The morning sun did not spill so much as creep over the cracked tiles of the Falling Sword Sect, casting thin light on worn-out banners and profoundly silent courtyards. A solitary rooster announced the day from a distant peak, its cry thin and mournful—a sound fitting a sect so visibly starved of fortune..
In one of the back courtyards, Shen Liang was staring at his broom with pure reverence.
He gave it a firm, experimental swing. A sudden, crystalline gust of spiritual wind burst forth, scattering a thick carpet of fallen leaves in a precise, neat arc across the stone.
Shen Liang gasped, eyes wide."Ha! It wasn't a dream!"
He quickly summoned the glowing screen again.
[Level: 1]XP: 0 / 50Skill: Basic Sweep Technique (Lv.1)Effect: Each sweep gathers spiritual energy. Can be used for cleaning or striking.
"Gathering spiritual energy just by sweeping? Hahaha! The heavens have finally realized who's been maintaining their sect all this time!"
Unfortunately, his celebration didn't last.
A voice like grinding gravel sliced through the morning calm. "Shen Liang! The latrines are overflowing again! Do you think your purpose in this sect is to lounge and look at the sky?"
It was Elder Zhou, the elder in charge of chores — a short, red-faced man who treated laborers like pests.
Shen Liang forced a smile. "Ah, Elder Zhou! I was merely testing the airflow of my broom! Very important research!"
"Research, you say! Get to work before I deduct your meal tokens!"
As Elder Zhou stomped away, Shen Liang sighed. "Deduct meal tokens… Hah. As if I could live off air like you immortals."
He shouldered his broom and trudged toward the back mountain, where the sect's latrines were located — the least spiritual, most dreaded spot in the entire sect.
When he arrived, the stench hit him like a thunderbolt.
He pinched his nose. "If this isn't a hidden trial from the heavens, I'll eat my broom."
Then the system chimed in again.
[New Quest: Clean the Latrines (0/1)]Reward: +20 XP. Hidden bonus if completed without complaining aloud.]
Shen Liang blinked. "Wait… I can level up from this?"
He grinned. "Fine then, let's do it! Laborer's Dao, commence!"
For the next hour, the back mountain was filled with a curious, rhythmic sound: the vigorous sluicing of water, the furious scrape of the brush, and the occasional, choked grunt of absolute focus. Disciples who passed by shook their heads in pity.
"Why's that old man smiling while cleaning the toilets?""Who knows? Maybe he's finally gone mad."
Shen Liang didn't care. With every motion, his hands moved faster and stronger. He felt faint spiritual currents swirling through his body — a rhythm, a flow, as though the heavens themselves acknowledged his effort.
[Quest Progress: 100%.][Quest Complete! +20 XP.][Hidden Bonus Achieved: +10 XP.][Level Up! Level 2 reached.][Stat Points +5. New Passive Skill: Laborer's Endurance — Fatigue reduced by 30%.]
He stood there, hands on hips, chest puffed out proudly."Hahaha! Even the heavens respect hard work! Who needs cultivation manuals when I have a broom and a bucket?"
Later that evening, Shen Liang sat beside the Sword Stele again, munching on half a steamed bun.
He opened his status screen again, eyes shining with excitement.
Level: 2XP: 0 / 100Skills: Basic Sweep Technique (Lv.1), Laborer's Endurance (Passive)Quest Log:
Clean the Sword Hall Floors (Reward: +30 XP)
Cook for Outer Disciples (Reward: +15 XP)
Defeat a Spirit Rat (Reward: +50 XP, Hidden Bonus possible)
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Cook for outer disciples? Hm… I can probably burn their rice and still get XP."
Then his gaze fell on the last quest.
"Defeat a spirit rat? Wait… those little things in the storage room? Hah, easy."
He leaned back, smiling at the darkening sky. "So this is how I'll rebuild the Falling Sword Sect — by sweeping, scrubbing, and slapping rats to death."
The wind rustled softly through the mountain trees.
And for the first time in years, Shen Liang laughed like a man who had found hope.
Meanwhile, deep in the sect's main hall, several elders were gathered.
"Deep within the sect's main hall, the shadows were thick, and the atmosphere was heavy with unease. "Elder Zhou, you confirmed the Stele pulsed with light last night?" asked a senior elder, his voice grim."Yes, but I found nothing strange except that useless janitor hanging around the area," Zhou scoffed. The Grand Elder's gaze was sharp and troubled. "Keep an absolute watch on that laborer. The last time that monument reacted, a genius prodigy descended upon the sect. If it happens again… it suggests a destiny is being forged, whether we understand it or not."