Fire Worker Daoist

Lin Xiao and Yao'er shared a secret, which brought them even closer.

After Yao'er woke him up that day, Lin Xiao asked her, "Since this is Senior Sister Yao'er's secret place, why did you bring me here?"

Yao'er's answer was true to her nature. "Well, the lotus seeds mature every forty-nine days, and I didn't want to miss them. But Master told me to stick close to you, so I had to bring you along. Anyway, you haven't told anyone else about this place, so isn't it good? It also saves me from wasting half the lotus seeds each time."

Lin Xiao couldn't figure out what was going on with the lotus plant, the pond, or the cave. But he could clearly feel the benefits of the lotus seeds he consumed. Each time he took a seed, the increase in his cultivation was minuscule, perhaps equivalent to what he could achieve through half a month of his own arduous practice. However, Lin Xiao could clearly sense the changes in his body; his energy was more abundant, his reactions were sharper, and it seemed the lotus seeds had the effect of fundamentally improving one's aptitude.

Of course, these were only the changes Lin Xiao perceived. Whether these lotus seeds had other miraculous effects was beyond his ability to determine.

However, after spending a few months with Yao'er, Lin Xiao gradually began to be influenced by her. He adopted her approach of not dwelling on things he couldn't understand, deciding to think about them later. Thus, Lin Xiao put all his questions aside.

Six months had passed since Lin Xiao joined the Great Luo Pill Dao. One day, Yao'er was lazily swinging her iron axe, chopping Golden Birch wood in the Golden Birch Forest, while Lin Xiao crouched by a bonfire, carefully tending to three wild chickens roasting over the flames. This had been their division of labor for the past six months: Yao'er, with her higher cultivation, dealt with the Golden Birch wood, which was several times harder than refined iron; Lin Xiao, with his superior cooking skills, hunted small game to prepare for them to share.

For half a year, they had grown accustomed to this cooperative division of labor, feeling no shame that Yao'er helped Lin Xiao chop wood, nor believing that their secret hunting and barbecuing violated the precepts of cultivation.

After a flurry of chopping and hacking with her iron axe, Yao'er haphazardly filled the iron basket and eagerly ran to the bonfire, squatting beside Lin Xiao. Saliva dripped from her mouth as she stared longingly at the chickens on the wooden rack, desperately pinching the skin on Lin Xiao's arm with her fingers. "Are they ready yet? Are they ready? I'm so hungry, so craving! Sect Leader Uncle-Master is too hateful, forcing all the valley disciples to abstain from grains for cultivation. It's making me starve!" Yao'er constantly licked her lips, like a greedy puppy.

"Alright, alright, they'll be ready soon!" Lin Xiao crushed a wild fruit, smeared its juice onto the three wild chickens, and roasted them carefully for a while longer. He quickly took down a golden-brown, glistening wild chicken from the wooden rack and handed it to Yao'er.

"Okay, okay!" Yao'er's eyes were shining. She quickly transferred the roasted chicken from her left hand to her right, then dropped it from her right hand into her left. "So hot, so hot! Help me, it's burning me!" The impatient Yao'er took a fierce bite of the drumstick, tearing off a large piece of meat. The scalding grease made her let out a sharp cry, but even as she screamed, she devoured the roasted chicken with the speed of a whirlwind.

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes and handed another roasted chicken to Yao'er.

"Mmm, mmm, Junior Brother, you're a good person. Mmm, you eat too, don't always give everything to me!" As Yao'er snatched the roasted chicken from Lin Xiao's hand, she still had the conscience to urge Lin Xiao to start eating. However, the way she looked at the last roasted chicken on the wooden rack was unmistakably like a famished little wolf.

"Uh, yes." Lin Xiao's eating habits were much more refined than Yao'er's. He took down a roasted chicken, slowly tore off the meat piece by piece with his fingers, and put it into his mouth to chew slowly.

"Hoo hoo!" Yao'er had already finished the second roasted chicken. She meticulously licked the grease from her fingers with her tongue until they were clean, then patted her belly with satisfaction and smiled at Lin Xiao. "Junior Brother, Sect Leader Uncle-Master should have assigned you to the kitchens. Mmm, would you like to be the steward disciple of the kitchens?"

Lin Xiao remained silent, a piece of chicken lodged in his throat, unable to swallow for a long time.

Yao'er sprawled out beside Lin Xiao, humming contentedly. "The current steward disciple of the kitchens, that guy, hmph, I don't know where Uncle-Master Dan Yu found him. Sigh, what he cooks is terribly unpalatable, sigh, it's really ruined my appetite. Mmm, mmm, fortunately, with you, Junior Brother, my appetite has recovered a little!"

'Recovered a little,' Lin Xiao's eye twitched violently. He glanced with alarm at Yao'er's flat abdomen, devoid of any excess flesh. Where did all that food go?

Shaking his head, he set aside the wild chicken in his hand, covered the bonfire with dirt, and lay down on the spot, side-by-side with Yao'er on the ground.

It was already early autumn. The sky was a clear azure, without a single cloud. The warm sunlight shone on them, making them feel lazily sleepy. A few lines of large birds flew across the sky, and in the nearby woods, large swarms of wild bees were busily buzzing. The opposite hillside was covered in blooming mountain flowers, and the mountaintop was a wild fruit grove, with pale red mountain fruits appearing among the branches. The wind blew from the other side of the mountain, carrying the rich fragrance of flowers and fruits.

"Ah~~~" Yao'er yawned, tilting her head and naturally resting it on Lin Xiao's arm. Without another word, she fell into a deep sleep. Lin Xiao looked at Yao'er with a touch of envy, and perhaps even a little jealousy. Perhaps living a simpler life was also a form of happiness? Eating when hungry, sleeping when tired – this was also a rare kind of freedom.

Yao'er's delicate face was right before him, her gentle breaths lightly caressing Lin Xiao's face. Lin Xiao's heart felt a slight sweetness. Just as he was about to stealthily reach out and touch Yao'er's long hair, a sudden surge of bloody light in his vision made him jolt awake.

"Daddy~ Little White~" Lin Xiao's expression turned grim. He looked at Yao'er, but his eyes were now clear and bright, like the reflection of sunlight on snow.

Gently shifting his body, Lin Xiao moved himself further away from Yao'er.

Because Lin Xiao's arm had moved, the sleeping Yao'er grumbled in dissatisfaction. With practiced ease in her sleep, she extended her fingers and viciously pinched the soft flesh on Lin Xiao's side. In her dream, Yao'er's grip was extremely strong. Lin Xiao's cultivation was far inferior to hers, and this pinch made his vision go black, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face. Having been taught a lesson, Lin Xiao no longer dared to move recklessly, and could only look at Yao'er with a pained expression. In her sleep, Yao'er suddenly giggled, as if thinking of something amusing.

"Bad Junior Brother, mmm, tomorrow's roasted chicken, I want four. Three for me, one for you. Slurp, slurp, delicious."

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes and sighed softly, unable to do anything.

A wisp of cool breeze suddenly blew. After spending half a year in Spring Return Valley, Lin Xiao had become accustomed to the elusive methods of cultivators. The moment he felt this cool breeze, he knew an expert had arrived.

Lin Xiao quickly turned his head and saw Hua Feng'er, another disciple of Dan Fusheng, standing gracefully about ten feet away. Hua Feng'er squinted at Lin Xiao and Yao'er with a smile, then raised her finger and lightly traced a few lines on her cheek. Lin Xiao couldn't help but blush. He instinctively retracted his arm, sprang to his feet with a powerful surge, and bowed deeply to Hua Feng'er. "Senior Sister Hua!" His retraction was so swift that Yao'er's head was lifted a foot high before slamming heavily onto the ground.

Just as he finished greeting Hua Feng'er, Lin Xiao received a heavy kick to his backside, sending him flying forward in a most undignified manner for about ten feet before he crashed face-first onto the ground. Lin Xiao dazedly opened his eyes and looked around, only to find himself sprawled directly in front of Hua Feng'er. Had Hua Feng'er not reacted quickly and stepped back, his face would have landed squarely on her shoes.

The furious Yao'er bared her teeth and roared at Lin Xiao, "Junior Brother! How dare you deliberately slam my head! What if it makes me stupid? Uh~~~ Senior Sister? What are you doing here? I didn't steal any roasted wild chicken." Seeing Hua Feng'er unexpectedly, Yao'er immediately became very well-behaved and ladylike, smiling as she said, "Little Junior Brother secretly roasted and ate all three of these wild chickens!"

"Uh, Senior Sister Yao'er!" Lin Xiao scrambled to his feet, his face covered in dust, wanting to argue for justice with Yao'er. But Yao'er raised her right palm, adopting a stance as if ready to unleash a palm strike. Lin Xiao immediately lowered his head in defeat and honestly 'confessed' to Hua Feng'er, "Senior Sister Hua, these wild chickens... I truly, unequivocally, absolutely ate them."

Yao'er nodded with satisfaction, grinning. "Senior Sister, look, he admitted it himself! Hehehe, hehehe, hehehehe!" Yao'er was so pleased with herself!

Hua Feng'er suppressed a smile, her face contorting. She gently shook her head, then nodded again, and said softly, "It's fine, eating a few wild creatures is not a big deal. Sect Leader Uncle-Master said the disciples should abstain from grains and cultivate, but in reality, hehe~~~"

Unable to hold back her laughter any longer, Hua Feng'er chuckled softly. "You two are not the only ones sneaking food outside. I won't spread rumors."

'The two of you,' Lin Xiao's face turned red upon hearing this, his head almost touching the ground. Yao'er, however, clapped her hands carelessly. "So, we're not the only ones sneaking food? Senior Sister, you were just trying to scare me! Mmm, Yao'er takes responsibility for her actions. I ate two of the three wild chickens!"

Lin Xiao looked at Yao'er speechlessly. Was this what she called 'taking responsibility'? Who was the one who had completely framed him, Lin Xiao, in the first place?

Hua Feng'er also watched the beaming Yao'er with a twitching mouth. After a long moment, she sighed softly and cast Lin Xiao a look of immense pity. Shaking her head, Hua Feng'er smiled and said, "Junior Brother Lin, you have passed the Heart Tempering Period after entering the sect. Master has sent me to find you so you can be assigned a duty and choose your cultivation techniques."

"Huh? Little Junior Brother's Heart Tempering Period is already over?" Yao'er looked at Hua Feng'er in confusion. "For the other young disciples in white robes, their Heart Tempering Period takes at least three years, or even ten. It's only been half a year! I haven't had enough fun yet, why does Little Junior Brother have to be assigned a duty?"

'Haven't had enough fun yet!' This remark caused Lin Xiao and Hua Feng'er to fall into a moment of silence.

After a long while, Hua Feng'er forced a smile and said, "Yao'er, Master said that this time he plans to let you manage a pill furnace by yourself."

"Ah? Oh? Mmm!" Yao'er was stunned for a moment, then suddenly became so excited that she started dancing. "Manage a pill furnace alone? One pill furnace? Senior Sister? Did I hear that right? Master would be that generous?"

Hua Feng'er's eyes darted around, and she chuckled lightly. "Master also said that if you blow up the pill furnace you manage this time, then you will never be allowed into the pill room again!"

"Never allowed into the pill room again?" Yao'er's smiling face instantly froze. She stared blankly at Hua Feng'er, then turned to look at Lin Xiao, tears rolling down her cheeks one by one. "Wuwu, wicked Master~~~ How can Yao'er refine pills without the pill furnace exploding? Wuwu~~~"

Lin Xiao was silent, Hua Feng'er was silent. The two looked at each other and sighed in unison.

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Xiao, Yao'er, and Hua Feng'er had rushed back to Spring Return Valley.

In the Dan Qi Ling Xiao Hall, Lin Xiao and seven other young Daoists dressed in white robes stood in a line, respectfully looking at Daoist Danling, who was seated cross-legged at the far end of the hall.

Daoist Danling's gaze was like lightning as he scanned Lin Xiao and the others. He slowly spoke, "You have all been in my Great Luo Pill Dao for several years. During your Heart Tempering Period, your conduct has been extremely cautious and careful, and your backgrounds are all clean and pure. Therefore, today, you officially become disciples of my Great Luo Pill Dao."

The other seven white-robed Daoists cast surprised glances at Lin Xiao. They clearly remembered that Lin Xiao had only been accepted into the sect six months ago, so how could he have become a formal disciple like them today? Of course, Daoist Danling would not explain this question to them. He assigned duties to the several Daoists and, according to their elemental affinities, gave them pill formulas for cultivation, then sent them out of the hall.

Lin Xiao respectfully bowed to Daoist Danling.

Daoist Danling looked at Lin Xiao, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Spring Return Hall was originally part of my Great Luo Pill Dao lineage, so six months will be enough for your Heart Tempering Period. Don't blame your Uncle-Master for intentionally using that heavy axe and basket to make things difficult for you; this was just to make you understand the hardships of the path of cultivation. If you lack perseverance and willpower, you might as well go back to Guihua City and rebuild Spring Return Hall."

"This disciple understands!" Lin Xiao bowed his head towards Daoist Danling. "This disciple has decided to focus wholeheartedly on cultivation and no longer dwell on worldly matters."

"Very well!" Daoist Danling smiled slightly. "You are different from other disciples. Your Spring Return Hall lineage— hmm, if you change your mind in the future, you can come see Uncle-Master. This 'True Fire Art' happens to match your attributes. Take it and study it carefully. Hmm, as for your duties, you will first go to the pill room to be a Fire Worker Daoist!"

A Fire Worker Daoist? Lin Xiao dazedly accepted the thin volume of 'True Fire Art' and responded blankly. (To be continued)