Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Selling Grain Like Crazy

After a self-deprecating, bitter smile, Chen Mo clasped his hands behind his back and strolled into the Spirit Field.

The Memory Array that had previously been deactivated was now running once again. The scenery inside and outside the array looked identical, and with no Spirit Plants growing within, he initially couldn’t perceive any transformation. However, in just a few breaths of time, the Spiritual Qi in the vast Spirit Field gradually converged into a single spot. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, a patch of Spirit Field distinctly different from the rest abruptly revealed itself. Chen Mo walked over briskly and crouched down to observe it closely.

The soil had become much more fertile, brimming with a far more abundant supply of Spiritual Qi. Although he wasn’t sure if it had reached the standard of a Tier Two Spirit Field, one thing was certain: if he used this plot to plant Tier One Spirit Yellow Rice, its quality would undoubtedly improve!

"Should I figure out a way to get my hands on some Profound Soaring Spirit Rice next year?" he wondered.

Since he could handle both breeding and farming, he could easily produce and supply himself! By relying on Profound Soaring Spirit Rice, his cultivation speed would increase even further.

Dispersing the Memory Array, Chen Mo returned home.

The moment he opened the door, Kang dashed out. Over the past few days, Chen Mo had kept the four Spiritual Birds he initially bought locked inside the house to prevent the Grain Collection Officer from spotting them and causing unnecessary trouble. After all, Spiritual Birds of such massive size probably couldn’t be found anywhere in the entire Ancient Dust Marketplace!

"CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK! CLUCK CLUCK!"

"What are you squawking about?"

"CLUCK! CLUCK CLUCK!" Looking immensely displeased, Kang pecked at the ground before tilting its head back and opening its beak.

Chen Mo chuckled, grabbing a large handful of Drunken Aphids from his Storage Space and tossing them into the air. Kang moved so fast it was merely a blur, snapping them up one by one before a single bug could even hit the ground. Once it finished eating, Chen Mo grabbed it by the neck with both hands, pulled it back forcefully, and tossed it out of the way.

"Now that you’re done eating, stop blocking the door!"

With Kang tossed aside, the remaining three Spiritual Birds also waddled out, swaying side to side as they looked around. After briefly cleaning up the messy house, Chen Mo—now at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer—began his next round of arduous cultivation.

Anyone below the Golden Core realm was nothing but an insect. Cultivation itself was an endless pursuit! Year after year, without a resilient heart, it would truly be difficult to go far on this path.

After a night had passed, Chen Mo set off.

Along the way, an endless stream of Spirit Plant Cultivators bustled around the Ancient Dust Marketplace. After a year of disaster and two years of losses, the Spirit Rice they harvested in this third year finally belonged to them. How could they not be excited? Even neighbors who usually swore never to interact with one another were cheerfully exchanging greetings on this grain-selling day.

Before entering the Ancient Dust Marketplace, Chen Mo found a secluded spot to take out his large handcart and two thousand catties of grain. He then pushed the massive cart, which was piled with Spirit Rice taller than a person, into the marketplace. This scene immediately caught the attention of the surrounding Spirit Plant Cultivators, who swallowed hard and cast envious glances his way.

"What a tycoon!"

"Now that’s a true major grain grower!"

"Just how many acres of Spirit Fields did he plant? There must be one or two thousand catties here, right?"

"Shh!" An old man made a hushing gesture. "He’s probably at the Qi Refining Third or Fourth Layer! Watch what you say!"

Chen Mo paid no mind to the stares of others. However, the attention did make him realize a problem: parading two thousand catties of rice through the streets was simply too conspicuous. The other Spirit Plant Cultivators who had also come to sell their grain would likely remember him at a glance. Because of this, Chen Mo, who had originally planned to sell ten thousand catties of Spirit Rice in a single day, decided to be cautious to avoid stirring up unnecessary trouble!

The Marketplace, which had been silent for so long, finally welcomed a bustling day. The number of Loose Cultivators running scams by the roadside had also increased, selling a dizzying array of goods—they had everything! Pushing his large cart, Chen Mo walked further inside along the bluestone-paved Great Dao. The Loose Cultivators around him constantly shouted out to him, hoping he would patronize their stalls after he finished selling his grain.

His first stop was Niu’s Shop. On the grain collection day following a bumper harvest, the entire Marketplace was incredibly busy, let alone a place like Niu’s Shop with its official background. According to past conventions, whoever received a customer would be responsible for collecting their grain. As a Steward of Niu’s Shop, Wei Wuwei was naturally swamped with work. However, when Chen Mo appeared and a servant boy announced his arrival, Wei Wuwei still personally came out to the front courtyard to receive him.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Chen!" Wei Wuwei glanced over; there had to be at least a thousand catties on that cart! Instantly, a bright smile covered his face.

"I owe it to you, Shopkeeper Wei! If you hadn’t gifted me that land back then, there’s no way I could have planted such a massive area!"

"Like I always say, for a Spirit Plant Cultivator, having fields is king! The more Spirit Fields, the better! Those short-sighted fools must be green with regret now after seeing how much grain you’ve harvested this year!" Wei Wuwei was in a good mood, which made him a bit more talkative than usual.

"Haha!"

The two engaged in some mutual flattery and shared a knowing smile. After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the two thousand catties of grain were weighed, and Chen Mo received one hundred and sixty taels of Spiritual Sand from Niu’s Shop. Such a massive sum of money would make any other Spirit Plant Cultivator handle it with the utmost caution and cherish it dearly. But to the current Chen Mo, this was merely pocket change; the bulk of his earnings was yet to come.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he used the excuse of wanting to avoid being targeted to leave through the grain shop’s back door. He passed through a deserted alleyway, and by the time he reappeared on the main street, his handcart was loaded with another three thousand catties of Spirit Rice!

Chen Mo had walked out in a circle. The Loose Cultivators waiting by the roadside were now full of confusion.

Did the negotiation fall through?

Did he not sell it to Niu’s Shop?

Ignoring their stares, Chen Mo entered a second grain shop. The Steward of this shop had remembered him since last year. Anyone who could sell grain in the second year after a disaster was definitely a force to be reckoned with, and sure enough! He actually brought such an enormous transaction to their shop this year!

"The usual rules?" Chen Mo asked with a smile.

"Th-the usual rules..." the Steward stammered slightly, hurrying into the back room to call the Shopkeeper out.

The so-called usual rules meant strict confidentiality of information! Whether it was the Yi Er San Grain Station or this Spring Rice Grain Shop, none of them would ever disclose who had sold grain to them. After all, according to the rules, this grain was supposed to be purchased by Niu’s Shop. But in business, one always needed some sort of backing or background. Anyone capable of opening a grain shop in the Marketplace would have some level of connection to Purple Cloud Peak behind the scenes.

Having sold three thousand catties of grain, he directly exchanged it for three Low Grade Spirit Stones from Shopkeeper Wu, who then personally escorted Chen Mo out through the back door. This time, he didn’t sell the remaining stock. Instead, without giving anyone a chance to holler at him, he hurried back home without stopping.

Feeding the birds, grooming their feathers, cultivating... The next morning, he rushed to the Marketplace again. Fortunately, the Marketplace was quite large, so there were always alternative routes he could take. After selling another two cartloads of Spirit Rice, Chen Mo returned home once more. By the third day, all eleven thousand catties of Spirit Rice were finally sold!

He saved the remaining one thousand catties for breeding and consumption, but what about the other eleven thousand? They had now been converted into nine Low Grade Spirit Stones and one hundred and sixty taels of Spiritual Sand, quietly stored away inside his ring!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.