Chapter 4: Nangong Ruoxi

Days continued to drift by in a dull, unremarkable flow. Another year had passed, and Qin Changsheng’s routine remained unchanged: either absorbing the vitality from the medicinal fields to cultivate his power or basking in the sun in the outer sect’s courtyard.

Managing the herb fields earned him five spirit stones a month, enough to purchase some cultivation resources. Of course, the spirit stones were trivial; what mattered was his discovery that the vitality within the herb fields was incredibly dense. By circulating the Longevity Manual here, he could absorb that essence. His cultivation speed in this spot was five times faster than anywhere else.

Within a year, he had all but exhausted the vitality of the fields, which explained why the herbs under his care had barely grown.

Wang Yuyan, that girl he had watched grow up, had now become a fairy-like figure far beyond his reach. He felt no urge to seek her out just because the girl he raised had risen to prominence. "Cultivation for mortals should mean severing worldly ties," Qin Changsheng mused. Perhaps Yuyan’s attachment back then was merely a fleeting impulse, long forgotten as her cultivation progressed.

Life simply went on.

"Even after reaching the thousandth level of Qi Refining, I still cannot reach Foundation Establishment."

"I don't know what's wrong, but lately, my eyes have been itching, and my vision is getting sharper. I can even see through thin objects. Could this be a mutation from reaching the thousandth level of Qi Refining?"

Qin Changsheng still hadn't achieved Foundation Establishment. He was already at the thousandth level of the Qi Refining stage—a height that surpassed the sky compared to the standard nine levels. Finding no explanation, he could only keep cultivating. Even when he saved enough to buy a Foundation Establishment pill, it proved useless. He simply could not break through. Over time, he had given up on it. Since there was no limit to Qi Refining, he would just keep refining; he was already at the thousandth level, after all.

Just as Qin Changsheng was lost in thought, a woman in white walked toward his door. A sliver of sunlight streamed from behind her. From his angle, the light made her white dress appear quite translucent, revealing the faint outlines of her figure and her long, straight legs beneath the fabric.

Big. Long. White.

Although he had often snuck looks at Qinghe bathing back in the day, eighty years had passed, and Qin Changsheng had become a man of integrity. Yuyan had grown up by his side and carried echoes of Qinghe, so he didn't dare let his mind wander.

However, he could not deny he was no saint. Even after nearly a century in this world, he retained many values from his previous life on the Blue Star. That was why, when he realized Wang Yuyan’s unconventional affection for him, he had sent her away. He could not overcome his own moral and ethical boundaries.

Of course, possessing the Longevity Tablet meant his life was destined to tread a different path. After parting ways with Wang Yuyan, he had marched forward on the path of immortality without looking back. The road was long and difficult, but fortunately, it was reasonably pleasant. He quite enjoyed the feeling of "leveling up."

The woman in white looked ethereal and possessed great power.

"A fairy descending upon a broken place like mine?" Qin Changsheng scoffed, assuming his eyes were playing tricks on him again. But when he rubbed them, the woman hadn't vanished; instead, his vision seemed to improve further—so much so that he could peer right through her clothes.

As he watched, the woman walked inside. She stared straight at Qin Changsheng, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. She saw none of the tension or anxiety expected of a mere servant in this young man's gaze. He seemed quite different.

"I am in need of a medicine boy. After searching, you are the only one who barely meets my standards. Would you agree to become my medicine boy? Let me be your... 'backing' in the Mount-Backing Sect?"

The woman looked up at Qin Changsheng and spoke softly. Her voice was incredibly pleasant, though, if one listened closely, it was perhaps slightly less enchanting than Yuyan's. In truth, it wasn't inferior; the feeling simply stemmed from Qin Changsheng finding the content of her offer unappealing. As a reincarnated soul, he was accustomed to freedom and disliked serving others, which was why he preferred tending these herb fields.

"You may have misunderstood, Miss. I am quite fond of my duties in the herb field at the moment, so I cannot be your medicine boy." Qin Changsheng sighed and offered a cupped-hand salute. "Please return, Miss."

The young woman was stunned by his refusal, seemingly unaccustomed to being turned down.

"Do you realize that by following me, your path of cultivation will be smooth sailing? It would be a hundred times better than your life as a servant. Have you considered what you are refusing?"

"This is a magnificent stroke of fortune! By following the Saintess, your great opportunity has arrived," Elder Sun, who was nearby, urged, casting frantic looks at Qin Changsheng.

Qin Changsheng finally realized the girl's identity: the Saintess of the Mount-Backing Sect.

Tsk, tsk!

But...

"I understand, Miss. Opportunity is important, but one must be able to grasp it. The Saintess comes to the servant quarters to pick a boy to serve as an attendant, without asking about cultivation or capability, directly naming me—I assume it’s not for my skills as a medicine boy."

Qin Changsheng shook his head again. "And I possess no talents other than this, while the other karmic implications are too heavy. I fear I would have the life to witness it but not the life to endure it. So, it is better we each go our own way. Please return, Saintess!"

As Qin Changsheng turned to leave, the woman’s expression turned cold. "Everything is negotiable. You, a mere medicine boy, refuse me so ruthlessly—are you not afraid you cannot bear the consequences of this karma?"

Her Golden Core cultivation aura erupted instantly!

The young woman stared directly at him. "I will give you one thousand spirit stones a month, and you will have the authority to practice inner-sect techniques and martial arts."

"You won't have to perform menial tasks, you won't be in mortal danger, and I won't require you to pledge your soul to me. How about that?"

Hearing these terms, Qin Changsheng stopped in his tracks. He asked with a suspicious look, "Given these perks and my condition, Saintess, are you looking for a male companion?"

As soon as he spoke, Elder Sun was terrified, lunging forward to cover Qin Changsheng’s mouth. "My master, how can you say such things?"

The young woman trembled, staring at Qin Changsheng, dumbfounded.

"No... that’s not it!"

"Then you must have too many spirit stones and nowhere to put them. A servant only gets five stones a month, and you're offering a thousand? You're making things very difficult for me."

He wasn't ashamed to admit that after years of cultivation, he didn't even own a flying sword because he couldn't afford one. In his five years as a servant at the Mount-Backing Sect, his total salary had barely reached a few hundred stones. Even with the occasional pilfered herb, he hadn't saved more than a thousand, all of which had been wasted on failed Foundation Establishment pills, leaving him penniless.

When he first heard her offer, he had refused with the mindset that an orc would never be a slave, but when she mentioned a thousand stones a month, he had to admit he was tempted. In the end, he lost to reality; cultivation wasn't just about hot-blooded passion—it was about those gleaming spirit stones.

Seeing the look in the woman's eyes, as if she were itching to draw her sword, Qin Changsheng sighed. "Being a medicine boy isn't impossible, but the price must be higher. And..."

"I require that if you get into a fight, I am allowed to run away first to save my life."

The young woman was stunned. She couldn't understand why she had thought this boy was unfathomable just moments ago; he was just a street-smart youth. Though she was incredibly annoyed, she thought of the elders breathing down her neck and the Saint Son’s pursuit. She had no other shield to choose from, so she nodded. "Your conditions are met. I will raise the monthly payment to fifteen hundred."

"Deal."

"..."