Chapter 23: Blood Jade Ginseng
Chapter 23: Blood Jade Ginseng
After confirming the rental of the courtyard with the spiritual spring, the two parties quickly completed the handover.
The slightly plump young cultivator stayed true to his word and took care of various trivial matters for Lu Chen, saving him a lot of time and energy.
Lu Chen paid half a year's rent, depleting more than half of his spiritual stones, leaving him with just over 160 left.
Fortunately, the Spirit Glow Grass was gradually maturing, and with the fourteen Eclipsing Fruits he hadn't sold yet, he wasn't too worried about a shortage of spiritual stones for the time being.
The new courtyard was temporarily protected by a first-grade formation provided by the broker, and the key formation disc was given to Lu Chen. As long as he adjusted the formation patterns, other cultivators would find it difficult to enter the courtyard.
Only those with brute force or cultivators proficient in formation techniques could break the formation.
Thus, Lu Chen gladly accepted this free yet superior protective formation and planned to replace it with a unique formation of his own when he had more financial leeway.
In the previous small courtyard...
Lu Chen gazed at the spiritual plants in the courtyard, feeling a sense of reluctance.
This small courtyard had accompanied him through many stages of his life—cultivation, daily living, and nurturing spiritual plants. Every corner held countless memorable scenes.
In the spiritual field, the plants had evolved from the initial Spirit Glow Grass to the two Eclipse Trees, and with the appearance of the white light ball, he had also added a first-grade Red Cloud Pine, a second-grade Sword Grass, and a second-grade Dark Marrow Fern.
"Out with the old, in with the new," he consoled himself, trying to stay optimistic.
Moving was relatively simple; he didn't have many clothes, and his pills, talismans, and magical artifacts easily fit into a single storage bag.
However, there were two problems that were difficult to solve.
One was the spiritual plants in the field.
Being living beings, spiritual plants couldn't be stored in a storage bag meant for inanimate objects. Forcing them inside would likely deplete their vitality rapidly. Lu Chen had no choice but to dig them up, roots and soil included, and transport them to the new courtyard as quickly as possible.
While this would undoubtedly affect the plants, with Lu Chen's understanding of their current state, he could quickly adjust and restore them.
Among the spiritual plants in the field, four Spirit Glow Grasses had matured, granting Lu Chen a total of one year's worth of cultivation experience and a package each for the Earth Drawing Technique and the Metal-Gold Sword Manual.
The remaining ten plants were also close to maturity, and Lu Chen planned to harvest them directly without relocating them to the new spiritual field.
As for the Red Cloud Pine, Sword Grass, and Dark Marrow Fungus, being smaller in size and more precious, Lu Chen decided to dig them up and replant them in the new spiritual field.
The two Eclipsing Trees were simply too large, and it would be a long time before they matured again. Moreover, due to their low grade and the amount of space they occupied, Lu Chen planned to give them to Zhang Xiuyuan. He intended to plant higher-grade spiritual plants in the new spiritual field instead.
The other problem was how to handle the small courtyard properly.
After all, he had just paid thirty spiritual stones in rent, and giving it up now would be a waste.
But he didn't have the energy to maintain two courtyards, so he had to focus on the new one.
If he left the courtyard in the care of Zhang Hong's wife, he feared that he might bring them unnecessary trouble.
The death of a cultivator at the Intermediate Stage of Qi Refinement wouldn't be easily overlooked.
"I guess I'll have to rent it out to other loose cultivators at a lower price," he thought reluctantly.
After searching for a few days in the loose cultivator market, he found a cultivator at the second layer of the Qi Refinement Stage and rented it out to him for four spiritual stones and thirty fragments per month.
"What a waste of spiritual stones," Lu Chen lamented as he received the rent from the cultivator, feeling as if a piece of his flesh had been sliced off.
Having settled the matters regarding the small courtyard, Lu Chen paid a farewell visit to the Zhangs—to Xu Wan and Zhang Xiuyuan—before leaving.
Xu Wan, standing by his side, also wore an astonished expression, but then, as if realizing something, she nodded in understanding.
"Yes, but my new place isn't far from here. You're welcome to visit me whenever you have free time."
Lu Chen offered reassurance with a comforting smile.
"However, regarding our previous collaboration on pest control, I'm afraid that will have to be put on hold for now."
After the incident with Qin Ming, Lu Chen's enthusiasm for earning spirit stones through pest control had waned. He felt that the situation was more complex than it seemed, and he didn't want to get entangled in it any further.
"Sister-in-law, I've already rented out the courtyard, including the spirit field. There are two Eclipsing Trees there that I don't plan to take with me. You can transplant them to your own courtyard if you like."
Seeing Lu Chen's determination, Xu Wan, who had intended to refuse, nodded in agreement.
"Lu Xiaozi, your move is rather abrupt," Zhang Xiuyuan commented with a hint of concern.
"I have no choice," Lu Chen replied with a sigh. "As you know, Sister-in-law, the outskirts of the Northern District are rife with unsavory characters, and it's not very safe. After that incident a while back, I started thinking about moving to a safer location."
"Indeed, if our family had the means, we would also move to a more central area. Your decision to move is a sensible one," Xu Wan agreed, sharing Lu Chen's sentiments.
Lu Chen didn't linger long. Carrying the fourteen Eclipsing Fruits and ten Spirit Glow Grasses, he made his way to the Hundred Herbs Hall.
"Lu Xiaozi, you're finally here. Put down those spiritual plants and come with me to meet someone!"
As soon as Lu Chen arrived at the Hundred Herbs Hall, the thin and elderly He Guan Shi grabbed his hand and led him inside.
The interior of the hall was lavishly decorated. The floor was covered with soft animal skins, and the tables and chairs were crafted from spirit wood. At the center stood a large cauldron with two ears and three legs, from which wisps of smoke rose, carrying a refreshing herbal fragrance.
Seated on a wooden chair was a strikingly beautiful young girl, gently stroking a small, snow-white ferret on her lap.
"Miss, this is Lu Chen, the talented spiritual herbologist I mentioned. He has an exceptional gift for cultivating large quantities of high-quality and top-grade spiritual plants," He Guan Shi said, bowing respectfully as he addressed the young girl with deference.
Lu Chen also bowed politely.
The beautiful young girl lifted her gaze from the ferret and briefly glanced at Lu Chen.
Lu Chen quietly activated his Concealment Breath Technique, masking his cultivation base to appear as a mere second layer of Qi Refinement.
"He Ye Ye, since you rarely introduce a spiritual herbologist to collaborate with the Hall, I assume his abilities are beyond question," the young girl said, tilting her chin up slightly.
"However, he seems younger than me, and his cultivation base is inferior. He will need to demonstrate his capabilities to earn our trust."
"The spiritual seeds of the Hundred Herbs Hall are hard to come by, and I am reluctant to entrust the second-grade spiritual seeds to him."
"Therefore, for the initial phase, the Hall will provide him with a certain number of Spirit Glow Grass seeds. Additionally, he may choose one first-grade spiritual seed. If he performs well, we can consider adding more varieties in the future."
"Of course, that is more than sufficient," He Guan Shi agreed, bowing respectfully. After a moment's thought, he continued, "Currently, there are a few first-grade spiritual plants that are in high demand and short supply. As I am quite familiar with this young man, I will take the liberty of choosing one on his behalf—the Blood Jade Ginseng. Miss, what do you think?"
"That's fine," the young girl nodded in assent.
Seeing her agreement, a smile of satisfaction appeared on He Guan Shi's face. He led the dazed Lu Chen out of the room.
(End of Chapter)
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