The old yellow ox's attitude struck Jiang Man as odd.
From the start, the ox had doubted his ability to fulfill the second stage of his fate.
Even advancing at such rapid speed had failed to change its view.
It seemed the problem lay with this Visualization Method.
Riddle-monger.
Retribution would catch up to it sooner or later.
With half a month left before the assessment, he should be able to push his cultivation to the peak of the Qi-Linking third layer during this time.
Once he obtained a Qi and Blood Method, he could continue to advance.
Yet adding another cultivation technique would mean even greater consumption.
He would certainly need a vast amount of spirit source.
The earnings from the Spirit Gathering Hall alone seemed rather inadequate.
***
Three days later.
Jiang Man was still cultivating in the courtyard.
Everyone else had grown accustomed to it; they were all waiting for Luo Xuan, ranked first, to break the atmosphere so they could leave.
It had been this way for half a month.
No one dared break the unspoken rule.
Evening arrived.
Looking at the time, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
By now, Luo Xuan had finished cultivating as well.
Yet she did not leave immediately.
Instead, she turned to look toward Jiang Man.
Jiang Man was also waiting for her to leave.
Time was running short; it was time to go earn spirit source.
After these past few days of cultivation, he had discovered that filling the third gourd would require nearly two thousand circulations.
It had truly multiplied several times over.
So when Luo Xuan finished, stayed behind, and looked at him, it took him somewhat by surprise.
All the more so as she began walking toward him.
"Are you looking for me, Miss Luo?" Jiang Man asked politely once she reached him.
"Would you like to cultivate with me? I don't care about scores or cultivation levels—as long as you can work harder than I do." Luo Xuan ignored the stares around them as she questioned Jiang Man.
The little fatty and the others looked completely astonished.
Luo Xuan had posed this question once before, and Jiang Man had declined.
Who would have thought she would ask a second time?
Did she think Jiang Man was worth grooming?
The little fatty sensed impending danger; he needed to work harder too.
Otherwise, Jiang Man might really overtake him.
His cultivation was on the verge of advancing, so he would have to spend some spirit source over the remaining half-month to widen the gap.
He could never allow himself to become dead last.
Jiang Man said politely, "Thank you for your generous offer, Miss Luo, but I need to earn spirit source in the evenings."
Luo Xuan looked at him. "Evenings? How much can you earn?"
"Sixty spirit source for one shichen," Jiang Man replied without batting an eye.
"And you can't cultivate during that time, can you?" Luo Xuan regarded him. "I'll give you seventy. Two shichen, as long as you're more diligent than me."
Hearing that, Jiang Man hesitated briefly before begrudgingly agreeing, "When do we start?"
Seventy spirit source—not even a dog would take that lousy job at the Spirit Gathering Hall.
"Tomorrow, then." Having spoken, Luo Xuan turned and left.
As Luo Xuan departed, a young woman immediately hurried after her.
Only after stepping outside the Sixth Courtyard did the young woman speak up. "Luo Xuan, why offer so much spirit source? Are you looking to train a guard? Training a zero-scorer—are you trying to raise a deathsworn soldier?"
The young woman was named Cheng Yu, a disciple of the Cheng family's collateral branch.
With fifty-one points, she ranked fourth in the Sixth Courtyard.
"Neither." Luo Xuan shook her head. "Fang Yong seems to have been targeting this Jiang Man lately."
"Why? There's a world of difference between them. What's the point of targeting him?" Cheng Yu asked, curious.
"I don't know. Perhaps a personal grudge," Luo Xuan replied calmly. "Still, my befriending Jiang Man will definitely draw his attention and drain his focus. Using seventy spirit source to slow his pace is well worth it.
"He has reached the eighth layer of the Qi-Linking Method, and his Qi and Blood Method has improved as well.
"His score will soon draw even with mine."
"Even so, you two would still be first and second," Cheng Yu said.
"Quota spots fluctuate wildly. In the Sixth Courtyard over the past two years, there were three spots, but just when everyone thought it would stay three, it suddenly dropped to two.
"What if it abruptly drops to one this year?
"Advancing myself while slowing others down along the way is also a sound strategy.
"Spirit source must be put to good use."
"And what if Jiang Man still scores zero after the mid-month rankings come out?" Cheng Yu asked.
"Half a month will still yield some effect. After that, I won't need him anymore," Luo Xuan replied softly.
"I just worry he might get ideas."
"Poor people always love to daydream."
"That Jiang Man must be overjoyed right now."
The two chatted as they walked, soon exiting Qingyun Pavilion.
At this moment, Jiang Man was indeed quite thrilled.
Thirty spirit source a day jumping to seventy—even the little fatty was envious.
Of course, what the fatty envied was the chance to spend time with Luo Xuan.
Before leaving, however, the little fatty had kindly offered a word of warning.
He said a wealthy young lady from a family like the Luos could never take a fancy to a poor boy.
Some people simply enjoyed toying with the destitute, so Jiang Man had better know his place and harbor no fond delusions.
Jiang Man had expressed his gratitude.
Even so, he figured Luo Xuan had to have an angle.
Not that it mattered.
As long as he surpassed all of them, every problem would solve itself.
Time to cultivate!
Jiang Man headed to the Spirit Gathering Hall again that night.
After collecting his spirit source, he informed Manager Miao that he would not be returning the next day.
The manager paid it little mind.
He merely remarked that it was a pity to lose such good potential, saying that further refinement here would surely lead to great things; though the body might feel somewhat uncomfortable early on, such trials were necessary hurdles on the road to success, and eating bitterness was the true shortcut.
Had the physical strain not been genuinely damaging, Jiang Man might have actually been swayed.
Over the next few days, Jiang Man cultivated in the Sixth Courtyard until evening, then followed Luo Xuan to her residence's courtyard in Qingyun Pavilion to cultivate.
At first, he had worried about other matters, but after finding they did not even need to converse, he settled into undisturbed cultivation.
His progress was considerably faster than before.
In particular, the spiritual qi in Luo Xuan's courtyard was far richer.
Earning seventy spirit source a day almost gave him a twinge of guilt, though the thought flickered away in an instant.
The only headache was Fang Yong, whose scowls grew darker by the day.
Especially lately, as Young Master Cheng and his circle had taken to walking in and out alongside the Sixth Courtyard's third-ranked disciple, making Fang Yong feel even more that his own worsening predicament was all Jiang Man's fault.
Fortunately, Fang Yong feared the rules as well; coming to blows could easily cost him his qualification to compete for a spot.
Young Master Cheng and his crowd were likely just waiting to watch Fang Yong lose his temper and make a clown of himself, biding their time until he made a move against Jiang Man.
Jiang Man being hired by Luo Xuan had provoked Fang Yong all the more.
The person he despised most had ended up keeping company with the young mistress.
To Fang Yong, that stung even worse than being snubbed by Young Master Cheng and his clique.
At that thought, Jiang Man suddenly had an epiphany.
Could Luo Xuan be using him specifically to provoke Fang Yong?
The battle for first place was notoriously ruthless.
After all, only the very top spot offered true security.
Once the mid-month rankings were updated, Fang Yong would be provoked even further.
If he couldn't take the pressure and actually attacked, Jiang Man would be the one to suffer.
Unfortunately, obtaining a Qi and Blood Method required points from the assessment.
There was no room for him to hide his strength.
Besides, there was nothing at Luo Xuan's residence for him to touch and trigger a reward, which was a bit of a shame.
After that, Jiang Man followed his routine: tidying the stables in the morning, listening to the instructors explain cultivation spells, finishing his planned cultivation in the afternoon, and heading over to Luo Xuan's place in the evening to cultivate and collect his daily spirit source.
This continued until the fourteenth of September.
Tomorrow, the fifteenth, the assessment would begin.
On the seventeenth, the score rankings would be published.
That afternoon, Jiang Man had already begun using his spell innate qi to practice the Divine Travel Step.
Yet the little fatty shot Jiang Man a secretive grin and spoke with utter confidence: "Xiao Jiang, you've worked hard lately. It must have been exhausting trying to catch up to me, wasn't it?"
Jiang Man stared in disbelief.
Just yesterday he was "Brother Jiang," and today he had already become "Xiao Jiang"?
Chapter 15