Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Seizing Life Span
The world seemed to vibrate under the scorching sun, with the sky clear and the surrounding mountain peaks standing tall. A sudden gust of wind rolled through the peaks, providing a brief moment of relief for Gu An as he stood within the garden.
Wiping the perspiration from his brow, Gu An kept his focus locked on the flora before him. Despite the intense heat, every plant remained vibrant and full of life, showing no signs of wilting.
Two other young men stood on either side of him. Just today, all three had been admitted into the Elixir Hall of the Supreme Sect’s Medicine Valley. While Gu An was visibly energized, his companions appeared bored and indifferent, lazily dabbing at their sweat.
In front of them stood a man of sturdy build and sharp eyes, dressed in simple attire. This was Zhang Chunqiu, the senior disciple of Medicine Valley, who was currently teaching them the proper techniques for gathering Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grass.
“Every plant in this plot is a first-tier medicinal herb. When you harvest them, do not pull from the roots; instead, you must slice the stems near the soil. Once cut, wrap them immediately in your Spirit Protection Paper to ensure no spiritual energy leaks out…” Zhang Chunqiu’s voice rang out with vigor, seemingly unaffected by the oppressive sun.
With a pair of shears in his right hand and strips of white paper in his left, Gu An hung on every word Zhang Chunqiu spoke.
Unlike the others, he truly valued this position. He had endured countless cold shoulders and mocking looks just to earn this chance.
To an outsider, it might look like he was settling for a dead-end job, but he knew better—this was his secret path to supreme power!
“Now, give it a try. Each of you harvest one plant so I can inspect your work,” Zhang Chunqiu commanded. Gu An immediately knelt down.
Setting his Spirit Protection Paper aside, Gu An used his left hand to gently steady the stem of a crimson flower.
“Brother, why so tense? Even if you mess up, it’s just a first-tier herb. These are only good for basic elixirs; back at my family estate, I wouldn’t even give them a second look,” remarked Meng Lang from the right. His expensive robes suggested he came from a background of significant wealth.
It was the truth. While Gu An was a former house servant, the other two were sons of privilege. However, even the wealthy required high-quality Spirit Roots to thrive in Immortal Cultivation sects. These two only possessed the common Five Spirit Roots, which meant they could only serve the Supreme Sect as Servant Disciples.
Gu An paid no mind to Meng Lang’s chatter, concentrating solely on the task at hand.
He gripped the stem, made a clean snip with the shears, and swiftly bound the base of the red flower with the Spirit Protection Paper.
Rising to his feet, he presented his work to Zhang Chunqiu for review.
Zhang Chunqiu took the herb and gave a satisfied nod. “Excellent. You are very thorough.”
Gu An didn’t reply. His eyes remained glued to the red flower in the senior’s hand.
He looked even more anxious now than he had during the harvesting process.
A few heartbeats later, a line of text visible only to him manifested in the air.
[You have successfully harvested a Red Spirit Flower (first-tier)—1 year life span]
It worked!
A bright smile broke across Gu An’s face as a massive weight was lifted from his heart.
It was confirmed: he could only harvest the life spans of living things that contained spiritual energy.
His first experience with this power happened when he was ten. He had accidentally bumped into a servant carrying a potted plant; when the Spirit Flower fell, he suddenly gained twelve years of life.
Back then, the Court Guardian had been furious enough to demand Gu An’s hand as punishment, but the Third Miss, Ji Xiaoyu, had intervened to save him.
Even his placement in the Supreme Sect was thanks to Ji Xiaoyu. A rare talent with dual Spirit Roots, she was highly sought after by many sects. When she brought five members of the Ji household into the Supreme Sect, Gu An was one of the two servants lucky enough to follow.
Without her influence, someone with his mediocre Five Spirit Roots would have been lucky to join even a third-rate sect.
While Gu An celebrated internally, Meng Lang and the other youth, Li Ya, finished their tasks.
Stashing the three Red Spirit Flowers into his Storage Bag, Zhang Chunqiu spoke firmly: “Your goal for today is to harvest fifty Red Spirit Flowers together. Stay within this specific garden; do not wander into other sectors. Once you are finished, bring the flowers to the attic to find me.”
With those instructions, Zhang Chunqiu turned and departed.
Meng Lang aimed a mock punch at the senior’s retreating back, grumbling, “He lectured us forever over such a small thing. Has he never looked after juniors before?”
Li Ya slumped onto the ground, using his sleeve to desperately wipe away the sweat.
Watching Zhang Chunqiu disappear upstairs, Gu An turned to his companions. “Brothers, looking at your refined appearance, it’s clear you come from prestigious backgrounds and aren’t suited for this kind of manual labor. I’m just a house servant, so I’m used to it. Why don’t I handle the harvesting? You two find some shade and rest; just remember to look out for me in the future.”
Meng Lang’s eyes sparkled with relief. “That’s the spirit, brother! You’re alright. If you ever find things too tough here, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of for the rest of your life.”
Too drained to speak, Li Ya simply nodded his head in agreement.
The two left their Spirit Protection Paper behind and leaned on each other as they exited the garden.
Gu An gathered the papers, his gaze sweeping over the garden with an intensity that rivaled the sun.
To him, this field of Red Spirit Flowers wasn't just a garden—it was a staircase of longevity stones leading straight to immortality!
He set to work with extreme care. He wasn't just trying to finish the job; he wanted to do it perfectly so he would never lose this golden opportunity.
The sun continued to beat down, showing no mercy to the mortals below.
From the comfort of a small pavilion, Meng Lang and Li Ya watched Gu An while continuously wiping their brows. They were too tired for conversation.
As the hours passed, Gu An was drenched in sweat, yet his excitement never wavered, and a grin remained fixed on his face.
Observing Gu An’s flushed face, Meng Lang noted, “The kid really works hard despite the heat. I respect that. We’ll make sure he’s fed and protected so he can keep doing our chores.”
Li Ya rolled his eyes and replied irritably, “This valley is practically empty; who would even bully him? And if the senior brother did, would you actually have the guts to speak up?”
Meng Lang cleared his throat awkwardly. “By the way, which Li family do you belong to?”
“The Li family of Changluo in Cangzhou,” Li Ya answered flatly.
“Changluo? That’s the capital! Do you have ties to the Imperial Family?” Meng Lang’s eyes widened in shock.
Li Ya didn't answer, choosing instead to watch Gu An in silence.
Meng Lang felt a sudden wave of unease, having not expected to run into imperial royalty here.
On second thought, it made sense. This was the Supreme Sect, the premier Immortal Cultivation pillar of the Taicang Dynasty. The shared character in their names highlighted the sect’s high status. It wasn't that strange to find an imperial relative even in the lower ranks.
Much later,
Gu An completed the harvest of fifty flowers, carefully wrapping each one and placing them in a bamboo basket. As he slung the basket over his shoulder, he looked toward the neighboring gardens with anticipation.
There were over fifteen such gardens in the valley, and they were only in a small corner. He suspected the herbs in the other sections were even more valuable.
There was no rush!
He didn't want to expose his Golden Finger too early, so he decided that today’s haul was enough.
He walked toward the pavilion and signaled for Meng Lang and Li Ya to join him.
“Brother Gu An, you’ve done a lot today. Let me take that,” Meng Lang said with a friendly smile, remembering Gu An's name from their initial meeting with the Valley Master.
Gu An saw right through the gesture but simply smiled and handed over the basket.
Li Ya let out a quiet snort of contempt.
Gu An’s only goal was to keep his current position. He didn't want to overachieve and get promoted to a different department, so he let Meng Lang take the credit.
The trio entered the pavilion to report to Zhang Chunqiu.
The senior disciple set aside his book as they walked in. “Set the flowers down. These are three books on Basic Sorcery left by the Master. Use your downtime to study them; perhaps one day you can rise to become true disciples of the Supreme Sect.
Five years ago, a disciple here received a Spirit Pill from Master, successfully reached Foundation Establishment, and was promoted to an Outer Disciple.”
With a flick of his wrist, three manuals flew from his sleeve into their hands.
Gu An caught his and looked at the cover.
Spring Wood Skill!
It sounded incredibly basic.
However, Gu An wasn't upset. He knew he was at the very bottom of the sect’s hierarchy.
After giving a few more warnings, Zhang Chunqiu told them to settle into the rooms in the nearby courtyard. It was a space for Servant Disciples, and currently, only the four of them lived there. Since the Valley Master was away for the next few years, Zhang Chunqiu was the sole authority in Medicine Valley.
Half an hour later,
Gu An lay on his wooden bed, breathing heavily. His skin was still hot from the day’s labor.
With a mental command, the status screen appeared.
[Name: Gu An]
[Life Span: 15/151]
[Spirit Root: Ordinary Five Elements Spirit Root (can invest life span to evolve in cultivation)]
[Cultivation Level: Nonexistent (can invest life span to evolve in cultivation)]
[Cultivation Technique: Fire Control Art (unmastered) (can invest life span to evolve in cultivation)]
...
In a single day, Gu An had claimed eighty-eight years of life span!
Previously, his total life span was sixty-three years—fifty of his own and twelve gained from that flower pot years ago.
First-tier herbs only gave a year or two each, but for a human, even one year was a treasure!
Gu An stared at his attributes, his excitement growing. Earning eighty-eight years in such a short time made this the best job in the world!
He decided right then that he wanted to stay in Medicine Valley forever.
He had no interest in becoming an Outer or Inner Sect Disciple.
He had heard that official disciples were sent into the Mortal World to battle terrifying demons. Gu An was a peaceful soul; he had never even killed a bird, and in his past life on Earth, he was just a regular guy. Violence wasn't for him.
Staying here was safe, quiet, and allowed him to hoard life span like a dragon hoards gold!
Who said Immortal Cultivation had to be a bloody struggle?
Gu An drifted into a happy daydream, lost in the possibilities.
Morning arrived.
Gu An rose early, washed up, and went to find Zhang Chunqiu for his next assignment.
Zhang Chunqiu had spent the night in meditation, practicing Energy Absorption. He was pleased by Gu An’s punctuality and gave him a warm smile. Walking to the door, he pointed to a specific plot of land. “Go and harvest the Spirit Heart Grass in that section. When you’re done, just leave them by the door; you don’t need to disturb me.”
He flicked his sleeve, and a stack of Spirit Protection Papers landed in Gu An’s hands.
Noticing Gu An’s barely contained enthusiasm, Zhang Chunqiu paused, then added with a kind expression, “Junior brother, if you work hard and persevere, you will surely find your way.”