Chapter 9: The Price of Information

Afterward, Shen Ruotong led Ye Cha and Zhou Xiaoyue to the Elder Council. After a brief word, she promptly turned and departed.

Her parting glance carried a clear, potent warning.

This left the Elder Council’s enforcement team breathless. Only after Shen Ruotong had left did they dare to wipe their brows, utterly astonished that Li Ge had dared to fabricate a message.

‘Spread it, then!

‘And he even got caught by the Sect Master…’

‘How could there be such a foolish man within the sect!’

It was only due to the Benevolent Sect Master of the Lingtian Sect not pursuing the matter to its end. Otherwise, with Li Ge’s offenses, he would have been confined to the Cliff of Contemplation until his dying day.

“Junior Brother Ye Cha, the reason we called you here today is actually concerning the sect’s minor competition in two days. Representatives from other sects will be observing, and we’d like to ask you to host them.”

After the enforcement team had silently cursed Li Ge for a good while, they remembered to explain the situation to Ye Cha.

Upon hearing this, before Ye Cha could even react, Zhou Xiaoyue’s brows furrowed deeply.

‘As the foremost righteous sect, Lingtian usually acted with such impunity. Why, then, would they need a male cultivator from the sect to host other arriving sects? Who could these visitors be, to carry such immense prestige!’

“It would be my honor, should there be any way I can be of service,” Ye Cha replied.

In stark contrast to Zhou Xiaoyue’s indignant thoughts, Ye Cha showed no hint of resistance when asked to host representatives from other sects. Instead, he spoke with genuine sincerity.

His handsome features, combined with words as refreshing as a spring breeze, delivered an overwhelming impact.

It instantly captivated the hearts of everyone present, fixing their gazes upon Ye Cha, unable to look away.

The enforcement team members were profoundly moved.

‘Junior Brother Ye Cha is truly handsome and kind-hearted!’

‘If not for their well-informed sources, they might never have met such a dashing and beautiful junior brother.’

‘He was hidden too deeply!’

‘And far too low-key.’

In contrast, Li Ge’s schemes against such a fine person further displeased the enforcement team, earning him a direct spot on their mental blacklist.

They even planned to cause some trouble for him during his time at the Cliff of Contemplation.

Only by making Li Ge’s stay there more miserable could they truly assuage their anger.

The fervent gazes directed at Ye Cha made Zhou Xiaoyue, standing beside him, feel a growing sense of unease. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her romantic rivals had inexplicably multiplied.

‘First, she had to guard against the Sect Master poaching him. Now, she had to contend with the enforcement team. Junior Brother Ye Cha’s charm was simply too immense!’

“Junior Brother Ye Cha, that was quite a scare just now. You must be tired, so please go back and rest first!”

Noticing the enforcement team’s unwavering stares at Ye Cha, Zhou Xiaoyue quickly offered an excuse. Ye Cha, hearing her, obediently nodded in her direction.

Then, under the reluctant gazes of everyone present, Ye Cha exited the Elder Council, leaving Zhou Xiaoyue to continue haggling with the enforcement team, eager to inquire about the details of the sect’s minor competition.

‘This upcoming minor competition felt strangely abnormal.’

****

After Ye Cha left the Elder Council, he didn’t immediately return to his residence. Instead, he walked deep into the sect’s back mountain.

Once he reached a secluded area, a hoarse voice suddenly echoed behind him.

“Ye Cha, do you still need the latest news?”

Ye Cha showed no surprise at the sudden voice.

When he turned, he saw Xu Tu leisurely munching on a fruit, his scrawny figure swaying with each swallow. He looked like a sickly wretch, ready to breathe his last at any moment.

However, his shrewd, constantly darting eyes were full of sharp intelligence, completely at odds with his frail appearance.

“Who are the representatives from the other sects attending the minor competition in two days?”

Seeing Xu Tu had already appeared, Ye Cha wasted no time and directly posed the question he wanted answered.

Upon hearing this, Xu Tu couldn’t help but let his lips curl upwards. He then casually tossed away the half-eaten fruit, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and finally spoke: “Ah, news about the sect’s minor competition… that’s going to be a bit pricey…”

“Five mid-grade spirit stones.”

“Hehe, deal, deal.”

As he looked at Ye Cha’s handsome face, Xu Tu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion while speaking.

‘They were both men, so why was Ye Cha so exceptionally outstanding!’

‘Possessing such heaven-defying looks was one thing, but he also had considerable cunning. Such a person was destined to thrive in the cultivation world.’

Ye Cha’s starting point was merely too low, yet Xu Tu believed his future potential was boundless.

For instance, after learning from Xu Tu that Li Ge intended to use a demonic enchantress to frame him, Ye Cha didn’t immediately confront Li Ge.

Instead, he calmly continued his daily tasks, acting as if he knew nothing of the news.

This had made Xu Tu anxious for Ye Cha, wondering why he remained so composed.

‘The crime of colluding with a demonic enchantress was incredibly severe!’

‘It would have been fine if Ye Cha hadn’t known, but now that he did, he still did nothing.’

It was truly perplexing.

However, just as Xu Tu was struggling to understand, Ye Cha suddenly made his move.

Xu Tu had previously teased Ye Cha, mentioning that Zhou Xiaoyue, the female cultivator who had always pursued him, had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

After registering with the inner sect, she would become a higher-ranked inner disciple.

Seeing Zhou Xiaoyue’s status rise, Xu Tu had been certain Ye Cha would be filled with regret for letting such a prime opportunity slip away.

Ye Cha had merely smiled at the time, and Xu Tu hadn’t given it much thought.

Yet, this very piece of information became the crucial factor in bringing down Li Ge.

As Xu Tu recalled the news he had just received, his admiration for Ye Cha surged. He hadn’t expected the young man to remain silent only to make such a stunning impact!

Not only did he resolve the troublesome Li Ge in one fell swoop, but he also subsequently forged a connection with Sect Master Shen Ruotong.

Just two days prior, when Ye Cha had inquired about the Sect Master’s whereabouts, Xu Tu had been puzzled, wondering if Ye Cha had lost his mind by not dealing with the Li Ge problem and instead asking about unrelated matters.

Now, Xu Tu’s doubts vanished. He realized it wasn’t Ye Cha who had a problem, but himself.

With just a few pieces of advance information, Ye Cha had managed to orchestrate something truly unexpected.

‘Ye Cha was too formidable!’

‘His actions were textbook perfect, something all other men should learn from.’

‘They shouldn’t constantly employ such obvious, brainless schemes. While they themselves might not feel awkward, everyone else was too embarrassed to even speak…’

‘However, Ye Cha’s ambitions were vast.’

‘He had actually set his sights on Sect Master Shen Ruotong!’

‘She was a cold and aloof female cultivator whom even the foremost handsome man of the righteous path couldn’t win over. For Ye Cha, currently only at the Qi Condensation stage, to attempt to capture her heart, the difficulty was truly immense!’

‘But, if it was Ye Cha, perhaps it truly was possible!’