It was noon, under a blazing sun.
In the Cloud Mist Sect's back mountain, within Lingyin Garden, Gu Qingfeng was leisurely sunbathing while reclining on a master's chair. He had been at the Cloud Mist Sect for five or six days now. Passing the days playing chess and drinking a little wine with that old man Huode had been quite comfortable.
Besides Gu Qingfeng sunbathing in the garden, there was also a young man diligently practicing martial arts. He looked to be in his early twenties, with dark skin and a sturdy build—the very picture of an honest man.
Indeed, that was the case. Gu Qingfeng knew this young man. His name was Wang Dashan, a handyman for this Lingyin Garden. The fellow was simple, straightforward, and very hardworking. After finishing his garden duties, he would always train his martial arts diligently.
What puzzled Gu Qingfeng was that every day at noon, this guy would shoulder a hoe and leave for a while. Today was no different. After finishing a set of fist techniques, Wang Dashan hoisted his hoe again, picked up a bag of tools, and prepared to leave.
"Young Master, I'll be away for a bit."
Wang Dashan was an honest man. Huode had instructed him to serve Gu Qingfeng as if he were his own grandfather, so he did just that, addressing him as "Young Master" every day.
Gu Qingfeng took a sip of wine and asked, "Tell me, Dashan, what do you do every day carrying that hoe?"
"I go to tend my Spirit Field."
Spirit Field?
Gu Qingfeng knew these were used for growing various medicinal herbs. He teased, "Didn't take you for a Spirit Field farmer."
Wang Dashan grinned foolishly. "I've been tending Spirit Fields ever since I joined the Cloud Mist Sect."
"Where's your Spirit Field? Is it far?"
"Not far. It's in Redleaf Valley, near the sect."
"Come on, take me to have a look."
That old man Huode had disappeared early in the morning, and Gu Qingfeng was bored with nothing to do, so he thought he'd go out for a look.
"Ah... Young Master, you want to go too!"
"What? Can't I go?"
"I... I didn't mean that... It's just that it's noon now, the sun is fierce, and Redleaf Valley is especially scorching hot. I'm afraid you..."
"Enough, it's just a bit of heat."
Gu Qingfeng stood up, stretched lazily, looked at the blazing sun hanging in the sky, yawned, and said, "To tell the truth, I feel like getting more sun right now. Let's go."
"Then... alright then!"
Seeing Gu Qingfeng's insistence, Wang Dashan couldn't refuse and led him towards Redleaf Valley.
Over the past few days, various rumors had been swirling through the Cloud Mist Sect. Wang Dashan had heard them too. Naturally, he knew this Young Master was the Crimson Flame Young Lord who had captured Ouyang Ye's heart at first sight. He also knew Gu Qingfeng had a Foundation Establishment waste body and that Ouyang Ye had brought him to the Cloud Mist Sect, hoping Elder Huode could help him.
Initially, Wang Dashan thought that was the case. But after observing for a few days, he felt something was off. Because this Young Master showed no respect towards Elder Huode whatsoever. Not only did he not respect him, but he was also... very casual and even brazen in front of Elder Huode, daring to call him "old man" right to his face.
That was Elder Huode! The Cloud Mist Sect's most senior, highest-ranking, most venerable Great Elder!
No one in the entire Cloud Mist Sect dared speak to Elder Huode like that.
How could this Young Master be so bold? And Elder Huode didn't seem to mind at all.
If he really came seeking Elder Huode's help, shouldn't he be showing great respect?
Wang Dashan couldn't figure it out, and of course, he didn't dare ask.
Leaving the sect and crossing a mountain ridge, the two arrived at Redleaf Valley. The area was vast, filled with Spirit Fields everywhere.
Gu Qingfeng looked around. Many disciples were busy working in their fields. Upon asking, he learned that most disciples of the Cloud Mist Sect had their own Spirit Fields.
Life was hard, and cultivation was even harder.
Cultivation sects were not charities. On the contrary, to enter a sect for cultivation, one had to pay hefty tuition fees every year. Most disciples came from poor backgrounds. They might afford the tuition, but they couldn't afford the various resources needed for cultivation.
If one achieved something in cultivation or mastered an immortal art, they could go out to earn money—crafting talismans, setting up formations... Ouyang Ye, for instance, was skilled in music and earned her living by performing. If confident in their own strength, disciples could also form small groups to venture out, gain experience, and seek treasures.
Of course, the prerequisite for earning money was having high cultivation or mastering an immortal art. Among the Cloud Mist Sect's ten thousand-plus members, those who earned through immortal arts were mostly inner sect disciples. Outer sect disciples generally lacked that capability. If even outer sect disciples struggled, let alone Wang Dashan, who was just a handyman.
Heard this guy had been a handyman at the Cloud Mist Sect for several years and was still only at the eighth level of the Postnatal Realm. As for immortal arts, he seemed to focus on martial arts, but due to poor comprehension, he still hadn't mastered even the most basic martial technique, 'Flame Fist'.
Gu Qingfeng walked and observed. The things planted in these Spirit Fields were a diverse lot—Fire Pearl Grass, Starleaf Fruit, and so on—pretty much all herbs used for pill refining.
They wandered through the valley for a good half an hour until they reached a very remote spot at the mountain's foot, finally arriving at Wang Dashan's Spirit Field.
The lad's field wasn't large, about an acre or so, planted with the most common Fire Pearl Grass. This stuff wasn't very valuable, but it was easy to grow and matured quickly, ready for harvest in about a month. Looking at the dense, red clusters of Fire Pearl Grass in Wang Dashan's acre, it seemed they'd be ready for harvesting in a few days.
Although Gu Qingfeng had cultivated for centuries and, back in his cultivation days, had done everything from digging pits and setting traps to stealing, cheating, and even resorting to murder and robbery when poor, he had never actually tended a Spirit Field.
Watching Wang Dashan meticulously care for those Fire Pearl Grass plants, Gu Qingfeng suddenly felt interested. He looked around, found a barren patch of land, shouldered his hoe, and started clearing it.
"Young Master, you... what are you doing!"
Seeing him clearing the land, Wang Dashan was shocked.
"Idle hands make idle minds. I'll clear a patch too, try my hand at farming an acre of Spirit Field."
"Young Master, how can you farm a Spirit Field..."
"What kind of talk is that? Why can't I? Is there some rule against it?"
"I didn't mean that... There's no rule, it's just... I heard your musical attainments are very high. At First-Class Manor, many people offered high prices to invite you to perform... Why would you farm a Spirit Field here..."
Wang Dashan truly couldn't understand. He'd heard that at First-Class Manor, someone had offered a whopping four or five hundred thousand for Gu Qingfeng to perform. Four or five hundred thousand! That number was astronomical to him. Farming his Spirit Field for a whole year would only earn him a hundred or so spirit stones.
"Idle hands make idle minds. Just finding something to do."