What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 35

Greetings over, elder Yaozhi gestured towards the open doorway. “Come inside, honored disciple. You must be weary from your journey.”

Jiang Cheng nodded and followed the elder into his home. The interior was simple yet well maintained, the wooden walls adorned with a few old scrolls and carvings that hinted at the elder’s past life in the sect. A small altar sat in one corner, a single incense stick burning faintly, its scent mixing with the rich aroma of herbs hanging from the rafters.

The room was modest, yet it carried an air of quiet dignity. As Jiang Cheng settled onto a cushion at the elder’s low wooden table, footsteps echoed from an adjoining room. A young girl, no older than fourteen, stepped forward with a tray in her hands.

She was dressed in plain but neatly woven linen robes, her light brown hair tied back into a simple braid. Her features were delicate, and pleasing to the eye. Round cheeks, clear skin, a ample figure, and dark, attentive eyes that flickered toward Jiang Cheng before quickly looking away. She had a natural, understated prettiness, though it was clear she had been raised without vanity.

“This is my great granddaughter, Lian.” Elder Yaozhi said, his voice carrying a trace of warmth. “She handles the housework while the rest of the family tends to the fields.” Lian bowed slightly before kneeling beside the table. With careful, practiced movements, she poured tea into two simple ceramic cups, first for Jiang Cheng, then for the elder.

Jiang Cheng accepted his cup with a nod of thanks, watching as the girl quietly retreated to a respectful distance. Though her gaze was hard to ignore.

And could you blame her? All her life she lived among family and older people, and all of a sudden, A man who even her stern great grandpa was showing respect to entered her life. The fact he was quite handsome, with his thick black hair free on his head, and a set of silver eyes framing his sharp face.

As the steam curled into the air, Elder Yaozhi sighed, resting a weathered hand against his knee.

Elder Yaozhi sighed, rubbing his temples as he began his explanation.

“The trouble started last month when we had a heavy storm. One of the large trees near the well was struck by lightning. It came crashing down right onto the well, blocking it completely.”

Jiang Cheng took another sip of his tea, nodding for the elder to continue. The tea was flavorful, and had a scent that reminded him of lavender. It made him consider having some tea himself, for the Chance he had guests.

A cup every morning sounded quite pleasing, now that he thought about it.

“At first, we tried to move it ourselves.” Elder Yaozhi admitted. “But the tree is simply too heavy for us. Even with ropes and our strongest men, we couldn’t lift it. And as the days passed, the weight of it only pushed the stone edges of the well deeper into the ground, making it even harder to dislodge.”

Jiang Cheng hummed in understanding. A fallen tree was far less mysterious than glowing eyes in the dark, but it was still a troublesome problem for a group of mortals. A cultivator, however, was a different matter entirely.

“So, you need me to remove it.” Jiang Cheng said simply, setting his teacup down.

Elder Yaozhi nodded. “Yes. If we cannot access the well, our water supply will dwindle. We’ve been making do by drawing from the river, but it is not a long-term solution. We need the well restored before it becomes a true crisis.”

Jiang Cheng leaned back slightly, considering.

"Why not use your Qi? I'm sure that would have probably solved the problem." Cheng spoke, his sharp gaze studying the old man.

In response, the man let out a small, self deprecating laugh, before speaking.

"Indeed so. But my body isn't how it was, young man. With age like mine, Qi is harder. Perhaps I could have done just that. But, it would have likely brought me to a early grave."

Cheng nodded, intrigued by what he spoke. He hadn't read something like what the elder spoke about.

"I see." Was the words that came out of his mouth, pausing to take a sip, and think.

It wasn’t the grandest mission, nor was it particularly dangerous. But he had no reason to refuse. I mean to refuse when he was already here sounded quite dumb. And it would be a good opportunity to test his strength in a practical way.

“I’ll take a look at it in the morning.” Jiang Cheng spoke.

Elder Yaozhi smiled, relief evident in his expression. “Thank you, honored disciple. The village is in your debt.”

Jiang Cheng simply nodded, his mind already turning toward how he would go about solving the problem.

He set his cup down, watching the steam curl into the air before speaking.

“You said you were once part of the sect.” he began, keeping his tone casual. “What was your life like?”

Elder Yaozhi chuckled, his fingers tapping idly against the worn wood of the table. “Ah, my life in the sect...” He let out a slow breath, as if recalling memories long untouched.

“I was an outer disciple, much like you are now. I trained diligently, but my talent was… mediocre at best. By the time I reached the fifth level of Qi Condensation, others had long surpassed me. I knew I would never reach Foundation Establishment.”

Jiang Cheng nodded, unsurprised. There were countless disciples who trained their whole lives yet never advanced past Qi Condensation. The sect was a place of endless ambition, but not everyone had the fortune or talent to ascend.

Hell, last week, another old man, perhaps the same age as the one sitting before him, had died from pushing himself in the daily tasks, as he did his whole life, only for his body to give up, far too old of such kind of labor.

“But.” Elder Yaozhi continued, a slight smile playing at his lips, “I did not waste my years. I explored many facets of cultivation, not just martial arts. For a time, I found myself in the Alchemy Gardens.”

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Jiang Cheng raised a brow. “Really now. You've studied the path of alchemy?”

Elder Yaozhi chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far. I was more of an assistant than a true alchemist. But in my time there, I learned a great deal. How herbs interact, the properties of spiritual plants, and the basics of pill refinement. The alchemists had no patience for a disciple like me, but I paid attention, and that knowledge has served me well even outside the sect.”

Jiang Cheng leaned forward slightly, intrigued. Alchemy was a valuable skill. One most cultivators had only a surface understanding of unless they dedicated themselves to it.

Some, even outright detested learning such a skill, arrogant as they were, believing just cultivating and swinging a sword around was the only way.

“Did you ever attempt refining pills yourself?” he asked.

Elder Yaozhi let out a dry laugh. “Once. It… did not go well.” He shook his head, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“I tried refining a simple Qi gathering pill, thinking I had understood the process well enough. The result was an unusable lump of burnt residue and a furnace that nearly exploded in my face. After that, I stuck to tending herbs rather than refining them.

Though I must say, I used to make the best satiation pills around!"

The old man boasted and let out a dry cough.

"Even though I never became an alchemist, the knowledge helped me survive after I left the sect. I still grow medicinal herbs here, and they have been of great use to the village. Though they are merely mortal grade.”

Jiang Cheng absorbed every word, mentally filing the information away. Though Elder Yaozhi had not advanced far in cultivation, his knowledge could be useful. It was rare to meet someone with even a little experience in alchemy outside the sect, and Jiang Cheng was not one to waste an opportunity to learn.

A quiet rustle at the side door drew his attention, though he did not turn his head. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Lian peeking into the room, her dark eyes watching him with barely concealed curiosity.

She quickly withdrew, disappearing into the hallway.

Jiang Cheng said nothing of it.

Instead, he returned his focus to the elder. “You’ve lived in this village for a long time. Have you encountered anything… unusual?”

Elder Yaozhi took a thoughtful sip of his tea. “Unusual?”

“Anything related to Qi. Strange creatures, artifacts, remnants of something greater.” Jiang Cheng spoke.

"I will have to disappoint you, young cultivator, but we here are just a small little village. NO fortunes to be found around here."

The elder chuckled once more.

The conversation stretched on, the two exchanging stories, knowledge, and bits of philosophy. By the time Jiang Cheng set his empty cup down, he had gained not just useful information but a newfound respect for the elder.

If Lian’s curious gaze at the doorway was anything to go by, he had also gained the attention of another.

Across the table, Elder Yaozhi watched him for a moment before speaking again.

“You remind me of myself when I was younger.” the old man mused, his tone thoughtful. “Focused. Disciplined.” He chuckled lightly. “But far stronger than I ever was.”

Jiang Cheng didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply stayed quiet.

Elder Yaozhi didn’t seem to mind. He took a slow sip of his tea before continuing.

“The well has been part of our village for generations. It was dug deep, and its water has always been clear. But that tree… its weight is too much. I fear that even if we remove it, the damage may already be done.”

Jiang Cheng considered that. If the stonework had cracked or caved in, then the problem wouldn’t be as simple as lifting the tree. He might have to reinforce or even rebuild parts of the well, which would take more effort than he initially thought.

“I’ll see for myself in the morning, like I said.” Jiang Cheng repeated, setting his cup down, filled once more by the ever so curious Lian.

“If it’s just the tree, I can move it. If there’s more damage, I’ll handle it accordingly.”

Elder Yaozhi nodded in appreciation. “Good. The village trusts in the sect’s strength.”

Jiang Cheng wasn’t so sure if that was a good thing, but he kept the thought to himself.

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Lian, who had been standing quietly by the other room, stepped in again, collecting the cups with careful hands, now that it was time for bed. She moved with grace, not a single drop spilling. As she turned to leave, Elder Yaozhi spoke again, his voice gentle.

“Lian, prepare a room for our guest.”Lian paused, glancing briefly at Jiang Cheng before nodding.

“Yes, great grandfather.”

With that, she slipped away, leaving the two men alone once more.

Elder Yaozhi exhaled, his age showing for just a moment. “Rest well, honored disciple. Tomorrow, the village will gather to watch.”

Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. “To watch?”

The elder gave him a knowing smile. “It’s not often they get to see a Immortal at work.”

Jiang Cheng let out a amused snort at the choice of words. Immortal? yeah right. Since when can he split mountains apart?

Still, he supposed it didn’t matter. Whether alone or with an audience, the task remained the same.

With that, the conversation drew to a close, and Jiang Cheng retired for the night, his mind already running through the possibilities of what he would find at the well come morning.

As Lian walked him to a room, he could tell she was antsy. Nervous, and most of all, curious.

"You can speak, if you're that curious, miss Lian." Jiang Cheng spoke, startling her, as she let out a surprised "eeep!" at being found out, turning to look upwards at him, her face noticeably red.

Though, all she let out, was a quiet good night, before closing the door, leaving him in this simple guest room.

So much for keeping things simple, huh? Cheng thought. It was clear to him, that old man Yaozhi's great granddaughter was more than curious about him.

The sun had barely risen when Jiang Cheng made his way toward the well, the crisp morning air carrying the scent of damp earth and dew-covered grass.

The village was already stirring. Farmers setting out to their fields, women fetching water from the river, children running between houses with excited whispers about the "immortal" here to fix their well.

Jiang Cheng ignored the stares as he walked, his focus set on the task ahead. As he passed by a certain house, he had to keep a chuckle from leaving his mouth, as a kid, no more than sever, asked his mother if all immortals had silver eyes. It made him wonder if he was just like that, at the boy's age.

When he arrived, however, he stopped in his tracks.

The tree was massive.

Elder Yaozhi had mentioned it was large, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. The trunk was thick, gnarled, and heavy enough that it must have weighed several hundred jins at the very least.

(1 jin=0.6 kg for reference.)

The bark, which should have been a natural brown, was strangely dark, almost charred in places, but not in the way normal fire would leave behind.

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, pressing his palm against the surface.

The moment he did, a faint sensation ran through him. The Qi in the wood was... unusual. He felt a subtle but noticeable resistance, like a dormant energy still lingering beneath the surface. More than that, his own Qi felt oddly reactive, as if something in the wood was influencing it.

Lightning Qi?

It was the only explanation that made sense. The tree had been struck by lightning, and somehow, traces of that power had remained. That alone wasn’t strange. Qi could linger in objects, especially in places where natural energies had gathered for years. But for it to still be this potent a month later? That was abnormal.

Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows. If the lightning had altered the tree’s properties, it might not be as simple as just lifting it away.

He flexed his fingers, testing how his own Qi interacted with the strange energy. It didn’t outright reject him, but there was a faint static like feeling in his palm. As if the wood itself was waiting for something.

Nonetheless, he gripped a part of the trunk, and tried to lift. With his pure physical might? barely nudging it, showing just how intertwined Qi had become with his body. Even without using Qi, it had strengthened his body. His muscles. Everything had been attuned to the Qi residing in his dantian.

Then, He took a deep breath, and his Qi flowed within him. And in a Move that made every villager drop their jaws open, and for elder Yaozhi to take in a deep breath, he lifted the truck.

Hesitantly at first, trying to get a good grip on it, and not really looking forward on dropping it on his feet, he let more Qi flow, and moved the tree, off the well, and a couple zhang away from it.

Seems like things were more complicated than he thought, as he looked at the well. Or what remained of it at least.