31 Scripture Library 1

By the time that he collected his farming tools, it was already rather late in the afternoon. Which meant that he barely had time to take a look around the medicine field that he had been assigned, before he had to return to the Medicine Hall, a smaller place than the Main Hall, for his evening meal.

The food wasn't anything to rave about, but there was enough of it to go around. Especially since most of the other Outer School disciples there in the medicine gardens weren't inclined to make the walk in the evening. He found out from Chen Xing that they were allowed to draw on the raw rations, so that they could cook their own meals in their own huts.

Which was the reason why he had a rather sizable bag of rice and other provisions on his shoulders, in addition to his tools, when he started trudging back to his new home.

Chen Xing seemed to chuckle as he watched Qin Feng struggle under the weight of it all, but he didn't offer to help. It seemed that one need to be responsible for one's own choices, there in the Heaven Sword School. Well, he could live with that.

The field wasn't in that bad a condition as he had feared. But he would still need a good bit of work, he realized, to bring it to a state where it would pay. Especially since it had not been tended to for at least two, three years. And that meant that he would have to get his hands dirty, like it or not!

Fortunately, he did have a plan. But it would require him to find some place in that planting zone where he could keep to himself. While the spot was well away from Chen Xing or anyone else who was likely to visit him, the little hut where he was supposed to sleep and eat and store his tools was rather small. And not exactly where he could fit in another person.

At least, not without it being obvious. And he was very certain that he did not wish to risk anyone finding out about his secrets!

That was the reason why he had gone around his fields, to look out for a spot where he could hide his puppet away from sight. It was rather recognizable, as someone who wasn't a part of the Heaven Sword School. And its cold flesh would be a dead giveaway if anyone laid a hand on it!

Chen Xing, on the other hand, seemed content that he was so thrilled that he was clambering over every inch of the place, so he left after a while. Much to Qin Feng's relief, actually. For a moment, he was afraid that the old man would stay with him until night fell!

And it was close to an hour after he was gone, just as the Dining Hall bell sounded to summon the disciples for their dinner, that he finally found a likely spot.

It was an old cistern, that served to collect rainwater. Normally, it would be more of a pond, that people could rear fish in, to supplement their dietary needs. But to Qin Feng, it was more useful as a hiding place, to put aside his puppet.

For a moment, he considered missing a meal, to get the place ready for the puppet to move in. Then he changed his mind. He was new, after all, and should make an appearance, such as it was, at the Dining Hall once more. After all, there was a chance that Chen Xing would show up again, to check on him, if he didn't.

To his surprise, the Dining Hall was largely empty. And after speaking to the few people that were around, he soon discovered that most of the disciples in the Outer School medicine gardens tended to remain at their fields in the evening, so that they could avoid wasting their time to make the trip.

And that the Dining Hall was more than happy to hand out some basic rations for them to handle their own meals!

After all, didn't that mean that they would have less to do?

For a moment, he was tempted to do the same. Then he remembered. His cooking wasn't all that great. And he would have to waste time to clean up the mess after dealing with his own meals too. Which he wasn't ready to do.

So he simply left the Dining Hall, once he was done. He would work out the details later. Once he had everything else in order.

Of course, he had to prepare a place for the puppet first!

It was already dark when he returned to the cistern. But the moonlight was bright enough for him to get an idea about the place. It would suit, so long as he made a few adjustments. Which was enough to make up his mind for him.

He certainly would not be able to get everything around his so-called farm ready, without the puppet's help!

He decided to wait until late at night, before he attempted to summon his puppet to the rear mountain. There were weaknesses in the Guard Formation there, after all, and he didn't want anyone else to know that he had such a tool with him. Besides, it would be easier for him to spot the breaks in the same, if he was in the puppet's body.

By the time that he brought it back, and hid it in the cistern, he had already come up with a simple plan. First of all, he would use the greater strength and endurance of the puppet to deal with the fields under his charge. From what Chen Xing said earlier, no one was likely to bother him, given the location of his little medicine garden. Which was just the way that he liked it!

Fortunately, the ramshackle old hut was close enough to the edge of the School territory, so he should be able to hide the puppet close by, without too many worries that it would be spotted. If he was careful, it was unlikely to be discovered. That meant that he would have a helper to deal with the farming chores. And that would give him more time to go exploring the Southern Forest!

After all, didn't old man Chen Xing say that they stood a chance to get their hands on some rather rare and expensive materials there? That would be just he needed, to get himself through this stupid ordeal!

Then he gave out a sigh, and remembered why he was there, at the Heaven Sword School, in the first place.

The Hidden Scripture Library and the Jade Tree manual! That was the reason that he had chosen to come to the Heaven Sword School!

So he would not let anything get in the way of getting that book into his hands!

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