9: Chapter 9 Miss Lin, A Narrow Escape
[After some time, Chu Sheng's demand for Qi and blood surged.]
[The silver rewarded by Lin Hao was entirely exchanged for meat and medicinal diets. He felt like he had turned into a human rice bucket, the kind that could never be filled.]
Chu Sheng's mood was complex.
Although the name Nine Zhu Gong sounded plain and unadorned—Nine Zhu, the strength of nine pigs?
The consumption required to cultivate this thing was far more exaggerated than raising nine pigs.
Chu Sheng couldn't help but complain.
"Could this technique be renamed 'Nine Pigs Rooting for Food Technique'? Eating this much, if I actually master it, I'm afraid I really could topple a mountain with a single shoulder shove?"
[Relying on this meager amount of resources, Chu Sheng gritted his teeth and practiced hard; his physical body improved steadily, touching the threshold of the Breath Refining stage.]
"The seventh rank of martial artists, Breath Refining, is considered the peak of ordinary martial warriors. Anything higher is the Qi Induction Realm, which is when one truly steps into the threshold of immortal cultivation. But with my Trash physique... Sigh, I'll just keep practicing for now."
[After another period of time, the Lin Mansion held a small summer lotus-viewing banquet.]
[Chu Sheng followed as Lin Hao's attendant. During the banquet, the Lin Wanqing accidentally let her pearl hairpin slip off.]
[Chu Sheng was quick-eyed and nimble-handed; the moment the tip of the hairpin was about to touch the water, he reached out and caught it.]
[The Lin Wanqing took the hairpin and thanked him softly.]
[Just as the Lin Wanqing was about to casually ask which courtyard he belonged to, she raised her eyes and caught sight of Lin Hao's face.]
[She frowned slightly and said nothing more.]
Seeing this, Chu Sheng's mind became active.
"The Lin Family's Second Miss... The Family Head, Lin Tiannan, has been the person whose word is law in Qingshi Town, aside from the town mayor, ever since he could remember."
"If I could connect with this line and become a live-in son-in-law, wouldn't it be wonderful to eat soft rice hard?"
He immediately sobered up.
"But it's too early to think about this now. I must first have strength, otherwise I won't even have the qualifications to sit at the table."
[Several days later, Chu Sheng encountered the Second Miss in the garden while she was reading a poetry collection. The Lin Wanqing actually stopped voluntarily, her gaze falling on him.]
[Chu Sheng's heart stirred.]
["Sparse shadows cast aslant on the clear, shallow water; a subtle fragrance drifts in the moonlit dusk."]
[The Lin Wanqing's eyes brightened slightly.]
[She hadn't expected a servant to have such taste.]
Chu Sheng stroked his chin.
"It seems the poems I memorized in my past life didn't go to waste. However, I must grasp the measure; showing off too much edge easily invites trouble."
[For the next period of time, with poetry as the bridge, Chu Sheng left a good impression in the Lin Wanqing's heart.]
[She would occasionally have her maid deliver some exquisite snacks, or make excuses to ask about the care of the garden's flowers and trees, briefly conversing with him a few times.]
[Chu Sheng always kept to his duty, his words respectful yet humorous; some things cannot be rushed.]
[However, just then, his relationship with Lin Hao took a sharp turn for the worse.]
[Initially, when Chu Sheng retrieved the jade ruyi, Lin Hao did value him.]
[Later, Chu Sheng's physical changes and the display of extraordinary insight made Lin Hao gradually grow displeased.]
Chu Sheng frowned.
"This kid Lin Hao... I previously thought he was just a bit eccentric in personality, but now it seems his heart is twisted."
"Growing up in a deep courtyard without being valued, he developed a suspicious and jealous nature. He cannot stand seeing his subordinates become stronger, and even less can he stand others being more outstanding than him."
[This suspicion grew with each passing day.]
[In Lin Hao's eyes, everything Chu Sheng had was given by the Lin family, and he should honestly be a dog.]
[But this dog had started to have its own ideas.]
[Autumn.]
[Bandits on the outskirts of the Liuyun Mountain Range were harassing the people; the leader was called Song He, and caravans were frequently robbed.]
[Lin Hao volunteered to lead a team to clear them out.]
[Family Head Lin Tiannan allocated ten guards and ordered Steward Lin Fu to assist from the side.]
[This man, Lin Fu, had a strength that had already reached the half-step Qi Induction, appearing respectful to Lin Hao on the surface, but actually assessing the situation.]
[Before setting off, Lin Hao called Chu Sheng to his front, "Chu Sheng, you've made significant progress recently; it's time to go out and see some blood. This time, follow along."]
"It's coming."
Chu Sheng's heart sank.
This was a warning, or perhaps even using a borrowed knife to kill.
[A critical decision point appeared.]
[1. Actively perform and strive for merit.]
[2. Passively protect one's life, doing the bare minimum.]
[3. Prepare in secret and act according to the situation.]
[4. Attempt to subtly ask the Second Miss for help.]
"1 is suicide, 2 leads to a faster death, and 4 is equivalent to self-destruction if I go to ask the Lin Wanqing now."
"I can only choose 3, utilizing every condition I can to fight for a glimmer of survival."
[Chu Sheng exhausted all his savings to purchase a simple leather armor lining and a sharp short blade.]
[He practiced hard day and night, finally stepping into the seventh rank of martial arts before departure.]
[The bandit suppression operation was not smooth from the beginning. The bandits were cunning and familiar with the terrain; several small-scale contacts resulted in mutual casualties.]
[In the evening, the team set up camp on a hillside.]
[Lin Hao frowned and said to Chu Sheng.]
["You take two lightly injured men to investigate the suspicious mountain col on the east side."]
[The three carefully approached the mountain col.]
[Suddenly, the sound of crossbow bolts breaking the air tore through the silence!]
[There were only three attackers, but their moves were ruthless, each move aiming straight for vital points!]
[One guard died, and the other struggled to block with his sword, in constant danger.]
[Chu Sheng relied on his seventh-rank strength and his newly formed Zhu strength to maneuver. But the opponent's strength was not weak, and combined with the suppression of crossbow bolts, Chu Sheng turned and ran.]
[Chu Sheng ran desperately, until suddenly the view opened up before him—the hundred-zhang Eagle Sorrow Cliff, a dead end!]
[Before he could catch his breath, footsteps came from behind.]
[Lin Fu walked slowly out of the shadows, holding a blade.]
["Young Master Hao has an order."]
["You disobeyed orders, acted recklessly, and caused the casualties of your companions; your crime deserves death. I am ordered to clean up the sect."]
[In the desperate situation, the "Strong Luck" entry was triggered!]
[On the rock wall to the side, a giant boulder rolled down, heading straight for Chu Sheng's position! Chu Sheng dodged instinctively and fell straight off the cliff!]
[At the same time, chaotic wolf howls came from deep within the distant dense forest, and firelight appeared.]
[Lin Fu glanced at the cliff, "Falling down such a high cliff, even a typical Qi Induction cultivator would die."]
[Chu Sheng did not die.]
[During his fall, he was caught by an old pine tree growing horizontally from the middle of the cliff wall.]
[He lay limp in the branches, cold sweat soaking his clothes, and the feeling of exhaustion from surviving a disaster swept over his whole body.]
[Congratulations on unlocking the achievement: Survival in a Desperate Situation (Purple)]
[Chu Sheng did not dare to return to the camp, let alone return to Qingshi Town.]
[He panted on the old pine for a long time before enduring the severe pain and climbing up the cliff wall bit by bit.]
[For the next few days, he hid in the mountains and forests, barely surviving on wild fruits and mountain springs he found.]
[During this time, he heard passing hunters talking, saying that the Lin family's bandit suppression was a great success, defeating the bandits, but also losing a few people.]
[Naturally, this included the servant Chu Sheng, who did not listen to orders.]
[Please choose which development direction the host should focus on next:]
[1. Explore survival and cultivation in the mountains and forests.]
[2. Attempt to contact other forces or groups.]
[3. Secretly investigate more connections between Lin Fu and the Second Branch Family, laying the groundwork for possible future revenge.]
Chu Sheng looked at the options and fell into deep thought.
Mountain exploration allows for peaceful cultivation, but resources are limited.
Contacting other forces carries unknown risks.
Investigating Lin Fu and the Second Branch Family... currently, his strength is insufficient, it's purely seeking death.
"The top priority is to survive and become stronger."
He made his decision.
"Let's choose 1. First, lay low in the mountains and cultivate the Nine Zhu Gong. Once I have the strength, then we can talk about other things."