Returning to the Five Elements Hall, Qi Heng generously handed over half of the spirit stones to Wan Lei, who hesitated as he received them.
"What's wrong, brother? Does this money trouble your conscience? It's alright, everyone feels this way at first. You'll get used to it when you take more," Qi Heng laughed heartily. He himself had never batted an eye when taking money from Wan Lei in the past.
"Not at all. A horse doesn't get fat without night grass; I understand that principle."
Wan Lei weighed the storage bag in his hand. With this extra income, he had already recouped a large portion of the money he spent on Qi Heng. He harbored no guilt. After all, this was ill-gotten gains, meant for unsavory transactions, not the legitimate income of Xu Yan. It was better to have it himself than let it fall into the hands of a wealthy institution like the Five Elements Hall. Moreover, he himself had engaged in plenty of killing and plundering. At this point, he wouldn't be squeamish about it.
"If we're discovered doing this, what then? Will they lock us up too?" Wan Lei voiced his inner concern.
"Look at you, so timid. What are you afraid of? Our prison system itself has no real benefits. Relying on the meager contribution points each month, we'd starve to death. Is there any hope for advancement in this life? What is cultivation but seizing resources? If you don't seize resources, others will surpass you and bully you. When people do things like this often, the sect turns a blind eye. Our Five Elements Hall doesn't lack this little bit of money from you. If you have the ability, earn it. It's that simple. Besides, this money is ill-gotten anyway. With Liu Pang in our hands, would he dare to complain? As for Xu Yan, if we don't punish him for harboring stolen goods, he wouldn't dare to come forward and report it. If he dared, we'd just return the stolen money and deduct some contribution points, but what about him? He wouldn't see the light of day for hundreds of years. And he wouldn't get his money back. Would he do something with no benefit and only bad consequences?"
Wan Lei nodded casually. Actually, what made him truly uncomfortable was the privilege of the disciples of the Five Elements Hall. The privilege to arrest and intimidate anyone at will, the privilege that made everyone instinctively falter when they saw them. Privilege, what a detestable thing.
"What are you thinking about?" Qi Heng asked curiously, seeing Wan Lei's preoccupied expression.
Wan Lei didn't hide anything and spoke of his discomfort. Hearing this, Qi Heng burst into laughter. "Yes, everyone dislikes privilege, but everyone also craves it. And it's the most potent poison; once you're hooked, you can never quit."
After parting ways with Qi Heng, Wan Lei returned to his cave dwelling under the cover of night and cultivated in silence. Life in the Five Elements Hall wasn't bad. He was the strongest disciple in the hall, enjoying status and honor. His duties mostly involved patrolling. He could also be with Xiao Yu, making all sorts of delicious food for her every day, and occasionally earning some extra income like today. It was truly relaxed and comfortable. Thinking this, Wan Lei let out a wry smile. If he didn't have firm convictions, he might have succumbed to this comfortable life. No wonder most disciples of the Five Elements Hall preferred to join the army or the security forces. Departments like administration and prisons offered too much ease, leading to corruption, eroding fighting spirit, and ultimately turning them into parasites who possessed privileges. So, one couldn't blame people like Qi Heng for being content with a steady, comfortable life in such an environment. Stability could also be a form of happiness. It was all about choices.
Around seven in the morning, Wan Lei got up. It was a new day, and he still hadn't found a suitable opportunity to break into prison. So, he would proceed as usual, making delicious food for Xiao Yu. What should he eat today? Dumplings, perhaps? Thinking this, Wan Lei stepped out of his cave dwelling. As soon as he emerged, he sensed a familiar aura. Looking up, he saw dark clouds filling the sky; it was tribulation clouds. Was someone undergoing an immortal tribulation? With this thought, Wan Lei changed direction and flew towards the sky above the main peak of the Thunder Hall.
Upon reaching the back of the mountain, he saw many disciples of the Thunder Hall gathered, peering into the valley. Lei Xin was hovering in mid-air, constantly shouting, "Everyone, step back! Retreat out of the immortal tribulation range, lest you get struck. You are not born with lightning bodies; you will be injured if struck. Retreat further."
"Senior Sister Lei!" Wan Lei waved and greeted her.
Lei Xin saw him and flew over, calling out with a smile, "Oh, Junior Brother is here."
"Who is undergoing tribulation?"
"You don't know? It's Junior Sister Nine. Oh, you have to call her Senior Sister Nine, hahahaha. Even though your cultivation is high, she joined the sect earlier." Lei Xin laughed heartily.
Wan Lei then remembered he had a mysterious Ninth Junior Sister. She was at the Mortal Realm cultivation level and had been in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Immortal Realm. No wonder in a Five Elements Hall filled with immortals, someone was still undergoing tribulation to become an immortal. It turned out it was this Ninth Junior Sister who had broken through.
"You haven't met Little Nine yet, have you? Come, I'll take you to see her."
"Uh, perhaps not. She's undergoing tribulation. Wouldn't it be disturbing to go over now?"
"That's true. Let's wait until later then."
As he said this, Wan Lei laughed. "Senior Sister Lei, could you help me ask if Junior Sister Nine needs help with her tribulation? I am a professional Ferryman of Heavenly Tribulation, specializing in helping people through heavenly tribulations. I can attract the lightning tribulation to myself, earning money while also improving my cultivation. And my fees are not high."
Upon hearing this, Lei Xin rolled her eyes. "You're really willing to earn money from anything. You even come up with such wicked ideas. However, there's no way we'll let you help. Little Junior Sister needs the immortal tribulation to temper her physical body. If the disciples of the Thunder Saint don't have the Hao Tian Battle Body, it would be a disgrace."
"I was just joking."
Wan Lei looked towards the valley but couldn't get a clear view of the situation. The valley had become a sea of lightning. He could only vaguely see a slender figure. It was likely that this Ninth Junior Sister was using the immortal tribulation to temper her body, along with other body-tempering methods. She was truly dedicated.
"Once Little Junior Sister finishes her immortal tribulation, I'll introduce you two." Lei Xin's lips curved into a mischievous smile, and she whispered, "Little Junior Sister is very beautiful, about your age. You should try to win her over..."
"Uh... Senior Sister, I should be going. I have to get back to work." Hearing Lei Xin about to bring up that topic again, Wan Lei quickly took his leave.
"What's so great about your crappy prison job? I really don't understand what you're thinking," Lei Xin muttered discontentedly, watching Wan Lei's retreating back.
Wan Lei bought some ingredients and went directly to the prison. Upon entering, he distributed the meals, then rolled up his sleeves, picked up a rolling pin, and began to knead dough and prepare fillings. Soon, steaming dumplings were served, and the prison was filled with the sounds of wailing once more.