Chapter 202
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Zhang Xiaohua would never shirk responsibility.
However, when it came to shoulder the blame, Zhang Xiaohua found himself hesitating.
First, based on the information he had subtly gathered, his method of practicing inner cultivation was fundamentally different from that of He Tianshu and the others. How could he explain to them that his cultivation was the cause of the herbs’ withering? Even if he was willing to take responsibility, would they truly believe it was his fault and not some excuse he concocted to cover for them?
These concerns, though significant, were secondary. The real issue lay in his inability to bear the consequences of such a mistake. With just the thousand taels of silver he had received—not yet even warmed in his hands—how could he possibly compensate for the loss of these precious herbs?
The thought of that hard-earned silver sprouting wings and flying away pained Zhang Xiaohua deeply.
Yet, the idea of He Tianshu and the others facing severe punishment from the Medicine Hall because of his unintentional mistake was equally unacceptable to him.
This left Zhang Xiaohua in a state of intense inner turmoil.
As the morning sun climbed higher in the sky, Zhang Xiaohua noticed that He Tianshu and the others still hadn’t appeared. Zhang Xiaohua was very surprised. The herbs in the medicinal field were all withered like this. Weren’t they all in a panic just yesterday? How could they suddenly be so indifferent after just one night?
Quickening his pace, Zhang Xiaohua returned to the courtyard and knocked on the doors of their rooms one by one. Yet, there was no response. He grew even more perplexed. Where had everyone gone so early in the morning? After a moment of thought, the answer became clear. What could make them all disappear together if not the issue with the herb field? If they weren’t tending to the fields, then they must have gone to report to the Medicine Hall.
With a sigh, Zhang Xiaohua acknowledged how troublesome this situation truly was.
As he walked back toward the field, Zhang Xiaohua racked his brain, trying to recall anything he might have missed. It was only then that he realized that, despite having read numerous books on herbs, those texts mainly discussed how to cultivate herbs, the best practices for planting them, and their medicinal properties. Strangely, none of them explained how herbs actually grew—how they absorbed nutrients or the equivalent of fertilization, as in farming crops.
This is indeed a strange matter.
Moreover, the term ‘Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth’ is only recorded in the [Carefree Heart Sutra]. Other martial arts manuals and herbal texts do not mention it at all. Instead, some vague mentions could occasionally be found in the books Li Jinfeng borrowed for leisure reading.
Zhang Xiaohua absentmindedly arrived at the edge of the field and sat cross-legged in the grass hut. On ordinary days, he would have already started circulating his Qi to cultivate. He enjoyed the feeling of refining Qi—it was like working on a toy; the more effort he put into it, the more exquisite it became.
Unfortunately, he was not in the mood today. Strangely, his emotional fluctuations directly affected his practice of the [Carefree Heart Sutra]. It became difficult for him to enter a state of calmness and detachment, and without such a state of mind, he could hardly adjust his breathing to the right rhythm or extend his perception.
The entire morning, Zhang Xiaohua was trapped in an internal struggle, torn between resolving to step forward and confessing his mistake or retreating and finding excuses for himself. By the time noon approached, he had still not made up his mind.
While his inner conflict raged on, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly sensed the sound of several footsteps approaching the medicinal field. He quickly stood up, assuming it was people from the Medicinal Hall coming for an inspection. But when he looked up, he only saw He Tianshu and his four companions; there were no unfamiliar faces among them.
From a distance, the expressions on He Tianshu and the others’ faces were neither as dejected as he imagined nor particularly relieved. Zhang Xiaohua found it strange—could it be that they had not been punished by the Medicinal Hall?
Before He Tianshu and the others could come closer, Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly ran up to them. The first words out of his mouth were: “Captain He, I think it’s all my fault…”
Before Zhang Xiaohua could finish speaking, He Tianshu waved his hand and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, haven’t I told you before? This matter concerns all of us. You shouldn’t take all the responsibility onto yourself just because you’re the one looking after the medicinal fields. That’s utterly meaningless. We all recognize your hard work. If we can’t share difficulties together now, how can we call ourselves disciples of the Piaomiao Sect?”
“This…” Zhang Xiaohua opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word.
After a moment, he asked: “Captain He, where did you go this morning? Did you return to the Medicinal Hall?”
He Tianshu glanced worriedly at the medicinal fields, which had grown even more withered, and silently nodded.
Seeing his expression, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t dare press further.
After a while, however, he couldn’t hold back and cautiously asked: “Captain He, um… what kind of punishment did you receive?”
He Tianshu remained silent, but Nie Xiao’er, standing beside him, replied with a heavy expression: “Sigh, it’s really unexpected, difficult to put into words. I suppose…”
He stopped mid-sentence, let out a deep sigh, and squatted down, looking utterly dejected.
Zhang Xiaohua froze, growing anxious. “Could it be…”
Nie Xiao’er buried his head in his hands and said: “Yes, exactly that. I never imagined it would come to this.”
Zhang Xiaohua was dumbfounded. “Didn’t you say yesterday that at most you’d be confined for a few months or fined your monthly allowance? How did it suddenly turn into expulsion from the sect?”
Nie Xiao’er sighed with a sense of deep melancholy and said: “Indeed, life is unpredictable. Who can tell what will happen in the next moment?”
Just as Zhang Xiaohua was about to console him in sorrow, He Tianshu suddenly burst out laughing and scolded: “What nonsense are you spouting? Zhang Xiaohua, don’t overthink, and don’t listen to Xiao’er’s nonsense.”
Nie Xiao’er immediately jumped up from the ground and exclaimed: “Captain He, you heard it yourself! I didn’t say a single word of nonsense—it’s all what Zhang Xiaohua came up with!”
Zhang Xiaohua looked at the two of them in confusion and asked, “What’s going on then? Didn’t your Hall Master scold you?”
He Tianshu shook his head and replied: “Things don’t seem to be as serious as we thought. After discussing it all night yesterday, we decided to head to the Medicinal Hall early this morning, planning to confess and take responsibility proactively. As the saying goes, ‘Confession earns leniency, resistance invites severity.’ But who could’ve expected that Hall Master Bai wasn’t there, and Elder He seemed preoccupied with something else. He barely listened to our report, waved us off, and told us to return for now. He said to observe the situation and wait for him to inspect Huanxi Villa when he had time.”
Zhang Xiaohua was stunned and said: “But the medicinal herbs are visibly withering. If Elder He comes in a few days, will there be anything left to see?”
“Exactly, I said the same thing,” He Tianshu said helplessly. “But Elder He said he has more pressing matters and doesn’t have even a moment to spare. He also told us to keep looking for the cause and see if there’s any way to save the herbs.”
“I see,” Zhang Xiaohua said thoughtfully. “So, even if the medicinal herbs all wither, you might not face severe punishment?”
He Tianshu smiled faintly and said: “It looks that way. Maybe just a deduction from our monthly allowance.”
Instantly, a huge weight lifted from Zhang Xiaohua’s heart. He had been worrying all morning, but it seemed like the Medicinal Hall didn’t take the matter seriously at all. Well, that saved him from stepping forward to confess.
He Tianshu and the others patrolled the medicinal field for a while, inspecting the withered plants, but they were at a complete loss. In truth, the punishment from the sect was a secondary concern. The key issue was that their work revolved around cultivating medicinal herbs and concocting medicines. To see the herbs they took pride in growing end up like this was disheartening. They couldn’t accept it and desperately wanted to find a way to revive them.
After discussing and searching for solutions to no avail, they finally called Zhang Xiaohua to head back to the small courtyard with them. Zhang Xiaohua, having not returned to his cabin in a long time, wasn’t eager to go back. He followed them halfway but then decided to head to the forest to practice martial arts instead, parting ways with He Tianshu and the others.
Ever since Zhang Xiaohua had accidentally grasped a sense of floating in midair during the martial arts competition, he had been eager to find an opportunity to fully explore it. And this fine afternoon seemed like the perfect time for martial practice.
The scenery in the forest remained unchanged despite his absence for several days. Today, however, the sky was heavily overcast. Though it was just past noon, not a single ray of sunlight penetrated the thick clouds, casting a gloomy atmosphere.
Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged beneath a tree. He first carefully pondered over the intricacies and key points of the Air Floating technique in his heart, then repeatedly recalled the sensations he had experienced during his two demonstrations of qinggong on the competition stage. Only then did he leap up lightly, beginning his first true practice of qinggong.
As expected, mastering qinggong depended greatly on innate talent. According to He Tianshu, once one’s internal energy reached a certain level, qinggong was merely a matter of technique—guiding one’s internal energy could make the body as light as a swallow.
Unfortunately, Zhang Xiaohua was not particularly gifted. Despite the detailed explanations of the Air Floating technique within the Piaomiao Step, and the fact that he had successfully executed it twice before, he was unable to lift his body even half an inch off the ground this time.
After countless attempts, Zhang Xiaohua finally gave up, albeit reluctantly. The sky was now filled with dense clouds, with flashes of lightning and faint rumbles of thunder. Not wanting to end up soaked to the bone, he decided to return to his cabin earlier than planned.
Sure enough, as soon as he arrived back and began tidying up the room, large raindrops began to fall in a steady pitter-patter.
Listening to the distant thunder and the rhythmic sound of rain hitting the banana leaves, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude for his timely retreat.
However, just as he was reveling in this relief, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him like lightning in his mind. His hands froze mid-motion as he was tidying up because he had suddenly thought of a solution to the withering medicinal herbs!
