Though Han Li had no knowledge of the conversation that took place between Elder Ye and Senior Brother Wu after his departure, the bitter taste of the encounter lingered. Since the affair with Doctor Mo, this was the first time he had encountered a situation where he could see the trap clearly yet was compelled to walk into it regardless. The frustration gnawed at him, but it also reinforced a conviction he had long held: the cultivation world was no different from the mortal realm—the strong devoured the weak.
"I'll collect what's owed when the time comes." Han Li smiled coldly to himself. Someday, he would make Elder Ye understand that his possessions were not so easily devoured.
He stood on the ground and surveyed the distance. Steward Yu had already returned to the Hundred Mechanisms Hall, as their destination lay not far ahead. The garden occupied a small basin nestled between two hills, protected by a series of minor restrictions set by its owner to prevent unauthorized entry.
Han Li walked forward a short distance before encountering the boundary of the nearest restriction—a barrier of white light that halted his progress.
He was not alarmed. Raising the jade token, he aimed it forward, and a beam of green light shot from the token into the barrier. Han Li waited patiently.
"Enter." A dry, rasping voice emanated from within, seeming to resonate directly beside his ear. Then the barrier before him dissolved like ice under the spring sun.
Han Li wasted no time. He stepped through at once and followed the narrow path until he arrived before a courtyard marked with a plaque reading "Hundred Herb Garden." The enclosure was expansive—several mu in size. Before he even entered, a rich, heady fragrance drifted from within, refreshing his spirit instantly.
"What are you standing around outside for? Come in quickly—I have places to be!" Han Li was momentarily startled, then obediently stepped inside.
Only upon standing within the garden did he truly grasp its layout.
Several thatched huts, constructed from dried grass and bamboo, occupied the center of the grounds. Surrounding them lay neat rectangular plots separated by irrigation channels, each one bursting with verdant growth. Within these plots grew medicinal herbs both familiar and unfamiliar to Han Li, along with a number of plants of peculiar and grotesque form. The entire garden hummed with spiritual energy so abundant that even a cultivator at Han Li's level found a deep breath refreshing and invigorating.
"Come inside!" The owner of the voice grew impatient with his lingering.
Han Li smiled faintly and walked into the nearest thatched hut without further hesitation.
Inside stood a withered, diminutive old man, fixing Han Li with a disgruntled stare. By appearances, the fellow was around fifty, with two scraggly yellow whiskers sprouting from his upper lip and a pair of small, clouded eyes that darted restlessly. At first glance, he bore an uncanny resemblance to a rat that had acquired human form.
"So you're the disciple sent by the Hundred Mechanisms Hall to manage my garden? You're far too young—and your cultivation is pathetic! Has that fellow Ye been fooling me? Each one they send is worse than the last!" The old man's expression darkened the moment he took in Han Li's appearance, and he launched into a tirade.
"Disciple Han Li greets Senior Brother Ma." Han Li had read about the old man's eccentric temperament in the records and was not taken aback. He stepped forward and offered a respectful bow.
"Hmph! Do you know the severity of the penalty for failure? Go back now and tell that Junior Brother Ye of mine to send someone else—it's not too late!" The old man rolled his eyes and snapped irritably.
"The requirements are to maintain the garden's current scale, prevent any herb from dying, and deliver a specified quantity of medicinal plants each month, correct? If that's all, then I have some confidence in my ability to meet them." Han Li replied evenly.
The old man blinked. It seemed that among all the disciples who had come before, Han Li was the first to speak with such confidence from the outset. He looked Han Li over once more, though the skepticism in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
"Follow me." The old man turned and strode out of the hut. Han Li followed without hesitation.
"How many of these herbs can you identify?" The old man gestured at the sea of plants filling the garden and asked sidelong.
"One in ten." Han Li surveyed the expanse and replied calmly.
The old man paused, then sneered:
"If you can truly identify one-tenth of the herbs in this garden, I'll hand it over to you without another word."
With that promise secured, Han Li smiled and stepped away from the old man's side.
"Midnight Blossom, Yellow Globe Grass, White Crane Fungus, Moon-Gazing Grass..." Strolling through the garden, Han Li called out the names of the herbs he recognized in a seemingly casual manner.
The old man's initial expression was one of derision, but as Han Li continued, surprise crept into his face. The young man was naming herbs of considerable rarity—some so obscure that even the old man himself had needed considerable effort to learn their properties. This was unexpected.
"Enough!" The old man interrupted before Han Li had finished reciting even half of what he knew.
"Very well—you're not entirely blowing hot air. I'll entrust the garden to you for now. Here is the restriction token. Take it." A satisfied look surfaced on the old man's face, and he produced a dark-green wooden token with practiced efficiency, tossing it to Han Li.
"There are notes on herb cultivation from my years of experience inside the hut. Study them carefully. You're still unfamiliar with most of these herbs, and I won't have them dying on me." The old man stroked his whiskers and added a word of caution.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I will remember it." Han Li replied with deference.
"Hmph! I hope your abilities match your tongue. If so, I might finally be freed from this garden and no longer have my own cultivation delayed. This garden is my private herb ground—if you truly prove capable, I won't be stingy with your rewards. But let me say this plainly: if you're not up to it, get out immediately, and we'll bring in someone else. Understood?" The old man blended carrot and stick in equal measure.
Rather than taking offense at the old man's blunt manner, Han Li felt a surge of goodwill. This Senior Brother Ma was far more tolerable than Elder Ye—at least he wasn't a hypocrite. He nodded readily.
After issuing several more instructions on the garden's management, the old man hurried back into the hut, gathered a few belongings, and departed without so much as a backward glance, soaring into the sky.
Han Li watched Senior Brother Ma's figure vanish, then selected one of the thatched huts at random and set about tidying it up as his own quarters.
After an entire day without rest, even a cultivator like Han Li felt the onset of fatigue. He climbed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. For him, no matter what great upheaval might be unfolding outside, it could wait until he was refreshed. By then, night had fallen completely.
Thus passed the first day of Han Li's tenure as a new disciple of Yellow Maple Valley—not without its complications. When he woke the following morning, his spirit renewed and his mind sharp, his true journey on the path of cultivation began in earnest.
In the days that followed, Han Li spent his days studying the notes and journals the old man had left behind. At night, he secretly buried the mysterious little bottle in a corner of the herb garden, covering it with the relic fragment he had acquired at great cost to conceal the astonishing phenomenon of its spiritual energy absorption.
With this arrangement, the only anomaly in that corner was a slightly denser concentration of spiritual energy than elsewhere—no other conspicuous signs remained. The worry Han Li had been carrying finally eased.
Elder Ye visited Han Li a few days later, bearing what he termed the exchange items for the Foundation Establishment Pill. He presented Han Li with spirit stones and magical treasures amounting to less than one-fifth of the originally promised total. As for the pills that should have been included, the Hall Master appeared to have forgotten them entirely—and Han Li, for his part, pretended not to notice.
Even so, Han Li had grown considerably wealthier overnight. He now possessed two mid-grade spirit stones, dozens of low-grade stones, three finely crafted magical treasures, and a collection of talismans.