Registration, the Three Inner Garden Institutes

The seventh day of the ninth month.

Auspicious for gathering wealth, sacrifices, and forming alliances.

At noon, the eatery buzzed with noise, an endless stream of people coming and going. They were all tenant farmers, taking the chance to chat during lunch.

The topics they discussed were astonishingly consistent.

"Damn, I heard the stewards will start selecting candidates tomorrow. We'll even get a day off, so we can finally witness the splendor of our herb garden cultivators."

"I wonder whose quota will have the most exciting competition..."

"Obviously Steward Liu's! Haven't you heard? Fairy Liu has completed Foundation Establishment and shed her tenant farmer status. I hear plenty of powerful people have their eyes on that juicy prize. This year, they'll probably beat each other's brains out."

"Pah, what's there to watch? I'd rather sleep in the dormitories. These past two days have worn me out."

"..."

At one of the tables in the middle.

Lu He was wolfing down the sauced meat in his bowl. With every bite, a warm current rose in his abdomen, silently strengthening his body.

As he listened to the many discussions in the eatery.

A glint of golden light flashed through Lu He's eyes.

[Name: Lu He]

[Cultivation Realm: Foundation Establishment · Late Body Transformation Realm (1,021 jin in one arm)]

[Method: Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram · Fourth Layer (53%)

Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Intent Rune (Complete)]

[Current Talent Dao Diagram: White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]

[Level: Level 2 (277/1000)]

[Grade: White]

[Talent:

Immaculate Heart Ape (Second Tier) [Note: Enter the state of enlightenment, gaining an additional 80% boost to comprehension]]

[Remaining Dao Diagram Evolution Attempts: 1]

Just as he had estimated before.

After squeezing out the last trace of medicinal power from the Black Jade Pill's residue.

Lu He had successfully stepped into the late Body Transformation Realm. Under the integration of the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Intent Rune, a single hammer strike could unleash a terrifying force of two thousand jin.

He was comparable to a humanoid beast.

"Steward Liu... If I could obtain his quota, there'd be a full two thousand mu of spirit fields. How many spirit materials could I harvest during the window period, and how many Black Jade Pills could I exchange them for?"

A faint trace of hope flickered in his eyes.

As the saying went, it was hard to return to frugality after luxury.

After experiencing the effects of the Black Jade Pill.

Lu He felt that even sauced meat no longer tasted good. The warm current he refined from it was pitifully scant.

Of course, that was only what he thought. He still had some self-awareness.

He knew that those daring to compete for Steward Liu's quota were all old hands who had cultivated for ten, twenty, or even more years.

Their strength was terrifying.

Under normal circumstances, two thousand jin of force in one arm was merely the threshold.

It was far beyond anything he could participate in.

"If I could reach two thousand jin in one arm—no, even fifteen hundred jin... I'd dare to go up against them."

Lu He sighed and lowered his head to continue gnawing on the sauced meat.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps reached Lu He's ears, drawing closer and closer.

The light before him dimmed.

"Master He, stop eating! Hurry to the Miscellaneous Affairs Building! Registration for this year's competition over the window-period steward quotas is about to begin!"

Xiong Dayou wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted at Lu He between gasps.

The moment his voice fell.

The eatery instantly fell silent.

Gazes filled with awe or curiosity came from every direction and landed on Lu He, only to quickly shift away again. No one dared keep looking.

At the same time.

"Um, Master He, what does sauced meat taste like?"

Xiong Dayou's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the sauced meat on the table, and his throat bobbed uncontrollably.

"It has no taste to speak of. Bland as can be."

Lu He answered calmly, then rose and walked straight to the eatery window, looking at Old Wang bustling about inside.

"Next!"

Three tables had been set up early in the open space before the Miscellaneous Affairs Building.

Several old men sat behind them, constantly writing on wooden plaques, while people nearby called out briskly.

By the time Lu He arrived, the place was already packed with people.

The three tables were completely surrounded.

"So many people?"

Lu He could not help clicking his tongue.

"Of course. There are nearly a hundred thousand tenant farmers in Azurehold Herb Garden, and every year, large numbers of newcomers are brought in. Over time, quite a few tenant farmers have cultivated the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram."

"But ninety-nine percent of them are only in the early Body Transformation Realm. They're basically not here for the quotas."

Someone beside him explained helpfully.

Lu He followed the voice and found that the speaker was actually a youth around his own age.

Beneath a pair of thick, straight brows, his small eyes shone brightly. For some reason, he looked rather amusing.

"My name is Lu He. Thank you for your guidance, brother."

Lu He cupped his fists.

Through the spiritual senses granted by the White Ape Dao Diagram, he could sense a strong feeling of danger from the figure before him. Clearly, the other party was considerably stronger than he was.

Still, if it truly came down to a fight to the death, Lu He was not afraid of him.

"My name is Zheng Jingren."

The youth returned the salute with cupped fists and said with a smile, "Brother Lu, you're too polite. It can hardly be called guidance. I merely happened to meet someone my age and showed off a little."

"Brother Zheng, you said they're basically not here for the quotas. Then why are they registering?"

Lu He looked at the people before him and could not help asking in confusion.

As far as he knew, registration cost money. If they had no hope of winning a quota, why throw their money away here for nothing?

Opposite him.

Zheng Jingren could not help giving Lu He a long look.

"Brother Lu, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"

"What do you mean?"

Confusion showed on Lu He's face.

After a moment of silence.

Zheng Jingren suddenly spoke, asking in a low voice:

"Brother Lu, have you never considered this? The stewards could simply assign the task of killing spirit creatures directly to those veteran cultivating tenant farmers in the herb garden. That would obviously be much more convenient."

"So why do they go to the trouble of holding these quota selections every year? Isn't that like pulling down your pants just to—"

Halfway through.

Zheng Jingren seemed to suddenly realize something. He shrank his neck and hurriedly changed his words.

"Doing something unnecessary?"

It was not until evening that Lu He's turn finally came.

By then, only sparse figures remained in the open space before the Miscellaneous Affairs Building.

Even Zheng Jingren, who had waited bitterly alongside Lu He, had left half an hour earlier.

"Here's your plaque. Next!"

Lu He accepted the wooden plaque bearing the name "Lu He" from the old man, counted out one hundred copper coins and handed them over, then turned and headed toward the dormitories.

Throughout the entire process.

Zheng Jingren's words kept echoing in his mind.

"It's true that they choose strong tenant farmers to kill spirit creatures for them. But it's also true that they use the opportunity to probe the abilities of the herb garden's many cultivating tenant farmers, select talented individuals with the potential to enter the inner garden, and invest in them early."

"The Three Inner Garden Institutes... The Pill Institute must be one of those three institutes."

Lu He muttered inwardly.

He could not help thinking of that half Black Jade Pill again.

Tap, tap—

His footsteps grew faster and faster.

The next morning, just as the sun rose.

Dong—

A massive bell suddenly rang out, its sound instantly spreading to every corner of the herb garden.

In an instant.

As though they had arranged it beforehand.

Doors opened one after another in the dormitory district and residential district. Figures carrying long sabers on their backs or holding greatswords in hand emerged from their rooms and headed toward the various spirit field areas.