Chapter 133

The personal cultivation chambers provided by the Herb Garden were quite good; the spiritual energy inside was no less than that of the clan school.

Ouch, ouch…

The young students who hurriedly plucked the fruit were all pricked by the thorny stems and vines; the unlucky ones even bled from the wounds.

They hadn’t even gotten the fruit yet.

The red fruits themselves were covered in sharp spines, so if you wanted to pick them, it was best not to use your hands.

Su Jin simply pulled out a gourd vine, which shot out with a hiss, wrapped around a fully ripe red fruit, and flung it into her basket.

The students standing around Su Jin all turned to look at her.

Su Wuji also produced a vine whip, imitating Su Jin’s motion—wrapping, tossing—one red fruit landed in the basket.

Su Cheng wore a pair of full-metal gauntlets, clearly matching his inner armor. He went through the motions of lifting his robe and tying it snugly, then tightened his pants and boots before charging straight into the herb field.

He’d already worn his full-body inner armor anyway, so he wasn’t afraid of being pricked.

Su Linyuan and Yang Guan paused, stunned for a moment, then smiled and began moving as well.

Su Linyuan and Yang Guan each pulled out a pair of animal-skin gloves.

The fur looked incredibly smooth and supple, its color a pale bluish-gray.

With the gloves on, they plunged into the herb field.

With their examples, the other students each found their own ways. Liu Shi noticed that at least twelve of his students had already entered the herb field.

After all, those who studied at the Su Clan School all came from families with some resources.

It was no surprise they equipped their children with all sorts of fine gear.

Liu Shi stood there and saw at least six students wearing special gloves, completely unfazed by the thorns.

The other six had their own methods to pick the fruit.

Su Jin and Su Wuji were exceptionally skilled with their vines.

It had been less than half a quarter-hour, and they were already nearly full with three catties.

But the students who hadn’t prepared anything could only stand outside the herb field, scratching their heads in frustration.

Qi Yi, though unprepared, could have simply jumped into the herb field to pick fruit—but she was an adult, and had her own thoughts. “Master Liu, could we request to borrow the herb workers’ old harvesting gear? Preferably a pair of thick gloves.”

As soon as Qi Yi asked, the other unprepared students turned to stare at her, then collectively looked toward Liu Shi.

Their gazes were eager.

Liu Shi smiled faintly. “You may borrow the gear. But each day, you must pick an extra thirty catties of fruit as rent.”

The young students stared at her in silence.

“If you agree, I’ll go get you the gear.”

“Agreed.” Qi Yi was the first to respond. Thirty extra catties was better than picking zero and failing the task.

Could the herb workers’ gear possibly be small enough to fit them properly?

The remaining twelve students, after receiving the gear Liu Shi brought, stared at it in disbelief.

They widened their eyes, looking at Liu Shi as if she were a con artist.

“Ahem,” Liu Shi continued, “you see, these herb workers’ tools are neither new nor completely worn out, but they’re still sturdy and durable. These are all old gear—use them carefully. If you damage them, you’ll have to pay for repairs.”

Qi Yi and the others grumbled bitterly, put on the gear and thick leather gloves, then marched into the herb field without looking back.

Liu Shi’s lips curled into a sly smile.

Su Jin quickly filled one basket—about three and a half catties. She carried it back to the herb field manager, registered the number of Crimson Fruit picked, then asked: “Can I take more baskets? I’ll fill them all and bring them back together.”

“Of course.” The herb field manager girl was sweet and lovely, and when she smiled, two dimples appeared.

She sat beneath a thatched pavilion, sharing an ice chest with Liu Shi, sipping a chilled dew-like drink.

What a comfortable life.

Meanwhile, they had to toil under the sun, picking fruit.

This was torture!

Su Jin took ten baskets this time, storing them all inside Xiao Wu Tian.

The girl assumed Su Jin carried a large storage ring and gave her several extra glances.

Su Jin smiled at her and scampered off again.

“Today’s young cultivators are impressive. When I was their age, I only got my first storage bag—and it was tiny, barely a cubic chi.”

Look at their storage gear—can hold ten baskets at once.”

The girl said enviously, her voice dry.

“Do you have a Purple Mansion grandpa?” Liu Shi retorted.

“Oh… now that you mention it, I feel better. I didn’t have a Purple Mansion grandpa back then, but soon I’ll become a Purple Mansion cultivator myself.” The sweet girl looked young, but she was in fact a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator.

Su Jin went to a quiet corner of the herb field, pulled out another gourd vine, held a basket in one hand, and used her spiritual sense to activate two vines to pick fruit.

This method was faster. In no time, she’d filled seven or eight baskets.

But her spiritual sense was exhausted. She found a shady spot, swallowed a bowl of Ice-Sunken Dew, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating the Great Expansion Spirit Technique.

This was the first time she’d completely drained her spiritual sense.

Her head felt slightly numb. The Great Expansion Spirit Technique rapidly cycled through one full loop—yes, her spiritual sea felt like a dry riverbed beginning to moisten. After another full cycle—yes, small puddles formed. Then another…

When her spiritual sense fully recovered, Su Jin sensed her upper limit had increased slightly.

But these weren’t what Su Jin cared about.

She looked up at the sky. It had taken her about half an hour to restore her spiritual sense.

The sun was climbing higher. She could probably finish another ten baskets before lunch.

Thinking of the daily quota of three hundred catties, Su Jin realized she’d have to budget her time tightly—or she’d be picking fruit under the stars.

Just before noon, she delivered her second batch of fifteen baskets to the herb field manager girl. Liu Shi was gone.

“You’re impressive, little girl. You picked seventy-five catties this morning. You’re the only one in your class to reach seventy catties.”

“They’ll catch up soon. Sister, where do we go for lunch?” Su Jin asked.

“You’re hungry?”

“Yes.”

“See those buildings below the herb field? Enter through the west gate—that’s the canteen. Eat whatever you like, but don’t waste food.”

“After you eat, the area behind the canteen is your personal cultivation chamber zone. You can rest there. Come back after the sun’s at its hottest to pick more fruit.”

“Thank you, sister, for the guidance.”