Life at the Western Storage Hall settled into a strange kind of calm.
Compared to the Lingxi Field, the work here was lighter on the body but heavier on the mind. Every item had to be recorded. Every movement had to match the ledger. A missing spirit stone, even a low-grade one, would bring trouble no outer disciple wanted.
Li Chen adapted quickly.
He memorized shelf layouts within days. He learned which boxes were checked often and which were rarely touched. Which herbs spoiled quickly. Which talismans were counted once a month and forgotten the rest of the time.
Most importantly, he learned when to stay silent.
Senior Liu Shan was strict but fair. He did not shout without reason, nor did he show favoritism openly. But Li Chen noticed the way his gaze lingered longer on certain disciples.
Not on Li Chen.
That suited him.
[System Notice]
[Observation Mode Active]
[Behavior Pattern Recognition: Ongoing]
Li Chen ignored the panel and continued working.
During breaks, the other outer disciples chatted quietly.
"Did you hear? Someone from the top ten is trying to get an inner sect recommendation."
"That's impossible without Foundation Establishment."
"Still, people try."
Li Chen listened but did not join.
One afternoon, while organizing a new delivery of herbs, Li Chen felt it again.
A subtle disturbance.
Not in his body.
In the environment.
He paused, fingers resting on a wooden crate.
The qi in the storage hall was thin, almost stagnant, but for a brief moment, it shifted slightly, like ripples spreading through still water.
[System Alert]
[External Qi Fluctuation Detected]
[Source: Unknown]
Li Chen's heart tightened.
He did not move.
After a few breaths, the sensation faded.
No one else seemed to notice.
Li Chen resumed his task, movements steady, expression unchanged.
That night, he did not go to the cliff.
He stayed in the quarters and cultivated quietly.
The spirit stone lay in his palm.
This time, he drew a little more.
Not much.
Just enough.
The qi flowed smoothly into his dantian, thickening the existing warmth without causing pressure.
[Qi Stability: 26%]
Li Chen stopped again.
He exhaled slowly.
Patience.
The next morning, Senior Liu Shan gathered them.
"There will be an inventory check in seven days," he said. "Outer disciples from other halls will assist. Do not make mistakes."
"Yes," everyone replied.
Li Chen lowered his head.
Inventory checks meant scrutiny.
Scrutiny meant attention.
The days leading up to it were busy. Items were moved. Records were double-checked. Disciples ran back and forth carrying sealed boxes.
Li Chen noticed something odd on the third day.
A discrepancy.
One box of low-grade spirit stones was recorded as full.
But the weight felt slightly off.
Very slightly.
Li Chen hesitated.
Reporting it would draw attention.
Ignoring it could be worse.
He opened the box carefully.
Inside, the stones were arranged neatly, just as recorded.
But one stone near the bottom felt dull.
Not broken.
Empty.
Li Chen's fingers paused.
[System Analysis]
[Spirit Stone: Qi Depleted]
[Cause: Artificial Extraction]
Artificial.
Someone had drained it.
Li Chen closed the box slowly.
He did not report it immediately.
Instead, he observed.
Over the next two days, he noticed similar issues. Always minor. Always easy to miss. Always in areas handled by multiple people.
Someone was skimming.
Carefully.
Patiently.
Not enough to raise alarms at once.
Li Chen understood.
If discovered, everyone in the hall could be implicated.
He thought for a long time that night.
Then made a decision.
The next day, he approached Senior Liu Shan.
"Senior," Li Chen said respectfully. "This disciple has a question regarding inventory procedures."
Liu Shan glanced at him. "Speak."
"When items are moved between shelves, are they reweighed or only counted?"
Liu Shan frowned. "Counted. Why?"
Li Chen hesitated, then spoke carefully. "This disciple noticed minor weight inconsistencies in older boxes. It may be due to age or storage conditions."
Liu Shan's gaze sharpened.
"Which boxes?"
Li Chen named three.
Only three.
Not all.
Liu Shan nodded slowly. "I'll check."
That was all.
Li Chen stepped back.
[System Notice]
[Risk Level Increased]
[Reputation Impact: Pending]
The inventory check came.
Outer disciples from other halls arrived. Elders observed from a distance.
The process took an entire day.
By evening, Liu Shan's expression was dark.
Two depleted spirit stones were found.
Only two.
Not enough to expose a major issue.
But enough to confirm suspicion.
No public punishment followed.
But the atmosphere changed.
That night, Li Chen felt eyes on him more often.
Not hostile.
Evaluating.
Sun Hao appeared again during a break.
"You noticed something," he said casually.
Li Chen looked at him. "I noticed records."
Sun Hao smiled. "Records can be dangerous."
"So can silence."
Sun Hao laughed softly. "You're interesting."
He walked away.
[System Notice]
[Key Individual Attention Increased]
Li Chen returned to his duties.
That evening, he went to the cliff.
The moon was hidden behind clouds. The wind was stronger than usual.
He cultivated.
The qi responded more smoothly now. His body accepted it without resistance. Late Stage Body Refinement felt firm, complete.
He could sense the limit clearly.
One more step and he would touch the threshold of Foundation Establishment.
He stopped.
Not yet.
[System Analysis]
[Cross-Realm Combat Potential: Moderate (Conditional)]
[Condition: Environmental Advantage Required]
Moderate.
Better than before.
Li Chen opened his eyes.
He understood something now.
His path was no longer just about cultivation.
It was about position.
About information.
About timing.
Qingyun Sect looked calm on the surface.
But underneath, currents were moving.
And Li Chen was standing right where several of them crossed.
He stood up and left the cliff quietly.
Behind him, the night wind passed over stone and grass, carrying away traces of qi that no one noticed.
For now.
But not forever.