Chapter 49: The Price of Discovery

However, most people failed to notice that the highest-ranking elder’s tone was subtly different from usual.

Naturally, this deviation was intrinsically linked to the Hundred Flowers Palace’s strict regulations.

While disciples were permitted considerable freedom after completing their three-year novice period, fundamental rules remained. These included prohibitions against crippling another’s cultivation or killing fellow sect members.

The most severe punishment the Hundred Flowers Palace administered was to treat offenders as mere playthings, subjecting them to humiliation. This was considered the absolute limit.

Should one dare to commit murder or take a life, the Hundred Flowers Palace possessed a rigorous set of rules designed to mete out justice, ensuring the perpetrator would wish for death but be denied it.

Regarding such torment, the back mountain housed numerous elders who, having been confined for years, had become masters of this particular art. Perhaps due to their shared gender, they understood women’s vulnerabilities.

These elders regarded their fellow disciples not as women—no, it would be more accurate to say they didn’t even consider them human. Given the slightest opportunity, these elders, usually suppressed by their long isolation, would mercilessly exploit the recently matured young women.

Indeed, after being ‘disciplined’ by these lecherous elders, a young woman would emerge as if she had mastered a profound art. Overpowering three or four grown men would pose no challenge.

As for the method of ‘overpowering,’ that was irrelevant; it was certain to be effective in some sense.

The reason these elders were frequently confined was simple: if they were truly unleashed, at least half of the Saintesses who had just passed their novice period would fall into the clutches of these old beasts.

Thus, over time, the Hundred Flowers Palace maintained excellent order. The dark-hearted young women weren’t averse to wrongdoing, but they feared being caught and becoming ‘benefits’ for those old beasts. Most critically, *they* would become the ‘benefit girls’ themselves.

Of course, there were times when the potential gains were so immense that the individual would briefly overcome their fear of the old beasts. As the saying goes, ‘a dead man’s spirit flies to the heavens’—at worst, they’d be played to death if they failed.

But if they succeeded, the treasures acquired would undoubtedly elevate their cultivation by an entire major realm, saving countless years of arduous training and even offering a chance at immortality.

Therefore, caught between the possibility of achieving immortality and being tormented by the old beasts, young women who had never experienced the ‘benefit girl’ treatment might still choose to take the risk.

After all, in these times, few young people truly heeded the wisdom of their elders!

“This… besides myself, only the mortal miners still in the caves know!”

“Oh!” Elder Wu’s eyes instantly brightened. What had only been a nascent idea in her mind took a significant step towards realization at that moment.

After all, she possessed the highest cultivation among everyone present, and apart from those here, only the mortal miners knew the truth. If she eliminated all these individuals, wouldn’t this Origin Stone become hers?

Had Ye Xiaozi said her best friend also knew, or if she had already boasted about it to everyone, Elder Wu would have genuinely found it difficult to proceed, perhaps even abandoning her inner scheme. However…

Moreover, judging by Ye Xiaozi’s words, there might be even more Origin Stones. In that case, Elder Wu wouldn’t even need to kill everyone; merely erasing their memories would allow her to claim all the benefits here.

As for the soul damage and future cultivation bottlenecks that might arise from memory erasure, what did that have to do with her?

‘It’s not my fault these people appeared at this critical juncture. Blame yourselves for showing up at the wrong time.’

With this thought, Elder Wu had essentially crossed the threshold of sin in her heart. Yet, for safety, she felt she should inquire further. So, Elder Wu smiled and asked again, “Are you certain? This matter is of great importance; I still need to report it to the Palace Lord. If news were to leak during this period, our Hundred Flowers Palace could face disaster.

“If that were to happen, what was initially a good thing could turn into a terrible one. You must think carefully and confirm that you haven’t leaked this news to any other members of the Hundred Flowers Palace during this time?”

Ye Xiaozi immediately thought back, then affirmed, “Elder, rest assured, no one besides those here knows about the Origin Stone’s appearance.” Ye Xiaozi spoke with unwavering conviction, even clenching her small fists, absolutely certain she hadn’t spoken carelessly.

Evidently, the naive Ye Xiaozi had never imagined that an elder of the Hundred Flowers Palace would engage in such a treacherous act.

However, this wasn’t Ye Xiaozi’s fault. It could only be said that under normal circumstances, such a betrayal would never occur. Consider this: mere low-grade and mid-grade spirit stones would never tempt these Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators.

The Hundred Flowers Palace had dispatched Nascent Soul and Core Formation cultivators for this very reason.

No one could have anticipated that a nearly depleted small spirit vein would yield Origin Stones, a resource specifically for high-level cultivators.

However, while Ye Xiaozi didn’t notice, and the two elders beside Elder Wu also failed to notice, the Field Supervisor and District Head, those two young women, sensed that something was amiss with Elder Wu at that moment.

Especially Elder Wu’s expression, smiling like a vixen, made them feel a dangerous and eerie presence. It immediately made them suspect that Elder Wu might be planning to silence them, or at the very least, ensure their discretion.

It must be said that young women in the Field Supervisor and District Head positions excelled at reading people. Seeing the elder’s demeanor, they secretly prayed that the discovery would not be revealed.

Watching Ye Xiaozi foolishly continue to speak the truth, the two Field Supervisors and District Heads felt a chill run down their spines.

The Field Supervisor’s eyes darted around. She decided to leave immediately before Elder Wu made a decision, stepping forward and saying, “That… Elders, please rest here for a moment. I will go report to the Sect Master now.” With that, the Field Supervisor bowed to them, preparing to exit directly.

However, Elder Wu waved her hand. “Oh, no! This matter is of utmost importance. What if you leak the news while seeking out the Sect Master? After all, you are only at the late stage of Artifact Refinement, not even Foundation Establishment yet!” The subtext was clear: ‘You, a young woman not even at Foundation Establishment, shouldn’t add to the trouble. Just wait quietly for the settlement.’

Upon seeing this, the District Head’s eyes immediately swiveled. Seizing the moment while Elder Wu’s attention was drawn to the Field Supervisor, she quietly took out a talisman from her bosom and crushed it. The talisman instantly turned to ash, vanishing into the air.

Fortunately, because Elder Wu was distracted by the Field Supervisor, she did not notice this action.