White-Robed Chief

The women in purple gestured a fist salute but did not say anything to them. They knew it was useless speaking to these four.

“Elder Zhou! Elder Zhou!” The two women in purple raised their voices.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. What’s the big hoo-hah, yelling in the middle of the night?” An elderly man with a tummy as round as a rubber ball glided over. His brows and beard fluttering in the wind were long and white.

“Elder Zhou, we are here to send him over.” One of the young ladies in purple gave a fist salute before smiling. “He was originally the number one out of the outer mountain disciples. However, because of a mishap during practice, he’s sent here for a year. He is a rare talent in cultivation.”

“I couldn’t care less whether he’s a rare talent. Everyone’s treated equally in the Spirit Medicine Nursery, everyone has to bury their heads and work!” The round old man blurted, “Fine, one more person is an extra pair of hands.”

“The other outer mountain disciple has to leave.” The young lady grinned. “Zhao Dahe will be replacing the person.”

“What?” Elder Zhou’s eyes widened. “No way!”

The young lady in purple smiled. “What’s wrong?”

“That young lady is a naturally-born Spirit Medicine Master!” Elder Zhou’s eyes were popping out of his sockets. “She can’t leave!”

“Elder Zhou, this is the decision of the torture chamber.’ The young lady in purple shook her head. “These are the rules. It can’t be helped.”

“Rules are fixed, but people aren’t!” Elder Zhou snorted with displeasure. “How about this? Cui Da can leave and the girl stays!”

“Elder Zhou…” The young lady in purple helplessly answered, “This is not only against the rules but also unfair to that Xu Jingya.”

Elder Zhou retaliated by shaking his head. “It’s way better for her to stay here than in the canteen. She has talents and will enter the herbalist hall and become a Pill-refining Master. No! She absolutely cannot leave!”

“How about this, why don’t we ask her what she thinks?” The young lady in purple suggested, “If she agrees to stay, Cui Da will leave. If she wishes to leave, Elder Zhou, you can’t stop her!”

“Fine.” Elder Zhou happily nodded in agreement. He shouted, “Xiao Xu! Xiao Xu! Come over here!”

A charming young lady glided over. Dressed in green, her bare face was clean and spoke of elegance. Although she did not have eye-catching looks, she was a beauty in a refined way.

“Elder Zhou.” Xu Jingya came close.

Elder Zhou responded, “Here comes your chance. You’ll be transferred to the meal hall. It’s easier there, do you wish to go?”

“Meal hall?” Xu Jingya hesitated and stared at the four middle-aged Protectors by the entryway before switching her gaze to Chu Li and the two young ladies in purple outside the ravine.

“That unlucky guy was sent here under a punishment so you can take a step ahead,” Elder Zhou pointed at Chu Li. “You can leave here.”

“Elder Zhou, do I have to leave?” Xu Jingya asked.

“You can choose not to,” Elder Zhou immediately added, “If you choose not to go, Cui Da will advance to the meal hall.”

“Then I’ll stay,” responded Xu Jingya.

Elder Zhou beamed with joy. “Good, good, Xiao Xu. I didn’t pick you for nothing!”

He turned to smile at the young lady in purple with smug. “Nothing to say now, huh?”

“Okay, as Junior Sister Xu’s staying, Cui Da will head to the meal hall. Zhao Dahe will enter the Spirit Medicine Nursery.”

“Come in.” Elder Zhou waved at Chu Li.

The young lady in purple commented, “Zhao Dahe, you have to be in Spirit Medicine Nursery from here on out. Apart from taking your meal in the Flavorful Tower on the hill and the martial arts field for practice, you will remain in the Spirit Medicine Nursery for the rest of your time. You are not allowed anywhere else apart from the martial arts field and the Flavorful Tower.”

“Yes,” Chu Li fist saluted.

“Head on in.” The young lady in purple waved her arm.

Chu Li stepped into the ravine, sensing the spiritual energy growing rich.

Elder Zhou’s fleshy arm patted on Chu Li’s shoulder. “Number one, eh? And you’re here. Great, great, haha!”

He burst out laughing in satisfaction.

Chu Li could do nothing but gesture a fist salute.

Elder Zhou continued, “I’m Zhou Huang, but you can call me Elder Zhou. I’ll be in charge of you. Come, follow me. You’ll be taking over Cui Da’s side of the nursery. He’s an idiot, managing that piece of land to a complete mess. You’re in luck.”

He brought Chu Li into the ravine.

As they walked, he came across houses after houses. These houses were surrounded by railings from far away. Inside these railings were about 0.3 acres of Spirit Medicines.

Under the clear moonlight, everyone, including middle-aged men and women, was still hard at work in the Spirit Medicine Nursery.

They finally arrived at the deepest end of the Spirit Medicine Nursery.

The place was just underneath a mountain ledge where the sunlight did not reach. It was the worst section of land. With such little sunlight, growth was bound to be slow and minimal.

Under the moonlight, Cui Da swung an exquisite jasper hoe to dig out the weeds.

Chu Li snorted within. This Cui Da person managed to return so quickly!

“This idiot is weeding too slowly!” Zhou Huang glared at Cui Da in a distance and snorted. “The most laborious work in the Spirit Medicine Nursery is weeding. These weeds grow faster than Spirit Medicines, and rather densely too. It must be weeded once it’s discovered, or the Spirit Medicines would be affected, causing the quality and amount to drop!”

Chu Li nodded.

Zhou Huang added, “Every garden has its own task. A garden like yours requires the harvest of five hundred Golden Glow Grass every month.”

“What if I’m unable to complete it?” Asked Chu Li.

Zhou Huang chuckled. “Well, it’s fine if you’re unable to complete. You can leave the Spirit Medicine Nursery whenever you complete.”

“So I’ll lose the right to participate next year?”

That’s right!” Zhou Huang snorted. “If you can’t take care of Spirit Medicines, how can you do well in anything else? It’s best to break your back and start working!”

Chu Li curled his lips into a bitter smile. “What if I finished the task a year and a month later?”

“It’s impossible,” Zhou Huang explained, “The second year in Spirit Medicine Nursery is to make up for a year before. If you wish to finish it in the second year, you have to make up for the portion in arrears, do you understand?”

Chu Li slowly nodded.

“If I can’t achieve the target.” Chu Li frowned. “Will I continue to remain here?”

“If you can’t complete within five years, you’ll have to become an outer mountain disciple,” Zhou Huang spread his palms apart.

He pointed at Cui Da. “I feel unsettled with an idiot like that. With you here, you probably saved his life or else. Otherwise, he’ll end up here for five years before being banished from Great Light Peak!”

Chu Li smiled. “So it looks like I’m his lifesaver.”

“Of course!” Snorted Zhou Huang. “It’s different in Xiao Xu’s case. She’s talented in nurturing Spirit Medicines. She’ll definitely surpass the target.”

“Elder Zhou, I also have a natural gift with planting. I’ve grown flowers since I was young,” Chu Li chimed in, “With a veteran like myself, will I receive any reward if I surpass the target?”

“The reward will be generous,” said Zhou Huang, “You will be rewarded a piece of land to grow your own Spirit Medicines. Whatever you grow is yours to keep. You can sell, exchange them at the herbalist hall or use them to refine pills yourself.”

Chu Li’s eyes were gleaming.

“Young man, don’t you think too far ahead! Growing good quality Spirit Medicines isn’t as easy as you think!” Zhou Huang gave a loud snort. “Let’s get on moving and tell that Cui Da to leave, I can’t bear him a second longer!”

He then raised his voice. “Cui Da!”

Cui Da lifted his head and noticed it was Zhou Huang. He ran over holding his exquisite hoe. “Elder Zhou!”

“You can scram and report to the meal hall today.” Zhou Huang snorted.

Cui Da was looking a little pale from the palm injury caused by Chu Li, but it was not a serious wound.

“Hold it right there,” Chu Li solemnly said as his gaze lingered at the garden.