Chapter 411: Look How the Master Deals With It

Upon hearing it was an urgent letter from the Seven-Colored Mine, he suppressed his anger and commanded, "Read it!" The Seven-Colored Mine accounted for thirty percent of the Supreme Sect's income, and its importance could not be overstated!

The disciple immediately opened the letter and began to read: "Reporting to the Sect Master, Xiu Nian urgently reports two pieces of news concerning the Seven-Colored Mine. The good news is that the poisonous miasma has been cleared, and the amount of contaminated crystal ore is limited, causing no significant damage."

Hearing this, the Supreme Sect Master's deeply furrowed brow finally relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face. All his previous anger dissipated under the impact of this good news.

"Hahaha! I knew Elder Lu could be relied upon!" he exclaimed. "In just a few days, he resolved the major issue at my Seven-Colored Mine!" The emergence of the Seven-Colored poisonous miasma had once caused widespread panic throughout the Supreme Sect. If this mining area had to be abandoned, the severe consequences would be unimaginable. It was no exaggeration to say it could even affect the Supreme Sect's structure for the next hundred years. Now, the hidden danger had been eliminated in one fell swoop. How could he not be overjoyed?

"What about the second piece of news? Keep reading!" he said, laughing.

The disciple reading the letter glanced at the second item, and his expression suddenly turned grim. He stammered, hesitant to read for a long moment.

"Read it! Have you gone mute?" the Supreme Sect Master lightly chided. He was eager to know what other good news Lu Xiu Nian had for him.

The disciple stammered, "The second piece of news is... Xiu Nian is ashamed. He acted on his own initiative and caused the Supreme Sect immense losses. He therefore begs for punishment."

The Supreme Sect Master was puzzled: "Elder Lu has performed such a great service that the Sect and the Supreme Elders are too busy rewarding him. Why would we blame him? Continue reading."

The disciple nervously continued to read: "Xiu Nian invited three miasma-clearing experts. Not only did the first two fail, but their attempts also caused the miasma to erupt even further. Left with no choice, he agreed to the third expert's harsh demands. He did not disappoint and successfully resolved the hidden danger. Xiu Nian also fulfilled the demands as promised. This demand, I fear, will plunge my Supreme Sect into an irreversible predicament. Xiu Nian is deeply regretful and ashamed to face the Sect Master, begging to be permanently stationed at the mine to atone for his sins."

The Supreme Sect Master fell silent, pondering. He had indeed guessed that resolving the poisonous miasma would not be an easy process. He found it reasonable that the invited miasma-clearing experts would require significant compensation. After all, one couldn't expect others to risk their lives and work for the Supreme Sect without compensation, could they? However, wasn't the letter exaggerating somewhat? A demand that would doom the Supreme Sect irreversibly?

"Keep reading, keep reading!" the Supreme Sect Master urged impatiently.

The disciple swallowed hard and continued to read: "I dare not conceal this from the Sect Master; I have fulfilled the agreement and ceded half of the Supreme Sect's mining area to the other party."

"What?!" The Supreme Sect Master abruptly stood up, his eyes widened like copper bells. "That person took half of my Supreme Sect's mining area?"

This amounted to one and a half tenths of the Supreme Sect's entire crystal supply! To say it was a crippling blow was no exaggeration!

The disciple dared not stop and continued reading. The letter then proceeded to describe the detailed circumstances, emphasizing the critical nature of the situation at the time. Agreeing to such harsh demands was an act of desperation.

"Good, good, good! Extorting us while we were in a crisis, and targeting my Supreme Sect!!!" the Supreme Sect Master roared. "Which sect is he a disciple of? I want to see when such an outrageous individual appeared among our nine sects!"

To demand half of the Supreme Sect's mine... He actually dared to ask for it! He truly dared to ask for it!

The disciple shrank his neck and said, "It's Jiang Fan, a disciple directly under the Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect."

"Wait! Jiang Fan? That Jiang Fan who defeated the Supreme Sect's prodigies and caused Li Shiqian to lose her qualification to undertake missions?"

He snatched the letter from the disciple and examined it closely. It truly was Jiang Fan!

"Hehe... hehehe... hehehehe!!" The Supreme Sect Master laughed furiously, his teeth clenched. "Jiang Fan!! You've gone too far!!!"

Bang— He clenched his hand. The letter in his palm was crushed to snowflakes. A powerful aura erupted like a torrent, blasting the chair behind him into splinters. Hua Xiangchen, who was kneeling before him, and Li Shiqian, who was weeping and complaining, were both sent flying like fallen leaves!

Then, the Supreme Sect Master shook his robes and shot out, vanishing in a blur. His angry shout echoed from afar: "Both of you, come with me! Watch closely how this Sect will settle the score with him, every single item!"

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan arrived at the rendezvous point, riding Xiao Bai. Yue Mingzhu leaned against a wooden beam on the street, looking at Jiang Fan out of the corner of her eye. "You made me wait so long! I thought you'd abandoned me and run off!"

Jiang Fan patted the White Jade Bull beneath him. "You don't think this spirit beast is easy to acquire, do you?"

Yue Mingzhu examined it closely and only then realized the extraordinary nature of the White Jade Bull. "Huh? Whose spirit beast is this? Ordinary people can't own such a creature." Only then did she understand why Jiang Fan had taken so long. Acquiring such a unique spirit beast would indeed require considerable effort.

"Why worry so much?" Jiang Fan asked. "Get on the bull!" He was eager to set off.

Yue Mingzhu hesitated. "Can't we build a small wooden house on the bull's back? At the very least, a sedan chair would do." She truly did not want to be seen with Jiang Fan in Sunset City like this. She had almost run into the Supreme Sect Master earlier.

Jiang Fan was speechless. "Why have you become so squeamish? Are you coming or not? If not, I'm leaving on my own." He hadn't really wanted to take her on this adventure in the first place.

Yue Mingzhu stomped her foot helplessly. "Why are you rushing me?" With that, she grabbed her bags of supplies, leaped onto the bull's back, and sat down close behind Jiang Fan. She buried her head low, afraid passersby would notice her.

Jiang Fan found it a bit strange, but didn't think too deeply about it. Soon after, Xiao Bai stepped out of Sunset City, landing in the ice and snow of the Northern Frontier. Finally, they were about to depart!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh— Just then, several figures rapidly approached. The leader was none other than the Supreme Sect Master. Xiao Bai was so large and distinctive that it was difficult for the Supreme Sect Master not to catch up to Jiang Fan.

"Hua Xiangchen, open your eyes and see how I, your master, will get justice for your junior sister!" He snorted. Then, with an icy expression, he flashed and blocked the White Jade Bull's path. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stared coldly at Jiang Fan. "Well, well, Jiang Fan!"

Jiang Fan was stunned for a moment, then recognized the person before him and quickly dismounted the bull. He cupped his hands and bowed. "Disciple Jiang Fan pays his respects to the Supreme Sect Master." Although this man had reported him, he was still a Sect Master after all. As a junior, he needed to observe the proper etiquette. He dared not be arrogant.

The more the Supreme Sect Master looked at Jiang Fan, the angrier he became. Half of the mine! How dared he make such an exorbitant demand? Although Lu Xiu Nian had explained the situation—that if they didn't agree, the entire mine would be destroyed, but if they did, at least half would remain—the Supreme Sect wouldn't suffer a loss. Yet, the thought of this brat seizing half of the mine... He still couldn't tolerate it. He acknowledged the agreement and considered that half of the mine as good as gone. But Jiang Fan deserved a lesson!

"May I ask what instructions the Supreme Sect Master has?" Jiang Fan already had a good idea. It was either about Li Shiqian or the mine. However, his conscience was clear regarding both matters. Even if the Supreme Sect Master wanted to cause trouble, he would need a reason. He was sure he had done nothing wrong.

The Supreme Sect Master snorted coldly to himself. "This Sect has come for you, and you still dare to be so calm? Do you think I can't find a reason to teach you a lesson? Don't you know the saying, 'to condemn someone, one can always find a pretext'?"

Just as he was speaking, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed a woman sitting on the bull's back. Although she was keeping her head bowed, the bull's height allowed the Supreme Sect Master to see her true face from his angle. The moment he recognized her, he couldn't help but tremble!

The Sect Master of the Joyful Union Sect?