“I hate to disturb Brother Chen’s peace,” Zhang Tu’an said with a gentle smile on his face.
“Not at all, not at all,” Chen Mu scratched his head, wearing a naïve smile.
“Brother, you might not know, but I am a disciple of the Lower Courtyard from the same group as you.”
“Really?” Chen Mu expressed his surprise, a trace of recognition shining in his eyes.
Zhang Tu’an’s smile grew even warmer, then he began to recount, with a humorous twist, the funny mishaps he had when he first arrived here.
In a silent and swift manner, he quickly narrowed the gap between them.
After a conversation that went from superficial to deep, he naturally let out a melancholic sigh, “For us newcomers, life is truly difficult.”
“No wages, no elixirs, no secret techniques. And we’re bullied and cheated by the senior disciples,” Zhang Tu’an said with a sorrowful expression, “Mastering Perceptive skills is bound to take a long, arduous time, making the difficult even more difficult.”
Chen Mu glanced at the Hundred Intentions Spirit Light Technique, which was about to one-fifth completed.
Then he looked at a wooden cabinet filled with Calming Pills,
and finally, he peered into the Five Ghosts Bag, where nearly two hundred White Jade Coins lay.
Suddenly, with a face full of difficulty, he echoed the sentiment, “Indeed, it’s hard.”
…
“Moved by this, I have specially founded the Purple Bamboo Society,”
“We aim to let our fellow newcomers band together for mutual warmth and support through these tough times.”
“Recently, with collective wisdom and effort, we’ve finally achieved some progressive developments,” Zhang Tu’an sighed with a sense of relieved accomplishment.
“You know about the Calming Pills?” Zhang Tu’an asked with an indefinable smile on his face.
“I’ve heard from Master Zhuang Fu that they can calm the mind and speed up Spirit and Soul Unification,” Chen Mu replied honestly.
I know about it alright. And I can make it.
The real deal, the fakes, the half-true half-fakes, I can make all of them!
“It’s not just for Spirit and Soul Unification. In the Upper Court’s dojo, Calming Pills are burned all year round,”
“This shows that they still have an exceptional performance in assisting the training of Perceptive abilities,” Zhang Tu’an praised heartily.
Suddenly he leaned in and said in a low, mysterious voice, “And our Purple Bamboo Society has spent a great deal of money to buy the recipe, which means we can produce Calming Pills ourselves!”
Chen Mu: “…”
Could it be the recipe that I’m thinking of?
“Hundred Herbs Pavilion gives thirty pills for one White Jade,”
“But for Purple Bamboo Society members, one White Jade can fetch thirty-five pills!” Zhang Tu’an puffed out his chest proudly, “Come on, join us.”
“As long as we work together, we will surely grow stronger!” Zhang Tu’an spoke with fervent passion.
Chen Mu: “…”
Grow stronger based on the recipe from Shang Huan?
Are they out of their minds!
“This is the Purple Bamboo Society’s secret Calming Pill,” Zhang Tu’an pushed a fist-sized white porcelain bottle toward Chen Mu.
“Here’s a bottle of thirty-five trial pills for you,” Zhang Tu’an grandly declared, “Try first, pay later. No charge if you’re not satisfied!”
“And this is just the beginning. As we develop, more benefits are yet to come!” Zhang Tu’an vowed earnestly.
Immediately after, he looked at Chen Mu eagerly, full of anticipation as he waited for his response.
Chen Mu scratched his head with a silly smile and pushed the elixirs back, “I’m not very capable, I can’t be a bother to you all.”
Zhang Tu’an’s eyes were full of regret, but he replied with a carefree smile, “No problem, take the pills first.”
“After a while when the Purple Bamboo Society gets on the right track and becomes well-known, you can have a closer look then,” Zhang Tu’an insisted with earnest determination before he rose to his feet to bid farewell respectfully.
Before he left, he looked at Chen Mu seriously, “Brother Chen, as fellow newcomers, you must stay safe.”
“If you ever encounter any trouble, feel free to come to the Purple Bamboo Society in Xinchou District.”
“The entire Purple Bamboo Society will be your backup.”
…
At the entrance of Low Hill Courtyard.
Watching the two figures disappear rapidly, Chen Mu couldn’t help but frown slightly.
“There is Jianghu everywhere.”
Even though he was focused on farming, he knew that the Lower Courtyard had many similar organizations.
The Purple Bamboo Society was just one of them.
And his identity as a new disciple fit the requirements for membership perfectly.
Chen Mu opened the porcelain bottle and gently wafted the scent of the medicine, distinguishing carefully, “True Medicine? They’re really spending capital.”
“Just a tactic to lure people in,” Chen Mu sneered.
“It’s irrelevant to me; I only want to cultivate in peace.” Chen Mu had no intention of getting involved with any organization or society.
“This Chairman Zhang seems quite clear-headed. Not too clingy.” This attitude was worth acknowledging.
“Avoid them a few times to show them my stance, and the matter will pass,” Chen Mu said nonchalantly, shrugging.
…
On the way to the Xinchou District of the Lower Courtyard, Zhang Tu’an leisurely took in the scenery along the path.
The scar-faced man in grey short clothes behind him couldn’t help but complain, “Boss, that kid is a bit disrespectful.”
“Should I teach him a lesson?” Scar-faced Ding Wu was full of displeasure.
Zhang Tu’an waved his hand, “Old Five, this is a new disciple who naturally stands on our side. We can’t use the same methods as we do with the old disciples.”
“We must learn to treat them sincerely, to think from their perspective,” Zhang Tu’an sighed, “You know how miserably many new disciples are bullied. We need to unite every bit of strength.”
“This Brother Chen is from our batch, which makes him a potential member of the Purple Bamboo Society. As long as we are sincere, there will come a day when he becomes one of our own.”
“Even if he doesn’t join, we still need to consider the feelings of our current members.”
“If we mistreat Brother Chen, the existing members will inevitably have grievances.”
“Our attitude towards new disciples must be genuine and equal. That’s how we can increase the cohesion among members and attract more new ones.”
“Such a hassle,” Ding Wu scratched his head indifferently, “I’ll just follow what the boss says.”
“You…” Zhang Tu’an chuckled.
…
Chen Mu, ten meters away and invisible under the cover of Ghosts, slowly clenched his right hand, snuffing out the Sand Containing Technique pellet that hovered in his palm.
“This Zhang Tu’an is quite impressive, with a clear train of thought,” Chen Mu marveled.
“Whether it’s to attract new members or to set an example for the current ones, I won’t have any trouble for a while.”
That was good.
It allowed him to focus on farming and cultivation.
“If the Purple Bamboo Society gains a foothold, perhaps we can even cooperate,” Chen Mu pondered.
“Having another sales channel for the Calming Pills wouldn’t be bad at all.”
“Hmm… that’s something to look into later.”
Chen Mu glanced again at the backs of the two men, then let the Five Ghosts carry him away slowly.
He hadn’t finished his quota of experience for the day.
…
At the Purple Bamboo Society in the Xinchou District.
“Is that Brother Chen a good hand at farming?” Zhang Tu’an, just back, thought of the weedless fields.
“He’s quite good,” Ding Wu thought for a moment and said, “There was a pest outbreak this year, and he still managed to pay enough land rent. His skills are even better than those of previous generations of disciples.”
“A real talent,” Zhang Tu’an exclaimed.
“I heard there’s a group of former disciples in the Xinyou District who like to collect good farmers, forcing them to farm for them?” Zhang Tu’an turned his head and asked.
“There is such a group,” Ding Wu said, puzzled.
“Then let’s sell them a piece of information; tell them there’s a talented farmer in the Gengyin District. They’ll surely like it,” Zhang Tu’an squinted and said.
“First, let this Brother Chen experience the hardships of the world,” Zhang Tu’an glanced at Ding Wu and continued, “And then…”
“Got it!” Ding Wu suddenly grinned widely.