I don't think you quite get what I mean

Heavy rain.

The entire sect had gathered by the small pavilion near the pond.

Chen Baiqing brewed tea, while Li Yingling plucked a few simple notes on the zither, adding a touch of refinement to the atmosphere.

Li Xingtian, much like Chu Xingchen, didn’t truly understand tea. He merely took a small sip, then nodded solemnly with a serious expression.

He was putting on the act of savoring it—after all, having followed their master for so long, he ought to have picked up at least a little of the craft.

Lin Luoyu was far more honest, making no attempt to hide that she couldn’t appreciate the tea.

Only Cui Hao was a true connoisseur, his method of drinking entirely different from the others.

He sipped the tea in three deliberate portions, pausing after each to close his eyes and savor the flavor before nodding slowly. Finally, he praised,

"Third Senior Sister has mastered the essence of this tea perfectly. The water temperature and timing are just right. Though the tea itself isn’t the finest, paired with your skill, it surpasses even the highest quality in enjoyment."

Chen Baiqing gave a calm nod in response to Cui Hao’s flattery.

She lifted the teapot and refilled their master’s cup.

This tea had been brewed for their master—Cui Hao was merely an afterthought.

Lin Luoyu let out a faint, almost imperceptible scoff at her fifth junior brother’s failed attempt at flattery.

The sound was quiet, but to Cui Hao—it was piercing!

Zhang Yuanshan was also present in the pavilion. Having mostly recovered from his injuries in recent days, he had come to understand why Brother Li held such deep affection for their master.

In truth, in a sect like this, with a master like theirs, it would be stranger if the disciples didn’t feel such devotion.

Between cultivation sessions, the lively camaraderie and harmony within the sect made for a truly comforting atmosphere.

Just like now, listening to the zither while sipping tea in the rain.

It felt as though the soul had been cleansed.

Lin Luoyu finished her tea and gazed out at the downpour before suddenly speaking up.

"Master, has this rain been going on for a long time?"

Chu Xingchen fiddled with the Go board in front of him, playing a game of Gomoku with Li Xingtian, and answered offhandedly,

"Probably?"

Li Yingling stopped playing the zither and looked out at the heavy rain beyond the pavilion. "It does seem like it hasn’t stopped or let up at all."

Chu Xingchen glanced at the nearly filled board. As cultivators advanced in strength, games like Gomoku—unless one deliberately held back—almost always ended in a stalemate.

Unfortunately, Li Xingtian had no intention of improving.

"I’m done." Chu Xingchen picked up his teacup and took a sip before asking, "Are you all suggesting there’s something unusual about this rain?"

Cui Hao studied the rain and suddenly recalled something. "There’s talk in Yuzhou City that Chizhou has been hit by severe floods, drowning many. Refugees are fleeing in all directions, and quite a few have come to Yuzhou City because of Zen Forest Temple’s reputation."

"I heard the temple is distributing porridge and offering aid."

Lin Luoyu turned her gaze to Cui Hao. Recently, only he had occasionally visited Yuzhou City, while the rest of the sect had been focused on cultivation—even Li Yingling.

She hadn’t heard the news, but she knew.

Floods didn’t kill most people—it was the desperate flight from disaster that left bones piled by the roadside.

Chu Xingchen sighed.

"Cui Hao, reach out to Zen Forest Temple later. Tell them we’re willing to contribute some silver to help. We’ll do what we can."

Cui Hao grinned and nodded. "Got it, Master!"

Lin Luoyu looked at her master with slight surprise, about to say something, but then fell silent, a faint smile appearing instead.

However, her smile quickly stiffened when her master suddenly added,

"Actually… never mind."

Following her master’s gaze, Lin Luoyu looked outside—where a tall, young monk in kasaya robes was sprinting through the rain toward them.

Behind him, Ning Qianqian hurried along with an umbrella.

Chu Xingchen watched as the drenched young monk rushed into the pavilion, his robes thoroughly soaked, water dripping onto the floor.

A quick scan with the system’s tags confirmed it was indeed Yuan Kong. His once-burly figure had slimmed down considerably, now resembling a young man.

The gray tag was still there, but given his current appearance, it seemed Yuan Jing hadn’t lied to him.

In time, Yuan Kong would likely return to his original form as a young monk, and the temporary gray tag would vanish.

Li Yingling glanced at the young monk and immediately recognized him as Yuan Kong—she had seen his burlier form before.

Yuan Kong stepped into the pavilion, his eyes locking onto Chu Xingchen before he dropped to his knees without hesitation.

His voice trembled slightly with urgency. "There’s an urgent matter I need your help with! If you agree, I’ll do anything!"

Chu Xingchen quickly stood and reached out to pull Yuan Kong up.

"I already know what you’re asking. Turns out you really are the ‘Heaven-Blessed Buddhist Child’—there’s some truth to the title after all. If you hadn’t come, I was planning to send someone to discuss it with you tomorrow."

Yuan Kong blinked in confusion as Chu Xingchen helped him up. He had only learned of the situation today and rushed here in a panic.

How had Chu Xingchen known before him?

"You… really know?" Yuan Kong asked uncertainly.

Chu Xingchen nodded. "I do. It’s about Chizhou, isn’t it? I’m aware of the situation there."

Relief washed over Yuan Kong. If Chu Xingchen already knew, then perhaps he had been keeping an eye on him to ensure he wouldn’t renege on his debt?

No matter the reason, as long as the abbot could be saved.

"Then… do you have a solution?" Yuan Kong pressed.

Chu Xingchen smiled wordlessly and handed Yuan Kong a spatial ring.

Just ordinary gold and silver—easily obtainable with spirit stones.

Was Yuan Kong underestimating him?

By now, every disciple in the sect had at least two spatial rings—all obtained by Chu Xingchen from Alliance Leader Zhao Chun during the Xuanwu Kingdom’s demon-subjugation campaign.

He had even secured two Qiankun pouches.

Those were rare treasures.

Qiankun pouches could hold living beings—ordinary people, low-level cultivators, or spirit beasts.

The mechanics differed from spatial rings. Spatial rings measured space by volume, treating spiritual energy as negligible, like air. But since Qiankun pouches could contain living things, they required spiritual energy to maintain an internal environment.

As a result, spiritual energy within a Qiankun pouch took up space.

The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the more spiritual energy they contained. A Nascent Soul cultivator stepping even a foot into a Qiankun pouch would burst it instantly.

Yuan Kong reflexively took the spatial ring, then looked up at Chu Xingchen in bewilderment.

What use was a spatial ring to him?

But when he saw Chu Xingchen’s confident expression—the look of a man who had everything under control—understanding dawned.

Could it be that inside this spatial ring…

Yuan Kong smiled knowingly and extended his divine sense into the space ring, only to find piles of gold and silver haphazardly stored inside.

Huh?!

Gold and silver? What use are these?

Unwilling to give up, Yuan Kong rummaged through the space ring for a while longer, but indeed, aside from the silver and gold, there was nothing else.

What’s the point of giving money? If you wanted to hire other cultivators for help, shouldn’t you be offering spirit stones instead?!

Could this be… funeral expenses for the abbot?

Yuan Kong glanced at Chu Xingchen, his expression shifting back to a pitiful look.

"Benefactor… I think you might have misunderstood my meaning."