"Keep up the good work next month. As long as you can raise another Spirit Chicken King, you won’t be short on Spirit Enhancent Pills."
Steward Chang cradled the Spirit Chicken King, his face wreathed in smiles, and then departed.
With a disciple like Yu Changsheng tending to the Spirit Chicken Garden, he could rest easy.
A single Spirit Enhancent Pill was worth over a dozen Lower Grade Spirit Stones on the market, so Yu Changsheng was pleasantly surprised to be rewarded with two at once.
Even if the sect refined them itself, the cost wouldn’t be low. More importantly, he could finally raise his Cultivation Realm!
’Can these two get to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer?’
Yu Changsheng could barely contain his excitent. As long as he had the Spirit Chicken Garden, he figured that even with his Mixed Spirit Root, it wouldn’t take more than a year or so to reach the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. At that point, he could pass the sect’s selection and beco an Outer Disciple!
Only Outer Disciples were considered true disciples of the Wanxiang Sect. The resources, Magic, and Secret Manuals they could access were far beyond what a servant could compare. If a senior took a liking to him and accepted him as a Registered Disciple, his future would be even more secure!
After cleaning the chicken coop, Yu Changsheng hurried back to the courtyard.
However, for so unknown reason, the servant disciples who were usually tending the farmland had all gathered together.
Yu Changsheng looked at Zhuang Yan in confusion and asked, "Senior Brother Zhuang, what’s going on?"
Zhuang Yan handed him an order notice and said, "The sect has issued a command. At the end of the year, all Outer Peaks are required to select so servant disciples to assist in collecting rent at the Fish Market. It just so happens our courtyard was chosen."
"This year, the shantytown area of the Fish Market has expanded rapidly to a population of over ten thousand. It’s chaotic inside, and many Loose Cultivators who rely on the sect’s protection don’t pay their rent. It’s difficult for the Fish Market’s current servant disciples to collect all the rent on their own, so they’re dispatching a lot of servants this ti."
Beside them, a servant disciple said with a grimace, "This rent collection job is a thankless task. Most of the Loose Cultivators living in the shantytown are dirt poor. Expecting them to cough up ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones a year is as good as killing them."
"It’s not so bad if you run into the poor ones; you can always squeeze the money out of them if you hassle them enough. The scary part is encountering those ruthless characters being hunted by righteous sects. You could get injured if you’re not careful. That’s why rent collection is a pretty dangerous job, and few servant disciples are willing to do it."
The shantytown was a lawless place, ho to no shortage of Late-stage or even Peak Qi Refining Cultivators. The sect’s managent was lax, so rules were practically nonexistent—robbery and murder were commonplace.
Of course, since these servant disciples wore the Wanxiang Sect Disciple Robe, few would dare to offend them even when they went to the shantytown to collect rent. After all, outside the sect, they represented the Wanxiang Sect itself. Anyone who dared to harm them would be hunted down and killed.
But that was easier said than done. Who wasn’t afraid of running into one of those unpredictable Cultivators?
The Affairs Hall still had plenty of bounties posted for the murder of Wanxiang Sect disciples. You only get one life, and everyone treasured theirs.
"Sigh, if you ask , why doesn’t the sect just send a Foundation Establishnt Great Power? If they collected ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones from everyone in the shantytown, that would be a hundred thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones! What a sum!"
A servant disciple sighed.
"The Fish Market should have a Foundation Establishnt Cultivator stationed there, but the area is too big for them to manage everything. And besides, are we servants even in the sa league as a Foundation Establishnt Cultivator?"
"Exactly! The Foundation Establishnt Great Powers are all busy with their Cultivation, trying to form their Golden Core. Who has ti to go collect rent from each and every person?"
"It’s just rent collection. There’s no need for everyone to be so worried."
Zhuang Yan spoke up, "The sect has given an order, so we must follow it. How many ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators would dare give us any trouble? Offending us ans offending the Wanxiang Sect."
"Alright, there are five days left before year-end. Everyone, start preparing. If you’re still worried, go buy a Protective Talisman."
The group nodded and quickly dispersed.
"Senior Brother Zhuang, will I have to go too?" Yu Changsheng asked.
Zhuang Yan looked at him, nodded, and said, "You live in this courtyard, so you’re part of the group being sent. When the ti cos, join us after you’ve fed the Spirit Chickens in the morning. We should be done collecting rent in a single day."
"Okay," Yu Changsheng agreed. He returned to his wooden cabin, closed the door, and his gaze flickered.
’Was it really a coincidence that their courtyard was chosen?’
’The Outer Peak has dozens of courtyards. I have Steward Chang’s favor and a decent reputation among the servant disciples. Logically speaking, I shouldn’t have been chosen.’
’Unless the Cultivator who picked the courtyards received the sect’s order and didn’t consult Steward Chang, or... perhaps they were chosen deliberately...’
’And there seems to be only one person with a motive to harm . Coincidentally, that person’s older brother has quite a bit of pull in the Outer Sect. Maybe he even knows the Cultivator who made the selection!’
As he thought about it, Yu Changsheng felt like he was becoming paranoid.
’But in this cruel world, you can never be too careful.’
’I just need to cultivate and get stronger. Once I’m powerful enough, little problems like this won’t even matter.’ Yu Changsheng let out a breath and took out the two Spirit Enhancent Pills.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, regulated his breathing, circulated his Cultivation Technique, and swallowed one of the pills.
The Spirit Enhancent Pill lted the mont it entered his mouth. A hot current instantly exploded in his Dantian, surging through his limbs. His Refining God Technique rapidly circulated to refine the energy.
’Such dense Spiritual Qi! The effect is much stronger than a Spirit Stone!’
He was overjoyed to feel his Magical Power rising so quickly.
He closed his eyes and focused on refining the energy, determined not to waste a single trace of its dicinal Force.
「Four hours later.」
’It’s not enough. Still not enough.’
Yu Changsheng finished his Cultivation and exhaled. He was still at the Qi Refining Third Layer, but his Magical Power capacity had increased.
’I’ll probably need another two or three Spirit Enhancent Pills to break through.’
He picked up the remaining Spirit Enhancent Pill and was about to take it when he suddenly recalled Huang Li’s malicious gaze from so ti ago. His hand stopped just before his mouth.
’There are only five days until year-end. Even if I take this Spirit Enhancent Pill, I won’t be able to break through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. If this rent collection job is really dangerous, I’ll still have to rely on my tad beast!’
A thoughtful look entered Yu Changsheng’s eyes. Thinking of how the Red Snake King was just a hair’s breadth away from the Tier One Fifth Layer, he made up his mind.
He ford a hand seal for a Magic Technique and summoned the Red Snake King from his Inner Realm.
The Red Snake King appeared and imdiately nuzzled against his hand, looking as if it wanted its head patted.
"Here, eat this elixir. Let’s see if it can help you break through to the Tier One Fifth Layer," Yu Changsheng said with a smile, popping the elixir into its mouth.
The Spirit Enhancent Pill wasn’t an elixir made specifically for Demon Beasts, but it was still effective on them—just significantly less so.
The Red Snake King swallowed it in one gulp. It lted in its mouth before even reaching its stomach, and a dense wave of Spiritual Qi surged through it.
It then began to sway its head in blissful comfort.
Yu Changsheng watched it closely. After about two hours, a ssage popped up, and it ca with an unexpected new reward.
[You have successfully fed a Red Snake King. Consud: Spirit Enhancent Pill x1. Reward: 80 Essence, a trace of Magical Power.]
Instantly, the Magical Power in his body surged, bringing him just one step away from the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!
At the sa ti, the Red Snake King also broke through to the Tier One Fifth Layer!
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