章 21: Chapter 21 - The Ways of the World
Zhao Heng and Yun Qingsnow, one chasing and the other running, quickly traversed four or five miles.
Yun Qingsnow finally stopped in a mountainous medicinal field, where Zhao Heng caught up, panting and sweating profusely.
In contrast, Yun Qingsnow remained pristine and composed, though she did glance at Zhao Heng with some surprise.
"You managed to keep up? What kind of movement technique are you practicing? It looks a bit unusual," she asked.
Zhao Heng's heart skipped a beat. In his haste, he had instinctively used the modified version of the Bone-Melting Steps technique.
Fortunately, Zhao Heng's version was a heavily altered one, significantly different from the original.
"Senior Sister, it's just a crude technique I practiced randomly. It's not worth mentioning—please don't laugh at me. By the way, is this your medicinal garden?" Zhao Heng quickly deflected the question and changed the topic.
Yun Qingsnow didn't press him further. She turned to look ahead, where a series of terraced fields stretched across the mountains.
These fields were scattered across the slopes, varying in size, and covered in dense mist that obscured the view within.
Yun Qingsnow led Zhao Heng toward one of the medium-sized fields. She took out a small crimson flag, and a faint blue energy emanated from her fingertips.
Zhao Heng's eyes narrowed as he immediately sensed a surge of profound energy and a chilling aura.
"Releasing profound energy!"
Zhao Heng recalled tales he had heard: martial artists in the Organ Refinement Realm could store a portion of the world's profound energy within their bodies. This must be Yun Qingsnow's own stored profound energy.
As Yun Qingsnow infused a strand of profound energy into the small flag, the flag emitted a flash of white light. The mist ahead churned and parted, creating a clear path.
The two of them entered through the path, and the view ahead suddenly opened up. A rich medicinal aroma greeted them.
In front of them lay a lush spiritual field spanning several acres, filled with various types of spiritual herbs. In one corner of the field stood a simple grass hut, next to an ancient well.
"This is my medicinal garden," Yun Qingsnow explained. "All official Outer Sect disciples in the sect are assigned a personal cave dwelling, but spiritual fields must be rented separately."
"Since I also practice alchemy, I planted these spiritual herbs myself and have been personally tending to them," she continued. "Now, as I'm preparing to break through to the Innate Realm, I won't have time to manage this place. From now on, you'll stay in the grass hut and take care of these herbs. With your abilities, you should have no trouble looking after them."
Zhao Heng was overjoyed to hear this.
This spiritual field was located halfway up Qingxia Peak, where the planted herbs naturally attracted an abundance of heaven and earth energy. The environment for cultivation here was leagues better than the conditions on the Servants' Peak.
Yun Qingsnow then went on to explain some of the rules of Qingxia Peak.
For example, servant disciples were not allowed to roam freely or trespass into others' spiritual fields…
After a series of instructions, she handed Zhao Heng the small flag that controlled the spiritual field's formation and departed.
Watching Yun Qingsnow's graceful figure disappear into the sea of mist, Zhao Heng felt a sense of emptiness, as though he had lost something very important.
He thought it might be the feeling of having a "crush," but upon closer consideration, he realized what was actually bothering him.
"Damn it! I forgot to ask her how much my monthly wages will be!"
In the end, Zhao Heng settled into the medicinal garden, making the grass hut his new home.
With Liu Feng's memories, Zhao Heng quickly became adept at tending to the spiritual field.
The work was straightforward—watering, pruning, fertilizing, and pest control—none of which took much time.
Compared to working in the mines, Zhao Heng now had an abundance of free time.
He wasted none of it, dedicating most of his time to practicing his cultivation techniques and martial skills.
He also spent time studying his Poison Manual and the Thirty-Six Strategies for Survival, learning more about poison refinement and crafty techniques for dealing with enemies.
As for cultivation resources, Zhao Heng had used up almost all his savings to pass the servant disciple assessment.
Thankfully, after passing, he received a reward of 100 profound crystals and a Body Refining Pill, ensuring he didn't have to worry about resources in the short term.
For the next half month, Zhao Heng stayed in the medicinal garden without distractions, fully focused on cultivation.
He could feel his cultivation steadily improving, and his Stone-Splitting Fist and Bone-Melting Steps became increasingly refined.
Thanks to Liu Feng's memories, Zhao Heng managed to advance his Stone-Splitting Fist to the "Minor Accomplishment" level within just half a month, significantly enhancing its power. He was delighted by the progress.
However, despite his improvements, Zhao Heng's sense of crisis remained undiminished.
He knew Liu Hong wouldn't let him off the hook.
Liu Hong was similar to him in some ways—a person who would spare no effort to eliminate potential threats to his safety. He was likely waiting for an opportunity to strike.
While Zhao Heng was temporarily safe on Qingxia Peak, he couldn't shake the worry that Liu Hong might use other means—or even leverage special connections—to deal with him.
The more people that got involved, the harder it would be for Zhao Heng to find peace.
"I must raise my cultivation quickly and deal with him as soon as possible!"
Currently at the eighth level of the Body Refinement realm, Zhao Heng planned to stabilize his cultivation before using the Body Refining Pill to break through to the ninth level.
But before that, he needed to visit the sect's Library Pavilion to claim his reward.
The previous day, the Servants' Peak overseer, Zhou Cang, had sent someone to inform Zhao Heng that the top three disciples from the servant disciple assessment could visit the Library Pavilion to collect their rewards at Chenshi (between 7–9 a.m.).
Zhao Heng arrived at the Library Pavilion before Chenshi.
The Library Pavilion, along with the Weapon Refining Pavilion, Merit Hall, and Punishment Hall, was one of the sect's key buildings. It was located in the central area of the Nine Peaks, near a spacious square. Zhao Heng didn't need a pass to reach the area.
The Library Pavilion was a towering, square structure with seven levels, majestic and imposing. Outer Sect disciples stood guard around it.
As Zhao Heng approached within 100 meters of the pavilion, a dozen sharp gazes locked onto him.
"Who goes there? This is a restricted area—unauthorized individuals are not allowed!" one of the guards barked.
The intimidating display made Zhao Heng hesitate slightly, but he quickly reported his identity, explaining that he was there to claim his servant disciple assessment reward.
One guard stepped forward to verify his identity token.
After confirming everything was in order, Zhao Heng was led to the side entrance of the Library Pavilion, where two other figures were already waiting.
One was a tall, imposing young man with a confident demeanor, and the other was a graceful girl with willow-like brows and almond-shaped eyes, radiating an elegant beauty.
Zhao Heng recognized them immediately—they were the first and second place winners of the servant disciple assessment.
The man was Ye Bufan, and the woman was Xiao Chuner.
These two were considered the leaders among the servant disciples of the Yuhua Sect. Both were at the peak of the Body Refinement realm and had one foot in the Bone Refinement realm. Their strength surpassed that of Liu Feng.
However, Zhao Heng, now at the eighth level of Body Refinement, with his Minor Accomplishment Stone-Splitting Fist and Bone-Melting Steps, might not necessarily lose to them in a fight.
Still, Zhao Heng didn't want to draw attention. He approached them and greeted them respectfully, "Senior Brother Ye, Senior Sister Xiao!"
Ye Bufan and Xiao Chuner exchanged glances but didn't return the courtesy.
Ye Bufan sneered, "So you're the kid who got third place in the servant disciple assessment by sheer luck?"
Xiao Chuner added disdainfully, "Don't think that just because you got lucky and managed to place third, or because you're helping Senior Sister Yun with her medicinal garden, you're on the same level as us."
"Senior Brother Ye and I are already starting Bone Refinement training. Soon, we'll step into the Bone Refinement realm and become official Outer Sect disciples!"
Their unwarranted hostility left Zhao Heng momentarily stunned, but he quickly understood.
These two clearly looked down on him and were jealous that Yun Qingsnow had chosen him to tend her garden. Their egos were bruised, and they were lashing out to feel superior.
Faced with this classic "arrogant provocation" scenario, Zhao Heng decided to forego any posturing.
He smiled apologetically and said, "Senior Brother Ye, Senior Sister Xiao, I indeed got lucky. Otherwise, how could I possibly stand here with such extraordinary individuals as yourselves?"
"As for helping Senior Sister Yun, it's only because she took pity on me. Who knows—if she's unhappy with me one day, she might kick me out. When that happens, I'll have to rely on Senior Brother Ye and Senior Sister Xiao, the future Outer Sect elites, to look after me!"
"What?"
Zhao Heng's response caught Ye Bufan and Xiao Chuner off guard. They had expected him to confront them or escalate the situation into a physical altercation, giving them a chance to "teach him a lesson."
Instead, Zhao Heng was so humble and self-effacing that it felt like punching cotton.
Still, they couldn't help but feel flattered. His words, especially calling them "Outer Sect elites," were like honey to their ears, filling them with satisfaction.
They suddenly found Zhao Heng much more tolerable and even somewhat likable.
Ye Bufan laughed heartily, "Haha! Junior Brother, don't take it personally. I was just joking earlier. If you ever run into trouble, feel free to come to me for help!"
Xiao Chuner, too, softened her tone, saying, "Junior Brother, luck may have helped you, but you should still work hard to improve yourself and rise in rank."
Zhao Heng nodded repeatedly, wearing an expression of utmost gratitude. He added a few more compliments, making both of them beam with pride and warmth.
To Zhao Heng, their reaction was unsurprising. Life wasn't just about fighting—it was also about navigating relationships.
Because of his physical ailment, Zhao Heng always sought to turn potential enemies into harmless acquaintances. As for those who couldn't be turned, he made sure to eliminate them as soon as possible.
As they spoke, the Library Pavilion's doors opened.
An Outer Sect disciple appeared and called out to the trio, "The lower-tier manuals are available on the first and second floors. You have one hour to make your selections. After that, you must leave!"
The three immediately entered the Library Pavilion and began their search...
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