The sun had not yet risen, but the sky above the Evernight Sect's outer mountains was already painted in soft hues of lavender and rose. The peaks stood like ancient guardians, their ridges sharp against the awakening dawn.
Lin Xuan stood at the edge of the herb fields, staring down at his palm as a subtle warmth coiled in his dantian. A soft green light pulsed through his meridians, steady and slow. Qi circulated within him—his own, no longer borrowed, no longer invisible.
> [Life Devourer Interface]
Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining – 2nd Layer
Technique: Verdant Flow Breathing Art (Human Tier – Low Grade)
Lifespan: 17 / 55.9
Available Years: +5.9
Options Available:
Advance to 3rd Layer? (Cost: 1.6 years)
Refine Technique? (Upgrade to Mid Grade – 1.2 years)
Strengthen Spiritual Root (Wood Root → Mid Grade – 2 years)
He closed the interface with a breath.
He would wait.
Cultivating too quickly without drawing attention was risky, especially after saving Elder Xuan's daughter, Xuan Ruo. Her appearance was a double-edged sword: gratitude and favor on one hand, suspicion and jealousy on the other.
Just yesterday, he'd overheard a disciple muttering about him behind the garden shed.
"He's just a servant. So what if he saved someone? There's something off about him."
Zhao Chen hadn't shown his face since that day, which only confirmed what Lin Xuan suspected: the young master was scheming.
And scheming men never slept long.
---
By midday, the herb fields were nearly empty.
Most outer disciples had gone to the inner training valley for their monthly evaluations. Lin Xuan volunteered to remain behind and "tend the long-rooted orchid beds," though no one questioned him.
He moved through the dense, overgrown section on the garden's east edge, plucking wilted herbs and devouring lifespan as he passed.
> [Absorbed: Dewshade Tulip – 0.9 years]
[Absorbed: Spinesilk Fern – 0.6 years]
[Absorbed: Blue Yarrow Bloom – 1.1 years]
Total: +2.6 years.
Not bad.
He knelt near a particularly tangled patch and reached for a root wrapped in thick thorns—then paused.
A sharp breath caught in his throat.
There were tracks in the dirt. Faint. Almost imperceptible. But his former Earth-trained instincts spotted the irregular spacing, the light scuff of a boot.
Someone came through here last night.
His eyes narrowed. No disciple would come this deep into the gardens—only a few old beast trails and overgrown herbs remained. This area had been abandoned after a spirit beast attacked a worker two years ago.
Which meant…
Someone had been hiding. Watching. Or worse—plotting.
He stood slowly, releasing his spiritual sense outward as far as the 2nd Layer of Qi Refining allowed.
That's when he heard it.
A low rustling. Faint breathing.
Then a whisper, quick and sharp—
"Get him."
---
The ambush came fast.
Three figures burst from the thickets—two masked men in dark robes, and one familiar face.
Zhao Chen.
The bastard had brought thugs.
"Lin Xuan," Zhao Chen sneered, drawing a gleaming short blade from his waist. "You think you can show me up in front of the sect? Save a princess, earn elder favor, and still pull weeds like nothing's changed?"
Lin Xuan didn't move. "You brought thugs onto sect grounds. That's a death sentence."
"No one will find your body," Zhao Chen said. "The beasts around here will chew your bones clean. You're just a servant. No one will miss you."
The two masked men lunged.
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed. His hands moved like water—swift, practiced.
One reached for his throat—Lin Xuan ducked low and struck the man's knee. With a loud pop, the thug crumpled, groaning.
The second swung a blade—Lin Xuan caught his wrist, twisted, and slammed his elbow into the man's temple. He dropped with a thud.
Ironbone Pulse.
Enhanced Physical Resilience.
Even two stages higher, they hadn't expected a servant to hit like a beast.
Zhao Chen stumbled back, shock on his face.
"What the hell…?! You—!"
Before he could finish, a voice rang out from the trees above.
"You brought dogs to kill a rabbit and got your nose chewed off. Pathetic."
All three men froze.
Lin Xuan turned, looking up toward the cliff edge where the voice came from.
A figure dropped lightly onto the earth, landing without a sound.
She was tall, lithe, and dressed in a ragged crimson cloak. A bow was strapped across her back, and twin daggers gleamed at her waist.
Wild black hair framed her sharp eyes—eyes like a hawk. Her boots were caked with dried mud, and the scent of blood clung faintly to her like perfume.
"Who—?" Zhao Chen stammered.
The girl's dagger appeared at his throat before he could react.
"I should cut you for what you did," she said coldly. "But that would stain my blade with filth."
She turned to Lin Xuan.
"You alright, weed boy?"
Lin Xuan blinked. "I… know you?"
She grinned. "We crossed paths near the beast trails last month. You were too busy talking to plants to notice. I noticed you."
That rang faint bells.
He vaguely recalled a shadow watching from the cliffs weeks ago.
"I'm called Ruo Lan," she said. "Rogue cultivator. Beast hunter. And occasional savior of clueless sect disciples."
"You're not from Evernight Sect," he said slowly.
"Nope," she replied. "I sneak in sometimes. Their guards are trash, and your spirit beasts pay well in bones and blood."
Zhao Chen hissed. "You'll pay for this—!"
She cracked him across the jaw with the flat of her blade. He dropped like a sack of flour.
Ruo Lan looked at Lin Xuan and smirked.
"You've got good instincts. And solid bones. Most servants would've died in that ambush."
"I'm not most servants," he said quietly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Clearly."
---
After tying the thugs and gagging Zhao Chen, Ruo Lan joined Lin Xuan near the stone cliff, sharing a small piece of dried meat and watching the clouds shift overhead.
"So, Lin Xuan," she said, chewing thoughtfully. "What's your secret?"
He looked at her carefully. "What makes you think I have one?"
"You survived an ambush from two 4th Layer Qi Refining cultivators," she said. "With raw strength and zero visible techniques. That's not normal."
He remained silent.
She snorted. "Relax. I'm not asking to steal it. I just don't like being bored. And you? You're interesting."
Lin Xuan gave a faint smile. "So you help strangers for entertainment?"
"No," she said, tossing a stone off the cliff. "I help people who deserve to live more than the ones trying to kill them. Simple math."
Her eyes sparkled suddenly.
"You've got potential, Lin Xuan. Hidden potential. I could smell it . If you ever get tired of pulling weeds, come find me outside the sect. I run with a small group—beast hunters, loose cultivators."
"Why tell me this?"
"Because you're not like the others," she said. "You don't beg, you don't boast, and you don't grovel. You survive. That's the kind of person I can trust."
She stood, brushing dirt from her pants.
"Oh, and one more thing—those guys used low-grade spirit stones. You'll find some in their pockets. Not much, but enough for a few herbs or talismans."
Lin Xuan's eyes flickered.
After she left, he searched the unconscious thugs and Zhao Chen.
Sure enough, he found three Low-Grade Spirit Stones, pulsing faintly with Qi.
> [Resource Acquired: Spirit Stones (Low Grade) ×3]
– Can be refined directly for Qi.
– Usable currency for low-level trades.
A treasure trove for a servant.
He pocketed them and stood in the wind.
---
By sunset, Zhao Chen and his goons were delivered to the inner sect authorities anonymously. No name, no witness, just a tied-up trio and a letter pinned to Zhao Chen's chest.
"Attempted murder. Brought outsiders into sect grounds. Confess or be fed to the beasts."
The Evernight Sect elders didn't need names.
They only needed results.
And Lin Xuan? He returned to his herb garden, as always. Quiet. Unassuming.
---
End of Chapter 4