Chapter 1: Reaping Lifespans
Chapter 1: Reaping Lifespans
Under the scorching sun, the sky was clear and the mountains surrounded them, causing the earth to tremble. As the mountain breeze blew through the valley, Gu An, who was standing in the garden, felt a slight chill.
Gu An wiped the sweat from his forehead and stared intently at the vibrant flowers blooming on the ground. Despite the scorching sun, they showed no signs of withering.
On either side of him stood two young boys. Compared to Gu An's excitement, the other two seemed disinterested and distracted as they wiped their sweat.
In front of them stood a young man in plain clothes. He had a sturdy build and bright eyes, and he was Zhang Chunqiu, the chief disciple of Yaogu, a branch of the Danyao Hall of Tai Xuan Gate. He was instructing Gu An and the others on the intricacies of plucking spirit flowers and herbs.
"The flowers and plants in this garden are all first-grade medicinal herbs. When plucking them, you must not pull them out by the roots. Cut them from the stem close to the soil, and then wrap them with the spirit-protecting paper in your hands to prevent the leakage of spiritual energy..." Zhang Chunqiu's voice was loud and cheerful, unaffected by the scorching sun.
Gu An held a pair of scissors in his right hand and a stack of white paper strips in his left, carefully committing every word of Zhang Chunqiu's instructions to memory.
Unlike the other two, he treasured this opportunity and had endured much ridicule to obtain it.
Others thought he was slacking off and falling behind, but little did they know that this was the perfect path for him to become stronger!
"Alright, let's begin. Each of you pluck one, and I'll inspect it." As soon as Zhang Chunqiu finished speaking, Gu An crouched down.
Gu An put down the spirit-protecting paper and carefully held the stem of the red flower in front of him with his left hand.
"Brother, you're too nervous. It doesn't matter if you mess up. It's just a first-grade herb. These are just ordinary flowers used for refining basic pills. If I were at home, I wouldn't even give them a second glance," said Meng Lang, who was standing to Gu An's right. He was dressed in fine clothes and seemed to come from a wealthy family.
In fact, he was right. Apart from Gu An, who was a servant, the other two boys were indeed from affluent families. However, even in the cultivation world, one's talent was important, and they possessed the most mediocre five spirit roots. To stay in Tai Xuan Gate, they could only serve as menial disciples.
Gu An ignored Meng Lang's comment and focused on cutting the flower.
He pinched the stem, gently snipped it with the scissors, and then wrapped the base of the red flower with the spirit-protecting paper.
After completing these steps, he stood up and presented the flower to Zhang Chunqiu for inspection.
Zhang Chunqiu took the flower and, satisfied, smiled, "Well done. You're very meticulous."
Instead of responding, Gu An stared intently at the red flower in Zhang Chunqiu's hand.
At that moment, he was even more nervous than before he had cut the flower.
After a few breaths, a line of text that only Gu An could see floated before his eyes.
【You have successfully taken one year of lifespan from the Red Spirit Flower (First Grade)】
Success!
A smile broke out on Gu An's face, and he felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
As he had suspected, he could only take the lifespan from plants and animals that contained spiritual energy.
Gu An's first experience of taking a lifespan had occurred when he was ten years old. He had accidentally bumped into a servant carrying a flower pot, causing the spirit flower to fall and scatter. As a result, he had gained twelve years of lifespan.
At that time, the steward had been furious and insisted on cutting off Gu An's hand. It was only because of the intervention of the third young miss, Ji Xiaoyu, that he had been spared.
It was also thanks to Ji Xiaoyu that Gu An was able to join Tai Xuan Gate. She possessed a rare dual spirit root, and many prominent cultivation sects had tried to recruit her. Ji Xiaoyu had brought five members of the Ji family, including Gu An, who was one of only two servants, to join Tai Xuan Gate.
Without Ji Xiaoyu, someone with his mediocre five spirit roots would have only been accepted into a third-rate sect.
As Gu An rejoiced inwardly, Meng Lang and the other boy, Li Ya, also finished plucking their flowers.
Zhang Chunqiu placed the three Red Spirit Flowers into his storage bag and said seriously, "Your task today is to work together to pluck fifty Red Spirit Flowers. You must stay within this garden and not trespass into other areas. Once you're done, bring the flowers to me in the pavilion."
With that, Zhang Chunqiu turned and left.
Meng Lang waved his fist at Zhang Chunqiu's departing back and muttered, "What a fuss over a trivial matter. Has he never taught junior disciples before?"
Li Ya sat down on the soil, wiping his sweat frantically with his sleeve.
After seeing Zhang Chunqiu ascend the stairs, Gu An turned to Meng Lang and Li Ya and said, "Brothers, judging from your fine clothing, I'm sure you come from prestigious families. This kind of manual labor is probably not something you're used to. I, on the other hand, am just a servant. Why don't I take care of this task while you two find a shady spot to rest? In the future, I hope you will show me the same kindness."
Meng Lang's eyes lit up at Gu An's suggestion, and he smiled happily, "That sounds great, brother! You're a man of good sense. If you ever feel like you can't continue here, I'll guarantee you a lifetime of comfort and ease."
Li Ya was too exhausted to speak, but he nodded in agreement.
The two boys left their spirit-protecting paper with Gu An and supported each other as they made their way out of the garden.
Gu An picked up the discarded spirit-protecting paper and turned back to the garden, his eyes gleaming. The blazing sun in the sky was no match for the intensity of his gaze.
In his eyes, the garden full of Red Spirit Flowers was not just flowers, but stepping stones to a path of longevity!
He began to move carefully, determined not only to complete the task but to do it perfectly to ensure he kept this perfect opportunity.
The sun blazed mercilessly, showing no sympathy for the mortals below.
Meng Lang and Li Ya made their way to a small pavilion to rest, constantly wiping the sweat from their brows. They were too exhausted even to speak, but their eyes followed Gu An's movements.
Time ticked by, second by second, and Gu An was drenched in sweat, but he was exhilarated, his smile unwavering.
Seeing Gu An's flushed face, Meng Lang couldn't help but exclaim, "This kid's really something in this scorching weather. I like his spirit. From now on, let's take good care of him, provide him with the best food and drink, and not let anyone bully him. That way, he can continue to help us with our tasks."
Li Ya rolled his eyes, exasperated. "There aren't many people in this valley for anyone to bully him. What if Big Brother Zhang bullies him? Are you going to stand up to him?"
Meng Lang coughed lightly and turned to Li Ya, asking, "Brother, which Li family are you from?"
Li Ya calmly replied, "The Li family of Changluo in Cangzhou."
"Changluo? Isn't that the Imperial City? Do you share the same surname as the royalty?" Meng Lang asked in surprise, his eyes widening as he realized the implication of Li Ya's answer.
Li Ya didn't respond and instead gazed quietly at Gu An.
Meng Lang felt a bit awkward. He hadn't expected to encounter a member of the royal family here.
But then he thought about it and felt it made sense. After all, this was Tai Xuan Gate, the foremost cultivation sect in the Tacheng Empire. The fact that it shared the character 'Tai' with the imperial family was a testament to its extraordinary status. It wasn't far-fetched to encounter a member of the royal family in the lower ranks of Tai Xuan Gate.
After a long while, Gu An finally finished plucking fifty Red Spirit Flowers. He placed all the wrapped flowers into a bamboo basket and slung it over his back. With a look of anticipation, he turned towards the other gardens.
There were more than fifteen gardens in the valley, and the one they were in was just a small corner. Gu An guessed that the medicinal herbs in the other gardens were even more valuable.
There would be plenty of time for that in the future!
Gu An didn't want to expose his secret ability just yet, so he decided to call it a day.
He walked along the path towards the pavilion, waving at Meng Lang and Li Ya as he went. The two boys joined him, and since they had introduced themselves to Valley Master Zhang earlier, they already knew each other's names.
"Brother Gu An, you must be tired. Let me carry it for you," offered Meng Lang with a cheerful smile.
Gu An saw through Meng Lang's careful consideration and nodded with a smile, handing over the basket.
Li Ya scoffed, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes.
Gu An just wanted to keep this job, and he didn't want to be reassigned due to performing too well, so he didn't bother arguing with Meng Lang.
The three of them entered the pavilion and met with Big Brother Zhang, who was holding a book in his hands. Upon seeing them, he set the book down and said, "You can put the Red Spirit Flowers down. These three books are foundational cultivation manuals left by the Master. Study them during your free time and strive to advance from here, becoming true disciples of Tai Xuan Gate. Five years ago, there was a disciple who received an elixir from the Master and successfully built his foundation, becoming an outer disciple of Tai Xuan Gate."
As he spoke, he waved his right hand, and three secret manuals flew out from his sleeve towards Gu An and the others.
Gu An took one of the books and looked at the title.
Spring Wood Technique!
It sounded so basic!
But Gu An wasn't disappointed. After all, he was at the bottom of Tai Xuan Gate.
Big Brother Zhang gave them a few more instructions before telling them to find rooms to stay in the neighboring courtyard. That area was designated for miscellaneous disciples, and currently, there were only four disciples in the Medicine Valley, including themselves. The Valley Master was away, and it would be a couple of years before he returned, so Big Brother Zhang was in charge during his absence.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Gu An lay on the wooden bed, panting heavily, his face still flushed from the sun.
With a thought, a line of text appeared before his eyes.
【Name: Gu An】
【Lifespan: 15/151】
【Spirit Root: Ordinary Five Element Spirit Root (Can invest lifespan for cultivation)】
【Cultivation: Inferior (Can invest lifespan for cultivation)】
【Technique: Fire Control Art (Not yet cultivated) (Can invest lifespan for cultivation)】
...
Gu An had gained eighty-eight years of lifespan in one go!
Before this, he had sixty-three years of lifespan, twelve of which he had gained at the age of ten when he accidentally knocked over a flower pot. That meant his original lifespan was only fifty years.
First-grade medicinal herbs could only provide one to two years of lifespan, but to an ordinary person, a single year was a long time!
Gu An looked at his attribute panel, and the more he saw, the more excited he became. In such a short time, he had gained eighty-eight years of lifespan. This job was incredible!
He wanted to stay in the Medicine Valley forever!
He cared nothing for becoming an outer or inner disciple.
It was said that to become a formal disciple, one had to go out on missions, slaying demons and eliminating evils in the human realm, which was extremely dangerous.
In his previous life, Gu An had never even killed a chicken, and as an ordinary person on Earth, he knew he couldn't handle such battles.
Staying in the Medicine Valley was the best option. There was hardly any danger, and he could amass lifespan!
Who said that cultivating immortality required risking one's life?
Gu An sank into delightful reverie, unable to pull himself away.
A night passed.
Gu An woke up early in the morning and, after a simple wash, went to find Big Brother Zhang to receive his task for the day.
Big Brother Zhang hadn't slept either; he had been cultivating. Seeing Gu An's diligence, he smiled with satisfaction and then walked to the door, pointing to a nearby garden. "You can pluck all the Spirit-Calming Grass in that garden. Just leave the grass at the door; there's no need to knock."
As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and strips of spirit-protecting paper fell into Gu An's hands.
Seeing Gu An's barely contained excitement, Big Brother Zhang hesitated for a moment before offering a kind smile. "Junior Brother, work hard, and as long as you're diligent and willing to endure hardship, you will surely succeed."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
