Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 5 - 5 5: Going Back! _1
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Chapter 5: Going Back!
During the days that followed, Wang Ba refrained from either extracting or storing Lifespan.
He was biding his time until Old Sun finally departed.
Only after Old Sun left would he be able to manage the villa according to his own desires without any interference.
Stifling the urge to utilize his special powers, he kept himself occupied with the daily grind: hauling chicken feed, fermenting it, feeding the flock, gathering eggs, monitoring the birds' health, and clearing away chicken droppings.
Interestingly, even those chicken droppings were sought after by collectors.
They fetched a price of approximately two taels of silver per catty.
Every single day, he would shovel out dozens of catties.
The manure merchant who purchased the waste often called out from the base of the villa early in the morning, eager to make the trade.
The proceeds from selling the droppings were split down the middle between him and Old Sun, though it was barely enough to cover their daily food expenses.
After all, market prices were significantly steeper than those found at the mountain's foot.
When night fell, he retreated to his bedroom to deeply contemplate the cultivation of the Body Strengthening Scripture.
Even though the progress wasn't obvious, his understanding of this cultivation method grew considerably deeper.
The days slipped by one by one.
Half a month later.
Deacon Li arrived exactly as expected.
"Oh? Old Sun, you have actually raised a Spirit Chicken?!"
Deacon Li, whose body was swollen with fat, stared at the large hen already secured in a cage, his expression brimming with astonishment.
"It wasn't a matter of cultivation; this old man has no clue how it was produced. It might just be a stroke of luck," Old Sun replied, refusing to take credit and stating the simple truth.
Because Wang Ba was in no position to step forward and claim the achievement, the merit naturally fell to Old Sun.
Deacon Li didn't seem surprised by the explanation.
The emergence of a Spirit Chicken was frequently the result of coincidences, and there had been numerous similar instances in the past.
"Old Sun, you are being too modest. I heard that you wish to leave the mountain?"
"Indeed. This old man is getting on in years and wishes to return to his roots."
"That is a pity, Old Sun. Your experience is a rare treasure for our Ding Villa."
After a brief, polite attempt to convince him to stay, Deacon Li paused to think before offering, "If that is the case, why don't we change the reward? You have dedicated decades to our Sect, and your contributions are significant. Furthermore, this Spirit Chicken might allow you to descend the mountain with the status of a Deacon."
"Oh?! Is such a thing possible?"
Old Sun was stunned, his eyes lighting up with unexpected joy.
"The authority to bestow a Deacon title lies with the Elders; it is not my decision to make," Deacon Li added diplomatically.
Looking deeply moved, Old Sun said, "Thank you, Deacon Li. If I could return home with the title of a Deacon, it would all be worth it!"
Wang Ba, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, quickly stepped forward to hand the chicken cage to Deacon Li.
However, the moment his fingers brushed against the large hen, he was momentarily frozen in shock.
[Target Lifespan: 57.9 years]
Huh? Why is it 57.9 years?
A look of confusion crossed Wang Ba's face.
He remembered clearly that the Lifespan of this hen was originally 19.2 years.
He had only stored an additional two years of Lifespan into it the previous night.
By all accounts, it should have been 21.2 years.
But the number staring back at him was 57.9 years.
It had more than doubled!
Yet, he had no time to ponder this mystery.
Deacon Li had already taken the cage, inspecting the bird from every angle with a satisfied nod and a face full of happiness.
"It is truly a Spirit Chicken, and it appears to be in excellent condition!"
"Old Sun, rest easy. With this treasure in hand, the matter should be a success."
After finishing his sentence, Deacon Li gave a few brief instructions to Wang Ba and then departed with a sway of his sleeves.
"Wang boy, do not blame me for changing the reward. You saw how it was just now. I could not possibly refuse him."
Old Sun turned around, the look of gratitude having vanished from his face.
In its place was an expression of pure helplessness.
According to the Sect's regulations, providing a Spirit Chicken could exempt a villa from its supply quotas for an entire year, which would have greatly eased the burden on Wang Ba as he took over.
But instead, Deacon Li had taken it upon himself to swap that reward for an upgrade to Old Sun's personal status, which provided no benefit to the villa itself.
Wang Ba would still be required to meet the monthly supply demands.
Nevertheless, Wang Ba felt no resentment toward Old Sun.
Given the situation, Old Sun truly hadn't been in a position to make a different choice.
Right then, the same nagging question occupied his mind.
Why had the hen's Lifespan jumped to 57.9 years?
Could it be a result of him storing Lifespan within it?
Wang Ba fell deep into thought.
But this wasn't the moment to test his theories.
He had to keep his impulses in check, continuing his mundane routine of hauling feed, fermenting it, feeding the birds, and collecting eggs...
He was utterly exhausted.
In a flash, another half-month passed by.
Finally, Deacon Li brought the news.
Just as predicted, Old Sun's rank had been officially raised to that of a Deacon.
The day following his promotion, Old Sun, dressed in fine clothing, began his descent from the mountain with his life savings in tow.
Wang Ba escorted him all the way to the mountain gate.
He was the only one there to say goodbye.
Old Sun, looking every bit the wealthy man, let out a laugh, though it was tinged with a certain melancholy.
"I have been in the Sect for fifty years, yet only you, a youth I have only recently met, came to see me off... What has my life been for..."
Wang Ba was at a loss for words.
Everyone makes their own choices; there was no use in blaming others.
Still, he couldn't help but shiver at the realization that without his golden finger, he too might end up alone, fading into nothingness.
Should I look for a companion? Someone to share some warmth with?
Forget it, now isn't the time.
I'm too poor.
It really wasn't the right time.
Old Sun took a few steps down the path, then, under Wang Ba's confused gaze, he turned around and walked back.
He hesitated for a moment before pulling a fire starter from his robes and thrusting it into Wang Ba's hand.
Then, without another word or a backward glance, he hurried down the mountain.
It was as if he feared he might change his mind.
Or perhaps he simply couldn't stand to stay another second in a place that had been the focus of his lifelong hopes, yet had ultimately given him so little.
Returning to the mountain villa.
At that moment, excluding himself, the only occupants of the entire villa were the flock of Precious Chickens.
Strangely, this provided him with a sense of tranquility and freedom.
His first instinct was to run some experiments on the chickens.
However, he suppressed the urge once more and pulled out the fire starter Old Sun had left him.
Fire starters were common items; ordinary people used them to ignite fires while traveling.
Typically, they consisted of coarse paper tightly rolled and inserted into a thin bamboo tube.
They were pre-lit and then extinguished, leaving a lingering ember that only required a breath of air to flare into a flame.
Wang Ba couldn't fathom why Old Sun would give him such a thing.
The man had acted as if he were parting with a precious family heirloom.
After a moment's reflection.
Wang Ba pulled the roll of paper out of the bamboo tube, snuffed out the remaining ember, and unrolled the sheet.
The second he spread it out, he spotted something out of the ordinary.
"There... there is a piece of gold paper hidden inside!"
Wang Ba's eyes grew wide. He hurriedly unfolded the gold paper and held it up to the sunlight for a closer look.
To his amazement, the surface of the gold paper was packed with tiny characters, each as thin as a mosquito's leg!
He estimated there were over 40,000 words written there!
This was many times larger than the Body Strengthening Scripture.
Squinting hard, Wang Ba struggled to decipher the opening characters.
It was the Book of Yin Gods Grand Dream!
"A Cultivation Method?"
Wang Ba was stunned.
He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him.
This was because nearly all immortal Sect Cultivation methods required the practitioner to possess a Spiritual Root.
Without one, you would be ignored by the heavens.
A manual like the Body Strengthening Scripture was incredibly rare.
Consequently, Wang Ba's interest waned.
But Old Sun is a mortal too, so how could he possess a cultivation method?
Compelled by curiosity, Wang Ba continued to squint and laboriously read through the text word by word.
This task alone occupied half his day.
Once he finished, however, a look of pure shock appeared on Wang Ba's face.
This cultivation method did not require a Spiritual Root!
Furthermore, much like the Body Strengthening Scripture, it relied on steady effort and unyielding persistence.
But there was a massive problem with this technique!