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Xunuo stepped forward and greeted, "I pay my respects to Zhang Shixiong."
Zhang Changzai, however, looked at Xunuo with a strange expression before saying, "You arrived just in time; the kitchen is in need of someone to fetch water. You can take on this task. You must fill a barrel of water every day, or you won't get any food."
Guo Shujiang's expression changed at this and he stepped forward, saying, "Zhang Fatty, how rude of you! There’s already someone assigned to fetch water. Are you taking bribes again and abusing your power?"
Zhang Changzai flushed with anger and retorted sharply, "Guo Shujiang, don’t slander me! I see you’ve been around for a while, so I won’t stoop to arguing with you. Don’t think I’m afraid of you. To be honest, this task was assigned from above in the Outer Hall; I’m just following orders. If you’re not satisfied, go take it up with the High Hall Master and stop being arrogant here."
Guo Shujiang glared at Zhang Changzai and turned to Xunuo, saying, "Just take on this menial task; do what you can without overexerting yourself."
Xunuo, not fully understanding the situation, could only nod in agreement. Zhang Changzai then prepared a register for Xunuo and handed him a bamboo plaque.
Seeing that Guo Shujiang had no intention of leaving, Zhang Changzai steeled himself and said to Xunuo, "I gave you an extra Long Robe yesterday; make sure to return it here another day."
At this point, Xunuo nearly spat in Zhang's face. Although he sensed something had changed in Zhang's demeanor today, he didn't expect the man to turn hostile so quickly.
Guo Shujiang jumped up at those words, pointing angrily at Zhang Changzai and shouting, "Zhang Fatty! You’re overstepping your bounds! Giving him a Long Robe yesterday was an abuse of power; how can such undeniable evidence be returned to you? Do you think you can pull back what you've already let out?"
Zhang Changzai's face turned red with anger as he replied heatedly, "Guo Chaozi! I've been patient with you for too long; don’t think I’m really afraid of you. If you keep causing a scene at the Manager's office, I’ll report you to the higher-ups!"
Guo Shujiang shot back defiantly, "Do you dare?!"
Zhang Changzai was so furious that the veins on his forehead bulged as he glared at Guo Shujiang but found himself unable to respond further.
Guo Shujiang ignored him and pulled Xunuo along, saying, "Let's go, there's no need to waste words with this little man."
They left the courtyard and headed toward the kitchen.
As soon as they exited the courtyard, they heard Zhang Changzai inside, jumping up and down while cursing, directing all his anger at Guo and Xunuo. As they walked further away, Xunuo even heard the fat man cursing his two subordinates as well. It seemed that with the main target absent, he was venting his frustration on his underlings.
After walking for a while, Guo Shujiang chuckled and said, "Although I couldn't secure a good position for my junior today, it was quite satisfying to see that fat man get scolded. That's a great relief."
Xunuo, still somewhat unfamiliar with the matters inside, asked, "Is Zhang Changzai also an Outer Sect Disciple?"
Guo Shujiang replied, "Not exactly. He can be considered an Outer Sect Disciple, but he's the lowest tier among them. He managed to sneak into the Inner Sect through cunning but has made no progress in martial arts; now he just acts as a Manager. There are many such Managers in our sect, and even our properties in the towns below the mountain are managed by various levels of Managers. Disciples who truly excel in martial arts don't need to engage in such laborious tasks; they only need to refine their skills. These Managers are essentially here to serve them. It's just us Outer Sect Disciples who regard these Managers as something significant. In our eyes, they're nothing more than servants."
Xunuo was surprised and asked, "How can you dare to insult him like that? Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the fat man?"
Guo Shujiang chuckled again and said, "That fat man has dirt on me; even if he feels wronged, he can only swallow it down. Just be careful not to get dragged into it yourself."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo suddenly understood and laughed heartily, saying, "Hearing you curse so freely makes any trouble I might face worth it."
Guo Shujiang added, "It's no problem; if he dares to make things difficult for you, I'll just scold him again. Let him know that not only is Guo someone you can't offend, but my brothers are also not to be trifled with."
Xunuo quickly expressed his gratitude. As they chatted, they arrived at the courtyard where they had just eaten.
Guo Shujiang walked ahead and entered the kitchen, calling out, "Liu Shixiong, old Guo sees you're here."
Immediately from inside came a Black Fatty who glared at Guo Shujiang and said irritably, "You little runt, are you thinking about my monthly allowance again?"
Guo Shujiang chuckled and said, "I've been lucky lately and won a bit of silver from my brother. Today, I've brought along a little junior disciple for Liu Shixiong to command."
With that, he pushed Xunuo forward.
Xunuo felt a surge of resentment but forced a smile as he said, "Lu Zaisheng greets Liu Shixiong and hopes for your guidance."
Black Fatty looked at Xunuo and remarked, "I thought one of the water carriers was missing today; turns out you’re here to take their place. This fat guy is quite cunning, never missing an opportunity to take advantage. I wonder how much he pocketed this time to let that kid slip away."
He then pointed at Guo Shujiang and continued, "Don't blame me for saying this, but you pushed your own brother into doing hard labor here without even trying to help. You still have the face to talk about it."
Hearing this, Guo Shujiang's face turned red with anger, but he realized some things were better left unsaid. He spat towards the door and said, "It's not that my brother didn't try; it's just that a rough arm can't twist a strong leg. I leave this brother in Liu Shixiong's hands."
Finished speaking, he sighed deeply in frustration and cupped his hands in farewell as he left.
Black Fatty pointed to a yoke with two wooden buckets leaning against the wall and said, "Since you're here, just focus on your work. Fill one barrel of water each day to complete your task. Since you're new, I won't push you too hard; carry as much as you can. This way, Guo Chaozi won't complain that I'm bullying his brother."
Xunuo looked at the row of water barrels by the wall, each taller than a person and about two arms' width in diameter. He felt a chill run down his spine as he understood why Guo Shujiang had been upset enough to argue with Zhang Fatty.
After asking for directions to fetch water, Xunuo picked up the yoke and was about to leave when Liu Shixiong called out to him. He took Xunuo's bamboo token and placed it in front of one of the barrels, saying, "The water you carry goes into this barrel; pouring it into another would be a waste of effort."
Xunuo nodded and stepped outside, making his way down the mountain. The water used by those living on the mountain came from a spring located at its base. It was said that the founder of Wuhua Sect gained enlightenment after drinking from this spring, which led him to unlock the Ren and Du Meridians. Thus, he established Wuhua Sect in this area. As the sect grew stronger over time, they could no longer remain at the foot of the mountain and moved their base up top but still retained access to this spring, requiring disciples to carry water up daily.
Halfway down the mountain, Xunuo spotted senior brothers carrying water back up. By the time he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw more than ten people already making their way up with buckets in hand.
Xunuo thought to himself: It seems I'm the last one here.
Upon reaching Spring Edge, Xunuo took a sip of the sweet water before filling the wooden bucket to the brim and setting off up the mountain. The load weighed over a hundred pounds, but Xunuo felt it was not too heavy; only his shoulders ached from the strain. He padded his shoulders with some cloth to ease the discomfort.
While others carrying water slowed down, Xunuo quickened his pace. By the time he reached the halfway point, he had caught up with a senior brother also hauling water. Without stopping, he continued to ascend swiftly, pouring the water into the tank in the kitchen, leaving nearly half of the other water bearers behind him. By noon, Xunuo had made six or seven trips, filling most of the tank. Even Black Fatty Liu Shixiong was astonished. Initially, they thought Xunuo would struggle to carry half a tank on his first day, but it seemed they had underestimated him.
At that moment, Guo Shujiang happened to come by for lunch and, upon hearing about Xunuo's impressive strength, approached out of curiosity. Xunuo could only claim that he had a bit of brute strength.
Guo Shujiang exclaimed, "Born with divine strength!"
He then boasted about Xunuo throughout the courtyard, which annoyed Xunuo to the point where he felt like kicking him. After Guo Shujiang had his fun, Xunuo hastily ate a few bites and fled down the mountain with his bucket.
Xunuo thought to himself: I need to slow down now; if I draw too much attention, it might raise suspicions.
With that in mind, he reduced his pace and didn’t fill the water tank until just before sunset.
During dinner, Zhang Changzai specifically came over to check on Xunuo's work. Seeing that Xunuo had filled the tank completely left him unable to find grounds for punishment and he left in frustration. As he reached the door, he ran into Guo Shujiang who was coming in for dinner and was subjected to another round of mockery from him, leaving Zhang with a dark expression.
Xunuo chuckled at Zhang's expression and thought: I fear his two subordinates will get an earful later.
Guo Shujiang entered and tiptoed around looking for Xunuo. However, fearing being paraded around like a monkey by him, Xunuo quickly slipped out of the courtyard and returned home.
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