Dao Chapter 16: The Fickleness of Human Nature

After recalling the method, Shiao Chen made sure that there were no missing errors and he nodded in satisfaction. Then, he closed his eyes and started cultivating.

Five days later, Shiao Chen’s eyelids trembled and then he opened his eyes. Suddenly, a wonderful feeling filled his heart. It seemed that his senses were infinitely more sensitive than before. He could feel everything within 33 square meters, even a leaf’s falling.

It was Divine Sense!

He felt surprised and happy about his change. It was an ability only possessed by practitioners at the fifth level of the Qi Refining. However, he was only at the peak of the first level of Qi Refining and got the skill of Divine Sense which indicated how incredible Soul Muddling Scripture was.

Just thinking of the skill and the concealing effect of Soul Muddling Scripture was immediately activated. The breath of Shiao Chen suddenly weakened, and finally stayed at the early stage of Qi Refining. Shiao Chen nodded his head with satisfaction and smiled out of delight. He did not know the effect of the concealment. However, he thought that if others did not pay much attention to him, he should not be noticed.

Shiao Chen pushed the stone door open and walked out. Looking at the deserted herbal garden, his face was covered with gloom. Although the restraint for being the disciple of Alchemy Taoist was quite small, he could not escape the semi-annual alchemy assessment. Should he fail it, he would be expelled.

Shiao Chen had only been the disciple of Alchemy Taoist for a short time. According to the rules, he needn’t to attend the first alchemy assessment. However, he must take the alchemy assessment a year later. Duan Minghua must be secretly hoping that he would be kicked out of the sect a year later.

Shiao Chen sneered, but then walked out of the valley after pondering for a while. "Liu San is in charge of picking 50 Spirit-purifying Fruits from back mountain within one month and you’ll get a low-rank spiritual stone after completing the task."

"Hu Wei is responsible for collecting water from the spirit canal from back mountain in one month. The water is for the use of various herbal gardens. And you’ll get a low-rank spiritual stone after completing the task.”

“Sun Ce is in charge of the kitchen firewood in one month, and you’ll get half a low-rank stone after completing the task."

After getting the tasks, the outer disciples were in a hurry to finish those tasks. They worked very hard every month and had little time to practice. So, they could not afford to waste a second.

After completing the monthly routine, Liu Tao hurried to the inner room. Recently, he had reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining. And an elder of the sect implied that if he could reach the seventh level of the Qi Refining, he could be the core disciple of the sect. So, he was busy cultivating.

“Senior Liu.” Just then, a familiar voice came from outside.

He paused for a moment and quickly thought of the identity of the newcomer. A trace of impatience flashed across his eyes. But then he put on a smile and greeted, "Junior Shiao, long time no see. Come in please.”

Shiao Chen walked in but Liu Tao was just sitting in a chair, said, "Junior Shiao, please take a seat. Why do you come here today?"

Shiao Chen signed in heart and thought it was the human nature. The information that he got a discarded garden must have spread all over the sect. Liu Tao’s attitude was obviously more indifferent than before.

“Oh, I need some help. You must know that the garden I get have been deserted for a long time. So, I want to borrow some people from Senior Liu to clean the garden.”

"Well," Eyebrows knitting together, Liu Tao looked a bit troubled and said slowly, " Junior Shiao, it’s not that I’m not willing to help. I'm afraid no disciples are free. They have their own missions."

Looking at Shiao Chen, Liu Tao pained for the Wind Walking Talismans and Fire Ball Talismans that he gave to Shiao Chen before and behaved even more tepidly. He originally thought that Shiao Chen was quite favored by the Master of Elixir Valley. Now he knew Shiao Chen was a mere nobody.

Hearing that, Shiao Chen put on an upset expression, gritted his teeth, and said, "You're right, Senior brother. But I guess there must be some people available. I have a Spirit Quenching Elixir that was bestowed by the Master, and I'm ready to offer it to my senior brother." Shiao Chen looked a bit reluctant but then reached into his storage bag to take a verdant pill, and put it on the table.

“The Spirit Quenching Elixir!” Liu Tao was quite surprised and hurriedly took it in hands. Ascertaining the authenticity of the pill, he beamed with delight. The Spirit Quenching Elixir could help to purify the spirit, which was of great benefit to cultivators at Qi Refining. Having been busy cultivating all the time, he was in urgent need of such a pill to help him improve.

"Aha. It's very kind of you, Brother Shiao Chen. I'll accept it, because I need it indeed. Wait a moment, I'll arrange twenty disciples to help you right now and clean up the herbal garden within half a day." Apparently, Liu's attitude turned politer and more enthusiastic after receiving the spiritual pill.

Watching Liu Tao leaving in a hurry, a faint of sneer crossed his face. The fickleness of human nature among practitioners was more obvious than in ordinary beings. The Spirit Quenching Elixir was one of the lower spiritual pills of the dozens of pills that he found in Black Ghost’s storage bag. Shiao Chen would never put on an air of wealth. Otherwise he would be blatantly asking for blackmail. What's more, he claimed that this spiritual pill was given by the Alchemy Taoist. Presumably this Liu Tao did not have the courage to verify it. Shiao Chen felt naturally relieved.

At noon, when the 20 outer disciples finished their work and left, the whole valley turned brand-new. Weeds and gravel were all cleared, the ground soil was also turned over.

Shiao Chen nodded his head with satisfaction. He took the spiritual seeds from the storage bag and planted it carefully one by one.

With a jade hoe the size of a palm in his hand, Shiao Chen carefully dug a small hole in the ground about five fingers deep, planted the seeds of calming grass in his hand and covered the soil.  Not until he pressed the soil with forty percent of his strength did he feel relieved.

Spiritual herb planting was a tricky business, with strict requirements for tools, soil, and even the strength for pressing the soil. If something went wrong, it was likely to waste seeds. After four whole hours, Shiao Chen finished planting only a small half of the valley. Indeed he worked slow.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't finish it till dark." Looking at the large vacant lot left, Shiao Chen could not help but force a smile, leaning heavily against a stone wall behind him.

Dong! A dull noise came from behind him and Shiao Chen was surprised. It was a sound he was not unfamiliar with.

He turned quickly and looked at the smooth stone wall in front of him. Then knocked slightly on the wall.

Dong! Dong! It was hollow!

Realizing this, Shiao Chen looked curious. No one would pass by such a remote herbal garden, but still Shiao Chen looked around carefully to ascertain that no one was there. Then he took a spiritual tool from the storage bag and knocked on stone wall.

Chapter end