Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Thousand-Year Life Span

As spring departed and autumn arrived, a year slipped away unnoticed within the Medicine Valley of the Supreme Sect amidst the cycling seasons.

The door to a loft creaked open, and sixteen-year-old Gu An emerged alongside Meng Lang and Li Ya. After stepping outside, the trio turned to bow respectfully toward the room before Meng Lang pulled the door shut behind them.

All three let out a heavy sigh of relief as they began their descent down the stairs.

Once they reached their own courtyard, Meng Lang couldn't resist grumbling, "All that effort for a lecture that lasted an ancient hour—couldn't he have just handed us the Hundred Herbs Collection and been done with it?"

Li Ya shook his head in resignation and walked to the corner of the yard. He retrieved a sword buried in the dirt and started practicing his forms.

Despite having mediocre Spirit Root Qualification, he hailed from the Imperial Family and possessed a set of refined sword techniques, which he intended to use to carve out a reputation for himself.

In the Taicang Dynasty, the Traditions of Immortal Cultivation were held in the highest regard. Every scholar and warrior in the court engaged in Cultivation. Simultaneously, the dynasty categorized the populace of the thirteen prefectures into specific ranks, ascending from slave and commoner to official and finally, immortal.

Merchants were grouped with commoners. Only those who reached the immortal class were viewed as true nobility. While ordinary officials governed towns and cities, the masters of commandery cities and state prefects were all of the immortal class; this was even more true for the imperial city of Changluo, where immortal status was a requirement for entry.

Many immortal-class clans would exile relatives with poor Spirit Root Qualification to maintain the purity of their bloodline, and the Imperial Family followed the same practice.

Even though he had fallen from grace, Li Ya's immortal-class status meant he was not someone Gu An could afford to offend.

This was because Gu An belonged to the slave class.

Throughout the year, Gu An had frequently assisted Li Ya and Meng Lang in gathering medicinal herbs—mostly during the heat of summer or the early morning hours—making him quite well-liked by the two.

Gu An did not help with other chores like planting, watering, or fertilizing, and they felt too awkward to ask him. Furthermore, Zhang Chunqiu would often watch the planting process from the loft above.

Gu An listened to Meng Lang's incessant talking while observing Li Ya’s swordsmanship.

Every man harbors the dream of becoming a master swordsman.

Having lived and worked together day and night for a year, the three had developed a solid rapport. Li Ya didn't stop them from watching his practice since hiding it was nearly impossible. Besides, the Li Family’s sword techniques were tied to a specific Qi cultivation spell; without it, the movements alone were useless.

Meng Lang talked for a long time before finally slowing down. He patted Gu An on the shoulder with a chuckle, "You rarely practice yourself, yet you're so fixated on sword techniques. Why is that?"

Gu An answered casually, "With my poor talent, I'm too lazy to train. Watching him is just a way to kill time. Don't you find life in Medicine Valley incredibly tedious?"

"Yeah, it’s deathly boring. If you knew what my life was like at home, with four maids to entertain me, you’d understand..." Meng Lang sighed, and his stories began to flow once more.

Accustomed to his bragging, Gu An didn't bother to call him out.

It wasn't until dusk that Li Ya finished his training. He thrust his sword back into the courtyard soil, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and announced, "I’m going for a stroll in the woods."

He headed for the gate immediately after speaking, not waiting for Gu An or Meng Lang to reply.

Once he was gone, Meng Lang whispered, "What do you think that guy is always doing in those woods?"

Gu An shrugged. "How would I know? He's Imperial royalty; it's normal to have secrets. What if he returns one day to become a prince?"

"How is that possible? He was sent here as a Servant Disciple."

"Think about it; the Supreme Sect isn't the only power in this world. Why would he choose to be a servant disciple here specifically?"

Stunned by Gu An's logic, Meng Lang simply shook his head.

Gu An then walked to the well, used a wooden ladle to scoop a refreshing drink of water, and drained it before leaving the courtyard.

Meng Lang didn't follow; he knew Gu An's routine and, after a brief mumble to himself, went to his room to practice.

Gu An arrived at a garden plot where Calming Grass, a second layer Spirit Grass, was grown.

This year, Gu An's only duty was collecting first layer medicinal herbs. These Spirit Grasses were unique; they took years to fully mature, so he hadn't harvested many during his time there.

Zhang Chunqiu mentioned that the Calming Grass in this garden would be ready in a month, marking their first harvest of second layer herbs. Gu An was eager for the task.

In his eyes, every deep blue stalk of Calming Grass wasn't just a plant, but a specific value of lifespan.

Suddenly.

Gu An saw a stalk of Calming Grass trembling. Upon closer look, his face paled, and he immediately leaped over the fence, charging toward it.

He discovered a white-haired mouse, about the size of a palm, digging at the soil beneath the grass, seemingly trying to pull the entire plant out by its roots.

Spooked by Gu An's arrival, the white mouse bolted like a flash of lightning, vanishing under the wooden fence at the edge of the plot.

Gu An considered chasing it, but seeing the damaged Calming Grass with its broken stem, he knelt quickly and pulled a piece of Spirit Protection Paper from his belt.

He plucked the herb with his left hand and used his right to wrap the roots in the Spirit Protection Paper, preventing any spiritual energy from leaking out.

Once finished, Gu An stood up.

[You have successfully seized a 4-year lifespan from Calming Grass (second layer)]

Before he could celebrate, another line of text appeared:

[Your lifespan has surpassed one thousand years for the first time, activating the Life Span Detection function]

Life Span Detection?

Intrigued, Gu An looked at another Calming Grass plant and focused his mind on checking its lifespan.

[Calming Grass (second layer): 4/25/102 years (Age/Lifespan/Lifespan Limit)]

The lifespan limit of this herb could reach over a century?

The lifespan he extracted differed from the plant's natural life. It seemed he couldn't take a target's entire lifespan; most of it vanished when the target died.

Gu An wasn't entirely sure about the distinction between current lifespan and the lifespan limit, though he suspected it related to cultivation.

Holding the wrapped herb, he stood and walked toward Zhang Chunqiu’s loft.

All herbs in Medicine Valley had to be turned over to Zhang Chunqiu for storage. Every six months, Gu An and the other Servant Disciples received their stipend from the Supreme Sect, consisting of Spirit Stones and Spirit Pills for Cultivation. Depending on their work, Zhang Chunqiu would also reward them with herb seeds.

Gu An’s room already held three Calming Grass plants—one more than his roommates—but they didn't seem to mind.

As he left the courtyard, he spotted someone climbing the stairs to Zhang Chunqiu's residence. It was an elder dressed in black, carrying a bookcase and wearing a black cloth hat, looking quite enigmatic.

Watching from a distance, Gu An felt a surge of curiosity and checked the man's lifespan. Two notifications appeared:

[Cheng Xuandan (Energy Cultivation Realm Eight Layer): 104/120/180]

Cheng Xuandan!

The Master of Medicine Valley and Gu An's formal mentor. He had only heard the name from Zhang Chunqiu. The master had been traveling for years and had not appeared until now.

At one hundred and four years old, Cheng Xuandan was expected to live to one hundred and twenty, with an absolute limit of one hundred and eighty. This meant that without any breakthroughs, he had only sixteen years left.

Gu An found Life Span Detection fascinating; it allowed him to see through others' cultivation levels and potential.

He wondered if the extreme lifespan limit represented the peak of one's innate talent, but he needed more data to be sure.

Cheng Xuandan entered the room and shut the door.

Gu An walked into the courtyard, left the bundled Calming Grass on a long table, and departed.

Back at his own quarters, he first checked on Meng Lang, who was busy cultivating.

[Meng Lang (Energy Cultivation Realm Second Layer): 17/90/190]

Hmm, he really is a bit of a failure.

Having seen enough, Gu An didn't stop to talk and went straight to his room.

Only after nightfall, when he heard Li Ya's footsteps, did he step back outside.

As Li Ya was heading to his room, he noticed Gu An and asked, "What's up?"

Gu An checked the man's lifespan while answering, "The Master has returned. Shall we go pay our respects together tomorrow?"

[Li Ya (Energy Cultivation Realm Six Layer): 18/210/1550]

Hiss—

An extreme lifespan limit of over fifteen hundred years!

Is this the true power of the Imperial bloodline?

Wasn't Li Ya supposed to have a Mixed Spirit Root?

Gu An’s perception of Li Ya shifted instantly; perhaps the man was a hidden genius waiting for his moment to shine.

Furthermore, his cultivation had already reached the Sixth Layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm!

What was he doing?

Was he playing the pig to eat the tiger?

The cultivation stages Gu An knew were Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Divinity Transformation, with each stage split into Nine Layers.

At eighteen, being at the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation meant Li Ya would likely reach Foundation Establishment soon, becoming an Official Disciple of the Supreme Sect.

He definitely needed to stay on good terms with such a talented peer!

Li Ya raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Sure. That's a good idea. Wake me up when you get up tomorrow."

He then turned and entered his room.

Gu An watched the door close, his mind racing with thoughts.

Hierarchy was present in every world, and their difference in status meant it would be hard to ever be true equals with Li Ya.

Gu An wasn't bitter; having been treated as a lowly servant since childhood, he didn't resent Li Ya for his distance.

It didn't matter. With his Golden Finger to harvest lifespan, Gu An believed he would eventually reach immortality. For now, he just needed to stay low-key and safely accumulate years.

To stay safe, he had to avoid trouble and keep as quiet a profile as possible.

A small smile touched Gu An's lips as he closed his door.

The moon was full, casting a watery glow across the stone steps of the yard.

...

The following morning, in the main hall.

Gu An, Meng Lang, and Li Ya stood together. Before them sat Cheng Xuandan, holding a cup of steaming tea, while a respectful Zhang Chunqiu stood by his side.

[Zhang Chunqiu (Energy Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer): 54/110/175]

Gu An initially thought the eldest disciple had low talent, but then realized the Supreme Sect had many Medicine Valleys. Finding someone like Li Ya was the exception, not the rule.

Besides, compared to them, the original Gu An had been the least promising of all.

Cheng Xuandan looked up with cloudy eyes to inspect the trio. "I’ve heard of your progress from your senior brother. Since this is our first meeting, I shall give you each a welcoming gift."

"You may pick one from the following: the Hundred Herbs Collection, the Energy Nurturing Skill, or the Poison Wood Vine spell. You cannot teach your choice to the others. If I find out you have shared them, the punishment will be severe."

Meng Lang spoke up immediately, "Master, I choose the Poison Wood Vine!"

Gu An figured nobody would want the Hundred Herbs Collection, so he decided to let Li Ya choose first as a gesture of goodwill.

To his surprise, Li Ya said, "This disciple would like the Hundred Herbs Collection."

Gu An stared at him in shock.

Brother, you’re not following the script!