Chapter 3579 — Mining the Spirit Jade
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Very well, then I thank you in advance, Senior Ku. But as for the pill refinement, let us wait until I have first obtained the Heart-Devouring Lingzhi Grass—that is the truly essential ingredient." Wei Zhao nodded in reply.
Since the Heart-Devouring Lingzhi Grass grew only in the back mountain, and the back mountain would not admit newcomers for trials until the twenty-fifth, there was nothing for it but to wait a while. And this interval was just the time to find some way of getting more spirit jade; otherwise, even if he obtained the Lingzhi Grass, he would have no spirit jade at hand to buy the other five herbs, and still could not refine the Heaven-Dao Golden Pill.
At this thought, Wei Zhao asked Senior Kubi again, "Senior Ku, if I wish to obtain more spirit jade, what means are there?"
"That—well, apart from the single piece of spirit jade the Welcome Pavilion issues you each month, there are only two ways to get more," Senior Kubi said, counting on his fingers. "One: if you happen to possess any rare treasures of heaven and earth, you may take them to the market and sell them, exchanging them for spirit jade. That much you surely know already. The other: you may take on the daily tasks the Welcome Pavilion assigns to new disciples, and earn spirit jade as recompense."
"I see. Senior Ku, could you tell me in detail what sort of tasks there are?" Wei Zhao asked thoughtfully.
As for the first method Senior Kubi had named, it was of no use to him at present. For one thing, he had no surplus treasures of heaven and earth about him; for another, even if he had, they were things brought up from the mortal realm and would surely fetch no good price here on Cloudstep Island—better to keep them.
Senior Kubi nodded and said, "The strength of you newcomers is, after all, not great, and the purpose of your coming here is cultivation—to break through into the Foundation Establishment stage as quickly as possible is the proper business. So the Welcome Pavilion will not issue you tasks of any real challenge. Apart from the occasional small errand, the most common daily task is to go down into the spirit jade mine beneath our very feet and dig. As for those lowly chores I mentioned before—sweeping, kitchen work, and the like—those carry no spirit jade as reward; they are all put on account. Sweep for a year, say, and at year's end you might be issued one or two pieces of spirit jade as a bonus—and that depends on the will of the newcomer steward, on whether he chooses to apply for it on your behalf!"
It seemed this last option need not be considered either. Whoever became newcomer steward, none would grant him any reward—least of all Kang Jingming.
Spirit jade was a thing of priceless value. If a bit of sweeping or kitchen work could earn one spirit jade, the Welcome Pavilion would have gone bankrupt long ago.
Still, to hear that the daily task assigned to new disciples was in fact to go down and mine—though it stood to reason, since the spirit jade mine lay right beneath their feet, and living off the mountain was the most natural thing in the world—was somewhat beyond Wei Zhao's expectations. For if it were merely mining, any able-bodied laborer would serve; why trouble so many Heaven-Rank experts?
Senior Kubi saw Wei Zhao's puzzlement and laughed at once. "The spirit jade mine is not like other mines. Ordinary people cannot go down to dig it."
"Why is that? Is there some special reason?" Wei Zhao asked, puzzled.