Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 9, Floor 1

Through his encounters with Zhaixingzi, Chuchenzi, and even the disciples who had not yet joined the sect, Jiang Mingzhe gained a firsthand understanding of the Xingxiu Sect's ecosystem.

Fortunately, nothing else went wrong. Azi took him to the warehouse and got two sets of outer garments that were the same style as those worn by Chuchenzi, as well as two pairs of trousers, two pairs of leather boots, six inner garments, and personal toiletries, and a jade flute.

The disciple in charge of guarding the warehouse was naturally not a registered member. Upon hearing that Jiang Mingzhe was a disciple personally accepted by Ding Chunqiu, his envy was palpable, and his words were exceptionally enthusiastic and ingratiating.

According to that disciple, the daily hard training inevitably resulted in sweating profusely, so he wore extra layers of inner clothing. As for the jade flute, it was a token only registered disciples possessed. When blown with internal energy, the flute produced a unique sound that could travel far. All Xingxiu disciples who heard this sound would gather at the fastest speed.

Jiang Mingzhe understood immediately; this jade flute was like a cloud-piercing arrow that could summon a thousand troops.

Then she went to find the disciples in charge of the room. Azi looked at them without a smile and said coldly, "This is a new disciple of Master. Master attaches great importance to her. You can decide what to do with her."

The disciple, as expected, dared not be negligent and grinned from ear to ear: "Just by looking at you, I know you must be a martial arts prodigy. If you weren't Yi Yi Lou, how could you be worthy of your talent?"

These disciples who have not yet been registered, regardless of age, address all registered disciples as "senior brother".

Jiang Mingzhe enjoys citizenship benefits, so he is naturally their senior.

Floor 1?
Jiang Mingzhe looked at Azi, who explained for him, "When Master founded this sect, he intended to recruit 108 disciples, divided into the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend groups, each with a senior disciple to compete with each other. Therefore, 108 small buildings were built on both sides of the Star Palace. Among them, the Jia-character buildings were all three stories high and were for the Heavenly Gang, while the Yi-character buildings were all two stories high and were for the Earthly Fiend. Later, Master focused on his divine skills and had no time to attend to other matters, so he revised the rules, limiting the number of registered disciples to 36. The Yi-yi building he mentioned is the best Yi-character building, and it should be reserved for the senior disciple of the Earthly Fiend."

After saying that, he gave the disciple in charge of the room a slight smile: "Not bad, you've got a good idea."

Even that faint smile was fleeting, but the disciple's reaction was immense. His face instantly flushed red, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Being able to serve my senior sister and senior brother is a blessing I've accumulated over three lifetimes. To receive such praise from you is a testament to the great virtue accumulated by my ancestors for eight generations. Thank you, senior sister! Thank you, senior sister!"

They clasped their hands in greeting and bowed. If it weren't for the rules that prohibit members of the same generation from kneeling, they probably would have knelt down and kowtowed several times.

He didn't forget Jiang Mingzhe either, taking out two sets of keys from the cabinet and respectfully handing one set to Jiang Mingzhe.

Holding another string of beads, he said solicitously, "Senior brother, the Yi Yi Building has been uninhabited for a long time. Although the disciples clean it regularly, there are probably still some untidy places. Please take your time, senior brother. I will immediately call someone to clean it inside and out. As for bedding and other necessities, there is no need for you to worry about them. I will have someone fetch them and make arrangements myself."

Jiang Mingzhe nodded reservedly and said calmly, "This junior brother is meticulous and will surely amount to something in time."

These words delighted the disciple in charge, who thanked them profusely and rushed off.

Azi looked around to make sure no one was watching, then said with a grin, "Big Ginger, you're quite the presence. I was worried you were being too polite and lowering yourself unnecessarily, making them look down on you."

Jiang Mingzhe smiled without saying a word.

Although he was young, he had been leading the team for two or three years since he became the team leader. At first, he was afraid that people would say he was putting on airs, so he took on everything and thought that this was taking the lead and setting an example.

Later, he gradually realized that his subordinates were taking him less and less seriously, assigning him tasks haphazardly, and getting angry at the slightest criticism, often putting him in an awkward position.

Only then did he begin to understand the meaning of "a kind heart cannot command an army, and righteousness cannot manage finances." He also began to imitate the style of other leaders, studying those methods of combining kindness and severity. Only then did he truly gain a foothold, until he sat in the position of director, with about a hundred people under him, most of whom were older than him, or even much older, yet not one of them disobeyed him. His reaction to the junior room manager just now was not even a test of his skills; it was purely an instinctive reaction.

Azi led Jiang Mingzhe on a tour of the camp, and secretly showed him the residences of the newly registered disciples, as well as their personalities and habits, telling him everything in detail.

After they finished their tour, it was already dusk. Azi then led Jiang Mingzhe to Building B1. The building had been cleaned inside and out, and even the tables and chairs had been replaced with new ones.

The junior disciple in charge of the room hadn't left yet. He was waiting at the door with seven or eight unregistered disciples who had come to help. Seeing that Jiang Mingzhe looked satisfied, the junior disciple in charge of the room stepped forward and said, "Senior brother, are you satisfied? If there's anything you don't like, just let us know and we'll take care of it immediately."

Jiang Mingzhe shook his head: "We martial artists shouldn't be greedy for enjoyment. This is already very good. By the way, I still don't know your name, junior brother."

The junior disciple in charge of the room was rather plump, with a round, chubby face. When he heard Jiang Mingzhe ask his name, he beamed and quickly replied, "Replying to senior brother, we disciples who have not been registered do not have Daoist titles, but are called by our given names. My surname is Ouyang, and my humble name is Baoyu."

Jiang Mingzhe shook his head and smiled: "How can you call it a lowly name? The most precious is treasure, the most solid is jade. This is a good name, Ouyang Baoyu. I'll remember you."

Ouyang Baoyu was even more delighted and said repeatedly, "Thank you for your praise, Senior Brother. If it weren't for your guidance, I wouldn't have known that my name was quite apt. Thank you, Senior Brother, thank you, Senior Brother."

The chubby boy flattered Jiang Mingzhe relentlessly, while the others working alongside him stared expectantly at him. Ouyang Baoyu, however, made no attempt to introduce him. Seeing Jiang Mingzhe look away, he immediately and tactfully offered the keys, saying, "Senior brother, you must be tired after a hard day's work. We'll take our leave."

After these people left, Jiang Mingzhe took another careful look inside and out. The layout of the small building was quite simple. Upon entering, there was a very large courtyard with bluestone paving and a spacious and open feel.

There are three rooms downstairs: one for receiving guests, one for practicing martial arts, and one for the kitchen.

There were also two rooms upstairs, one bedroom and the other containing a medicine cabinet, bookshelves, and a long table, but they were all empty at the moment.

Jiang Mingzhe guessed that this room was used for researching poison techniques, and could be considered a study with a star-shaped theme.

There is also a back door on the first floor, leading to the backyard, which is at least half an acre in size. There is a latrine in one corner, a well opposite it, and the rest of the ground is soil, which is probably used by the disciples to grow various poisonous plants.

Jiang Mingzhe glanced at the kitchen, which was fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils, and asked curiously, "Do we still need to cook for ourselves?"

Azi rolled her eyes and said, "What do you think? There is a canteen, but the senior brothers often test poisons there. Besides, would you dare to eat food cooked by others? And you have to wash your own clothes too, the logic is the same."

He added, "I live in the small building next to yours. If you need anything, come find me. Just don't barge directly into my yard. There are some hidden weapons and traps that I can't even remember myself."

Jiang Mingzhe laughed and said, "If you need to come to me, you can just barge into my yard. Here, I have two sets of keys; I'll give you one."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a sudden jolt in her heart, followed by a loud laugh: "Hahahaha, has Mingzhe already settled in? Little Azi is exceptionally efficient today."

The laughter seemed to start from a great distance, but by the time the last word was uttered, the voice was already outside the door.

(End of this chapter)