Fortuitous Opportunity

After the Medicine Hall supervisor announced that the three-year term had been changed to two years, Yang Chan noticed that more people in the courtyard were bitterly training the Ox Demon Strength Fist. Even deep into the night, people were still practicing their fists, cultivating as though their lives depended on it.

Their faces were pale and their vitality and blood depleted, yet they still forced themselves to practice the Ox Demon Strength Fist.

In the three days after the supervisor's announcement, Yang Chan saw more than twenty corpses carried out of the Medicine Hall and buried. And those were only the Steward Disciples of the Medicine Hall; the number from the other halls was probably no less.

This life-or-death race made Yang Chan realize just how severe the disaster in Qingzhou was. If the calamity there had not been so grave, these Steward Disciples would not be risking their lives like this. After all, a person only had one life.

As the saying went, a miserable life was better than a good death.

Only those unable to survive outside would make such a choice.

Yet after seeing so many deaths, some Steward Disciples quietly returned to normal and stopped pushing themselves so desperately. But they were only a portion of them.

Seeing this, the Qingyuan Sect supervisors continued to arrange roll calls as usual, lest someone die in their room without anyone knowing until the corpse began to stink.

In such scorching weather, a corpse would start to reek within mere hours, and might even trigger a contagious epidemic.

During roll call, Yang Chan noticed that many names on the roster had been crossed out. They all belonged to the dead.

His daily workload had also increased. With Steward Disciples dying, their duties were divided among all the remaining Steward Disciples.

Those who once had time to chat had vanished. Most people wore sorrowful expressions and had become far quieter.

Meanwhile, recruitment for new Steward Disciples had begun again, open to all of Qingzhou. They were meant to replace the batch of Steward Disciples who had served over two years and were soon to be dismissed. In these years of famine and disaster, one could readily imagine how fierce the competition would be.

Once the new Steward Disciples had been recruited, the duties of Yang Chan and the others would lighten somewhat. Yet no one was happy about it, because most veteran Steward Disciples were about to be dismissed. That was the fate of the overwhelming majority of Steward Disciples.

Over these days, Yang Chan's daily cultivation progress had continued to rise steadily, but he was hardly happy. A troubled look showed on his face as well. Although the additional workload had been spread out, he was truly exhausted now.

After completing his Servant Task each day, all he wanted was to lie down and rest.

The Steward Disciples were suffering like this, but nothing much had changed for the Qingyuan Sect's Formal Disciples, because it did not affect them at all.

The Formal Disciples were the true people of the Qingyuan Sect.

Even during the noon break, Yang Chan did not relax. He joined the crowd practicing the Ox Demon Strength Fist. Even when Steward Disciples collapsed beside them, these people did not stop.

Medicine Hall.

"Hall Master, today's harvest from the Medicine Field was down by thirty percent. The weather is too hot. Even though we arranged for Steward Disciples to water it, many medicinal herbs were still scorched to death."

"The amount of herbs collected from the foot of the mountain has dropped by forty percent. If this heat continues, the later harvests will likely be even lower."

As the Medicine Hall deacon responsible for receiving medicinal herbs, Sikong Yan naturally had a clear grasp of the daily collection figures and knew the cause of the shortage.

This was a natural disaster, not something human strength could resist.

"From now on, assign another group of Steward Disciples each day to water the Medicine Field. We must stabilize the situation there. As long as we wait for the next heavy rain, things can return to normal."

Gu An nodded. This was not the first time he had heard such bad news. The medicinal harvest declined every day, and they could only do all they could.

As the Hall Master of the Medicine Hall and an elder of the Qingyuan Sect, he had naturally reported these issues to the Sect Master and the others. However, they had no good solution either.

"In one month, it will be time for the medicinal tribute. Handle it personally and arrange for people to receive it."

Gu An instructed.

The Qingyuan Sect's Medicine Fields and its own herb gathering accounted for only part of its medicinal supplies. Far more came from the forces across Qingzhou sheltered by the Qingyuan Sect, which offered medicinal herbs as tribute twice a year. The more they contributed, the more importance the Qingyuan Sect attached to them, and the more likely it was to send sect disciples to help resolve their troubles.

"Yes, Hall Master. I will not fail your heavy trust."

Delight appeared on Sikong Yan's face. Being responsible for receiving the medicinal herbs sent from various places meant he could profit from them.

He would also be the first to see medicinal materials that were scarce in his usual cultivation, and could use his authority to obtain a portion.

So long as he did not go too far, no one would generally interfere.

"Are these all Steward Disciples who have been on the mountain for over two years?"

Gu An glanced casually at the disciples in the open space, diligently practicing the Ox Demon Strength Fist during their noon break, and asked.

Most of these disciples had depleted vitality and blood. Though they were proficient in the Ox Demon Strength Fist, their movements were far from standard, and they were still a long way from mastering it. They would basically be unable to comprehend Raging Bull Strength and were destined to be dismissed.

"Eh!"

Suddenly, Gu An spotted a figure among the crowd, and his eyes lit up.

"Who is that person?"

Gu An pointed at someone in the crowd practicing the Ox Demon Strength Fist and asked.

Sikong Yan did not answer, instead looking toward the supervisor beside them. As a Medicine Hall deacon, he naturally paid no attention to these Steward Disciples.

"Reporting to Hall Master, this person is Yang Chan. He has been on the mountain for two and a half years. He was a medicine-gathering apprentice from Jishan Town."

After recognizing the person Gu An had pointed out, the supervisor immediately gave Yang Chan's background. Every Steward Disciple recruited by the Qingyuan Sect had to have a clean background and a readily traceable origin.

"He once offered a hundred-year-old wild ginseng as tribute and became a Steward Disciple. Before entering the Qingyuan Sect, he was a medicine apprentice. His work was..."

The supervisor flipped through the booklet in his hand, finding the account of Yang Chan's arrival on the mountain and several brief evaluations of him.

"Two and a half years. His aptitude is fairly ordinary. His Ox Demon Strength Fist is close to bearing fruit. If he can comprehend Raging Bull Strength, admit him into the Medicine Hall."

After hearing that it had been two and a half years, Gu An lost much of his interest in Yang Chan. If it had been a year and a half, or even less, then he would have been promising material.

Even so, if he could comprehend Jing Power, he could still be admitted into the Qingyuan Sect as an ordinary disciple.

Moreover, Yang Chan's evaluation described him as diligent and conscientious in his work, which was acceptable. At the same time, it could offer these Steward Disciples a glimmer of hope.

After all, if a Steward Disciple who had entered the sect two and a half years ago comprehended Jing Power before being dismissed and became a Formal Disciple of the Qingyuan Sect, it would make for a fine tale.

It could also give some hope to those nearing the end of their two-year term.

The Qingyuan Sect's higher-ups naturally welcomed such a situation.

"Yes, Hall Master."

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan immediately understood Gu An's meaning.

Quite a few Steward Disciples had died lately, making some of the others fearful and causing them to grow slack. If word of Yang Chan's case spread at this time, the situation would naturally improve greatly.

He was a living, breathing signboard.

"After the herbs have finished drying later, bring Yang Chan a bowl of Qi Replenishing Body Nourishing Soup."

Sikong Yan looked at the supervisor beside him and instructed.

"Yes, Lord Deacon."

The supervisor hurriedly replied, inwardly marveling at Yang Chan's good fortune.