"Let me tell you, can you people in the dining hall take some responsibility? It's one thing to apologize to us in front of the steward, but to spout nonsense!"

A disciple said unhappily.

The Meal-Serving Disciple's face turned red with anger, "I'm telling the truth!!"

Qian Laifu's eyes flickered, and he thought of someone, so he asked, "The disciple you're talking about, is he wearing shabby blue clothes and carrying a broken wooden sword?"

The Meal-Serving Disciple was surprised and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, that's him!"

Oh?

The disciples were shocked to hear this. Was there really someone who came to the dining hall first?

At this time, some Servant Disciples in the dining hall squinted their eyes, having already guessed who Qian Laifu was talking about.

It must be that lunatic from yesterday who disturbed their practice in the Martial Arena with strange movements!

"Ahem, I forgot to mention this earlier in the Martial Arena." Qian Laifu coughed dryly, looked around, and said loudly, "Let me take this opportunity to tell you, we have such a mortal on the Servants' Peak, not a sect disciple, his name is Chen Xun. He now lives in the thatched hut west of the Servants' Peak and will be eating with everyone from now on. He's not quite right in the head, so don't be too surprised when you see him."

Wow.

Qian Laifu's words caused an uproar in the dining hall.

Not a sect disciple?

A mortal?

"Wait a minute, Steward, aren't we off track here? Even if there's such a mortal who came to the dining hall first, we're talking about the issue of food portions. Now that hundreds of disciples' breakfasts are missing, are you trying to blame that mortal? Shameless!"

A disciple spat at the Meal-Serving Disciple and his group.

"Exactly, are you saying that the missing breakfasts for hundreds of disciples were all eaten by that mortal? Even if it were a pig, it couldn't eat that much!"

Another disciple said sarcastically.

The Meal-Serving Disciple's face turned red, and he shouted, "I never said he ate it, I just suspect it has something to do with him! Otherwise, how could a whole barrel of porridge, hundreds of steamed buns, and two trays of pickles just disappear?"

"Tsk, if they disappeared, you should ask yourselves! Are you suggesting that Chen Xun moved all that food and dumped it somewhere? Such a big barrel of hot porridge and all those buns and cabbage, where could he have dumped them? And even if he could, could he move so much?"

"Besides, I saw that these pots and pans are spotless, not like they had food in them. If they had, there wouldn't be not a single crumb left, right?" A disciple pointed out sharply.

"This..." The Meal-Serving Disciple was dumbfounded, not knowing how to refute.

A big barrel of hot porridge is heavy; he needed to move it with another disciple...

"Enough." Qian Laifu waved his hand and said, "Go cook another barrel of porridge and steam some buns, let the disciples who haven't eaten have their meal first."

"Yes."

The dining hall disciples reluctantly agreed and went back to the kitchen one after another.

Qian Laifu's eyes flickered, and he instructed, "Go find Chen Xun."

"Yes." The disciple following Qian Laifu responded and quickly left. He was the same disciple who had led Chen Xun the day before.

Qian Laifu looked at everyone and said calmly, "Alright, sit down and wait for your meal. Chen Xun will be here soon, and I'll ask him what's going on."

However, Qian Laifu didn't hold much hope, guessing that he wouldn't get much out of it.

.........

At the foot of the Servants' Peak.

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Chen Xun was diligently sweeping the ground with a broom, his expression extremely serious.

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen!"

At this moment, Zhao Ting waved his hand and ran over from afar.

When he reached Chen Xun, he was already sweating profusely, bending over, hands on his knees, panting and smiling:

"Huff... huff, Brother Chen, I've got good news for you. I've become an apprentice to the Fourth Elder, and in a few days, there will be a ceremony to promote me to a Purple-Robed Disciple. Isn't that grand?"

Chen Xun tilted his head to look at Zhao Ting and grinned, "Heh heh heh, congratulations, congratulations!"

Zhao Ting was delighted. Although Brother Chen seemed to have gone mad, at least he still recognized him.

"Oh, Brother Chen, stop sweeping for a moment." Zhao Ting pulled Chen Xun over to sit on the mountain path and said, "Brother Chen, do you know who my master, the Fourth Elder, is? He's the Punishment Elder who oversees all the sect's punishments! In the future, I'll have your back!"

Zhao Ting saw Chen Xun shaking his head and laughing foolishly, not knowing if he understood, so he gave up. But looking at Chen Xun like this, recalling the scene when he first met Chen Xun in Celestial Clarity City, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. How did a perfectly fine person suddenly become like this?

Zhao Ting pursed his lips and said, "Brother Chen, why don't I ask my master to take a look at you? Life is long, and I can't bear to see you like this forever."

Although he hadn't known Chen Xun for long, Zhao Ting somehow felt a subconscious desire to be close to him.

Moreover, for Zhao Ting, new to the Dao Heaven Sect, Chen Xun was the only person he was familiar with.

"I'll take it as Brother Chen agreeing. I'm not a Purple-Robed Disciple yet, but after the ceremony, I'll take you to my master to have her take a look at you."

Zhao Ting said seriously.

Zhao Ting saw Chen Xun pursing his lips, his eyes drawn to the wooden sword on Chen Xun's back. Curious, he reached out and said, "By the way, Brother Chen, what's the deal with you always carrying this wooden sword? I've been curious since the day we met."

But just as Zhao Ting was about to grasp the sword hilt, Chen Xun suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhao Ting's wrist tightly!

Zhao Ting's face changed, feeling his wrist gripped by a terrifying force, unable to move!

Fortunately, Zhao Ting was still just a mortal and didn't think much of it, only assuming Chen Xun was naturally strong.

Zhao Ting's wrist hurt from Chen Xun's grip, so he awkwardly said, "Brother Chen, I won't look, okay? I was presumptuous without your permission."

Chen Xun released his grip with a mad laugh.

Zhao Ting quickly withdrew his hand, rubbing his wrist, which was red from Chen Xun's grip, and said helplessly, "I didn't expect Brother Chen to be so strong."

Little did he know, if anyone else touched that wooden sword without Chen Xun's permission, the consequences would be far worse than just a painful grip.

Afterward, Zhao Ting chatted with Chen Xun for a while, mostly talking to himself, before leaving.

Not long after Zhao Ting left, the Servant Disciple sent by Qian Laifu arrived and, without a word, took Chen Xun up the mountain.

.........

Dining Hall.

Many Servant Disciples who hadn't seen Chen Xun before curiously sized him up.

Those who had interacted with Chen Xun the previous day also squinted at him, having been forced to apologize to him by the Outer Sect Disciple.

"Yes, yes, that's him!"

The Meal-Serving Disciple immediately said upon seeing Chen Xun.

Qian Laifu nodded, looked at Chen Xun, pointed to the table, and asked, "Chen Xun, did you see a big barrel of porridge and those buns on the food table earlier?"

Upon hearing this, the disciples stared intently at Chen Xun, eager to find out if the dining hall crew had indeed made too little food.

Chen Xun pouted, looked blankly at the food table, and started shaking his head and laughing foolishly.

But this head-shaking action meant something entirely different to everyone else!

Their eyes narrowed sharply!

Chen Xun's gesture meant he hadn't seen it, right?

So, the dining hall indeed made too little breakfast and refused to admit it, even trying to blame a madman?!!!

Qian Laifu squinted his eyes, looking at the disciples responsible for breakfast, and said in a deep voice, "I'm truly disappointed in you! Such a small matter could have been admitted, but you chose to blame a mentally challenged mortal?"

The disciple who had served Chen Xun before was on the verge of breaking down, trembling as he pointed a ladle at Chen Xun, his eyes red, and shouted,

"Chen Xun, you heartless scoundrel!!!"