cornucopia pot

Chapter 005: Pill · The water gurgled softly. · Before long, everyone had arrived at the waterfall, which was about a foot wide. · "Bring me the bucket!" Boss Zhang barked at He Pingsheng. He snatched the bucket away and personally stepped to the water's edge to fill it halfway. · Boss Zhang laboriously carried the water to the Green-Robed Senior Sister, his face splitting into a fawning smile. "Great Young Mistress, please, have a look!" · "Mm." · The Green-Robed Senior Sister nodded. She cupped some water in her hand and took a sip. · Her brows furrowed. · "Second Senior Sister, how is it?" the Pink-Robed Junior Sister asked as she walked over. · Without waiting for the Green-Robed Senior Sister to speak, the Pink-Robed Junior Sister also cupped some water and tasted it. She immediately flew into a rage. "The water source has been polluted by you... Boy, you deserve to die!" · She glared at He Pingsheng with almond-shaped eyes. · The Green-Robed Senior Sister shook her head. "Not necessarily. This is running water. Even if he polluted it slightly, how could it completely lose its original flavor?" · "I suspect the problem lies upstream." · "Come!" · The Green-Robed Senior Sister gave a soft cry. Magic Power suddenly surged from within her body as she performed an immortal technique that He Pingsheng could not comprehend. A stream of water flew out from the waterfall, landing unerringly in her snow-white palm. · She took the opportunity to taste the water again. · The Pink-Robed Junior Sister asked, "Sister, how is it?" · The Green-Robed Senior Sister shook her head. "This water isn't right. The taste is worlds apart from before. I'm afraid the problem starts at the source." · "The source?" · The Pink-Robed Junior Sister looked up, following the path of the waterfall upward. · At the very top, where the water originated, lay the highest mountain range behind Showy Bamboo Peak. · The terrain there consisted of a Treacherous Precipice that ordinary disciples could not possibly scale. · A servant like He Pingsheng could never hope to reach that summit in his entire life. · Therefore, in a sense, the change in water quality likely had nothing at all to do with He Pingsheng. · The Pink-Robed Junior Sister knew this perfectly well; she had blamed the wrong person. · However, as a dignified Inner Sect disciple of noble status, she naturally would not apologize to a "lowly" servant. Instead, she turned her head and shot He Pingsheng a harsh glare, followed by a cold snort. · "You are responsible for carrying the water. You should have informed me the moment the water quality changed. You cannot escape blame for this!" · She had to find some excuse, after all. · But the Green-Robed Senior Sister gave her no face. She looked at He Pingsheng and sighed. "It wasn't his fault to begin with. Enough, Junior Sister. We should report this to Master and let others investigate." · "What is your name?" · The Green-Robed Senior Sister looked toward He Pingsheng. · He Pingsheng bowed with his hands clasped. "To answer the Great Young Mistress, this boy is He Pingsheng." · "This matter likely has nothing to do with you. My Junior Sister blamed you wrongly." The Green-Robed Senior Sister reached out her jade-like hand and handed a snow-white porcelain bottle to He Pingsheng. "Inside are two Golden Bone Pills. Take one, and your injuries will heal within three days." · "As for the remaining one, consider it your compensation." · He Pingsheng felt a wave of trepidation, unsure whether it was better to accept or refuse. · But the Green-Robed Senior Sister had already tucked the porcelain bottle into his robes. · "Sister..." The Pink-Robed Junior Sister looked on with a face full of reluctance. "He's just a lowly servant. Why apologize to him? If he died, he died. Does our Showy Bamboo Peak care about a servant or two?" · "Junior Sister, you mustn't say such things." · "I have heard Master say that one cannot simply slaughter mortals. Otherwise, you will be tainted by Karmic Retribution, which will hinder your future Cultivation. I am doing this for your own good." · The voices of the two women grew fainter. · He Pingsheng looked up and saw that they had already walked far away. · Phew... · He breathed a sigh of relief. · Beside him, Boss Zhang also exhaled. · Many people in the surroundings were staring greedily at the porcelain bottle in He Pingsheng's hand. · Terrified, He Pingsheng quickly gripped the bottle tight. · "All of you... get the hell out of here!" · Boss Zhang waved his large hand. · The onlookers were frightened and scattered instantly. · By the large Mountain Spring, only He Pingsheng and Boss Zhang remained. · "Little He..." Boss Zhang's face shifted into a smile. "The things I said earlier were just for the Young Mistresses to hear. Don't take it to heart. Would I really beat you to death?" · "Our Showy Bamboo Peak is a place of rules and order!" · He Pingsheng remained silent, unsure how to respond. · Because in that moment earlier, he had truly felt a murderous intent emanating from Boss Zhang. · "I gave you a rough beating to save you!" · Boss Zhang continued to look at He Pingsheng, chuckling. "Think about it... if I didn't step in to hit you, that Young Mistress would have. Her sword was already pointed at you!" · "When I strike, at most I give you a beating, make your nose bleed, and leave some surface wounds." · "But if I hadn't acted, and that Young Mistress had, she would have split you in two with one strike. You'd be a cold corpse by now!" · "No... I should say two halves of a cold corpse!" · He Pingsheng shuddered involuntarily. · Though Boss Zhang was being somewhat self-serving, what he said was the truth. If that woman had acted, he might have truly lost his life. · Of course, this didn't mean Boss Zhang was being kind-hearted. · "So, Little He!" Boss Zhang said shamelessly. "I saved your life!" · "You can't leave a life-saving debt unpaid, can you?" · As he spoke, his gaze fixed on He Pingsheng's chest, staring at the white porcelain bottle. · He Pingsheng finally understood: this fellow wanted his pills. · "Boss Zhang," He Pingsheng said. "I'm injured... I need these pills to recover." · "Otherwise, I won't be able to finish my tasks over the next few days." · "Heh..." Boss Zhang laughed. "Don't you have two?" · "How about this... give one to me." · "You keep the other to recover from your injuries." · "Also!" Boss Zhang continued. "Starting tomorrow, I'll switch you to an easier job. I'll have someone else handle the water-carrying." · "What do you say?" · He Pingsheng began to calculate in his mind. · First, refusing was likely not an option. If he didn't give it up, this fellow would keep targeting him, and his life would be miserable from then on. · Second! · By giving it up, he could gain some benefits. · Fine... a wise man submits to circumstances. This isn't cowardice; it's a minor compromise. · "Fine," He Pingsheng said. "I hope you keep your word, Boss Zhang, and arrange an easier job for me tomorrow." · He opened the porcelain bottle, took out a red pill, and handed it to Boss Zhang. · Boss Zhang didn't take it. Instead, he gestured with his chin. "I want the one with the bottle." · To put it plainly, the fellow wanted to take the bottle as well. · Fine... · He Pingsheng didn't bother to argue over it and gave the bottle to Boss Zhang. · Boss Zhang took the bottle and peered inside. "That's right, a first-grade Golden Bone Pill." · "Boy, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll teach you something." · "See these patterns on the pill?" · "These are called Pill Veins. One vein means the pill is low-grade. Two veins mean it's Middle-grade, and three veins mean it's High-grade." · "I'm off!" · Boss Zhang tucked the white porcelain bottle into his robes and swaggered away. · [END]