cornucopia pot

Chapter 004: Auntie · The days passed one by one. · In the blink of an eye, He Pingsheng had been at Showy Bamboo Peak for over half a month. · During this time, nothing extraordinary had occurred. However, thanks to the nourishment of meat and Spiritual Rice over the past two weeks, combined with the daily labor of carrying water on foot, He Pingsheng’s weight and stature had grown. · He had become considerably sturdier. · Naturally, carrying water was no longer such a grueling task. · To put it plainly, he could now complete twenty trips a day with ease. · Yet, to conceal the effects of the Golden Rice, He Pingsheng still had to feign an expression of deathly exhaustion every single day. · One day, the weather was clear and the azure sky was translucent. · As usual, He Pingsheng carried his water from the Mountain Spring toward the entrance of the Handyman Canteen. Before he could even reach the large vats, he spotted a crowd gathered in front of the building from a distance. · The scene was a vibrant, eye-catching blur of colors. · He Pingsheng noted the sudden appearance of many strangers. · There were Personal Disciples wearing the specialized Daoist robes of the Taixu Sect, as well as other servants like himself. · They stood in a circle, pointing and whispering amongst themselves. · Occasionally, the sharp, stern voice of a woman drifted out from the center. · He Pingsheng had no intention of drawing near, but before he could pour his buckets into the vat, a woman’s voice rang out: "You... the water-carrier, get over here!" · He Pingsheng turned to look. The dense crowd parted to reveal a gap, where a woman in pink Daoist robes stood with her almond-shaped eyes wide with fury, glaring at him. · In front of this Pink-Robed Junior Sister, Boss Zhang was sprawled on the ground like a dog, blood staining the corners of his mouth. · This... · What happened? · Boss Zhang had been beaten? · "Greetings... Great Aunt..." He Pingsheng lowered his carrying pole and approached the woman respectfully, cupping his hands in a formal salute. · Rules within the Taixu Sect were absolute and severe. When a servant encountered an Inner Sect disciple, they had to bow low, sometimes even prostrating themselves. · When meeting a male disciple, regardless of whether they knew him, they had to respectfully address him as "Great Master"; for a female disciple, the address was "Great Aunt." · "Are you the servant responsible for carrying water?" The Pink-Robed Junior Sister looked at He Pingsheng with a face as cold as frost. · He Pingsheng took a deep breath and said cautiously, "Yes, this lowly one is in charge of the water." · Zheng— · Without a word, the woman swept her hand and unsheathed the precious sword at her waist. With a flick, the blade's edge was pointed directly at He Pingsheng. · Before the sword even reached him, a sharp gust of wind bit at his skin. · Terrified, He Pingsheng stumbled back three or four steps. · The woman spoke: "Your Great Aunt has a question for you. If you dare to deceive me, I shall not spare you today!" · "Yes, yes, yes..." He Pingsheng lowered his head again. · The woman continued, "The Mountain Spring of my Showy Bamboo Peak has always been crisp and sweet, the finest among the nine peaks of the Taixu Sect. Even Tianyi Peak cannot compare to us. I ask you then—why has this water become increasingly foul and stagnant lately?" · "It is utterly mediocre and difficult to swallow!" · He Pingsheng’s expression instantly turned bitter. She was right! · When he first arrived, he also thought the water tasted wonderful, but recently it had become increasingly ordinary. · He Pingsheng wanted to know the answer himself! · "This... this lowly one does not know!" Since he truly didn't know, he could only speak the truth. · "Hmph!" The woman snorted coldly, her eyes shooting two sharp glints of light. "You filthy, wretched thing. Could it be that you've been bathing in the spring while fetching water, polluting the celestial spring of our Showy Bamboo Peak? If that is the case, see if I don't kill you!" · Panic seized He Pingsheng. "Never! I have never done such a thing! Please, Great Aunt, investigate thoroughly!" · Before the woman could respond, Boss Zhang, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly lunged upward. He rushed to He Pingsheng and delivered a violent kick. · With a heavy thud, He Pingsheng was sent sprawling to the ground. · Boss Zhang raised his fists and hammered them down onto the boy's head. "You damned bastard! I gave you the job of carrying water, and out of resentment, you dared to pollute the source? See if I don't beat the life out of you, you reckless fool!" · Thud, thud, thud... · Boss Zhang landed several more blows. · Only when he saw blood streaming uncontrollably from He Pingsheng’s nose and mouth did he finally stop. He said harshly, "Rest assured, Great Aunt. I'll take this dog back and chop him up to feed the hounds!" · Having said that, Boss Zhang kicked He Pingsheng several more times for good measure. · Though He Pingsheng had grown stronger recently, he was still only a fourteen-year-old boy. How could he compare to the thirty-something, muscle-bound Boss Zhang? · He couldn't fight back; he could only curl into a ball and endure it. · The woman’s expression softened slightly. "Chopping the dog up is fine. Just make sure to send someone sensible to replace him. Regardless, that is a matter for your Handyman Quarters." · Hearing these people decide his life and death so casually, He Pingsheng was struck by terror. He scrambled up from the ground and cried out, "Great Aunt, please be fair! I carry water all day long; I have no time to bathe there! Please look into this, Great Aunt—this truly has nothing to do with me!" · At that moment, another woman dressed in green robes walked over hurriedly from the distance. · "Little Junior Sister, what are you doing?" the Green-Robed Senior Sister asked. "Are you trying to cause more trouble?" · The Pink-Robed Junior Sister replied, "Oh, Second Senior Sister, you're here..." · "It’s nothing major. Just these filthy, disgusting servants. They dared to bathe in the spring at the back of the mountain, polluting the celestial spring. That's why the water has tasted different lately. I'm here to see justice done and kill this piece of filth!" · "You must not!" The Green-Robed Senior Sister looked startled. "You absolutely cannot do that!" · Seeing a glimmer of hope for his life, He Pingsheng quickly took two steps toward the Green-Robed Senior Sister. "Great Aunt, please be fair! This lowly one has never bathed in that pool!" · "I have to drink this water myself every day. Why would I do something so disgusting to my own source?" · The Green-Robed Senior Sister nodded. She shifted her gaze from He Pingsheng to the Pink-Robed Junior Sister. "Little Junior Sister, even if someone were bathing in the pool, the taste of the water likely wouldn't change much. If we want to know what is really happening, it would be better to go to the Mountain Spring ourselves and take a look." · "We cannot wrongly accuse someone. Though they are but lowly servants, their lives are not easy." · "Hmph..." The Pink-Robed Junior Sister snorted, feeling as though she had lost face. · The Green-Robed Senior Sister continued, "How about this? I will accompany you to the spring to investigate... You lot, follow us. Let us see what strange thing has happened to the water." · He Pingsheng didn't know the names of these two women, but it was clear that the Green-Robed Senior Sister held more authority. · The crowd followed the two women toward the back of the mountain. · As he walked, He Pingsheng limped, his entire body throbbing with pain. · His face was a mess of blue and purple bruises. · Despite this, He Pingsheng still carried his two empty buckets. · After all, he still had work to do later! · Otherwise, the consequences would be even more severe. · [END]