Cruelly Abandoned

The next morning, everyone woke up and lined up to collect steamed buns.

The person in charge of handing out the buns was Thousand Bamboo Ridge's steward, Wu Qingfeng.

Wu Qingfeng was past fifty, somewhat fat, with graying hair. Yet his complexion was exceptionally rosy, and his skin looked as tender as a baby's.

This time, Fang Chen was finally treated fairly and received four piping-hot steamed buns. However, he knew that once he returned to Dragon Tiger Mountain, such treatment would vanish.

With the buns in hand, Fang Chen went to sit in a remote corner and ate slowly, afraid that if he got too close to the others, they would snatch his buns.

After finishing the buns, Fang Chen went up the mountain with the others to continue cutting bamboo.

With yesterday's experience, he no longer panicked. As he cut bamboo, he also cut stones.

And so, day after day, Fang Chen's strength steadily increased. His once exceedingly frail body also gained a little flesh.

Though his appearance had changed greatly, no one was particularly surprised. Especially those from Dragon Tiger Mountain—they knew that Fang Chen had barely been able to eat his fill there. Now that he was eating well at Thousand Bamboo Ridge, it was only natural for him to grow sturdier.

One month later.

Fang Chen and the others had just finished breakfast and were preparing to head up the mountain.

Just then, a streak of rainbow light descended from the sky and hovered above the dining hall.

Everyone raised their heads. Two figures stood atop a longsword that emitted a faint white glow. Its surface was covered in numerous runes flickering with white light. The sword-rider wore a white robe and stood as graceful as a jade tree in the wind. The young man behind him wore a brand-new Handyman robe, with shifty eyes and a bundle slung over his back.

Upon seeing the newcomers, everyone immediately knelt in worship. Even Cao Bin, the Handyman steward of Dragon Tiger Mountain, and Wu Qingfeng, the Handyman steward of Thousand Bamboo Ridge, did the same.

Though they were stewards, they had still not entered the Qi Refining Realm.

To cultivators, those who had not entered the Qi Refining Realm were merely mortals.

And to mortals, cultivators who had entered the Qi Refining Realm were Immortal Masters.

The sword-rider was an Outer Sect Disciple of Azure Cloud Peak named Xu Yi, with cultivation at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm.

He guided the flying sword slowly down to the ground, and the young man behind him immediately jumped down.

Xu Yi's face was as still as water as his gaze fell upon Cao Bin. "Cao Bin, this is a newly recruited Handyman. I'll leave him to your Dragon Tiger Mountain!"

"Yes, thank you, Senior Brother Xu!"

Cao Bin replied to Xu Yi with a respectful expression.

At that moment, Wu Qingfeng spoke to Xu Yi with an aggrieved look on his face. "Senior Brother Xu Yi, isn't this a little too unfair? Dragon Tiger Mountain's Handymen are already at full capacity, so why are you still sending people there? Our Thousand Bamboo Ridge has been short-handed for ages. We've submitted applications so many times, yet you haven't sent us a single person!"

Xu Yi frowned slightly. Wu Qingfeng of Thousand Bamboo Ridge had hardly offered any tribute to those above, so the higher-ups paid little attention to Thousand Bamboo Ridge's various applications.

Meanwhile, Cao Bin of Dragon Tiger Mountain offered generous tribute to those above and knew well how to conduct himself. Whenever there was anything good, the higher-ups always took care of him first.

This new Handyman today had a Spiritual Root—and a three-element Mixed Spiritual Root at that. His potential was immense, and his future boundless. He was highly likely to become a Qi Refining Realm cultivator someday.

That was why Xu Yi had wanted to assign him to Dragon Tiger Mountain.

But when Xu Yi brought the man to Dragon Tiger Mountain, he found that Cao Bin was not there, so he had brought him to Thousand Bamboo Ridge instead.

Now, faced with Wu Qingfeng's questioning, he had no good excuse.

Looking at Wu Qingfeng, he said, "This is an arrangement from above. I am only carrying out orders."

Wu Qingfeng still refused to give up. "That won't do. Since Dragon Tiger Mountain has taken in one person today, they'll definitely have to squeeze one person out. No matter what, Dragon Tiger Mountain must give me someone today. Otherwise, I'll go see Elder Hu myself!"

Xu Yi nodded slightly and said to Cao Bin, "Cao Bin, keep this newcomer at your Dragon Tiger Mountain today. Transfer one person from Dragon Tiger Mountain over to Thousand Bamboo Ridge."

"Yes!"

Cao Bin immediately agreed.

Xu Yi looked at the shifty-eyed Handyman and said, "Zhang Tieniu, this is Cao Bin, the steward of Dragon Tiger Mountain's Handyman Office. You will follow him from now on."

"Yes!"

Zhang Tieniu nodded vigorously.

Xu Yi rode his sword away at once.

Zhang Tieniu cupped his hands to Cao Bin and said respectfully, "Greetings, Steward Cao. This is my record."

As he spoke, he handed a scroll to Cao Bin.

Cao Bin took the scroll and opened it. When he saw that Zhang Tieniu was listed as having a three-element Mixed Spiritual Root, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He put away the scroll and said to Zhang Tieniu with a smile, "Haha, from now on, you're one of us at Dragon Tiger Mountain!"

At that moment, Wu Qingfeng walked up to Cao Bin and asked, "Steward Cao, who do you plan to give me?"

Cao Bin looked around, his gaze landing on Fang Chen. "Fang Chen, get your ass over here!"

Fang Chen immediately walked over to Cao Bin.

Cao Bin shoved Fang Chen before Wu Qingfeng and said, "There, this brat. From now on, he belongs to your Thousand Bamboo Ridge!"

"This brat?"

Wu Qingfeng looked at Fang Chen and could not help frowning.

Over the past month, he had seen Fang Chen's performance. This brat could eat an incredible amount, yet he was the worst worker of them all. On average, he only cut down one Exquisite Bamboo a day.

"What? You don't want him? Fine, then forget it!"

Cao Bin said to Wu Qingfeng with a smile.

"Yes!"

Wu Qingfeng immediately agreed. Although Fang Chen was useless, Thousand Bamboo Ridge truly was short on manpower.

"Then it's settled. Handle the transfer procedures!"

After saying that, Cao Bin had Fang Chen take out his identity plaque, pried off the words "Dragon Tiger Mountain," and affixed Thousand Bamboo Ridge's emblem in their place.

After the emblem was attached, Fang Chen rubbed the plaque. Once it was activated, the information on it immediately updated.

"Hahaha... Finally, we won't have to see this piece of trash anymore!"

Seeing this, the other Handymen from Dragon Tiger Mountain laughed right in front of Thousand Bamboo Ridge's Handymen.

Wu Qingfeng's expression darkened slightly, but there was nothing he could do.

He reached out and patted Fang Chen on the shoulder. "From now on, you're one of Thousand Bamboo Ridge's people!"

"Thank you, Manager Wu!"

Fang Chen gave Wu Qingfeng a slight bow and spoke respectfully.

During his time at Thousand Bamboo Ridge, Fang Chen had also learned that Wu Qingfeng was a good man, far better than Cao Bin. He did not withhold the wages of the Handymen under him, nor did he oppress them.

But there was no profit to be had at Thousand Bamboo Ridge. Compared to Dragon Tiger Mountain, Thousand Bamboo Ridge was simply too poor.

As a result, many Handymen were unwilling to come to Thousand Bamboo Ridge, and nearly all those who remained were old, weak, sick, or disabled.

Yet to Fang Chen, Thousand Bamboo Ridge was far better than Dragon Tiger Mountain. At the very least, Wu Qingfeng was a good man. Just like his name, he was a clear breeze in the world of Handymen, never squeezing or exploiting those under his command.

"Everyone, get back to work!"

Cao Bin turned to the Dragon Tiger Mountain Handymen behind him.

"Back to work!"

"When we go back to Dragon Tiger Mountain later, we won't have to look at that piece of trash anymore!"

"What a pity. No one will be washing my clothes for me anymore!"

"Yeah, and no one will be rubbing my back anymore!"

The Handymen from Dragon Tiger Mountain burst into raucous laughter, then headed up the mountain in groups.

"Those bastards have gone too far!"

Watching the Dragon Tiger Mountain people's retreating backs, the Handymen of Thousand Bamboo Ridge gritted their teeth in anger.

Most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled. Thousand Bamboo Ridge usually received very little work, and even when it did, it was always grueling jobs with scant profit.

Therefore, any Handyman with even a little ability had used connections to leave Thousand Bamboo Ridge.

This time, the price of Exquisite Bamboo had soared. Thousand Bamboo Ridge's Handymen had all thought they could make a fortune, but unexpectedly, the higher-ups had transferred people from Dragon Tiger Mountain over. They claimed they were here to help, but in truth, they had come to snatch food from the tiger's jaws.

Though he was deeply displeased, Wu Qingfeng could do nothing about it.

Wu Qingfeng beckoned to Thousand Bamboo Ridge's Handymen. "Come over, everyone. Get acquainted. From now on, he's one of us!"

"Hello, little brother. I'm Old Hu!"

"Hello, little brother. I'm Old Deng!"

The Handymen of Thousand Bamboo Ridge all greeted Fang Chen warmly.

After the greetings, Wu Qingfeng had someone bring Fang Chen two good blades. He said to Fang Chen, "Take these two blades. I hope you can chop down a few more bamboo stalks today!"

Wu Qingfeng knew that for the past month, Fang Chen had been using a sword to chop bamboo. Previously, Fang Chen had belonged to Dragon Tiger Mountain, so he had been in no position to interfere. Even if he had given Fang Chen blades, the people from Dragon Tiger Mountain would certainly have snatched them away.

Now that Fang Chen was one of Thousand Bamboo Ridge's people, he naturally would not let Fang Chen continue using a sword that was not even worthy of being called trash to chop bamboo.

"Thank you, Manager Wu. I'll do my best!"

Fang Chen did not stand on ceremony. He accepted the chopping blades, then headed up the mountain with Thousand Bamboo Ridge's other Handymen.