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

The next morning, in the Valley of Shadows, a gray mist hung in the air, and the morning dew was like frost.

Gu An stood before a withered, yellowed mulberry tree, holding a worn wooden bucket in his hand. The bucket contained a dark red liquid that emitted a nauseating, sweet-smelling odor.

"Cough cough..."

He habitually coughed twice in a low voice, even though no one was around.

These days, in order to maintain the illusion of "feeding the formation with his own body," he has indeed expended a lot of his vital energy. Although the Turtle Breathing Technique has locked in his life force, such a constant outflow of energy without any inflow would be unbearable even for an iron body. If he were to truly follow that explanation and use his pure essence to feed these hundreds of hungry ghost-like mulberry trees, he would turn into a dried-up corpse in less than three months.

"That old devil Xun Yin has given me an idea."

Gu An put down the wooden bucket and stirred the liquid inside with a long-handled wooden ladle.

This is not pureblood, but his improved "Blood Poison Paste".

In the past few days, he used his affinity with spiritual plants to collect a large amount of rotten bone grass and ghost face vine juice in the dark corner of the valley. He also mixed in a small amount of inferior corpse oil that he had found on the body of the dead demonic cultivator, and finally dripped a bowl of his own blood into it as a medicinal ingredient.

Fight poison with poison, harmonize yin and yang.

"Drink it."

Gu An poured a spoonful of sap onto the roots of the tree.

A hissing sound—black smoke rose from the soil, and the bark of the ghost mulberry tree suddenly contracted, as if a living thing had been startled. But then, its deep-rooted roots began to wriggle greedily, instantly sucking up the dark red sap.

The leaves unfurled slightly, and their originally grayish color regained a layer of eerie purple light.

Judging from this, it seems to be effective. Although it's not as immediately effective as pure essence blood, it only consumes 70% of the original amount, yet achieves 80% of the effect. Most importantly, this stuff is plentiful and filling, and it doesn't harm the body.

Gu An walked expressionlessly to the next tree. The work in Youying Valley was not just about planting trees, but also about raising Gu poison.

……

Half a month later, inside the stone cave. Gu An sat cross-legged in front of a stone table, a small mountain of silver-gray silkworm cocoons piled up before him. This was the first batch of mature Xuan Yin silk.

He held a bamboo shuttle in his hand and quickly drew out the silk threads.

A faint, crisp sound rang out. Gu An's fingers trembled, and the bamboo shuttle abruptly stopped.

He looked down at his left index finger. On the fingertip, a thin, hair-like wound had appeared, and blood was silently seeping out.

"So fast."

Gu An's pupils contracted slightly.

Just now, while he was drawing silk, a silk thread on a silkworm cocoon veered slightly off course, grazing his fingertip. He had been maintaining a protective aura the whole time, and although he hadn't activated the Golden Light Technique, his Qi Refining Level 3 skin membrane, combined with the protective aura, made him impervious to ordinary swords and blades.

But this thread, like cutting tofu, ignored the spiritual energy and cut through the skin and flesh.

Gu An didn't rush to stop the bleeding, but instead picked up the tangled thread. This thread wasn't silver-gray, but almost transparent, only refracting a pale white light at certain angles. This was a mutant among mutants; only one in a hundred cocoons would produce such a thread.

"Colorless and odorless, yet sharp and penetrating."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Gu An's eyes. This was no material for weaving cloth; it was clearly a born killing machine.

If you use this to set a trap...

Gu An looked at the few spools of "waste silk" that he had deliberately kept at the cave entrance and had not put into the tent. These were transparent and tough threads that he had specially selected during the silk reeling process, and he only told others that they were wastage.

The sect has clear standards regarding the losses incurred in cultivating mulberry trees. As long as one doesn't cross the red line, there's room for maneuver.

"I never knew silkworm rearing could be used like this."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Gu An's lips. For the next few days, aside from necessary labor, Gu An spent all his remaining time in this stone cave.

He disassembled the transparent, mysterious yin threads one by one, and then re-wove them using a technique called "silk-reeling energy." This technique is extremely mentally taxing, and a slight mistake could result in cutting one's fingers.

The pain, though intense, made Gu An even more lucid.

Seven days later.

An ordinary-looking ball of yarn lay quietly on the stone table.

It looks messy and disorderly, like a ball of yarn that has been scratched by a cat. But if someone skilled in formations were here, they would surely see that there is a hidden secret within this ball of yarn, and the direction of each thread corresponds to the numbers of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

Gu An took out a lead box from his pocket, carefully picked out a smear of green paste, and evenly spread it on the silk thread. This was made from the juice of a poisonous herb that kills with blood; it was colorless and odorless, and once it entered the bloodstream, it could paralyze the nerves and block spiritual power.

Silkworm rearing skill: Proficient (50/200)

[Unlock Trait: Blood Refinement (Silk Sharpness +10%, Toughness +10%)]

【Traps: Beginner's Guide (20/100)】

Gu An ignored the fluctuating data on the panel. With a flick of his finger, the ball of yarn instantly dispersed, transforming into a large net three zhang in diameter, silently covering the entire hole and then disappearing into the air, indistinguishable to the naked eye.

"Thousand-thread buckle".

This is the name Gu An gave to the trap.

With this, even though this was a Class B resource point and even with Zhao Feng's protection, he finally had some confidence of his own.

Just then.

Buzz—The communication talisman in his arms suddenly vibrated, and a unique spiritual energy fluctuation belonging to Zhao Feng came through.

"Junior Brother Gu, come out and greet the guests."

His voice carried a hint of pride and eagerness.

Gu An's expression hardened. What's meant to happen will happen. Today is the beginning of the month, the day for delivery.

He didn't get up immediately. Instead, he flicked his fingers to quickly retract the "Thousand-Thread Knot" he had laid out and hid it in a hidden pocket in his sleeve. Then, he took out a bottle of medicine powder that he had prepared beforehand from under the bed, and smeared it on his face, making his already pale complexion look even more ashen, and even his lips turned a dark purple.

After doing all this, he hunched over, carrying a storage bag full of genuine Xuan Yin Silk, and stumbled toward the valley entrance.

As soon as they emerged from the mist, two streaks of light descended from the clouds.

The leader was naturally Zhao Feng, his face glowing with health, the fear he had shown that day long gone. Beside him stood a young gentleman dressed in brocade robes, holding a folding fan.

Although the young master only had the cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining, his magical artifacts shone brightly, and the jade pendant hanging at his waist was surrounded by the aura of a defensive array. It was clear at a glance that he was from a noble family.

"Oh, so this is Junior Brother Gu who sacrificed himself to feed the formation?"

The young master looked Gu An up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on Gu An's half-dead face. A hint of disgust flashed in his eyes, and he covered his nose with his folding fan. "Why do you look like this? You look like you just crawled out of a coffin."

"Brother Zhao, is your supply... reliable? Don't let it go bankrupt before next month."

Zhao Feng smiled ingratiatingly: "Nephew Zhao, don't worry. Although Junior Brother Gu looks weak, he's incredibly resilient. If it were anyone else in Youying Valley, they would have died from the yin energy entering their bodies long ago. Only he has managed to hold on until now."

As he spoke, Zhao Feng turned to look at Gu An, his smile instantly fading and replaced by a businesslike sternness: "Junior Brother Gu, this is Young Master Zhao Lingjue of the eldest branch of my Zhao family, and also the special envoy in charge of this acquisition of Xuan Yin Silk. Hurry up and greet Young Master Zhao!"

Although Zhao Feng's cultivation level is much higher than Zhao Lingjue's, judging from his tone of voice, Zhao Lingjue clearly carries more weight than him and must be a formidable figure.

Gu An hurriedly stepped forward, his knees buckled, and he was about to kneel down: "This...this humble one greets Young Master Zhao."

"Alright, alright, stop with the fluff."

Zhao Lingjue waved her hand impatiently, pointed her folding fan at the storage bag in Gu An's hand, and said, "Where's the stuff? Let me see it."

Gu An presented the storage bag with both hands.

Zhao Lingjue took it and probed it with her divine sense. After a moment, a hint of surprise appeared on her face, which had been showing disdain.

"Huh? This quality..."

He took out a spool of silk thread from his bag and held it up to the sunlight. The silvery-gray thread shimmered and shone, exuding a chilling aura; even under the midday sun, it emanated a cold and malevolent energy.

"Wow, this is top-quality!"

Zhao Lingjue closed the folding fan, her eyes gleaming. "I never expected this! The material is even purer than the ones raised by the old elders in the family! Steward Zhao, you've done a great service this time!"

Zhao Feng was overjoyed upon hearing this, rubbing his hands together and saying, "It's all thanks to you, my nephew. If it weren't for your help, this job wouldn't have fallen to me."

"Hmm, not bad."

Zhao Lingjue nodded in satisfaction, put away the storage bag, and casually tossed a bottle of pills to Gu An.

"Here's a reward for you. This bottle of Rejuvenation Pill may not be of high grade, but it's enough to keep your wretched life afloat."

Gu An accepted it with profuse thanks, looking extremely grateful.

"but……"

Zhao Lingjue abruptly changed the subject, her narrow eyes fixed on Gu An, a playful smile playing on her lips. "The figures on these accounts seem a bit off."

Gu An's heart skipped a beat.

"Logically speaking, a mulberry grove of this size should produce at least 120 catties of silk. But in your bag, there are only 100 catties."

Zhao Lingjue stepped forward, gently tapping Gu An's shoulder with her folding fan. Each tap carried a subtle, yet powerful, force that made Gu An's blood surge.

"Where did the remaining twenty pounds go?"

Gu An trembled like a leaf, about to explain that it was "wear and tear".

But Zhao Feng, who was standing to the side, took the initiative and kicked Gu An in the back of the knee, causing him to fall to his knees.

"You insolent brat! Speak up! Was it because of the recent outbreak of yin energy that many silkworms died?"

While cursing, Zhao Feng frantically gave Gu An meaningful glances.

Gu An instantly understood.

This isn't an audit; it's a charade. Zhao Feng had already spoken with this young master Zhao; the twenty-pound shortfall was the cut the uncle and nephew were going to pocket. But the blame for "embezzlement" or "mismanagement" would fall on Gu An, the temporary worker.

"It's...it's my incompetence!"

Gu An lay prostrate on the ground, his head banging loudly. "The earth's veins shook a few days ago, startling many silkworms. When they were hatching... a batch died. I... I've done my best!"

"Hmph, as expected, he's a piece of trash."

Zhao Lingjue sneered, seemingly satisfied with the explanation, or rather, satisfied with the attitude of taking the blame.

"Since it's a natural disaster, there's nothing we can do about it." He turned to Zhao Feng. "But reporting these losses won't look good. Uncle, it seems we'll have to increase next month's quota by another 10%, otherwise we won't be able to explain it to the higher-ups."

"Add more! We absolutely have to add more!" Zhao Feng nodded repeatedly, then turned and glared fiercely at Gu An. "Did you hear me? If you don't pay up to the required amount next month, forget about the pills, I'll throw you into a fissure in the ground to feed the mulberry trees!"

"Yes...yes..."

Gu An responded meekly, his lowered eyelids revealing a deathly coldness.

One hundred jin is the public account, and twenty jin is their private account. Now they want to add another ten percent?

This is going to squeeze every last drop out of him.

"Come on, my dear nephew, let's go to my place for a cup of tea, some newly arrived spiritual tea."

Zhao Feng got his wish and beckoned Zhao Lingjue to leave.

The two chatted and laughed as they rode away in their escape light, never once glancing at the outer disciple kneeling in the mud.

Only after the two had completely disappeared did Gu An slowly straighten up. He wiped the mud from his forehead, looked in the direction they had gone, and instead of anger, he revealed a strange smile.

"Add 10%?"

He touched the cold "thousand-thread button" in his sleeve.

"As long as you're alive to take it."

Gu An turned around, intending to return to the valley.

Suddenly, his steps abruptly stopped.

Within the range of the spiritual plant's affinity perception, the withered grass hidden behind the rocks at the valley entrance trembled unnaturally.

There was someone there, and this person used an extremely sophisticated concealment technique. If Gu An hadn't been intimately familiar with every blade of grass and tree at the entrance of the valley, he wouldn't have been able to detect them at all.

It was neither Zhao Feng nor Zhao Lingjue.

The aura was cold, viscous, and carried a familiar stench of corpses.

Gu An didn't turn around, casually dusting himself off while muttering under his breath, "Damn Zhao the Skinflint... he's going to increase the dosage again..."

He complained as he slowly made his way into the valley.

But beneath those wide sleeves, his fingers had already quietly grasped the transparent silk thread.