Chapter 41

The Yushan Sect required that everyone must arrive at the office hall at 1:00 a.m., so Xiao Mo asked the system to set an alarm for him at 1:00 a.m. The alarm sound of the system was set to be very unique, it was the sound of Xiao Mo himself playing the flute.

If it were someone else, his skull would have been blown away by the alarm, and the refreshing effect would definitely be better than the cooling pill. But in Xiao Mo's case, he just opened his eyes leisurely and stretched lazily.

Meditate and enter a state of concentration, feeling refreshed.

It was still pitch black outside, the sun was still trying to climb below the horizon, but Chu Jinglan was not in the house.

Xiao Mo was not in a hurry. He did not send out his spiritual consciousness to look for someone, but asked through voice transmission first.

【Chu Jinglan? 】

[Yeah, I’m back]

Chu Jinglan replied immediately.

It seems that nothing is wrong. Xiao Mo got out of bed, moved his arms, opened the door and breathed in some fresh air.

The Yushan Sect disciples deliberately did not tell Xiao Mo where the office hall and the restaurant were, but this did not pose any difficulty for him because he had an all-round auxiliary system.

The system cannot know in advance the plot that is not in the original work, but the things that have been developed in the world of cultivation, from small things like clothing styles to big things like maps of secret realms, can be loaded for you by the system.

Including the magic sound book of Xiao Mo's practice method, which is an extremely precious secret book for the inner demon and not passed on to others, and can all be found.

Unless there is something in a corner that no one knows about yet, this is the blind spot of the system.

In addition, Xiao Mo also figured out some more principles of the system.

For example, if he wanted the system to directly tell him the method of repairing Dantian, the system would say that it involved important plots and could not be detected.

This conflicts with the system's previous function of a world encyclopedia. Either the system can detect but cannot tell, or the law states that major plot-related matters can unconditionally override other functions.

He, the system, and Chu Jinglan are all capable of opening a group chat alone. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the three parties.

Oh, no, in the eyes of the system, I don't have any secrets.

Xiao Mo was just thinking about it when Chu Jinglan came back.

Chu Jinglan went into the house and took out some new bedding and pillows from the storage container. The material was very ordinary, but the cotton was soft, and there was a fragrance that came from being frequently turned over and warmed by the sun.

Chu Jinglan went down the mountain early in the morning and went to the village at the foot of the mountain to change some bedding and buy better wooden boards.

People in the village get up early, so it is convenient to replace things.

Xiao Mo took the bedding over and said, "Let me make the bed."

Chu Jinglan picked up the new wooden planks and other things and said, "I'll go fix the roof."

With a clear division of labor, the small shabby wooden house was bustling with activity early in the morning. The sound of hammers and nails could be heard as Xiao Mo performed cleaning operations in the house without worrying about dust falling when repairing the roof.

Both of them worked very efficiently and soon the bed was made. The roof and door panels were also reinforced again, and there was still plenty of time.

When it comes to time management, the top scorers are very experienced.

Xiao Mo looked at the room which was finally crowded with people and nodded with satisfaction. Chu Jinglan took a fasting pill. If the Yushan Sect was going to make things difficult for them today, they might not have time to go to the restaurant to eat, so they had to prepare early.

After tidying up the temporary nest, Xiao Mo led Chu Jinglan and walked towards the office hall following the map on the panel with ease.

The location of the small shabby house was remote, and usually no one came here. When the two of them walked onto the crowded road, the disciples who had never seen them before looked at them curiously, and some people in the crowd whispered to each other.

"I haven't seen you before, a new disciple?"

"Two brothers? What did they eat to grow up so good-looking!"

Someone familiar with the situation also said: "They are here to look for Master Jing Lei."

"Ah, Master Lei..."

As long as Master Jing Lei was mentioned, they had a tacit understanding and knew what was going on. For a moment, the voices in the crowd became lower, as if it was a silent agreement.

Apparently, everyone of them was aware of Uncle Lei's rules.

All the way to the affairs hall, the outer disciples and inner disciples did not have the same level of work, nor were they registered at the same place. Inner disciples could choose according to the list of the day, while outer disciples could only wait for assignment.

When Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan entered the room, the disciple who had led the "trouble" yesterday was standing at the door. Seeing that they were not late, he nodded to himself and muttered quietly: "As expected, he is the one who can beat us."

It can be seen that Chu Jinglan's sword moves convinced them. As for falling down under Xiao Mo's flute playing... it was too tragic, so let's not mention it.

The two stood in the line of outer disciples, and after waiting in line for a while, it was their turn. They took out their disciple cards, and the person in charge of distributing affairs took a look at them, then immediately pulled out another booklet at hand and started flipping through it.

Obviously, the people who are the focus of attention are all published in separate books.

The manager stared at the booklet and read, "Today you two will be responsible for exchanging supplies up and down the mountain. You will make fifteen trips back and forth. Each of you must carry fifty kilograms of goods each time. You must carry them on your back."

It's obvious that this is not a serious job. Why do we have to carry things on our backs instead of using storage containers? And why does it have to take 30 trips? If I can finish the transportation in 10 or 20 trips, it won't work.

Their challenges are very direct and all laid out in the open. It depends on whether you accept them or not.

Chu Jinglan nodded in surprise, and Xiao Mo did not forget to ask: "Will I get paid after the work is done?"

Manager: "Five low-grade spirit stones per month."

There was a new disciple who had just been here for two months. He poked his head out in confusion and said, "Ah, don't we get thirty low-grade spirit stones per month, and if we do heavy work, we can get extra subsidies?"

The manager coughed lightly and glared at him: "You are so talkative!"

The disciple's neck shrank and his head retracted.

The steward looked up and saw Xiao Mo staring at him with a half-smile. He felt a little embarrassed and finally sighed, "This is what Elder Jing Lei decided. He is not allowed to use the fatigue-eliminating pill. He will know your performance. It's up to you to decide whether to do it or not."

Chu Jinglan did not hesitate: "Do it, where is the thing?"

The manager waved his hand and asked two disciples to bring the heavy box over. The box was tied with ropes and could be carried directly on the back. I don't know what was inside, but it looked quite heavy.

The manager said, "Send these two boxes to the village entrance at the foot of the mountain. Someone will meet them there. Then you can carry the new boxes back and we will prepare the next batch of goods."

The Yushan Sect is three miles away from the village at the foot of the mountain. It would not be a big deal to just take a casual walk there, but carrying fifty kilograms of stuff and going up and down the mountain to deal with the changing terrain, fifteen trips back and forth, that is ninety miles, which is definitely a heavy burden for someone in the early stages of Qi training.

Xiao Mo: "Do you want to finish it today?"

Manager: “Yes.”

Chu Jinglan had already picked up the box and put it on his back.

Xiao Mo then picked up another box, put it on his back, and went out with Chu Jinglan.

It’s right to take the fasting pill in advance. I probably don’t have the time or appetite to eat today.

The first trip was definitely the easiest. After walking out of the Yushan Sect's gate, Xiao Mo sent a message to Chu Jinglan: "Do you want me to use my spiritual power to support you?"

The fifty-jin box was lighter for Xiao Mo than for Hong Mao, because he used an invisible black mist to hold up the box, so it was not him who was carrying it.

Ordinary people in the foundation-building stage cannot do this, but Xiao Mo is not in the foundation-building stage.

Chu Jinglan said in surprise: "No need, this is also a body refining."

The inner demon is a spirit and does not need training, but he is still a mortal body, so in order to prepare for the repair of Dantian, it is not a bad thing to exercise more.

Xiao Mo: “Okay.”

He could sense that there were little monsters staring at them. They must have been released by Jing Lei to observe their performance. Although there were many ways to cheat, it was really unnecessary for Chu Jinglan.

If you really don't want to do it, you can refuse in the office, or just pay other disciples to help you.

After cultivators draw Qi into their bodies, most of them will rely too much on spiritual power. In many cases, strong meridians and full Dantian mean that they can protect their own bodies. Most of the body tempering also acts on the meridians. Only a few people remember to train the tendons, bones, skin and flesh together.

But Chu Jinglan was different. He swung the sword tens of thousands of times every day, half of which was using his spiritual power and the other half was just physical training. This was to avoid being helpless when his spiritual power was blocked and could not be used. He had been doing this for more than ten years, rain or shine.

However, he did not expect that his spiritual power would be exhausted to the bottom before he encountered the situation he imagined.

Jing Lei's arrangement was too harsh for ordinary people in the early stages of Qi training, but not for Chu Jinglan.

The two of them walked on the rugged mountain path, which put a lot of strain on their legs and feet and increased their physical exertion, but the first trip was still easy. When they arrived at the entrance of the village, there were indeed disciples waiting there.

After they put down the boxes, the disciples brought out two identical boxes.

Xiao Mo raised his eyebrows, suspecting that they were simply reusing them.

But this was a conspiracy, and it was a two-for-one fight. Carrying new boxes on their backs, they headed up the mountain again.

It was just dawn when they were going down the mountain. The sun finally started to rise. Xiao Mo looked at the gradually brightening sky in the distance and said, "If the Yushan Sect was at the top of the mountain, we could still watch the sunrise."

Chu Jinglan was carrying fifty kilograms of things, but he was still doing it effortlessly. He could hear the birds singing on the mountain path in the early morning. He thought about it and realized that even if Xiao Mo accompanied him, there would be nothing for him to do on the road. He could enjoy the scenery in the first two trips, but he would probably be bored the rest of the way.

Chu Jinglan then took out an oil paper bag from the storage container and handed it to Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo didn't understand what was going on, so he took it and opened it, and found that there was a magical herb inside, its scientific name was licorice flower.

The small white flowers had been dried and gave off a sweet smell. Chu Jinglan said in surprise, "After being roasted, the impurities have been removed. When you put it in your mouth, it will only turn into a beneficial force. Licorice flowers are warm in nature and slightly sweet."

Xiao Mo realized something, and he pinched the oil paper wrapped around the licorice flower tightly, and asked softly, "You want me to have it as a snack?"

He murmured, "When you bought it earlier, I thought it was for making some medicine in the future..."

The words that were about to come out of Chu Jinglan's mouth paused when they touched Xiao Mo's fingers.

Xiao Mo's porcelain-white fingers pinched and rubbed the edge of the oil paper unconsciously, showing hesitation and helplessness.

Chu Jinglan silently swallowed back what he was about to say. When he spoke again, he followed Xiao Mo's words and said, "Well, it was originally used as medicine, but now I feel that the prescription is no longer useful."

When he said that, Xiao Mo's fingers loosened, and his discomfort disappeared with the wind. Xiao Mo's tone returned to normal: "So, it turns out that it is not necessary."

"Indeed, there's no need to waste it." Xiao Mo held the oil-paper bag and curled his lips, "Then I'll eat it as a snack?"

Chu Jinglan: “Yeah.”

Xiao Mo picked up a small flower and put it in his mouth. It was a bit like a crispy crisp. He chewed it in a few bites. It had no impurities, not much spiritual power, and the sweetness was just right, not too much, yet leaving a light sweet fragrance between his teeth.

Xiao Mo narrowed his eyes in pleasure.

Chu Jinglan was shocked: "How?"

Xiao Mo: “Delicious!”

He handed the oil-paper package over and said, "Would you like to try it? This is not a pill to relieve fatigue. Jing Lei wouldn't be so stingy, would he?"

The shocked squirrel monster in the woods couldn't help but wag its tail.

Chu Jinglan picked up a dried flower and put it in his mouth. The sweet taste spread out: "It's okay."

He had no intention of continuing to eat, so Xiao Mo withdrew his hand and held the oil-paper bag in front of him. It was just the right snack to kill time on the way.

Chu Jinglan savored the sweetness in his mouth and noticed something else——

He is not good at being nice to others, and Xiao Mo is not used to accepting other people's kindness to him.

Chu Jinglan didn't know whether certain actions were necessary or appropriate for the other party; and when Xiao Mo encountered a little kindness, his usual temper suddenly softened, his sharp words became awkward, and he would even deliberately put on a stiff upper lip to cover up his embarrassment.

But with just one poke, you can tell that the shell is made of paper, and the devil is hiding underneath.

Compared to their past relationship where they were always bickering, they seem to be at peace now, but in fact they are still struggling and sometimes feel at a loss as to what to do.

It turns out that if you want to be with a certain person for a long time, you have to cross the river by feeling the stones.

So I could only walk and look.

Xiao Mo, who was chewing licorice flowers next to him, wanted to look at Chu Jinglan's position, but forced himself to hold back his gaze.

He couldn't help but complain to the system: "Do you think he really doesn't need it anymore, so he thought of giving it to me as a snack?"

System: "I don't know. Host, you are really curious. Can you use mind reading?"

Xiao Mo: "That's not right. Using mind reading skills on him for such a small matter is too disrespectful to our partners."

It's not that Xiao Mo was unaware of his own emotions.

Originally, when Xiao Mo confessed to Chu Jinglan and decided to put aside his inner demon identity and be himself, he was prepared to be regarded as an enemy and treated coldly by Chu Jinglan. However, he also knew that it was best for partners to treat each other in a friendly manner and give each other a certain amount of trust.

No one likes to be disliked unilaterally forever.

However, this was the first time that Xiao Mo had encountered a relationship where he was inseparable from his partners and spent every day with them. He didn't know where the "degree" should be and what was the appropriate position.

I can only try a little bit at a time.

Anyway, they still have to spend many days and nights together, so they will always find the most suitable way to get along with each other... right?

Xiao Mo couldn't help but think that being a human being was really difficult. It would be easier if he was really a demon who knew nothing and only did bad things.

However, as he savored the sweet aroma on his tongue, he felt that it was better to be a human being. There were so many wonderful flavors in this world, it would be a pity not to taste them.

This was only the first round trip, and they still had to walk for several hours, so Xiao Mo didn't eat quickly, savoring his food slowly, and preparing a bag of licorice flowers to help him pass the time.

Fifteen round trips, or thirty times in total, they walked from the rising sun to the scorching sun. The weather in the world of cultivation is related to the region. The temperature in Guangdu Prefecture in September is still in midsummer. If a cultivator wants to be immune to cold and heat, he must at least form a pill. Forget about practicing Qi training and building a foundation.

Xiao Mo pinched a small mist ball, just like when he wiped Chu Xia's tears before, the mist ball carried the cleansing magic and floated around Chu Jinglan. As long as Chu Jinglan sweated, the mist ball would quickly swirl around him to ensure that he was clean and refreshed.

In order to prevent some people from thinking too much when seeing the black color, Xiao Mo still gathered the pure spiritual power around him to form a white mist ball.

By the tenth time, Chu Jinglan's aura had changed.

The mountain road of Yushan Sect is difficult to walk on and is very steep. If it were a flat road, it would be easier. However, they have several sections of stairs built like the steps of the Great Wall, with a very large span.

Chu Jinglan stopped on a step, opened the kettle and drank two sips of water.

I just bought the water bottle in the village. After walking such a long way, I don’t have to worry about being hungry after taking the fasting pills, but I will lose water quickly, so I have to drink water.

Compared with Chu Jinglan, Xiao Mo was like a breeze, his figure was still light and he didn't show any signs of fatigue. Even if there was Jinglan's contracted monster watching him, he could still make sense: after all, he was at the Foundation Establishment Stage on the surface.

Xiao Mo kept pace with Chu Jinglan, neither too fast nor too slow. When Chu Jinglan stopped, he also stopped: "Do you want to take a break?"

Chu Jinglan drank some water to moisten his throat and shook his head: "Not yet."

They continued walking forward.

On the fifteenth time, Chu Jinglan stopped to rest for a while, and Xiao Mo ate half of the licorice flower.

Although there are cleaning techniques to help clean the sweat, after the physical energy starts to be consumed a lot, the red face still reveals the difficulty of catching up with passers-by.

The most important thing is that going back and forth, repetitive and boring, your feet gradually become heavy, and your heart gradually sinks as your physical strength is depleted.

No matter how beautiful the scenery on the mountain road is, you will get tired of it after walking on it many times.

Although Xiao Mo was extremely relaxed, he spoke less and less as they walked for such a long time. Fortunately, they still had each other by their side. Xiao Mo began to understand why Jing Lei had to go through so much trouble.

Climbing such a mountain road repeatedly is indeed a test of one's will.

By the twentieth time, the cleaning mist ball had already left an afterimage beside Chu Jinglan. Chu Jinglan's breathing was heavy, and his cheeks had begun to turn red due to the heat. Even without sweat, it looked like steam was rising.

Xiao Mo pursed his lips and said, "Let's take a break later."

Chu Jinglan nodded, and in order to regulate his breathing, he became even more frugal with his words.

Actually, since we were told to finish the walk today, we could skip the walk or leave it for a few days in the evening when the temperature is cooler. But this would definitely not be in line with what Jing Lei meant by enduring hardship.

Each time they rested, it wasn't long. During this rest, Chu Jinglan said, "We won't rest anymore from now on."

Momentum starts with a burst of energy, then wanes, and finally is exhausted. Long-distance runners know that even if they slow down their pace, they cannot stand still, otherwise they will not have the strength to complete the run.

Xiao Mo hummed.

In the original novel, readers love to see Chu Jinglan's overwhelming dominance every time he appears on the stage. Everyone marvels at his unlimited glory, but no one cares about every step he takes.

The path of a genius is also walked step by step. The more you know about the path he has walked, the more you will be excited about his ambition to look down on the world when he stands in front of people.

He deserves it.

On the last trip up the mountain, Chu Jinglan had already gotten over the period of dizziness and exhaustion. After crossing that ridge, his legs filled with lead seemed to have broken free from the shackles of the soil. Even without spiritual power, they became light and his cloudy and silent eyes became clear again, but the consumption of energy was not false.

Chu Jinglan drank up all the water he had replenished in the village. There was a dry taste of blood in his mouth. He suddenly said to Xiao Mo, "You go ahead of me."

Xiao Mo tilted his head: Are you so tired that you need a figure to lead you?

When you are extremely tired during the journey, having a goal or figure within reach can indeed help to boost your will.

Xiao Mo didn't think much about it and walked forward, about three or five steps ahead of Chu Jinglan.

Chu Jinglan wasn't actually that tired.

But he was indeed in a trance for a moment under the scorching sun, and the sound of Xiao Mo's footsteps in his ears became a little strange. When he turned his head to look, there were already some vague shadows.

Can't see clearly.

Now that his vision had returned, he suddenly wanted to see Xiao Mo walking in front of him.

Maybe I really need to chase a figure to support myself to complete the last stretch of the journey, or maybe it is just an unintentional thought and there is no other intention.

Xiao Mo walked in front for a while, and when he was almost at the mountain gate, Chu Jinglan stepped up and walked to his side again.

Walk together, separate, and then stand side by side again.

The mountain gate is right in front of us.

Chu Jinglan's mind also became clear.

The long road may not be as painful as imagined.

Xiao Mo first tilted his head and smiled, but soon he was stunned. He quickly sent a message to Chu Jinglan: "Chu Jinglan, Jinglei is coming."

Chu Jinglan was also stunned. When the two of them climbed the stairs and walked to the outside of the mountain gate, Jinglei was indeed waiting at the door.

He was not the only one standing there. There were many disciples looking around, including Song Xuan.

As soon as the two stopped, Jing Lei suddenly came at them with the heavy sword in his hand without any warning!

Chu Jinglan's pupils shrank, and he subconsciously pushed Xiao Mo away and raised his sword to block.

Without having time to draw the sword, he held the sword with both hands and supported it on the scabbard. Jing Lei's heavy sword seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and at this moment Chu Jinglan was physically exhausted and tired. Jing Lei had clearly come at the right time.

Although he had no murderous intention, the overwhelming pressure made it hard to breathe. Xiao Mo formed a starting gesture with his fingers unconsciously, and then realized that he was in spirit state. He pursed his lips, then slowly relaxed.

Chu Jinglan was pressed down by the Jinglei Heavy Sword, but he bent his waist and stepped forward, holding on and preventing his knees from hitting the ground.

Facing such heavy pressure, not only did he not compromise, but when he was in a stalemate with the force, Chu Jinglan actually took the initiative to release the force. When the brute force of the collision was lost, he suddenly drew his sword and turned around, and actually took the initiative to attack Jing Lei!

To retreat is to advance, to advance is to retreat.

Jing Lei's eyes moved.

He dodged and stood in front of the mountain gate, and asked him: "Are you Chu Jinglan?"

Chu Jinglan's chest rose and fell violently, and he suppressed his breath and whispered, "Yes."

"You are ruined, and you want to ask me for help?"

Chu Jinglan: "Yes."

"Well, listen to me. I have no interest in torturing you. I don't think you want to stay in Yushan Sect for another ten or eight years."

Jing Lei stuck the heavy sword into the ground under his feet and held the hilt with his hand: "From today on, you will have one chance to challenge me every day in Yushan Sect. I will only use 10% of my spiritual power. When you can last ten moves under my hand, I will tell you how to repair your Dantian."

"Do you dare to fight?"