Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 296: Chapter 169: The Entertainer, Shi Lezhi

The cultivation of the Shadow Concealment Skill is extremely difficult, which is why Qian Jin, despite years of training, has only reached Small Success.

Gu Sheng practiced for quite a while and gradually figured out some techniques. Of course, all this was thanks to the panel, and had little to do with Gu Sheng’s own comprehension.

Years seem to pass unnoticed during cultivation; immersed in the process, Gu Sheng was completely unaware of the passage of time and continued training until the afternoon of the next day.

Fire Bamboo Forest

By now, the sun was beginning to set. Most of the labor disciples had already completed their tasks, leaving only a few slow workers finishing up. Among them was a young man sweating profusely yet working efficiently—Liu Yiming.

At this moment, Liu Yiming was tending to the area assigned to Gu Sheng. Just then, a man wearing the Holy Pill Sect uniform, holding a small notebook, arrogantly strode over.

This man, who appeared to be in his thirties, looked sharp-featured and monkey-like. His head bore only a pitiful tuft of hair amidst large patches of red blotches.

He was none other than Shi Lezhi, the overseer of the labor disciples.

Shi Lezhi’s cultivation level wasn’t particularly high—merely at the Bronze Bone Realm. By all rights, someone of his aptitude shouldn’t even be a disciple of the Holy Pill Sect. But, as fate would have it, he had an influential father.

Shi Lezhi’s father was a steward in the outer sect of Spirit Pill Peak.

Knowing full well that his son’s talent would never allow him to become an official disciple, Shi Lezhi’s father used pills to forcefully push his son’s cultivation to the Bronze Bone Realm and then used his connections to secure Shi Lezhi a cushy role within the sect.

This position was light on responsibilities, requiring only sporadic inspections of the labor disciples’ work and periodic deliveries of fire bamboo to Spirit Pill Peak.

Though the job came with no cultivation resources, it did provide a salary of a thousand taels of silver monthly. Fully aware of his limited talent, Shi Lezhi made no effort to cultivate, instead spending most of his time indulging in the brothels of Holy Pill City.

His extravagant lifestyle often exceeded his official income, so he frequently abused his position to extort the labor disciples under fabricated pretenses.

The labor disciples hated him bitterly but dared not voice their anger, secretly referring to him as Shi Scalphide.

As soon as they spotted Shi Lezhi, the disciples who had already completed their tasks and were resting immediately stood up and pretended to be busy working.

Shi Lezhi walked to the front of a patch of fire bamboo, made a show of inspecting it, and then adopted a stern expression.

”Who’s responsible for this area?” he barked.

A disciple at the Jade Skin Realm hurried forward, nodding and bowing. ”Master Shi, this area is under my care! I have always worked diligently and conscientiously without making the slightest mistake—you know that, don’t you?”

While speaking, the disciple took out two silver ingots and discreetly slipped them into Shi Lezhi’s hand.

Having extorted these labor disciples numerous times, Shi Lezhi was well-versed in the process. With a casual touch, he could tell the two ingots amounted to fifty taels. Stashing them in the cloth pouch at his waist, he smiled and said, ”Hmm! Not bad, your work is quite meticulous. Keep it up!”

With that, he moved on to the next area.

The labor disciples earned a meager three hundred taels per month despite working tirelessly, but Shi Lezhi would conduct two inspections a month, extorting fifty taels each time. Though it pained them, the disciples had no other choice—after all, Shi Lezhi had powerful backing.

There were over fifty labor disciples, and fifty taels from each added up to a considerable sum.

The disciples had grown used to this routine. Shi Lezhi quickly went through the motions and soon arrived at the area Liu Yiming was responsible for. Finding no one there, he raised his voice angrily, ”Who’s in charge of this area? Where’s the person?”

At that moment, Liu Yiming had just finished tending to the area assigned to Gu Sheng. He hurried over, pulled out a silver note worth one hundred taels, and handed it to Shi Lezhi with a broad smile. ”Master Shi, this area is mine! You know my work is always flawless. Moreover, I even helped take care of Junior Brother Gu’s area.”

Shi Lezhi glanced at the silver note in his hand and sneered. ”Oh, you’re quite energetic, huh? Even helping others with their tasks now?”

Sliding the note into his pouch, Shi Lezhi walked over to the patch assigned to Gu Sheng and sneered coldly. ”Hah, putting on airs, is he? Doesn’t he know today is my inspection day? Not even showing up to greet me—what, does he think I’m nobody?”

Hearing this, Liu Yiming felt a sinking feeling and quickly offered a placating smile. ”Master Shi, he’s just feeling unwell today, that’s all. It’s certainly not intentional. You see, he understands the rules too, so could you just overlook it this once?” Liu Yiming patted the pouch at Shi Lezhi’s waist, implying that Gu Sheng had already paid his dues.

Shi Lezhi wasn’t so easily fooled. Time was precious for labor disciples, and most of them would seize the opportunity to cultivate after finishing their tasks. A newcomer like Gu Sheng, with no apparent ties to Liu Yiming, would only have received his help in exchange for some benefit.

Feigning rage, Shi Lezhi slapped Liu Yiming hard across the face. The blow was so heavy that blood streamed from Liu Yiming’s nose and mouth.

”You brat, speaking up for him—did he pay you off or something? Hah, the sect assigned you this task to temper you, yet he has you doing his work for him. If the higher-ups find out, won’t they accuse me of dereliction of duty?”