That disciple's face lit up with enthusiasm when he saw someone approach, but upon sensing Lordi Payne's cultivation level, his expression soured instantly. "A fourth-layer Qi Refinement punk like you? What're you doing here? Fuck off, don't waste my time!"
"Senior Brother—" Lordi Payne tried to plead his case, but the disciple had already plastered on a grin, walking past him to greet a sixth-layer Qi Refinement disciple with overflowing warmth. "Junior Brother, welcome to—"
Frowning, he moved on quickly, targeting another squad. "Senior Sister—"
"Little Junior, looking for a squad?" The female disciple nearby, having caught the earlier scene, gave a half-smile. "But with your cultivation level, it's a bit too low. Taking you out of the sect would be quite a heavy job..."
Her words hinted at a possibility. Lordi Payne perked up. "Senior Sister, then perhaps—"
Before he could finish, his body stiffened. He watched, dumbfounded, as this rough-faced Senior Sister brazenly reached out, groped his waist, touched his hip, and slid her hand unceremoniously inside his robe.
What the FFFUUUUCK!!!
In a panic, Lordi Payne leaped back three meters. "Sorry, Senior Sister, I'm sorry! You're definitely right—my cultivation level's too low. I don't deserve joining your squad!"
He fled without hesitation, terrified she'd latch onto him.
Learning his lesson, Lordi Payne avoided female cultivators this time. After scoping the crowd, he approached an older male disciple. "Senior Brother, I—"
"Fourth-layer Qi Refinement level, wanting to join a squad for a task outside the sect?" The man sized him up, not shooing him off or groping him like that female cultivator. Lordi Payne barely relaxed when the disciple extended one hand, palm up, and launched into a sales pitch:
"Step right up, esteemed cultivators! Are you in need of reliable transport and support for your next mission? Look no further! We've got three unbeatable bundles tailored to suit your needs, from the frugal to the fearless! Let me break it down for you."
"First up, the Basic Bundle—perfect for those who just need a ride!
We'll get you out of the sect and back. No frills, no fuss. No guarantees on safety or task completion, but hey, it's cheap and it gets the job done! Great for low-risk missions where you just need to get from point A to point B. For just 20 low-grade spirit stones per trip."
"Next, the Middle Bundle—for those who want a little more security and support!
You'll get transport plus considerable safety coverage. We'll watch your back and guarantee fifty percent task completion. It's the perfect balance of affordability and reliability for moderate-risk missions. For 40 low-grade spirit stones per trip."
"And finally, the Advanced Bundle—where you become the king, the boss!
This is the ultimate package for those who demand nothing but the best. Custom pricing, but trust me, it's worth every stone. You'll get luxury transport, full safety guarantees, and a 100% task completion guarantee. Our elite squad will treat your mission like their own—full task sharing, top-tier protection, and priority access to resources. Whether it's life-or-death stakes or a high-stakes treasure hunt, we've got you covered. This is for cultivators who refuse to settle for anything less than perfection..."
Lordi Payne let out a deep, weary sigh. "Really sorry to bother you senior... "
He turned and left before the speech ended.
"Fuck this demonic sect and fuck the idiotic rules! Do these laws exist just to breed money-grubbing disciples?"
If he had that many spirit stones in his pocket, why would he be groveling here in the first place?
In a fit of frustration, Lordi Payne didn't notice someone eyeing him from afar. The figure soon stepped away from the Task Division, darting quickly to a courtyard adorned with flowers and a small pond out front. "Senior Sister Sun, I just saw that punk Lordi Payne at the Task Division. Guess what? He's looking for a squad to do an out-of-sect task! Haha, the worm doesn't even check his own cultivation! Every squad he's approached has shot him down. Should we go teach him a lesson?"
Sun Elaine, mid-cultivation, scowled at the interruption. But her beautiful eyes gleamed wickedly at the news.
Years in the outer sect, armed with beauty and cunning, she'd rarely met resistance—until Lordi Payne crossed her. Despite Hugo Payne's groveling and swearing to make things up yesterday, her anger still simmered. She'd sworn to make Lordi Payne pay heavily.
Sun Elaine was about to agree to taunt and mock Lordi Payne to his face when a thought struck her. She asked, "You're sure he's looking for joining a squad? And this specific squad's heading out for an out-of-sect task?"
"Absolutely, Senior Sister!" the informant, Zhao Yen, replied eagerly. "I heard it clear as day in the crowd! This Lordi Payne's all blind ambition, no sense. Doesn't he know why the sect sets sixth-layer minimum requirements for those tasks? Maybe he strutted around back in the Payne Clan relying on family clout. But here in the Holy Sect, he still has no idea about his place—"
"Fine then, I'll give him a hand!" Sun Elaine cut him off with a cold smirk, ordering, "Zhao Yen, head to Senior Brother Chen Haunt's place immediately. Tell him that I've found the last blood sacrifice material for his Summon Soul Banner. Lordi Payne's talent and potential outshine Hugo Payne's—he's younger, brimming with vitality, perfect for refining."
Zhao Yen blinked in disbelief, then muttered with a tinge of jealousy, "Really? Lordi Payne's got... talent? Is Hugo Payne brain-dead? With a clan brother like that, why did he bring him into the Holy Sect instead of suppressing him?"
"Huh, idiot!" Sun Elaine shot him a withering look, sneering. "Although Hugo Payne has some Fulu-drawing talent, which got him acquainted with Inner Sect Senior Brother Kinson Wexford, with that dimwit brain, how much benefit could he earn from that Inner sect Senior Brother? Bringing Lordi Payne into the sect outside of enrollment time means Lordi Payne definitely has something special. If Lordi Payne rises in the sect, as the Payne Clan heir and Lordi Payne's clan brother, wouldn't Hugo Payne's status also shine? Go pass this logic to Senior Brother Chen—he'll know what to do."
Seeing Zhao Yen still mulling it over, she stamped her foot in anger. "Get moving! What if Lordi Payne gives up looking for squads after too many rejections?"
"Okie dokie, ma'am!" Zhao Yen replied. "I'm leaving for Senior Brother Chen!"
A few minutes later, in front of a cluster of bamboo lodges, a handsome man raised a brow. "Lordi Payne? Never heard of him on Ghost Shade Peak." His voice was calm, but his sharp eyes betrayed a flicker of curiosity.
With a soft, oval face and long lashes framing his double-lidded eyes, he carried a delicate charm that contrasted with his sharp, handsome features.
"Senior Brother Chen, don't you worry—he's just some nobody from the Payne Clan," Zhao Yen said in an assured tone. "His only tie is being a Payne Clan disciple, Hugo Payne's clan brother. But he's somehow gifted in cultivation, so the Payne Clan begged Brother Kinson Wexford to bring him into the sect."
Chen Haunt was cautious. A seasoned schemer, he'd orchestrated numerous plots to murder fellow sect members to boost his Soul-Beckoning Banner's power. But he never laid hands on cultivators with high status backgrounds, those he couldn't afford to cross.
Chen Haunt paused, his tone measured. "Senior Brother Wexford is a proud man—he doesn't take requests from just anyone. I heard he returned to the sect with Fairy Lith on this mission. If he accepted Lordi Payne and they were on the same vessel, that means Lordi Payne was brought along by those two. Did Lordi Payne leave any impression on them?"
Forget about Fairy Lith—even Kinson Wexford's status and strength were too formidable. Chen Haunt wouldn't risk laying hands on someone like Lordi Payne, who knew Kinson Wexford.
There were plenty of outer sect disciples to exploit—why pick this specific one?
"No, you're overthinking, Senior Brother Chen. This information is from Senior Sister Sun Elaine. She's already checked with Hugo Payne," Zhao Yen said, knowing Sun Elaine wanted Lordi Payne dead—or worse. "Lordi Payne just got lucky. Fairy Lith, her highness, claimed the Nascent Soul ascension method from Elder Leo, so her mood was high. Senior Brother Kinson Wexford, riding that wave, was thrilled too. Hugo Payne seized the moment to beg for this request, and they casually agreed."
"When the Bone Tomb Vessel landed at the Square of Eternal Severance, neither her highness nor Brother Kinson Wexford showed up on deck."
"It meant neither of them cared about these two brothers one bit."
"Otherwise, why would Senior Sister Sun nominate this guy to you? Does she want to piss off Senior Brother Kinson Wexford or Fairy Lith, her highness?"
Chen Haunt mulled it over, his tension easing. He nodded. "Alright, then I owe Junior Sister Sun a favor."
He turned to a pretty female cultivator beside him, who resembled him slightly. "Come with me. Let's go to the Task Division."
Meanwhile, in the Task Division, Lordi Payne lowered his head, discreetly wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
Just a moment ago, he had clearly overheard someone mention the names of Lee Sagwon and his crew!