"Hahaha! Come now, Junior Brother Li, let us drink this cup together!"
The steward elder raised his wine cup to clink with Li Ye's, then happily downed it in one gulp.
The two followed with two more rounds, and only after three full cups did they reluctantly set their cups down and begin enjoying the dishes laid out on the table.
Compared to Li Ye's humble quarters, the elder's residence thanks to his position as a sect steward was not only more spacious but also furnished in luxurious comfort.
Hosting a banquet like this was a mere trifle.
Of course, all of this was nothing more than mortal indulgence.
Once a cultivator found their progress halted, it was all too easy to start seeking worldly pleasures.
Even someone like Li Ye, who currently lived a rough life, could, if he wished, easily settle in a mortal kingdom and enjoy an extravagant life beyond the reach of ordinary folk.
But in his eyes, none of that held a candle to the value of a few spirit stones.
As wine flowed and conversation sparked, Li Ye and the elder chatted merrily about all kinds of things within the sect, thoroughly enjoying each other's company.
By the time the banquet reached its midpoint, both men had rosy cheeks from the wine.
It was only then that Li Ye finally broached the main topic.
"To be invited by Senior Brother Luo is truly an honor. I wonder what matter does Senior Brother wish to discuss with me?"
"Why the formality, Junior Brother?" the steward chuckled, lifting his cup again. "I simply wanted to get to know you better…"
"Besides, I haven't congratulated you yet on recovering your cultivation. Here another toast to you!"
Li Ye had heard the rumors: this elder was known to enjoy his drink. Though he was a little annoyed at the elder for being so coy, he still lifted his cup and drank it down.
Smacking his lips, Elder Luo suddenly said,
"Before I get to the real matter, I must first offer an apology…"
"Oh?"
Li Ye raised a brow, replying nonchalantly.
Elder Luo seemed to expect this reaction and continued speaking at his own pace.
"I don't have many hobbies, but I do enjoy a few drinks. I often invite friends to drink together."
"During one of those gatherings, I had a few too many and let slip that you'd suddenly turned your back on your old ways to become a spirit farmer…"
"I never expected Zeng Yue and Zhao Ming to go so far and blow things out of proportion… sigh."
"So in a way, the damage to your reputation… I bear some responsibility. I've been feeling guilty, and I wanted to apologize to you in person today. I hope you can forgive me."
Though he claimed it was an apology, the old man had already offloaded most of the blame.
Blaming it on drunken talk and the excessive behavior of those two buffoons he made himself out to be just an unfortunate bystander.
Li Ye sneered inwardly.
But he hadn't come here today to stir up trouble.
Both he and the old man knew full well that if someone had truly wanted to trace the source of the slander and mockery, they could easily have found out who started it all.
But now that everything had turned around in his favor if Li Ye chose not to pursue it, the matter could simply be left in the past.
The elder bringing it up and apologizing first clearly showed he had come in peace likely to build a relationship.
Who knew? Maybe there was even a good opportunity in store.
This was a step he had to allow the elder to take.
Turning that thought over, Li Ye gave a casual wave of his hand.
"Ah, what is Senior Brother saying?"
"This was the fault of Zeng and Zhao what does it have to do with you? Let's not mention it again!"
"Junior Brother, your generosity truly puts me to shame…" Elder Luo let out a sigh of relief at Li Ye's magnanimous response.
Ever since the demonic cultivator attack, the sudden awakening of Cai Shiwei's spiritual constitution, and his acceptance as a personal disciple by one of the elders, Li Ye had been thrust into the limelight.
His words in the spirit fields had somehow spread throughout the sect.
People began to admire the way he kept his head down and survived a deadly crisis through a clear sense of self-preservation. Even those who once looked down on his withdrawn demeanor were now expressing admiration.
His reputation had taken a dramatic turn.
That declaration of willingness to fight to the death rather than be pushed had shown everyone that Li Ye still had his edge. He was not someone to be insulted lightly.
It reminded people of his mid-grade Blackwood Sword and of the fierce reputation he had once held among the lower-ranked disciples.
A man who could adapt with wisdom, fight with strength, and wasn't afraid to risk his life how could such a person be taken lightly?
With that Blackwood Sword in hand, even if his cultivation was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, even sixth-level cultivators would have to think twice before deciding if they could withstand his desperate strikes.
Trying to use him as a stepping stone?
Better make sure they're alive to enjoy it first!
In just a short period, all those who had been scheming or eyeing opportunities suddenly quieted down significantly.
What shocked everyone even more was that after Cai Shiwei had recovered from his injuries, he took the initiative to visit Li Ye at the sect's spirit fields.
The two of them talked for the length of a tea session atop a field ridge. While their interaction wasn't exactly warm, the atmosphere between them could at least be described as amicable.
Even the person involved showed no hostility toward Li Ye, let alone blamed him for anything in the past in fact, he'd gone out of his way to make contact.
So how could anyone else dare use Li Ye as a stepping stone?
With that, no one dared to mess with Li Ye again.
The attitudes of the low-level disciples toward him flipped completely. It was almost as if they were afraid he'd come after them for the gossip they'd spread before. They either avoided him or tried to curry favor in obvious ways.
It was truly amusing.
And it was under these circumstances that Elder Luo who had already wanted to befriend Li Ye finally made up his mind and invited him over for a drink.
After testing the waters, Elder Luo took a bite of food and finally spoke slowly,
"The real reason I invited you today is to share a good opportunity with you."
"I'm all ears," Li Ye said, straightening up a bit.
"Hehe, Junior Brother, you've been working diligently in the sect's spirit fields for some time now. Word is that you've got some talent in the art of spiritual planting and have managed your field quite well…"
"I imagine you're aiming to qualify for one of the first-tier spirit herb gardens during the upcoming harvest evaluations?"
"That's right!" Li Ye nodded, a look of hope flashing across his face.
Elder Luo's smile widened.
"If that's the case, did you know there's an even better option than the spirit herb garden?"
"You don't mean… being assigned to one of the sect's market-managed outer fields, do you?" Li Ye asked, looking skeptical.
To him, those fields outside the sect walls were bigger, and though they had less spiritual energy, they still weren't a bad place to be.
But staying within the sect was undoubtedly safer and more conducive to cultivation… That was the better choice!
"Ah, come now, how could that possibly be considered a good option?" Elder Luo leaned back with a scoff and shook his head repeatedly.
"Sure, those places are a bit more relaxed, but there's no real authority to be had there. The spiritual veins that feed those fields are far inferior. Compared to the sect's fields, being sent there is practically a form of exile!"
"If I were recommending that to you, wouldn't I be doing you a disservice?"
"Then what are you suggesting, Senior Brother?"
At this point, Elder Luo stopped keeping it vague and said directly:
"Compared to the sect's official herb gardens, the spirit fields within the Foundation Establishment elders' abodes are the best possible destination for disciples like you!"
"Their residences are all located on second-grade spiritual veins far superior even to the main herb gardens!"
"If you can get assigned to tend herbs there, and settle in well, then just training during your daily rest time after tending the fields will yield results far better than ordinary cultivation it'd be like making a thousand strides in a day!"
"And if you manage your work well and win the elder's favor, you might even receive personal guidance or rewards… isn't that a much better deal than slogging away in the spirit gardens?"
He let out a sigh of regret. "If I weren't already an old bag of bones, with no future ahead of me and no stamina left for herb cultivation, I'd be tempted myself!"
"Such a great opportunity exists?!" Li Ye said, his eyes lighting up in surprise.
People like Zhang Liangfu and the others had limited cultivation and status, so they had no access to this level of information naturally, they couldn't share it with him.
It had never occurred to Li Ye that low-level disciples could even be considered for such roles.
This old guy had earned his place after all these years as a steward.
But then Li Ye frowned slightly, asking,
"Wouldn't the Foundation Establishment elders already have their disciples tending those spirit fields? Why would someone like me get the chance?"
In his view, even if an elder didn't have personal disciples, surely all those spots would've been long claimed through social favors and inner-circle recommendations.
How could a grassroots disciple like him possibly get in?
"Ah, Junior Brother, that's where you're mistaken!"
Elder Luo shook his head firmly. "You have to understand every elder in the sect is different. There are always a few who are reclusive and not fond of socializing…"
"They have little contact with other elders, so they naturally don't get caught up in favors or connections. But even then, their residence fields still need someone to tend them, don't they?"
"I see…"
"Senior Brother, since you're being so detailed with me, does that mean… you already have a particular elder in mind to recommend me to?"
Li Ye asked with clear anticipation.
"Indeed I do!" Elder Luo said with a calm smile. "Now listen closely while I explain the details…"