Supreme Master - Chapter 23: The Spirit Field

Translator – Misty

Chapter 23: The Spirit Field

That day, at noon, the sun was blazing.

In the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect, at the back mountain, in the Hidden Spirit Garden.

Gu Qingfeng was leisurely lying on an old-fashioned recliner, basking in the sun. It had been five or six days since he arrived at the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect. Every day, he played chess and drank with the old man Huo De, leading a rather comfortable life.

In the garden, besides Gu Qingfeng who was enjoying the sun, there was a young man practicing martial arts diligently. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with dark skin and a sturdy build, clearly an honest and straightforward person.

Indeed, this was the case. Gu Qingfeng knew this young man, named Wang Dashan, who was a menial worker of the Hidden Spirit Garden. The lad was honest and straightforward, as well as very hardworking. After taking care of the garden, he would practice his martial arts.

What puzzled Gu Qingfeng was that every day at noon, this fellow would carry a hoe and leave for a while, and today was no exception. After practicing a set of boxing, Wang Dashan picked up his hoe and a bag of tools to leave.

“Master, I’ll be back in a bit,” Wang Dashan said respectfully. Huo De had instructed him to treat Gu Qingfeng as an esteemed elder, so he did, addressing him as ‘Master’ every day.

Gu Qingfeng sipped his wine and asked, “Tell me, Dashan, what do you do every day with that hoe?”

“I tend to my spirit field,” replied Wang Dashan.

Spirit field?

Gu Qingfeng knew that such fields were used for cultivating various medicinal herbs. He teased, “I didn’t expect you to be cultivating a spirit field.”

Wang Dashan grinned foolishly, “I’ve been cultivating it ever since I joined the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect.”

“Where is your spirit field? Is it far?”

“Not far, it’s in the Red Leaf Valley near the sect.”

“Let’s go, I want to see it.”

Since Huo De was nowhere to be found that morning, Gu Qingfeng, bored and curious, decided to check it out.

“Ah… Master, you want to go too?”

“Why not? Can’t I?”

“No, no, it’s not that… It’s just that it’s noon now, and the sun is very harsh. The Red Leaf Valley is even hotter, and I’m worried about you…”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a bit of heat.” Gu Qingfeng got up, stretched, and yawned, looking at the blazing sun, “Actually, I want to bask in the sun a bit more, let’s go.”

“Alright then!”

Seeing Gu Qingfeng’s insistence, Wang Dashan had no choice but to lead him to the Red Leaf Valley.

Rumors had been swirling around the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect for a few days, and Wang Dashan had heard them too. He knew that this ‘Master’ was the Young Master of Crimson Flame, who caught Ouyang Ye’s eye at first sight. He also knew that Gu Qingfeng was considered a foundation establishment failure, apparently brought to the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect by Ouyang Ye, hoping that Elder Huo De would help him.

Initially, Wang Dashan thought so too, but after observing for a few days, he realized something was amiss. This ‘Master’ did not show much respect to Elder Huo De. Not only did he lack respect, but he was also very casual and audacious in front of Elder Huo De, even daring to call him an old man directly.

“That’s Elder Huo De, the oldest and highest-ranking elder of the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect.”

In the entire Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect, no one dares to speak to Elder Huo De in such a manner.

How can this ‘Master’ be so bold, and moreover, it seems that Elder Huo De doesn’t mind at all.

If he really came to seek Elder Huo De’s help, shouldn’t he show more respect to Elder Huo De?

Wang Dashan couldn’t figure it out and didn’t dare to ask more.

Leaving the sect and crossing a mountain, the two arrived at the Red Leaf Valley. The area was vast, filled with spirit fields.

Gu Qingfeng noticed that many disciples were busy in their spirit fields. Upon inquiry, he learned that most disciples of the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect had their own spirit fields.

Life is hard, and so is cultivation.

A cultivation sect is not a charity; on the contrary, to enter the sect for training, one must pay a lot of tuition fees annually. Most disciples come from poor backgrounds. They might afford the tuition, but not the various resources required for cultivation.

If one excels in cultivation or masters an immortal art, one can earn money outside, such as by making talismans, setting up formations, or like Ouyang Ye, who is skilled in music, earning a living by performing. If confident in their abilities, disciples can also form groups for adventurous treasure hunts.

Of course, earning money requires high cultivation and mastery of an immortal art. Most of the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect’s thousands of members who earn money through immortal arts are inner disciples. Outer disciples don’t yet have this capability, let alone Wang Dashan, who is just a menial worker.

It is said that after working as a menial worker in the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect for several years, Wang Dashan has only reached the eighth level of the Acquired realm. As for the immortal arts, he seems to focus on martial arts, but due to poor comprehension, he has not yet mastered even the most basic martial technique ‘Flame Fist’.

As Gu Qingfeng walked, he observed the diversity of plants in these spirit fields, almost all of them medicinal herbs used in alchemy.

After wandering around the valley for quite a while, they finally reached Wang Dashan’s spirit field at a secluded part of the mountain. His field was not large, about an acre, planted with common Fire Bead Grass, which is not very valuable but easy to grow and matures quickly, almost ready for harvest in a month. Gu Qingfeng, though having practiced cultivation for hundreds of years, had never cultivated a spirit field himself.

Seeing Wang Dashan meticulously caring for the Fire Bead Grass, Gu Qingfeng became interested. He found a deserted area nearby, picked up a hoe, and began to clear the land.

“Master, what… what are you doing?”

Wang Dashan was shocked to see him clearing land.

“Just passing time. I’ll also clear a piece of land and try cultivating a spirit field.”

“Master, how can you cultivate a spirit field…”

“What do you mean? Why can’t I? Is there some rule against it?”

“It’s not that… there’s no rule. It’s just… I heard that you’re highly skilled in music. Many people at the First Rate Villa offered a high price for you to perform. Why bother cultivating a spirit field here…”

Wang Dashan couldn’t understand. He had heard that someone at First Rate Villa offered four to five hundred thousand for Gu Qingfeng to perform. To him, this was an astronomical sum, while his annual earnings from the spirit field were only about a hundred or so spirit stones.

“Just passing time, looking for something to do.”

(End of Chapter)