Guarding the Waste Pill Room

The flying sword sped swiftly, and in just a few moments, it arrived above the seventh peak.

Houses stood clustered on the mountain, a row of ancient buildings grand and imposing. Yet, looking around, only a few scattered figures could be seen, giving it a somewhat desolate air.

The flying sword landed in a square. As soon as it touched down, Lu Mingshi turned his head and said to Han Yu:

"Han Yu, you'll follow me shortly. From today onward, you are my personal disciple! In the future, I will personally teach you the methods of immortal cultivation."

Hearing this, even as proud as Han Yu was, he immediately showed a delighted expression and quickly said, "Thank you, Peak Master!"

"Mm? Peak Master?" Lu Mingshi's brow twitched.

Han Yu dropped to his knees with a thud and hastily corrected himself, "Thank you, Master!"

"Good! Later, at the main hall, I'll hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony for you."

Lu Mingshi nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the others.

At this moment, aside from Su Shi'er, the other three children all wore looks of envy.

Becoming a direct disciple of a peak master was an immense honor! Unfortunately, they lacked Han Yu's talent, so all they could do was envy him.

After arranging Han Yu's matters, Lu Mingshi turned to Xiao Yue and said, "Yue'er, you handle the rest of them. Tomorrow, first send them to the instructors to learn reading, writing, and the sect's rules. Three months later, arrange for them to study immortal cultivation methods under the teaching elders."

"Mm! I'll first arrange their lodging!"

Xiao Yue nodded with a smile. As she finished speaking, her gaze fell on Su Shi'er and the others. She was about to speak when hurried footsteps approached.

"Peak Master, something terrible! Junior Brother Chen Xi was bitten by a demonic beast!"

Two disciples in Yun Ge Sect uniforms rushed over, carrying an injured disciple on a stretcher.

On the stretcher, the disciple, no more than sixteen or seventeen, lay unconscious from severe injuries, drenched in blood.

"Demonic beast? The sect is protected by formations everywhere. Where did a demonic beast come from?" Lu Mingshi's gaze fell on the stretcher, his brow furrowing.

The leading disciple quickly replied, "Reporting to Peak Master, the Waste Pill Room is in a remote area where wild beasts often appear, including some Low-Tier Demonic Beasts."

"Hmph, and you call yourselves cultivators? Can't even handle a mere wild beast. All those years of cultivation—did they go to waste?"

Lu Mingshi's face darkened as he let out a cold snort. Speaking thus, he looked at the injured disciple, pulled out a pale green talisman, and activated it with his true essence.

The talisman transformed into a beam of green light, enveloping the youth on the stretcher.

After a moment, the green light faded, and the youth's wounds stopped bleeding. But he had lost one hand and one foot, looking utterly pitiful.

"Alright, I've used an Azure Spirit Talisman to stabilize his injuries. But with his severed limbs, he'll never cultivate again. Find a day to send him down the mountain."

The two carrying the stretcher nodded hastily but didn't leave. Instead, they asked cautiously, "Peak Master, should we still find someone to guard the Waste Pill Room?"

"Hmph, waste pills may be useless, but their tally relates to the sect's consumption of all medicinal herbs. Do you think it's necessary?" Lu Mingshi snorted in dissatisfaction.

Within the Yun Ge Sect, all the various pills consumed by disciples were refined by peak masters or specialized alchemists.

The required herbs were provided by the sect, and the amount of finished pills and waste pills allowed tracking of herb usage to prevent embezzlement.

The Waste Pill Room was in a remote location, nearly at the sect's outer perimeter. Normally, managing such a trivial matter as the Waste Pill Room had little to do with Luofu Peak.

But the problem was that among the Yun Ge Seven Peaks, Luofu Peak was the weakest. Naturally, such tasks fell to it.

Hearing Lu Mingshi's words, the two disciples carrying the stretcher couldn't help but shiver and quickly said, "Peak Master, then who should we send? Our peak is a bit short-handed right now!"

"Mm? No one left? That's fine—I brought back a few boys on this trip down the mountain!" Lu Mingshi paused, muttering to himself, then swept his gaze and landed on Zhu Hanwei.

Feeling Lu Mingshi's stare, Zhu Hanwei's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

He had heard everything the two disciples said. The Waste Pill Room—just the name told him it was no good place, and the man on the stretcher was a living example.

How could he agree to that?

At this thought, Zhu Hanwei's face turned pale with fear. Before Lu Mingshi could speak, he hurriedly pulled a palm-sized wooden box from his bosom.

"Peak Master, my father also had something he wanted me to give you!"

"Mm?" Lu Mingshi was taken aback. Taking the wooden box and opening it, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Inside the box was another small piece of Hundred Year Cold Jade. This piece was clearly part of the same whole as the one he'd received in Huilong Town.

Expressionlessly, he put the box away and appraised Zhu Hanwei. "Alright, why the long face at your age? But since you have no spiritual root, cultivation would be a waste. How about this—my alchemy room needs an apprentice. From now on, you'll serve as my pill boy!"

"Thank you, Peak Master!" Hearing he wouldn't go to the Waste Pill Room and would instead be the peak master's pill boy, Zhu Hanwei nodded like a chick pecking at rice, his heart blooming with joy.

Lu Mingshi paid him no further mind and continued scanning until his gaze fell on Su Shi'er.

"Alright, you'll do! From today, you'll guard the Waste Pill Room!"

Su Shi'er's thin frame trembled, and his face turned deathly pale.

If Zhu Hanwei could sense the danger of the Waste Pill Room, so could he.

But looking at Lu Mingshi, he didn't know how to refuse. Zhu Hanwei had money to bribe, but he had nothing to offer.

Beside him, Xiao Yue's gaze swept over Su Shi'er and the others. She turned to Lu Mingshi and couldn't help saying:

"Grandfather, they're still young and just joined the sect. No matter who you send to the Waste Pill Room, if they encounter wild beasts or even Low-Tier Demonic Beasts, aren't you just sending them to their deaths?"

Lu Mingshi's face hardened, but this time he didn't relent. "To their deaths? Yue'er, don't lecture me. What do you think cultivation is? A child's game?"

"This kid's talent is already a complete mess. If he can't even overcome this little bit of danger, then what's the point of cultivating? Might as well send him down the mountain directly."

Lu Mingshi held no favorable opinion of Su Shi'er. With the worst Mixed Spiritual Roots, no matter how he looked at it, letting him cultivate was a waste of resources.

With no one available within the peak right now, having Su Shi'er guard the Waste Pill Room was undoubtedly the best decision.

As for the danger, in his view, it wasn't much of a concern. Fierce beasts and demonic beasts were entirely low-probability events. Chen Xi, also a disciple with no real aptitude, had stayed in the Waste Pill Room for several years before encountering any danger.

Xiao Yue's face darkened as she looked at Lu Mingshi, wanting to plead further.

Before she could speak, Su Shi'er suddenly said, "Senior Sister Xiao Yue, thank you! But the Peak Lord is right. I'm already lacking in talent. If I can't even overcome this small difficulty, how can I cultivate properly in the future?"

Su Shi'er could feel Lu Mingshi's resolve. He understood clearly that he had no choice now.

If he stayed, at least he'd still have a chance to cultivate.

But if he left, re-entering the world of immortal cultivation would be as hard as reaching the heavens.

Xiao Yue couldn't bear it and wanted to say more, "But..."

Lu Mingshi nodded and said, "Alright, it's rare for you to have this courage. You two, take him to guard the Waste Pill Room."

With that, Lu Mingshi turned to look at the two men carrying the stretcher.

"Fine! This junior brother, come with us!" The two nodded, looking at Su Shi'er with sympathy.

The Peak Lord was really sending this kid to his death!

Junior Brother Chen Xi had at least cultivated for a few years, but this kid in front of them was only twelve years old!

Even if he went, in three to five days, he'd either die or be scared out of his wits!

It wasn't just them; Zhu Hanwei and the others also had no faith in Su Shi'er. In their eyes, what Su Shi'er was doing was too foolish. Cultivation was cultivation, but if he lost his life, what was the point of cultivating at all?

Beside Lu Mingshi, Han Yu looked at Su Shi'er's thin back, hesitating to speak. Forget it, with talent like his, he'd naturally know to give up when danger came.

Su Shi'er followed the two disciples away. One of them carried the injured Chen Xi off, while the other led Su Shi'er toward the Waste Pill Room.

Perhaps thinking Su Shi'er wouldn't last long in the sect, the disciple guiding him didn't say a word the entire way.

Su Shi'er, shrinking his neck, wisely chose not to start a conversation.

The two descended Luofu Peak and walked for another two hours before reaching a small peak at the edge of the sect.

What lay before him was a simple wooden and stone building. It had a single courtyard with several rooms inside—a living area and a storage room specifically for waste pills.

"This is the Waste Pill Room. The storage room is for keeping waste pills. At the end of each month, every peak sends their waste pills here. Your job is to record the number of waste pills each peak delivers, then hand it over to the steward in charge of tallying at the start of the month."

"This book teaches you how to identify different types of waste pills. Do you know how to read? If not, that's fine—there are pictures in it."

The disciple assigned to arrange Su Shi'er led him on a tour of each room in the Waste Pill Room, tossed him a waste pill identification guide, and then hurried off.