Several days later, Zhang Jie escorted a shipment to the herb garden, but specifically summoned Xu Xuan to check the goods.
Xu Xuan no longer needed to handle such menial chores himself.
The hint behind Zhang Jie's gesture went without saying.
Xu Xuan understood and carefully inspected the goods without betraying anything.
Sure enough, inside a bundle of high-quality water cloud grass, he felt a thin jade slip that had been concealed extremely well.
His fingertips shifted slightly, and the jade slip slipped silently into his sleeve.
Only late at night, when all was quiet, did Xu Xuan take out the jade slip.
Its surface was blank. He gently applied a special medicinal solution, and writing gradually appeared.
It was an encrypted message from Xu Ziyu.
After reading it carefully, Xu Xuan looked gratified.
The Lineage had not disappointed him; its progress was even faster than expected.
The faint spiritual vein discovered along that river channel, along with the alchemy skills gradually getting off the ground, meant that the Xu Household had taken another step toward becoming a cultivation Lineage.
The seed has begun to sprout.
Xu Xuan pondered for a moment and decided not to reply for now.
A faint release of spiritual power from his fingers reduced the jade slip to fine powder.
He did not need the Xu Household to do anything yet. Developing quietly was the best course.
He turned his thoughts back to himself.
His cultivation of the Evergreen Technique was gradually finding its stride, and he had also gained an initial grasp of talisman crafting.
Next, besides steadily improving his cultivation,
he also needed to find ways to obtain more knowledge of alchemy, formations, and other fields.
At the same time, he needed to start paying attention to news and developments within the sect.
Especially avenues that might offer resources or advancement, such as the sect tournament and missions outside the sect.
Night lay deep over the herb garden, and all was silent.
Xu Xuan sat cross-legged on his bed, threadlike spiritual power slowly tracing across rough talisman paper from his fingertips.
A Spiritual Light Talisman flickering with faint light gradually took shape.
His gaze was calm and utterly resolute.
The days in the Azure Wood Sect passed uneventfully and tediously.
Xu Xuan had been cultivating the Evergreen Technique for some time.
Although his poor spiritual root made his progress slow, his spiritual power grew purer and more substantial by the day.
His sensitivity to the vitality of the garden's plants had also sharpened considerably.
His talisman-drawing technique became increasingly practiced.
He could now reliably produce low-grade talismans such as Dust-Repelling Talismans and Lightness Talismans.
Besides those for his own use, he quietly accumulated some for unforeseen needs.
However, the peace was soon broken.
In early summer that year, a rare infestation of Spirit-Devouring Aphids suddenly struck the herb garden.
These insects were tiny, reproduced extremely quickly, and fed exclusively on the sap of spiritual herbs.
More troublesome still, their secretions contaminated the spiritual fields and inhibited the growth of spiritual herbs.
The infestation spread rapidly. The spiritual herbs in several plots visibly yellowed and curled, teetering on the brink.
Manager Zhao grew so anxious that blisters formed at the corners of his mouth, and he gathered the outer disciples and laborers to discuss countermeasures.
Ordinary insect-repelling powders were scattered, but like stones sinking into the sea, they produced little effect.
Li Jiangping was also urgently summoned.
Looking over the patches of yellowing, withered spiritual herbs, he knitted his brows tightly.
"Senior Brother Zhao, with Spirit-Devouring Aphids on such a scale, I'm afraid we'll need to report this to the inner sect and ask senior brothers and sisters proficient in the Wood Element Purification Art to come clear them out."
He paused and lowered his voice.
"But as for the credit and rewards, I'm afraid..."
Reporting it to the inner sect was no different from admitting that these outer-sect managers were incompetent.
Manager Zhao's expression immediately worsened. Everyone was helpless, and the atmosphere was heavy.
Just when everyone was at a loss,
Xu Xuan, who had been silently observing for a long while, slowly stepped forward and bowed to Manager Zhao and Li Jiangping.
"Manager Zhao, Immortal Master Li, I saw a similar infestation in my hometown years ago. I have a folk remedy we could try."
"Oh? Brother Wang, tell us!"
Li Jiangping knew he had some ability, and at this moment, it was like grasping a straw to save his life.
Xu Xuan said steadily, "These insects fear smoke."
"They are especially afraid of the pungent fumes produced by burning certain medicinal herbs."
"We can take wormwood and realgar, add a little blazing sun grass, mix them together, dry them in the sun, and grind them into powder."
"In the early morning, when there is no wind, light it upwind of the spiritual fields and slowly fumigate them with the smoke."
"It may disperse the swarms, or even kill some of them."
He paused briefly and added, "But we must be especially careful with the heat so as not to scorch the spiritual herbs' roots and stems."
He had devised this method by combining what he had seen and heard in his previous life with his understanding of the medicinal properties of spiritual herbs in this world.
Though crude, its underlying principle made sense.
Manager Zhao was skeptical, but with no other options at present, he could only treat a dead horse as though it were alive, immediately ordering people to prepare the materials as Xu Xuan had instructed.
Early the next morning, before dawn, the herb garden was already bustling.
Under Xu Xuan's guidance, several laborers built specially prepared piles of medicinal herbs upwind of the spiritual fields suffering the worst infestations.
Powder ground from a mixture of wormwood, realgar, and blazing sun grass was scattered evenly over them.
As the fire striker lit them,
thick smoke carrying a peculiar, clean bitterness amid its pungency slowly rose.
Riding the faint morning breeze, it shrouded the infested spiritual fields like a thin veil.
Everyone held their breath and watched intently, their nerves taut.
In no more than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the Spirit-Devouring Aphids clinging to the undersides of the spiritual herbs' leaves began to grow restless and fall from the plants.
Some fell to the ground and struggled; others fled in panic toward places where the smoke was thinner.
The spiritual herbs, previously covered by swarms of insects, gradually revealed their original colors.
The infestation on the spiritual herbs visibly diminished.
"It works, it really works!" a young laborer could not help exclaiming in a low voice.
Manager Zhao's tightly knitted brows finally relaxed.
Delighted surprise also flashed in Li Jiangping's eyes. He had indeed judged Wang Tong correctly.
The fumigation continued this way for three days, carried out once each morning.
The rampant Spirit-Devouring Aphid infestation was now largely under control.
Though a small number remained, they no longer posed a threat. All that was needed afterward was more careful management.
The herb garden had passed from danger to safety. The great stones weighing on Manager Zhao's and Li Jiangping's hearts fell away, and their attitudes toward Xu Xuan changed considerably.
This had not only preserved the herb garden's harvest, but also spared them the humiliation of reporting to the inner sect and losing all face.
"Brother Wang, you've earned the greatest credit this time!"
Li Jiangping was unstinting in his praise and gave Xu Xuan's shoulder a firm pat.
"Tell us, what reward would you like?"
"As long as it's within our authority, we won't hesitate!"
Xu Xuan had already made his calculations, but his face showed trepidation and humility as he bowed.
"Immortal Master Li, Manager Zhao, you flatter me."
"Protecting the herb garden is part of my duty. How could I dare claim credit and ask for rewards?"
"It's just..." He shifted the subject slightly, his tone sincere.
"I've noticed that the garden's affairs are becoming increasingly complicated, and we often seem shorthanded, especially where meticulous care is needed."
"Back home in Hundred Fragrance Valley, I happen to have several sons and nephews of my Lineage. Though they have neither immortal affinity nor spiritual roots, they have helped me with farmwork since childhood. They are nimble with their hands and feet, and honest and dutiful by nature."
He paused briefly, observing the two managers' expressions, then continued.
"If you would not reject them, Immortal Master and Manager, might you allow them to come and fill some of the vacancies among the laborers?"
"First, it would ease the garden's urgent shortage of hands. Second, it would let them witness the splendor of immortals and secure a stable future. I would be endlessly grateful."
This request appeared to serve the public interest, but in truth served his own.
Bringing children of the Xu Household into the Azure Wood Sect, even as laborers at the very bottom,
also meant that the Xu Household's roots were beginning to reach into the Azure Wood Sect.
Not only would this make passing messages easier, but in the long run, it might even form a concealed Lineage faction.
Li Jiangping and Manager Zhao exchanged a glance, both fully aware of what Xu Xuan had in mind.
Adding a few laborers was no difficult matter, and the herb garden did indeed need more reliable hands.
The ability and loyalty Xu Xuan had demonstrated this time were plain for all to see.
The clansmen he recommended presumably would not be too bad either.
Besides, using "their own people," whose backgrounds they knew thoroughly, was always more reassuring than recruiting outsiders of unknown origins.
"That's easily arranged!" Manager Zhao readily agreed.
"Wang Tong, write a letter and have those sons and nephews of yours come over."
"As long as their backgrounds are clean and they pass the assessment, they can stay and fill the vacancies."
Li Jiangping also smiled. "Besides this matter, you must still receive the rewards you're due."
"You've rendered considerable service this time, so I'll take it upon myself to reward you with five low-grade spirit stones and three bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills!"
Although Qi-Gathering Pills were not as precious as Spirit Nourishing Pills,
they also helped cultivators who had yet to reach Qi Refining stabilize their cultivation and improve their spiritual power.
Xu Xuan was satisfied inwardly. This plan had truly killed two birds with one stone.
He hurriedly bowed deeply and solemnly expressed his thanks.