Chapter Five: An Encounter with Bandits

After Chen Yi finished collecting the Dihuang Pills used for cultivation below the seventh level of Qi Refining from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, he noticed that Fatty was still standing there in a daze. He walked over, patted Fatty on the shoulder, and said, "Fatty, aren't you going to get your pills?"

"Ah?"

Fatty looked at Chen Yi and said, "Chen Yi, what did you say?" Seeing Fatty's bewildered expression, Chen Yi repeated, "Go and collect your pills already."

"Oh," Fatty replied, and was about to run towards the hall.

But just then, Chen Yi found himself speechless, because trouble had come looking for him. "Chen Yi, I'm running short on pills lately. Be a good lad and hand them over. With my protection, you'll be safe in the future," said a young man who approached with two others.

The leader of the trio was short, his face covered in pockmarks—one glance at his sneering features was enough to know he was up to no good. The two beside him, taller and clearly his henchmen, looked like they were well accustomed to bullying others.

Fatty stepped forward and said, "Wang Hu, what do you think you're doing? The sect rules forbid disciples from robbing pills at will."

Fatty knew Chen Yi had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining, but Wang Hu had broken through to the fourth level two months ago, while Chen Yi had only just entered it. With Wang Hu's henchmen both at the peak of the third level, Chen Yi stood no chance against them.

"Hmph, Fatty, you two seem pretty close. In that case, hand over your share of pills as well. Unless you want to get beaten up alongside him, you'd better cooperate and save yourself some trouble," Wang Lei, one of Wang Hu's henchmen, threatened with a contemptuous sneer.

"Fatty, is it really allowed to rob openly in the sect?" Chen Yi asked, having spent most of his time in seclusion and unfamiliar with the rules.

Fatty's face darkened at this question, and he explained, "Normally, it's not allowed. But the sect has been reducing resources for the servant disciples to nurture talented ones. That's why they turn a blind eye to these robberies. If you're a genius, no one would dare rob you. But if you're a nobody, any resources spent on you are wasted—better to let those who have the strength take them."

"Did you hear that? Be sensible and hand over your pills," Wang Chang, Wang Hu's other henchman, said fiercely.

Chen Yi ignored them and continued, "If others can rob me, then I suppose I can rob others too?"

"As long as no one gets killed, the sect won't interfere," Fatty replied, still puzzled, wondering if Chen Yi actually planned to rob them back.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi grinned. "Is that so? Well, I'm running short on pills myself. Looks like someone has delivered them right to me."

His words stunned everyone into silence. The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes were fixed on Chen Yi, mouths agape as if they could swallow a fist, eyes bulging almost out of their sockets.

"Doesn't know what's good for him."

"Too arrogant."

"Has he lost his mind?"

Everyone knew Wang Hu was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, while Chen Yi, barely at the second level, had just boasted about robbing Wang Hu.

How outrageous was that!