The Geared Immortal

Chapter 85

The songs of the cicada loom through the air making the cool morning breeze seems full of energy and vitality. In a pavilion in the middle of a small lake sat a young man wearing a light green cultivator's robe while drinking a cup of tea. The beautiful face of the young man is downed with an expression of worry and anxiousness while he knits his brow.

His mind right now is full of worry and anxiety as he is forced to face some troublesome circumstance. He didn't truly want to be involved in this thing about their clan but he is forced to do so. While he is drowning himself in deep thinking, two figures are slowly walking towards his pavilion.

"Young Master, you seemed worried about something." Rat Ling immediately said after they arrived in the pavilion.

"Hmm!" Shin Jiao suddenly noticed a letter on the table and his eyes lit up.

"I… Sigh, Rat Ling, I don't know what to do anymore. I guess this year I will get beaten up once again." Zen Nian said with a heavy heart.

Then Zen Nian lifted his eyes and saw Rat Ling along with Shin Jiao, and suddenly his eyes lit up. Right in front of him, Rat Ling's aura undulation is very vigorous and strong. He could not believe his eyes on what he is seeing right now. As the master of Rat Ling, Zen Nian is the one who clearly knows the capability and talent of the boy and it is impossible for him to have this aura. The aura of a primary stage spirit refining realm cultivator just like himself.

Right now Zen Nian's mind is filled with doubt and disbelief, as he suddenly remembers the past.

When he first saw Rat Ling, it was several years ago. At that time, Rat Ling is still a little child and was abandoned inside a decrepit house.

They were very young back then and Zen Nian was traveling with his brother and sister along with their servants when they suddenly heard a noise.

"Uwaaahh! Waaaa!"

"What is that annoying sound?" the older brother of Zen Nian asked with irritation clearly written on his face.

"Master it sounded like there is a child in that old house." A servant replied while pointing at one of the old houses in the area.

"Humph… find it and make it shut up for good." The eldest young master of the Nian family said with a vicious and irritated expression on his face.

"This young master is still too young and yet his heart is already this dark. Sigh…" the servant said deep in his heart.

Then he walked in the house and found a cute but dirt covered child. What surprised the servant is that the child not yet at the age of 3 has a slight spiritual Qi fluctuation. But he shook his head as he has been commanded to silence the little boy. He goes near the child and took out a dagger from his back.

"Sorry little one, I'm just doing my job." The servant muttered.

Although the child is crying he heard the servant and was utterly scared, so he immediately darted outside while still crying.

"Waaa! Mother!" the child cried.

Then at that time, Zen Nian got down from the carriage worried for the child as he heard the command of his elder brother. His young and soft heart could not bear to see a young child being killed, so he immediately rushed out.

"Che! What a coward!" Zen Nian's older brother mocked as he watched his youngest brother ran out.

Then accidentally the child arrived in front of Zen Nian and grabbed his robe. The child shaking body made Zen Nian's heart melts. He truly pitied the little child who is currently covered in dirt and snot. From the looks of his clothing, the child seems to have traveled for a long distance before arriving in this place.

"Stop! Please... I... I will take care of him." Zen Nian said to the servant who came chasing.

The servant just nods and heaves a sigh of relief.

"Hmm… You follow me from now on okay?" Zen Nian said as he patted the child's head.

"Little brother, if you want to keep that thing. Get on to the other carriages; I don't want my carriage to smell like cow dung. Am I right sister? Hahaha…" the oldest brother said while he took a glance at his young sister, who nonchalantly looks outside the window.

When she saw the child behind Zen Nian she just took a glance and look away as if she is looking at an ant.

So without a choice, Zen Nian brought the little child with him.

Starting that day that little child became his only friend as they would always play together and learn together. Although the child became his servant, Zen Nian actually treated him more like his own brother. The brotherhood between then grew as time passes by, but what Zen Nian hated the most, is when the child was named by his older brother.

"Hey! That little thing looks dirty as a rat. I think we will just call him Rat, and since your mother is from the Ling family he will carry that name too… Rat Ling! Sounds good… Hahaha!"

"Young master! This is my name? Rat Ling… I kinda like it." the little child innocently said.

The mocking gaze of the servants and the children in the clan began to scorn the little child; luckily Zen Nian is there to protect him. But unknown to them as Rat Ling grew up he develops a sense of gratitude towards the kindness of his master and swore to protect him.

When Rat Ling heard Zen Nian say that he would just accept the beating once again his fist clenched. His eyes suddenly had a murderous look in them. Upon seeing this Shin Jiao shook his head, he knows what would happen if Rat Ling exposes his cultivation. Everyone would become jealous and will plot something against the two, and he will also suffer the consequence.

But Shin Jiao already has a plan, his goal is to enter the alchemy house of the clan, and his ticket is right in front of him.

"Master, both Rat Ling and I can help you." Shin Jiao said politely.

Upon hearing this, Zen Nian's brow lights up.

"I knew there is something wrong in here. This guy may be the one who helped Rat Ling reached the same cultivation as I am." Zen Nian thought.

"I am but a lowly cultivator, but I might help you become strong with techniques." Shin Jiao said.

Right now he would not say that he can help Zen Nian grow stronger, though he could not see his cultivation, Shin Jiao is sure that Zen Nian is as strong as Rat Ling through his senses.

"Master, I just have a request. I wanted to be your assistant in the alchemy house." Shin Jiao said with his head lowered.

"You know alchemy?" Zen Nian said with a knitted brow.

"Just a little bit master. I just wanted to be of help to you as you have saved my life." Shin Jiao said with a hint of humbleness in his words.

"Alright, I will grant your request. Just don't make a mess in the alchemy house. I myself is not an alchemist there, I just gather and take care of the plants." Zen Nian said feeling a little dejected.

When he enters the alchemy house, he was tested by the alchemist in their clan. He found that the questionnaire and the formulas are too complex for him, so he gave up and was given the lowest job. But he is happy with that job as he can spend a lot of his time to talk to the plants, having a quiet time by himself, and be free from persecution.

"Thank you, young master!" Shin Jiao said in gratitude.

He truly felt happy as now he can enter the alchemy house and find the medicinal herbs he needed to heal his meridian.

"There are 3 basic herbs I need. If I'm not mistaken, on the book that Qin Lou gave me… I need Red grass, 100-year-old ginseng, and blood lingzhi." Shin Jiao thought as his mind drifted to the day that his meridian will be fixed.

That night before going home, Shin Jiao gave Zen Nian some instruction before they will start their training the next day. Since they are going to do this in secret, they will be practicing in Shin Jiao's little room.

Meanwhile…

"Where are the 5 servants I asked to fetch those two trashes?" a man in his 30's shouted at a person in front of him.

This man is the Head of all the servants serving the lower members of the family. He is the one who asked Shin Jiao and Rat Ling to be taught a lesson, but to his surprise, the 5 people he sent didn't come back while Shin Jiao and Rat Ling are just fine.

"There is something fishy going on in here. We will wait until that trash young master is not around and we will take care of those two." The man said with an evil smile.

"The eldest young master said to beat Rat Ling so that he cannot help his master in the coming Clan Trials. If I cannot obey this I will be screwed." The man thought.

He started to plan his next moves, this time he will make sure that Rat Ling and the new servant beside him will suffer.

…

The next day, Shin Jiao followed Zen Nian to the alchemy house.

The smell of medicinal herbs permeated the air as Shin Jiao entered the large hall with Zen Nian. He noticed the busy people in roaming around the hall and found that each of them is too focused on learning about alchemy. Some even have large books and manuals in their embrace.

As Shin Jiao observed his surroundings he was truly amused at the things he saw. Pots and pill bottles, spiritual and medicinal herbs, and pill furnace of every kind can be seen everywhere.

"It seems that the hall is not for welcoming patients but for the clan alchemist to concoct pills." Shin Jiao thought as he saw many people ranging from young ones to old men fully concentrated in what they are doing.

The two of them walk on the side and entered a room, and then they proceed to walk through a corridor until they reached outside. Then Shin Jiao noticed a large plantation of medicinal herbs of every kind and people wondering around it while some are picking or harvesting.

"I guess this will be my new workplace." Shin Jiao said to himself as he breathes in the fresh air coupled with the medicinal herb aroma.

The two walked until they reached the farthest most part of the field where a small old wooden hut stood. Seeing this Shin Jiao could not believe his eyes, this young master is the youngest master of the clan and yet he stays in a small decrepit hut.

"He is truly a very patient person. I guess lending him a bit of a hand is okay." Shin Jiao thought.

When the two of them arrived Zen Nian immediately changed his cultivator's robe into worker's clothing. Shin Jiao just watched on the side on what Zen Nian would do. As his leg is still not okay, working for a long time would be a little hard for him.

After taking care of the plants, Zen Nian found Shin Jiao roaming in the field. He didn't know why, but it seems to him that this new servant of his seems to be familiar with medicinal herbs.

"Master, you're done! Here, take a seat and some water." Shin Jiao said as he noticed the Zen Nian has returned.

Shin Jiao has now found the ingredients that he needed to cure his meridian. But the problem is one of those ingredients; the 100-year-old ginseng is located at the back part of the field inside an array formation. So he is deliberating how he would get the herb. Of course with his set of skills, he can steal it under everyone's nose, but as a newcomer in the alchemy house he will be the prime suspect and he is not that stupid to expose himself obviously. As a spy from the earth, he is trained to blend in his surroundings and do things inconspicuously.

So he will wait for the right chance to grab a single stem of 100-year-old ginseng.

"So, how do you find this kind of job? Can you do it?" Zen Nian asked.

Shin Jiao who is standing in front of him with his mind which looks like somewhere else regain his composure.

"Ye… yes, master… I think I can do this kind of job. Plus it's not that difficult to take care of the herbs here." Shin Jiao replied.

"Hehehe… With this many different herbs, I can heal my wounds in one day. I can also make some extra pills on the side using his old alchemy furnace. Hmmm… I need some spirit stones and beast core though. Sigh… If only I can access my ring... Hmm... Maybe there is another way…" Shin Jiao thought to himself.

"Umm… master, do you perhaps know how to concoct pills?" Shin Jiao curiously asked.

Zen Nian noticed that Shin Jiao's eyes are glued on an old furnace and shook his head.

"I do but, I am that proficient, I can even barely make a level 1 healing pill. Sigh… If only I am a gifted alchemist, just like the famous Miss Qin Lou from the Floating Lotus alchemy school." Zen Nian muttered in disappointment.

"Huh? He… he knows Qin Lou?" Shin Jiao was a little taken aback as he thought.

But Shin Jiao showed a different expression, a confused one as if he didn't know what Zen Nian is talking about.

"Are you confused about who she is right? She is known as the genius who made many different pills for the empire… Hmm… I… I actually have a portrait of her, here." Zen Nian then took out a small piece of paper and in it is the face of a very familiar woman wearing a white veil on her face.

Upon seeing the portrait of Qin Lou, Shin Jiao's heart jump as a sudden gush of memory flooded his mind. He promised her that he would protect her and now he is in this place unable to keep that promise. Now his passion is ignited on his goal to go back to the underground base.

"By the way master, where is this woman now?" Shin Jiao asked in curiosity.

"She's staying in the town of Dis. And I heard that in this year's Empire alchemy contest, she will be attending. So I really wanted to become a grade 2 alchemist, but I guess my talent is just really that bad." Zen Nian replied looking helpless.

"I guess if we can attend the alchemy contest, I can see Qin Lou again.." Shin Jiao said with a glint of determination in his eyes.