On the river banks of a majestic land, with floating islands atop a vast ocean of the deepest blue, where gigantic sea creatures roamed the waters, and young ageless men and women flew on swords in the skies. Where demons lurked in the woods and plants could uplift their roots and scurry away...A region known for its secrecy and discipline, the Forgotten Waters Sect floated majestically obscured by heavy mist from prying eyes.
A young woman with hair the colour of the starless night clasped loosely at her back and spilled down towards the pond, where she sat at the edge of the bank. Her body was clad in light-coloured robes which adorned her shape and highlighted her feminine figure.
The woman’s feet laid bare, her smooth skin glowed as her legs splashed around in the waters.
Her baby fat receded, what once showed as the beguiling bloom of young adulthood blossomed into sculpted features of a true beauty. The woman’s previously doe like orbs morphed into a pair of peach blossom eyes. Her cute dainty lips grew fuller and luscious.
The young woman indeed looked like a fairy who went to fool around in the mortal world.
The lady in question was, in fact, Li Meirong, who was designated to become a servant in the bestiary division.
Li Meirong reached for her bag of snacks with her now longer and delicate limbs, her every slight movement no longer clumsy with fear, she exuded charm and grace with her every motion.
She chewed on part of the snacks she baked the other day and tossed the leftovers towards the waters. Bubbles soon formed in the waters as fish battled to gobble the delicious meal.
She sat at the entrance to the bestiary division, where her living quarters were located.
Although this section of the Bestiary division was deemed the lowest in rank, if she had to compare her living standards now to residing in the brothel she found herself in after rebirth, this patch of land was heaps better.
Her space was small, and she had little privacy to herself, but she made do with what she had.
In fact, Li Meirong dared to admit that she learnt quite a lot during these past few years. She built her own cabin, wood plank by wood plank. True, it looked more like a mini stables house than a proper residence, but because it was done with her own two hands which altered to worn out blistered skin filled with splinters, she appreciated the structure all the more and was immensely proud of her house. She learnt to use ancient tools to prepare meals and made do without a toilet. She practised sewing and occupied herself with reading, writing, and gardening. Entertainment was hard to come by here.
She dearly missed her television and mobile phone.
One can say, that in the five years that have passed, Li Meirong had experienced countless bullying.
It began with little pranks of sending young virile men to her bedchambers at night and went all the way to heaping her with piles of tasks she wasn’t even supposed to be responsible for, the worst were the rumors that floated through the sect.
A fickle woman of questionable morals.
A certain part of her dared to hope that she should at least live up to her reputation.
Both in this life and her previous one, she was still an untouched virgin!
She found herself giggling at her silly thoughts.
Surprisingly, during these five years, despite not being allowed to practice cultivation, as outer sect disciples were not provided with the privilege, she did find enjoyment in the job she was assigned with.
Even with her foul reputation, many fellow juniors and seniors alike visited her for assistance.
Plenty of disciples in the sect came over to Li Meirong’s place for those little things they knew nothing of.
Cooking, gardening, cleaning, accounting, caring for animals...
It was rather silly, immortal disciples who could fight vile demons required her opinions and advise on basic necessities.
Li Meirong’s thoughts drifted to how it all commenced.
It all began when she was left to feed the spirit beasts but was given the lowest quality of sustenance to provide. Both to herself and those under her charge. The beasts were not common livestock, and their demands were numerous. Some of them were even capable of human speech or telepathy to convey their wishes.
And so, when Li Meirong introduced spices and herbs to their otherwise bland palate, she became the coalition’s favourite among the beasts, and quite a few of the disciples alike.
It wasn’t a lie when her mother told her a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
A way to a spirit beast’s heart was through their stomach just as well!
After having such successful results with the meals, even grandmasters of other divisions summoned her to prepare their dishes on rare occasions.
It would be prudent to mention that for cultivators, food is not a necessity and therefore feeding and meal preparation is considered a low-class position in the sect. The meals provided were also odourless and flavourless, meant only to fill one’s belly. Cultivators may eat, but it is not a requirement. Majority of the disciples abstained from feeding because it halts their spiritual advancement.
Li Meirong was denied the learning of cultivation methods, for all intended purposes, she was a mere mortal. Her perk was that she ate merrily with her fellow spirit beasts under her charge.
Chao Dequan, the outer sect disciple boy she befriended from healer’s peak, kept in touch with her. He slowly grew into a young strapping lad preparing for adulthood. In her eyes, he was still the same adorable baby, perhaps because she still envisioned him as that cute boy who helped her mount the crane five years ago.
Li Meirong made quick work of enhancing the grains and snacks provided to the cranes in healer’s peak. With the addition of small amounts of protein and dried fruit slices to heighten the flavour, Chao Dequan had attained a comfortably easy life, handling the herd under his care, he was extremely grateful for having met the little fairy girl all those years ago.
Li Meirong made it a habit to bring seeds and plants with their roots attached of any herbs she could recognize, whenever she had the chance to descend to the forests below, and slowly with the passing months, she successfully built a herb garden by her abode.
Rome was not built in a day, and neither was Li Meirong’s progress, but she felt content with knowing that she did accomplish quite a bit.
Speaking of beasts and gardens, her spirit pet companion, that very same carnivorous plant she named Chou, stuck by her side through thick and thin. Although they met under the worst conditions, the pair bonded and became inseparable.
Li Meirong did not forget her promise to Chou, and regularly fed him a drop of blood from herself.
Unsure of the results of her feeding, she recently inquired why he obsessed over her blood so enthusiastically.
Chou decided that a demonstration would be better as an answer when his master inquired, he switched to his true size. From a man-sized carnivorous pitcher plant, Chou doubled in size. He was now matching the length and width of her house.
A formidable opponent even for cultivators. Having the opportunity to hear bits and pieces from the inner sect disciples, they would have called a spirit of his capabilities a spirit of the fifth rank.
Li Meirong did learn here that while different spirits have varying capabilities, they also have multiple ranks. The ranks reach from one all the way to rank ten. Above it is a godly beast.
Chou started as a rank three plant, which is already a threat to common society, Spirit Beasts don’t usually elevate in ranks. For Chou to rise higher through the levels was all thanks to Li Meirong’s blood.
Chou also urged her to shed a drop of her blood on a little fruit seedling she planted to emphasize his point.
The results astounded her, within a week she had an adult aged tree bearing fruits.
Li Meirong did not hesitate to turn her garden to an orchard with the spattering of her blood.
The growth of plants in her abode was shocking not only to her but to her fellow juniors and seniors. The herb caretaker’s division considered having her join his ranks, but Li Meirong refused. She liked where she was, and she already built her place in the Bestiary division.
Sadly, not all events were pleasant during the passing years...