Chapter 86: 忍

The Human World

The Human World

It was not until the moon hung high that Qin Sang completed the day's tasks and, dragging his weary body, entered a meditative state to cultivate.

Manipulating the Five-Element Cloud to nourish the spiritual herbs almost depleted his spiritual energy. During cultivation, however, he felt his cultivation seemed to have advanced slightly compared to before. Perhaps due to Qin Sang's poor aptitude, this improvement was so minuscule that, having grown accustomed to soul pills, he now found it completely negligible.

Having just joined the sect, even if he wanted to flee, now was not the time. Qin Sang decided to patiently endure for a while within the Yuanzhao Sect and observe. His top priority now was to enhance his strength.

The medicinal power of the Qi Gathering Pill had not yet been fully refined. In his mustard seed bag, he still had a bottle of stone milk and plenty of soul pills. Qin Sang estimated that he would likely break through to the seventh level of the Qi Cultivation stage in a short time.

Qin Sang inwardly observed his Qi Sea. The medicinal power of the Qi Gathering Pill had been suppressed within it, and it was time to begin refining it.

More than ten days passed in a flash. These days were very peaceful, and no one disturbed him.

The fellow disciples in Xingyun Valley were all exceptionally busy, constantly tending to their own plots of land. No one showed any interest in the new junior disciple, much less sought to cause trouble.

After all this time, Qin Sang still only recognized Meng Ruhui. What disquieted Qin Sang was that Yu Hua had also never come to find him.

Qin Sang had grown accustomed to the rhythm of life in Xingyun Valley. During the day, he would manipulate the clouds for rain and tidy the herb gardens, and at night, he would return to his cave dwelling for quiet cultivation, refining the medicinal power of the Qi Gathering Pill, with his realm improving rapidly.

"In another ten days," he mused, "I should be able to completely refine the medicinal power of the Qi Gathering Pill."

As Qin Sang manipulated the Five-Element Cloud, watering a spiritual field where Seven Star Pagoda Grass was planted, he quietly calculated in his mind. If all went well, once he had fully utilized the Qi Gathering Pill's medicinal power, his realm would steadily advance to the late sixth level, just a hair's breadth from the seventh. Then, consuming that bottle of stone milk would likely allow him to break through in one go. However, after breaking through to the seventh level, he would need to find a way to escape the menial tasks.

Currently, every time Qin Sang refined a trace of the Qi Gathering Pill's medicinal power, he needed to pause his cultivation and set aside some time, allowing his body to slowly and completely digest the medicinal power while also adapting to his rapidly advancing realm. Rushing the process would not only yield no benefit but might also leave hidden dangers.

Therefore, during this period, the miscellaneous tasks in the herb garden actually did not hinder his cultivation.

However, after refining the Qi Gathering Pill's medicinal power and breaking through to the seventh level, there would be no shortcuts. He would have to cultivate diligently, and by then, the herb garden would become a significant hindrance.

After bringing rain to the last spiritual field, it was still early in the day. At this moment, two streaks of light flew into the valley. Qin Sang saw it was Meng Ruhui and hurried to greet him. Meng Ruhui was accompanied by a young man of similar age to Qin Sang, who had an expression of ill-concealed joy, which only slightly subsided upon seeing Qin Sang.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Meng. May I know this Senior Brother's name?" Qin Sang asked, cupping his hands.

The young man returned the greeting, saying, "Junior Brother Qin, my surname is Bi."

Qin Sang noticed that Meng Ruhui seemed hesitant to speak and his expression was somewhat strange, so he pressed further, "Senior Brother Meng, Senior Brother Bi, are you looking for me for something?"

Meng Ruhui hesitated and said, "Junior Brother Qin, tell me honestly, have you offended Martial Uncle Yu?"

Yu Hua! Qin Sang's heart suddenly tightened, but he kept his expression calm, merely asking with a puzzled look, "I only met Martial Uncle Yu once during the Immortal Ascension Convention and came to Xingyun Valley according to his arrangements. I should not have shown any disrespect."

Meng Ruhui shook his head and said, "Junior Brother Qin, from now on, Junior Brother Bi will be responsible for this valley. Come with me."

Qin Sang was filled with doubts, unsure of what Yu Hua intended. So, he bid farewell to Senior Brother Bi, returned to his cave dwelling to pack his belongings, mounted his magical artifact, and followed Meng Ruhui towards his residence.

Meng Ruhui's residence was a thatched cottage built in a river valley, nestled against a mountain and by the water. He also kept a few green oxen as companions, giving the place a pleasant and leisurely feel. According to him, this residence was modeled after his childhood memories.

"Junior Brother Qin, please come in and try the Spirit-Infused Tea freshly picked by Junior Sister Yan. You won't find tea this good outside," Meng Ruhui said with a smiling face, leading him into the house.

Meng Ruhui was easygoing by nature; although Qin Sang had only met him a few times, he thought well of him. Qin Sang, however, was not in the mood for tea. He cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Meng, please just tell me the truth. What exactly happened? You've seen my actions since joining the Yuanzhao Sect. I've been diligently cultivating spiritual herbs in Xingyun Valley and haven't even visited the Lecture Hall, so there's absolutely no way I could have offended anyone."

Meng Ruhui's smile faded, and he sighed softly. "Junior Brother Qin," he began, "I also believe you are not a rash person. However, in this cultivation world, if your strength is inferior, there's no room for reason. Perhaps a gesture, a look, or even an incorrect tone of voice can make someone hold a grudge. It would be better for Junior Brother Qin to be more cautious in his future conduct..." Meng Ruhui lectured Qin Sang with a series of profound principles, finally concluding, "That Junior Brother Bi from earlier inadvertently offended a Martial Uncle in the Foundation Establishment stage. I received a hint and could only assign him the most arduous menial tasks, which he endured for ten years. Fortunately, within the sect, even Foundation Establishment cultivators must abide by rules and cannot easily resort to violence. If it were outside, he would have lost his life."

Qin Sang understood and said gravely, "Senior Brother Meng, are you implying..."

Meng Ruhui nodded. "Junior Brother, come with me."

The two flew directly out of Xingyun Valley, heading west. Qin Sang noticed many similar valleys along the way, all obscured by mist. Not long after flying, Meng Ruhui stopped before a valley, took out a spiritual talisman to open the grand formation, and then handed the talisman and a jade slip to Qin Sang.

The two entered, one after the other. Qin Sang immediately smelled a rich medicinal fragrance, inwardly thinking that it must also be an herb garden.

"This is Guiyang Valley, also under my responsibility, and it also cultivates spiritual herbs," Meng Ruhui said, pausing to glance at Qin Sang. "However, the spiritual herbs in this garden are all used by the Longevity Hall for alchemy. Each plant requires more troublesome care than those in Zizhu Valley. Junior Brother Qin is already familiar with how to care for herb gardens, so it shouldn't be difficult to start..."

Guiyang Valley was slightly larger than Zizhu Valley. The spiritual herbs in its fields, just in terms of variety, were several times more numerous than in Zizhu Valley. Qin Sang extended his spiritual sense into the jade slip and saw a series of requirements and prohibitions, which made him feel dizzy and overwhelmed. Tending to these spiritual fields would be even more time-consuming than in Zizhu Valley.

Seeing Meng Ruhui turn to leave, Qin Sang quickly followed, saying, "Senior Brother Meng, please wait."

Meng Ruhui thought Qin Sang couldn't endure this grievance and earnestly advised him, "I know Junior Brother Qin is unwilling, but please endure for a few years; things will be easier once Martial Uncle Yu's anger subsides. During the next Immortal Ascension Convention, I will do my best to mediate on your behalf." Qin Sang smiled. "Senior Brother, don't worry. I am quite experienced with the word 'endurance.' I wanted to ask Senior Brother for advice: I currently need a few items urgently, and I don't know where I can buy them."