Chapter 130: Thoroughly Bound

This token, of unknown material, felt surprisingly heavy in Su Jingzhen’s hand. Moreover, it was extremely cold to the touch.

Becoming the Chief Acolyte of the Linjiang branch of the Evil Moon Sect out of nowhere, coupled with his registration as a second-rank alchemist with the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, marked a dramatic transformation for Su Jingzhen within less than a month.

Thinking back to his miserable teacher status before the awakening of the golden finger, Su Jingzhen felt as though everything was still a dream.

After receiving this Acolyte token, he held it up for everyone to see.

“Please take care of me!” he said simply, then turned to Luo Yuebai.

“Friend Luo, is this sufficient?” His tone was perfunctory to the extreme.

Luo Yuebai, understanding that today’s events had caught Su Jingzhen off guard, could sense his slight resentment but knew the necessary formalities had to be completed.

She smiled warmly and said, “Friend Su, since you have become the Chief Acolyte of our Linjiang branch of the Evil Moon Sect, you must perform the moon worship ceremony.”

As she spoke, she took out three long incense sticks from her storage ring and handed them to Su Jingzhen.

Su Jingzhen was taken aback. “Is there such a procedure?”

Luo Yuebai nodded affirmatively, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Seeing this, Su Jingzhen decided not to dawdle. He had already accepted the token and acknowledged his new status, so burning a stick of incense was no big deal.

He took the incense sticks and walked to the evil moon banner. With a slight gesture, a small fireball ignited the incense, and he solemnly placed it in the incense burner.

He sighed internally, realizing that burning these three sticks of incense meant he was now officially a member of the Evil Moon Sect, thoroughly bound to it.

Witnessing this, Feng Qingya below the stage looked slightly conflicted.

“It seems that from today on, we can only cooperate with Master Su.” Feng Qingya sighed again.

After burning the incense, Su Jingzhen did not linger on the platform and soon returned to his place beside Feng Qingya.

“Master Su, oh no, Acolyte Su, how do you feel now? In Linjiang City, you are now truly a person of high status, second only to one.”

“Oh, and with your registration as a second-rank alchemist at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, and Daoist Luo’s high regard for you, you might even be on equal footing with her within the Evil Moon Sect.”

Su Jingzhen smiled but said nothing, his mind still unsettled by the unexpected events of the day.

On the other side, after Su Jingzhen offered the incense, Luo Yuebai continued to perform rituals with the eighteen Evil Moon Sect disciples on stage. She concluded the matters she needed to address.

The sect’s founding celebration transitioned into the usual feasting and drinking phase. At this time, many Evil Moon Sect disciples approached Su Jingzhen.

“Mo Bei toasts Acolyte Su.”

“Disciple Qi Yang toasts Acolyte Su.”

“Acolyte Su, I am disciple Wang Ming. Please look after me in the future.”

Despite some disciples questioning Su Jingzhen’s status, Luo Yuebai’s special treatment ensured they maintained proper decorum, at least initially. Consequently, Su Jingzhen politely responded to each toast.

He couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of the social gatherings in his previous life’s workplace. Some individuals even used the excuse of toasting Su Jingzhen to get closer to Feng Qingya, who was by his side.

After a while, Su Jingzhen found an opportunity to slip away from the plaza. The rest of the Evil Moon Sect grounds were quite deserted, with hardly anyone in sight. He returned to his courtyard, his emotions still complex, and sat in the gazebo, reflecting on the past two years since his transmigration.

For the first two and a half years, he had lived cautiously, repeating the same monotonous routine each day. It was only after Shuang Jiang arrived and his golden finger was activated that everything changed drastically.

“All these changes happened in less than a month. The future is long, and perhaps I, Su Jingzhen, truly have a chance to reach the pinnacle of the cultivation world,” he murmured to himself.

In the past, such ambitions were unimaginable. Even surviving was a luxury for him. Now, holding the two tokens—the Acolyte token he just received and the Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s registered alchemist token—he felt assured of his resources and status.

“As long as I can stay safe and cautious, everything I desire will come to me,” Su Jingzhen mused excitedly. Just then, a maid’s voice came from outside the courtyard.

“Master Su, are you there?”

Su Jingzhen walked to the door and saw one of his maids, who was looking at him cautiously, her eyes shining with a certain light. They were aware of the day’s events at the plaza. Seeing Su Jingzhen appear, the maid said, “Master Su, someone is here to visit you.”

“Alright, I understand,” Su Jingzhen responded, slightly surprised. Who would visit him at this time when everyone else was still at the celebration?

With curiosity, Su Jingzhen walked to the main gate and saw Feng Qingya standing there.

“Master Su, you aren’t very considerate, sneaking away and leaving Qingya alone there. With wolves circling, how is a weak woman like me supposed to cope?” Feng Qingya teased with a hint of reproach.

Su Jingzhen smiled slightly. “I just don’t enjoy that kind of atmosphere.”

“Master Su, won’t you invite Qingya in for a chat?”

“That would allow Qingya to see how the Evil Moon Sect has prepared accommodations for you as their Chief Acolyte. If it doesn’t meet your standards, Qingya would have to invite you to stay on the second floor of our Treasure Gathering Pavilion.”

Upon hearing this, Su Jingzhen smiled again. “Miss Feng, please come in.”

Leading Feng Qingya to the same gazebo he had been sitting in earlier, Su Jingzhen instructed the maid to bring a pot of tea.

“Such crowded gatherings aren’t really to my liking. I prefer the tranquility of drinking tea in a quiet place,” Su Jingzhen remarked.

Hearing this, Feng Qingya looked at him deeply. Ordinary people might use such celebrations to network and solidify their status, but Su Jingzhen was different in her eyes.

【Emotional Connection +2】

【Remaining Points: 18】

Feng Qingya nodded in agreement. “Who wouldn’t agree? But living in the cultivation world is like being in a dye vat; sometimes, you just can’t control your circumstances.”

As she spoke, there was a hint of weariness in her voice.