C8 Xiaoling Save Me!

"Learn to conceal your aura, or wear items that can absorb spiritual energy."

"How do I go about learning to conceal my aura, and where can I find items that absorb this spiritual energy?" Yun Buhui inquired promptly.

"Responding to the host, first, you may find such items in the real world if fortune favors you. Second, you can defeat monsters in the Secret Realm and possibly receive such items as random rewards." Yun Buhui couldn't help but smirk at the response. These were prospects for the future, but they did little to quench his immediate thirst for solutions. It was clear he needed to be more vigilant from now on.

He switched off his phone and slipped it into his pocket before swiftly making his way to his family's field. Each visit to this place pierced his heart like a knife. The field was sown with corn and peanuts, and right before him lay the cornfield.

The cornstalks on neighboring farms were as thick and robust as a child's arm, while his own were frail and stunted, resembling frostbitten, wilted eggplants. Particularly this season, when corn cobs were beginning to sprout on the stalks, his own cobs were half the size of his neighbors'.

It was an unavoidable circumstance. The other farmers, not short on funds, could afford to apply more fertilizer. His own corn, aside from the standard manure, received very little urea during the second fertilization. Consequently, the corn lacked sufficient nutrients, resulting in its sickly appearance.

Shaking his head, he refrained from further comment and headed straight into the cornfield to cut the tall weeds. While other fields had been treated with herbicides, his lack of funds meant the weeds in his field thrived unchecked. The weeds were tall, and he diligently chopped them down, bundling them up before hauling them to the edge of the field.

To others, these were mere weeds, but to Yun Buhui, they were a valuable source of food. He brought the weeds back and tossed them into the pigpen, where the pigs eagerly devoured them, particularly the Horse-Snake Grass, which was a favorite among the sows.

After hauling several bundles of fresh grass from a few rows, and toiling away for the better part of the morning, Yun Buhui had completed work on more than thirty rows. Sweaty from the morning's labor, he took refuge under a tree at the edge of the field to catch his breath.

As he sat surveying his cornfield, Yun Buhui couldn't shake the feeling that the corn he had cleared of weeds seemed somehow sturdier than the untouched rows. Even the leaves appeared a richer green. Shaking his head in disbelief, he dismissed the thought as pure fancy.

Once he had rested, he resumed his work. The sun was now high in the sky, and as he labored on, his energy waned and sweat poured from him. He could distinctly sense streams of Spiritual Qi escaping from his body.

He was thankful that there were no butterflies or bees in the cornfield to complicate matters. After another three hours, he finished clearing the field and prepared to take the grass home. That's when he heard a persistent buzzing noise.

Turning towards the sound, Yun Buhui was surprised to see a swarm of bees that had appeared out of nowhere. They buzzed frenetically around him, a sight intimidating enough to turn anyone's face white with fear.

Abandoning the freshly bundled grass and his hoe, he didn't hesitate; he bolted. As the bees gave relentless chase, Yun Buhui's face blanched even further. Despite the common belief that bees don't sting unprovoked, the thought of being swarmed by so many was terrifying.

"Xiaoling, help me! I've got a swarm of bees on my tail. What do I do? Please, help me!" he pleaded as he sprinted away. Frantically, he pulled out his phone and opened the Almighty Immortal Cultivation App, seeking assistance in his moment of peril.

"Host, you have two options. First, stand still and let them absorb your spiritual energy until they've had their fill and naturally fly away. Of course, you must befriend them for this to work! Alternatively, find a body of water to submerge yourself in. Once blocked by the river, they'll no longer sense the spiritual energy leaking from you."

Upon hearing this, Yun Buhui didn't hesitate and bolted toward the small river behind the mountain. Their village was encircled by mountains, with a river running at the base. It wasn't deep; the deepest part barely reached an adult's chest. They often bathed and frolicked in these waters.

Yun Buhui sprinted desperately, the bees in relentless pursuit. As the river came into view, he stripped off his clothes, stashed his phone inside them for safekeeping, and plunged into the water. His phone wasn't waterproof, so diving in with it wasn't an option.

He hit the water with a splash, and as soon as he submerged himself, the spiritual energy was cut off by the river. When he surfaced to look around, the energy was no longer escaping. Nevertheless, the bees hovered around the spot where he left his clothes, unwilling to leave for quite some time before finally dispersing.

Watching the bees vanish, Yun Buhui breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the issue needed to be addressed, or it would cause significant inconvenience for his future travels.

Thankfully, the river had washed away his sweat, and he no longer felt the spiritual energy seeping out. He returned to his field, gathered the grass into large bundles, and hoisted them onto his back to carry home. With so many bundles, it would take several trips.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard the crack of a whip behind him. Turning around, he saw Xu Erleng from his village. The man's real name was Xu Meng, and true to his name, he was extraordinarily fierce.

Xu Meng's favorite pastime was raiding beehives. Unlike others who harvested honey, his raids usually ended with him nursing a swollen head. Over time, this earned him the nickname Xu Erleng from the villagers.