73: Chapter 73 The Humiliation of a Menial Servant! Gou Daoliu's Treasure-Seeking Rat

Unlike the enchanting, gentle, and incense-filled atmosphere of the Heaven-tier Pharmacy, the remote Spiritual Plant garden on the far west side of Medicine Valley was currently permeated with the pungent stench of Spirit Beast excrement.

This was the most peripheral and Spiritual Qi-sparse area in the entire Medicine Valley, specifically used to cultivate low-grade auxiliary Spiritual Plants that required foul-smelling fertilizer. Usually, Inner Sect Disciples and Elders would not even step foot here for fear of contaminating themselves with the filthy aura.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, pouring down mercilessly onto the cracked spiritual fields without any shade.

A young man dressed in gray, dirt-stained menial servant clothing was struggling to trek along the ridges while carrying two heavy wooden buckets filled with a mixture of Spirit Beast excrement water and diluted spirit spring water.

His name was Ye Fan.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was merely a useless menial servant with a bone age of over twenty who remained stuck at the Qi Refining third layer. He was dull, timid, and afraid of trouble, never daring to speak loudly. He was a marginal character at the very bottom of Medicine Valley, easily bullied by anyone.

Sweat streamed down Ye Fan's forehead, flowing into his eyes and causing a stinging pain. He didn't stop, just blinked hard and continued to pour the foul-smelling fertilizer onto the roots of the withered Spiritual Plants, one ladle at a time.

Beneath his seemingly mechanical and numb movements, Ye Fan's eyes, hidden behind messy bangs, occasionally flashed with a sharpness and depth completely inconsistent with his status as a menial servant.

"Stay low, must stay low."

Ye Fan warned himself secretly in his heart.

The cultivation world was a place where the strong preyed on the weak, and the tall tree catches the wind.

In his previous life, he had seen too many Geniuses who fell early because of their arrogance and ostentation.

In this life, his creed was absolute forbearance. Before possessing the strength to crush everything, even if he were stepped into the mud, he had to pretend to be a submissive ant.

Moreover, he possessed his own Heaven-Defying trump card.

Feeling the cold object hanging against his chest, a fanatical sense of confidence welled up in Ye Fan's heart.

That was an inconspicuous, mysterious little green bottle.

Every once in a while, the little green bottle could condense a drop of mysterious spiritual liquid that captured the creation of heaven and earth.

This spiritual liquid was useless for a Cultivator's cultivation improvement, but for various Spiritual Plants and vegetation, it was a supreme treasure capable of changing their destiny. Just one drop could ripen a Spiritual Plant by a hundred years!

Relying on this secret, Ye Fan was secretly cultivating an Immortal Plant in an extremely hidden abandoned cave in the back mountains of Medicine Valley, one that would drive the entire Central Plains cultivation world crazy.

"Counting the days, in two more nights, that Immortal Plant will break through the ten-thousand-year mark and be completely mature."

A secret, cold sneer curled at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth. As long as he consumed that ten-thousand-year Immortal Plant, he could break through the shackles of this body in one fell swoop. Not only could he break through several major Realms, but he could also forge a supreme Dao foundation.

By then, he would be able to shock the world and trample the entire Medicine Valley under his feet.

Even...

In Ye Fan's mind, a dignified, beautiful, and gentle silhouette involuntarily emerged.

That was the Valley Master of Medicine Valley, Valley Master Yan Shuyao.

A few days ago, when he was sweeping the steps at the main Peak, he had the good fortune to catch a glimpse of that high and mighty, gentle medical Fairy from afar.

At that moment, Ye Fan was stunned by her beauty. He even felt that when Valley Master Yan Shuyao passed by, her gaze had lingered on him for half a breath—a gentle and encouraging look.

"A Fairy as gentle and kind as the Valley Master is surrounded by a bunch of bootlicking hypocrites. Only I, Ye Fan, a peerless Genius who endures and bides his time with great perseverance, am worthy of her tenderness."

Ye Fan swore secretly in his heart. Once the Immortal Plant matured, he would appear before Valley Master Yan Shuyao as a peerless Prodigy and present that ten-thousand-year Immortal Plant as a token of love. He believed that the Valley Master would surely see through the backbone beneath his menial servant exterior and fall for him.

Just as Ye Fan was immersed in future delusions.

Several sharp sword whistles pierced the air from above.

Three figures wearing neat, exquisite clothing with the Inner Sect Disciple insignia embroidered on their cuffs leaped from their Flying Swords and landed steadily on the edge of the spiritual garden.

Leading them was an Inner Sect Disciple with a fair face and an arrogant expression. As soon as he landed, he covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve in disgust, his brows furrowed tightly.

"How unlucky, having to come to this stinking place to collect Spiritual Plants every month." The leading Disciple's tone was full of undisguised disgust. His gaze swept over the gray figure among the ridges, and he shouted, "Hey, you trash named Ye something-Fan, get over here! Where is this month's harvest of Flame Grass?"

Hearing this arrogant shouting, a cold, murderous intent flashed in the depths of Ye Fan's eyes.

But the expression on his face switched to one of flattery and panic the moment he turned around. He immediately put down the manure bucket in his hand, wiped his hands messily on his clothes, hunched his back, and trotted over.

"Senior Brother Zhou, Senior Brothers, you've arrived."

Ye Fan carefully took out a tattered Storage Pouch from his chest and handed it over respectfully with both hands: "The fifty stalks of Flame Grass for this month are all here. This humble one has been tending to them day and night, not daring to be the least bit negligent."

The Inner Sect Disciple known as Senior Brother Zhou did not take the Storage Pouch but gave a wink to a follower beside him.

The follower stepped forward, snatched the Storage Pouch, ripped open the seal rudely, and dumped all the Flame Grass inside onto the ground. He poked at them casually with his toe and then sneered.

"You dare to try and fool us with this kind of trash?" The follower stepped on a stalk of Flame Grass that was still in decent condition, crushed it fiercely, and pointed at a slightly yellowed leaf while scolding, "The leaves are yellow, and the medicinal efficacy is severely lost! You trash, besides eating and sleeping all day, did you steal the spirit spring water to drink?"

Ye Fan looked at the Spiritual Plant crushed on the ground for no reason—it was the result of his hard work for a month.

"Senior Brother, please look closer. The weather has been hot these past few days, and the Formation of this spiritual field is in disrepair, which is why a few on the edge have minor defects. The vast majority are of perfect quality..." Ye Fan lowered his voice, pretending to be aggrieved and defensive.

"You dare to talk back?!"

Senior Brother Zhou raised an eyebrow and suddenly lifted a foot, kicking Ye Fan in the chest without warning.

This kick contained the True Qi of a Qi Refining Peak expert. Ye Fan could have easily dodged it, or even broken the other party's leg bone with a punch. But for the sake of forbearance, he forcibly dispersed the protective True Qi he had instinctively gathered and let the kick land.

Bang!

Ye Fan flew backward like a broken kite for several feet, crashing heavily into a wooden bucket filled with manure water.

The foul-smelling muddy water splashed all over him, his gray menial servant clothes instantly becoming filthy, looking extremely wretched.

"Cough, cough..." Ye Fan clutched his chest, coughing violently in the mud, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He lowered his head, his messy hair covering most of his face; no one could see his clenched teeth and his bloodshot eyes filled with cruel killing intent.

"A mere menial servant dares to reason with an Inner Sect Disciple?" Senior Brother Zhou walked slowly to Ye Fan, looking down at the ant in the mud from above.

He extended his right foot, wearing brand-new cloud-patterned boots, and stepped directly onto the back of the hand Ye Fan was using to try to support his body, pressing down hard.

"Hiss..." Ye Fan let out a sharp intake of breath, his body trembling slightly, portraying weakness and helplessness to the extreme.

"Since you can't hand over the full amount of qualified Spiritual Plants, the two Low-Grade Spirit Stones issued to you this month will be deducted entirely as compensation for the Sect's losses." Senior Brother Zhou sneered and announced the verdict.

"Not only that." The follower next to him stepped forward, looking at the prostrate Ye Fan with a face full of mockery, and lowered his voice to sneer, "Senior Brother Zhou, a few days ago at the main Peak, I saw this toad actually hiding in a corner, secretly peeking at Valley Master Yan's carriage. Those eyes were staring straight; I'm afraid he had some twisted thoughts he shouldn't have."

As soon as these words were spoken, the other two Inner Sect Disciples were stunned for a moment, then burst into unbridled, raucous laughter.

"Hahaha! You're killing me. A maggot who deals with Spirit Beast excrement all day actually dares to have lecherous thoughts about Valley Master Yan?"

The force under Senior Brother Zhou's foot increased suddenly, causing the bones in the back of Ye Fan's hand to creak under the unbearable pressure. He bent down, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt and malice.

"Ye Fan, you should take a piss and look at your own reflection. Valley Master Yan is a noble and holy Fairy! She is the bright moon above the Nine Heavens! A stinking bug like you, rotting in the mud, even looking at the Valley Master one more time is a blasphemy against her!"

"Next time, I will dig out your eyeballs and throw them to the spirit dogs. Do you hear me?!"

A piercing pain came from the back of his hand, accompanied by the insulting abuse in his ears. Ye Fan buried his head in the muddy water, his body trembling with "fear."

"This humble one knows his mistake... This humble one will never dare again..." Ye Fan uttered incoherent pleas for mercy.

But in the shadows where no one could see, Ye Fan's face had twisted into an extremely hideous expression.

He was smiling.

A cold smile filled with endless mockery and cruelty.

"Deduct my Spirit Stones? Step on my hand? Call me a bug?"

Ye Fan roared frantically in his heart, the little green bottle on his chest pressing against his skin, transmitting a cold sensation that kept his sanity hanging by a thread.

"You short-sighted ants don't even know what kind of existence you are stepping on! When my ten-thousand-year Immortal Plant matures and I break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, I will crush the bones of you three inch by inch! I will let you see with your own eyes how your unattainable Valley Master Yan will snuggle in my, Ye Fan's, arms and serve me!"

The arrogance and grand vision in his heart became Ye Fan's only spiritual pillar to resist the humiliation at this moment.

He even faintly enjoyed this feeling of being misunderstood and stepped on by others. Because he firmly believed that the deeper the current humiliation, the more intense the pleasure would be when he slapped these guys in the face in the future.

This was the necessary trial arranged for him by the Heavenly Dao.

"What a wretched, spineless bone."

Senior Brother Zhou looked at Ye Fan's begging appearance, which was like mud that couldn't support the wall, and completely lost the interest in continuing to stomp. He moved his foot away from Ye Fan's hand in disgust and wiped the mud from his sole on the clean grass nearby.

"Take the qualified Spiritual Plants, and leave the remaining rotten leaves for him to eat."

Senior Brother Zhou waved his hand. The other two Disciples swept away the remaining decent Flame Grass on the ground, then stepped onto their Flying Swords and disappeared into the horizon as three streaks of light, accompanied by unbridled laughter.

The entire remote spiritual garden returned to a deathly silence.

After a long time.

Ye Fan, who had been lying in the mud, slowly moved his body.

He slowly stood up straight, his originally hunched back now straightened, like a spear that would never bend.

On his originally timid face, only an unmelting coldness and sinister intent remained.

Ye Fan raised his head, his gaze passing over the dilapidated spiritual garden, looking straight into the depths of the inaccessible primeval dense forest in the back mountains of Medicine Valley.

There, there was a secret cave known only to him. Inside the cave, that peerless Immortal Plant, which he had been watering day and night with the little green bottle's spiritual liquid, was emitting enticing fluctuations of imminent maturity.

"Let you guys be arrogant for two more days."

Ye Fan reached out his mud-stained hand, gently stroking the protruding hard object on his chest, a chillingly cruel arc pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Wait until the night after tomorrow when the moon is full, and the Immortal Plant is completely grown. The entire Medicine Valley will tremble at my, Ye Fan's, feet. Valley Master Yan Shuyao... you will eventually understand who is the man in this world truly worthy of your reliance."