All He Could Do Was Lie Low!

There were gaps between people.

Lin Mo had known that truth since he was little.

As a child, he had only gotten to eat white-flour steamed buns on holidays, while the young master of the village's wealthy family had grown tired of lavish meat and fish.

After he entered a cultivation sect, the law of the jungle had revealed itself even more starkly. He had saved spirit stones for three years just to earn a chance to visit home, yet those dozen or so spirit stones were no more than the cost of a single spiritual meal for certain disciples.

Even among the menial disciples, some relied on their connections to call outer sect disciples their brothers, leaving all the heavy, exhausting work to people without backing like Lin Mo.

But now that Lin Mo had obtained the treasure gourd, he finally had a little confidence of his own.

"Lin Mo, you're back? Get over here and get to work!"

He had barely returned to the sect and hadn't even had time to catch his breath before a shifty-eyed middle-aged man called Lin Mo over.

"Greetings, Steward Cui."

Lin Mo bowed, putting a slightly ingratiating smile on his face.

This was the steward in charge of their group of nearly a hundred menial disciples. He was a harsh man, and Lin Mo had given him plenty of gifts over the years. Only through his connections had Lin Mo managed to contact an Outer Elder he ordinarily had no access to.

"Well? Now that you've been home, weren't the villagers terribly envious of you?"

There was something awkward about Steward Cui's smile, however one looked at it. He looked just like a rat that had gotten its paws on white flour.

Lin Mo stretched his lips into a smile.

"They only envy me because I made it out of the mountains. Speaking of which, I really must thank you, Steward. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it home even in another three years."

Steward Cui was harsh and greedy, true, but he actually got things done once he took the money. That already made him one of the better ones.

Lin Mo spoke pleasantly and had a sturdy build, so Steward Cui was rather fond of him.

Sure enough, Steward Cui was delighted to hear this. He reached out and patted Lin Mo's shoulder. "As long as you know who you depend on."

"I called you over because there's something I need to tell you."

"While you were down the mountain, that brat Erhu... ahem, Erhu was promoted to the outer sect, so his job as a Spirit Plant Farmer will have to go to you."

Cultivators could not do without the aid of spiritual resources and pills, which had given rise to a whole range of related professions.

Being a Spirit Plant Farmer was one of those jobs.

But Servant Disciples working as Spirit Plant Farmers usually just assisted the outer sect's Medicine Hall disciples. It was still hard labor.

What perfect timing!

Hearing this, Lin Mo was secretly thrilled.

He had only just obtained the treasure gourd, whose Spirit Spring Water could accelerate plant growth and imbue plants with a measure of spirituality. He had never expected to receive a chance to work with Spirit Plants the moment he returned to the sect.

Heaven bless me.

Could it be that even Heaven couldn't bear to watch my miserable life anymore and had finally opened its eyes?

Amid his delight, Lin Mo also felt some confusion.

Erhu, whose full name was Wang Erhu, had previously been a Servant Disciple as well. Like Lin Mo, he had no backing whatsoever and had seemed destined to spend his entire life serving others.

How had he suddenly become an outer sect disciple?

"Ah, who knows what sort of dog-shit luck that brat stumbled into? He actually made a connection with a big shot from the inner sect and had his spiritual root examined in depth. Who would have thought it was the legendary three-element hidden spiritual root? He was promoted straight into the outer sect, and he might even become an inner sect big shot himself someday."

"I was a little harsh on him before. If my uncle hadn't stepped in to protect me, I probably would have gotten a vicious dressing-down this time."

Steward Cui still felt a lingering fear as he spoke of it.

Even with those thoughts in mind, Lin Mo was equally shocked.

Some people's spiritual roots were buried so deep that ordinary root bone tests could not detect them. That was why Erhu had become a menial disciple.

Who could have known his luck would be so good?

Not only had he made a connection with one of those inner sect big shots, but he also had a three-element spiritual root. If he cultivated diligently, he really might enter the inner sect.

"Since Erhu... Senior Brother Erhu has been promoted, you can leave the job of Spirit Plant Farmer to me."

"It's just that I already have quite a lot of work, so I'm bound to overlook something. It wouldn't be good if a mistake implicated you, Steward. Do you think you could find another Servant Disciple as soon as possible to take over my old duties?"

Menial disciples might not be worth much, but they were still a resource, and stewards still had to compete for them.

Steward Cui waved a hand. "It'll only be a few more days. Then you can hand your chamber-pot-emptying duties over to a new boy."

Those words still made Lin Mo very happy.

With the treasure gourd, I'll soon be able to become an outer sect disciple just like Erhu... Then I'll have better treatment and more time to cultivate. Given time, I'll hold my head high and do my parents and the villagers proud.

On the mountain path, Lin Mo walked with his mind full of thoughts. The carrying pole across his shoulder creaked under its burden, and the two brimming bamboo buckets swayed gently with his steps.

However, as he rounded a bend, Lin Mo silently cried out in alarm.

A splash of water had unfortunately landed on a blue-green robe. The token hanging at its wearer's waist was engraved with the words "Outer Sect, Jiazi."

The man was around twenty-four or twenty-five: the outer sect disciple Li Yibo.

He was not an easy man to deal with.

At last year's New Year's Eve banquet, he had burned the eyebrows and hair clean off a menial disciple pouring wine with a fire spell.

All because the man had accidentally spilled a little while filling his cup.

"Pah! You filthy chamber-pot emptier! You dare splash that filth on me? You're courting death!"

A wisp of flame formed at Li Yibo's fingertip. In his fury, he flicked it out with a hiss, sending it shooting like a meteor.

Lin Mo shifted half a step aside.

The spark landed on a bamboo bucket and exploded with a bang, blasting a large hole straight through it.

Cold spring water sprayed out through the hole.

Li Yibo hurriedly covered his mouth and nose and leaped onto higher ground, terrified that the "chamber-pot boy's" piss and shit would soil the soles of his feet.

"Senior Brother Li, the Spirit Plant Farmer's position opened up, and Senior Brother Liu ordered me to water the Spirit Plants. So I'm carrying water, not chamber pots..."

Lin Mo hurriedly explained with an ingratiating smile.

Li Yibo took a look and saw that Lin Mo was telling the truth. His expression softened somewhat, though the contempt and anger at the corners of his mouth remained plain.

"Hey, tell me, how does a chamber-pot-emptying dog like you deserve to tend Spirit Plants? What if filth gets on them? Can you shoulder that responsibility?!"

As Li Yibo insulted him, the smile on Lin Mo's face never faded.

"I've already considered that, Senior Brother. Please rest assured, I'll wash myself every time. I absolutely won't let any filth get into the spring water used to irrigate the Spirit Plants."

Although he could now cultivate, he was still an insignificant menial disciple. If he dared contradict Li Yibo in public, he would have nowhere to seek justice even if Li Yibo killed him.

So, for the time being, Lin Mo still had to endure it.

He had already endured three years. A few more days made no difference.

"You say no filth will get in the spring water, and that makes it true? You actually dare talk back to me?!"

Who knew what had gotten into the bastard today? Lin Mo's words sent him into a rage, and fiery red light flared in his hand once more.

Li Yibo's casual attack earlier had easily blasted a bamboo bucket apart.

If his Flame Palm struck Lin Mo, then even with his strong, sturdy body, he would probably have to spend seventy or eighty days recovering in bed.

But if I fight him...

For a moment, Lin Mo's expression turned ugly.

"Look at you. How pathetic!"

Just then, a cold rebuke came from behind him.

The instant Li Yibo heard that voice, he stopped his attack. Then he turned and respectfully cupped his fist toward the newcomer. "Senior Brother Zhou."

The person addressed as Senior Brother Zhou looked only fifteen or sixteen, yet he made no attempt to hide his contempt for the twenty-four- or twenty-five-year-old Li Yibo.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, attacking a menial disciple?"

"Get out of the way. Don't block the path!"

With that, he walked down the mountain.

Li Yibo hurried to the side of the path and only let out a breath of relief after the youth had passed.

He could hardly keep making trouble for Lin Mo now. He merely shot him a vicious glare and walked off in a different direction.

I really was lucky today. Otherwise, I would have suffered a beating.

Watching the retreating figure of someone about his own age, Lin Mo could not help feeling envious.

He knew perfectly well that Senior Brother Zhou had not rebuked Li Yibo out of kindness or anything of the sort.

It was because Li Yibo had blocked his way.

Lin Mo shook his head, turned, picked up the broken bamboo bucket, and slowly headed up the mountain.

A single spiritual root had divided two youths of the same fifteen or sixteen years into utterly different lives.