Me? I'm Just an Ordinary Cultivator

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Zhao Feng proceeded to grab two buckets as well and walk with Tian Ye behind Cui Boqin.

As they arrived at the side of the river, Cui Boqin scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he began to crouch down the side of the river.

"I said I'd tell you what to do but… it's actually simply getting water from the river and going up the mountain."

Zhao Feng, who also crouched down, asked incredulously, "That's it?"

"Next comes the hard part." Tian Ye commented as he also filled his two buckets with water.

"Hard part?"

Cui Boqin chuckled as he stood up with his filled buckets, "Now, we do this 50 times. Then the water work is done"

"50 times…?!"

While Zhao Feng was shocked, Tian Ye was calculating in his mind, 'Let's see… it took us 2 minutes to go down the mountain… So 5 minutes to go back and forth times 50 is… 4 hours and 10 minutes if done continuously…'

He nodded, "That doesn't sound so bad."

"What do you mean it doesn't sound so bad?!" Zhao Feng complained.

Cui Boqin nodded as well to follow Tian Ye's statement, "That's right. Unlike servants who look for and collect herbs, they won't be done until they collect their quota, meanwhile, we don't need to travel the mountains and look for the herbs. We know the location of the river and just need to get water and go back. It's simple even though it's a little straining to your bodies but you'll get used to it in a week or two."

Without saying anymore, one big man and two small children then began to take water back to the Servants' Hall water barrels, and after four and half hours, they were finally done.

Unlike Tian Ye's expectations, they were a little behind. He turned to Cui Boqin as he massaged his muscles that were aching a little and asked, "Uncle Cui, how long do you usually finish taking back water? 2 hours?"

Zhao Feng looked over in curiosity who also massaged his own muscles, "What? Really? Did Uncle Cui slow down just to accompany us?"

Cui Boqin chuckled as he patted Tian Ye's small head, "Don't worry about it, I'm just helping you two get used to it, after a week, you should be able to do it at your own pace without supervision."

Tian Ye just nodded and said as he rubbed his stomach, "Uncle Cui, let's go eat."

Zhao Feng also chimed, "Let's go! Let's go! I'm famished!"

Cui Boqin just smiled and replied, "Alright, I'm also a little hungry."

With Cui Boqin leading the way, he led the two children to the Servants' Hall Cafeteria.

As they entered the cafeteria, laughter could be heard from the servants talking inside, clearly already done with their work or probably would only do them due to the time it takes. They are already extremely shortened from experience just like Cui Boqin who could have finished work in half the time.

Unlike the other people's work, their work could only be done in the morning when most people took a bath if they didn't like to bath in rivers. Especially disciples, unlike servants, of course, disciples had special treatment compared to them.

They were servants who served the disciples after all by gathering what they needed in everyday life so they could focus on cultivation.

"Isn't that Old Cui? With two children…?"

"Ah! I heard that Old Cui was taking care of new young and orphaned servants."

"I see… I also took care of some, a while ago and they were a little unbearable to teach, they complained too much… but how are you doing, Old Cui?"

The servants talked among themselves and called out to Cui Boqin with great familiarity. Meanwhile Cui Boqin replied nonchalantly, "It's alright. We're already finished with work, they are easy to teach, although one of them likes to complain."

Zhao Feng on the side blushed from embarrassment as he said, "I'll try to complain less…"

The middle-aged servant, near the age of Cui Boqin who asked how he was doing, sighed, "I see… It looks like you've gotten some good kids who are obedient."

Cui Boqin smiled then said, "Alright, stop talking for now, it's the children's first day at work and they are quite tired and hungry, let them eat first."

The middle-aged man realized then laughed, "Oh right! You should go eat first!"

Cui Boqin nodded and waved his hands towards Tian Ye and Zhao Feng to follow him and get in the line to receive food.

As they lined up, Cui Boqin said, "You can eat here, 3 meals a day if you want. No matter what time of the day, but if you want to eat more, you can only hunt your own food in the forest."

Tian Ye and Zhao Feng nodded but didn't take it to heart. They were only children, 3 meals a day with their little bodies were more than enough.

After eating, Tian Ye and Zhao Feng said goodbye to Cui Boqin since their time was now free.

Tian Ye, as he walked together with Zhao Feng asked, "Do you want me to teach you now?"

Zhao Feng shook his head and grinned, "I wanna play! Let's go!"

Hearing Zhao Feng's words, Tian Ye shook his head and said, "I'm gonna learn how to sense spiritual qi first, you can go ahead."

"Is that so?" Zhao Feng asked but still nodded before running off to find other children to play with.

Although Tian Ye, as an adult, wants to make early connections, he doesn't really want to play much. Trying to fit in too much is also not good, this was a part of his life experience in the 21st century. Even in his past life, he already saw a lot of people trying to fit in no matter what they had to do.

Meanwhile, Tian Ye didn't take the initiative to make friends but from time to time, some people would invite him over, and that was more than enough. He could refuse anytime, and the other person would not take it badly, this was because this was what Tian Ye showed from the beginning.

Socializing doesn't mean only trying to fit in, but also trying to fit yourself in.

Proceeding to his shared room with his three roommates, he sat down on his bed, one of the bottom bunk from the two double deck beds. He didn't really care much where he slept so he just allowed the 3 children to pick their place and at the end, he occupied the last remaining bed.

Upon sitting down on top of his bed in a lotus position, he closed his eyes and began to practice the breathing method written on the cultivation technique.

Although he had practiced it once, he wasn't yet used to it yet so it was uncomfortable again when he had just started but didn't let that get to him.

He controlled his mind to focus on his breathing, when his thoughts would wander from time to time, he would control it to focus back on his breathing and practiced the breathing method.

Minutes passed… Tian Ye didn't know how much time had passed but he didn't care and slowly fell deeper and deeper to the breathing method. His restless thoughts have been controlled, and was now focused solely on breathing.

Everytime he would breathe, he would feel the air coming in from his nose, flowing through his esophagus, expanding his lungs and stomach. And when he exhaled through his nose, he would feel the air flowing out.

The originally uncomfortable state began to be extremely comfortable.

Another few moments later, Tian Ye felt the strange feeling all over his body like he had goosebumps. He felt that his pores were open, and foreign energy seemed to be seeping in his body and familiar energy seemed to be flowing out. As if it was in circulation.

Tian Ye's mind at this time became active slightly but still calmly without any thoughts of excitement and other emotions, simply, thoughts of breathing along with the energy circulating.

Soon, he began to detect even countless foreign energy floating all over the room but he didn't absorb it.

'Refinement of the spiritual pathway comes first… first is the refinement of the physical body… meaning to just let the spiritual qi touch the pores but not enter into the veins…' He thought in a trance as he began to lead the spiritual qi at the surface of his body.

A few moments later, the spiritual qi rested on top of his skin but didn't penetrate, causing the pores all over his body to slightly feel itchy but not painful.

He nodded in his heart, and continued this way. Just by feeling the itchiness alone proved that the spiritual qi wasn't compatible with the mortal body and had to be refined slowly, if he forced it in, not only would his physical body be damaged, his veins might even burst as it received spiritual qi.

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