74: Chapter 74 Lessons Learned from Leveraging Opportunities

The four of them turned around abruptly.

They saw Li Changsheng standing not far away. Under the moonlight, his face was half-lit and half-shadowed, making his expression difficult to discern.

Li Daquan was stunned for a moment, then sneered.

"Yo, isn't this our farming Genius?"

"What's the matter? Can't sleep in the middle of the night, so you came to the fields to look at the scenery?"

The other three laughed along with him.

Li Changsheng ignored his mockery and just stared at the pottery jar in Li Daquan's hand, speaking slowly.

"That is Spirit-Corroding Water."

"If you pour that out, this field of mine will be ruined."

"Good that you know."

Li Daquan shook the pottery jar.

"What, want to stop us?"

"Just relying on you alone against the four of us, do you think you can stop us?"

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint, yet it caused all four of them to feel an inexplicable chill.

"I won't stop you."

Li Changsheng said solemnly,

"I just want to remind you of one thing."

"What thing?"

"This field belongs to the Hundred Herb Garden."

Li Changsheng said, enunciating every word.

"The things you pour out won't just destroy my Spirit Medicine, but also the spirit fields of the Hundred Herb Garden."

Li Daquan's expression changed slightly.

"So what?"

He said, forcing himself to remain tough.

"We people of Wanqi Peak are afraid of your Hundred Herb Garden?"

"Not afraid?"

Li Changsheng nodded.

"Then go ahead and pour it."

He stood with his hands behind his back, truly making no further attempt to stop them.

Li Daquan was stunned.

He held up the pottery jar, neither advancing nor retreating.

The gray-clad Disciple beside him grew anxious.

"Li Daquan, why are you stunned? Pour it!"

"Yeah, pour it quickly."

The other three Disciples chimed in.

"Drench all his Spirit Medicine and spirit plants. When we leave, who will know it was us?"

"Exactly, just because Li Changsheng says it's us, does that make it us?"

Li Daquan thought that made sense too.

He gritted his teeth and was about to act.

"Who dares!"

An angry shout, like a thunderclap, exploded!

A figure descended from the sky, landing in front of Li Daquan, and struck out with a palm!

Bang!

Li Daquan flew backward, the pottery jar slipping from his hand.

It shattered in mid-air, the Spirit-Corroding Water splashing everywhere and making a hissing, corrosive sound.

He fell heavily to the ground, vomiting blood, and struggled a few times, but couldn't get up!

The other three were scared out of their wits and turned to run.

"Do you think you can run?"

The figure waved his large sleeve, and three rays of cyan light shot out, accurately striking the three in the back!

The three screamed and collapsed to the ground, unable to move anymore.

Under the moonlight, the person turned around.

It was the manager of the Hundred Herb Garden, Qin Yuanqing.

His face was livid. His gaze swept over the four people lying on the ground, and finally landed on Li Changsheng.

"The ones you mentioned in your message, are they them?"

Li Changsheng cupped his hands.

"Disciple disturbed Manager in the middle of the night, but I had no other choice."

"These four intended to destroy my spirit field. Disciple knew I was no match for them, so I had to seek Manager's help."

Qin Yuanqing nodded, walked up to Li Daquan, and hauled him up.

"From Wanqi Peak?"

He sneered.

"How bold. The spirit fields of the Hundred Herb Garden are something you can touch?"

Li Daquan was trembling all over, his lips quivering, unable to speak.

Qin Yuanqing threw him to the ground and swept his gaze over the other three.

"Speak, who sent you here?"

The four looked at each other, none daring to speak.

"Not talking?"

Qin Yuanqing said indifferently.

"Fine, I'll send you directly to the Hall of Law Enforcement."

"You few attempted to steal rare Spirit Medicine from the Hundred Herb Garden and damaged the spirit field. According to Sect rules, the lighter punishment is to have your cultivation crippled and be expelled from the Sect; the heavier is execution. I see you…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Li Daquan's face turned pale, and finally unable to withstand the pressure, he spoke while trembling.

"It, it was Senior Brother Zhao Yan... He told us to come..."

Qin Yuanqing's eyes turned cold.

"Zhao Yan."

He muttered the name, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Good, very good."

He turned to Li Changsheng, his voice softening.

"You did the right thing."

"In such matters, tolerance only makes those people more brazen."

"Caught red-handed today, I want to see what Wanqi Peak has to say."

Li Changsheng cupped his hands.

"Thank you for upholding justice, Manager."

Qin Yuanqing waved his hand, and with a sweep of his large sleeve, a beam of cyan light swept up the four, rising into the air and flying towards Wanqi Peak.

Li Changsheng stood there, watching the distant cyan light.

The moonlight was like water, spilling onto his face, calm and serene.

But he knew, this matter wasn't over.

Zhao Yan would hate him.

Would hate him even more.

So what?

He had endured enough.

From today on, what is owed will be repaid, slowly.

The next day, the news spread throughout the entire Outer Sect.

Wanqi Peak Disciples, including Li Daquan and three others, broke into the Hundred Herb Garden at night and damaged the spirit field.

They were captured on the spot by Manager Qin and sent to the Hall of Law Enforcement.

After the Hall of Law Enforcement verified the facts, they were dealt with according to Sect rules.

The ringleader, Li Daquan, had his cultivation crippled and was expelled from the Sect.

The other three were punished with thirty lashes, half a year of solitary confinement, and a three-year deduction of their stipend.

Zhao Yan, as the mastermind, although there was no direct evidence, was also summoned by the Hall of Law Enforcement for questioning.

Although not punished, his reputation was greatly damaged.

Many people were whispering behind his back, and even Zhao Yan's uncle, Zhao Guangyuan, felt embarrassed.

However, this matter was indeed unjustifiable, so it could only be suppressed for the time being.

"I heard the spirit field that Li Changsheng tends was targeted by Zhao Yan."

"Isn't that so? Zhao Yan has always been overbearing, but this time he kicked an iron plate."

"Serves him right!"

"Daring to mess with the Hundred Herb Garden's spirit field, could Manager Qin tolerate that?"

Zhao Yan was so angry his knuckles cracked, and he gritted his teeth, but he was helpless.

That evening.

Li Changsheng was in the fields watering the Spirit Tea Tree when a figure suddenly landed on the ridge.

Zhao Yan.

His face was gloomy, staring at Li Changsheng, his eyes full of resentment.

"Li Changsheng, you're good."

Li Changsheng put down the water bucket, looked at him, his expression calm.

"Senior Brother Zhao, you flatter me."

"Don't get cocky."

Zhao Yan said, enunciating every word.

"This isn't over."

"You used Qin Yuanqing's hand to cut off my men. I've noted this debt."

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint, yet it caused Zhao Yan to feel an inexplicable chill.

"Senior Brother Zhao,"

He paused slightly, then said.

"You are right."

"This matter is indeed not over."

He turned around and continued watering the Spirit Tea Tree, ignoring Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan stared at his back, gritted his teeth fiercely, and turned to leave.

"Hmph, we'll see."

The setting sun cast his shadow long.

By the ridge, the Spirit Tea Tree swayed gently in the evening breeze, the dew on its leaves refracting tiny points of light.

Li Changsheng did not turn back.

He knew the real storm was yet to come.

But he was not afraid.

Some debts would be settled sooner or later.

No rush.

Li Daquan's jar of Spirit-Corroding Water had shattered in the air.

Although not all of it poured into the spirit field, the splashed portion still contaminated a small patch of soil.

The next day, Li Changsheng began to clean up the spirit field.

He squatted by the field, using a small shovel to dig out the contaminated topsoil, shovel by shovel, and put it into a wooden bucket.

The soil had turned grayish-brown and emitted a faint, pungent odor.

The few clear heart grass plants originally planted there were already wilted, their leaves yellowing, and their roots beginning to rot.

He carefully dug up those clear heart grass plants by the roots, picked out the few that could still be saved, moved them to an empty patch nearby, and replanted them with clean soil.

The rest had to be discarded with a heavy heart.

This work took three whole days.

During those three days, he was busy from morning till night every day.

He completely cleared out the contaminated area, went to the back mountain to carry back clean humus soil, spread it layer by layer, mixed in properly prepared spirit fertilizer, and then carefully nurtured it with Spiritual Qi.

Not until the soil became dark and moist again, faintly revealing a hint of Spiritual Qi, did he finally heave a sigh of relief.