A Surge in Reputation

"Boom..."

A few days later, after gathering a batch of precious medicinal herbs and receiving several critical hits, Qin Dongcheng once again gave Lu Gen and the others pointers on their cultivation.

Amid a rumble, Lu Gen actually condensed his Blood Qi and stepped into the ranks of Martial Artists.

Qin Dongcheng hurriedly told the others to back away, leaving Lu Gen enough room to improve and consolidate his strength.

The other servants in the Herb Field realized what was happening and quickly moved aside, each watching Lu Gen at the center with envy.

"Alchemist Qin is amazing. He helped Lu Gen comprehend the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist and master it in no time, letting him condense his Blood Qi. Lu Gen had been trying to understand it for over a year before and hadn't even grasped the basics."

"Among all the Alchemy Apprentices and Martial Artists who came from the Herb Field servants, who else has helped us like Alchemist Qin? If he ever needs anything, none of us should back down."

"That was so fast. It's only been a few months, and Lu Gen has not only comprehended the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist but mastered it and entered the Body Phase Realm. Maybe in another year and a half, one of us will become an Official Disciple."

"If Lu Gen were relying on himself, it probably wouldn't happen. He needed Alchemist Qin's help."

Amid the low murmurs, Lu Gen had already entered the Body Phase Realm and consolidated his cultivation. His face alight with excitement, he ran over to Qin Dongcheng.

"Thud..."

Lu Gen dropped to his knees before Qin Dongcheng. "Thank you, Alchemist Qin, for your guidance. Without you, I'm afraid I'd never have comprehended the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist in this lifetime, much less mastered it and become a Martial Artist."

Qin Dongcheng hurriedly helped him up. "You did the hard work yourself. I didn't have much to do with it. Besides, even without my guidance, you could've spent some Sect Contribution to ask someone else for help."

"Then who knows how many years it would've taken? By then, my body might've already started to decline, and it would've been hard to become a Martial Artist." Lu Gen smiled bitterly. "And even if I'd paid someone else, would they have put in as much effort as you, Alchemist Qin? I might've spent the money and still failed to understand it, let alone become a Martial Artist."

Just as Lu Gen said, over the years, countless Herb Field servants had spent money without managing to become Martial Artists. In the end, they had only wasted their money and time.

What's more, back then he'd known nothing and chosen one of the hardest Body Strengthening techniques, the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist. That had made it even harder to cultivate; even comprehending it was incredibly difficult.

He'd thought he could forget about becoming a Martial Artist in this lifetime, yet with Qin Dongcheng's help, he'd comprehended the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist and mastered it in no time.

This was a kindness that had set him on the path to cultivation. How could he not be overwhelmed with gratitude?

Lu Gen also knew that Qin Dongcheng had looked after him more than the others, often giving him extra pointers. Otherwise, he wouldn't have improved so quickly.

After all, among the many Herb Field servants, his talent was only average, and plenty of them surpassed him.

Watching Lu Gen's heartfelt gratitude, Qin Dongcheng couldn't help but sigh.

To be honest, at first Lu Gen had looked after him. Later, after he'd obtained the Heaven Rewards Diligence System, he'd helped Lu Gen largely because Lu Gen had once helped him and he believed in repaying kindness.

He hadn't expected Lu Gen to give him such a wonderful surprise so soon. That Treasure Map was worth at least ten or twenty thousand taels of silver, and possibly much more.

That single Treasure Map was more than enough to repay everything Qin Dongcheng had done for Lu Gen, and then some.

He hadn't expected Lu Gen to still feel indebted. Such a kind and honest man was rare; Qin Dongcheng would have to help him more in the future.

Even if Lu Gen's prospects were limited, that Treasure Map alone was worth hundreds of bottles of pills to Qin Dongcheng.

Besides, when making friends, how could he only consider the other person's prospects and background? That would be far too calculating.

After giving Lu Gen a few more pointers so he could better consolidate his cultivation and adapt to his greatly increased strength, Qin Dongcheng finally left.

He planned to give Lu Gen some Blood-Replenishing Pills in a few days, when no one was around, to speed up his cultivation.

With Lu Gen becoming a Martial Artist through the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist, Qin Dongcheng's fame in the area soared, and even more Herb Field servants came to ask for his guidance.

They didn't hesitate to give him many of the medicinal herbs they'd accumulated, and even transplanted precious herbs together to make them easier for Qin Dongcheng to pick.

Some Herb Field servants not under Zhang Jing's supervision also came to ask for guidance, offering to leave their precious herbs for Qin Dongcheng to gather.

These gestures undoubtedly let Qin Dongcheng collect more precious herbs while saving a great deal of time and effort.

Some of the herbs grown by veteran servants even included century-old Ginseng and Fleeceflower Root. If Qin Dongcheng got a critical hit from picking just one, he'd be set.

So he accepted everyone who came. He only had to spare a little time now and then to offer guidance, and it didn't take much effort.

After reaching the Skin Phase Realm, Qin Dongcheng had gained deeper insight into Body Strengthening. Even those who didn't practice the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist could benefit from his guidance.

After he tried it a few times and helped Herb Field servants who practiced other fist techniques overcome their difficulties, more and more servants came seeking his advice.

Qin Dongcheng only had to set a time for everyone to come together for guidance. It took very little time or effort.

However, this did affect some Official Disciples who earned money and Sect Contribution by advising Herb Field servants. If Qin Dongcheng hadn't been an Alchemy Apprentice, someone might have come looking for trouble.

Qin Dongcheng also deliberately limited the number of people he advised to avoid going too far and provoking public anger.

Besides, Official Disciples had plenty of ways to earn money and Sect Contribution. Advising Herb Field servants was just pocket money, so no one made too much of it.

Qin Dongcheng's standing and reputation in Bamboo Forest Valley continued to rise. Even though he deliberately kept a low profile, more and more people gradually began to notice him.

Fortunately, he had plenty of hidden cards. Even if this brought him trouble, his concealed strength would be more than enough to deal with it.

The situation in Luo Cloud Prefecture, however, was growing increasingly dire. Word was that other prefectures nearby could no longer hold back the Demons and Ghosts, and had started diverting the disaster by driving them into Luo Cloud Prefecture.

This greatly enraged the Five Elements Sect, the power that dominated Luo Cloud Prefecture. They gave those who had diverted the disaster a harsh lesson, then pinched their noses and began dealing with the many Demons and Ghosts.

More and more Five Elements Sect disciples received compulsory missions to slay demons and ghosts. Even the Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, Formation Masters... began receiving compulsory missions to do the same.

Qin Dongcheng was no exception. He, too, received a compulsory mission to deal with a group of Rat Demons causing trouble in Tongxin Village, a thousand li away.