Chapter 6 Celery in Spring and Spinach in Autumn

"Piaopiao is indeed incredibly smart," Feng Jiu said happily, gently patting Le Piaopiao's head. "You guessed right. The reason our villagers are stubbornly staying at the Imperial Estate and are willing to take the risk of staying in the Qin Empire is because there is an excellent spiritual vein beneath the Imperial Estate. Let me tell you... The three of us have been wandering since childhood, traversing mountains, seas, and rivers, and have seen countless spiritual veins, but never one as powerful and pure as the one beneath the Imperial Estate."

"You've been wandering since such a young age? That's amazing!" Le Piaopiao felt a sense of admiration.

"Actually..." Wuji shamefully raked his hair. "We've been traveling around, visiting various martial arts sects, but no one would accept us, even the smallest and least reputable ones. Besides, we've been dragging you along with us everywhere."

"I've been holding you back, Masters," Le Piaopiao apologized without much sincerity. "But what are your... cultivation bases like?"

Wuji felt even more ashamed. "Elder Brother is a bit better; he has a single-element Water spiritual root, but it's very impure. Normally, a single-element spiritual root shouldn't be like this. As for me and Second Brother... our spiritual roots are very weak and indistinct. After many years of cultivation, we could barely discern that Second Brother has a Wood spiritual root and I have an Earth spiritual root."

Discern? Barely?

Le Piaopiao sympathetically patted Third Master's broad and solid shoulders, not understanding what this meant.

But it's obvious that if they had good cultivation bases, how could no sect accept them? There's no such thing as "where there's a will, there's a way" in this world. Ordinary people have limited lifespans, and without great opportunities, they'll die before reaching their goals. So, she's better off cherishing the present and not worrying about the future.

However, the reason she almost got her head chopped off was because someone said she was emitting golden light. Were those people just framing her, a fool, to collect the reward money and have a good year? Or is there something she doesn't know happening?

Le Piaopiao thought about it but felt a headache, so she simply dropped the thought and asked curiously, "Since there's such a spiritual vein, why haven't those powerful cultivators discovered it?" And it ended up benefiting a group of idiots?

She didn't dare to say the latter part aloud.

"This is an even bigger secret," Feng Jiu said mysteriously. "See the two mountains standing next to our village? They may not look impressive, but inside the mountain, there are two secret caves, each containing a splendid stone with a black base and white stripes. Don't underestimate these two giant stones; they have the ability to isolate Qi. It's because of them that the aura of the spiritual vein is concealed, hiding this treasure land. Everyone in the village also wears a small stone chipped off from the splendid stones. With it, even a powerful cultivator at the Huashen stage can't tell that we're cultivating immortality." Saying this, he took out a small black-and-white stone chip and placed it in Le Piaopiao's hand.

Shielding?! Le Piaopiao was stunned. How amazing! No wonder, right under the eyes of Tongchuan, the imperial capital of the Qin Empire, there's a group of cultivators, and not very bright ones at that, who have managed to deceive the court's eyes and ears.

"I want one too," she demanded firmly. Although her body can't cultivate immortality, the incident with the golden light makes her uneasy, so it's better to have shielding. However, there's no radiation, right? Oh well, never mind! When the situation is urgent, focus on the present.

"What do you want this for? You can't cultivate," Xiaoyilang was puzzled.

"It looks quite pretty. I can drill a hole in it and use it as a bracelet or necklace, can't I?" Le Piaopiao said casually.

"Sure, why not? Later, Third Master will take you to the secret cave, and you can choose which stone to chip off," Wuji, who seemed to be the most fond of Le Piaopiao among the three masters, quickly agreed.

"Can we just chip off any piece?" Le Piaopiao asked, unsure.

"No," Wuji shook his head seriously but said arrogantly, "But you're the disciple of the three top masters in our village. Who dares to object?"

Top masters? And excellent? If she remembers correctly, her three masters are only at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage and haven't reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet. Are they considered masters? This shows how low the cultivation level of the village is.

After some more idle chatter, Le Piaopiao finally understood that this place originally belonged to the Qin imperial family. Five hundred years ago, the ancestor of Village Chief Xia unintentionally performed a great deed and was rewarded by the emperor at that time, allowing him to cultivate and farm these two mountain ranges and the land under the jurisdiction of the royal family.

The Xia family was obsessed with cultivating immortality, but none of them had successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage. In other words, none of them had surpassed the normal lifespan of a human. However, the tradition and ancestral teachings of cultivating immortality have been passed down through generations. Later, they discovered this spiritual vein and the splendid stones that could conceal its aura, leading to the formation of a village of about thirty inept scattered cultivators by the time the current village chief took over. Xiaoyilang and the other two became friends with the village chief by chance ten years ago. The village chief admired their "talent and powerful cultivation" and joined the village.

They all participated in this head-chopping business, and everyone had a share, so naturally, they didn't have to worry about anyone leaking the secret. Over time, they formed a close bond. Every year, they only need to supply the Qin imperial palace with some grain and vegetables. According to the agreement made hundreds of years ago, the court and officials do not disturb the villagers. The men in the village are even exempted from corvée labor, making it a true haven.

However, the villagers are all obsessed with cultivation and lazy in their labor. Apart from the fixed supplies for the palace, large tracts of farmland are left idle. Although they plant many fruit trees, many fruits are not picked and sold in time, and apart from what they eat, the rest rot away.

What a waste! This was Le Piaopiao's only thought. That's why the whole village is dirt poor.

As they chatted, it was already noon, and the snow had stopped. She couldn't bear the hunger anymore. Seeing that her virtuous Second Master, in preparation for the new year, refused to use the remaining grain to make any solid food, she pondered how to conjure up something to fill her stomach. She was very distressed. In her previous life in a peaceful and modern society, as a skilled crafter, she made things and sold them online, earning money easily and being able to eat whatever she wanted while lying down. She never imagined that one day she would regress to worrying about food and clothing.

"Masters, now that my intelligence is awakened, shouldn't you take me to visit each household in the village and meet everyone?" she said. In her heart, she thought: It's lunchtime. If we visit others at this time, who would dare not offer us a meal? Although mooching off others is very shameful, when a person is extremely hungry, they can't care about such things.

Xiaoyilang, who is quite perceptive, immediately understood Le Piaopiao's intention and strongly agreed. He often wanted to mooch off others too, but he didn't have such a good excuse before. Feng Jiu follows his "husband's" lead, and Wuji is a disciple slave. The four masters reached a consensus, tidied up a bit, and went out.

However, just as they reached the gate, they were met by two or three dozen people gathered there. It turned out that the entire village had come to visit Le Piaopiao, who had survived a calamity and become smarter. Each person brought a gift, some with a bowl of rice, some with a cabbage, some with a handful of peanuts, some with a few frozen pears... There was no meat or eggs because the village doesn't raise livestock or poultry. They don't have the time to hunt and take advantage of the slack season in farming to focus on cultivating Qi.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, of medium build and quite sturdy, with a sly and cunning smile when he laughed. Surprisingly, Le Piaopiao recognized him as the person who proved her idiocy at the execution ground.

"This is the village chief, Xia Ningfeng," Xiaoyilang introduced, grinning from ear to ear.

With all these things, they could last for several days. If they're careful, they might even be able to celebrate a lavish new year. The villagers aren't wealthy, but they're so kind to their Piaopiao

Later, Le Piaopiao learned that Xiaoyilang's reputation as a lecher was widespread, not only in Huangzhuang Village itself but also among the nearby hamlets and villages. Legend had it that even a female insect flying past him would lose its virtue instantly. Having a few more words with him could potentially lead to pregnancy.

The entire village of about thirty people stood in the courtyard, chatting for a full hour. Le Piaopiao could no longer bear the cold and wanted to go back inside. It was then that Wuji, as if suddenly remembering something, mentioned cutting a piece of Banlan Stone for Le Piaopiao to make jewelry.

Village Chief Xia Ningfeng immediately nodded and said, "That's right, that's right. Although she can't cultivate due to her aptitude, she's still one of our villagers. If others have it, she should have it too."

Upon hearing this, the female villagers' eyes lit up. Among them, a cute village girl with thick eyebrows, big eyes, a round face, and a long, thick braid stepped forward and said, "Making jewelry is a good idea! Why didn't we think of it? Carrying a piece of stone in our pockets every day is not only uncomfortable but also easy to lose. Dad, can we also make our stones into jewelry? Piaopiao is so smart!"

"This is the village chief's daughter, the village beauty Zimo," Xiaoyilang explained to Le Piaopiao, ogling her up and down with a lecherous gaze.

"That's true," Village Chief Xia Ningfeng agreed. "But who in our village knows how to make jewelry?"

"Huai the ironsmith," Zimo suggested, pointing to a young man among the crowd who looked like a scholar.

Le Piaopiao felt exasperated.

An ironsmith and a jeweler are completely different concepts, aren't they? Besides, shouldn't ironsmiths be like Master Wuji, rugged and strong? How could he be a fair-skinned scholar?

However, if he could make jewelry... She was skilled in craftsmanship and might even come up with a way to get rich. She had no interest in cultivating; her mundane life goals were to eat well, dress nicely, and flirt with various handsome men and beautiful women in her free time.