Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Planting the Red Fruit Again

Song Yunxi walked to the table and sat directly beside Chen Mo.

He slung an arm around Chen Mo’s shoulders, his face lighting up with excitement. "I’ve asked around. White Snake Marketplace has over two thousand three hundred acres of Spirit Fields! It’s even larger than Ancient Dust Marketplace! Just think about all that land—they’ll need eight hundred catties of seeds a year!

"When the time comes, you’ll handle the breeding, and I’ll take care of the sales. Deducting the cost of one tael, even if we sell them at five taels per catty, we can make thirty-two Low Grade Spirit Stones! We’ll split the profits fifty-fifty, which means sixteen stones each!"

Beside them, Hong Yan couldn’t help but swallow hard at the mention of thirty-two Low Grade Spirit Stones. The female cultivators at Fragrance Pavilion couldn’t dream of earning that much, even if they spent all day flat on their backs without stopping to eat or drink! And that was just from the seeds. When factoring in other Spirit Plants, Spiritual Birds, and Spirit Fish, the overall wealth would be unimaginably massive. Pavilion Master! Oh, to be a Pavilion Master! Ultimately, the higher one’s status, the greater their access to resources.

"Brother Song, let’s stick to the old rules," Chen Mo said. He hadn’t let the sheer volume of Spirit Stones go to his head. Despite having drunk so much, he remained remarkably calm.

"It’s only a difference of four Spirit Stones," Song Yunxi replied, not particularly caring.

But Chen Mo shook his head. "I only want one point five taels per catty. Whatever price you sell them for, that’s up to you, Brother Song."

Song Yunxi understood. If they split it fifty-fifty, Chen Mo would get a larger cut the higher the price went. But at a fixed rate of one point five taels, he was securing a guaranteed compensation of twelve Low Grade Spirit Stones every year.

"Come on! We’re brothers; there’s no need to calculate things so strictly."

Listening from the sidelines, Hong Yan was filled with envy. It had taken her over a decade to rise from a female performer servicing guests to a welcoming steward, yet she barely brought in two Low Grade Spirit Stones a year. Meanwhile, the Spirit Plant Cultivator before her would pull in twelve stones annually from now on, even if he did absolutely nothing! He was unquestionably a dream Dao companion. Looking down at herself, she let out a sigh.

Song Yunxi and Chen Mo talked through the night, fully disclosing their considerations. Song Yunxi planned to head to White Snake Marketplace first. He would spend half a month familiarizing himself with the situation, establish a foothold, arrange for accommodations and Spirit Fields, and then send someone to pick Chen Mo up. He guaranteed that everything would be properly settled within a month, well before the spring planting season began.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Mo naturally accepted the proposal. As for how many acres of Spirit Fields he would take on? He did some mental calculations and decided to plant twenty acres first. Once his realm advanced, he would consider expanding the cultivation scale.

"Brother Song, there’s one more thing I need you to keep an eye out for."

"No need to be polite, just say it!"

"It’s about finding a Spirit Array Master. If possible, I’d like to learn a thing or two."

"Brother Chen! I can only promise to try my best regarding this matter." Song Yunxi didn’t make any absolute guarantees this time; after all, even he wasn’t certain. If it were just about setting up a Defense Array for a Spirit Plant Cultivator’s residence, he might be able to find someone to give a few pointers. But taking on an apprentice? That wasn’t a simple matter at all!

"I understand! We’ll leave it to fate." Chen Mo knew he couldn’t force the issue.

At daybreak, Chen Mo bid farewell to Song Yunxi and departed from Ancient Dust Marketplace alone.

Niu Youliang slept until the sun was high in the sky. By the time he returned to Earth Character Room Two, only Song Yunxi and his attendants remained.

"Where is Fellow Daoist Chen?"

"He went back." Song Yunxi had stayed behind specifically to wait for him. "Master Niu, how about I ask you for two people?"

"Hmm? There’s someone who caught your eye?"

"Indeed!"

"Whoever it is, just name them!" Niu Youliang guessed it had to be Yun Rou and Yu Xi.

"Yun Rou and Hong Yan!"

"Hong Yan?"

Chen Mo returned to his snow-covered home, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and took the opportunity to stroke Kang’s feathers.

Today’s events had genuinely exceeded his expectations. He hadn’t anticipated that Song Yunxi would become a Pavilion Master, nor that his own status would rise alongside him.

"Does this count as riding his coattails?" he wondered, laughing self-deprecatingly.

With Song Yunxi looking out for him moving forward, his days would only get better. However, this sudden news had also disrupted Chen Mo’s rhythm. He had just spent sixty taels to build a new house and chicken coop; having to leave so soon after moving in felt like a real waste. He just didn’t know how much he could sell it for to other Spirit Plant Cultivators. Perhaps... very few would even be able to afford it.

Having paused his cultivation for a day, Chen Mo took a Spirit Stone from his Storage Ring and placed it in his palm. Suddenly, with a flicker of thought, a bag of seeds appeared before him.

Red Fruit Seeds?

This bag of seeds had been stored for nearly four years. Fortunately, three of those years were spent inside his Storage Space, preserving their vitality. Just moments ago, while grabbing the Spirit Stone, Chen Mo had caught a glimpse of them, sparking a bold idea in his mind!

He pushed the door open and stepped outside. In front of the house, the Spirit Field that had been overdrawn by the Red Fruit Seeds had yet to recover, and that puddle of a reservoir had ultimately failed to become a Spirit Pool. He knew very well that once these seeds started to sprout, grow leaves, and bear fruit, this piece of land would be completely ruined. Before yesterday, he absolutely would not have done something so short-sighted as killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, but now? He was leaving anyway; what did it matter if he ruined an acre or two of Spirit Fields?

But it was winter... would these seeds even sprout?

Chen Mo cleared a patch of snow, then used Flaming Palm to thaw the frozen, hard earth before burying the seeds inside. Next, he shrank the Memory Array that covered the entire seventeen acres of Spirit Fields, restricting it to just two acres, and activated Rapid Maturation and Gathering Spirit. After doing all this, he casually summoned a cold rain shower before finally returning to the house.

On the second day, there was no activity in the field.

On the third day, it remained quiet.

By the fourth day, the sturdy stems of the Red Fruit Seeds finally broke through the constraints of the frozen soil and sprouted!

Overjoyed, Chen Mo turned on his heel, executed his Spirit Snake Body Technique, and made a swift trip to Ancient Dust Marketplace. He spent fifty taels of Spiritual Sand to buy a magic manual that only those with a Metal Spirit Root could cultivate—the Golden Armor Technique—and hurried back.

Under the effects of Rapid Maturation, the Red Fruit stems in the field grew frantically. After just half a day away, they had already reached ankle height. At this rate, they would fully mature in another ten days!

Over the following days, aside from his daily cultivation, Chen Mo desperately tried to comprehend the Golden Armor Technique. Unfortunately, hindered by his limited talent and inadequate Spirit Root, he had only gained three experience points in five days. He was probably still a million miles away from entry-level!

However, with his prior experience cultivating Geng Metal Finger, Chen Mo wasn’t worried at all. On the contrary, as the Red Fruits grew, his anticipation only grew stronger.

At the Proficient Realm of the Golden Armor Technique, one could cover their limbs in Golden Armor to enhance both defense and attack power. After reaching Minor Achievement, it could cover the entire body, providing defense comparable to a Magic Robe and making it difficult for attacks from peers of the same realm to cause harm. Once it reached Great Success, it could even block an attack or two from someone at a higher realm! It was truly a powerful and practical defensive magic!

Another five days passed, and his experience in the Golden Armor Technique accumulated to seven points. On this night, Chen Mo was destined for sleeplessness!

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