Chapter 15 Brothers
"This grandson!"
Seeing that only three of the ten enormous water pools were full while the other seven were completely empty, Lu Li was so angry his mouth twisted.
According to the rules, he had to ensure five pools were completely full. Each pool required at least one hundred fully-loaded carrying pole trips to fill. That meant he had to carry at least two hundred fully-loaded trips just to ensure five pools were full.
With this carrying method, he estimated he'd have to work day and night without rest, carrying double-buckets filled to the brim each time for an entire month before he could possibly fill two pools.
"Did that bastard do this on purpose?"
Lu Li sat heavily on the ground, staring down the mountainside with deep resentment.
Unfortunately, he had just barely reached the first layer of Qi Refining and hadn't even opened a single meridian yet. He couldn't use True Qi to move heavy objects. Otherwise, he could have considered secretly storing some water in his Space Hall.
"Well, aren't we in a foul mood." Just then, a man in a blue long gown suddenly walked out from the nearby woods. "Give me ninety percent of your contribution points, and I'll only make you carry ten loads of water per day. How about that?"
Lu Li turned his head and saw it was none other than Sun Zi'an.
Ninety percent-that meant giving away two hundred seventy contribution points. Lu Li stood up, glanced at Sun Zi'an, then shouldered his carrying pole and grinned. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother. I think... I can manage!"
With that, he ignored Sun Zi'an completely and headed straight down the mountain.
"Hmph. Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit." A hint of malice flashed in Sun Zi'an's eyes as he shouted after him, "I'll give you three days to replenish these two pools. Otherwise, don't blame me, your Senior Brother, for being unkind."
Three days?
Lu Li paused. A strong sense of injustice abruptly welled up inside him. "So this... is the Qingyang Sect."
He had witnessed the ugly side of cultivators once again. For resources, they would stop at nothing.
They just wanted his contribution points, didn't they?
Well, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction!
Gritting his teeth, Lu Li charged down the mountainside. He didn't stop once, heading straight for the Boshui River. This time, he filled both buckets halfway and used all his speed to rush back.
From dawn until the blazing sun hung high in the sky, and then until the sun set behind the western hills.
Lu Li finally couldn't hold on any longer. He lay beside the pool, looking at the star-dotted sky, feeling utterly powerless. After a whole day of hard work, he calculated he'd only managed ten loads.
"Maybe you should just give it to him. You can't win against him."
A voice sounded in Lu Li's heart.
"No. Absolutely not! Three hundred contribution points! That's enough for three True Qi Condensation Pills! How can I give up?"
Another voice immediately responded.
Just then, two blurry figures walked up towards the mountaintop. As they got closer, Lu Li realized it was Qin Shouren and Chen Zhong.
"Mud Monkey, you..." Qin Shouren was holding a bowl of steamed buns and pickled vegetables. He looked at the utterly dejected Lu Li but couldn't find the words.
"It's fine. I can do it." Lu Li shook his head.
"Hey, eat something first." Qin Shouren handed the steamed buns to Lu Li.
"Thank you."
"What's there to thank between brothers?"
Lu Li nodded, lowering his head to eat hungrily. "Fatty, how's your tree-cutting going?"
Chen Zhong shook his head helplessly. "Only cut down one. But there's no strict daily requirement for my task. I just have to cut ninety trees within a month..."
After eating, Lu Li turned to look at the water pool. "You two head back first. I still want to try a bit more."
"Try what? That grandson is clearly targeting us on purpose! If you ask me, we should all just quit. Screw this damn Qingyang Sect! It's not worth staying here!" Qin Shouren said indignantly.
"I think so too. He's just getting back at us for not sharing our contribution points with him."
"Don't you think I know that?" Lu Li shook his head. "But we worked so hard to join the Qingyang Sect. There are vast cultivation resources right here in front of us. As long as we have contribution points, we can exchange for anything we want. If we leave... where else would we find cultivation resources?"
"But..."
"Let's endure it. Once we reach the third layer of Qi Refining, we can become official disciples. That Sun Zi'an is probably only at the second layer of Qi Refining. We'll deal with him once we break through to the second layer." A flash of ferocity passed through Lu Li's eyes.
Hearing about dealing with Sun Zi'an, Qin Shouren and Chen Zhong's eyes immediately lit up. Finally, Qin Shouren suggested they first help Lu Li fill the water pools to get through the immediate crisis.
Chen Zhong readily agreed. Lu Li thought about it and felt this was the only way.
So the three brothers went down the mountain and found two more carrying poles, starting to work through the night.
At first, Qin Shouren could only carry one-third of a load, just like Lu Li did on his first trip. But gradually, he managed to carry half a load.
Chen Zhong, being naturally burly, could carry half a load from the start. By the end, he was actually carrying full loads.
The three figures kept shuttling back and forth between Cuiyun Peak and Boshui River throughout the night.
Deeply moved, Lu Li thought to himself that he must never betray these two brothers in this lifetime.
As dawn approached, some people noticed the trio was still carrying water and couldn't help but feel sympathy for them. But when Sun Zi'an saw this scene, his face darkened. He walked up and stopped Chen Zhong. "Have you finished cutting your trees? And here you are carrying water!"
Chen Zhong put down his carrying pole. "Senior Brother, I'll naturally cut the trees. I guarantee you'll get ninety trees this month."
"That won't do. The rules have changed now. You must cut three trees every day. Otherwise, no food, no sleep!" Then he grabbed Qin Shouren. "And you! The Sect square must be swept three times a day! If there's a single speck of trash on it, I'll hold you accountable!"
"Three times? Why don't you just drop dead!" Upon hearing this, Qin Shouren flew into a rage on the spot. The square was several miles in circumference. A rough sweep already took half a day. Sweeping it three times meant he'd have no time to rest or sleep!
"What did you say!" Sun Zi'an's face turned icy. He stepped forward and slapped Qin Shouren across the face. "You little brat! I gave you face, and you don't appreciate it! Get lost!"
Qin Shouren's eyes instantly turned red. He wanted to rush forward but was yanked back by Chen Zhong, who vigorously shook his head at him.
Lu Li saw this scene from afar and rushed over quickly. "Beast, are you alright?"
Seeing Lu Li rush over, Qin Shouren relaxed his clenched fist and grinned. "It's nothing. Just a small matter, Mud Monkey. I'll go clean the square now."
Without waiting for Lu Li to reply, he carried his water to the storage bucket below, emptied it, forced back his tears, hunched his shoulders, and headed towards the Qingyang Sect square.
Chen Zhong also looked full of apology. He went back to his room, retrieved his axe and tucked it at his waist, then shouldered the water again to head up the mountain. "Come on, I'll help you carry these two buckets up."
"No helping allowed!"
Sun Zi'an kicked over Chen Zhong's buckets, sneering. "Let me tell you, everyone does their own work. If anyone dares to help others with their tasks again, it won't be as simple as just kicking over buckets."
"You!" Chen Zhong threw down his carrying pole, ready to fight.
"Fatty, forget it. I'll do it myself." Lu Li didn't want Chen Zhong to suffer, so he immediately shouted.
Chen Zhong relaxed his fist, gave Sun Zi'an a deep look, then turned and walked away directly.
Lu Li appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was seething with rage. Without even looking at Sun Zi'an, he lowered his head and walked up the mountain.
Thanks to the three brothers' efforts through the night, the fourth water pool was now completely full. However, the fifth pool remained completely empty. Thinking about the two days left, hope still seemed incredibly slim.
Looking at the mist swirling among the mountains, Lu Li sighed. "What a beautiful paradise on earth. What a pity that such a paradise is inhabited by a bunch of heartless beasts."
He sat on the ground to catch his breath. The thick mist before him suddenly reminded him of the Spiritual Objects Hall on the first level of his treasure pagoda.
He remembered there seemed to be an Immortal Fruit there, right?
He wondered if it had ripened yet.
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