Several disciples were all injured and no longer dared to surround Charles Clark, instead turning in confusion and suspicion toward James Reed. “Senior brother! What’s going on?” “Senior brother, I think I got cut by a knife too!”

James Reed’s face was pale and green, and after a long moment, he spat out, “Let’s go!” Then, leading a crowd of followers clutching their butts and hugging their arms, he retreated in grand fashion. Truly, they came like the wind and left like the wind. Only Grace Hill was left standing there in a daze for a while, then she called out, “Charlie, was it you who drove them away just now?”

Charles Clark shook his head gloomily. Forcing himself to stand up straight, he still looked tense. He bent down, searching the ground for something, turning over fallen leaves, dead branches, and spring mud again and again.

John Sullivan knew what he was looking for—naturally, it was the jade pendant lost in the chaos of the fight.

As an onlooker, he saw everything clearly. Before James Reed started fighting, he flung his arm and casually tossed it away, the red string hooking onto a high branch above their heads. But those involved were too caught up to notice, and he couldn’t give any hints. Besides, after that handful of leaves flew out, he heard the system’s heartbreaking voice: “Violation: OOC. B-Score -10×6. Current B-Score: 30.”

Instantly, he dropped below the passing line!

So a single leaf counts for 10 points? Isn’t that a bit too crude and brutal for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division!

Grace Hill didn’t dare say anything either. After all, she was the one who caused this mess. If she hadn’t spoken out of turn, Charles Clark wouldn’t have lost his jade pendant for nothing and gotten beaten up. So she started helping Charles Clark search as well.

But even as night fell, of course, they found nothing.

Charles Clark stood there in a daze, staring at the mess on the ground. They had searched every inch of the area, but still couldn’t find it.

Seeing how lost he looked, Grace Hill felt a little scared and grabbed his hand. “Charlie, if we can’t find it, let’s just forget it. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you in the future, okay?”

Charles Clark ignored her, slowly pulled his hand back, and walked out of the woods with his head down. Grace Hill hurried to follow.

John Sullivan couldn’t help but admire himself. These two kids spent the whole afternoon searching, and he just watched them the whole afternoon… What other explanation could there be besides having way too much free time?

After they had gone far away, he finally stepped out from his hiding place, looked up, tapped his foot on the ground, and experienced what it meant to be “as light as a swallow,” easily plucking the jade pendant from the treetop.

John Sullivan actually wanted to secretly return it to Charles Clark, but he was familiar with the system’s quirks by now—this would definitely count as a violation too. He didn’t have any extra points to waste.

After thinking it over, John Sullivan decided to hold onto it for now.

Maybe this jade pendant would be very useful in the future. For example, he could use it as a bargaining chip to save his life at a critical moment? John Sullivan seriously considered this possibility.

At that moment, a line of vivid green text appeared before his eyes.

“Congratulations! You have obtained a key item: Fake Jade Guanyin ×1. Plot altered, ‘John Sullivan’ intelligence +100. Current B-Score: 130. Please keep up the good work!”

Not only did he get back the points he just lost, he even gained more!

And this Jade Guanyin, given its effect on Charles Clark, was definitely a high-level item, a life-saving tool!

What a pleasant surprise!

John Sullivan felt a wave of comfort wash over him, and the gloom from squatting in the shadows all afternoon was swept away. Even the system’s voice, usually as annoying as Google Translate, now sounded incomparably pleasant!

Meanwhile, outside the woods, Charles Clark, who had already left the back mountain, slowly unclenched his fist.

In his palm lay a few intact green leaves. The edges of the leaves were sharp, stained with blood.

Author’s note:

☆ Mission Incoming!

Ever since John Sullivan woke up from that inexplicable high fever, during these days of “recuperation,” Thomas Baker had come to visit him several times. As the head of the number one cultivation sect in the world, his responsibilities were countless, yet he still cared so much for this junior brother. John Sullivan was almost moved to tears.

The original owner could even turn his back on such a person and attack him without hesitation—what a scumbag he must have been.

Thomas Baker held the snow-white porcelain teacup served in his bamboo hut, his eyes full of deep concern. “Junior brother, after resting these days, is your health any better?”

John Sullivan gently waved his folding fan, blending perfectly into the atmosphere of brotherly love and respect among fellow disciples. “Qingqiu has long since recovered, thank you for your concern, senior brother.”

Thomas Baker: “In that case, junior brother, it’s about time for you to go down the mountain, isn’t it? Is there anything you need?”

John Sullivan’s hand froze mid-fan. “Go down the mountain?”

Thomas Baker asked in surprise, “Did you forget after your illness, junior brother? Didn’t you tell me before that you would handle that matter in Twin Lakes City, as a training opportunity for the disciples?”

So it was a troublesome matter the original owner had agreed to take on.

John Sullivan was about to make up an excuse to get out of it. Right now, he still couldn’t control his spiritual power and martial skills at will—how could he take disciples down the mountain for training!

But before he could shamelessly claim he was still unwell, an alarm sounded in his ear, and the system’s cold, surround-sound voice rang out:

[Primary stage mission issued. Location: Twin Lakes City. Mission: Complete the training. Please click to accept.]