Chapter Forty-One: The Hall of Justice!

At the entrance of the courtyard.

The youngest disciple, Yan Wanrou, appeared with her lively figure, a pure and innocent smile lighting up her face as she waved at Wang Ran from a distance before skipping over in high spirits.

“Senior brother, look!”

She approached, a hint of pride in her demeanor, spinning once in front of him. Her violet and white long dress swirled gracefully, creating a beautiful sight.

Seeing this, Wang Ran couldn’t help but stare in surprise. “Hey? Where did you get the inner sect disciple’s robes from?”

Upon hearing this, Yan Wanrou puffed out her round cheeks in indignation. “What do you mean, ‘got them’? Senior brother, the sect awarded these to me after I worked so hard for them.”

“Ah?” Wang Ran’s eyes widened before he rubbed his nose and chuckled. “So, you’ve achieved Foundation Establishment?”

“Hmph! I’m one of the sect’s prodigies now too!” She lifted her chin, her little face brimming with unconcealed pride. Her gaze held a touch of haughtiness, as if imitating the demeanor of the sect’s favored disciples. Yet her cherubic round face was simply too adorable; no matter how she tried, she only looked charmingly proud.

Wang Ran was amused by her antics. Teasingly, he said, “Lady Yan, you’re truly remarkable. Tell me, how many stars did you reach in Foundation Establishment?”

Her eyes instantly curved into crescent moons as she beamed. “Seven stars!”

“Really?” This time Wang Ran was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected Yan Wanrou’s talent to be so exceptional. To achieve Foundation Establishment with seven stars—such an accomplishment would mark her as one of the sect’s top prodigies!

It was worth noting that even Yao Jianjia, a core disciple, possessed only eight-star potential. In the entire sect, aside from Ye Cang and Wang Ran himself, disciples with seven or eight stars were exceedingly rare.

That Yan Wanrou had achieved this was truly beyond his expectations.

He suddenly recalled the scene a few months ago, when he escorted her home through that patch of crimson bamboo on the northern bank. Now that he thought about it, the northern bank was mostly reserved for elders. It seemed her background was anything but ordinary.

Wang Ran patted Yan Wanrou’s shoulder, taking on the air of a senior. “Very good. Work hard and don’t let me down.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she said shyly, “Senior brother, you’re the first person I came to tell after my breakthrough.”

Wang Ran laughed heartily. “Good girl. How about this: I’ll teach you a martial technique to celebrate. What do you say?”

“What technique?” Yan Wanrou’s eyes sparkled.

“The Flirtatious Sword!” Wang Ran replied.

“What kind of swordsmanship is that? Is it powerful?”

“Not particularly. The main point is, if you master it, you can use it to flirt with me.”

Blushing, Yan Wanrou ducked her head, tracing circles on his chest with her finger. “Senior brother, you’re so annoying!”

Wang Ran tapped her nose lightly. “Not to your liking? Then I also have the Fiery Palm. Want to learn that?”

“Senior—brother! If you keep teasing me, I’m not speaking to you anymore.” Yan Wanrou turned away, her face flushed, her manner coy.

Wang Ran found her reaction amusing and was about to tease her further when footsteps approached. Looking up, he saw a delicate young man approaching with a smile.

“Brother Wang, teasing the little junior sister again?”

Seeing Zhao Xiaobai’s grinning face, Wang Ran raised his hand in mock annoyance. “Zhao Xiaobai, are you looking for trouble?”

Zhao Xiaobai quickly clasped his hands in mock surrender. “No, no—I’m here to discuss something serious.”

Wang Ran sat down at the stone table, lifting a pot of tea, unconcerned. “You come to me every day with ‘serious business.’ Where do you even find so much business?”

“Don’t joke, Brother Wang.” Zhao Xiaobai smiled wryly, waving his feather fan. “This time it’s truly important—it’s about the selection for core disciples!”

“Oh?”

Wang Ran’s ears perked up and he set aside his careless demeanor. “Let’s hear it.”

Zhao Xiaobai snapped his folding fan open and spoke gravely. “Brother Wang, you know there’s a Discipline Hall in our sect, right?”

Wang Ran nodded. Yan Wanrou, curious, also leaned in to listen.

Zhao Xiaobai continued, “The Discipline Hall is a crucial institution in the sect—one could say it holds tremendous power. It’s composed of elite inner sect disciples, and the number of members is strictly controlled. It’s not easy for just anyone to join.”

“Currently, out of the eight hundred inner sect disciples, four hundred are in the Discipline Hall. Those in the Hall are truly the cream of the crop—the very essence of our sect!”

“To join the Discipline Hall is every disciple’s dream. Once selected, not only do you receive double the stipend, but all kinds of cultivation resources are channeled your way!”

“Some time ago, a four-person team from the Discipline Hall mysteriously disappeared. Elder Liu investigated yesterday and suspects they met with misfortune.”

“That team was usually at the bottom of the Hall, so few paid attention to them. By the time anyone noticed, it was too late—even Elder Liu couldn’t find a trace, and the culprit remains unknown. The only certainty is that their presence has vanished completely from this world.”

“Because of this, the Discipline Hall must recruit new members to fill the four hundred spots—that’s our opportunity!”

“Brother Wang, you understand what I’m getting at, right?”

Zhao Xiaobai was excited, but the words made Wang Ran’s heart skip a beat. He suspected those missing four were the black-clad assassins who had tried to kill him recently.

Yet since even Elder Liu had found no evidence, suspicion would not fall on him.

Maintaining his composure, Wang Ran picked up the thread. “So, you’re saying we should compete for those Discipline Hall spots?”

Zhao Xiaobai’s eyes lit up as he nodded.

“But what does competing for the Discipline Hall have to do with becoming a core disciple?” Wang Ran pressed.

Zhao Xiaobai smiled. “That’s where you’re mistaken. Core disciples are the very symbol of the sect—not only must you have outstanding cultivation and talent, you must also be among the top contributors.”

“Everyone has a contribution score. For most ordinary disciples, it’s low; those who take on tasks have more, but it’s rarely enough to stand out. But once you enter the Discipline Hall, earning contribution points is effortless.”

“The Hall distributes contribution points daily. They also have their own elite missions—far more advanced than the Sect’s general task hall. Completing them brings generous rewards!”

“Of course, these elite missions are much harder, and only the Hall’s best can attempt them.”

By now, Wang Ran had understood. Naturally, he too wished to be a core disciple—the idol of the entire sect, second to none.

It seemed that to become a core disciple, joining the Discipline Hall was the first step.

Wang Ran stroked his chin. The Discipline Hall, was it? It sounded interesting.