Chapter 109: One Hundred Contribution Points Secured (Please Bookmark)

"Brother Yang, I am telling you the truth, every word of it. I only acted because I took their contribution points. You are a man of great stature, so please let me off this once. It was my lack of judgment this time; next time—no, there will absolutely never be a next time."

Chen Wen seemed truly terrified of Yang Ze, his face a mask of panic.

Yang Ze listened to Chen Wen without immediately responding. It did not appear that Chen Wen was lying, which meant the mastermind behind this was, once again, someone from the Yishui Sect.

It turned out the person was named Zheng Hong. He lacked real skill but possessed plenty of underhanded tricks. It seemed that after being intimidated by Zhang Chengxuan outside the library, he dared not act himself, so he had hoodwinked Chen Wen into doing his dirty work.

However, there was one thing Yang Ze still did not understand, so he asked Chen Wen, "You mentioned they gave you contribution points. How exactly did they transfer them to you?"

Upon hearing this question, Chen Wen’s expression turned somewhat strange.

"Contribution points can be transferred—you didn't know that? For instance, if I complete a task today and earn ten points, they are credited to my identity token. That means my token holds ten points. Moreover, points can be moved between tokens. As long as you go to the Qingyang Hall, you can transfer points from one identity token to another."

Listening to Chen Wen’s explanation, Yang Ze finally understood. This realization sparked a new idea in his mind.

"How many points did they offer you?" Yang Ze was curious about how much he was worth in Zheng Hong's eyes.

"They offered five points," Chen Wen said with a bitter expression. He had thought capturing a disciple with Seven-Stage True Essence would be simple, never imagining he would be hitting a brick wall.

"Five points?" Yang Ze found it hard to believe. He hadn't expected his value to be so low.

"Don't think five points is low. Usually, a mission only earns five to ten points. Capturing you was considered similar to a standard task, so it couldn't have been worth much more," Chen Wen grumbled.

Yang Ze’s face darkened, but the logic held—at least he was worth something.

"Do you know why they are so fixated on me, a Seven-Stage True Essence practitioner? The Yishui Sect even has Nine-Stage practitioners; one more person like me won't exactly strengthen their power," Yang Ze continued to ask.

"That has to do with the Martial Arts Tournament. With the tournament approaching, it’s essentially a clash between the leaders of these small factions. The most important thing for the Yishui Sect right now is to earn as many points as possible to provide for their boss. In our Misty Martial Academy, everything requires points, so these leaders pressure their subordinates to earn them quickly. A Seven-Stage practitioner like you is considered an expert; if you joined the Yishui Sect, you would certainly bring in quite a few points. Besides, the Yishui Sect is known in the D-District for being obsessed with 'face.' Very few people dare to slight them, and those who do suffer miserable fates—a brutal beating is considered getting off lightly. You must have rejected Zheng Hong more than once, right? I've rarely seen him that angry."

Yang Ze pondered for a moment. It was likely that incident outside the library that had provoked Zheng Hong.

"Brother, among the registered disciples, those of us who haven't joined any factions have a very difficult time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stooped to this. Why don't you be the bigger man and let me go?"

Chen Wen dared not move from the ground, speaking with extreme caution.

Yang Ze looked at Chen Wen and suddenly had an idea. He smiled and asked, "How many contribution points do you have on you?"

Hearing this, Chen Wen’s face fell instantly. "Brother, I don't have many points left. Please, just let me go this time." He clearly understood that Yang Ze was now targeting his points.

"Cut the nonsense. How many points do you have?" Yang Ze asked coldly, looking as if he might strike again at any moment.

"I—I have one hundred and one points on me," Chen Wen stammered.

Upon hearing "one hundred and one," the smile on Yang Ze's face became even more eager. He needed two hundred points to enter the library and copy martial techniques; getting these hundred would solve half the problem.

"Good. Don't worry, I won't be too rough. You give me one hundred points, and you can keep the remaining one," Yang Ze said generously.

"You—you can't rob me of my points! The sect rules don't allow that!" Chen Wen cried out.

Hearing Chen Wen mention sect rules made Yang Ze want to laugh. Ever since he arrived at the Misty Martial Academy, he had realized it was nothing like he had imagined. The rules didn't seem strict at all; Qingyang Peak was in complete disarray.

"Robbing? So, you’re unwilling?" Yang Ze began to flex his hands, looking ready to strike. "I only need to hit a few of your pressure points, and you'll likely spend even more points on healing afterward."

Seeing this, Chen Wen realized he couldn't escape this ordeal; he would have to bleed today.

"Fine, fine. I'll go to the Qingyang Hall with you. Otherwise, the points can't be transferred to your token."

Chen Wen stood up, but before he could steady himself, Yang Ze struck two more of his pressure points.

"My finger technique won't seal a practitioner of your Eight-Stage True Essence forever. If I don't do it a few times, you might break through without me knowing. I'll be watching you, don't worry."

With that, Yang Ze dragged Chen Wen toward Qingyang Peak. Along the way, Yang Ze asked many questions and finally understood why the academy's rules seemed so useless.

If the rules were strictly enforced, these small factions wouldn't dare to be so arrogant, and threatening others for points would be impossible. It turned out that three years ago, something happened within the academy, and rumors spread across Qingyang Peak about abolishing the rules. Although they weren't abolished, the rules had indeed been significantly diluted over those three years. As long as one didn't violate the most severe prohibitions, the Enforcement Hall never intervened, which led to the poor atmosphere among the registered disciples.

Chen Wen didn't know the root cause, and neither did Yang Ze. Yang Ze didn't ask further, but he felt a sense of disappointment in the Misty Martial Academy. With such lax rules, how could an academy last long?

When they reached the Qingyang Hall and found the station responsible for point transfers, the process took less than a dozen breaths. Yang Ze’s token now held one hundred points, while Chen Wen’s was left with one.

As they walked out, Yang Ze was all smiles, while Chen Wen looked as if he were attending a funeral.

"Don't worry, just earn back what you lost. I won't keep your pressure points sealed; with your cultivation, you'll break through my essence seal soon enough," Yang Ze said, patting Chen Wen on the shoulder.

Just as he was about to leave, their expressions changed simultaneously. A majestic voice echoed in their ears:

"Attention, all registered disciples! Effective immediately, the Enforcement Hall will strictly enforce the sect rules!"

The short sentence made Chen Wen look like he was about to cry, while Yang Ze felt a chill in his heart.

The voice echoed across Qingyang Peak, reaching every disciple and even the elders in Qingyang Hall. The Enforcement Hall, which had faded from view for the past three years, had returned to the peak today.

Yang Ze glanced at Chen Wen; he was lucky he had been quick, or he wouldn't have been able to complete the transaction.

He quickened his pace. When he returned to the D-District, he noticed there were fewer people on the paths. Those who remained outside were cheering loudly. These were the disciples with the lowest cultivation, the ones who had suffered the most during the period of lawlessness. Now that the rules were being strictly enforced, they were naturally overjoyed.

The scene moved Yang Ze, though not deeply. No matter how the rules changed, his own bottom line remained: if others didn't provoke him, he wouldn't provoke them.

Still, the scene reminded him of Yuyang City, where the government couldn't control the city, laws were non-existent, and martial sects fought over territory. The common people there lived in misery. The Nine Provinces seemed stable for now, but if things continued this way, how long could that stability last?

He shook his head, casting the thought aside, and walked toward the cafeteria. He was only a First-Grade martial artist; thinking about such problems was useless.

As he reached the entrance of the cafeteria, he saw a familiar face, and the person, having spotted him, hurried over.