A New Opportunity

The clouds were overcast, and the air was stiflingly hot.

In such weather, the light between heaven and earth naturally dimmed.

A hawk, its wings mottled with gray spots, stood on a protruding ledge along the cliff face.

Its sharp eyes stared straight at a cave hidden beneath grass and brush at the foot of the cliff. Like a patient hunter, it silently awaited its prey's appearance. The gloomy weather did nothing to hinder its sight.

Waiting bore fruit. Before the time it took to brew a cup of tea, a pair of snow-white ears poked out from the cave.

Almost at the same instant, the hawk spread its wings and dove from the ledge at tremendous speed, carving a deadly arc through the air.

Whoosh!

The white rabbit had no time to react.

A pair of talons had already descended from the sky, pinning its body within their sharp grip.

With its prey in hand, the hawk spread its wings, about to soar into the air.

Yet before it could make another move—

Bzz!

A faint sound, like some bird rapidly beating its wings, rang out from somewhere beneath the cliff.

The next instant—

The hawk's head was gone.

Its body still held the posture of spreading its wings to fly.

A thin layer of ice froze all the blood at the wound where its head had vanished. Not a single drop of blood spilled.

Looking toward the culprit that had slain the hawk in a single strike—

An ordinary arrow had pierced straight into the trunk of an ancient tree behind the hawk, with only half its shaft still exposed.

Likewise, a layer of frost covered the spot where the ancient tree had been pierced.

About fifty zhang away, a youth with a longbow slung across his back raced toward the hawk's corpse.

His face was sickly pale, his long black hair carelessly tied back, and his bearing lazy and casual.

This person was Kong Jiao. The longbow in his hand was the magical artifact he had obtained from Chu Jianghe's cave dwelling, which was why it possessed such force.

From fifty zhang away, it had silently blasted apart the hawk's head.

Arriving before the hawk's already frozen corpse, Kong Jiao lifted it up and smiled.

"I've practiced for half a month. I finally have some accuracy. At this range, I can already pose a threat to an opponent in actual combat."

Half a month had passed since Kong Jiao entered Chu Jianghe's cave dwelling.

Over that half-month, aside from cultivation, Kong Jiao had practiced archery at every spare moment.

He had brought disaster upon quite a few small animals in the forest.

At last, he had achieved modest success.

Furthermore, drawing upon the learning he had accumulated from two years of reading in the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion, Kong Jiao gave the longbow a very elegant name.

Bee Whisper!

Because when the longbow fired, its string made a sound like the beating wings of a hummingbird.

The reason a longbow magical artifact could be called a magical artifact was that its wielder could infuse it with spiritual power, causing its fired arrows to carry that spiritual power and become even more powerful.

The hawk's frozen corpse after death was a manifestation of the spiritual power from Kong Jiao's Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture.

Of course, Bee Whisper was merely an ordinary Wheel-Nourishing Realm magical artifact.

More powerful magical artifacts could even amplify their wielder's spiritual power, unleashing attacks far beyond the wielder's cultivation.

Kong Jiao did not have the means to buy a magical artifact of that caliber.

Bee Whisper was already enough.

"Soup tonight!" Kong Jiao muttered as he carried the hawk's corpse. He casually removed the white rabbit from its talons and tossed it aside, letting it vanish into the depths of the grass.

It was not that he had suddenly become compassionate. Rabbit meat was simply too tough, and he did not like it.

Carrying his prey, Kong Jiao glanced at the black clouds hanging ever lower between heaven and earth and had no intention of lingering.

"Judging by the time, it's about time to go back and cultivate."

For the past half-month, his daily life had consisted of either cultivating or practicing archery. Though ordinary, he enjoyed it.

As for his position at the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion, he had resigned from it long ago.

He had stayed there for two years solely to wait for an opportunity.

Now that the opportunity was in hand, and half of the ten spirit crystals he earned each month would still be withheld, whoever wanted that position could have it. Kong Jiao certainly did not want to remain.

Humming a tuneless little song all the way, Kong Jiao headed straight down the mountain.

His newly built residence was a thatched hut at the foot of the mountain, barely enough to shelter him from wind and rain.

Following the principle of being thrifty and spending every spirit crystal where it counted, that ramshackle hut contained nothing but a broken bed.

Of course, that thatched hut was merely a cover.

In truth, Kong Jiao spent most of his time in the underground cavern, cultivating beside the spirit spring.

Still, he had to make a show of going there every day, or he would draw attention.

After all, Kong Jiao had worked in the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion for two years, and quite a few outer sect disciples knew him.

Today, Kong Jiao had also intended to make a token stop by his thatched hut before heading to the underground cavern.

However, as Kong Jiao descended the mountain carrying the hawk's corpse, he spotted from afar a sturdy figure sitting beneath the eaves outside his hut, seemingly waiting for him.

The sky was dark and heavy, clearly on the verge of rain, yet the visitor was in no hurry to leave.

The sight made Kong Jiao frown slightly.

"Looks like cultivation will have to wait a while today," Kong Jiao murmured, and could only walk over.

Only after drawing close did Kong Jiao make out the man's appearance. He called softly, "Senior Brother Mu!"

This man was Senior Brother Mu, Mu Tian, who had borrowed the Treatise on Miscellaneous Spirit-Grain Stoves from the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion half a month ago.

Kong Jiao was even more puzzled. He should have had no dealings with Mu Tian, who spent all day bent over spiritual fields. Yet judging by his posture, he seemed to have come specifically to wait for him.

"Junior Brother Kong, you're finally back. I've been waiting half the day. I only learned today, when I went to the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion to return the book, that you'd already resigned from your position there." Mu Tian's eyes visibly lit up when he saw Kong Jiao, and he hurriedly rose from the steps beneath the eaves to greet him.

"Senior Brother Mu, you could have simply returned the book to the junior brother who handled your transaction with me." Kong Jiao smiled. He had clearly said that on purpose.

He wanted to ask in return why Mu Tian had come looking for him.

Sure enough, Mu Tian hurriedly waved his hands in explanation and revealed his purpose. "No, no, no, it's not about the book. I came specifically to find you, Junior Brother Kong."

"You came specifically to find me?" Kong Jiao grew even more curious and waited for Mu Tian's explanation.

"To be honest, Junior Brother Kong, something has gone wrong with the Cangwu Sect's spirit rice this year."

"For no apparent reason, great swarms of strange insects called Marrow-Eating Locusts have appeared. Those things are vile beyond measure. They feed solely on the sap and marrow of spirit rice stalks. Any spirit rice they suck dry becomes feeble and withered. This year's harvest is clearly about to fall short of the quota set by the sect. I'm so worried my hair is turning white."

As Mu Tian spoke more passionately, even his sun-darkened face flushed red.

His anxiety was clearly not an act. If the spirit rice harvest declined and failed to meet the output required by the sect, not only would he receive no reward, he would be punished as well.

A spirit farmer labored for an entire year relying on the income from spirit rice. How could he not be anxious?

"You know that over the past few months, I've read many books in the Cangwu Sect concerning spirit rice diseases."

"I finally found a method that can drive away the pests."

The more Kong Jiao listened, the stranger it sounded. His expression turned odd, and he muttered inwardly, If you found a way to drive away the pests, then go do it. Why come to me? It's not like I know how to farm.

Suddenly, Mu Tian changed the subject. He stared straight at Kong Jiao, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Marrow-Eating Locusts fear the cold. Earlier, I ran into Junior Brother Shangguan at the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion. He said that, Junior Brother Kong, you cultivate the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture, which happens to counter Marrow-Eating Locusts."

"The other disciples who specialize in ice-type techniques are too harsh and lethal. I'm afraid they would extinguish the life force of both the spirit rice and the Marrow-Eating Locusts together."

"The Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture won't. It will only cover the surface of the spirit rice with a layer of frost and won't damage its foundation."

Kong Jiao finally understood why Mu Tian had come looking for him.

That Shangguan Yuzhou has a spirit spring to assist his cultivation, yet instead of cultivating properly, he spends all day running to the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion!

Kong Jiao could neither laugh nor cry. There should have been several others in the sect who cultivated the same technique as him.

Shangguan Yuzhou was one thing, but why had Mu Tian come to find him?

"Senior Brother Mu, this is merely your speculation. Whether it will work is still unknown."

Kong Jiao stroked his chin and decided it would be best to politely refuse Senior Brother Mu.

He did not believe that he could solve a pest infestation that had left all the spirit farmers of the Cangwu Sect at their wits' end.

He was not Shangguan Yuzhou, who ran about everywhere just because he had high talent.

His most urgent priority was to keep his head down and cultivate.

"Junior Brother Kong, don't worry. Whether it succeeds or fails, I'll pay five spirit crystals as compensation."

Mu Tian extended the invitation solemnly. To show his sincerity, he even took five spirit crystals from his robe.

"This isn't a matter of money... I agree."

Kong Jiao's abrupt change in attitude left Mu Tian stunned.

Then, overjoyed, he hurriedly settled the matter. "Then it's agreed. Junior Brother Kong, I'll wait for you at the spirit fields early tomorrow morning."

With that, Mu Tian turned and left, afraid that Kong Jiao would change his mind.

Kong Jiao remained where he was with a helpless expression, lips pursed as he watched Mu Tian's back disappear into the distance.

It was not entirely for the money, either.

Because after Mu Tian had finished explaining everything and formally invited him—

The Cloud-Pattern Stele, which had lain dormant in the depths of his consciousness for half a month, suddenly stirred.

Help the Cangwu Sect's spirit farmers eliminate the pest infestation. Opportunity value +2.

The glaring words on the Cloud-Pattern Stele, coupled with the spirit crystals he could earn from this trip, were why Kong Jiao's attitude had changed so quickly.

"There's an opportunity in the spirit fields?" Standing alone beneath the eaves, Kong Jiao rubbed his chin and fell into thought.

The soil of the Cangwu Sect's spirit fields had been turned over thousands upon thousands of times by spirit farmers. There could not possibly be an opportunity there.

Yet the Cloud-Pattern Stele's guidance could never be wrong.

For instance, the opportunity at the Miscellaneous Books Pavilion had not actually been in the pavilion itself.

"Perhaps there will be some other fortuitous encounter." After murmuring this, Kong Jiao did not think any further. The Cloud-Pattern Stele's grasp of opportunities was beyond his understanding, so he simply stopped dwelling on it.

During Kong Jiao's brief contemplation—

Rumble!

A clap of thunder exploded across the heavens.

Raindrops as large as beans came pouring down, blanketing the sky and earth.

The eaves of Kong Jiao's thatched hut could not block such heavy rain, and in an instant, he was soaked through.

Whoosh!

Carrying the hawk's corpse, Kong Jiao dashed out of the hut like a gust of wind and raced straight for the underground cavern.