After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Wang Ming chimed in from the side, "The manager of the spirit mine said that he can't do heavy work because of his limp. The mine doesn't keep idle people, so he'll probably be sent back to the mortal world soon."

The steps were quiet for a few moments.

The laughter of several outer disciples drifted from afar, then faded into the distance.

Li Si kept his head down, while Wang Ming sat beside him, his hands resting on his knees, staring at the stone floor in front of him without saying a word.

They lived with Sun Han at Yuxin Peak for more than two months.

Two months isn't a long time, and this relationship isn't particularly deep or shallow.

Now that Sun Han is in trouble, they want to help, but they themselves have only been disciples for less than a year and have no say in the sect. They want to help but don't know how.

Li Si finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "We discussed it and wanted to scrape together some spirit stones to take back for him. With his leg crippled, life in the mortal world won't be easy. Having some spirit stones on him will make things a little better."

"Qingchen, you have some extra money, how much can you contribute?"

Lu Qingchen did not answer.

He sat on the steps, looking at the outline of Mingfa Peak in the distance, and the image of Sun Han on Yuxin Peak appeared in his mind.

The boy who stood in the team when he was eliminated, head down, shoulders slightly shrugged.

The boy who turned back to look at him as he left, moved his lips, and then followed the disciple without saying anything.

Lu Qingchen remained silent for a long time.

"There's no rush."

He finally spoke, his voice not loud, but every word clear: "There might still be a chance."

Li Si and Wang Ming both looked up at the same time.

"A turning point?" Wang Ming's eyes widened. "Qingchen, you...you have a way?"

Lu Qingchen didn't say much, and stood up: "Wait for my news."

He turned and left.

Li Si and Wang Ming looked at his retreating figure, exchanging bewildered glances.

Wang Ming opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Li Si stared in the direction Lu Qingchen had gone, the grass stem in his hand now crumpled into a ball.

......

Lu Qingchen did not go to Zhou Yuandao, nor did he go to Elder Sun.

This matter is not serious enough to alarm them.

He returned to the Spirit Plant Hall and found Gu Qingyi in the herb garden.

She was squatting on the edge of the field, loosening the soil around a patch of medicinal herbs, her small hoe moving quickly and efficiently.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and was somewhat surprised to see it was him.

"Junior Brother Lu? Is there something else?"

Lu Qingchen squatted down next to her and explained Sun Han's situation.

"He was my roommate when I was at Yuxin Peak. He had five low-grade spiritual roots, failed the hundred-day assessment, and was assigned to a spirit mine."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Senior Sister, could you help him find a place within the sect? It doesn't need to be anything fancy, just somewhere he can stay in the sect."

Gu Qingyi did not answer immediately.

She put down the small hoe and remained silent for a while.

"It's not difficult to keep him in the sect. The Spirit Plant Hall has a few miscellaneous service positions every year. It's not a big deal to arrange for a disciple to come in."

She looked at Lu Qingchen, "The problem is, after the arrangements were made, his leg became lame, and he can't do the heavy work in the spirit fields anymore. What can he do on a daily basis?"

"There's no need to worry about this senior sister."

After thinking for a while, Lu Qingchen said, "I plan to take him to Qingmu Manor. Although he has difficulty walking, he can still do some work, such as taking care of spiritual plants, weeding and removing insects, and guarding spiritual fields."

Gu Qingyi glanced at him.

That gaze held something more than before.

He made a special trip back to ask for help for a fellow disciple who was completely unrelated to him, and was even willing to take him to the manor to look after him.

This junior brother is kind-hearted.

She nodded: "Since you've thought it through, I'll handle it. I'll let you know in a few days."

Lu Qingchen bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Gu Qingyi waved her hand: "No need to be so polite. We're all under the same master, so it's only right that we look after each other."

Lu Qingchen came out of the Spirit Plant Hall and found Li Si and Wang Ming on the steps in front of the Scripture Pavilion.

The two were still sitting in the same spot when they saw him coming over, and they stood up at the same time.

"How is it?" Wang Ming asked eagerly.

"Sun Han's matter is settled."

Lu Qingchen said calmly.

Li Si and Wang Ming were both stunned.

"All done?" Wang Ming's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Qingmu Manor is short-handed, and I plan to have Sun Han go and help. His leg problems won't be a problem; he can pull weeds, remove pests, and look after the spirit fields. There are always tasks he can do."

Wang Ming's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked, "Will the Spirit Plant Hall agree?"

"It's already agreed."

Lu Qingchen said, "There are familiar senior sisters in the hall who can help with the arrangements, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Li Si stared at him for several breaths, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Wang Ming opened his mouth, but the worry on his face vanished instantly. He slapped Lu Qingchen on the shoulder: "You're something else! I knew you had a way!"

Lu Qingchen's shoulder slumped as he was patted, and he raised his hand to rub it.

"Qingchen, how did you do that?"

Wang Ming's eyes lit up. "You actually have influence over the Spirit Plant Hall too?"

"It's just a coincidence that I know a senior sister." Lu Qingchen smiled and didn't elaborate.

Wang Ming clicked his tongue twice and looked him up and down: "You're quite something. You've only been at Qingmu Manor for a few months, and you've already hooked up with the senior sister from the Spirit Plant Hall."

Wang Ming wanted to ask more questions, but Li Si stopped him.

Li Si looked at Lu Qingchen with a complex mix of emotions in his eyes—he thought more deeply than Wang Ming and knew that this matter was definitely not as simple as "there just happens to be a familiar senior sister".

But he didn't ask any further questions; he just nodded vigorously.

"Qingchen, thank you."

Lu Qingchen waved his hand: "What are you thanking me for? It's not like Sun Han is just your roommate."

The three people stood on the steps, the sunlight shining down from above, warm and pleasant.

Wang Ming was still rambling on and on, saying, "That scared me to death!" and "I was just thinking about how many spirit stones I could collect." Li Si, standing beside him, rarely showed a smile.

......

Sun Han's spirit mine was located north of the sect, on a gray, dusty mountain that looked from a distance as if it had been half-eaten by something.

The mountainside is covered with mine shafts, dark and gaping, like countless eyes.

Sun Han was lying on a communal bed in the servants' quarters.

His right leg was wrapped in thick strips of cloth, from his ankle all the way to his knee.

Dark bloodstains, already dried, were faintly seeping from the strips of cloth.

A senior colleague from the mine visited him once, squeezed his leg, and said that the bone had been set, but not properly aligned, and he would limp when walking in the future.

"It's good enough that it can even be connected."

The senior student stood up, dusted off his hands, and said, "Every year, people get hit by falling rocks in the mine. Some of them are hit directly on the head and die on the spot. You were lucky to survive."

Sun Han remained silent and did not speak.

After my senior brother left, the manager came once.

He didn't go inside, but stood at the doorway, glanced inside, and his gaze lingered for a moment on the strip of cloth on Sun Han's leg.

"I'll leave once my injuries have healed."

The manager's voice was low, as if he were saying something perfectly ordinary: "The mine doesn't support idlers."