Morning.

As the first rays of the sun pierced through the gaps in the hut, Bubai emerged from his humble abode.

His gaze met that of his slender neighbor, her almond-shaped eyes still carrying the weight of the night's ordeal. Her face was dirty, but that high cheekbone, narrow chin, and dainty nose were certainly proofs of her hidden beauty.

Noticing his gaze, WeiWei’s brown eyes, still red from crying, met his briefly before she bowed her head, briskly stumbling away.

Bubai felt a sudden pat on his shoulder. Old Liu appeared beside him, watching the leaving WeiWei, “I thought an honest man like you wouldn’t be able to resist, but it seems you still know your place. That’s good. Don’t think too much about it, young man. This is the right method to survive.”

Old Liu scoffed slightly as he strutted towards the field, where the rest of the group had already gathered with their tools.

Soon, Manager Qin arrived with a bag of seeds, plopping them on the ground, the bag opening slightly to reveal seeds that Bubai recognized. Spirit rice seeds.

Manager Qin, with a smug grin, surveyed the tired and disheveled group of laborers. “Time to work. No slacking off or there will be consequences. Especially you two,” he said, pointing at the two muscular men. “With better conditions, I hope you two will show your worth. Otherwise, don’t blame me for terminating the contract.”

Manager Qin then set his gaze on WeiWei, tossing a clean white robe towards her, “Clean up and meet me at my place to serve tea.”

WeiWei ignored the strange stares of the men, clutching the robe against her chest and walked away towards the forest with a lowered head.

The remaining men quickly decided on their plots, claiming the “good” plots, hoping for a better harvest.

Soon, Bubai carried his hoe, walking to the leftover plot on the field and began to hoe away.

The sun beat down on the laborers as they toiled in the dry soil, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. The rhythmic sound of hoes striking the earth echoed across the field, blending with the murmurs of discontent from the group.

A couple hours later, Bubai heard a whistle from his neighbor, Ah Niu, “Whew. That appearance, like one of those noble fairies. Too bad she will soon be a flower stuck to cow dung.”

Following his neighbor’s gaze, Bubai feasted his eyes on the slender young lady with fair skin as she stumbled across the farm field, like a noble lady visiting her family fields. The white robe wrapped her shapely, slender figure, emphasizing her small yet round and full bosom.

The only blemish was the dirt that stained the hems of her white robe, barely hiding her dainty feet in wooden sandals.

After a brief glance, Bubai bowed his head, returning to his work. He will not regret his decision, no matter how beautiful she is.

Old Liu, with a calculated smile, approached Bubai as he worked.

“See that woman? She’ll be Manager Qin’s favorite for now. As long as she keeps him pleased, she’ll have an easier time. It's the way things work here,” Old Liu whispered, glancing towards WeiWei, who was now walking towards Manager Qin's abode with a reluctant posture.

Bubai, still hoeing the soil, didn’t lift his gaze. “It’s none of my business.”

Old Liu chuckled. “Spoken like a true survivor. Just remember, you’re only as good as your usefulness in this world.”

As the day wore on, the laborers continued their work under the oppressive heat. Manager Qin, satisfied after his “tea time”, periodically strolled through the fields, eyeing their progress with a critical eye.

When he approached Bubai's plot, he nodded approvingly.

“Not bad, not bad. It seems you have some experience. You can be in charge of WeiWei’s field as well.” Manager Qin remarked before moving on to inspect the others.

Bubai’s brows twitched slightly before continuing to work silently. Old Liu and Ah Niu both glanced over with some sympathy.

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Clearly, he was being put under the spotlight. As for who set him up...

Amidst Bubai’s arduous efforts, the slender figure of WeiWei, dressed in her white robe, returned to the field with a pale face, bringing out a basket of buns for the workers.

She tried to hide the weariness in her steps, but just like the bruises on her wrist, these didn't escape the men’s notice.

The men exchanged knowing glances but said nothing.

After setting down the basket, WeiWei silently approached Manager Qin’s side, picking up a fan on the tea table and gently fanned the Manager Qin who was lazily lounging on a mahogany chair as he watched the mortals work.

Old Liu, watching the interactions with keen interest, sidled up to Bubai again. “She’s a smart one. Knows how to play the game. Maybe you should take a few pointers.”

Bubai, focused on stuffing himself like a hungry ghost, simply responded, “What game? I’ll be satisfied as long as I get fed.”

Old Liu shrugged and wandered off, leaving Bubai to his meal. When no one was looking, the bun in Bubai’s hand abruptly vanished, and with a silly smile, he went to grab another under the glares of others.

“Whew, looks like we have a rice bucket. No wonder he can work so hard,” Ah Niu grumbled before he sped up his own eating pace.

Late night, with an exhausted, dirty face, Bubai returned to his hut with a hunched back.

Shutting the door behind him, the exhaustion on Bubai’s face seemed to vanish as he stood upright. Lightly waving his arm and clenching his fist, Bubai couldn’t help but muse, “It seemed that my body really had been strengthened after unlocking my golden finger.”

Barely a month ago, he was exhausted from working one of the fields in the Sect. Now, he barely felt any strain after working one plot.

“But two is still a bit too much… Tsk, she is clearly making things difficult for me because of my inaction.”

Offending a women truly brings misfortune.

“Fortunately, the wisp of green Qi also has a slight recovery effect, or my stamina might not have lasted and I would truly be dropping dead from exhaustion every night.”

Bubai didn’t know how strong his body could get, but if he had enough green qi, perhaps he might pass as a body refiner with his recovery rate.

Of course, Bubai didn’t want to reveal his uniqueness to others. He still did his due diligence, showing proper exhaustion during and after the workout. After all, he was a mortal in the eyes of others.

As for claiming he was born with super strength? A mortal with a special bloodline… don’t expect loose cultivators to miss out on the opportunity to sell him to a demonic sect for a good amount of money.

Settling onto his bed, Bubai couldn't shake off the lingering image of WeiWei in her white robe. The beauty that had graced the mortal fields, despite the hardships, stirred something within him.

Yet, when he glanced at his humble surroundings, the walls patched with worn-out straw and the meager hay bedding, he reminded himself of the harsh reality.

“Cultivation first, beauties later.”

That night, WeiWei didn’t return to her hut. Nor the night after.

Days turned into weeks and as the laborers gathered for another day of work, Manager Qin barked orders, picking on their every move. Bubai kept his silly smile intact even when Manager Qin rudely slapped his face.

Well, Bubai had already been prepared to receive Manager Qin’s anger. The day before, he learned from the little beggar boy that someone reported Manager Qin for claiming 20% more profit under the name of the landlord, an attempt to pay less taxes to Ling City.

It wasn’t too big of a deal, as it was a “mistake” that was simple to fix, especially since there had been no profitable transactions as of yet.

However, the landlord certainly wasn’t happy. Manager Qin, on the receiving end of that anger, also had a ball of fire brewing within him.

And, that night, WeiWei was sent back to her hut for the first time.

When the next day dawned, she was working in the fields with the other men, a clear palm print on her pale face.

Old Liu sneered, applauding secretly, “Being too smart and hearing too much isn’t always good. Seems like she has fallen out of favor this time. Tsk, tsk- that appearance and that body. If that old thing doesn’t want her, many will be happy to take a dip. What do you think?”

“No thanks.” Bubai shook his head. “The early bird gets the worm. How about you give it a try, Old Liu?”

“Oh, don’t count this old man.” Waving his hand nonchalantly, Old Liu knocked on his waist twice, “Haha… This old man’s bones can’t handle a snake like her. But it’s you, with your slick tongue, you might have a chance. The early bird gets the worm. Huh. Interesting, but how come you keep waking up so late...”

Oh, the old man began to drone on again.

Listening to it with his silly smile intact, Bubai planted another seed into the tilled soil, his gaze occasionally flickering towards WeiWei, who seemed to navigate the challenges with a resilient spirit, her previous weak, timid personality seemingly vanishing.

Something has changed? She has become more attractive?

Bubai wasn’t too sure, but he didn’t think much about it. Hey, it’s a good thing he only needs to work one plot of land.

Confirming that Manager Qin wasn’t around, he allowed his Qi Gathering formation to reactivate, and at the same time, drew a wisp of green qi from his mysterious space, allowing his dantian to absorb it.

As a refreshing sensation breezed through his tired body, a part of his exhaustion suddenly abated and he silently continued working in his field.

At night, he continued to cultivate in secret, finding a balance between the growth of his Qi pool and the recovery of his own overworked body.

Amidst the labor and hardships, Bubai settled into the routine farm life, going from planting to daily watering and pest control.

Some days, he could relax as he watched Manager Qin use the Spirit Rain spell to water the fields with Qi-infused water.

As for the other days… he had the misfortune of working on two plots.

Toiling and enduring, then one morning, Bubai’s eyes snapped open, a smile arising on his dirt-stained face, “Finally, Qi refining level 3.”