Chapter 16: The Menial Tyrant 

The next day, Chu Sheng tucked a packet of Spirit-Cleansing Tea under his arm and strolled out of the Inner Affairs Hall, humming a little tune, heart brimming with satisfaction.

Spirit-Cleansing Tea could boost one's comprehension, and it didn't come cheap—300 contribution points for a single small packet.

But that was pocket change!

He was a man backed by 7 "good brothers" now!

Right in the middle of his self-congratulation, Chu Sheng's sharp senses caught a gaze landing on his back.

He gave nothing away and kept walking forward, while the corner of his eye swept behind him.

A Qi Refinement third-layer Menial Disciple—somewhere in his mid-twenties, unremarkable in appearance, but with eyes that gleamed with cunning and greed.

Locked onto me, have you?

Chu Sheng sneered inwardly.

He wandered around Qingyang Peak in circles, deliberately choosing the most secluded back paths.

The tail behind him clung on stubbornly, but was clearly unfamiliar with the terrain and nearly lost him several times.

Finally, Chu Sheng ducked into a bamboo grove with a flash of his body, twisted through seven turns and eight bends, and shook off his tail completely.

"You want to play at tailing me?"

Chu Sheng scoffed.

"Back when I was playing hide-and-seek, you were still nursing!"

He swaggered back to the communal bunkhouse, not giving the matter another thought.

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Early the next morning, Chu Sheng had barely stepped out the door when 3 people blocked him at the entrance.

Leading them was the very same person who had tailed him yesterday, with a Qi Refinement second-layer lackey standing on each side.

"You're Chu Sheng, yeah?"

The lead menial crossed his arms, looking every bit the ruffian.

"Heard you've been rolling in money lately?"

Chu Sheng blinked.

"What are you talking about, Senior? I'm just a broke menial."

"Drop the act!"

One of the lackeys barked.

"Someone saw you spend 300 contribution points at the Inner Affairs Hall yesterday without so much as blinking!"

Chu Sheng's heart gave a thud!

He'd flashed his wealth.

But his face remained perfectly innocent.

"My brothers lent it to me…"

"Lent?"

The lead menial sneered.

"I don't care if it was lent or stolen! Hand over 200 contribution points today, or else—"

He cracked his knuckles.

Chu Sheng frowned.

"Isn't private fighting banned in the Menial Disciple Courtyard?"

"Banned?"

The 3 of them reacted as if they'd heard the funniest joke in the world.

"The immortal masters can't be bothered with something this small! Hand over the money if you know what's good for you—otherwise you'll get a beating and still have to pay!"

Chu Sheng's eyes lit up.

"The immortal masters… really won't interfere?"

"Obviously!"

"Ohhhh"

Chu Sheng drew out the sound, then smiled.

"In that case, I won't hold back."

He whistled.

Behind him, Wang Daniu, Li Ergou, Zhao Tiezhu, and the other 7 "good brothers" stepped forward in unison.

Every one of them radiating menace.

The lead menial's expression shifted.

"You—what are you trying to do?"

Chu Sheng grinned.

"Didn't Senior just say the immortal masters don't get involved in these things? So then… brothers, get them!"

7 against 3—there was never any suspense.

A flurry of fists and kicks, a chorus of wailing cries.

When it was over, Chu Sheng crouched in front of the 3 bruised and swollen figures and smiled with great kindness:

"Senior, look at this mess. I won't make things hard for you—100 contribution points each, and we'll call it even."

The 3 of them looked ready to cry but had no tears left.

They had come to extort 100, and ended up losing 300.

Worse still, the contribution points they had scraped together over half a year were now gone in a single blow.

"Transfer it over, Senior?"

Chu Sheng produced his Identity Token.

Gritting their teeth and trembling, the 3 transferred the contribution points.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Chu Sheng beamed.

"Come again sometime!"

The 3 scrambled away in a tumbling heap.

Chu Sheng looked at the 300 contribution points that had appeared on his token, eyes growing brighter by the second.

So…it could be played this way too?

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In the days that followed, Chu Sheng underwent a complete transformation.

From a "diligent cultivator, eager to help" model menial, he became the Menial Tyrant—"gang-building, house-raiding", and ruling the roost.

The 7 "good brothers" became his crew of enforcers.

They zeroed in specifically on solitary menials who looked like they had money.

The extorted contribution points were split 80-20—Chu Sheng took 80%, and the brothers divided the remaining 20%.

The 7 under the influence of the Demonic Seed actually found this split perfectly reasonable.

"Chu Bro's the one leading us to wealth—it's only right he takes the bigger share!"

Wang Daniu said, his honest face full of conviction.

"Exactly, exactly!"

Li Ergou chimed in.

"Without Chu Bro, how could we be this impressive?"

Zhao Tiezhu was brimming with enthusiasm.

"Chu Bro, who've you got your eye on today?"

With these contribution points, their strength rose faster than ever.

Within less than a month, through the brothers' hard work, Chu Sheng broke through to Qi Refinement third layer.

Chu Sheng was very satisfied.

As his cultivation advanced, the number of Demonic Seeds he could condense also increased.

Soon, 7 became 15.

The "good brothers" roster expanded to 15 men.

In the Menial Disciple Courtyard of Qingyang Peak, Chu Sheng walked sideways.

Wherever he went, menials trembled and scrambled out of his way.

"Chu Bro, hello!"

"Chu Bro, you're looking well today!"

"Take care, Chu Bro!"

Chu Sheng strolled with his hands clasped behind his back, giving the occasional nod, radiating authority.

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That day, Steward Liu pulled Chu Sheng aside, brow deeply furrowed:

"Chu Sheng, lately you've been…a bit too conspicuous, haven't you?"

Chu Sheng sighed.

"Steward Liu, I had no choice. The way this world works—if you don't push others around, they push you around."

"But you weren't like this before…"

"People change."

Chu Sheng said quietly.

"The environment forces it."

Steward Liu was left without a word to say, and in the end could only urge:

"Keep a lower profile. Don't catch the attention of the steward disciples. Some of them are incorruptible—if they set their sights on you, it'll be trouble."

Chu Sheng nodded.

"Understood."

And he did understand.

So he needed to reinforce his network.

Over this period, through "collecting protection fees," Chu Sheng had accumulated over 9,000 contribution points and more than 100 low-grade Spirit Stones.

It was time to invest.

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First stop: Senior Hao Ren.

Chu Sheng spent 1,000 contribution points on a bottle of Qi-Solidifying Pills suited for the later stages of Qi Refinement.

When Hao Ren saw the pills, his eyes went blank. "Junior Brother Chu, this… where did you get these?"

"My brothers lent it to me."

Chu Sheng didn't so much as blink.

"Senior Brother Hao, if you hadn't introduced me to Qingyang Peak back then, how would I have ever met so many warm-hearted brothers? You have to accept these pills!"

Hao Ren declined again and again, before finally "reluctantly" accepting.

"Junior Brother, if you ever run into trouble, come find me!"

Hao Ren said, thumping his chest.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Chu Sheng said, brimming with gratitude.

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Second stop: Qing Ling'er.

Chu Sheng had learned through enquiries that this little princess lacked nothing—her only treasured indulgence was Big Black.

Rather than winning her over, win over her dog.

Chu Sheng made up his mind.

He spent 3,000 contribution points on 3 large bags of "Premium Spirit Hound Feed"—reportedly made from Spirit Rice, spiritual beast meat, and spiritual herbs, and said to be greatly beneficial to a Spirit Hound's cultivation.

When Qing Ling'er received the gift, she was genuinely a little surprised.

"Plenty of people have sent me dog food."

She said with a smile.

"But you're the first to send something this high-end."

Chu Sheng said bashfully:

"Senior Sister's Big Black is a Mountain-Guardian Spirit Hound—mighty and commanding. Naturally, only the best will do."

Big Black trotted over, sniffed at the food, and gave a satisfied "Woof!."

But its eyes still drifted, almost involuntarily, toward Chu Sheng's backside.

Clearly, no matter how fine the dog food, it couldn't compare to "that feast."

Chu Sheng hurriedly stepped back.

Qing Ling'er was in high spirits.

"Not bad—you're thoughtful. From now on, as long as it's nothing too serious, I can help you sort it out."

"Thank you, Senior Sister!"

Chu Sheng bowed.

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With these 2 layers of relationships secured, Chu Sheng felt settled in his heart.

Back at the Menial Disciple Courtyard, he gathered his 15 "good brothers" for a meeting.

"Brothers."

Chu Sheng stood on the stone table, brimming with vigor,

"From today, we will establish new rules!"

"First—no targeting honest folk. It's not easy for them to save up contribution points."

"Second—we go after those who bully others with their connections. They deserve it."

"Third—of the contribution points collected, 30% goes toward buying cultivation resources for everyone, 20% serves as operating expenses, and 50%…I'll hold onto it for everyone, in case of emergencies!"

"Yeah!"

The brothers cheered in unison.

Chu Sheng nodded with satisfaction.

This wasn't purely about hoarding wealth—he was building an organization.

With an organization, one could more effectively "gather resources."

With resources, one could advance cultivation faster.

With cultivation…one could realize his grand ambitions!

Of course, these "good brothers" of his had no conception of any of that.

All they felt was that sticking with Chu Bro meant good food, contribution points to earn, and being feared by all.

What could be better!

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That night, Chu Sheng lay in bed tallying up his gains.

Over 9,000 contribution points—5,000 remaining.

Over 100 Spirit Stones—not a single one spent.

15 "Cauldrons," providing a steady stream of cultivation progress every day.

And the 2 relationship layers with Hao Ren and Qing Ling'er.

"Solid."

Chu Sheng thought with blissful contentment.

What he needed to do now was keep a low profile, develop steadily, and advance step by step.

Once he broke through to Qi Refinement fourth layer and promoted into the Outer Disciples, he would gain access to higher-quality "Cauldrons."

And then…

The corner of Chu Sheng's mouth curled into a "kind" smile.