Chapter 39

Hu Donghan squinted his eyes but suddenly said, "In response to the words of the Ancestor, I must admit I don’t quite understand what you mean. Weren’t those people trying to resist the law collectively and ultimately killed by the enforcement disciples? How does this relate to my sister?"

Hu Donghan was no fool; he wouldn’t be swayed by a few tempting words and spill the truth. He knew the real reason Hu Meier had issued the slaughter order. However, if he were to accidentally reveal it here, Hu Meier would be in big trouble! Therefore, he treated the Ancestor’s tempting words as if he hadn’t heard them.

"Ha ha ha! What a cunning boy, worthy of being the younger brother of Fairy Xuehu! Your lips are truly tight!" The Mad Ancestor laughed again, undisturbed.

At this moment, the Ghost Soldier beside the Mad Ancestor suddenly asked in surprise, "Master, this boy... is he the brother-in-law?"

Brother-in-law?

Hu Donghan was full of questions—when did he become a brother-in-law?

The Mad Ancestor laughed and said, "Of course it’s him! In the Stacked Peaks, wearing the uniform of an enforcement disciple but only having the cultivation of the first level of Qi Practice, who else could it be?"

Hu Donghan was still confused when the Mad Ancestor suddenly said, "Boy, I heard you want to be in charge of the medicinal field at Xiaocuiping? Is that true?"

Hu Donghan nodded, "Yes."

"Boy, managing a medicinal field is not as simple as you think! Everything about the medicinal field is written in the sect’s laws! If you manage the field carelessly and something goes wrong, even if your sister is a direct disciple of Ancestor Shihun, she won’t be able to protect you. Do you understand?" The Mad Ancestor’s words always gave a chilling feeling, making one very uncomfortable.

However, at this moment, the Mad Ancestor’s words were a wake-up call for Hu Donghan, warning him not to seek trouble for the sake of the benefits at Xiaocuiping.

Upon hearing this, Hu Donghan didn’t say much. He waved his hand and summoned the Spirit Ghost, saying, "Ancestor, you may not know, but I was fortunate enough to receive a ghost. A few days ago, I observed it and found out it was a rare medicinal fragrance ghost. That’s why I had the idea of managing the medicinal field at Xiaocuiping."

"Really? Another medicinal fragrance ghost?" Even the Mad Ancestor’s expression changed slightly after hearing Hu Donghan’s words, "Unfortunately, it’s just a low-grade ghost. However, if it’s just for managing the medicinal field at Xiaocuiping, it should be enough!"

The Mad Ancestor didn’t mind that Hu Donghan currently only had a low-grade ghost. Cultivators of the Yin Soul Sect could replace their ghosts whenever they advanced to a new realm. In his view, Hu Donghan would surely replace his current ghost if he obtained a better one in the future.

Hu Donghan asked, "From what you say, Ancestor, it seems you’ve seen more than just my medicinal fragrance ghost?" Hu Donghan was also quite puzzled.

According to the sect’s records, medicinal fragrance ghosts should be quite rare!

The Mad Ancestor sneered and said, "Of course not just yours! Just over a month ago, I summoned a foolish boy who also had a medicinal fragrance ghost. And, just like you, he chose to manage the medicinal field at Xiaocuiping!"

Xiaocuiping as well?

"That... what happened to that fellow disciple?" Hu Donghan asked, somewhat puzzled.

The Mad Ancestor said, "That foolish boy foolishly went to meddle, and ended up being beaten to a pulp by the enforcement disciples in front of the External Affairs Hall—this happened just over a month ago."

"Uh..." Hu Donghan was speechless. It turned out that guy was one of the onlookers that day.

"Alright, if you have no other business, go to Xiaocuiping now! In the future, don’t wander around unnecessarily; the Stacked Peaks can’t afford your mischief!" The Mad Ancestor said in a hoarse voice, dismissing Hu Donghan.

After Hu Donghan left with the attendant, the Mad Ancestor squinted his eyes and muttered, "This boy... not bad. Doesn’t seem like a bad seed! It’s just a pity that his talent is too poor..."

...

After leaving the Mad Ancestor’s cave and the乱葬岗 (chaotic burial ground), Hu Donghan pondered the meaning behind the Mad Ancestor’s words.

Clearly, Hu Donghan’s existence was a headache for the Mad Ancestor. He couldn’t kill him, couldn’t manage him, and a single misstep could lead to a lot of trouble for Hu Donghan—like the incident outside the External Affairs Hall, which directly resulted in a reduction of one-tenth of the outer disciples in the Stacked Peaks. That one-tenth was several hundred people!

Of course, some of the Mad Ancestor’s words also made Hu Donghan feel strange.

Like the term "brother-in-law," what did it mean?

Hu Donghan turned to the attendant and asked, "Attendant, I wonder why the Mad Ancestor called me ‘brother-in-law’ just now? Do you know the reason?"

"Uh..." The attendant quickly shook his head and said, "I don’t know! I have no idea. I’m hearing this term for the first time as well."

"Hmm?" Hu Donghan was suspicious, giving the attendant a cold stare and not saying more—clearly, the attendant knew the reason for the term "brother-in-law" but was afraid to say it in front of Hu Donghan.

At the External Affairs Hall, the attendant gave Hu Donghan the access token for the Xiaocuiping medicinal field and said, "Brother Hu, among all the disciples, the one managing the medicinal field has the most authority. However, the Xiaocuiping medicinal field is quite large, and Brother Hu might not be able to manage it alone. Therefore, there are twelve miscellaneous disciples on Xiaocuiping who are familiar with some basic herbal knowledge. Brother Hu can handle these miscellaneous disciples as you see fit."

"Also, the matters in the medicinal field are significant. If Brother Hu finds these miscellaneous disciples unreliable, you can select some trustworthy ones from the miscellaneous attendants. In short, as long as you can deliver one hundred spirit herbs each month, Brother Hu can make decisions on all matters at Xiaocuiping without worrying about others."

The management of the sect’s medicinal fields was a significant responsibility. If something went wrong, it would be the responsibility of the managing disciple. Therefore, to avoid any mistakes, the managing disciple’s authority was expanded to a certain extent.

For the miscellaneous disciples, the medicinal field was one of the most comfortable places. They only needed to observe the conditions of the medicinal field daily and report to the managing disciple. Moreover, due to the special nature of the medicinal field, they received ten spirit stones and two Qi Nourishing Pills as monthly pay, which was very attractive to the miscellaneous disciples who had no monthly pay.

After leaving the External Affairs Hall, Hu Donghan returned to the outer disciples’ quarters.

Hu Donghan entered his room, tidied up his things casually, and wrote a letter to Hu Meier, leaving it at the door.

Leaving the room, Hu Donghan saw the miscellaneous disciple who had been guarding his door and couldn’t help but think about what the attendant had said earlier.

In the medicinal field, there were many miscellaneous disciples, and these were likely left by the previous managing disciple. Who knew if these miscellaneous disciples would cause trouble when he went to Xiaocuiping? Therefore, if he were to go, it would be better to bring someone familiar, and preferably a miscellaneous disciple!