Tian Shu Wu Wang Lu

Lin Ye withdrew his star power, carefully tucked the star embers into his bosom, wrapped them tightly in his tattered clothes, leaving only a small opening for them to breathe.

It was just dawn, and the servants in the outhouse were still asleep. Suppressing his excitement, he picked up the carrying pole and buckets as usual and headed towards the mountain spring outside the courtyard.

Now that he has entered the first level of Stardust Body Infusion, his senses are becoming more acute. When carrying water, his steps are lighter and his strength is much greater. The water buckets that used to be heavy can now be carried on his shoulders without any pressure.

Xingjin lay obediently in his arms, his little head peeking out, his sapphire-like eyes curiously looking around. Every now and then, he would nuzzle his little head against Lin Ye's chest, as if sharing his joy.

"Don't move around, it'll be bad if someone finds out." Lin Ye lowered his head and whispered a gentle reminder, his tone full of undisguised tenderness.

Xingjin seemed to understand but not quite, so he obediently shut his mouth, leaving only his fluffy tail to gently brush against Lin Ye's wrist, which softened his heart.

Now that his cultivation has broken through, Lin Ye is becoming more and more adept at his work. What used to take him most of the day, he can now finish in less than half a day.

Seeing that he worked diligently, the steward gave him a rare chance to think highly of him and, for the first time ever, assigned him the light job of delivering ingredients to the outer kitchen. Not only did he no longer have to do the heavy work of chopping wood and carrying water, but he could also receive an extra half grain cake every day, which was a rare good job among the servants.

Lin Ye was overjoyed, but his face remained that of a simple and grateful man. He bowed repeatedly to the steward, saying, "Thank you for your consideration, steward. I will definitely work hard and never slack off!"

As he turned to leave, he looked down and touched Xingjin in his arms, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Did you hear that, Xingjin? We've finally made it a little easier! From now on, I can bring you multigrain biscuits every day, and I won't have to fight you for coarse grain buns anymore!"

Xingjin snuggled against him, letting out a soft, sweet hum. He clearly understood the words "mixed grain biscuit," and his little body perked up with excitement.

On his way to the kitchen, Lin Ye deliberately avoided the three skinny guys who had bullied him before. Now that he had just broken through, his foundation was still shallow, so there was no need to confront them head-on. The survival rule for a working man is to avoid their sharp edges and develop steadily.

But fate had other plans.

Just as they reached the path that the outer disciples were sure to take, they bumped into the skinny man with two followers, who were strolling around slowly, eating spirit fruits and muttering curses, seemingly complaining about not having caught the Star Spirit Fox before.

Lin Ye's heart tightened, and he immediately lowered his head, quickening his pace to brush past her. Xing Jin in his arms also instantly quieted down, holding his breath and completely concealing the starlight around him, afraid of being noticed by the other party.

But the skinny man had sharp eyes and spotted Lin Ye, who was wearing tattered servant's clothes, immediately raised his eyebrows and reached out to block his way.

"Isn't this that cowardly handyman? Where are you in such a hurry?" The skinny man sized Lin Ye up and down, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery. "You were lucky last time I didn't hold it against you. Have you seen that white fox again lately?"

Lin Ye lowered his head, clutching the food basket tightly in his hands, his face full of fear and timidity, his voice trembling slightly: "Senior brother, I've never seen one before. I'm just a handyman delivering food, and I've always stayed in the servants' quarters and the kitchen. I've never seen a fox before."

His heart was pounding, and he secretly circulated his star power, always on guard against any attack from his opponent. Xing Jin in his arms also tensed up slightly, and a wisp of star power quietly gathered, ready to protect its master at any time.

The skinny man stared at Lin Ye for a long time, seeing him trembling and looking cowardly, he didn't take him seriously at all. Remembering that he hadn't found the spirit fox after chasing it for so long, he figured it had probably already escaped far away. He snorted coldly and kicked Lin Ye's food basket: "Get lost! Seeing you is bad luck. Don't get in my way next time!"

"Yes, yes, yes, this disciple will leave now!" Lin Ye hurriedly replied, lowered his head and left quickly. He only breathed a sigh of relief after walking a long way away.

He patted Xingjin in his arms and whispered, "It's alright now, don't be afraid. From now on, we'll try to avoid them as much as possible."

Xingjin poked its little head out from under its clothes, bared its little teeth in the direction the skinny guy had left, its eyes full of resentment, and waved its little paws, looking like it was going to teach the other guy a lesson next time, which made Lin Ye burst out laughing.

"You still want to fight them? Get your injuries healed first." Lin Ye shook his head helplessly and walked briskly towards the kitchen.

With this light work, Lin Ye's life gradually improved. Every day, he could not only get extra mixed grain cakes, but also occasionally pick up some leftover spirit rice scraps from the outer disciples in the kitchen. Although there wasn't much, it was much better than coarse grain steamed buns.

Whenever he gets food, Lin Ye always saves the best parts for Xing Jin, while he himself happily munches on the multigrain pancakes.

Xingjin became increasingly attached to him, and no matter where Linye went, he would stay obediently in his arms or in the takeout box, never running away.

During the day, while Lin Ye worked, it silently helped, using its star power to organize the ingredients and stabilize the baskets. At night, while Lin Ye cultivated, it lay beside him, fully releasing its star power to assist Lin Ye in absorbing it. Lin Ye's cultivation level steadily improved at a visible pace, closing the distance...

The second layer of stardust entering the body is getting closer and closer.

The life of the human and the fox was harmonious and warm.

That day, after delivering the ingredients, Lin Ye took an extra multigrain pancake. As soon as he reached a secluded spot, he couldn't wait to take it out and hand it to Xing Jin in his arms: "Look, today's extra meal, eat up!"

Xingjin picked up the multigrain cake but didn't eat it immediately. Instead, he broke off a small piece and offered it to Lin Ye's mouth. Sapphire's eyes were fixed on him, indicating that he should eat first.

Lin Ye felt a warmth in his heart and shook his head with a smile: "I won't eat, you eat, I'm not hungry."

Xingjin stubbornly leaned forward, pressing her little head against his lips, looking as if she wouldn't eat if he didn't eat.

Lin Ye had no choice but to open his mouth and eat the small piece of multigrain pancake, then patted Xing Jin's head: "Are you satisfied now? Eat up."

Xingjin then happily began to gnaw on the food. The two sat under the tree, the sunlight shining on them, creating a particularly warm and cozy atmosphere.

Lin Ye looked at the obedient Xing Jin, his eyes becoming more and more determined: "Xing Jin, soon I will be able to break through to the second level of Qi Refining. At that time, I will apply for the outer disciple assessment. We will leave the servants' quarters for good and never be bullied again, and never have to eat these leftovers again."

"Once I become an outer disciple, I'll have my own place to live, a stable supply of spiritual rice and cultivation resources. We'll cultivate diligently, and one day, I'll make everyone who looks down on us look at us with new eyes!"

Xingjin stopped eating, rubbed his palm against Xingjin's hand, and let out a clear hum. Starlight shimmered around him, as if he was fully supporting Xingjin's decision.

Just as the man and the fox were encouraging each other, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from not far away, accompanied by several arrogant shouts. Lin Ye looked up and his face darkened slightly.

The servant who had deliberately kicked over his water bucket earlier, along with three burly servants, surrounded him menacingly, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Lin Ye, you've been hiding your true colors! I never thought a good-for-nothing like you could snag an easy job in the kitchen. You must have pulled some tricks up your sleeve!" The servant crossed his arms, his tone sarcastic. "Today, either you give me this job, or you hand over all the extra rations you've been taking these past few days. Otherwise, you're not leaving!"

Lin Ye slowly stood up, shielding Xing Jin behind him. The naive and timid look on his face gradually faded, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He used to be patient because he lacked strength and didn't want to cause trouble, but now he has broken through the first level of Stardust Body and has Star Ash by his side. He is no longer a soft persimmon that can be easily manipulated.

Working people don't cause trouble, but they're definitely not afraid of trouble either.

Lin Ye looked at the group of people who had surrounded him, his voice calm but carrying an unassailable air: "The work was assigned to me by the foreman, and I earned my own rations. If you want them, go and get them yourself. Don't try to bully me."

This was the first time Lin Ye had shown his prowess in front of others. The servant was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage: "You, Lin Ye, you've got some nerve! Brothers, beat him up! Teach this arrogant brat a lesson!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the group immediately swung their fists and pounced on Lin Ye!