cornucopia pot

Chapter 001: Picking up a broken basin · “Is your name He Pingsheng? How old are you?” · Inside a dark, grand hall that resembled a dilapidated temple, a man with a bare torso stared at the youth before him. The boy stood less than five feet tall. The man’s voice was gruff as he threw out the question. · "You are He Pingsheng? How old are you?" · Inside a dark hall that resembled a dilapidated temple, a man with a bare torso looked down at the youth before him, who stood less than five feet tall. He asked the question in a coarse, booming voice. · The youth answered with great respect and utmost caution, "In response to Boss Zhang, I am fourteen this year!" · "What is your Spiritual Root?" Boss Zhang asked another question with an air of indifference. · He Pingsheng replied, "It is a Five Elements Spiritual Root!" · Upon hearing it was a Five Elements Spiritual Root, Boss Zhang immediately broke into a satisfied smile. Then, with a mocking tone, he said, "So you're a 'money-waster,' hahaha..." · "Hahahaha..." · The surrounding men, all reeking of sweat, burst into loud laughter. · Their combined laughter shook the very beams of the room, causing dust to rattle down from above. · When the smile vanished from Boss Zhang's face, the laughter of the men around him ceased instantly, as if they were puppets controlled by strings. · Slap! Boss Zhang’s dark, grease-stained hand struck He Pingsheng’s slender shoulder. He said, "That Uncle Jiang of yours actually has some history with me. Because he pleaded on your behalf, I was willing to take you in!" · "Fourteen years old—you're not a child anymore. From this day forth, you shall be responsible for the water-carrying duties here on Showy Bamboo Peak!" · "But there is one thing you must remember: the masters and mistresses upon this Showy Bamboo Peak are immortals capable of Heaven-Flying and Earth-Vanishing. Each and every one of them is incomparably noble. When you see them, you must be absolutely respectful. If you provoke their displeasure, your life will be forfeit!" · He Pingsheng’s heart tightened, and he quickly replied, "Yes!" · Boss Zhang continued, "On Showy Bamboo Peak, there are two places that require water. One is the Grotto-Heavens of the various masters!" · "The other is our Handyman Canteen!" · "The amount of water used is not small. You must wake up every day before dawn to begin carrying water and cannot stop until nightfall. You are not permitted a single moment of rest in between!" · "Otherwise, this water-carrying work will never be finished!" · "Do you understand?" Boss Zhang barked. · He Pingsheng nodded. "I understand!" · "Old Three, lead him out to get familiar with things. Don't let him delay tomorrow's work, or if the masters hand down a punishment, no one will be able to bear the consequences!" · A tall, thin middle-aged man stood up and led He Pingsheng out of the pitch-black hall toward the exterior. · He Pingsheng! · Fourteen years old! · Born into the outer division of the Taixu Sect; both his parents were once Outer Sect Disciples of the Taixu Sect. · Unfortunately, when He Pingsheng was eight years old, his father, He Sanjie, was killed by a demonic beast while out searching for cultivation opportunities. Within less than a month, his mother also died mysteriously. Afterward, a group of cultivators from the Taixu Sect barged into their home and plundered every single cultivation resource his parents had left behind. · From then on, He Pingsheng lived with his father’s former friend, Jiang Jian. · At the age of nine, He Pingsheng’s Spiritual Root awakened. · At the Taixu Sect’s Awakening Ceremony, he awakened a Five Elements Spiritual Root that encompassed Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth! · He had a Spiritual Root, yet this type was the most difficult to use for cultivation. · In the parlance of the Lower Cultivation World, this Spiritual Root was a "money-waster." · It required countless resources to build up any progress. · To put it simply, the resources needed to nurture one Five Elements Spiritual Root practitioner could often nurture ten or even dozens of Single-Element Spiritual Root cultivators. · Not a single elder or disciple of the Taixu Sect was willing to take him as an apprentice. In the end, He Pingsheng did not even have the qualifications to enter the outer sect. · Recently, because Jiang Jian saw no hope for his own Great Dao and was reaching his later years, he prepared to abandon the path and return to a secular life. He intended to go home, marry, and have children to continue his ancestral bloodline. No longer able to look after the descendant of his old friend, he could only recommend He Pingsheng to the Handyman Quarters of the inner Showy Bamboo Peak to serve as a Handyman Disciple. · The so-called Handyman Disciple, as the name suggested, was someone who performed odd jobs and manual labor. · The world of cultivation was not entirely composed of immortals. Even immortals had to eat, drink, and attend to daily needs. In particular, those disciples in the Qi Refinement stage were not yet capable of Bigu; therefore, servants for daily needs were indispensable. · Each of the major peaks of the Taixu Sect had a Handyman Quarters responsible for cleaning, meals, running errands, and various other tasks. If categorized strictly, there were no fewer than dozens of different roles. · And among all the tasks, water-carrying was the heaviest. · After all, there were many people on the entire mountain peak, and the daily water consumption was immense. · Furthermore, carrying water required going to the Mountain Spring at the back of the mountain. Although the round trip was only about two miles, the path was uneven, rugged, and difficult to traverse. · The reason He Pingsheng chose to come here and endure such hardship was that he still harbored a sliver of hope for the Great Dao and the path of immortality. · Though he was a Handyman Disciple, being on Showy Bamboo Peak meant he was close to the immortals. Proximity brought opportunity. If his luck was sufficient, perhaps he could obtain one or two methods for cultivation and Dao Comprehension. To step onto the path of immortality from then on—would that not be wonderful? · It was with this dream in mind that he asked Jiang Jian to recommend him to Showy Bamboo Peak. · As for suffering? · He wasn't born with a golden spoon in his mouth. In this world, whose life was without hardship? · Han the Third took He Pingsheng on a circuit around Showy Bamboo Peak, showing him two massive water vats. · He Pingsheng’s daily task was to keep these vats filled. · To fill these two great vats, he would need to make at least twenty trips to the back of the mountain. · For a fourteen-year-old youth, this was undoubtedly a massive challenge. · "This is your room!" Han the Third finally brought He Pingsheng to a courtyard. · This courtyard contained six or seven rooms. · Each Handyman Disciple possessed an individual room. · After He Pingsheng received his key and iron chain, he opened the door. The room was completely empty. Not only were there no daily necessities, but there wasn't even a basic blanket. · Fortunately, it was currently summer; sleeping without a blanket at night wouldn't result in freezing. · There was, however, a large iron bowl. · "The canteen is at the very front!" Han the Third said. "Just go there to eat on time every day. If you're late, there won't be anything left..." · After finishing his final sentence, Han the Third hurried away as if he had urgent business to attend to. · He Pingsheng looked around the room, seeing nothing but desolation. · Thus, he reached out and locked the door. Picking up two water buckets, he headed toward the back of the mountain. · By logic, he could have waited until tomorrow to begin carrying water. · But "preparedness ensures success, while unpreparedness spells failure." If he truly waited until tomorrow and encountered a problem, there would be no room for adjustment. Therefore, He Pingsheng went ahead of time—partly to familiarize himself with the path, and partly to see exactly how long it would take him to fill the two vats. · At the back of the mountain, a clear stream flowed down from the peak, turning into a waterfall that crashed against giant boulders, splashing white foam everywhere. · The waterfall was not large, only about a foot wide, but it flowed incessantly. This volume of water was more than enough to supply the entire mountain peak. · Beneath the giant boulders, the waterfall formed a clear, shallow pool. · The water was so clear one could see the bottom, even the sand and stones beneath the surface. · He Pingsheng brought the two large buckets over, filled them with clear water, and then, balancing them on his shoulders, began the walk back. · The two buckets of water were very heavy, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe. · The two-mile mountain path took him a full fifteen minutes. · At this speed, he could carry water two to three times per hour at most. To make twenty round trips, he would need at least seven or eight hours. · To make tomorrow's work a bit easier, He Pingsheng returned to the water's edge after his first trip. · He decided to carry at least five loads today; that way, tomorrow wouldn't be quite so grueling! · One trip! · Two trips! · Three trips! · The night grew deeper and darker. · When He Pingsheng arrived at the water's edge for his fifth trip, he suddenly noticed something at the bottom of the water shimmering with a faint light! · "This is..." · He Pingsheng took a deep breath and stepped forward. He discovered that not far away, at the bottom of the clear water, lay a battered ceramic basin. · The basin was pitch black, but it happened to reflect a glint of moonlight. · "Phew..." He Pingsheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "I thought it was some kind of treasure. Turns out it's just a broken basin!" · "Still, this broken basin might be useful. I'll take it back first; it'll be perfect for washing clothes and my face!" · [END]