Chapter 16. Shameless Chen Wei.

The moment Alex distinguished the trio, the Inner Sect disciple escorting him commenced his stride toward them.

His steps carried the weight of authority, his demeanor as imposing as a mountain, indicative of the power hierarchy that existed between Inner and Outer Sect disciples.

Before their figures fully came into focus, one amongst them, upon discerning their approach, queried with an air of impatience, "Zhang Jie, why has it taken you this long? We nearly embarked on our journey without you." The speaker was the one Alex harbored deep resentment for Xiao Se.

"Ahhh, so he is known as Zhang Jie," Alex ruminated, a touch of amusement curling his lips.

Upon their initial meeting, Zhang Jie hadn't deemed it necessary to introduce himself, merely ordering Alex to follow him without any further elaboration. Such was the arrogance of Inner Sect disciples.

Had this been his previous life on Earth, he would have undoubtedly rejected such high-handedness.

But Alex was no longer on Earth. He now resided in a world where the strength of one's cultivation held sway, and to defy an Inner Sect disciple, he had to first reach their level of cultivation prowess.

However, before Zhang Jie could even retort, another Inner Sect disciple, one who Alex had failed to identify earlier, interjected with a disdainful glance at Alex, "What is the meaning of this? Have we been idly standing here, waiting for this waste?" He sneered, his gaze scrutinizing Alex's cultivation level as if it were nothing more than a speck of dust.

Wu Lina chimed in, her tone laced with annoyance, "Indeed, what is this? Our mission is of utmost importance. A cultivation weakling like him will only serve as a hindrance and might even perish in the process." Her face twisted into a deep scowl, mirroring her words.

"Mission?" Alex thought, his heart skipping a beat at the mention.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Xiao Se spoke, his voice as smooth as flowing water, yet radiating an undercurrent of authority, "His cultivation level is irrelevant. It's not as if he'll be playing a pivotal role in our mission."

Shen Hong responded affirmatively, stating, "He is indeed correct. All we require is a minor diversion as we undertake the mission ourselves, and the level of our cultivation strength holds no significance."

Upon hearing this, Alex wasn't so foolish as to not understand the crux of their conversation. It was clear they were preparing to hunt a formidable Qi beast, and they intended to use him as a diversion.

Wu Lina mulled over their words before acquiescing, her tone severe, "Alright. I hope you've made the right choice. I won't tolerate any complications in this mission," she warned. Her voice held a note of command that left no space for argument.

"Are they deciding everything without my consent? When did I agree to join this mission?" Alex pondered silently but refrained from voicing his discontent.

He was well aware of how the Cloud Moon Sect disciples revered Wu Lina and didn't wish to land himself in trouble with her.

His cultivation level was still insufficient to retaliate.

Alex found himself exhaling a deep sigh, the weight of his identity pressing heavily upon his shoulders.

Once esteemed as a respected captain, he was now reduced to mere bait due to his low cultivation level, all because he was trapped in the body of the notorious trash, Li Wei.

What other trials and tribulations awaited him in this foreign and unforgiving world?

A sudden thought emerged from the depths of his mind, a beacon cutting through the fog of his worries - the system mission.

Alex's eyes widened, realization dawning upon him. "Wait, the system mission! How am I to complete it if I'm constantly being used as bait?" he muttered to himself.

His mind had been so consumed by the discussions of the trio that he'd nearly overlooked the most crucial matter at hand - the system mission.

But before he could delve further into his thoughts, the commanding voice of Wu Lina snapped him back into reality. "Prepare yourselves. We depart in an hour," she declared, her tone brooking no room for argument.

Alex took a moment to absorb her words, a plan gradually taking form in his mind.

With newfound determination, he decided to return to his quarters to gather more clothes before proceeding to the medicinal hall for some healing pills.

He knew he had to prepare himself for whatever challenges the mission might throw at them.

*****

Within an hour, Alex had completed his preparations and found himself moving toward the mission pavilion.

There, he spotted familiar faces - Zhang Jie, Wu Lina, Xiao Se, Shen Hong, and another inner sect disciple whose name remained unknown to him.

Among them, Alex noticed a figure clad in a brown sect uniform, an unmistakable marker of an outer sect disciple.

This outer sect disciple, named Chen Wei, was already present when Alex had initially arrived with Zhang Jie, but his focus had been solely on the discussions with the inner sect disciples.

Now, with nothing else clouding his attention, Alex could finally give the young man a proper look.

Chen Wei was around his age, slightly overweight with pudgy cheeks that most girls would find endearing.

However, to Alex, it was clear that the young man needed some form of physical training, despite the absence of conventional gyms in this world.

Chen Wei, known for his shameless behavior which he wore as a badge of honor, was ranked thirteenth amongst the outer sect disciples.

Alex, however, hadn't personally witnessed this infamous shamelessness yet, as there were no such memories in the memories he'd inherited from Li Wei.

As Alex's presence registered, Chen Wei approached him with a friendly smile, his lips curling into an amiable grin. Upon reaching him, he introduced himself with a simple, "Hey, I'm Chen Wei."

Alex was about to respond when Chen Wei cut him off, lowering his voice to a barely audible whisper. "You must be lucky," he murmured, causing Alex to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Lucky? How so?" Alex asked, his curiosity piqued.

Chen Wei leaned in closer, his voice dropping even further. "A lowly cultivator like you, chosen for this mission, gets to see the fairy-like beauty, Wu Lina. You truly are very, very lucky," he whispered, his words leaving Alex with more questions than answers.