Why force me?

Over the next few days, Mo Yun settled into a regular routine.

Every day, he arrived at the training grounds at five in the morning to practice his fists, went to work in the Spirit Herb Garden at seven, ate and rested under the shade shelter at noon, helped out in the Precious Herb Plot at one, finished work at five, and headed to the Rear Mountain at night for extra training.

Once he grew familiar with the work, he completed it quickly, saving plenty of time each day for cultivation.

He still focused on testing his fist technique, occasionally practicing the Tiger-Crouching Stance, and his cultivation advanced steadily.

One thing worth mentioning was that when he worked in the Precious Herb Plot in the afternoons, Zhou Bo gave him special instruction, explaining some basic medicinal principles.

His days were busy, but their fullness brought him peace of mind.

Eight days passed in a flash. In another two days, Commander Li's lessons would end, and they would have to cultivate on their own from then on.

With the help of the Qi-Blood Pills and Foundation-Nourishing Pills, Mo Yun condensed another Black Point over those eight days.

[Available points: Black 1, White 0]

Unfortunately, when he tried allocating the point that morning, the panel indicated that advancing either the Tiger-Crouching Fist or the Tiger-Crouching Stance from beginner proficiency to minor mastery required two Black Points.

Forget it. There's still time. No need to rush!

That afternoon, Mo Yun came to the Precious Herb Plot as usual.

As he pushed open the fence gate, a cold female voice suddenly rang out. "You're the new menial worker?"

Mo Yun looked up and saw a woman in her thirties standing in the middle of the herb plot, scrutinizing him.

She wore a long blue-green dress, her hair secured with a wooden hairpin. Her features were delicate but sharply defined, with a heroic air about her brows.

Her hands were rough and her knuckles large. At a glance, he could tell she had spent years working in the fields.

But her eyes were the most striking thing about her: cold and sharp, like two knives.

Mo Yun had seen her before. She had also been working in the Precious Herb Plot these past few days, but since their assigned areas were separate, they had never spoken.

According to Zhou Bo, her status was somewhat unusual. She was not a menial worker, but was helping out in the Spirit Herb Garden.

Zhou Bo had said nothing more, and Mo Yun had not asked.

"I'm Mo Yun." He cupped his hands. "And you are...?"

"Liu Niang," the woman said flatly. "Zhou Bo has some matters to attend to these next few days. I'll be looking after the Precious Herb Plot in his place."

She looked Mo Yun up and down, her brows knitting slightly. "Zhou Bo said you're capable. I'll see for myself."

With that, she pointed at a row of flowerpots in the corner of the herb plot. "Those are newly transplanted snow spirit flowers. They're very delicate. You'll water them. Remember-"

"Snow spirit flowers prefer dry conditions to damp ones. Water must be poured slowly along the edge of the pot without touching the roots, and no more than half a ladle should be used," Mo Yun finished.

Liu Niang paused in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Zhou Bo taught me," Mo Yun answered honestly.

Liu Niang fell silent for a moment, the chill in her eyes easing a little. "All right. Go ahead, then."

Mo Yun rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

He crouched in front of a flowerpot, picked up a wooden ladle, scooped up half a ladle of water, and slowly poured it along the rim. The stream was as fine as a strand of hair, seeping evenly into the soil without a single drop splashing onto the plant.

One pot, two pots, three pots...

His movements were neither hurried nor sluggish, and he handled every pot just right.

Liu Niang watched from beside him, her initial scrutiny gradually giving way to surprise, then approval.

"Good work," she said, offering a rare word of praise. "No wonder Zhou Bo thinks highly of you."

Mo Yun kept working as he smiled. "You flatter me, Liu Niang."

"It's no flattery." Liu Niang walked over to another row of flowerpots and crouched to inspect them. "Over the years, I've seen plenty of menial workers come to help in the Precious Herb Plot. You're the first to work without making a mistake on your first try."

"I see." Mo Yun nodded thoughtfully.

Over the course of the afternoon, Mo Yun finished most of the work in the Precious Herb Plot. Though Liu Niang said nothing, she was clearly very satisfied with his performance.

As the sun sank westward, Mo Yun put away the tools and prepared to leave.

"Wait." Liu Niang called him back.

She took a small cloth bundle from inside her clothes and tossed it to Mo Yun. "Take this."

Mo Yun caught it and opened it. Inside were several pieces of dried herbs that gave off a faint, fresh fragrance.

"This is...?"

"Mind-calming herb," Liu Niang said flatly. "Steep it in water and drink it. It helps you focus and calm your mind during cultivation. It's nothing valuable. Consider it a reward for today's work."

Mo Yun paused, then cupped his fists. "Thank you!"

Liu Niang waved a hand. "Keep coming tomorrow, and don't be late. Zhou Bo will be away these next few days, so I'll be looking after the Precious Herb Plot. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."

Mo Yun nodded, then turned to leave.

By the time he left the Precious Herb Plot, the sky had already darkened. He passed through the ordinary herb plot and was about to return to the dormitory when, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted someone crouching furtively at the edge of the plot.

Mo Yun stopped. Without drawing attention to himself, he slipped behind a large tree and peered out.

It was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in menial worker's clothes. His face was unremarkable, but his eyes kept darting about.

The Spirit Herb Garden was vast. Naturally, Mo Yun and the others could not be its only workers.

In fact, besides the few newcomers, twenty or thirty veteran menial workers worked here as well. They normally tended different areas, leaving few opportunities to interact, so even after all these days, Mo Yun merely recognized their faces.

Mo Yun remembered this man as one of those veteran workers. He did not know his name, only recalling that the man was usually quiet and seemed very dutiful.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Mo Yun watched cautiously.

What is he trying to do?

Mo Yun focused his gaze. The man was crouching at the edge of the herb plot, clutching a small paper packet and sprinkling something around the roots of a spirit herb.

Mo Yun narrowed his eyes.

That spot lay on the boundary between the Precious Herb Plot and the ordinary herb plot. Several good-quality lingzhi grew there. Though they were not precious specimens, they were still worth a considerable amount.

Poison?

The thought flashed through Mo Yun's mind.

He did not act rashly. Instead, he silently memorized the man's appearance and the location, waiting until the man left before approaching to investigate.

Sure enough, a thin layer of gray powder lay around the roots of the lingzhi, giving off a pungent odor.

Following the basic medicinal knowledge Zhou Bo had taught him, Mo Yun picked up a dry twig and dabbed it in a tiny bit of the powder. He wafted the air toward his nose with his fingers and gently sniffed. A bitter, acrid smell immediately shot straight into his head.

"Corrosive medicinal powder..." He frowned. "Is he destroying the spirit herbs' roots?"

He looked up in the direction the man had disappeared, silently committing it to memory as a trace of gravity flashed through his eyes.

Mo Yun did not take any rash action. He was not strong enough yet, and exposing himself recklessly would only stir the grass and alert the snake.

Early the next morning, Mo Yun went to the training grounds to practice his fists as usual.

Commander Li came to instruct everyone as he normally did. After the lesson, Mo Yun found an opportunity to tell him what he had seen the previous day.

As soon as Commander Li heard him out, his expression darkened.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Mo Yun nodded. "I tested the powder. It's corrosive. Within three days, the roots of those lingzhi will rot."

Commander Li was silent for a moment before patting Mo Yun on the shoulder. "Stay out of this. I'll handle it."

"Commander Li, that man..."

"It's fine. I'll handle it," Commander Li interrupted, his expression rather grave. "Your most important task right now is cultivation. Leave everything else to me."

Seeing Commander Li's expression, Mo Yun knew further questions would get him nowhere. He could only nod.

But he knew this matter was not that simple.

If it were merely an ordinary case of stealing or destroying herbs, Commander Li would not have looked so grave.

There must be a bigger secret behind this. I hope I don't end up a fish caught in someone else's calamity...

Mo Yun quietly resolved to stay alert.

His life had finally taken a turn for the better. He still wanted to keep his head down and grow stronger, and for now, he had no desire to see his peaceful life shattered.