The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

With the ten-day examination approaching, the atmosphere in the outer gate became more and more tense each day.

One afternoon, Bai Xuanxin returned from practicing martial arts on the back mountain. After a short period of rest, he went to Shenshou Valley again.

His trip was not to see Han Li, nor for any other purpose. It was simply because the medicinal baths he had taken a few days ago had used up a lot of medicinal herbs, and the few most commonly used herbs for dispersing blood stasis and clearing the meridians were almost gone. With the mid-month examination approaching, he would inevitably suffer some minor injuries from frequent sparring with others; it was always good to prepare medicine in advance.

Moreover, now that Mo Juren has returned to the mountains, the atmosphere in Shenshou Valley should have changed somewhat.

Bai Xuanxin knew that although she had already left a mark on Han Li, they were still far from being close friends. Rather than rushing forward, she should take the opportunity of ordinary medicine-gathering trips to slowly familiarize herself with Shenshou Valley.

The mountain path was quiet, and a cool breeze blew through the forest.

When Bai Xuanxin entered the valley, the first thing that hit her was the same strong and faint scent of herbs and plants. Compared to last time, there were several more racks of herbs drying in the valley, and the stone troughs, medicine mills, and bamboo winnowing baskets were all more full. Clearly, since Mo Juren returned to the mountain, the work in the valley had become much heavier.

Bai Xuanxin's gaze swept slowly across the area, but her expression remained unchanged.

The first person he saw was not Han Li, but another boy.

The young man was dressed in the same gray cloth clothes, and was even more robust than Han Li, with broader shoulders. At this moment, he was carrying two wooden buckets filled with well water, walking from the side courtyard towards the pharmacy. The buckets were extremely heavy, and the water sloshed violently, but he walked steadily, not particularly lightly, but firmly and calmly.

Bai Xuanxin slowed her pace.

Zhang Tie.

In the original story, Han Li and Zhang Tie were both chosen by Mo Juren to stay in Shenshou Valley as nominal disciples. Han Li was meticulous, while Zhang Tie was more like a hardworking ox, spending his days fetching water, chopping wood, serving meals and medicine. He didn't talk much, but he was extremely kind.

Looking at it now, it's indeed not bad.

Zhang Tie placed the two buckets of water under the eaves, then turned to move the large basket of freshly dried medicinal herbs. His movements weren't particularly swift, but he was extremely careful. Even when moving a bamboo winnowing basket, he would first level the bottom before slowly placing it down, afraid of knocking something over. Midway, a wooden spoon rolled off the stone table, about to fall into the mud. He quickly bent down to pick it up, accidentally brushing his hand against a stone corner, leaving a white mark. He didn't even frown; he simply wiped it on his clothes and carefully put the spoon back in its place.

Bai Xuanxin saw this clearly. Such a person, placed in a place like the Seven Mysteries Sect, might not be favored, but he would be the one who best reveals people's true nature. If he were in an ordinary sect, he might be able to live a peaceful and honest life. It's just a pity that he ended up in Divine Hand Valley and in Mo Juren's hands.

Thinking of this, Bai Xuanxin's heart sank slightly.

He didn't have any deep feelings for Zhang Tie. After all, this was the first time he had actually seen this person. But he remembered Zhang Tie's storyline in the original work very clearly. And it was precisely because he remembered it so clearly that seeing this young man engrossed in carrying water and medicine and doing chores for others made him feel all the more that life was unpredictable.

Some people's fates are not ruined by their wickedness, but by "meeting the wrong person".

As Bai Xuanxin was pondering this, Zhang Tie had already noticed the commotion at the valley entrance. He looked up and saw an outer disciple standing there. He paused for a moment, then put down what he was doing and walked over with a simple, honest expression.

"Senior brother, are you here to ask for medicine?" He spoke in a low voice, his tone somewhat reserved, but not hurried.

Bai Xuanxin looked at him and nodded.

"I've come to fetch some commonly used wound medicines," he said, his gaze briefly falling on Zhang Tie. "Are you a disciple of the valley?"

"Yes," Zhang Tie quickly replied, then added, "My name is Zhang Tie. There's a lot of work to do in the valley these days, and Master Mo instructed us to take turns looking after things. Junior Brother Han... he's still rummaging through the herbs in the back right now. If you need to get some medicine, I'll go and call him for you."

He spoke rather slowly, clearly not the type to be adept at socializing. But it was precisely because of this that his words seemed all the more sincere.

Seeing that his clothes were mostly soaked with water and his hands were covered in a mixture of medicine and well water, Bai Xuanxin said, "No rush, you go ahead and do your thing. I'll wait here."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tie seemed a little embarrassed and scratched his head, saying, "Then Senior Brother, why don't you take shelter under the eaves? It's windy in the mountains today, and you'll easily catch a cold if you stand for too long." As he spoke, he even wiped a low stool next to him and pushed it under the eaves.

Seeing this, Bai Xuanxin couldn't help but add another note to her mind.

These kinds of subtle details cannot be faked.

Without being polite, he cupped his hands in thanks, and stood under the eaves for a while.

Zhang Tie turned around and went back to his work. First, he carried the remaining wooden buckets to the stove, then he turned over the winnowing baskets on the medicine shelf. Halfway through his work, a voice, neither too loud nor too soft, suddenly came from the pharmacy: "Zhang Tie, move that tray of medicine on the east side to a shady place, and reheat the leftover steamed buns from the other day."

The voice was flat and indifferent, revealing no emotion.

Bai Xuanxin looked up and saw Han Li walking out of the pharmacy, holding a few freshly weighed medicinal herbs in his hand.

Zhang Tie responded and turned to leave without a word of complaint or hesitation. He moved the medicine first, then heated the steamed buns; his movements were slow, but always methodical.

As Bai Xuanxin watched this scene, she understood it more and more clearly.

Han Li and Zhang Tie are actually completely different in personality.

One is heavy, the other is thick;

One is meticulous and attentive to every detail, while the other seems to focus all their energy on physical exertion.

Ironically, these two people were trapped together in the valley by Mo Juren.

Sometimes, things in this world are hard to say whether they are coincidences or dangers.

Han Li had also seen Bai Xuanxin by this time. His expression was not much different from last time. He only nodded slightly when his gaze swept over her.

"Senior Brother Bai has come to collect medicine again?"

"The medicine powder will be used up quickly, so I'll have to bother you again." Bai Xuanxin smiled, her tone as usual. "If you're too busy in the valley, I'll just give you the names of the medicines and wait for you to weigh them."

Han Li didn't say much after hearing this, only saying, "Senior Brother, please wait a moment."

After saying that, he turned and went into the house to get the medicine.

Bai Xuanxin didn't follow them inside, nor did she take the opportunity to look around. She simply stood quietly under the eaves, but her gaze would still occasionally fall on Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie was squatting by the small stove, heating up some steamed buns. He was clearly not very skilled at controlling the heat, flipping them over while trying to prevent the bottoms from burning. Once the buns were heated, he wrapped them in a clean cloth before carrying them to the pharmacy door and placing them there without even saying hello, afraid of disturbing those working inside.

Such a person, if placed elsewhere, might only be perceived as dull and honest. But in Shenshou Valley, he evokes a sense of pity.

Bai Xuanxin sighed softly in her heart, but did not show it on her face.

Before long, Han Li had wrapped up the medicinal herbs and handed them out.

Bai Xuanxin took the medicine packet, and without lingering, thanked Han Li and Zhang Tie, then turned and left.

As he was about to leave the valley, he paused slightly and looked back one last time.

Under the eaves, Zhang Tie was bending over, tidying up the bamboo trays and wooden spoons he had just used, while Han Li had already bent down again to sort the several baskets of medicinal herbs. The evening breeze swept through the valley, making the medicine racks rustle softly, and the sunlight slanted down, casting long shadows of the two of them.

Bai Xuanxin glanced at it only once before turning back and heading down the mountain along the same path she had come from.

The vegetation on both sides of the mountain path gradually deepened, and the chirping of insects gradually increased.

As he walked, he mentally reviewed everything he had seen in the valley that day. Since Mo Juren returned to the mountain, the work in Shenshou Valley had become noticeably heavier. Han Li remained cautious, while Zhang Tie was even more reliable than he remembered. Such people are often the easiest to overlook, and also the easiest to get into trouble where they least expect it.