Understanding Young Master Tian’s meaning, Xu Ziqing’s brows knitted even tighter before he gave a bitter smile. He had still been too naive. He had thought that becoming a menial worker here would merely mean harder work, forgetting that his status in the main family was low enough that anyone of higher standing could use him to vent their anger. Xu Ziqing was mild-tempered and had never liked making things difficult for others, but that did not mean others would treat him the same way.
What Xu Ziqing did not know was that Young Master Tian’s name was Tian Liang. He was the son of the head of the Tian main family of Luotian Prefecture. Born with dual spiritual roots of roughly equal thickness, he possessed upper-middle aptitude, which was quite rare.
Within the Tian family, Tian Liang had grown up surrounded by praise and supplied with an unending stream of resources. He had only just passed thirty, yet had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, making him a genuine genius. Naturally, he was exceedingly arrogant. As far as he was concerned, a mere servant who tended herbs could be beaten or killed with a single word.
The Tian and Xu clans were of roughly equal standing and interacted frequently. This time, Tian Liang had come to the Xu family on his family head’s orders to deliver a congratulatory gift to Young Master Xu Zifeng, who had successfully reached Foundation Establishment three days earlier. There he met Xu Zifeng’s younger sister, Xu Zitang, and was instantly captivated by her beauty. He lingered for several days afterward, unwilling to leave.
Xu Zitang was likewise a favored child of heaven, a genius with dual spiritual roots. Hers, however, were one thick and one thin, giving her high aptitude, much like her elder brother. Her brother Xu Zifeng had only just passed twenty-five and was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even across the entire Haotian Small World, such extraordinary cultivation talent could be called monstrous. His own younger sister was hardly inferior. She had only just passed eighteen, yet had already broken through the fifth layer of Qi Refinement. Judging solely by cultivation, she seemed comparable to Tian Liang, but once their ages were taken into account, it was obvious how far Tian Liang fell short of Xu Zitang.
Tian Liang had set his heart on Xu Zitang, so naturally he restrained his arrogance in front of her and tried every possible way to please her. No one else received such treatment from him. Although Xu Zitang found Tian Liang tiresome, he was still the son of a family head, so she had to show some respect for his father, who was likewise a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and occasionally humor him.
When Tian Liang suggested using the Hundred Herbs Garden’s menial worker to vent his anger, Xu Zitang sneered inwardly. Steward He was not only at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, but the fact that any spiritual herb he tended could improve by half a grade or even a full grade was enough to make the clan head give him considerable leeway. No matter how exalted a genius might be within the Xu family, none dared behave recklessly in this garden. Yet Tian Liang, unable to grasp even that much, had actually suggested she lay hands on a menial worker under Steward He.
Steward He had always had exacting standards. Xu Zitang had heard that this particular menial worker had managed to remain here for more than half a month without being driven out, which meant Steward He must be satisfied with him. If she really tested the whip on this man, how was she supposed to obtain top-quality spiritual herbs from Steward He in the future? She truly could not understand how the Tian family head had managed to produce a son so arrogant and yet so foolish.
Besides, even without considering Steward He, since when did she, Xu Zitang, need someone from the Tian family telling her what to do? And how could someone from the Tian family decide to beat a member of her Xu family whenever he pleased?
Xu Zitang’s opinion of Tian Liang dropped another few notches, though none of it showed on her face. She merely said coolly, “He hasn’t even begun drawing qi into his body yet. I expect he came immediately after receiving word. There’s no need to punish him.”
Xu Ziqing was slightly surprised. He had assumed the whipping was unavoidable, but it seemed this woman was not as overbearing as the man beside her.
At Xu Zitang’s words, Tian Liang’s expression changed, but he immediately smiled. “Since Sister Zitang says so, we’ll spare him this time.”
Before Xu Ziqing could even breathe a sigh of relief, Tian Liang shot him a malicious look. Xu Ziqing knew the matter was not over; he simply did not know what Tian Liang intended to do. He shook his head, somewhat helpless. Tian Liang might have a wretched character, but both his status and strength were far above Xu Ziqing’s. Whatever Tian Liang intended to do to him, Xu Ziqing could only wait until it happened and deal with it then.
After this incident, however, Xu Ziqing suddenly came to a realization. Within the Xu main family, even somewhere as remote as the Hundred Herbs Garden could never become a haven untouched by worldly troubles. His wish to live quietly would not be so easily fulfilled.
Xu Ziqing turned around and naturally took the lead.
Watching his back, Tian Liang’s eyes flashed with venom once more.
From Xu Ziqing’s perspective, Tian Liang was merely looking for trouble, and Xu Ziqing had simply been unlucky enough to become his target. From Tian Liang’s perspective, however, he had ample reason to pick on Xu Ziqing.
He was nothing but a lowly menial worker, yet Xu Zitang, a peerless beauty whom Tian Liang had tried endlessly and unsuccessfully to please, had treated him differently. How could Tian Liang not despise him for it?
Had Xu Ziqing been ugly, perhaps that would have been one thing. Yet despite his plain clothes and young age, he was refined and handsome, and his bearing was calm and composed. Even after hearing that he was to be punished, he had not wept and begged for mercy like an ordinary person. Resentment festered in Tian Liang’s heart. With my status, how dare a menial worker like you refuse to worship and flatter me? That alone is unforgivable!
Feeling that hostile gaze prickling against his back, Xu Ziqing kept his pace steady. Fortunately, Tian Liang still possessed some sense and did not use his cultivation to intimidate him in front of Xu Zitang. Even so, Xu Ziqing broke out in a cold sweat.
Whether the walk was long or short, they eventually reached the beds of spiritual herbs. Xu Ziqing looked ahead and saw Old He busy at work. His nerves gradually settled.
Xu Ziqing said, “Steward He, I’ve brought them.”
Old He brushed the soil from his hands. “Watch this Dragon Claw Flower. Don’t take your eyes off it for the next half hour.”
“Yes.” Xu Ziqing accepted a bamboo pick, crouched down, and did as instructed.
For half an hour after soil was mounded around a Dragon Claw Flower, root-eating worms might be drawn to it and had to be picked out with a bamboo pick.
Xu Zitang did not approach rashly. Seeing Old He give Xu Ziqing instructions, she quietly stood to one side and waited. Tian Liang could not understand what there was to respect about this shabby old man, but since the beauty was not moving, he suppressed his impatience for the moment.
Only after finishing his instructions did Old He look at Xu Zitang. “What do you want?”
Xu Zitang properly performed the salute of a junior cultivator meeting a senior before saying, “This junior’s elder brother, Xu Zifeng, successfully reached Foundation Establishment a few days ago and is currently depleted of vital essence. I’ve therefore come to request a Thousand-Grain Grass.”
Thousand-Grain Grass grew in arid places and did not flower. Each plant bore a hundred leaves. Once all hundred had grown, they fell, and the plant grew a full set again. Only after this happened ten times did the herb mature. Mature Thousand-Grain Grass was the principal ingredient in a Qi-Replenishing Pill.
Xu Zifeng had expended a great deal of vital essence while reaching Foundation Establishment. If he relied on meditation alone, it would take six months to a year to recover, and his realm would remain unstable during that period. But if he could take a Qi-Replenishing Pill, he could stabilize his realm in fewer than ten days.
Once Thousand-Grain Grass was harvested, the sooner it entered the pill furnace, the higher the success rate for refining a Qi-Replenishing Pill. With Xu Zifeng’s exceptional talent, the clan naturally valued him highly, so they had already asked a Supreme Elder skilled in alchemy to handle the refinement. Xu Zitang and her brother were very close, which was why she had personally come to request the Thousand-Grain Grass. Once she returned with it, the furnace could be opened and the refinement begun.
Old He snorted. “Wait here.”
Xu Zitang raised no objection. “Yes, Senior.”
Tian Liang wanted to stand up for the beauty, but just as he was about to rebuke the old man, she shook her head at him first. Xu Zitang was thoroughly exasperated. She had originally intended to make this trip quickly, only to run into Tian Liang loitering around and blocking her way as she came down the mountain, leaving her no choice but to bring him along. True, she had received a peak lower-grade magical artifact from him, but it was hardly as though she lacked people willing to give her gifts. At this point, she only hoped to keep the fool from doing anything stupid so she could obtain the Thousand-Grain Grass without trouble.
Seeing that the beauty’s attention had finally turned to him, Tian Liang became even more eager to chat with her. Xu Zitang responded halfheartedly now and then, while all her attention remained fixed on Old He, who had already walked away.
Meanwhile, Xu Ziqing calmly watched the Dragon Claw Flower, completely ignoring Xu Zitang and the other three. It was not that he held a grudge. He simply could not afford to let his attention wander while guarding the flower.
Old He’s prediction proved correct. After about fifteen minutes, a pitch-black worm emerged from the soil. Its body was roughly as thick as a grain of rice and as long as a little finger. Because its color closely matched the spiritual soil mounded beneath the Dragon Claw Flower, it was extremely difficult to spot.
The moment Xu Ziqing saw it, he quickly hooked downward with the bamboo pick in his right hand. With a twist of his wrist, he lifted the worm onto the pick, where it writhed. There was no time to lose. He immediately brought the bamboo tube in his left hand over the pick, trapping the root-eating worm inside.
The worm feared the scent of bamboo above all else. The moment it entered the tube, it obediently flattened itself and stopped moving.
Once the first root-eating worm had been caught, another three or four emerged in quick succession. Xu Ziqing repeated the same process, his wrist moving several times faster than before, and managed to get them all into the bamboo tube. The last nearly burrowed back into the soil, but fortunately the bamboo pick struck its tail before all his earlier effort could go to waste.
No more worms appeared afterward. Xu Ziqing wiped the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead and let out a breath of relief.
Then a voice sounded above his head. “Your eyesight is decent. Your movements are too slow.”
Xu Ziqing looked up and saw Old He. He smiled. “Yes.” His constitution in this life was much better than in his previous one, and he was free of illness, but he was still only an ordinary person. He had read many medicinal texts and knew how to handle certain spiritual herbs, but this was still his first time personally catching root-eating worms. He was fairly satisfied with how he had done.
Old He clearly thought he still had room to improve, but did not elaborate. He only said, “Come with me to see them.”
Xu Ziqing replied respectfully, “Yes, Steward He.”
From a distance, Xu Zitang saw Old He returning, only to stop midway behind the young menial worker. She grew somewhat anxious but did not dare urge him on, so she could only wait.
Only when Old He finally came over with the young menial worker did she relax slightly.
Old He looked at Xu Zitang, pointed at Xu Ziqing, and said, “He’s a menial worker of my Hundred Herbs Garden. Remember him.”
Xu Zitang nodded. “This junior understands.” Old He was telling her that he knew what had happened earlier at the garden entrance. At the same time, his reaction told her that he was not dissatisfied with the way she had handled it.
Only then did Old He raise a hand and pass her a box. “What you asked for.”
Xu Zitang accepted it and immediately opened the lid. Once she saw the spiritual herb inside, delight appeared on her face, and she could not help exclaiming, “Many thanks, Senior!”
Lowering herself earlier had indeed paid off. This Thousand-Grain Grass was of far better quality than any she had seen before.