Jack thought about how to deal with the bullies. If he didn't act, they might beat him again tomorrow.
They had ordered him to lure two girls to his cave to "play" with them. Jack could only imagine what they meant by "play," but he was certain it wasn't anything good.
Jack didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him.
"How should I deal with them?" Jack took a deep breath, scanning the area. It was nighttime, and warm yellow lights illuminated the central hall.
Few people were present in the hall, their long shadows cast across the floor.
Jack was afraid. His chest felt cold, and he was confused about how to handle the bullies.
Even after thinking for a long time, he couldn't figure out a solution.
There was no assassin's shop or mercenary service in the outer sect, so he couldn't hire anyone to deal with the bullies.
And in Red Iron City, there weren't any strong enough people he could pay to fend off the Fickle Brothers.
This was now a big problem for him.
"Ahh… This is too troublesome!" Jack scratched his head and let out a frustrated sigh.
He considered giving up. The thought of leaving the sect crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
"Maybe I could buy an overpowered weapon to deal with the brothers," Jack thought, nodding.
He had heard of weapons that could help one defend against higher-level opponents.
But such weapons were rare in the outer sect hall. They might exist in the inner sect, but even there, they were scarce.
He started searching through weapons shops but found nothing useful—no weapons that could help a Level One Bone Refinement cultivator defeat two Level Nine Bone Refinement cultivators.
"Damn it! Do I really have to sacrifice those two girls to save my life?" Jack thought of Renna and Viren, a displeased expression crossing his face.
Both girls had been kind to him, treating him with respect. He couldn't bear the thought of sacrificing them to save himself.
But it seemed like he had no other choices.
Swallowing hard, he took out his communication device and stared at it for a moment. He lacked the courage to call the girls.
"How am I supposed to do this?!" He grew more frustrated as time passed.
Defeated, he started walking back to his cave. "I'll think about this in silence," he thought.
But as he walked, he noticed a poster on one of the healer shops. His legs stopped, and he stared at it with a frown.
"Vote for Black Fickle as outer sect chief!" The poster featured someone he knew—the bald bully he'd faced earlier, Black Fickle.
The Outer Sect Chief election was in ten days, and Black Fickle was a candidate.
In the Red Iron Sect, an Outer Sect Chief was elected every five years through a collective vote of outer sect students.
The chief became the main spokesperson for outer sect students and received many benefits, like extra resources and recruitment powers.
The Outer Sect Chief could recruit anyone from the mortal world into the outer sect and allocate extra resources provided by the sect.
Jack's heart raced when he saw the poster. Looking around, he noticed many more, all promoting the Fickle Brothers' campaign for votes.
His eyes then fell on a crumpled poster discarded to the side. "What's this one for?" Jack thought. He picked it up and smoothed it out.
To his surprise, this poster wasn't for Black Fickle but for another candidate for Outer Sect Chief.
"Vote for Cara Silverstar!" The poster featured an image of a girl with blonde hair and black eyes, with several promises listed below.
"Why was this poster crumpled and thrown away?" Jack wondered. He soon realized it must have been the work of the Fickle Brothers and their lackeys.
Looking at the poster, Jack thought for a moment, and a glimmer appeared in his eyes. "Maybe I can get help from her?" he thought, nodding.
He knew who Cara Silverstar was. Like the Fickle Brothers, she was one of the strongest students in the outer sect, on the verge of Bone Refinement Level Nine. She could break through at any moment and enter the inner sect.
Individually, she was stronger than either of the Fickle Brothers, but if they attacked together, she might not stand a chance.
That was why she couldn't suppress their bullying. She was powerless against their actions, like tearing down her posters.
"She might not be strong enough to defeat both of them, but if I can get under her wing, the Fickle Brothers won't dare bully me until voting day," Jack thought.
Although he was certain Cara Silverstar couldn't win against the Fickle Brothers, he'd be safe under her protection until the election. The Fickle Brothers wouldn't want any disturbances during the voting process.
Swallowing hard, he noted the location of Cara Silverstar's party quarters and started heading in that direction.
On his way, he withdrew some Low-Grade Spirit Coins from his system into his bag.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, he reached a massive cave—Cara Silverstar's residence. Though it was her personal space, many people were staying there during the election.
Throughout the voting process, her supporters helped her and even lived in her cave.
As one of the strongest in the outer sect, her cave was naturally large, capable of accommodating more than fifty people at once.
Jack looked at the impressive place, feeling a twinge of jealousy. He quickly pushed the feeling aside and focused on his purpose.
That was the important matter.
Outside the cave's entrance, several outer sect disciples were stationed, mostly girls, with a few guys among them.
They wore serious expressions and seemed to be discussing something.
Jack approached to overhear their conversation.
"Those two brothers are so vile. They dared to tear down our posters and even chased away some of our party workers."
"They should just die. Only Sister Cara deserves the seat of outer sect chief."
"You're right, but beating them is nearly impossible. Sister Cara is only participating in this election because her senior sister from the inner sect asked her to. She's putting in minimal effort."
Three girls spoke with angry looks on their faces.
From their discussion, Jack gathered that Cara Silverstar wasn't invested in the election and was only participating because of her senior sister.
That might explain why she wasn't taking action against the Fickle Brothers tearing down her posters.
"Will she even bother to protect me?" Jack thought, a defeated expression crossing his face.
Suddenly, one of the girls noticed him, and a frown appeared on her face. "Hey, you! Were you eavesdropping on us?" she asked, annoyance clear in her voice.
Jack, caught off guard, snapped out of his thoughts. A polite smile spread across his face.
"I wouldn't dare, sister. I'm here to join the party," he said quickly.
The girls narrowed their eyes, sizing him up. When they saw he was only at Level One Bone Refinement, disdainful expressions appeared on their faces.
"Hmph! Only Level One? Let me guess—you were bullied by the Fickle Brothers and came here seeking shelter. As if we're a charitable organization!" one of the girls scoffed.
The others wore mocking expressions.
Jack was shocked at how easily they saw through him, but he quickly recovered. "Looks like I'm not the first one to come here with such intentions," he thought, sighing.
But he wasn't ready to give up. He had something others didn't: money.
Taking a deep breath, he showed the three girls his bag. "You're right, sisters, but I didn't come empty-handed. Take this bag to Sister Cara and let her decide. She can keep what's inside, even if she doesn't accept my offer."
The three girls fell silent, their eyes narrowing.
"Hmph! Trying to bribe Sister Cara? What could a pathetic worm like you offer that she doesn't already have? Just go away before we beat you up!" one of them snorted, waving her hand to dismiss him.
But Jack wasn't ready to give up. He needed Cara's help. Without her, who knew what the Fickle Brothers would do to him? Even if he lured the two mortal girls to his cave, the brothers might not spare him afterward. He couldn't take that risk.
Jack's heart pounded as he stood before the three girls, his resolve hardening despite the fear gnawing at his chest. "Sister Cara can decide that. Just give her the bag. I'll wait here," he said, his voice steady with determination, though it trembled slightly at the edges. He clutched the bag of Low-Grade Spirit Coins tightly.
The three girls, who had begun to turn away with dismissive sneers, froze in their tracks. Slowly, they pivoted back to face him, their expressions shifting from mild annoyance to outright irritation. The flickering light from the cave's entrance cast sharp shadows across their faces, accentuating the disdain in their eyes. The leader, a tall girl with a tightly braided ponytail, crossed her arms, her lips curling into a scowl.
"You!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the cool night air like a blade. "I told you to leave! Why are you persisting like a bug crawling underfoot? Do you need a beating to understand your place?" Her words dripped with anger, each syllable laced with the arrogance of a cultivator far beyond Jack's meager Level One Bone Refinement. Her companions smirked, their hands twitching as if eager to enforce her threat.
Jack swallowed hard, his throat dry as her words echoed in his mind