Chapter Nine: Do a good deed, and gain a connection

He stared at her for a long time, noticing that Xiao Lian'er had not finished sowing even a single acre. Wang Dalong sighed. It is truly troublesome to be unable to use spells without genuine energy.

What a joke, how can one casually speak of inner demons?

Look out! Wang Dalong raised his hand and scattered the fiery chrysanthemum seeds into the field

The disciples who brought their servants are unwilling to allow their cultivation levels to surpass their own. Cultivating blazing chrysanthemums is time-consuming, yet it yields substantial contribution points. As for the time spent on cultivation, it is not within the disciples' considerations. Generally, they will find ways to have their servants take on this task. Clearly, Xiao Linger is one such servant disciple.

"Wow, Senior Brother is truly impressive!" Xiao Lian'er clapped her hands in praise, gazing at Wang Dalong with admiration

Magic trick? Wang Dalong must be trying to help himself sow seeds. She has finally encountered a good person? Xiao Lian'er deliberately feigned a curious expression as she looked at him

A smile with a missing tooth is quite charming. Yes, the little girl should smile more often. Wang Dalong comforted himself, thinking that occasionally doing a good deed is also a form of cultivating one's moral character

Wang Dalong did not make a vow to dispel his inner demons; even if she believed he was a good person, she was unwilling to put herself in a dangerous position. She could not afford to be betrayed a second time.

It seemed as if a splendid sun shower had fallen from the sky. The azure and light red vital energy enveloped each black seed, evenly and accurately scattering them, creating a truly beautiful sight

Wang Dalong was taken aback again and reached out to grasp Xiao Lian'er’s wrist. Upon probing with his vital energy, he realized that Xiao Lian'er was not lying.

He sighed heavily, looking at Xiao Lian'er with sympathy. He took out a small pouch of medicinal powder from his sleeve and handed it over: "Junior sister, place a bamboo basket at the edge of each mu, sprinkle some bitter stone root powder inside, and the fire-eating insects will automatically crawl into the basket. You just need to collect the baskets every day, which will save you the time of catching the insects."

Faced with such a gaze, Wang Dalong suddenly felt filled with a sense called protectiveness. He confidently took out five medicine packets and stuffed them into Xiao Lian'er’s hands, saying: "Place the bamboo basket at the four corners of the spirit field and sprinkle the medicine powder. Just collect the fire-eating insects every day and send them to the beast pen. However, after ten days, it will be up to you to catch the insects diligently every day."

The young girl is both thin and short, her height only reaching his chest. Drive her away; she cannot earn contribution points and will surely be expelled from the sect by her family’s young lady. The people in her family will think she has not served the young lady well and will punish her. Her life will be over.

Holding the packet of medicine in her hand, Xiao Lian'er felt a warmth in her heart and softly said, "Senior Brother, you are truly kind"

Seeing the little girl so moved, Wang Dalong instead felt a bit uneasy and walked away with his hands behind his back, saying: "Ah, it's just a few packets of medicine powder. It's for my junior sister."

Wang Dalong is twenty years old this year and has reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement. Among the outer disciples at the front mountain gate, his cultivation is considered quite good. However, his master, Zong Zhe, is rather unreliable. With a foundation-building stage master lacking in elixirs and spirit stones, it is difficult for him to make any progress in cultivation, let alone have additional resources to provide for his disciple.

Wang Dalong looked at the jade tablet and the sect mission token handed over by Xiao Lian'er, and couldn't help but smile

The cultivation of fiery chrysanthemums is simple, requiring no tilling of the soil. After sowing the seeds, it suffices to water them once. The only inconvenience is that the fragrance of the fiery chrysanthemums tends to attract numerous fire-eating insects. Daily efforts are needed to continuously catch these insects

The person responsible for managing all the spiritual plants within the outer mountain gate is also Zong Zhe. He has entrusted the management of the medicinal garden to his disciple, Wang Dalong

"It is very important! If you do not take the Heart Demon Oath, I cannot speak. It is only because my senior brother has treated me well that I am considering telling him." Xiao Lian'er, like an ordinary child, stubbornly insisted that he agree

He had nothing to do, and sowing seeds wouldn't take much effort. Since he had already softened his heart once, he might as well help to the end. Wang Dalong walked over and took the seeds from Xiao Lian'er’s hand: "Let me show you a magic trick, senior brother."

Wang Dalong was taken aback. He did not expect that the young girl in front of him was so knowledgeable about how to cultivate fiery chrysanthemums.

Xiao Lian'er suddenly realized and instantly understood why Wang Dalong was so enthusiastic

Zong Zhe took on the task of testing new recruits each year. After spending ten years in the outer sect, he finally managed to take over the responsibilities of managing the outer sect's affairs.

Therefore, Wang Dalong's business has always been thriving, earning several hundred contribution points each month

Alright, alright, quickly sprinkle the medicinal powder into the bamboo basket and get it ready. Tomorrow, we will collect the insects. Senior brother still needs to cultivate; if you keep bothering him, you won't be a good child anymore. Wang Dalong coaxed her away as if he were soothing a child

With a slap, Wang Dalong was brought back to consciousness. He followed his master to the outer mountain gate and took on the task of managing the thousand-acre medicinal herb garden of the sect. After two years, he watched the contribution points in the jade tablet rise and counted the spirit stones in his storage bag, finally feeling that his master had done something worthwhile

Wang Dalong manages the medicinal herb garden and is able to see the business opportunities within, demonstrating that he is willing to put in the effort

Time is extremely precious for cultivators. Every day spent catching insects reduces the time available for cultivation. Few disciples are willing to take on this task. The sect had no choice but to increase the contribution point rewards, which is why some disciples agreed to take on the task. Wang Dalong slightly squinted his eyes and cheerfully reminded Xiao Lian'er

After opening her meridians, in order to accelerate her cultivation speed, she needs a large quantity of elixirs. Returning to the Yuandao Sect is like a fish returning to the sea. She has plenty of ways to earn contribution points and spirit stones. However, she currently lacks cultivation. Xiao Mingyi will constantly check her jade token, search her belongings, and take away all the contribution points and spirit stones she earns

Xiao Lian'er maintained a serious expression and said to him, "Senior Brother, I want to tell you something. Can you swear by your inner demons that you will never tell anyone else?"

For those who cultivate the path of immortality, when advancing, if troubled by inner demons, the consequences can be severe: at best, they may lose their sanity and go mad; at worst, they may fall into ruin. Inner demons are indeed the gravest oath of cultivators.

Xiao Lian'er smiled and said, "I am the maidservant brought into the sect to serve the young lady."

Does he want to find a way to get rid of Xiao Lian'er

Xiao Lian'er gritted her teeth and caught up to him: "Senior Brother!"

Ha! Wang Dalong couldn't help but laugh out loud. He bent down, resting his hands on his knees to meet Xiao Lian'er at eye level: "You can't cultivate, so why should Senior Brother take a vow against his inner demons? What could be so important?"

The servant has found time to cultivate their skills. With improved cultivation, they can find alternative ways to make up for the lack of contribution points, making it difficult for the master to say anything. Ordinary disciples rely on purchasing medicinal powders to catch pests while growing blazing chrysanthemums.

What is more significant, the income of seventy-five contribution points per month or the fate of an ordinary girl? Wang Dalong was deeply troubled by this dilemma

She nodded and saluted him: "Thank you, senior brother! I will be heading back now"

Unfortunately, she is in dire need of the blazing chrysanthemum right now. Xiao Lian'er regretfully declined him once again: "Senior Brother, I cannot cultivate at the moment. Aside from planting the blazing chrysanthemum, I have no other way to earn contribution points. If my contribution points decrease, my young lady will expel me from the sect"

That's it. After going through so much to arrive at the sect, they don't even allow anyone to settle in for a month; that's rather stingy. Wang Dalong waved his hand

He has a robust physique, with a round face adorned by a smile, giving him a particularly simple and honest appearance. However, when he smiles, his slender eyebrows and eyes narrow into slits, inadvertently revealing a shrewd glint in his gaze

Since it is clear, that makes things easier. He chuckled, his smile taking on a more cunning edge, as if he could already see the contribution points flying into his jade token: "Junior sister, feel free to use it. This packet of medicinal powder won't cost you any contribution points. It's convenient for you, and you can come to me to buy it anytime in the future... I only need 5 contribution points. That's half the price of what the sect charges."

Wang Dalong turned around in surprise: "Is there anything else, Junior Sister?"

Xiao Lian'er soon realized that she was being impatient. It is good, as the strength of a horse is known over a long journey, and a person's heart is revealed over time. There is still plenty of time for her to better understand Wang Dalong's character.

He not only sows seeds for himself but also generously gives away ten days' worth of medicine powder. This can be considered a reflection of his kind-heartedness

Wang Dalong originally did not want to follow his master. Zong Zhe slapped him on the head and scolded, "What do we lack in our cultivation? Pills! Although managing mundane affairs takes a lot of time, the contribution points and spirit stones earned are also substantial. When we exchange for pills later, will you still worry about it affecting your cultivation? You really are a foolish boy!"

Xiao Lian'er saluted him and happily ran down to the fields to sow seeds

Wang Dalong suddenly realized

The entire plant of the blazing chrysanthemum, from flower to root, is medicinal. Its fiery properties are ten times stronger than those of the blazing sun flower, making it a primary material for crafting fire talismans. It is also required for the refinement of fire yang elixirs. The Yuan Dao Sect has specifically designated one hundred acres for blazing chrysanthemum cultivation

Living together with Xiao Mingyi for an extended period will lead to her discovering the clues. Xiao Lian'er needs a safe place for cultivation. More importantly, she requires a partner who can collaborate with her

He enthusiastically led her into the medicinal herb garden and pointed out: "The task assigned to you, junior sister, is to cultivate 5 acres of blazing chrysanthemum. The blazing chrysanthemum matures quickly, with a harvest every month. You only need to submit 2 loads to the sect each month, and anything beyond that is yours to keep. Tools must be returned in their entirety after use. If there is any damage, points will be deducted from your task contributions."

A disciple at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, who is willing to sacrifice cultivation time to manage mundane affairs, must certainly be in urgent need of contribution points, spirit stones, and elixirs

Xiao Lian'er had been observing Wang Dalong's expression and had come to a conclusion. She raised a finger and said seriously and calmly: "Senior Brother, may I finish planting this month?"

Willing to endure hardships and invest effort, urgently in need of spiritual stones, and harbors good intentions. This person is a suitable partner for collaboration

Digging for insects not only consumes time but also does not require the application of any techniques. This is the most suitable task for Xiao Lian'er. Her master will surely have her continue this work for the sake of the two hundred contribution points each month. This means he will sell five mu less of bitter stone root powder every month. Wang Dalong felt a pang of pain in his heart.

During the foundation-building period, the cultivators have abundant sect offerings and numerous ways to earn spirit stones and contribution points, making them look down upon such meager earnings. Disciples in the Qi Refining stage cannot fly and can only gather resources like ordinary people, tied with ropes. However, planting only a few acres of land and specifically digging for bitter stones requires them to bring the stones back, roast, and grind them, which the Qi Refining disciples also find troublesome

Who would want to spend the whole day in the fields catching bugs? She also wishes to use it. Unfortunately, Xiao Mingyi does not care about her own exhaustion. She has left no contribution points for herself, and to have enough to eat, she must rely on how much food Xiao Mingyi has left. She can only refuse Wang Dalong's medicinal powder: "A pack of bitter stone root powder requires ten contribution points, and can only be used for ten days on one acre of land. For five acres, it would require one hundred and fifty contribution points in a month. Growing blazing chrysanthemums is meant to earn contribution points. Thank you, Brother Wang, for your kindness. I cannot afford it."

In the vicinity of Qingmu Mountain, families of cultivators typically bring a servant. Upon entering the sect, their status is that of a miscellaneous disciple. Initially, their cultivation does not progress, preventing them from becoming formal outer disciples, and they can only obey the commands of their masters

Grinding the root of the bitter stone into powder can attract fire-eating insects, earning a meager income. This root grows on sheer cliffs, being hard and sturdy

Wang Dalong felt a sudden jolt in his heart. There was an awkward sensation of being seen through.

Disciples who bring servants to attend to them in the sect invariably choose those who are capable of cultivation. To plant spiritual herbs, plow the soil, water, and harvest, one only needs to reach the first level of Qi Refinement to learn basic techniques, such as the Water Induction Technique and the Soil Turning Technique. Those like Xiao Lian'er, who cannot cultivate, can only toil like ordinary farmers, using a hoe to turn the soil. They water the plants with a ladle and then harvest with a sickle. Working on five acres of land, it would be surprising if they were not exhausted.

One mu requires three bags, and five mu of land requires fifteen bags. Purchasing from Wang Dalong only costs seventy-five contribution points per month. One can still retain one hundred twenty-five contribution points. This allows for a significant amount of time to be saved for cultivation

He performed the hand techniques for water manipulation, and the method was executed, with fine droplets of water spraying down. The entire process of sowing and watering took only fifteen minutes