got exposed, so be it. As long as Jiang Man wasn’t worried about retaliation, he could go back the very same day.
If he was worried, the Law Enforcement Hall would still cooperate and put on a show for him.
First in the Outer Sect—that was more than just a title.
The preferential treatment the Sect gave to the top-ranked disciple was never insignificant.
People might say you only get noticed once you distinguish yourself at the Golden Core realm, but that only applied to attention from the absolute top brass.
Normally, the top-ranked disciple was never ignored. People like them always paid attention to the top rankings, especially first place.
This was to ensure that some scheme or power struggle didn’t lead to the premature demise of the Outer Sect’s top disciple.
If the top-ranked disciple died mysteriously or suffered unfair treatment that affected their normal progress...
The Outer Sect, the Inner Sect, and the Law Enforcement Hall would all be held accountable. free𝑤ebnovel.com
In the end, Jiang Man decided to leave his things at his residence and then follow them to the Law Enforcement Hall.
It was his first time going, and he was somewhat intimidated.
’What if I go in and can’t get out? I need to give Old Huang a heads-up. If something goes wrong, he needs to find a way to bail me out.’
The Old Yellow Ox was eating grass, completely ignoring Jiang Man.
"Old Huang, this is no time to play dumb," Jiang Man prompted.
The Old Yellow Ox kept eating its grass, still not responding.
Jiang Man had no choice but to follow them and leave.
On the way.
Ren Qian said, "Actually, you could have brought your things with you."
"The Law Enforcement Hall buys those things back?" Jiang Man asked.
Ren Qian paused for a moment, then said, "Well, we can buy them back, yes. The price should be a bit higher than outside; after all, you went through a lot to find the Evil God."
’I should totally go back and get them. For Spiritual Source, a couple of extra trips is no big deal.’
However, Jiang Man didn’t say anything.
’After all, I haven’t asked the price. I don’t know if it’s really more profitable. I need to find out the market price first, then I can deal with the Law Enforcement Hall.’
Ren Qian didn’t press the matter.
「 」
"Senior Sister, you..."
In a cell in the Law Enforcement Hall, Jiang Man was at a loss for words as he watched Yu Wanyi eating.
’Senior Sister is actually still locked up in the Law Enforcement Hall. I thought she worked for the Law Enforcement Hall.’
"I committed a small offense. What normal prisoner eats as well as I do? Do you eat this well?" Yu Wanyi said nonchalantly.
Looking at the three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes on the table, Jiang Man fell silent.
’I’ve never eaten this well in my life. Back in the village, I ate coarse grains. It was the same at the Yunqian Bureau. Things got a little better after I came to the Sect, but I’ve never had a meal with even one meat and one vegetable dish. If it weren’t for the Elixirs, I’d be malnourished.’
He suddenly asked a nearby Law Enforcement Hall member out of curiosity, "Does everyone who stays here get to eat this well?"
The person was taken aback for a moment, then finally shook their head. "No."
Jiang Man pointed at Senior Sister Yu. The person fell silent.
Jiang Man fell silent too.
In the end, he gave up on the idea of staying at the Law Enforcement Hall.
’Otherwise, I could have used this accusation to stay here for a while, as long as it didn’t affect my Cultivation.’
"Senior Sister, why did you suddenly ask for me?" Jiang Man asked.
"How did you get here so quickly?" Yu Wanyi was also a bit curious.
"I was reported for being connected to the Evil God, so I was arrested," Jiang Man said truthfully.
Yu Wanyi looked at Jiang Man, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.
’It’s all thanks to Jiang Man’s connection to the Evil God. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to stay here.’
"The Evil God isn’t important. What’s important is that you get along with your dao companion." Yu Wanyi put down her chopsticks and began to instruct him. "Have you been sharing things about yourself with her? When you see her, you have to express your feelings. For example, if there’s a moment you suddenly find her beautiful, you have to say so. Don’t keep it bottled up inside. You also have to tell her that for her sake, you righteously rejected other women who threw themselves at you."
"No one threw themselves at me," Jiang Man explained.
"Even if there weren’t, you can make it seem like there were. As long as she likes hearing it, who cares if it happened or not? Besides, you’re number one in the Outer Sect. How could there be no one? There must be." Yu Wanyi sighed. "You can’t deceive a dao companion, but you can sweet-talk them."
"My dao companion isn’t that shallow," Jiang Man said.
’She’s ancient, and a peerless expert on top of that. Why would she care about things like that?’
"You’re the one being shallow," Yu Wanyi said earnestly. "Besides, you only achieved your current ranking because of her. What’s wrong with saying a few things she’d like to hear? You need to be on your best behavior, and if you find something you dislike, remember to never, ever say it out loud."
’Like the fact that she’s old?’ Jiang Man thought.
The female Law Enforcement Hall member standing nearby was somewhat surprised.
’It sounds like the Outer Sect’s number one is a kept man. Did I just stumble upon something important?’
Yu Wanyi didn’t say any more about that. Instead, she asked, "Has your qualification for the Immortal Mansion come through?"
Jiang Man nodded. "It has."
"I went through a lot of trouble to apply for that for you, so you’d better make me proud," Yu Wanyi said.
Jiang Man was silent for a moment.
’Senior Sister Yu really knows how to cause trouble for people. But it really was an offer I couldn’t refuse.’
"And there’s this. A special reward I fought to get for you as the top-ranked disciple. Originally, only Shangguan Liuyun got one, and he was first in the Grand Competition back then.
"You were eighth in the Grand Competition, which was a bit off, but you reached the Golden Core realm fast enough, and I pulled some special strings," Yu Wanyi said, handing him a small bag.
Jiang Man took the bag, a little surprised. "This is...?"
"Probe it with your Divine Thought," Yu Wanyi said with a smile.
Jiang Man gave it a try and sensed the space within the bag.
It was a Storage Treasure of a decent size, big enough to hold about two Old Huangs.
Jiang Man was shocked.
’I’ve never seen one before.’
"This is good stuff. They don’t sell them outside. The Outer Sect only gives out one per year, and it always goes to the winner of the Grand Competition," Yu Wanyi said with a beaming smile. "How’s that for a reward? I went to great lengths for it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to get one until you entered the Inner Sect."
