âItâs been hard on you these few days,â Lonemoon said as he looked genuinely apologetic. âIâm sorry for disappearing without notifying you first.â At the end of the day, they were the ones in the wrong. They caused Zuo Shuming to spend several days looking for them.
âBrother Lonemoon, please donât worry about it.â Zuo Shuming really looked like he did not mind in the least. âI wanted to do this - it had nothing to do with you. Whatâs more, havenât you been injured over the past few days? Itâs normal that you did not get to inform me sooner.â
ââŠâ Why was Lonemoon feeling even guiltier?
âYou just joined the sect - have you been focusing on training these days?â He scanned him from head to toe and said, âI see that you have a three-elemental spirit root: Water, wood and fire. Your foundation is quite solid as well. I donât think itâs going to be difficult for you to advance to Foundation Establishment. If you have any doubts, please donât hesitate to come to me.â After all, he had trained Fatty, an all-rounded cultivator.
Zuo Shuming broke into a grin. Fellow Daoist Lonemoon was a Foundation Establishment cultivator before. Although his cultivation level had deteriorated, he was very familiar with training for Foundation Establishment cultivators. With his guidance, Zuo Shuming would have a much more straightforward journey of advancement. He cupped his fists. âThank you, Fellow Daoist Lonemoon. I do have questions.â
âNo worries - go ahead and ask them.â
The two of them chatted about training for a long time. Zuo Shuming naturally was not as talented as Fatty. There were a lot of things that he did not yet understand. The good thing was when Invincible Sect was first set up, Yu Hong and the others were not very well-trained as well. Lonemoon had experience training a total newbie. Zuo Shuming listened intently as Lonemoon answered all his questions. Perhaps there were many gaps in Zuo Shumingâs knowledge - the more Lonemoon explained, the greater Zuo Shumingâs spirit Qi seemed to get. Lonemoon believed that he would advance in terms of cultivation level in no time.
The two of them chatted for a total of four hours. It was almost noon by then. The master and disciple duo, who had been listening in hiding, had also retreated to their room to cook. Lonemoon realized it was time for lunch and ended the question-and-answer session.
âLetâs end here for today.â Lonemoon got to his feet. âIf you understand everything I told you, the Foundation Establishment will not be difficult for you.â It was time for Lonemoon to return and steal some food.
âThank you, Brother Lonemoon!â Zuo Shuming got to his feet as well and bowed toward Lonemoon, overwhelmed by everything he just heard. âIâm truly thankful to have received so much guidance from you.â
âThatâs good.â Lonemoon smiled. They had already talked for four hours. If Zuo Shuming still did not understand what Lonemoon said, he must really be retarded. âIâm going back to my room then.â
âTake care, Brother Lonemoon.â Zuo Shuming walked Lonemoon to the door.
Lonemoon turned around and stepped out, but suddenly recalled something. He turned around and asked, âDo you really believe that my looks are different now because I fell off the spirit boat?â
Zuo Shuming paused, then smiled. He pondered for a while before saying, âI take you as a friend. I looked around anxiously for you, just so I could ensure your safety. Now that I know youâre safe, everything else doesnât really matter.â He didnât really care whether what Lonemoon said was true or not. He did not have to know.
Lonemoon looked at him with a different lens now. Zuo Shuming did not buy that lousy story that was filled with holes. He was just trusting in his own taste in friends. It turned out that Zuo Shuming was much more clear-headed than Lonemoon thought. It was no wonder that he managed to ascend so quickly before.
He was a fool indeed, but he was a fool that was trustworthy. Lonemoon was glad that he was the one he chose to help ascend to immortality. However, for his own sake, Lonemoon thought that it was best for Yu Hong to take Zuo Shuming in after he ascended again. Otherwise, even if heâs sold away in the future, he might help his own seller count the money.
Lonemoon sighed and walked out of the house. Just as he thought of going in to the house next door to have lunch, he discovered that there was a disciple from Gui Yi Sec, dressed in blue robes and walking toward him.
âZuo Shuming! Is Zuo Shuming in?â He entered the yard and shouted out several times. He sounded quite impatient. In his hand, he held an accounts book⊠His shouting caused several disciples to walk out of their houses.
âIs this an official from the outer sect looking for Senior Brother?â a disciple called out. âWhy are you here? Are you going to issue a mission to our sect?â
âDonât be so eager about yours for now. Iâm here to look for someone called Zuo Shuming!â The man said.
âSenior Brother He?â Zuo Shuming recognized the man who came looking for him. He immediately walked out of the house, just behind Lonemoon. He cupped his fists and said, âGreetings, Senior Brother He. I wonder why you are looking for me?â
That cultivator with the surname He scanned Zuo Shuming from head to toe, full of contempt. âYouâre the newbie named Zuo Shuming?â
âThatâs right!â Zuo Shuming nodded.
Something flashed across the manâs eyes as he lowered his eyes to look at the accounts book. âFrom this day forward, you will be in charge of tending to the spirit field on the extreme north of the rear mountain! Every three months, you will hand in a batch of low-grade spirit herbs. Remember that you cannot hand in less than 50 stalks.â
âPlant spirit herbs?â Zuo Shuming stared blankly at him, not believing his ears.
Lonemoon, who had been listening by the side, frowned. He stepped forward. âSenior Brother, if Iâm not wrong, no outer sect disciples will only be put in charge of tasks like harvesting spirit herbs. Since when were they also required to plant spirit herbs?â
âThere are not enough people on the rear mountain planting spirit herbs. Of course we need the newbies to help out. Whatâs moreâŠâ The disciple named He cast another dirty look at Zuo Shuming and tutted. âI heard that you havenât been training for the past few days. Instead, all youâve been doing over the past couple of days is spreading false rumors outside the sect that youâre looking for a couple of friends. You havenât even completed a single task properly. My Gui Yi Sect has no room for sneaky disciples. Iâm giving you a chance to make up for your mistakes.â
Lonemoon frowned even more deeply now. Zuo Shuming had been wasting time looking for people, but the sect was only supposed to take account of all the tasks once every month. It had only been a few days since Zuo Shuming had been issued with a task. How could they use this reason to send him to plant spirit herbs in the field? This was too ridiculous, wasnât it? Unless someone was out to get him on purpose. And this person could be none other than the invader.
âSenior Brother He, newly recruited disciples are not experienced enough to plant spirit herbs immediately. Iâm afraid thatâs not appropriate,â Lonemoon tested.
âHow is it inappropriate!â The man was getting more agitated by the second. He glared at Lonemoon and said, âHe has to learn if he doesnât know how to do it, right? What do you all think Gui Yi Sect is about? If youâre so worried, why donât you go with him?â
âSenior Brother He, you canât-â Zuo Shuming anxiously tried to explain.
The cultivator with the surname He cut in, âItâs settled then. If you donât want to do it, then get out of Gui Yi Sect.â He turned around and left.
Suddenly, all the cultivators left behind turned to look at Lonemoon and Zuo Shuming with pity. Yet, they did not dare to get involved. One by one, they returned to their own apartments, as if afraid that they would catch the trouble that Lonemoon found himself in.
Lonemoon lowered his gaze and turned to face Zuo Shuming. Indeed, the invader was picking on him on purpose. But what exactly was he trying to do?
âBrother LonemoonâŠâ Zuo Shuming looked at him guiltily. âIâm going to talk to Senior Brother He. This has nothing to do with you.â
âForget it!â Lonemoon waved his hand, unbothered. âItâs just planting a few spirit herbs, right? Donât worry - I know how to do that!â Their invincible Sect did rely on spirit herbs to raise their disciples after all. What hadnât Radish planted before? Whatâs moreâŠâ
âBut Senior Brother LonemoonâŠâ Zuo Shuming started to say something else.
Lonemoon interrupted him, âGo back and make some preparations. I will see you again in an hour.â He turned to head back to his own house.
Zuo Shuming stared at him anxiously. As Lonemoon got further and further, he decided that he best return to his own house as well.
The moment Lonemoon entered the house, he picked up a pair of chopsticks and took the last piece of meat. Then, he scooped some rice into a bowl and sat down, wolfing down his food.
âOh, thatâs right, Chef!â He turned to the array next to him as he spoke. Chef was inside, cooking. âCome with me to the rear mountain this afternoon.â `
Shen Ying, who just lost a piece of meat: ââŠâ