After two full days, he found himself on the second— On the morning of the third day, he was led down two levels by the plump Senior Brother Yang, stopping before a small courtyard. This level was laid out similarly to the Ninth Heaven: small, independent courtyards for each resident.

Senior Brother Yang chuckled, "Junior Brother Zhanran, Old Man Guo has a peculiar temper; don't take his eccentricities to heart!" Li Muzhan smiled and nodded, "Is that Senior Brother Guo?" Senior Brother Yang laughed, "Heh heh, he is Senior Brother Guo. I've just gotten used to calling him Old Man Guo! Alas, Senior Brother Guo also became a master through hardship. He suffered grievous injuries while adventuring down the mountain, ruining his martial arts, so he came to the Outer Sect to manage the vegetable garden." As he spoke, he shook his head, sighing deeply.

Amidst Li Muzhan's curiosity, the two entered the first small courtyard. Inside, trellises laden with cucumbers dominated the space, their verdant green captivating the eye. Beneath the eaves of the south-facing wall stood a well, encircled by an octagonal border of blue bricks. Seated on a small folding stool beside it was an old man in hemp clothing, drinking from a bowl.

Hearing footsteps, he set down the bowl, looked up, frowned, and grunted, "Junior Brother Yang, delivering more misshapen gourds here again?!" Senior Brother Yang chuckled heartily, "Senior Brother Guo, you're mistaken this time. This Junior Brother Zhanran is a genius, a future pillar of our Canghai Sword Sect!" "Hmph, you say that every time!" The old man in hemp scoffed, placing the large bowl on the well's edge, then slowly rising. Senior Brother Yang smiled, unperturbed, and turned to Li Muzhan, "Junior Brother Zhanran, this is Senior Brother Guo. He oversees the vegetable garden; just follow his instructions." Li Muzhan cupped his hands in a salute, "Greetings, Senior Brother Guo!" "Enough with the formalities!" The old man waved his hand, looking utterly impatient, "Just cause me less trouble from now on. If you manage not to kill too many vegetables, I’ll thank the heavens!" Li Muzhan smiled and replied respectfully, "Yes."

He observed Senior Brother Guo: about fifty years old, a long face etched with wrinkles, and a prominent scar on his left cheek. Running from the corner of his eye straight to the corner of his mouth, it resembled a streak of lightning, as if from a sharp blade. Though he possessed no internal energy, his eyes burned brightly, and his gaunt frame exuded a chilling, fierce aura; clearly, this man had walked through mountains of blades and seas of swords.

Senior Brother Guo grunted, "Little monk, this station isn't tiring, just dirty." Li Muzhan smiled, "Whatever Senior Brother commands." Senior Brother Yang beamed, "Senior Brother Guo, I’m not exaggerating this time. Junior Brother Zhanran clears one level per day. He's only been in the sect for three days and has already cleared two levels!" "Oh?" Senior Brother Guo's eyes lit up, piercing and sharp as needles, "Did he use the Jìmìe Suǒyuán Shù?" Senior Brother Yang slapped his chest proudly, "The Sect Master and the Eldest Senior Brother performed the ritual personally!" Senior Brother Guo assessed Li Muzhan, nodded, and a faint smile touched his lips, "It seems he truly is a pillar of talent!" "Senior Brother Guo, Senior Brother Yang, you flatter me," Li Muzhan humbly smiled. Senior Brother Guo glared, "Hmph, little monk, you are a monk; you cannot speak falsehoods!" Li Muzhan smiled, "Both senior brothers, actually, I benefited from practicing the External Hardening arts; it doesn't count as a true measure." "You practice External Hardening with that physique?" Senior Brother Guo shook his head, "There's another fellow in the Outer Sect, a scoundrel named Li, who practices External Hardening. He's arrogant and domineering; he certainly doesn't look as sturdy as you!" Li Muzhan smiled but said nothing. Senior Brother Guo waved his hand again, "Fine. No more nonsense! First, learn to manage the vegetable garden. Once you master it, you’ll manage a plot yourself." "Understood," Li Muzhan nodded.

Senior Brother Yang bid farewell to Li Muzhan, whispering quietly, "Just bear with him a bit. Senior Brother Guo's temper is odd, but he's not a bad person. Just don't argue with him." Li Muzhan nodded, thanking him for the warning. "Follow me!" Senior Brother Guo beckoned, leisurely walking out. Li Muzhan followed behind him, exiting the small courtyard into the adjacent one. What greeted his sight was a deep, dark purple expanse. Occasionally, a purple sheen flickered, quite spectacular; they were growing eggplants. There was also a well beneath the south eaves, where a youth in a green robe sat cross-legged beside it, eyes slightly closed. Hearing the two enter, he opened his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed forth, his spirit and energy momentarily overflowing. He quickly rose, hurried forward, clasped his hands respectfully, and bowed, "Greetings, Senior Brother Guo!" "Mm, Song boy, you are quite diligent." Senior Brother Guo nodded, then lowered his head, hands clasped behind his back, and walked along the path into the midst of the eggplants, his eyes focused intently. Li Muzhan observed him: about sixteen or seventeen, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an honest, rustic face, like a farm boy. Seeing Li Muzhan observing him, he offered a simple, honest smile. A moment later, Senior Brother Guo looked up. His face relaxed, showing a slight smile, "Not bad, not a single one dead. Great improvement!" The youth was overjoyed, unable to help but grin widely, "Heh heh... Thank you, Senior Brother Guo!" Senior Brother Guo waved him off coolly, "Why thank me? It's because you are smart, have good comprehension, and are skilled in farm work." The youth didn't mind, scratching the back of his head while continuing to grin foolishly. Senior Brother Guo pointed at Li Muzhan, "Meet him. Zhanran, he is your junior brother." He pointed at the youth, "This is Song Wenbin. He joined two years ago; he is your senior brother." "Greetings, Senior Brother Song," Li Muzhan cupped his hands. Song Wenbin hurriedly waved his hands, his gaze darting around as if shy, "No need for formalities, no need! Hello, Junior Brother Zhanran!" Li Muzhan instantly understood Song Wenbin: simple-hearted and honest, yet somewhat insecure. That’s why he was so constrained, yet he was also intelligent, hardworking, and strong.

Senior Brother Guo pointed at Li Muzhan, "Song boy, from now on, you will guide him. Have him do the work, and you instruct him from the side." "This..." Song Wenbin stammered, hesitant. "What 'this'!" Senior Brother Guo glared, shouting, "You are a grown man! If you have something to say, spit it out! Why are you acting wishy-washy like a girl?" Song Wenbin glanced at Li Muzhan, highly embarrassed, his face flushing red, "Senior Brother Guo, I..." "If the little monk is disobedient, just tell me," Senior Brother Guo waved his hand impatiently. "You are the senior brother; show some seniority!" "Yes!" Song Wenbin puffed out his chest slightly. "That's better," Senior Brother Guo nodded in satisfaction. "With your disposition, even if you mastered martial arts, you'd be sending yourself to your death once you left the mountain!" Song Wenbin straightened his chest and tightly pressed his lips together, "I will not disgrace our Canghai Sword Sect." Senior Brother Guo shook his head and sighed, "It matters little if our sect is disgraced; I'm afraid you might lose your life." As he spoke, he sighed softly, then quickly waved his hand, "Zhanran, you must obey his instructions. Don't be lazy, or with a single word from me, regardless of what talent you are—East Liang or West Liang—I will directly expel you down the mountain." "Yes, Senior Brother Guo," Li Muzhan smiled, hands clasped. Senior Brother Guo glanced at Song Wenbin, displaying a look of anger mixed with disappointment, then shook his head and left.

Song Wenbin was a man of few words. Although Li Muzhan didn't speak much, it wasn't because he was incapable, but because he considered it beneath him. He naturally wanted to build a good rapport with this Senior Brother Song. He first explained his background, and Song Wenbin shared his own. The two quickly found common ground. Li Muzhan understood that for an honest person like this, sincerity was the best approach. Song Wenbin was originally a country boy. He was brought to the sect by Eldest Senior Brother Lu Jingren after the latter saw his simple nature and excellent aptitude, making him an Outer Sect disciple. Although introverted and timid, no one dared bully him in the sect due to Eldest Senior Brother's influence. Furthermore, he rarely left his residence, spending all day in the vegetable garden, focusing on diligent cultivation, which avoided trouble.

Li Muzhan nodded. It explained why his internal energy had such a solid foundation and why his spirit overflowed—it was the result of hard cultivation. He developed a strong fondness for Song Wenbin. After talking for a while, Song Wenbin began explaining how to manage the garden. Watering, fertilizing, weeding, harvesting—every step required deep knowledge and could not be taken lightly. For instance, water had to be fetched from down the mountain, and fertilizer had to be carried personally from the North Courtyard. Song Wenbin’s face turned bright red when he mentioned the fertilizer.

Li Muzhan quickly inquired and learned that the fertilizer was human excrement, strong enough to choke a person, and it had to be fetched from the North Courtyard. The Canghai Sword Sect was divided into the South Courtyard (male disciples) and the North Courtyard (female disciples). Li Muzhan gasped, thinking it vicious. At seventeen or eighteen, one's thoughts about women were strongest; romantic stirrings were nascent, hazy, and beautiful, portraying women as celestial beings, mysterious and alluring, thus intensifying desire. To force them to carry women's waste was tantamount to crushing that hazy beauty—it was exceedingly cruel. Moreover, it was humiliating, unilaterally placing the women of the North Courtyard beneath them. He frowned and remained silent. Song Wenbin quickly clarified, "This isn't favoring the North Courtyard... the feces from our South Courtyard must also be carried by the women of the North Courtyard. No one owes anyone!" Li Muzhan nodded, and his brow relaxed slightly. Song Wenbin let out a breath of relief. For some reason, standing before Li Muzhan always made him feel constrained, as if a stone were pressed against his chest. Standing next to him, Song Wenbin felt less like a senior brother and more like a junior. Li Muzhan’s spirit was vibrant like a dragon; an imposing aura naturally arose. Although he usually smiled and tried to restrain it, threads of it still escaped unintentionally, and Song Wenbin, being pure-hearted, perceived them.

He continued his explanation: weeding could not use tools; weeds had to be pulled out one by one by hand. Of course, once the work was done, they were free to rest, cultivate, or play; they were unsupervised and quite free. However, everyone came to the Canghai Sword Sect not to play, but to cultivate supreme martial arts, become peak masters, practice chivalry, and right wrongs. Possessing such lofty ambitions, most worked diligently, training whenever they had a spare moment, hoping to earn points in the monthly minor competitions and half-yearly major competitions to enter the Inner Sect sooner. Song Wenbin appeared timid, but after two years, he had already reached the Fourth Heaven; one more level, and he could step across the threshold of the Inner Sect. Li Muzhan realized how hard those points were to earn and regarded Song Wenbin with new respect.

That day passed with just the two of them talking. Song Wenbin was diligent, and his farm work was efficient; he finished the day’s tasks early, and Li Muzhan didn't need to do anything else. By evening, Li Muzhan said goodbye to Song Wenbin and returned to his own small courtyard. As soon as he stepped in, Eldest Senior Sister Wen Yinyue was standing in the courtyard, watching him coldly. Why are the subscriptions dropping? Is my writing not good enough? Every single subscriber is crucial to me!