Chapter 4: The Kind Older Sister

A-Zi had originally assumed that upon realizing the cruel reality of his future, Jiang Mingzhe would be so terrified that he would either wet his pants or at the very least turn pale with fright. To her surprise, Jiang Mingzhe remained expressionless, with a glimmer of eagerness in his eyes that left her quite astonished.

This soon turned into indignation: "This guy has quite some nerve, how am I supposed to bully him now?"

Rolling her eyes, she spoke loudly, "Other sects have all those tedious rules—no killing fellow disciples, acting with chivalry, refraining from evil deeds or wanton slaughter... In short, this sect ignores all that nonsense. As long as you are strong enough, you could even become the Sect Leader. But how does one become strong? Heh, heh."

Jiang Mingzhe chuckled inwardly, playing along by feigning ignorance. "Although I have never studied martial arts, I know that no matter what skill one learns, it always comes down to eight words: diligent study, hard practice, and persistence. If I just follow those eight words, surely I will slowly become strong, right?"

"Pah! It’s not that simple!"

A-Zi immediately grew spirited, her little mouth moving rapidly. "Diligent study and hard practice? Heh, which disciple in this sect isn't like that? You started late and you're already old. Unless you cultivate much faster than others, you’d better prepare to be at the bottom forever. Everyone will be able to order you around and bully you. It’ll be miserable, truly miserable."

Jiang Mingzhe nodded slightly. He thought to himself that the Star-Sect cared nothing for merit or contribution; it only valued immediate combat effectiveness. Those in power could take whatever they wanted from those below, and lives were lost on a whim. It was far crueler than the "bottom-tier elimination" systems of his former world. Even though he was experienced and knowledgeable, he could not afford to underestimate these people who gambled with their lives.

"As expected of Senior Sister, you see things so clearly!" Jiang Mingzhe complimented her first, then wore a look of concern. "Sigh, if everyone is working this hard, won't I be at the bottom forever?"

Seeing that he was finally intimidated, A-Zi was satisfied. She giggled and said, "Actually, there is a way. Heh, if you want to get ahead of the others, hard work alone isn't enough. There is a crucial secret to it. Do you want to know?"

Jiang Mingzhe nodded repeatedly. A-Zi was overjoyed; she leaped onto a large rock, placed her hands on her hips, and looked down at him with triumph. "Master says that techniques are not easily imparted. Big Ginger, if you call me 'Good Sister' three times... no, three hundred times, then I, your Senior Sister, will take pity on you and tell you this incredible secret."

Jiang Mingzhe mused, *What secret could she possibly know? Don't tell me she wants to trick me into helping her steal the Divine Wood King Ding?*

*Like, "If you want to get ahead, you must steal Master's treasure, the Divine Wood King Ding. I think you're alright, so I'll bring you along; I'll take the blame, and you can go die for me..."*

Jiang Mingzhe feigned reluctance as he bargained with her. "Calling you Senior Sister is no problem. Your martial arts are surely higher than mine, and according to the sect's rules, the one with higher martial arts is the superior. But calling you 'Good Sister'—that I cannot do. I am twenty-five this year, and you... you haven't even turned fourteen, have you?"

Having grown up in the Star-Sect, A-Zi had developed an instinctual fear of being looked down upon. Hearing the hint of condescension in Jiang Mingzhe's tone, she immediately grew anxious. Puffing out her chest, she glared and snapped, "What does a big piece of ginger like you know? I have practiced the secret arts of our sect; I may look like a little girl, but I am actually one hundred and one years old! I could be your great-grandmother. Letting you call me sister is doing you a favor!"

Jiang Mingzhe smiled inwardly, thinking of the "Eternal Spring Arts" of the Carefree Sect—didn't it have exactly these effects? However, given Ding Chunqiu's character, he would never share such top-tier divine arts—which he didn't even know himself—with his disciples. It was more likely that A-Zi's imagination was just very vivid.

He didn't expose her bluff. Instead, he bowed his head as if hesitating for a moment, then said slowly, "...I don't know if you're telling the truth... How about this: I’ll call you once, you tell me the secret, and then I’ll call you the second time. Only when I confirm it's actually useful will I call you the third time. Otherwise, if you're tricking me, wouldn't I be at a loss?"

He knew A-Zi had the personality of someone who would push her luck if given an inch. Even though he didn't care about the verbal formality, he had to bargain; otherwise, if he agreed too readily, A-Zi would surely invent some other trouble.

This was a tactic familiar to any street vendor: they ask for three hundred, you offer one hundred, and they put on a miserable face, complaining, "You're taking all my profit! Fine, fine, you win, one hundred it is." And then they would tearfully pocket a handsome profit.

A-Zi immediately cried, "No! My word is law! I said three hundred times, so it must be three hundred! Not one less! Once you confirm it’s useful, you still have to call me two hundred and ninety-seven more times!"

*This girl isn't great at math,* Jiang Mingzhe thought, suppressing a smile. He pretended to struggle for a moment, sighed helplessly, and said, "Fine, if it's truly useful, calling you sister two hundred-something times is not impossible. So... Good Sister, tell me..."

He intentionally held his breath while speaking, and by the time the words "Good Sister" were squeezed out, his face had turned red.

Seeing him looking so humiliated, A-Zi was bursting with joy. *Interesting, so interesting,* she thought. *If he finds out I'm only thirteen after he finishes the three hundred calls, will he be furious enough to drop dead?*

Thinking of the shock on Jiang Mingzhe's face when he learned the truth, A-Zi almost doubled over in laughter. She pressed her small hands tightly against her cheeks to suppress it.

Clearing her throat, she stifled her amusement and said, "Listen well. Disciples of this sect are forbidden from teaching each other martial arts. To learn, one must be taught by Master. But what he teaches you depends entirely on his mood. You must know, our sect has countless supreme techniques, both high and low. How do you get Master to teach you the profound ones?"

A look of tension appeared on A-Zi's small face. Even though the wilderness was empty, she checked her surroundings before whispering in a rapid-fire tone: "The secret is to find a way to influence Master's mood! For example, if you collect lots of centipedes in advance and make sure he sees them when he goes out, sees them when he walks, and even sees them when he’s relieving himself, then when he teaches you, he will likely teach you the Three-Yin Centipede Claw! It’s the same method for other arts. This is my secret, not to be shared with anyone—not even if they call you 'Good Brother'!"

Jiang Mingzhe listened, secretly marveling.

It was rare for someone as young as A-Zi to think of ways to influence Ding Chunqiu's subconscious. In the modern workplace, this was a textbook case of "managing upward." To possess such a skill, one needed intelligence, guts, and a sense of propriety—all were essential.

A-Zi was impressive; she had a future!

However, as a newcomer, how was Jiang Mingzhe supposed to know which of the Star-Sect's techniques were actually worth learning? Seeing the way A-Zi's eyes darted around, it was clear she was waiting for him to ask.

In Jiang Mingzhe's knowledge, the most powerful technique of the Star-Sect was the "Dissolving Power Technique." But aside from the fact that Ding Chunqiu wouldn't easily impart it, even if he were willing to teach, Jiang Mingzhe wouldn't want it!

Ding Chunqiu had failed to steal the "Northbound Divine Skill" and had instead painstakingly created the "Dissolving Power Technique." It seemed impressive for a time, but Jiang Mingzhe knew the original story—there was a world of difference between them.

The Northbound Divine Skill absorbed others' internal energy for one's own use; whether you called it robbery or theft, its core was benefiting oneself at the expense of others—a truly domineering divine art. The Dissolving Power Technique, however, relied on toxins to dissolve an enemy's energy without providing any benefit to the user—it was a case of harming others without benefiting oneself.

That wasn't even the worst part. The key was that once you started, you couldn't stop. You had to constantly capture venomous insects to replenish the toxins in your body. If you went seven days without doing so, not only would your cultivation fade, but the accumulated toxins would flare up, causing suffering worse than any torture.

To Jiang Mingzhe, this technique was like shackling oneself. If he were ever trapped in an environment without venomous insects, like a prison, he wouldn't need an enemy to kill him; he would poison himself to death. The long-term consequences were endless.

Yet, aside from that, Jiang Mingzhe really didn't know which of the Star-Sect's other arts were better or worse.

He could only humbly ask A-Zi, "Heh, Senior Sister, among the many secret arts of our sect, which one is worth learning for a junior like me?"

A-Zi, like a well-fed little piglet, let out a happy snort, crossed her arms, and turned her head away, clearly intending to put on airs.