Gu An and Zhang Song hastened to Green Bamboo Peak. They saw a lone green peak rise abruptly from the earth and pierce the clouds.
Mist and clouds coiled around the mountain, a sea of bamboo swayed, and waves of emerald billowed, as if an immortal had waved his sleeve, alive with spiritual charm.
A moss-covered stone stairway wound up the slope. Shafts of sunlight slipped through the bamboo leaves and danced on the damp stones, making them gleam like jade. The dappled light lent the scene a secluded, otherworldly beauty.
Yet even immortals must worry about their livelihood. Sixty years ago, during the transition of the Qingyuan Sect’s Golden Core inheritance, the entire sect pooled its strength to purchase a Golden Core Spirit Material, helping True Person Qingxiao form his Golden Core.
To raise the spirit stones, the old True Person had sought new sources of income and cut expenses. Green Bamboo Peak was converted to raising spirit beasts: more than eighty Bamboo-Fragrance Pigs at its foot, over two hundred Colorful-Feather Chickens halfway up, and seventy-six Green Bamboo Snakes at the summit.
The Qingyuan Sect had four or five such places that raised only these three types of spirit beasts, not to mention other industries-truly a large and prosperous sect.
The ingredients for the Qingyuan Sect’s restaurant, Qingyun Tower’s famous Heavenly Fragrance Pork Elbow, Spirit Ginseng Stewed Chicken, and Green Bamboo Snake Wine, all came from these three spirit beasts.
Unfortunately, Gu An was a pauper. He didn’t even dare to enter Qingyun Tower’s door, let alone taste its flavors.
Lost in thought as they climbed the stone steps, Gu An and Zhang Song reached the mountainside before they knew it.
A small path branched off to the left, and after no more than a hundred steps, they arrived at the Spirit Chicken Farm.
“Well, if it isn’t my two lords! Has the sun risen in the west? You’re actually on time today. Now there’s a rare sight!”
A sarcastic voice greeted them as soon as they entered the Spirit Chicken Farm. A thin, gaunt figure came into view.
The newcomer had a pale, greenish complexion, deeply sunken cheeks, high cheekbones, a pair of triangular eyes, thin lips pressed tightly into a thin line, the corners of his mouth slightly drooping. He squinted sideways at the two.
“Hehe, come now, Steward Liu. The apricots in my courtyard have just ripened. I brought a couple especially for you.”
“Here, eat some apricots, eat some apricots.”
Gu An stepped forward and took two greenish-yellow apricots from his storage bag. They had grown on the tree in his courtyard. It was late summer, and the fruit had just ripened. They were no spirit fruits, but their sweet, tart flavor was pleasant enough.
As for Steward Liu’s sarcastic tone, Gu An naturally paid it no mind. Despite Steward Liu’s harsh appearance, he had never truly made things difficult for the two of them.
The Qingyuan Sect’s roll call was set at the third quarter of the Chen hour, giving disciples enough time for morning cultivation during the arrival of the Purple Qi from the East and for traveling to their duties.
Unfortunately, Green Bamboo Peak was remote, and Gu An’s cultivation was low. Moreover, Gu An insisted on cultivating until the Purple Qi had completely dissipated. This led to Gu An often being late, and since Zhang Song insisted on coming with Gu An, they were both late together.
Steward Liu took the apricots, his expression improving slightly, but he didn’t ask for an explanation. Ridiculous! With Gu An’s aura occasionally leaking like that, it was obvious he had just broken through. Could he, a great expert at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, not see that?
Ask what? Have this kid describe his breakthrough experience? Share his insights?
Did they expect him to swallow his pride as well?!
Thinking this, Steward Liu’s heart soured.
He remembered entering the Qingyuan Sect thanks to his grandfather, a Foundation Establishment elder, despite having Five Spirit Roots. He had struggled all the way to the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, enduring more hardship than he cared to remember.
Now seventy, he no longer had the drive to cultivate, nor did he have any descendants with spirit roots. He had found himself a steward’s post and settled into an easy life: a little wine each day, the occasional spirit chicken, and a few stolen hours of leisure. That was enough for him.
Don’t be fooled by Gu An’s Three Spirit Roots; his talent was average only when viewed across the entire cultivation world.
In the twelve hundred years since the Qingyuan Sect’s founding, only its second-generation Golden Core Ancestor had possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root. The most gifted cultivators with Dual Spirit Roots were potential Golden Core successors; even the others had a good chance of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Cultivators with Three Spirit Roots also reached Foundation Establishment regularly. In fact, they made up half of the Qingyuan Sect’s current Foundation Establishment cultivators. Barring any mishaps, Gu An would probably get a chance to attempt the breakthrough himself.
Those with Four Spirit Roots or Five Spirit Roots had a much harder time. With ordinary cultivation, they could not reach Grand Perfection of Qi Condensation before sixty. After that, their qi and blood would begin to decline, making Foundation Establishment even less likely.
Although declining qi and blood didn’t completely rule out Foundation Establishment, what did that have to do with Four Spirit Root or Five Spirit Root cultivators? If they couldn’t do it when young, would they be able to when old?
Thus, Pseudo Spirit Root cultivators without resources, fated chances, or perseverance had no hope of Foundation Establishment.
Steward Liu took another bite of the apricot. The juice flowed into his throat, and he couldn’t help but curl his lip.
This apricot was really sour!
“Steward Liu, about that Senior Brother from Qingyun Tower you mentioned earlier who’s coming to collect the spirit chickens today…”
Just then, Zhang Song interrupted Steward Liu’s wandering thoughts, shouting loudly, only to earn a roll of the eyes.
“What, so concerned? Can’t bear to part with them? The chickens are raised, then killed to sell for spirit stones. Did you want to keep them to warm your bed?”
“Y-you… how can you make up something so filthy about me!”
Though he had been at the Spirit Chicken Farm for nearly three years, Zhang Song still couldn’t handle Steward Liu’s sharp tongue. His face flushed bright red as he angrily protested, unaware that his flustered demeanor only piqued Steward Liu’s interest further.
But this time, Steward Liu only glanced sideways at him, ignored him, and turned to look at Gu An.
“Gu An, you two have been at this Spirit Chicken Farm for almost three years now, right?”
“Almost three years. In the summer of my eleventh year, I took on the Spirit Chicken Farm task. First, I learned to mix spirit grain, collect spirit chicken eggs, groom feathers… that took a year.”
“The next summer, a new batch of spirit chickens hatched. I followed you through the entire process, from chick to adult chicken!”
“The third summer, the spirit chickens hatched again. Zhang Song and I each took fifty to care for on our own. Now it’s summer again. The Senior Brother from Qingyun Tower takes the adult chickens, and it’s time to hatch new chicks.”
Gu An earnestly recounted his experiences over the years. Counting carefully, it had been nearly three years.
The Qingyuan Sect’s tasks of this type had a three-year term. That meant Gu An and Zhang Song were about to hand over their tasks and leave the Spirit Chicken Farm.
Though new junior brothers would take over the Spirit Chicken Farm task, it certainly wouldn’t be Gu An or Zhang Song. The two had already reached the middle stage of Qi Condensation and were no longer permitted to take on such tasks.
Moreover, the reward for this task was no longer sufficient to support their cultivation at the middle stage of Qi Condensation.
“Alas! I worked hard teaching for two years, and you only work for one year before running off. How did the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall set this task?”
Steward Liu grumbled, expressing much dissatisfaction with the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, yet he knew these two would definitely leave.
Gu An, however, silently complained in his heart: “It’s not like you didn’t make us work hard the first two years.”
Of course, Gu An was still very satisfied with this task.
Zhang Song had always looked out for him. The two went to work together every day. Steward Liu was also someone with a cold face but a warm heart. Though he often mocked them, he never truly made things difficult.
If it had been any other steward, let alone being late often, even being late once would have resulted in a task rating of B or C, and some of the task reward would have been deducted.
Whenever Steward Liu fancied a treat, he would slaughter a spirit chicken, and the two of them could share some of the meat and strengthen their spiritual power. That was why Zhang Song’s grandfather had called this job at Green Bamboo Peak a cushy one.
Thinking of this, Gu An felt a little emotional.
He had heard that in previous years, some senior brothers had fallen into the hands of certain stewards. Not only were they worked to death, but their spirit stones were also docked, let alone any regular benefits.
Once this Spirit Chicken Farm task was done, he would have to take on a new task. He would have to keep his eyes open and not fall into the hands of some scoundrel.
Steward Liu sighed for a while and said no more. He pointed at the chicken coop, indicating for the two to go get spirit grain to feed the chickens, then turned and went back to his small courtyard.