Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

The night breeze swept through the hall, dimming the candlelight inside until it was as faint as a bean.

Gu An sat cross-legged on the hardwood bed, stroking the purple bamboo pipe he had obtained from Old Zhang. The pipe was broken in two, the bamboo fibers at the break point uneven, bearing the patina of time and a lingering smell of aged tobacco oil.

He had carefully kept the previous sheepskin scroll close to his body, but Gu An still felt there was something fishy about this pipe.

Old Zhang cherished this item most during his lifetime, often saying it was his only memento from his youth in the mortal world, yet he specifically entrusted it to someone to pass on before his death. If it was merely to hide a fragment of a prescription, why use such a durable material as purple bamboo root?

Gu An brought his two fingers together, and a wisp of extremely fine green wood spiritual energy probed into the hollow inner wall of the tobacco pipe like a gossamer thread.

There are some obstacles.

About three inches inside the pipe, the spiritual energy encountered an extremely tiny protrusion. If Gu An hadn't possessed greatly enhanced spiritual sense and the keen perception of plant textures through [Spiritual Plant Affinity], anyone else would have mistaken it for the natural texture of bamboo joints.

"There are words."

Gu An's gaze narrowed slightly as he brought the pipe closer to the candlelight, squinting one eye as he peered inside through the broken end.

In the swaying, dim light, a few lines of tiny characters, carved on the inside of the bamboo wall, were faintly visible. The characters were hastily written and extremely small, clearly carved with a fingernail or some sharp object.

"Looking for Manager Li at the Market's Treasure Pavilion."

"Secret code: Spring comes out of dead wood."

Those few words made Gu An's heart skip a beat.

Old Zhang, a hardworking farmer who toiled in the fields his whole life, how did he manage to connect with the shopkeepers in the market? And even have a secret code?

Gu An put down his pipe and tapped the stone table lightly with his fingertips.

That incomplete formula for the "Minor Foundation Building Pill" was probably not something he found. Manager Li of the Treasure Pavilion is most likely Old Zhang's source of foundation building materials, or perhaps... the true origin of this incomplete formula.

"A withered tree comes back to life..." Gu An pondered these four words.

This was not only a code, but also Old Zhang's lifelong obsession. Unfortunately, with death comes death, and the withered tree never saw spring again, instead turning into mud that nourishes others.

This line is both an opportunity and a source of trouble.

If he were to go rashly, and the other party were to recognize his identity but not his trust, or if there were some underhanded dealings involved, his small frame at the third level of Qi Refining would probably go in upright and come out horizontal.

"So, let's put it on hold for now."

Gu An put the tobacco pouch back together, wrapped it in a piece of black cloth, and stuffed it into the bottom of his storage bag. After dealing with Old Zhang's belongings, Gu An did not rest.

Unable to sleep tonight, he decided to go through all the potential problems. He pulled out the map made of human skin that he had peeled off the one-eyed demon cultivator, and placed Zhao Feng's overseer token engraved with cloud patterns aside.

He had only glanced at it briefly before, confirming that the hidden marks on the two maps matched. Now, in the dead of night, Gu An laid the map flat on the table, his finger slowly tracing the scarlet excavation route.

The map marked several spirit fields surrounding the Qingmu Sect, with the Bing-character zone prominently featured.

The tunnel begins in Black Wind Valley, winding like a venomous snake for thirty miles underground, finally stopping at the Yin Vein node of Ghostly Firefly Valley.

Gu An's fingertip stopped at a turning point in the middle of the map.

This is the boundary between Field No. 7 and Field No. 8 of the Bingzi Formation. The geology here is soft, which should theoretically be a shortcut for excavation. However, the red line on the map makes a very abrupt detour here, avoiding this area and instead passing through the hard rock strata.

Why is this?

Gu An quickly recalled the patrol schedule for District C over the past few months.

At that time and in that area, it was precisely the key area being patrolled by another strict officer from the Enforcement Hall. And the rock formation the red line chose to traverse, while difficult to excavate, corresponded to… exactly a blind spot in Zhao Feng's jurisdiction!

"Such meticulous calculations."

Gu An felt a chill run up his tailbone and straight to the top of his head.

This isn't some kind of demonic cultivator ambush; it's clearly them using the Green Wood Sect's internal defense map to clear a path!

If it were just a coincidence, that would be one thing, but this entire route perfectly avoided the detection range of all the sentries and high-level formations. It's impossible to achieve such precision without Zhao Feng, the local strongman, secretly guiding the way.

However, Zhao Feng was merely an outer sect manager at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Although he was greedy, he didn't have the guts or the power to mobilize the entire defensive line.

Unless… Gu An remembered the “family uncle” that Zhao Feng always boasted about.

It is said that the uncle is a powerful elder in the inner sect, with an extremely high status, even surpassing Han Qingsong of the Spirit Plant Hall.

If Zhao Feng was merely a henchman, then the elder behind him was the real termite who wanted to uproot the Qingmu Sect.

"An insider colluding with the enemy, a power struggle at the highest levels."

Gu An slowly rolled up the map, his movements stiff.

This pool of water is too deep, deep enough to drown countless ants like him. The Blood Blade Sect's aggressive approach this time indicates that a full-scale war between the two sects is imminent.

The Green Wood Sect was already riddled with problems. If war broke out, and that traitor within launched an attack, it could easily collide with forces from within and without…

Gu An dared not think any further. His current situation was extremely awkward. He had to guard against his superior, Zhao Feng, from killing him to silence him, while also trying to find a way to survive on this shattered ship that could capsize at any moment.

"He had no other choice but to improve his strength."

Gu An clenched his fists. If he were at the Foundation Establishment stage, even if his sect were destroyed, he could escape and roam freely. But now, he was just an outer disciple who had just climbed out of the mud; a slightly larger storm could wash him away on the shore.

"I must quickly gather the Foundation Establishment spiritual items from that incomplete formula, or... push the Turtle Breathing Technique to its limit and become an invisible person unnoticed in this chaotic world."

Just as Gu An's thoughts were churning.

"Thump, thump".

Two very soft knocks on the door abruptly broke the deathly silence of the night.

Gu An's muscles tensed instantly. His right hand instinctively gripped the two leaf blades in his sleeve, while his left hand swiftly swept the map and token on the table into his storage bag.

Peeking out through the small hole in the door, he saw neither Zhao Feng's nauseating spiritual pressure nor the murderous aura of the Enforcement Hall disciples outside the courtyard gate.

Only a gaunt figure stood quietly in the moonlight.

"Is Junior Brother Gu here?"

A gentle yet slightly hoarse voice pierced through the barrier and came in. It sounded a little awkward, like a polite greeting forced out by someone who hadn't spoken in a long time. "Excuse my intrusion late at night, but I am your neighbor from number 12, next door. I have come to pay a visit."

The neighbor? That weirdo who cooks "rotten meat" in the middle of the night?

Gu An frowned and did not rush to open the door.

Although this courtyard with the character "乙" is remote, it's still several miles away. This person coming to our door in the dead of night is definitely not a good person.

"What brings you here, senior brother?" Gu An asked from across the courtyard gate, his tone indifferent, yet carrying a hint of coldness that kept people at a distance.

The person outside the door didn't seem to mind Gu An's coldness. Instead, he chuckled softly, "I've heard that Junior Brother is in charge of Youying Valley and is proficient in the art of spiritual plants. I've recently encountered a problem and would like to ask Junior Brother for his advice."

As he spoke, the man raised his hand. Through the crack in the door, Gu An saw that in that withered, claw-like hand, he held a seedling that was only about a foot long.

The seedling was completely black, with curled and withered leaves, and its roots were covered with some black mud that smelled fishy.

Those are... the seedlings of the Mysterious Yin Mulberry!

Gu An's pupils constricted sharply. Youying Valley was a forbidden area; apart from him and Zhao Feng, no outsider could obtain a living Xuan Yin Mulberry. But this person not only had one, but judging from the broken root, it was clearly forcibly torn off by brute force.

This isn't someone seeking advice; this is clearly someone showing off their power.

The person outside the door seemed to notice Gu An's gaze, and handed the dead seedling forward. A strange smile appeared on his skin-and-bones face, which looked particularly eerie in the moonlight.

"This little thing is extremely delicate; I can't seem to keep it alive no matter how I try. Since you, Junior Brother, could revive that dead valley, surely... you can also save this little seedling?"

Gu An took a deep breath, a flash of murderous intent disappearing from his eyes.

He's being watched.

He slowly stood up, straightened his robes, and put on that wooden and humble mask again.

"Since you think so highly of me, please come in."