C19 Two Misguided Chickens

Zhang Liao was new to these tasks and somewhat clumsy, whereas Le Bai handled them with ease, earning high praise from Su Jiuming. As Su Jiuming meticulously instructed Zhang Liao, he advised, "Don't rush into painting. The walls are still rough and uneven. No matter how much paint you apply, the imperfections will remain."

Le Bai, overhearing this, reflected on the harmonious scene before him, recalling his parents back in the secular world, the experiences at Veiled Moon, and his own journey in cultivation. He frowned, his anxiety over his cultivation growing. Yet, upon seeing the wall that Su Jiuming had skillfully prepared and painted, a spark of understanding lit up his eyes, and his frown eased.

Driven by his exceptional Soul Seed, Le Bai had joined Veiled Moon with an urgency to advance his cultivation. Despite his progress being smooth, he still felt it wasn't fast enough. Even after reaching the Foundation Building stage, his swordsmanship and cultivation level paled in comparison to his peers. The Five Sword Elders had even remarked, "Your talent is commendable, but your foundation is lacking."

Nevertheless, Le Bai remained single-mindedly devoted to his cultivation, finding the breakthrough to the False Core stage increasingly challenging. "Rushing through things is never beneficial," Su Jiuming continued, "A steady, methodical approach is the key to success." Suddenly, it clicked for Le Bai. Such a simple truth had eluded him until now.

He realized that Su Jiuming's reluctance to teach wasn't out of unwillingness but a desire for Le Bai to come to this realization on his own. Su Jiuming's stature grew in Le Bai's eyes, and he recognized that had he walked away earlier, he might have lost the opportunity for Su Jiuming's mentorship forever. This was a test from his senior brother!

[Congratulations to the host for gaining another devoted follower. You have been rewarded with a Banecleaver.]

The system's prompt left Su Jiuming somewhat perplexed, but with Zhang Liao and Le Bai present, he simply arched an eyebrow, taking it in stride.

After seeing off the pair, Su Jiuming finally spoke as he held the Banecleaver, "I haven't done a thing. How on earth did Le Bai end up as my fanboy?"

"And this knife... With such a powerful name, why does it look just like a kitchen knife?"

Su Jiuming set the knife on the table for a closer look.

Much like the Roaming Dragon Shears provided by the system, the Banecleaver wasn't just any kitchen knife; it looked utterly unremarkable, save for the "Banecleaver" inscription on its hilt.

"A kitchen knife isn't any less of a knife than the rest. Plus, it's practical."

"You wouldn't know how to use any other knife I gave you. It would be a waste."

The system deftly sidestepped Su Jiuming's question and steered the conversation back to the knife.

Su Jiuming wasn't particularly bothered; after all, a free tool from the system was not to be wasted.

He then took the knife and headed to the kitchen.

As soon as he lifted it, he noticed something was off: the knife was surprisingly heavy.

Still, it had to be usable.

Su Jiuming plucked two cucumbers from the ground, intending to whip up a refreshing cucumber salad. But as he started to peel them, the knife felt increasingly wrong in his hands.

"Damn."

"What's with this knife? It can't even slice through a cucumber."

After another attempt, Su Jiuming couldn't help but swear.

The knife was not only dull, but the handle was prone to coming loose. A moment's inattention and he had cut himself.

Thankfully, the cut wasn't deep, just a nick. Yet, with the knife being so blunt, Su Jiuming was concerned about tetanus and decided to disinfect the wound with some homemade wine, ultimately resolving to abandon the knife altogether.

Over the next several days, a few persistent disciples continued to seek guidance at Misty Peak, all to no avail. However, one newcomer to the Outer Sect struck up a friendly conversation with Su Jiuming.

This was Lu Zhuzhuang, the latest addition to Fae Peak.

Upon his arrival at the sect, he eagerly took up his post at Fae Peak. With a wealth of knowledge about spirit animals and a keen interest in the subject, he quickly became well-liked among his fellow disciples at Fae Peak.

Upon hearing that the chief had concocted a special meal for spirit animals, Lu Zhuzhuang, an enthusiast of such creatures, immediately set out to meet him. He was eager to form his own opinion of the Veiled Moon's chief, a figure who had received mixed reviews from the disciples.

By chance, upon reaching Misty Peak, Lu Zhuzhuang spotted Su Jiuming tending to the Jabberwocky. Intrigued by the creature that appeared to be just an oversized ordinary chicken, he struck up a conversation. Su Jiuming, adeptly following the system's guidelines, was quite skilled at caring for the Jabberwocky.

"No, leave the grass be; I've kept it there on purpose."

The two hit it off, chatting away merrily. At one point, Lu Zhuzhuang offered to help Su Jiuming clear the weeds, but Su Jiuming quickly intervened.

"Why bother, senior brother? These are just common weeds; they seem pointless to keep."

Holding a weed commonly fed to pigs in rural areas, Lu Zhuzhuang looked up at Su Jiuming, his face etched with confusion.

"Ahem, these are edible wild greens," Su Jiuming said, slightly embarrassed and at a loss for words.

He certainly couldn't admit that the system often prompted him to gather various unusual plants out of sheer laziness, could he?

"Moreover, even weeds can be medicinal and used to feed spirit animals if used correctly, like the Ginseng. It would be wasteful to discard them."

Su Jiuming hastily concocted a couple of excuses, hoping to gloss over the matter.

With the host's reassurance, Lu Zhuzhuang, as a courteous guest, agreed and refrained from insisting. He nodded in understanding and stood up.

The two of them spent the rest of the day in lively conversation and playful competition with the Jabberwocky, parting ways only as dusk began to settle.

Lu Zhuzhuang left with a sense of having found someone truly worth befriending.

Back at Fae Peak, he reflected on the day's events at Misty Peak. Initially, he had planned only a brief visit to the chief, but he hadn't anticipated Su Jiuming's warm demeanor and insightful approach to spirit animal care.

Lu Zhuzhuang's mind was always leaping ahead, making it somewhat challenging for him to mesh with the other disciples. But Su Jiuming was an exception. His thoughts not only kept pace with Lu Zhuzhuang's but often had an edge of originality.

The most significant moment came when Su Jiuming said, "Even weeds have their own value."

To Lu Zhuzhuang, he felt akin to a weed.

He had struggled to join the Veiled Moon, yet his passion lay in studying spirit animals, not in cultivating his own abilities. This lack of interest in cultivation caused the other disciples to keep their distance.

But Su Jiuming's words struck a chord with him.

What if he was like a weed? Lu Zhuzhuang might not have made much headway in his cultivation, but he was determined to become the world's foremost expert on spirit animals.

With his resolve reignited, Lu Zhuzhuang felt his vital energy surge, and even cultivation seemed to flow more naturally.

[Congratulations to the host, you've gained yet another admirer.]

While Su Jiuming was delighted to have found a kindred spirit in Lu Zhuzhuang, the system's notification seemed jarringly out of place.

"...No reward?"

[Do you think rewards come that easily? If I just handed them out, they'd lose their value. No more rewards, that's it.]

[You're quite the opportunist, aren't you? Always thinking about rewards. Is that all you aspire to?]

Su Jiuming was unfazed by the system's scornful response to his offhand question.

"If I were a peerless sage, I would surely be detached and virtuous, but I'm not. I'm just an ordinary person."

[...]