章 55: Chapter 55: Grandpa, Give Me a Bookshelf

Lin Xiao immediately inquired within his mind, "System, what exactly is the cultivation speed of the auto-cultivation feature?"

[Ding—Replying to host's question: The auto-cultivation feature provided by this system operates at the speed of someone with a 'Superb' aptitude in cultivation.]

"What level is 'Superb'? And how do 'Dragon among Men,' 'Outstanding,' and 'Mediocre' rank in comparison? What's the exact order of these evaluations?"

[Ding—Replying to host's question: The specific ranking of aptitude evaluations will be revealed after unlocking the ranking table. Friendly Reminder: All aptitude evaluations are not permanent. The evaluations made by this system are only a stage-specific assessment. Cultivation is inherently a path full of unknowns, so please don't rely too much on these evaluations, host~]

Well, okay then.

Lin Xiao wasn't particularly dissatisfied with the system's reply. He actually thought the system had a good point—cultivation is indeed a journey full of uncertainties. Take Tuzi, for example. Even before reaching the first level of Qi Refining, he managed to break through his previous evaluation of 'Average' and became the second person in the sect to be ranked as 'Outstanding.'

Moreover, Lin Xiao just realized that auto-cultivation might not be the best way for him to cultivate. Each person's cultivation speed is related to their aptitude and comprehension of the technique. Now that he thought about it, possessing a 'Dragon among Men' aptitude and barely cultivating on his own seemed like a waste of potential.

Tsk. Looking back, he shouldn't have been so careless!

From now on, he was determined to set aside time every day for personal cultivation.

But speaking of that, the "Benyuan Heart Sutra" should also be passed on to everyone else. After all, it's an S-rank technique!

With that in mind, Lin Xiao took out mulberry bark and pine soot ink, copying the technique twenty times. The extras were prepared for future disciples. Lin Xiao believed that the growth of Lingxian Sect's disciples was inevitable, and perhaps even these twenty copies wouldn't be enough in the long run.

This time, however, Lin Xiao decided not to use the technique simplifier. After a night of cultivation, he realized that this "Benyuan Heart Sutra" didn't require a simplified version. As long as they read it carefully, they would naturally understand. The mind and body must be in harmony to cultivate it.

Furthermore, now that everyone had some basic literacy, and with Sun Yigao being an excellent teacher to help explain things, Lin Xiao believed that mastering the technique would depend on individual effort.

Yet, he didn't plan to waste the other techniques he had created last night.

Seeing that the sky was only just beginning to brighten, Lin Xiao guessed that his grandfather had already risen, so he quickly made his way down the mountain and ran toward the Lin family ancestral home.

Upon arrival, he found his grandfather Lin Deyou, his uncle Lin Dashan, and his cousin Lin Lei all squatting in a circle, washing up. Each held a willow branch in hand, and the family's only water ladle was passed from Lin Deyou to Lin Dashan, and then to Lin Lei.

Nearby, Lin Laotai and his aunt Qin were doing the same, except they were using a large wooden bowl.

A few days ago, Lin Xiao had used his dust-removing technique on everyone's teeth, and now they all cherished their bright, white smiles, dedicating extra time each morning to care for them.

"Grandpa! I'm here!" Lin Xiao called out.

"Cough, cough, cough—ptooey!" Lin Deyou was startled by Lin Xiao's sudden shout and choked on his rinse water. "You little brat, why are you shouting so early in the morning? Almost scared me to death!"

Lin Xiao quickly scaled the courtyard wall and ran to his grandfather's side, gently patting his back to help him recover. "Heh heh, Grandpa, are you that easily scared? I just said hello!"

"Hey! You rascal!" Lin Deyou mockingly raised the water ladle and pretended to swat at Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao then turned to greet the others, "Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Big Brother, good morning! Where are Sister Yan and Yingzi?"

Lin Laotai spat out her rinse water, stood up, and replied, "Sanlang, your grandpa wasn't startled by you. He had a nightmare last night and has been shivering all morning."

Aunt Qin responded, "Your sister Yan is inside, doing Yingzi's hair."

Lin Deyou shot a glare at Lin Laotai, "Stop babbling nonsense! I wasn't shivering because of a dream!"

Then, he turned to Lin Xiao, "Why aren't you cultivating at that sect of yours on the mountain? What brings you here so early?"

Lin Xiao grinned and said, "Grandpa, do you have any finished shelves? Give me one; I need it for books on the mountain."

Lin Deyou didn't question where Lin Xiao got his books. Instead, he thought for a moment and said, "I do have one, but it's small. A couple of years ago, I made it for a family in the neighboring village who planned to send their grandson to study, but they never came to pick it up."

He then turned to Lin Lei and said, "Lei, go to the woodshed in the back and fetch that small bookshelf for your brother."

Lin Lei had just finished brushing his teeth. He nodded and said, "Got it! Sanlang, wait here."

With that, he got up and ran toward the backyard of the ancestral home.

"Thanks, Brother!" Lin Xiao turned to his grandfather and said, "It doesn't matter if it's small, Grandpa. I don't have that many books to put on it. But, Grandpa, if you have time, could you make some more shelves for me? Oh, and if you can, a few narrow beds and tables would be great too."

Hearing this, Lin Deyou picked up the water ladle and tapped Lin Xiao on the forehead, "You cheeky brat, no wonder your father is always after you! Making a single bookshelf already takes a lot of work, and you want beds too? A bed takes even more effort; I need to find good wood and dry it properly. It's not something that can be made easily."

Lin Xiao rubbed his forehead where he'd been tapped and smiled at his grandfather, "Grandpa, just tell me what kind of wood you need! I'll go chop it down for you! As for drying, don't worry. I'll figure something out! I'll make sure the wood I bring you is properly dried and top-quality."

Hearing this, Lin Deyou chuckled and said, "Alright, then! You get me the wood, and as long as there's enough of it, I'll make whatever you need."

As they were talking, the door to a nearby room opened, and Lin Yan led Lin Ying out. Upon seeing Lin Xiao, six-year-old Lin Ying's eyes lit up, and she ran over to him, hugging his leg and calling out sweetly, "Third Brother!"

"Hey! Did you miss your Third Brother?" Lin Xiao bent down, scooping Lin Ying into his arms with a smile.

Lin Ying nuzzled against his neck and nodded, "Yes! Third Brother, I still want to eat roast rabbit!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao couldn't help but chuckle. A while ago, he and Youfu had been lucky enough to catch several wild rabbits in one go. He had kept half of one for his grandparents, and it seemed the little girl hadn't forgotten about it.