## Chapter Twelve: The Price of Knowledge
The alarm from their intrusion into the Grand Elder's garden still echoed in Yan Zhen's mind, a constant reminder of their brazen act and the powerful forces they had defied. He paced their small room, his usual eagerness replaced by a restless energy. The image of the Spirit Vein, pulsing with pure qi, and the knowledge that it was being hoarded for the Inner Disciples, burned in his heart.
"We saw it, Lin Feng! We actually saw it!" he repeated, his voice tight with a mixture of anger and a strange, almost reckless excitement. "They're bathing in that qi while we struggle for scraps! It's not right!"
Lin Feng, who had been meticulously cleaning his sword, paused, his expression carefully neutral. "Yeah, Zhen, it's not. But we also broke a lot of rules. We're lucky we weren't caught. The Grand Elder doesn't take kindly to trespassers, especially ones who mess with his precious garden." He made it sound like a narrow escape from a powerful, almost untouchable figure, subtly amplifying the danger and Yan Zhen's role in it.
"But we can't just ignore it!" Yan Zhen insisted, his fists clenching. "We have to do something! Tell someone! Expose them!"
Lin Feng sighed, shaking his head. "And who would believe us, Zhen? We're just Outer Disciples. They'd probably just laugh at us, or worse, punish us for making false accusations. We have no proof, just our word against the Grand Elder's. And you know how powerful he is." He made it sound like any attempt to challenge the established order was futile, reinforcing the idea that they were powerless pawns in a rigged game.
"But... but what about Shen Li?" Yan Zhen asked, his voice softening. "He was right all along! They *are* playing favorites! They *are* hoarding the resources!"
Lin Feng nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a carefully crafted sympathy. "Yeah, Zhen. Shen Li saw it too. But look what happened to him. They crushed him. They'll do the same to us if we're not careful. We can't be reckless." He subtly steered Yan Zhen away from direct confrontation, emphasizing the risks and subtly positioning himself as the voice of reason and caution.
He then added, almost casually, "Besides, we don't even know *why* they're hoarding it. Maybe there's a good reason. Maybe they're using it to power some important formation, or to make pills for the sect's defense. We only saw a small part of it. We don't have the whole picture." He planted a seed of doubt, subtly suggesting that their righteous anger might be misplaced, that there might be a "greater good" they weren't aware of.
Yan Zhen looked conflicted. He wanted to do something, to fight for justice, but he also remembered the power of the Guardian Beast, the chilling authority of the Grand Elder, and the fate of Shen Li.
"So... what do we do?" he asked, his voice subdued.
Lin Feng placed a comforting hand on Yan Zhen's shoulder. "We get stronger, Zhen. We climb higher. We earn the right to be heard. We become Inner Disciples, powerful enough to challenge them. Then, we can expose them. But we have to be smart about it. We can't just rush in blindly." He subtly redirected Yan Zhen's anger into ambition, framing their powerlessness as a temporary setback, a challenge to be overcome. He also subtly reinforced his own role as the strategic thinker, the one with the long-term plan.
He then added, almost as an afterthought, "And in the meantime... maybe we can use what we saw to our advantage. That qi in the garden... it's incredibly potent, right? What if we could somehow... tap into it, just a little? For our own cultivation? It would give us a huge edge in the tournament." He presented the idea of exploiting the Spirit Vein for their own gain, framing it as a pragmatic way to get stronger, a means to an end.
Yan Zhen's eyes lit up. "You mean... sneak back in?"
Lin Feng shook his head, a thoughtful frown on his face. "No, too dangerous. But... I remember reading something in those old scrolls... about how certain formations have a natural resonance, a subtle vibration that can be exploited. If we knew the right frequency, we might be able to... siphon off a tiny bit of the qi, without triggering the alarms. But it would be incredibly difficult. And we'd need to be incredibly careful." He made it sound like a dangerous but potentially rewarding challenge, something that would require both Yan Zhen's strength and his own "knowledge."
He paused, then added, almost reluctantly, "But it's probably just a crazy idea. Too risky. And probably impossible anyway. We'd need to know the exact frequency, and we'd need a way to channel the qi without being detected. It's probably just a pipe dream." He made it sound like a far-fetched, almost unattainable goal, knowing that Yan Zhen's competitive spirit and his desire to prove himself would make him determined to achieve it.
Yan Zhen's eyes gleamed. "But if we could do it... we'd become so much stronger! We'd crush everyone in the tournament! We'd show them what we're capable of!" He was already envisioning himself, empowered by the stolen qi, becoming an unstoppable force.
Lin Feng smiled, a subtle, almost imperceptible curve of his lips. *Just as planned. The anger, the ambition, the thirst for power... all perfectly aligned. He's so focused on the prize, he doesn't see the trap.*
He then added, almost casually, "And if we *did* manage to do it... we'd have a secret, wouldn't we? A shared secret. Something that would bind us together, even more than we already are." He subtly reinforced their bond, making their potential transgression a symbol of their loyalty and shared ambition.
Yan Zhen nodded, his eyes fixed on some distant point, already planning their next move. "We'll do it, Lin Feng. We'll find a way. We'll show them all."
Lin Feng's smile widened, hidden in the shadows of the room. *Yes, Yan Zhen. You will show them. You will show them exactly what I want you to show them.* The serpent's coil tightened, drawing Yan Zhen closer to a path paved with stolen power and righteous fury, a path carefully laid by the most loyal of friends.
---
Would you like to move on to **Chapter Thirteen** now?