PID Chapter 41.1

Kofi kofi Choco Choco!!

(5/5)

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Yushan Sect required disciples to report to the Affairs Hall at quarter past dawn. Xiao Mo, ever diligent, set an alarm for the earlier hour of Yin (3–5 AM) using his system. The alarm sound? None other than a recording of Xiao Mo playing the flute himself.

 

For most people, waking up to such a sound would feel like having their skulls cracked open—its wake-up effect far surpassing even the most invigorating cooling pills. But for Xiao Mo, he simply opened his eyes leisurely and stretched with ease.

 

After meditating and clearing his mind, he felt refreshed and energized.

 

The sky outside was still pitch black, with the sun yet to rise above the horizon. However, Chu Jinglan was nowhere to be seen in the room.

 

Xiao Mo wasn’t worried. Instead of using his divine sense to search for him, he sent a voice transmission.

 

[Chu Jinglan?]

 

[Mm, I’m back.]

 

Chu Jinglan’s response came instantly.

 

Satisfied that there was no issue, Xiao Mo got out of bed, stretched his arms, and stepped outside to breathe in the crisp morning air.

 

The Yushan Sect disciples had deliberately withheld information about the locations of the Affairs Hall and dining hall, but this posed no challenge for Xiao Mo—he had his all-knowing system as an assistant.

 

While the system couldn’t predict events from original storylines it hadn’t encountered before, it could provide information on anything already discovered in the cultivation world. From clothing designs to secret realm maps, the system could load it all.

 

This included even rare and highly coveted techniques like Demonic Sound Manual, a secret cultivation method exclusive to Inner Demons. The system had access to it.

 

The only exception was knowledge that hadn’t been discovered by anyone yet—this was where the system’s limitations lay.

 

Xiao Mo had also uncovered more about how the system operated.

 

For example, when he asked the system to directly reveal a method for repairing dantians, it responded that this involved “important plot points” and couldn’t be disclosed.

 

This seemed contradictory to its encyclopedia-like functionality. Either the system could access this information but wasn’t allowed to share it due to restrictions, or rules governing major plot-related matters overrode all other functions unconditionally.

 

Between Xiao Mo, Chu Jinglan, and the system, it felt like they were all riddles wrapped in enigmas.

 

Oh wait, Xiao Mo thought wryly. From the system’s perspective, I probably don’t have any secrets at all.

 

As he mused over this, Chu Jinglan returned.

 

Entering the room, Chu Jinglan pulled out some new bedding and pillows from his storage device. The materials were simple but soft and fluffy, carrying a warm scent from being sun-dried regularly.

 

It turned out Chu Jinglan had gone down to the village at the foot of the mountain early in the morning to trade for these items. He’d also bought sturdier wooden planks for repairs. The villagers were early risers, making it convenient to barter for supplies.

 

Xiao Mo instinctively took the bedding from him. “I’ll make the beds.”

 

Chu Jinglan picked up the new wooden planks. “I’ll fix up the roof again.”

 

With their tasks clearly divided, their little dilapidated hut became bustling with activity early in the morning. The sound of hammers and nails echoed as they worked on repairs. Inside, Xiao Mo cast cleaning spells so there was no need to worry about dust falling during construction.

 

Both worked efficiently without cutting corners. Before long, they had finished making the beds and reinforcing both the roof and door. They even had plenty of time left over.

 

When it came to time management, these two overachievers were absolute masters.

 

Xiao Mo glanced at the now-lively hut, satisfied with their work. Chu Jinglan took a fasting pill, preparing for the possibility that Yushan Sect might make their tasks difficult today. If that happened, they might not have time to eat at the dining hall, so it was better to be ready in advance.

 

After tidying up their temporary shelter, Xiao Mo led Chu Jinglan toward the Affairs Hall, following the map displayed on his system panel.

 

The hut’s location was remote, with hardly anyone passing by. But as they walked onto the main path where people frequently gathered, disciples who hadn’t seen them before began curiously sizing them up. Whispers spread through the crowd.

 

“Never seen them before—are they new disciples?”

 

“Two brothers? What did they eat growing up to look this good?”

 

Some of the more informed disciples added: “They’re here to see Uncle Jing Lei.”

 

“Ah, Uncle Jing Lei…”

 

As soon as Jing Lei’s name was mentioned, there seemed to be an unspoken understanding among them. The chatter in the crowd quieted down, as if bound by some tacit agreement.

 

Uncle Jing Lei’s rules were evidently well-known throughout the sect.

 

When they arrived at the Affairs Hall, it became clear that tasks were divided by rank—outer disciples and inner disciples had separate registration points. Inner disciples could choose their tasks from a daily list, while outer disciples had to wait for assignments.

 

As Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan entered, they spotted the lead disciple from yesterday—the one who had come to “cause trouble.” Seeing that they hadn’t arrived late, he nodded slightly to himself and muttered quietly: “No wonder they managed to beat us.”

 

Clearly, Chu Jinglan’s swordsmanship had earned their respect. As for being defeated by Xiao Mo’s flute playing… too humiliating to mention.

 

The two stood in line with the other outer disciples. After waiting for a short while, it was their turn. Presenting their disciple plaques, they handed them over to the task manager, who immediately pulled out a separate ledger and began flipping through it noisily.

 

It was obvious that those under special scrutiny had their assignments recorded in a separate book.

 

The task manager stared at the ledger and read aloud: “Today, you two are responsible for transporting supplies between the mountain and the village below—fifteen round trips. Each trip requires carrying fifty pounds of goods on your back.”

 

It was clearly an unreasonable task. Why must supplies be carried on their backs instead of using storage devices? And why insist on fifteen trips? If someone managed to complete it in fewer trips using better efficiency, would that not count?

 

Their attempts at making things difficult were blatant—everything laid out openly for them to accept or reject.

 

Chu Jinglan nodded without hesitation. Xiao Mo didn’t forget to ask: “Do we get paid for this?”

 

The task manager replied: “Five low-grade spirit stones per month.”

 

A genuinely new disciple who had only been at Yushan Sect for two months overheard this and leaned forward in confusion: “Wait—don’t we get thirty low-grade spirit stones per month? Plus extra bonuses for heavy labor?”

 

The task manager coughed awkwardly and glared at him. “Keep your mouth shut!”

 

The disciple shrank back and withdrew his head.

 

Looking up again, the task manager found Xiao Mo staring at him with a faintly amused expression. Feeling slightly embarrassed under Xiao Mo’s gaze, he sighed heavily and explained: “These are Uncle Jing Lei’s rules. You’re also forbidden from using pills to relieve fatigue—he has ways of knowing how you perform. Whether you accept or not is up to you.”

 

Chu Jinglan didn’t hesitate: “We’ll do it. Where are the supplies?”

 

The task manager waved his hand, signaling two disciples to bring over the weighted boxes. The boxes were tied securely with ropes so they could be carried directly on their backs. Though it wasn’t clear what was inside them, they looked quite heavy.

 

The task manager instructed, “Take these two boxes to the village entrance at the foot of the mountain. Someone will be there to receive them. Afterward, you’ll carry new boxes back here, and we’ll prepare the next batch of goods.”

 

Yushan Sect was three miles away from the village. A single trip wasn’t much on its own, but with fifty pounds of cargo on their backs and the added challenge of navigating uphill and downhill terrain for fifteen round trips, it totaled ninety miles—a considerable burden for someone at Qi Refining early stage.

 

Xiao Mo asked, “Do we have to finish it all today?”

 

The task manager confirmed, “Yes.”

 

Chu Jinglan had already picked up one of the boxes and strapped it onto his back.

 

Xiao Mo followed suit, lifting the other box and securing it before heading out with Chu Jinglan.

 

Eating a fasting pill beforehand had been a wise choice—it seemed unlikely they’d have time or appetite for meals today.

 

The first trip was undoubtedly the easiest. As they walked out of Yushan Sect’s gates, Xiao Mo sent a voice transmission to Chu Jinglan: “Want me to use spiritual energy to help carry it?”

 

For Xiao Mo, fifty pounds was as light as a feather because he was using invisible black mist to support the box—it wasn’t his actual body doing the work.

 

A typical Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn’t be able to pull off such a trick, but Xiao Mo wasn’t ordinary.

 

Chu Jinglan replied: “No need—this is also part of body training.”

 

As an Inner Demon, Xiao Mo’s spiritual form didn’t require physical training. But Chu Jinglan was still flesh and blood—preparing his body for dantian repair through exercise was undoubtedly beneficial.

 

Xiao Mo shrugged. “Alright.”

 

He could sense small demonic beasts watching them, likely sent by Jing Lei to observe their performance. While cheating would have been easy for Xiao Mo, it wasn’t necessary for Chu Jinglan.

 

If they truly didn’t want to do the task, they could have refused at the Affairs Hall or simply paid other disciples to handle it instead—both options would have been quick solutions.

 

After cultivators begin drawing Qi into their bodies, most rely heavily on spiritual energy. For many, strong meridians and a full dantian are enough to protect their physical selves. Few still remember to train their muscles, bones, and flesh alongside their meridians.

 

But Chu Jinglan was different. Over ten years of rain or shine, he had swung his sword tens of thousands of times daily—half using spiritual energy and half purely for physical training. He did this to ensure that if his spiritual energy were ever sealed or unavailable, he wouldn’t be left helpless.

 

Ironically, before encountering such a scenario in reality, his spiritual energy had already been reduced to its lowest point.

 

Jing Lei’s arrangement might have been overly harsh for an average Qi Refining cultivator—but not for Chu Jinglan.

 

The mountain path was rugged and uneven, adding strain to their legs and increasing physical exertion. However, the first trip was still relatively easy. When they reached the village entrance, there were indeed disciples waiting for them.

 

After unloading their boxes, two identical ones were brought out for them to carry back up the mountain.

 

Xiao Mo raised an eyebrow in suspicion—they were likely reusing the same boxes repeatedly.

 

But this was an open tactic—one party willing to impose and another willing to endure. Strapping on the new boxes, they began their trek back uphill.

 

By the time they descended again at dawn’s first light, the sun had finally started rising above the horizon. Looking toward the gradually brightening sky in the distance, Xiao Mo struck up conversation: “If Yushan Sect were at the mountain peak instead of halfway up, we’d get a nice view of the sunrise.”

 

 

Chu Jinglan carried the fifty-pound load effortlessly, his steps steady as the morning bird songs echoed along the mountain path. He thought for a moment—Xiao Mo was accompanying him, and there wasn’t much to do on the way. While the first two trips might offer some scenic views, the later ones would likely become monotonous.

 

So, Chu Jinglan took out an oil-paper package from his storage device and handed it to Xiao Mo.

 

Xiao Mo, puzzled, accepted it and opened it to find a type of spiritual herb called Licorice Blossom. The small white flowers had been dried and emitted a faintly sweet aroma. Chu Jinglan explained: “They’ve been roasted and purified of impurities. When eaten, they’ll provide beneficial energy. Licorice Blossoms are warm in nature and mildly sweet.”

 

Realizing something, Xiao Mo hesitated as he held the oil-paper package tightly. In a soft voice, he asked: “You’re giving this to me as a snack?”

 

He murmured: “When you bought it earlier, I thought it was for making medicine…”

 

Chu Jinglan paused mid-sentence as his gaze fell on Xiao Mo’s fingers.

 

Xiao Mo’s porcelain-white fingers unconsciously pinched the edge of the oil paper, rubbing it nervously—a gesture of hesitation and unease.

 

Chu Jinglan silently swallowed the words he had originally intended to say. When he spoke again, he followed Xiao Mo’s lead: “Yes, it was originally meant for medicine, but I don’t think I’ll need that prescription anymore.”

 

With this explanation, Xiao Mo’s fingers relaxed, and the tension in his demeanor seemed to dissipate like a breeze. His tone returned to its usual casualness: “Oh, I see—you don’t need it anymore.”

 

“Indeed—no point in wasting it,” Xiao Mo said with a smile as he held the oil-paper package. “Then I’ll eat it as a snack?”

 

Chu Jinglan nodded: “Mm.”

 

Xiao Mo picked up one of the small flowers and placed it in his mouth. It had a texture reminiscent of crisp wafers—lightly fragrant with no impurities. The spiritual energy was minimal, and the sweetness was perfectly balanced—not overwhelming but leaving a faintly pleasant flavor lingering in his mouth.

 

Xiao Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly in delight.

 

Chu Jinglan asked: “How is it?”

 

Xiao Mo replied cheerfully: “Delicious!”

 

He offered the oil-paper package back to Chu Jinglan: “Why don’t you try some too? It’s not like these count as fatigue-relieving pills—Jing Lei wouldn’t be that petty, right?”

 

In the forest nearby, Jing Lei’s contracted squirrel demon twitched its tail slightly.

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter