"Woah. This is beautiful."
"Hey. Can you see that grove of silver-leaved trees?"
"Is that bed of flowers glowing?"
"Lookout. That weird-looking plant moved on its own."
Many exclamations suddenly filled the air. These bunch of newbies curiously looked everywhere in the spiritual garden with widened eyes.
Ai Qing clapped to get their scattered attention back to himself. However, outdoor disciples couldn't hear it as the noise they made was too loud.
This time Ai Qing gathered qi onto his palms and clapped twice.
The whole garden echoed with the amplified clapping sound. This reverberation easily surpassed the noise made by juniors' chatterings.
Poor juniors were startled. They never heard such a loud clap. All of them quickly turned to their trainer with bewildered expressions on their faces.
Well, not all of them were confused. As usual Xie Ra knew about it.
Not only Xie Ra knew this technique but also he used it on countless occasions. It was the main announcing technique among cultivators.
When he noticed the scared expressions of others, Xie Ra wanted to laugh. He wondered how they might react if they heard the voice amplification technique.
"First rule. Don't touch, smell, taste, or go near any of these plants until you learn about them. These aren't your usual plants. So, let's start our training."
Ai Qing taught them about two simple medicinal plants that needed to refine medicinal pills for external injuries. He reassured them that he will teach them how to refine those pills next month during the alchemy session.
He also taught them how to maintain these two plant varieties. Then, all of them were given two small pouches, each filled with one of those plant seeds. Each of them was given a small area in the garden to grow these seeds as well.
Ai Qing told them to look after their plant bed well because they have to use these plants to refine pills in the alchemy lesson.
Wei Jingsheng and Xie Ra got planting areas next to each other. Well, they specially asked for it because then they could easily visit there together. Many roommates followed their lead. Then they started to plant those seeds in separate rows.
Xie Ra remembered the way he overwatered these plants in his last life. The only thing left was stinky, rotten roots, so he couldn't refine pills with the others on his first lesson. To his horror, he saw Wei Jingsheng was about to splash a bucket full of water onto his small plant bed. There was more water in the bucket than Xie Ra used on his plant bed in his past life.
"Good heavens Wei Jingsheng. Stop. This is too much water. Here, take this cup and follow what I am doing."
Wei Jingsheng made a stupid face and enthusiastically said, "Yes brother Xie Ra."
*************
After planting and preparing their plant beds, each of them put a name tag in front of their plants. After they finished, Ai Qing asked them to step back.
He lifted his hand to the air. Xie Ra saw a thin green beam emitted from his fingertips. Those beams collected above the territory of their plant beds and formed a large heliographic formation.
Its glow pulsed as it hovered above their planting area. Small thread-like beams escaped from this formation and surrounded each plant bed separately. Then it slowly disappeared.
"This formation will prevent anyone from stealing others' plants. Only their owner will be able to remove them. So if your plants die, you won't be able to refine pills next month. Therefore, be responsible."
Everything was over by mid-afternoon. So, Ai Qing gave them a small break to change their clothes. He asked them to come after two hours into the study hut where they gathered that morning.
Many of their clothes were ruined. Most of them didn't know how to do garden work without bathing in the mud like pigs. Fortunately, they still didn't have their outer disciple uniform.
The reason behind this was, that they still didn't have a chance to meet the tailor to give their measurements. There was a rumor saying that the tailor will be here this weekend.
Xie Ra knew if he took a bath after a workout, he would be more tired than he was now. So, He just washed the mud from his hands and feet.
His clothes weren't much dirty as he was used to this planting and caring ritual already. He had years of practice in his past life.
"Sometimes having a past life isn't that bad." He thought.
Meanwhile, his roommate was missing. Did he go to take a bath?
"Brother Xie Ra. wait for me." Speaking of the devil, Wei Jingsheng appeared. He was wearing new clothes but it seemed like he didn't take a bath either. Xie Ra wondered if this clumsy boy came to the same conclusion as he did.
"Didn't you take a bath yet?"
"No. Xiao Lan said if I do, I will feel more tired."
"Who is Xiao Lan?"
"The girl we met yesterday. Lan Jiayi. She is my cousin. Even though she has a harsh personality, she's a very good girl. And very smart."
This talk reminded Xie Ra of what he forgot to ask yesterday.
"Does she really fight with people as she said?"
"Oh, yes. She has many cousins and brothers. So she isn't afraid to beat up both boys and girls. She beat so many people into a very bad state."
Xie Ra was impressed with her bravery. True she sounds brutal. But, weren't all cultivators are? Even they were disciplined enough not to harm others without any reason, they are very brutal when they fight. She was already a step ahead of many mortal girls as she was fearless. So, if she learned discipline she could have a bright future.
However, it wasn't his concern. He wouldn't meet her until they finish their training as outer disciples.
Xie Ra and Wei Jingsheng reached the hut and sat near a wall leaning against it. After exactly two hours passed, Ai Quing started to teach them about the history of cultivators. Xie Ra felt sleepy but he listened with all his might. He couldn't make a bad impression on his trainer on the very first day.
However, even though Xie Ra knew more of the things than other outer disciples, he was about to meet a surprise. He didn't know how wrong he was when he thought that he wouldn't meet Xiao Lan soon.