The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

Yuelai Inn is one of the top inns in Qingyun City.

Ye Sheng, carrying Ye Kai on his back, had just reached the entrance of the inn when he was stopped by the waiter at the door.

"Go away, go away! Where did you come from, beggars? This is not a place for you!" The waiter waved his hand with disgust, as if shooing away flies.

Ye Sheng ignored him and simply said, "I'm looking for Lin Qingxue."

The waiter was taken aback, then looked at him like he was an idiot: "Miss Lin? Looking like you, you want to see Miss Lin? Get lost, or I'll call the guards!"

Just then, a clear voice came from inside the inn.

"Let him in."

The waiter turned around and saw Lin Qingxue standing at the top of the lobby stairs, her pretty face showing a hint of displeasure.

"Yes, miss." The waiter was startled and quickly bowed and stepped aside, not daring to say another word.

Then, Ye Sheng carried Ye Kai on his back and walked in expressionlessly.

Lin Qingxue had changed into a clean, moon-white dress, washed the dust off her face, and returned to her elegant demeanor, appearing even more refined and ethereal.

Moreover, she has already booked two superior rooms here.

"Take your brother to rest first, take a bath, and change his clothes. I... I've already sent someone back to the family with a message. We should have news about the medicinal herbs soon," Lin Qingxue said, looking at Ye Sheng with a somewhat complicated expression.

"Hmm." Ye Sheng nodded without saying anything more, and carried Ye Kai upstairs.

He definitely needs a good rest. The days of running around and fighting have left him utterly exhausted.

Hot water and a clean bed are things that are commonplace for ordinary people, but for Ye Sheng, they are a long-lost luxury.

He first carefully cleaned Ye Kai's body, changed him into clean clothes, and then quickly rinsed himself off.

When Ye Sheng changed into the blue cloth clothes brought by the innkeeper, and looked in the mirror at the ordinary-looking but exceptionally sharp-eyed young man, he felt as if he had been transported to another world.

From Shuilongdu to Heifengling, and now to Qingyun City, his life has undergone earth-shattering changes in just one or two months.

But he had no time for reflection; instead, he immediately sat cross-legged on the bed and began to regulate his breathing. He had to seize every minute and second to restore his strength.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door.

It was Lin Qingxue. She came in carrying a food box.

"You haven't eaten all day, have something to eat first." She placed several delicate side dishes and a bowl of steaming meat porridge from the food box on the table.

Ye Sheng didn't stand on ceremony; he was indeed starving. He went to the table and began to wolf down his food.

Lin Qingxue looked at Ye Sheng's eating habits, which were completely out of character for his cold demeanor, and couldn't help but want to laugh, but she couldn't manage to.

"Have you heard anything about the medicinal herbs you promised me?" Ye Sheng asked vaguely while eating.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingxue's expression dimmed slightly, and she shook her head: "Not yet. The people I sent said that my father led a group to the miasma-ridden southern border region to collect herbs half a month ago, and he hasn't returned yet."

Ye Sheng's heart sank suddenly.

"What about the storeroom? Didn't you say your Lin family is a family of doctors? Don't you even have these two herbs in stock?"

"We have Three-Leaf Tranquil Flower in our storeroom. But the heartwood of a century-old rotten tree is an extremely rare spiritual plant. The entire Lin family only has one, but it has always been kept close to my father's body."

Lin Qingxue explained.

Ye Sheng's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

He went through great hardships and took great risks to escort her to Qingyun City, only to receive this result.

"Have you been playing me all along?"

A chilling killing intent emanated from Ye Sheng, making the temperature in the entire room seem to drop several degrees.

Lin Qingxue was so frightened by his intimidating aura that she took a step back and quickly continued to explain, "I'm not playing a trick on you! Although my father isn't here, I've already sent someone to inform him. As soon as he returns, I guarantee we'll get the Hundred-Year-Old Rotten Wood Heart!"

"When will he be back?"

"It will take anywhere from ten days to half a month."

"Half a month?" Ye Sheng sneered. "My brother can't wait that long."

Lin Qingxue looked at the "ugly" boy still groaning in pain on the bed, gritted her teeth, and said, "There's another way."

"explain."

"Qingyun Sword Sect," Lin Qingxue said, enunciating each word clearly. "The Qingyun Sword Sect's 'Hundred Herbs Garden' is filled with spiritual plants; perhaps this medicine is among them. Moreover, the sect has countless talented individuals; perhaps they have a way to completely cure your brother's illness."

Qingyun Sword Sect. After going around in circles, we eventually return to the starting point.

"Does the Azure Cloud Sword Sect accept members?"

Ye Sheng asked.

"Yes, we'll accept." Lin Qingxue nodded. "The Qingyun Sword Sect opens its gates every three years to recruit disciples. However, this year's recruitment ended six months ago. The next one won't be until two years from now."

Ye Sheng's heart sank once again.

Two years? By then, the opportunity will have passed.

"but……"

Lin Qingxue changed the subject and continued, "Although they don't recruit formal disciples, the sect always recruits some menial workers to handle various chores within the sect. Although their status is low, at least they can enter the sect. Once they enter the sect, they have opportunities."

Odd jobs?

Ye Sheng raised an eyebrow.

That's one way to do it.

If he can infiltrate, with his [Skill Panel] cheat code, he might find an opportunity.

Originally, he could have used Yun Zhonghe's reputation to go to the Qingyun Sword Sect, but after the incident of the Bewitching Crossing, Ye Sheng had already listed Yun Zhonghe as the number one dangerous person and avoided him at all costs.

Moreover, if one can join the Qingyun Sword Sect while concealing one's identity, one can also secretly investigate the relationship between Yun Zhonghe and Su Wan.

"What qualifications are needed to be a menial laborer?"

Ye Sheng asked in a deep voice.

"There aren't many requirements, as long as you're willing to work. However, you need connections and a considerable 'bribe' fee."

Lin Qingxue said, "But you don't need to worry about that. I'll figure out the money and connections. Consider it repaying a favor to you."

Ye Sheng glanced at her, and finally nodded: "Okay."

three days later.

Under Lin Qingxue's manipulation, she spent one hundred taels of silver to bribe a steward in charge of miscellaneous affairs in the outer sect of Qingyun Sword Sect. She then took Ye Kai, who was still unconscious, and used the pretext of "seeking refuge with distant relatives" to forge a commoner's identity. Ye Kai then passed the test smoothly and became the lowest-ranking miscellaneous disciple in Qingyun Sword Sect.

The person in charge of arranging tasks for him and Ye Kai was a fat Taoist priest who looked to be in his forties, with a bloated figure and an oily face.

"Your name is Ye Sheng, and this is your younger brother?"

The fat Taoist priest held the letter of recommendation stamped with the Lin family seal, then glanced at Ye Sheng's ordinary face, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Yes."

"Well, since he was recommended by the Lin family, I will naturally take good care of him."

The fat Taoist priest chuckled, but the smile looked utterly fake. His eyes darted around, and he pointed to a courtyard not far away, billowing black smoke and reeking of pungent medicinal residue. He said, "See that? That's the 'Discarded Pill Room,' used specifically to dispose of the discarded pill residue from outer sect alchemists. The work isn't strenuous, just a bit dirty and smelly. But it's quiet and undisturbed, perfect for you to take care of your younger brother. What do you think?"

Abandoned alchemy room?

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng's heart skipped a beat.

For others, this might be a tough job. But for him, who possesses the skill of scavenging, it's a godsend!

The residue left behind by those alchemists must still contain a considerable amount of useful medicinal essence. This isn't a junkyard; it's clearly a treasure trove waiting for him to scavenge!

"Thank you for the arrangements, Taoist priest."

Ye Sheng immediately bowed deeply, his face showing an expression of "deep gratitude".

"Hmm, you're teachable." The fat Taoist nodded in satisfaction, tossing him two sets of gray servant's clothes and two identity tokens. "Go on, you'll be in charge of that area from now on. Remember, be quick and efficient, don't slack off, or you'll be in big trouble."

After saying that, the fat Taoist priest put his hands behind his back, hummed a little tune, and swayed away.

Holding his identity token, Ye Sheng looked at the stinking, abandoned alchemy room, yet his eyes gleamed with unusual excitement. He had a premonition that from this moment on, the trajectory of his life would change.

Afterwards, Ye Sheng settled Ye Kai in a dilapidated servant's hut next to the abandoned alchemy room, and then couldn't wait to walk into the "treasure mountain" that was full of scavenging temptations for him.