The pouch at Yu Liang’s waist felt heavy as inside were over five hundred spiritual stones, an amount that could draw dangerous attention if anyone discovered it in the handyman area. Each morning, he would slip a hand inside, letting his fingers rest on the cool, smooth surfaces. It gave him a quiet sense of anticipation, but also caution. He does it daily, taking out spiritual stones from inventory then enjoys it and puts it back quickly. He wanted to spend them, to see how far his opportunities could stretch, but he knew better than to act recklessly.
Revealing such wealth would be unwise. If he drew attention by buying expensive items at the sect’s work street, his disguise as a simple handyman would lose its value. That appearance of insignificance was his best protection because he has no background. For now, he chose to wait, to bide his time.
He carried out his chores as usual, though now with more focus. He swept courtyards in steady rhythm, fetched water without complaining, and kept his ears open for information. What he needed was an excuse to leave the sect legitimately, an errand that would allow him to reach a proper city where he could spend without suspicion.
One morning, his assignment was to feed the sect’s spiritual animals. These were not ordinary beasts but creatures with spiritual energy that is cultivation and different levels of intelligence.
Azure Scaled Hounds guarded the outer perimeter, Swift Winged Falcons carried messages, and a few Spirit Turtles helped maintain the ponds.
Yu Liang approached with a bag of spiritual grains and herbs. He saw his fellow handyman, Chen, bent over a basin, scrubbing the shells of Spirit Turtles.
"Good Morning, Old Chen," Yu Liang greeted, shifting the bag on his shoulder.
Chen grunted, not looking up. The turtles hissed in displeasure as he scrubbed at their mossy shells. "Good? These lazy things never stay clean. People say they were helping clean the ponds, but all they do is eat the good spiritual grass."
Yu Liang knelt beside a pen of Cloud Hoppers, small, white, rabbit like creatures with twitching ears. He poured feed into their designated plates.
"They look cute enough," he said.
"Cute doesn’t get the chores done," Chen muttered, still scrubbing. He paused, rubbing his back. "My old bones are getting too brittle for this kind of work."
Yu Liang took the chance to ask, his tone casual. "Any word about errands outside? I thought I heard something about the kitchen needing spices from the city."
It was a lie.
Chen shook his head. "Nonsense. Supply runs like that are handed to the low-ranking outer sect disciples who want to earn extra contribution points. Handymen like us only get sent outside when there is heavy, miserable labor to be done. The last time a handyman set foot in a major city was years ago, just to transport rolls of raw parchment."
Yu Liang’s hopes lowered. He finished with the Cloud Hoppers and moved on to the falcons, who studied him closely as he refilled their feed.
Days passed in the same routine until he overheard two outer sect disciples speaking near the training grounds.
"Senior Brother Luo is heading down to Jade City tomorrow morning," one of them mentioned, wiping sweat from his forehead with a sleeve. "He needs to collect a massive shipment of specialized soil for the Spiritual Plants Department."
The second disciple nodded in agreement. "I heard. He’s taking a few handymen along to handle the heavy lifting. Moving over a hundred sacks of spirit dense earth soil isn’t something an outer disciple should waste his energy on and moving a hundred sacks of soil alone isn’t possible."
Yu Liang’s heart leaped into his throat.
This was it.
The chance he had been waiting for. He finished his chores as quickly as possible and went straight to the handyman quarter’s elder, an old man with a perpetually grumpy expression.
"Elder," Yu Liang said, bowing respectfully, "I heard there’s an errand to Jade City. I would like to volunteer."
The elder gave him a skeptical look. "You? You don’t look strong enough to carry sacks."
"I can manage," Yu Liang replied firmly. "I’m willing to serve."
The elder shrugged. "We need one more anyway. Be at the main courtyard at dawn. Don’t be late, and don’t cause any trouble."
Yu Liang bowed again. "Thank you, Elder."
Relief and satisfaction filled him as he returned to his shack. He spent the rest of the day preparing, polishing his worn shoes, cleaning his clothes, and cutting his hair as best he could with a small knife.
He rose before dawn and was the first to reach the courtyard. Two other handymen, Wei Feng and Xiao Fei, soon joined him. Wei Feng looked anxious, while Xiao Fei was beaming with excitement.
"Jade City! I’ve only heard stories back in my area," Xiao Fei whispered. "They say there are masters everywhere."
Wei Feng adjusted his clothes and said with low voice. "I just hope it’s not too much work. My back hasn’t recovered from the last job."
Yu Liang offered a calm smile. " Don’t worry, we’ll handle it."
The sun was just rising when Senior Brother Luo Chen arrived. His stride was as smooth as air, his silver robe embroidered with shifting cloud patterns. The subtle yet imposing aura releasing unconsciously marked him as someone well into the Foundation establishment realm. Two outer sect disciples in neat white robes followed him a respectable distance behind.
"The Mist looks beautiful this morning, Senior Brother," one of the outer sect disciples said with forced admiration.
Luo Chen gave no reply. He passed the handymen disciples without even a glance, walking toward a large wooden ship moored at the cliff’s edge. Its hull glowed faintly with spiritual light. He climbed aboard first, followed closely by the two outer sect disciples.
"Get on," the male disciple ordered the handymen disciples sharply. "Stay at the back, and don’t touch anything."
Yu Liang and his companions quickly complied, taking their seats near a stack of ropes and tools.
The ship buzzed as it lifted into the air, wind rushing around its hull. The Cloudwater Sect peak grew smaller and smaller behind them until the mist closed in, concealing it completely.
Wei Feng stared in awe. "It’s like the sect was never there."
"The formation that surrounds the sect is what hides it from view. It distorts perception and hides the mountain peaks from the outside world. That’s its purpose," Yu Liang explained softly as not to annoy the disciples at the front.
The journey was long, but the ever
changing surroundings of mountains, rivers, and forests unfolding below kept them captivated.
After several hours, the male outer sect disciple reappeared to give instructions. "Listen carefully. Once we land at the Jade City docks, our primary task is to load one hundred sacks of Blacksoil and several crates of spirit herbs for the Spiritual Plants Department. You guys will handle all the heavy hauling. Keep your eyes down and do not touch any of the herb containers without explicit orders. A single leaf of those plants is worth more than your entire life." He spoke with open disdain.
Yu Liang gave a simple, respectful nod without showing a hint of annoyance.
"Senior Brother Luo is feeling generous," the disciple added. "If the loading is completed efficiently, he has granted us a full day of free movement in the city before we return. Consider it a rare privilege. Do not wander off and do something that brings shame to the sect."
Xiao Fei and Wei Feng brightened at the news, eager to see the city. Yu Liang’s mind, however, was already in a different place. A day? That was plenty of time. A day to visit a high end market. A day to buy some mid grade, or even high grade pills. His mind whirred, calculations and possibilities flooding his thoughts.
Spend. Multiply. Spend. Multiply. Spend. Multiply. Spend. Multiply. Spend. Multiply.
He remained outwardly calm at the back of the ship, but inside, he was already meticulously planning how to maximize his opportunity in Jade City.