169: Chapter 169 Seven months later, how can one avoid getting their shoes wet?
Two days later.
"My—my blood Qi has started to increase! I've finally mastered the Dragon Snake Refinement!" Xue Ting said excitedly.
She immediately stood up and said gratefully to Zhao Heng, who was beside her, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Zhao!"
As the two exchanged pleasantries, their behavior was quite intimate; it was clear they had become a couple at some point.
It made sense; among Martial Artists, there was only a distinction between the strong and the weak, not between men and women. Thus, even the residences were not separated by gender.
Living in the same place, combined with their similar Family backgrounds and martial arts progress, they were well-matched. It was only natural for them to get together.
Li Qing watched silently from the side, lost in thought.
'Zhao Heng mastered the Dragon Snake Refinement three days ago, and Xue Ting mastered it today. Over the past few days, the two of them have frequently gone out to inquire about various missions or hunting information regarding the Wujiao River. It seems they intend to earn cultivation resources ahead of time.'
Ultimately, their talent was average, so they needed to use resources as much as possible to increase their cultivation speed.
Sure enough, as soon as Huo Zonglin returned, Zhao Heng and Xue Ting immediately asked about various missions.
Huo Zonglin thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, the mission I'm currently doing is guarding a fishery on a small tributary of the Wujiao River..."
It turned out that in the Wujiao River, the wider the river channel, the denser the mist, and the more powerful the Yao Beasts within. Naturally, there were also more and more precious Heaven And Earth Treasures.
Based on the density of the mist, the Wujiao River was roughly divided into areas like the [Deep Mist Zone] and [Shallow Mist Zone].
The Wujiao River had countless tributaries, and some were so small that the mist on them was thin enough to see from one side to the other.
These places were also suitable for Yao Beasts, as well as Treasure Beasts like Treasure Fish and Treasure Chickens. Therefore, they were cordoned off by the Sect specifically for breeding Treasure Beasts or cultivating medicinal herbs.
However, while Treasure Beasts were easy to contain, Yao Beasts were hard to restrain, and the human heart was even more unpredictable.
Being close to the main stream of the Wujiao River, these places were naturally subject to occasional attacks from Yao Beasts. Coupled with the need to prevent theft by thieves, Disciples had to be sent to guard them.
Huo Zonglin's mission was to guard a fishery where Treasure Fish were raised.
Li Qing couldn't help but sigh. Despite being part of the same Dynasty, the bitter cold border provinces like Yun Province were worlds apart from a prosperous place like Jiao Province.
Here, they had already started farming Treasure Fish, while over there, they still relied on the mountains and waters, depending entirely on fishing and hunting.
Zhao Heng's and Xue Ting's eyes lit up, and they quickly asked, "May we ask, Senior Brother, are there still any openings where you are?"
They had been doing menial labor for a year, nothing but exhausting and bitter work like chopping wood and burning charcoal, with no extra perks at all.
While the fishery guard mission required constant vigilance against attacks from Yao Beasts and thieves, the potential for extra profit was significant!
There were far too many ways to make one or two Treasure Fish from the fishery 'reasonably' disappear.
Not to mention that Yao Beasts were both a danger and a resource; their meat, blood, and organs were all valuable commodities!
Huo Zonglin shrugged. "I only qualified for this mission after following the Ninth Young Master of the Meng Family hunting on the Wujiao River for seven full days and performing well."
The implication was that this mission was difficult to obtain, and ordinary Disciples had no way of getting it.
Seeing their slightly dejected expressions, Huo Zonglin comforted them, "Aside from those from prominent Families, who doesn't climb up step by step? Don't be discouraged. In my opinion, some of the other fisheries and beast farms are also not bad; it's just that the danger is a bit higher."
Naturally, there were better and worse locations for various fisheries and beast farms; the two of them could choose some of the more average ones.
Zhao Heng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Senior Brother Huo, I see many Senior Brothers only doing the mandatory missions every three months and spending the rest of their time hunting in the Wujiao River. Can we do the same?"
Huo Zonglin frowned and said, "There are many Heaven And Earth Treasures in the Wujiao River, but high rewards come with high risks. Moreover, the martial arts of you two are still quite shallow."
The subtext was that their martial arts were far too lacking, and combined with the dangers, the risk of death was very high.
Thus, the two could only give up on hunting in the Wujiao River and planned to go to the Internal Affairs Hall to accept Sect missions.
Watching their departing figures, Huo Zonglin suddenly spoke to Li Qing.
"Junior Brother Li, to be honest, I still have one opening at the fishery. Would you be interested in joining me?"
Li Qing shook his head. "I only wish to Cultivate in peace for a year. After that, I will start taking on missions to earn merit points."
After saying that, Li Qing turned and went into his room.
He had to be joking. His martial arts progress was steadily improving, and he had no immediate need for Medicinal Pills. He already felt he didn't have enough time for daily practice; why would he take on missions?
Huo Zonglin stood in the courtyard for a long time before letting out a sigh.
He looked toward Li Qing's room.
He really couldn't see through this person.
Without earning resources to exchange for Medicinal Pills, how could his cultivation progress?
"Unless this person truly has supreme Comprehension Ability and can make his combat strength soar in just one short year."
Subsequently, Huo Zonglin dismissed the idea.
He shook his head and laughed to himself. "Heh, how is that possible? It took Li Qing a full nine days to master the Dragon Snake Refinement; that's only considered above average."
Huo Zonglin concluded that either Li Qing had some unknown support, or he was simply overconfident and would surely regret it in the future!
He had seen it too many times: Martial Artists from small places who were the darlings of their hometowns but thought the world revolved around them once they entered the Sect, only to end up as just another face in the crowd.
Li Qing was unaware of Huo Zonglin's thoughts.
To him, only the progress of his martial arts was real.
The following days became peaceful. Huo Zonglin and the other two were busy with missions and rarely even returned to the courtyard.
The quiet and solitary environment perfectly suited Li Qing's needs.
He immersed himself in a fulfilling life of grinding proficiency.
...
Time flowed like water, and seven months passed in a flash.
During this time, Huo Zonglin remained as he always was, maintaining a decent and basically friendly attitude toward Li Qing.
But Zhao Heng and Xue Ting—no, the couple—were not like that.
Martial Artists were decisive in everything they did. By the third month, the two had gone down the mountain to marry, and they lived in the same room after returning.
The Zhao couple often returned with some Medicinal Pills for secluded cultivation, then headed out again for missions after a period of time, repeating the cycle.
Every time they returned with Medicinal Pills, they would show them off to Li Qing, whether intentionally or not.
But every time they realized Li Qing truly had no reaction, they felt as frustrated as if they had punched a bale of cotton.
Consequently, they and Li Qing gradually drifted apart.
After all, Li Qing's behavior was just like those old Disciples in the Sect who were just waiting to die.
Having no hope in cultivation, they only waited until their forties or fifties to take on a leisurely mission to guard a city, then put down roots and start a Family there, hoping their descendants could finish what they started.
Since their respective techniques reached Major Achievement two months ago, it was like a shot of liquid courage; their boldness grew, and they began hunting in the Wujiao River with other Disciples.
Their gains naturally surged, but if one always walks by the river, how can they not get their shoes wet?
Li Qing glanced indifferently at Zhao Heng's torn left cheek, his right hand which was severed at the wrist, and his hollow eyes that looked as if he hadn't slept for seven days.
He lay on a reclining chair, staring blankly at the sky.
As for Xue Ting, she had moved out of the courtyard after taking something from the room yesterday.