Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 2 Proficiency Panel

Qingjun's tense shoulders suddenly slumped, like a kitten whose bones had been removed.

She didn't cry at this point.

She cried so hard just now, probably because she was angry at herself for being clumsy and not being able to force-feed the poisoned tea to that old beast when he was seriously injured.

"Master, don't you mind that the tea is dirty?"

The little girl's throat tightened, and her eyes kept glancing down to the window, trying to make conversation even when she had nothing to say.

His thin body arched upwards, the collar of his coarse cloth clothes slipped down, and there were several purplish-blue bruises across his collarbone, as if he had been pinched by iron pliers.

But compared to all that, it was the skin and flesh of that skinless, stick-like leg that had been smashed open and was bleeding that was truly heartbreaking to see.

Chen Ye didn't reply. He took out the medicine jar that his predecessor had hidden under the bed. The ointment had long since solidified, but it was still a legendary elixir.

He picked at it with his fingernails for a long time before finally breaking off a piece, which he then mixed with rainwater in his palm to make a paste.

As soon as the ointment was applied to the wound, Qingjun trembled like a leaf, biting her lower lip and remaining silent.

"Bear with it."

He tore open his undergarment to use as a bandage, his movements clumsy as if he were tying up a rice dumpling.

The little girl suddenly grabbed his wrist and whispered, "Master, are you going to sell me to pay for the wine?"

That question was asked so casually, as if it were someone else's business.

Chen Ye's hand trembled; he remembered that his predecessor had indeed had this thought.

Recently, a group of demonic cultivators has been roaming around Yunxifang, and I secretly made contact with them.

The demonic cultivators are short of medicine; a top-quality virgin can be exchanged for three spirit stones.

Rain dripped down his neck from the leaky roof, and Chen Ye saw the bronze mirror leaning against the wooden frame.

The person in the mirror had a sallow complexion, dark circles under his eyes, and messy hair that looked like a bird's nest; he looked exactly like a consumptive.

His brow bone was sharp and his jawline was like a knife cut, vaguely revealing his handsome appearance in his youth.

Not bad, with a little grooming, he could be considered a handsome middle-aged man.

But this Chen Ye looked almost exactly the same as before, only older and more haggard...

"Why would I sell you?" He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "To keep you to guard my house."

"Oh……"

The little girl responded in a barely audible whisper, her eyelashes fluttering, it was unclear whether she believed it or not.

She glanced at the ointment in Chen Ye's palm.

Chen Ye sighed softly.

This ointment is made from first-grade spiritual herbs, and it can invigorate blood circulation, replenish bones and tendons.

In the precarious world of cultivation, the importance of healing elixirs is self-evident, and the original owner treasured them above all else.

Now, it's being used on this little girl.

It's inevitable that the little girl will overthink things.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Open the door! Open the door now!"

The door suddenly slammed shut with a loud thud, and Qingjun clenched her fists, her petite body trembling.

Chen Ye frowned, released the little girl's thin, stick-like legs, and stepped forward to open the door.

A burly, dark-skinned old man stood at the doorway. At first glance, he looked like a lump of charcoal, his expression obscured by the darkness.

The old man, his raincoat open and his undershirt barely concealing his muscular physique, reeked of the stench of rain.
"Brother Chen! Hurry, I'm counting on you! My Qingluo grass is doomed!"

He was so anxious that he stomped his feet, and the mud from his straw sandals splattered onto Chen Ye's trouser legs.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye felt a headache coming on, and more memories came flooding back.

Yes, the predecessor was a lazy bum who just loafed around and waited to die, but he still had the ability to do so.

Skilled in the art of cultivating spiritual plants.

To put it nicely, they are plant masters; to put it bluntly, they are herb farmers.

Chen Ye seemed to see hope for the future and let out a heartfelt sigh.

He grinned, enduring his headache, and pulled out a shiny leather pouch from his person. He then gave Qingjun an order:
"Be good and don't run around. Master will be back soon."

The little girl also secretly breathed a sigh of relief; she had thought it was someone who had come to buy her.

Not long ago, in a drunken stupor, her predecessor inadvertently mentioned selling her to someone else as a vessel.

Only when the young girl was utterly despondent did she take the risk of poisoning her predecessor.

In the dead of night, amidst thunder and rain, an unknown bird cried out hoarsely.

The roads here are messy and densely packed with low, self-built houses, which are dirty and chaotic.

Through those dark windows, Chen Ye suspected that countless eyes were secretly watching him from inside the room, and a chill ran down his spine.

He trudged through the mud, his feet sinking deep into it. The old man's raincoat rustled in the wind ahead of him. He followed closely behind, afraid of losing him if he didn't keep up.

A cold wind seeped into the seams of his clothes, and Chen Ye wrapped his dirty jacket tighter around himself, his fingers unconsciously stroking the small jade knife in his pouch. In the dead of night, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, negative emotions suddenly erupted.

A sour feeling welled up in Chen Ye's heart.

The peaceful and tranquil days of my past life are gone forever...

He felt as if he had been exiled by the world, alone and helpless in this cultivation world, his situation still a complete mess.

Like a kite with a broken string, it drifted and fell into this world that devours people without spitting out their bones.

"crunch-"

The old man walked briskly, leading Chen Ye to his courtyard.

Compared to this place, Chen Ye's dilapidated shack is simply unbearable to look at.

Although the old man's house was cramped, at least the roof tiles were neat, and there was a lush green vegetable patch growing by the fence, giving it a lively atmosphere.

"Mom! Open the door quickly! Let Brother Chen take a look at the green hibiscus!"

Hearing the call, Grandma Li, who was at home, wiped her hands on her scarf and hurriedly went into the yard.

As soon as Granny Li saw Chen Ye, she immediately raised her eyebrows: "What a disaster! Da Gen, do you want to die? Bringing this plague home!"

She glanced at Chen Ye's injuries and let out a cold laugh.

That bastard, I wonder who he messed with this time, he deserves to be beaten!
Everyone in the neighborhood knows there's a good-for-nothing at the fourth level of Qi Refining here.

This person is also strange. He is in his prime and has the cultivation level of the mid-stage of Qi Refining. He is skilled in the art of planting spiritual plants.

He was considered an outstanding talent in the shantytown, but not only did he not work hard, he also idled away his days and did whatever he wanted.

He bullies his two little apprentices all the time; he's a real scoundrel!
The only commendable thing about him is that this scoundrel has a thick skin; he pretends not to hear no matter how much others curse him.

Chen Yeqiang forced a smile, only to be met with a glare from the old woman. She irritably pushed the green grass to the old man and left, grumbling.

"That's just how my mother is..." The old man scratched his head sheepishly.

Chen Ye didn't mind at all; on the contrary, he admired the old woman.

In Xu Qingjun's memory, this old woman often took care of them.

Back then, when the sisters were so hungry they were eating plaster from the wall, it was this sharp-tongued old woman who secretly stuffed food into their mouths.

Such kindness is quite rare in the cannibalistic world of cultivation.

Chen Ye squatted down. The green grass drooped its leaves listlessly, the leaves, which should have been green, were covered with gray-brown spots, as if they had been scorched by a tinderbox.

"Brother Chen, can you take a look at the green hibiscus grass? What's wrong with it?"

The old man squatted down as well, his tone anxious.

In Chen Ye's memory, the old man in black was named Li Dagen. He was a body cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining and needed the Green Luo Grass to improve his cultivation.

No wonder he was so anxious.

Actually, the old man wasn't very old, probably in his thirties, but the life of a low-level physical laborer is incredibly demanding, requiring a lot of hard work, which makes him look older. At first glance, he looked like an elderly tenant farmer in his fifties.

Chen Ye pinched off half a diseased leaf and twisted it between his fingers. By the light of the oil-paper lantern carried by the old man, he saw countless glistening insect eggs hidden inside the broken leaf.

Memories of his past life surged through his mind, and he blurted out, "It's a Soul-Eating Midge! These insect eggs hatch in three days when they come into contact with water, and they only cause trouble on rainy days."

The old man sighed, "What am I going to do? I beg Brother Chen to save me!"

Chen Ye didn't reply. He picked up the small jade knife from the cloth bag and placed it on the raised veins on the back of the leaf.

The predecessor understood this pest and also knew how to solve it.

Swift Blade Technique!

He held his breath, somewhat nervous.

But at the very moment the knife strikes, my mind is as calm as still water.

The previous body had used the Swift Blade Technique countless times, and for this body, casting spells had become instinctive.

The jade knife gleamed with a pale blue light. As the tip of the knife precisely pried open the aerial roots of the diseased plant, several black insects the size of sesame seeds fell into the mud.

The old man's eyes widened: "Brother Chen, your technique..."

Chen Ye didn't even look up, his expression suddenly freezing.

A panel quietly appeared in my line of sight.

Name: Chen Ye

【Shouyuan: 40/62】

[Spiritual roots: gold, wood, water, fire, earth]

[Realm: Qi Training Level 4]

[Technique: Evergreen Technique, Minor Success: 10/100]

[Skills: Swift Blade Technique (Mastery): 150/200; Bone-Scraping Whip (Minor Mastery): 30/100;]

(End of this chapter)