The garden gate was a simple structure, two thick logs roughly pieced together to form a fence door. It was currently left wide open.

Chen Ping took out his token and had just reached the entrance when the smooth surface—specifically the spot engraved with the characters for “Manager”—vibrated against his palm.

Behind the fence gate, an elderly man was bent over, tending to several plants with broad purple leaves. He wore the uniform of a Regular Disciple, his figure stooped with age.

Sensing the vibration from his own token, he straightened up. His face was a map of deep wrinkles, but his eyes still held a surprising clarity.

Seeing Chen Ping, and especially the brand-new token in his hand and the bundle of clothes in his arms, a flicker of understanding passed through the old man’s cloudy eyes.

A respectful, practiced smile spread across his face as he quickly stepped forward to greet him.

“You must be the new Manager? This humble old man is Wang Fa, a Regular Disciple of this Hundred Herb Garden. I’ve been awaiting your arrival for some time!”

His voice carried the habitual humility and ingratiation common among those living at the bottom.

Chen Ping nodded, showing him the token.

“There’s no need for such formality, Elder Wang. My name is Chen Ping. I’ll be relying on your help from now on.”

His tone was calm—neither deliberately putting on airs nor being overly familiar.

He knew that in this place, the status of a Manager disciple carried inherent authority, but he still needed the people below him to actually get things done.

“You flatter me! Please, Manager, follow me.”

Wang Fa hastily stepped aside to lead the way, his attitude growing even more respectful.

Entering the Hundred Herb Garden, the sight before him stirred something in Chen Ping’s heart once more.

The garden wasn’t overly large, roughly a dozen acres or so, divided into many plots of varying sizes by narrow earthen ridges.

Each plot was planted with different vegetation.

Some had leaves as thick and lush as jadeite; some had slender stems twining around wooden frames; some bore tiny, star-like flowers; while others bore fruits of various strange shapes.

The medicinal fragrance in the air grew even richer here. It was layered and distinct, a tapestry woven from dozens of different scents.

The ground beneath his feet was also noticeably different. It was no longer the barren, gravelly soil of the mining site, but a deep brown earth with an oily sheen. It felt soft and springy to step on.

In one corner of the garden, there was even a small pond with water so clear you could see straight to the bottom.

But what surprised Chen Ping most were the living conditions.

Wang Fa led him to a row of stone houses deep within the garden, built close to the mountain wall.

The houses were constructed from neatly cut bluestone. Though simple, they were infinitely better than the shacks at the mining site. The roofs were covered with thick layers of thatch and tiles, enough to keep out the wind and rain.

“Manager Chen, this one is your residence.”

Wang Fa pushed open one of the wooden doors.

The room inside wasn’t large, roughly ten square feet in area. The furnishings were extremely sparse: a hard plank bed covered with dry straw, an old wooden table, an equally old wooden chair, and a small wooden cabinet in the corner.

Its merits lay in being clean, dry, and private.

A window opened on the side facing the mountain wall, allowing ample light. Pushing it open offered a view of the lush green herb fields in the garden.

For Chen Ping, who had been crammed into a mining site shack for three months, this was practically heaven.

“Very good.”

Chen Ping placed his clothes and token on the table, feeling a quiet satisfaction.

“Manager, your eight subordinates are all busy working in the garden. Should this humble old man go call them to pay their respects?” Wang Fa inquired respectfully.

“No need to rush. We can do that later.”

Chen Ping waved his hand. Right now, he wanted to familiarize himself with his surroundings.

“First, tell me about matters in the garden. What are the daily tasks? What are the rules?”

“Yes, Manager.”

Wang Fa promptly complied and began chattering away with explanations.

The tasks in the Hundred Herb Garden were indeed much more meticulous than at the mining site, but they were by no means easy.

The core duty was tending to the several dozen types of spirit herbs in the garden. There were three main tasks.

First: Watering.

This wasn’t ordinary well water. Every morning at dawn, they needed to fetch “Spirit Spring Water” from a specific mountain spring eye on the Back Mountain. That spring water contained faint Qi, which was crucial for the growth of spirit herbs.

Using specially made wooden buckets to carry it back, they then watered each spirit herb according to its specific needs—a measured amount. This task required physical strength but even more care—not too much, nor too little.

Second: Fertilizing.

The fertilizer was a specially fermented Spirit Beast manure with an extremely pungent odor.

It needed to be regularly transported from the beast pens. Then, under the guidance of experienced Regular Disciples, it had to be mixed with humus soil from the garden in strict proportions before being applied gingerly around specific spirit herb roots.

This step allowed absolutely no carelessness. The slightest mistake could affect medicinal potency or, worse, burn and kill the spirit herbs outright.

Third: Weeding and Pest Control.

The weeds in the garden were tenacious. Some closely resembled young spirit herb seedlings, requiring careful identification before removal.

As for pests—they were the natural enemies of spirit herbs. Some even carried toxicity or spiritual power, requiring specialized tools and techniques to capture.

Wang Fa emphasized one point particularly gravely.

“Manager, every single spirit herb in this garden is registered and personally overseen by Immortal Masters from the Peak Summit. If any wither or suffer significant loss of medicinal potency due to poor care, punishments range from light penalties to severe ones… costing heads!”

His face showed lingering fear.

Chen Ping listened attentively, committing each point to memory. Risk coexisted with opportunity here. The rules were strict, but the chances for gain were greater.

Just as they spoke, a figure emerged from a small path nearby, seemingly having just inspected some herb plot.

It was a woman.

She wore the same indigo-blue Manager disciple uniform as Chen Ping. Her tall figure couldn’t be completely hidden by the loose robe.

Jet-black long hair was simply tied up behind her head with a wooden hairpin, revealing a smooth forehead and a slender neck.

Her features were exquisitely delicate, brows and eyes like a painting. Her skin was nearly translucent and pale without makeup. Under the garden’s hazy Qi and sunlight, she seemed enveloped in a faint halo of light.

Yet, what attracted attention wasn’t just her astonishing beauty.

It was the aura about her—a blend of plant-like freshness, serene focus, and a trace of barely perceptible aloofness.

She seemed like a celestial fairy mistakenly descended to the mortal realm, entirely out of place amidst the mundane Servant Peak full of worldly hustle and bustle.

She also didn’t seem to expect anyone in Chen Ping’s room, pausing slightly in her step. Her cool gaze swept over them.

That gaze was calm and unrippled, like deep autumn pond water. It lingered on Chen Ping’s face for less than One Breath before shifting to Wang Fa.

She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, then continued walking without pause toward another row of stone houses. Her steps were light, making no sound whatsoever.

The indigo-blue hem of her robe brushed past the roadside herbs, leaving behind a faint wisp of cold fragrance different from the garden’s spirit herbs.

Chen Ping’s heartbeat seemed to skip half a beat in that instant.

He hadn’t never seen beauties before; among the Regular Disciple women of the Servant Peak, there was no lack of pretty ones.

But the beauty before him transcended the mundane realm. She carried a sense of distance.

Especially those eyes—clear, bottomless, like stars.

“That person is…” Chen Ping unconsciously asked aloud.

Wang Fa followed his gaze, his face immediately showing awe. He lowered his voice.

“Reporting to the Manager, that is Bai Zhi, Manager Bai. She arrived half a year earlier than you. She manages the eastern section’s ‘Cold-Natured’ spirit herbs. She… was directly assigned down from the Peak Summit. It is said she has some background. Her personality is also cold. She rarely speaks to us, only focusing on her herb fields.”

Wang Fa’s tone was full of distance and awe. Clearly, this Manager Bai held a transcendent status in the hearts of the Regular Disciples.

Chen Ping nodded in understanding and withdrew his gaze.

Directly assigned down from the Peak Summit… no wonder her aura was so different.

His mind held no improper thoughts, only a trace of wariness.

Someone like this, with a mysterious background and unknown strength—it was best to keep a respectful distance to avoid trouble.