Finish This Job, Then Loot the House

"Nineteen contribution points, plus today's gains, should be enough!"

Lu He thought.

Clearly, his prediction that day had been far too optimistic. Even though he had guarded the spirit fields day and night, the spirit creatures he hunted still fell short of expectations.

It was not that spirit creatures were hard to find.

In fact, according to Lu He's observations, quite a few spirit creatures had been drawn to the spirit fields. But these things were far too sensitive to danger. At the slightest disturbance, they would frantically burrow into the ground.

And lately, they seemed to have gotten smarter. They no longer revealed themselves so easily.

Not only Lu He—even the stewards did not dare dig up the ground recklessly, for fear of damaging the spirit grain in the fields and affecting the harvest.

Otherwise, punishment from the inner garden would be no small matter.

"At a time like this, the spirit fields really need someone watching over them day and night."

"The stewards chose Spirit-Slaying Envoys partly to hunt those spirit creatures, but more importantly, they probably need someone strong enough to stay in the fields and drive them off in real time. That way, they can at least protect the spirit grain harvest."

"Brilliant. Killing several birds with one stone! As expected of Qi-Feeding cultivators—they really have plenty of ideas."

Lu He smacked his lips.

He increasingly admired the stewards who had come up with the idea of Spirit-Slaying Envoys.

The key was that even if those Spirit-Slaying Envoys, like Lu He, saw through the stewards' intentions, they would still willingly search desperately for spirit creatures.

The reason was simple: one was willing to fight, the other willing to take the hit. Their gains were directly tied to their own interests, leaving the Spirit-Slaying Envoys no room to slack off.

He continued forward along the path beneath his feet.

From time to time, Lu He activated the phantom of the White Ape Dao Diagram for several breaths, carefully sensing the movements around him in hopes of finding hidden spirit creatures.

"Ah, if only I could keep the Talent Dao Diagram's enhancement active all the time. My gains would surely be several times greater than they are now. Unfortunately... I still can't afford the consumption."

A trace of regret flashed through his eyes.

Even with Lu He's current strength, he could not maintain the level-two White Ape Dao Diagram for long.

At most, he was far better off than before. He would not go limp after merely ten or twenty breaths.

But it was easy to foresee that once the Dao Diagram reached level three, its consumption would surely become even more terrifying.

As for even higher-level White Ape Dao Diagrams—

Lu He strongly suspected that only mana could activate them.

Just then.

A rustling sound came from not far ahead.

Lu He halted.

Through the low shrubbery, he vaguely saw seven or eight figures gathered around a man and a woman, resting in the woods and chatting animatedly.

"Senior Brother Zhou is extraordinarily talented. Yesterday was his first time attending the tea gathering, yet he took eighteenth place on the rankings in one stroke. I recall the last person to perform so outrageously was Senior Brother Qin Lie, wasn't it?"

"Exactly. Even Senior Brother Zheng Jingren and the others did not perform as well as Senior Brother Zhou when they first attended a tea gathering."

"Looks like among the thirteen people promoted to seeds this time, Senior Brother Zhou will be the foremost."

"..."

"Senior Sister Zhou also did quite well. Though she only got twenty-seventh place, she lost to that wench Su Lingchan. That is hardly shameful."

As soon as those words fell.

The man at the center of the group stood up and said with a modest smile, "Ah, you younger brothers flatter me too much. I am merely a newcomer. How could I compare to a monster like Senior Brother Qin Lie?"

"As for Senior Brother Zheng Jingren and the others, they are among the top geniuses of our medicine garden. I cannot catch up to them anytime soon."

"Don't say such things again."

Before the man could finish.

The woman beside him also stood, looking somewhat unconvinced. "Su Lingchan—I will definitely defeat her at the next tea gathering!"

"Unfortunately, that Senior Brother Lu did not attend this tea gathering. Otherwise, I would have liked to spar with him and see what abilities he has to earn a second-class quota and surpass my elder brother."

Hearing this, the man hurriedly reached out to stop her, a faint reprimand entering his voice. "Enough, little sister. Do not say such things again. Steward Lu's spirit field is next door, and Brother Lu must be over there. Wouldn't it harm our harmony if he heard you?"

"As for the second-class seed quota, it is only a matter of getting it a year earlier or later—"

As he spoke.

Two gazes suddenly collided in midair.

"Brother Lu, would you like to come over and rest? We have some fruits and pastries to eat."

The man took the initiative to invite him.

As he spoke, his gaze met Lu He's directly, and a certain ambition gleamed in his eyes.

"Brother Zhou, you are too kind. I still need to patrol the spirit fields, so I will not be joining you."

Lu He shook his head, his gaze slowly passing over the woman beside him, whose face was full of resentment.

These siblings were the two who had received third-class seed quotas that day.

"Eighteenth on the tea gathering rankings. His strength can barely rival that of an established seed. Not bad. No wonder he is so high-spirited."

Lu He thought to himself, a faint smile flickering in his eyes.

With that, he followed his planned route and prepared to continue patrolling the spirit fields.

The moment he turned around.

"Something's not right. I'm not even twenty yet. Why do I feel like I'm watching children make a fuss when I look at these people?"

Lu He suddenly realized it, then smiled bitterly.

Before he had gone even thirty meters.

Screee!

A piercing cry suddenly exploded beside his ear, followed by a string of shrill tearing sounds that ripped through the air like shredded silk, making his whole body go cold.

Lu He's pupils contracted. Without the slightest hesitation, he roared inwardly:

"Immaculate Heart Ape!"

Everything around him instantly fell silent.

Then came the sound of wind sweeping through wheat, screams, the shrieks of spirit creatures... all manner of noises instantly transformed into torrents of information flooding into his mind.

Before he could turn around, a black shadow flashed through the corner of his vision at extreme speed.

The people who had just been chatting and resting now lay sprawled across the ground. Some had been pierced straight through the chest and abdomen, leaving fist-sized wounds as they wailed in agony.

"That was... some kind of demon bird?"

A sharp glint flashed in Lu He's eyes.

He glanced at the people on the ground. Body Metamorphosis cultivators had powerful vitality; such minor injuries would not kill them.

He withdrew his gaze.

Without hesitation, Lu He chased after the direction in which the black shadow had vanished.

The closer one came to the limits of the physical body, the more terrifying the energy required for further transformation became.

Ever since he had finished that Black Jade Pill.

Lu He's cultivation had already stagnated. Training by eating braised meat as before produced barely any effect.

Now, the contribution points he had on hand were just enough to rent a "cave dwelling." As for buying spirit pills, that was beyond his means.

"You showed up at just the right time! A demon bird that has grown this strong should be worth quite a few contribution points, right? Even if not, killing it for the meat would still be a great tonic!"

Lu He muttered inwardly.

Yet his speed increased by several degrees.

The demon bird had already vanished from sight.

But under the Immaculate Heart Ape's enhancement, the traces it left while flying were extremely obvious, so Lu He did not have to worry about losing it.

As for its strength.

From that brief glimpse just now, he had known that he could handle it—

"How the hell am I supposed to handle that?!"

After chasing it all the way to the depths of the hills behind the residence area, Lu He finally saw the familiar shadow again. But now, he was somewhat cowed.

The good news: he had found the demon bird's nest.

The bad news: it was the main nest!

Looking at the five demon birds gathered in that hidden cave, Lu He could not help slowing his breathing. He began inching backward, terrified of making even the slightest sound.

If there were one or two, he was confident he could deal with them.

But a family of five—

Lu He felt he had better make a long-term plan.

"Right, why not borrow Baihao's treasured sword and give it a try? And Brother Zheng's door plank—I should borrow that as a shield too."

Lu He pondered silently, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

Once he finished this job, he, Lu, might really strike it rich.