The Day of Inspection

A light rain pattered down, leaving the blue sky looking freshly washed and utterly clear.

Jiang Yang crouched before the young bamboo, preparing to carry out his daily inspection. As the rain reached his shoulders, an invisible barrier repelled it, scattering the drops to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, another month and more had passed. Only one day remained before the three-month inspection deadline.

These past few days, Jiang Yang had not dared slacken for even a moment. He kept getting up every so often to check on the bamboo, worried that bamboo borers might ravage it and damage its roots and stems.

Before he knew it, the Jade Bamboo seedlings had grown from two finger-lengths to over a foot tall. Their vigorous growth was gratifying; he truly had watched them grow day by day.

Since entering their juvenile stage more than ten days ago, the Jade Bamboo had attracted Bamboo Dusk to gnaw at them several times, but Jiang Yang had discovered them promptly and slain them with two joined fingers.

This chore looks simple, but it wears down the mind and grinds a person away. The slightest lapse, and all my earlier efforts will come to nothing.

Jiang Yang pondered inwardly, but his hands never stopped, casting root-strengthening Spells on them one by one. He did not know how effective those Spells still were now that the seedling stage had passed, but something was better than nothing.

To keep all three plants alive and earn an excellent rating, Jiang Yang had gone all out. He had not returned to his Cave Abode for several days, relying on meditation to restore his spirits whenever he needed rest.

Now, only the tips of the young bamboo before him retained a little green. Once the jade color suffused them from top to bottom and their whole bodies became harder than metal and stone, he would no longer need to worry about borer attacks.

The three-month period lines up so neatly. They probably calculated it that way.

Jiang Yang reached out to part the bamboo leaves, his thoughts gradually clearing.

Three months was precisely how long the chore lasted, and the Jade Bamboo entered its juvenile stage at more or less exactly that time.

Once the bamboo stems were entirely jade-colored and no longer troubled by pests, no one needed to watch them every day. The timing fit together quite cleverly.

Just as Jiang Yang was lost in thought, a faint rustling came from beneath the bamboo roots.

Jiang Yang stirred his Spirit Sense, then smiled after sweeping the area with it.

"I was watching out for you. Walked straight into my line of fire, didn't you..."

Then he swept his joined fingers through the air, chanting:

"Hidden through winter's deepest cold, spring's warmth awakens the dormant. Strike!"

Jiang Yang activated Finger-Sword Awakening of Insects. As the incantation left his lips, energy surged through his channels, and three golden threads appeared like swimming fish. They wheeled through the air, split in three directions, and plunged straight toward the bamboo seedlings' roots.

"Hiss..."

A faint hiss sounded, like thunder heard in utter silence. Two sections of a Bamboo Dusk corpse, each no longer than a fingertip, slipped from the roots and fell to the ground.

Even then, Jiang Yang was not reassured. He cautiously extended his Spirit Sense and swept the area once more.

Though these borers possessed no intelligence, they still sought advantage and avoided danger. They instinctively knew how to camouflage themselves, often taking on a pale greenish-white jade color as they clung to the bamboo stems. They were difficult to distinguish with the naked eye; only repeated sweeps with Spirit Sense could confirm their presence.

The other pest, the bamboo weevil, appeared mostly in summer and autumn. Since it was now the height of spring, those insects were rare, sparing him another headache.

Bending down, he flicked the bamboo with a finger. A crisp, pleasing chime rang out, and Jiang Yang relaxed.

After this encounter, Jiang Yang simply sat down near the Jade Bamboo. He intended to remain there until dawn the next day, without leaving again in the meantime.

He practiced Spells and studied cultivation methods, meditating whenever he had nothing else to do. When idleness became unbearable, he rose and wandered nearby.

The sun rose and the moon held its course, passing through darkness, newness, crescents, and fullness.

Jiang Yang opened his eyes from meditation. The rain had long since stopped, and as the sun and moon took their turns, a new day had arrived. Barring anything unexpected, today would be inspection day.

He stayed where he was, quietly waiting for Senior Sister Li Zhouying to arrive.

It was not that Jiang Yang had never considered seeking her out himself, but her movements were mysterious, and he had nowhere to look. With his earlier experience as a warning, he did not dare wander recklessly either, so he could only wait quietly in place.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Jiang Yang lifted his waist token, then put it down again. There was no helping it; waiting always wore on a person.

Still, however mysterious she was, she ought to appear today. Otherwise, Jiang Yang would not even know whom to turn to.

As though she had guessed what was on Jiang Yang's mind, a figure soon approached along the edge of the bamboo grove.

Jiang Yang looked up. Sure enough, it was Li Zhouying.

Unlike the emerald-green dress she had worn last time, she now wore a gauzy, bright yellow palace gown. Two silk ribbons wound around her arms and fluttered with her steps. In the blink of an eye, she stood before him.

Her face was lovely, her expression cold, and her figure slender and graceful. Her black hair was coiled into a bun, with strands falling over both shoulders. A stretch of fair skin showed between her neck and chest, and beneath her snug breast wrap, rounded peaks faintly stood out.

Jiang Yang's head unconsciously tilted back. Too embarrassed to look closely, he averted his gaze, rose, and cupped his hands.

"Jiang Yang greets Senior Sister Li."

Li Zhouying gave a soft acknowledgment, then asked:

"Today is inspection day. Are you ready?"

Naturally, Jiang Yang had no objection. This was the day he had been waiting for; Li Zhouying's distrustful expression three months ago was still vivid in his mind.

A little childish defiance remained in Jiang Yang's heart. He would let her take a good look, so he said with complete confidence:

"Please go ahead with the inspection, Senior Sister."

As he spoke, he stepped aside, revealing the three young bamboo plants a short distance behind him.

Seeing Jiang Yang so full of confidence, Li Zhouying said nothing and merely approached to examine them.

"Oh?"

Upon reaching the jade bamboo, Li Zhouying gave a soft murmur of surprise.

One glance told her that, regardless of how well they had grown, the mere fact that all three seedlings stood there healthy proved that Jiang Yang had not shirked or slackened over these three months.

"You certainly have been diligent."

Li Zhouying offered that brief assessment. Though her words were bland, her cold expression thawed a little.

Confident though he was, Jiang Yang had not let it go to his head. He merely replied modestly:

"You flatter me. Since I accepted the chore, I ought to give it my all. I was only fulfilling my duty."

"Heh, 'only fulfilling my duty,' indeed. Plenty of people don't see things as clearly as a newly admitted disciple like you. They've truly grown backward with age."

Li Zhouying praised him, her laugh carrying a trace of coldness.

Before coming to Jiang Yang, she had already inspected nearly ten disciples. Not one had earned an excellent rating, and even those who had kept two plants alive were few, stoking the fire of anger in her heart.

Hmph. Of all the peaks, our Dawn Rain Peak has always been the most lenient, and that made you think you could take advantage and muddle through. You don't know what's good for you!

Caring for spirit bamboo was not difficult; diligence was the sole requirement. Yet most disciples had come after hearing that Dawn Rain Peak's chores were easy to handle, intending merely to coast along, so naturally they paid little attention.

Fishing for three days and drying the nets for two naturally sent the survival rate plummeting. They took it lightly at first, and by the time they noticed anything wrong, the roots had rotted and the leaves had yellowed. Saving the plants then was difficult.

Li Zhouying's words had a pointed meaning, and Jiang Yang could hardly respond, so he merely stood silently to one side.

Fortunately, Li Zhouying had not expected an answer from him. Once she finished speaking, she conjured spiritual light between her fingers and sent it into the bamboo to inspect its growth.

Li Zhouying did not skip a single one of the three plants, approaching each in turn and casting a spell to examine it. Before long, she withdrew her magical power and straightened, turning back toward Jiang Yang with her slender brows and eyes considerably softened.

A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she delivered her assessment:

"Strong roots and lush leaves, a clear, resonant chime. All three are suffused with jade color, untouched by weevil gnawing or Bamboo Dusk feeding. They qualify as superior grade."

Hearing this, Jiang Yang broke into a broad smile as well. Three months of effort had finally borne fruit, and naturally his heart leaped with joy.

At the sight, Li Zhouying subtly curled the corners of her lips, then said solemnly:

“Jiang Yang, was it? I’ll remember you. Hand over your waist token!”