I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 43 - 34: Offending Others

"You’ve been practicing ’Green Wood Technique’ for so long and still only at entry-level, do you expect praise from me? I don’t expect you to suddenly master a Second Layer spell, but could you at least make an effort? I think you shouldn’t bother going to the Dharma Hall anymore, it’s a waste of time!"

Lv Ying barely made it to entry-level in ’Green Wood Technique’ today, joyfully went to find Song Pei’er, only to be reprimanded.

Even though Jiang Yuebai was the first in Huaxi Valley to master the Cultivation Technique, no one offered Lv Ying a single word of praise or encouragement for being the second.

Lv Ying felt aggrieved, but no one knew.

Wandering alone, just at the valley entrance, she saw Jiang Yuebai and Shi Xiaowu laughing and talking, which made Lv Ying feel even worse.

"Lv Ying, wait!"

Jiang Yuebai stepped forward and grabbed Lv Ying’s sleeve, but she shook it off with a stern face.

"I’m sorry!" Jiang Yuebai shouted to stop Lv Ying from leaving, "I spoke too harshly that day and hurt your feelings, I apologize."

Lv Ying halted, a wave of sour discomfort surged in her heart.

Jiang Yuebai took out a long wooden box, revealing a translucent and smooth jade hairpin with a pleasant fragrance.

"I specially picked this for you, warm jade brings fragrance, refreshing and eye-catching, it’s my way of apologizing, please forgive me."

"Who wants your apology gift, I don’t want your pity!"

Lv Ying slapped the wooden box from Jiang Yuebai’s hand, the jade hairpin flew out, broke in half against a roadside stone.

Jiang Yuebai clenched her fists, Shi Xiaowu stood at a distance, biting a chicken leg with a look of shock.

After a while, Jiang Yuebai was the first to laugh, "It’s okay if you don’t like this hairpin, I still have some Spirit Stones, tell me what you want, I’ll buy it for you."

Lv Ying’s eyes reddened, "I want you to disappear, never appear in front of me again!"

Jiang Yuebai looked puzzled, "What have I done wrong for you to hate me like this?"

"Yes, I just hate you, hate your charitable pretense of pitying me, showing off your greatness in front of me, making everyone compare me to you!"

"Don’t you do the same?"

Jiang Yuebai coldly asked, causing Lv Ying to tremble.

"That day I was the last in Huaxi Valley while you were the first. Among so many people, why did you choose to befriend me? Aren’t you conceited too? Do you really think I’m stupid? You just want to use me to highlight your excellence and kindness!"

Lv Ying was intimidated by Jiang Yuebai’s presence, feeling guilty and trembling.

"You... you have the ability, why don’t you befriend Lu Nanzhi? See if they even acknowledge a servant like you!"

"You despise me, so do you assume everyone does? Grandpa was right, people can accept me poorly, standing aloft to pity me, yet cannot see me have any goodness, you are such a person, guess I misjudged you!"

After speaking, Jiang Yuebai brushed past, wiping her face with her sleeve, decisive and resolved.

Lv Ying stared at the broken jade hairpin on the ground, her face pale and body cold.

"I’m not... I didn’t..."

Lv Ying covered her face and cried bitterly.

Shi Xiaowu looked from Lv Ying to the departing Jiang Yuebai, standing there unsure what to do.

Jiang Yuebai, full of frustration and anger, walked back to the small courtyard, finding the gate wide open.

"Old Tao, are you disrespecting me or ignoring my sister and Elder Lin? I just go out for a few days, and you’ve let all my twenty acres of spiritual fields go barren?"

"Cough, cough, there was a snow disaster, cough cough, the old man was helpless!"

Jiang Yuebai’s heart trembled as she stepped into the courtyard and saw Tao Fengnian pale and bloodless, clutching his chest struggling to breathe, sitting by the stone table, while Jia Wei stood with folded arms, eyes sinister and aggressive.

"What are you doing!"

Jiang Yuebai rushed to Tao Fengnian, spread her arms protectively in front of him, glaring at Jia Wei.

That afternoon grandpa was still healthy and energetic, yet now looks ready to collapse, surely Jia Wei is tormenting grandpa again.

"Yuebai, go back inside!"

Tao Fengnian struggled to pull Jiang Yuebai, who stubbornly stood her ground, having accumulated inner anger from arguing with Lv Ying earlier, now impossible to suppress.

Jia Wei’s eyes turned fierce, "Leave before you die!"

"You’re the one who should leave! Constantly making grandpa work for you, everywhere it’s clear you’re in the wrong, not to mention grandpa is Huaxi Valley’s manager, you’re just a servant disciple, hurting my grandpa will have you punished by sect rules!"

"Shut up!"

Slap!

Tao Fengnian stood up, pulled over Jiang Yuebai, and slapped her.

Jiang Yuebai turned her head dumbfounded, white face swelling with red rising finger marks, eyes misted with moisture, she bit her lip hard, tears rolling down.

Tao Fengnian’s heart felt like being cut by knives, trembling, hand hanging like a hot iron.

Jia Wei snickered, "Kids need discipline to prevent offending others, otherwise they may not know how they die."

Tao Fengnian twisted his mouth, half shielding Jiang Yuebai.

"She’s spoiled by me, Junior Brother Jia please allow me a moment to rest, the twenty acres will certainly be reclaimed within three days, and new Spirit Plants sowed."

Jiang Yuebai raised her head with tears streaming, looking confused at Tao Fengnian.

Tao Fengnian didn’t look at her, but only at Jia Wei.

Jia Wei dusted off imaginary specks, dissatisfied, "Three days is too long, you’re a Spiritual Cultivation Master, two will suffice, I happen to have Spiritual Medicine Seeds, though they’re fussy and require careful tending, you will plant them too."

Tao Fengnian’s hunched back, feeling desolate, "Fine, two days it is."

Only then did Jia Wei show satisfaction, casually tossing a bag of Spiritual Medicine Seeds at Tao Fengnian’s feet.

Before leaving, he took a deep look at Jiang Yuebai.

"Little girl, I hear you’re a maid under Lin Suwan, quite sharp-witted, my sister needs an attendant, should I give you a promotion?"

Jiang Yuebai fearlessly glared defensively, but Tao Fengnian shielded her behind his trembling voice begging.

"This girl has a contract with me, registered at the sect, during her apprenticeship term, it’s inconvenient to move her."

Jia Wei smiled, implications clear.

"That’s unfortunate, but your contract might not last through her apprenticeship."

After finishing, Jia Wei swaggered away, leaving Tao Fengnian collapsed on the ground, coughing harshly.

"Grandpa!" Jiang Yuebai hurriedly checked Tao Fengnian’s condition.

"Girl, you shouldn’t have spoken up, Jia Wei is a petty man, why provoke him!"

Jiang Yuebai defends, "So just let him bully you? Twenty acres cleared and sowed in two days, he’s obviously threatening your life!"

Tao Fengnian smiled bitterly, spotting the slap mark on Jiang Yuebai, feeling heartache trembling, "Good girl, did grandpa hurt you?"

Jiang Yuebai shook her head, "Grandpa, let’s find Brother Hong and explain, there must be a solution, if you give in to Jia Wei, he’ll keep pushing!"

"You don’t understand, you’re young, cough cough, cough."

Tao Fengnian shook his head repeatedly, Jiang Yuebai bottled up, unable to understand what grandpa fears, before he was invincible against Demon Wolves, why can’t he handle the likes of a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer Jia Wei!

Unable to persuade Tao Fengnian, after resting briefly he stubbornly headed out; Jiang Yuebai could only follow, hoping to lighten his burden somewhat.

For two days the grandfather and granddaughter labored between fields, Jiang Yuebai remained sullen, silent, focused solely on work.

Once all Spiritual Medicines were planted, after washing back at the small courtyard, Tao Fengnian intended to apologize when Jiang Yuebai silently packed to leave.

"Are you going to the Dharma Hall? Grandpa will take you."

"No need, grandpa please rest."

Without turning, Jiang Yuebai departed, Tao Fengnian sat smoking his smoke rod, covered in lonesome.

He wasn’t helpless but unwilling to stake his life, he wished to survive.

Sunset moonrise, Tao Fengnian hasn’t seen Jiang Yuebai return, pacing from the small courtyard to the valley entrance, the little girl should have returned by now, yet still absent.

Tao Fengnian pondered, suddenly his expression dramatically shifted!