Chapter 27: Fishing for Insects
Chapter 27: Fishing for Insects
Lu Chen was still busy preparing dinner, so after a brief chat with Xu Wan, they both entered the kitchen.
By the Spirit Spring:
Zhang Xiuyuan craned his neck, peering intently at the Red-whiskered Carp swimming leisurely in the spring water. Occasionally, he reached out as if to grasp at the long, slender red whiskers, but he always pulled his hand back, not quite daring enough.
"This is the Red-whiskered Carp. It's not aggressive, and its whiskers are quite beautiful, aren't they?"
He Guan Shi had appeared beside him at some point, introducing the carp's origins.
"They're so beautiful! I never expected Little Lu Chen to be raising such gorgeous spiritual fish. He's amazing!" the boy exclaimed sincerely.
Behind him, Xu Wan nodded in agreement.
While her son, Zhang Xiuyuan, was only interested in the carp's appearance, Xu Wan's thoughts went beyond that.
The sheer size of the spiritual fields, coupled with the presence of a spirit spring, made her wonder about the immense amount of spirit stones required to maintain them.
She didn't often interact with Lu Chen, and her impression of him was mostly formed through occasional mentions by her husband, Zhang Hong.
According to Zhang Hong, Lu Chen had average talent, a quiet disposition, and wasn't very sociable. However, he had a kind heart, diligently cultivated, and tirelessly tended to his spiritual plants.
He was just an ordinary spiritual herbalist, but a good person nonetheless.
Now, with his help in pest control, his earnings with Zhang Xiuyuan, the mysterious nighttime conflict, and the wealth required to rent such a residence, Xu Wan found herself unable to see through Lu Chen's true nature.
"Lu Chen has changed quite a bit lately. I never expected that the once silent, stubborn, and stingy boy would quietly grow to this extent," the thin, elderly man beside them also sighed, a hint of relief on his face.
"Dinner's ready!" Lu Chen's voice rang out from a short distance away.
"Braised Spiny Boar Meat!"
"Stir-fried Wild Ox!"
"Hand-torn Emerald Spirit Leaves!"
Dish after dish of mouthwatering food was served.
"Wow, it smells amazing!" Zhang Xiuyuan exclaimed dramatically, causing Lu Chen to feel flattered by the praise.
He Guan Shi and Xu Wan maintained their composure, but their frequent glances at the dishes revealed their attraction to the delicious spread.
Lu Chen served each of them a bowl of steaming spirit rice and poured cups of orange-hued spirit brew.
"Thank you, He Guan Shi, Zhang Xiao, and Little Yuan, for coming to celebrate my housewarming. Cheers to you all!"
He Guan Shi and Xu Wan offered their blessings, and the four of them clinked cups and drank.
As the spirit brew slid down their throats, they first felt a spicy sensation, followed by a warm, rich feeling that spread throughout their bodies.
"Glug!"
Putting down his cup, Zhang Xiuyuan's stomach rumbled audibly, causing Lu Chen and the others to chuckle.
"Dig in, everyone! Don't hold back," Lu Chen said warmly.
Whether it was the spirit beast meat or the spirit rice, each dish was worth its price, tasting fresh and delicious while also imbued with a subtle spiritual essence.
The four of them ate heartily, quickly clearing the table of food.
After a brief rest, Xu Wan and her son, along with He Guan Shi, took their leave one by one.
He Guan Shi lived nearby and was significantly stronger than Xu Wan and her son, so he returned home alone.
Xu Wan and Zhang Xiuyuan, on the other hand, lived on the outskirts of the North District, a more chaotic area. Given their low cultivation levels, Lu Chen decided to escort them back.
By the time he returned home, it was already deep into the night.
The night sky hung low, with sparse stars twinkling in the darkness.
Lu Chen removed the talismans and the Silver Blade from his sleeves, gazing up at the starry sky with heightened expectations for his future.
The next day, Lu Chen woke up while it was still dark.
Lu Chen's consciousness focused on them.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind.
"Drinking water yesterday, drinking water today, drinking water every day... how can they grow bigger?"
"And here I am, providing them with spirit spring water, and they're still not satisfied."
Lu Chen muttered to himself, dashing back inside and returning with a handful of spirit rice.
Sensing the faint spiritual energy emanating from the rice, the three carp noticeably increased their swimming speed, moving in sync with Lu Chen's steps.
He scattered half of the rice, and immediately, the water's surface churned as six slender red whiskers appeared and disappeared like fine threads.
After a few breaths, the water calmed, and the carp resumed their leisurely swimming, their heads still turned towards Lu Chen's direction.
Lu Chen's consciousness once again focused on the carp.
"Please, just a little more rice!"
A thought flashed through his mind, and he scattered another small amount of spirit rice.
The spirit spring's surface rippled once more.
Lu Chen emptied the rest of the spirit rice into the spring, and the carp devoured every last grain.
Now full and content, the carp no longer orbited Lu Chen, assuming an aloof and indifferent demeanor.
Lu Chen proceeded to inspect the various spiritual plants in his fields.
He adjusted the position of the Blood Jade Ginseng spirit seed, which had shifted, and then supplied each Spirit Glow Grass with an optimal amount of spirit rain, ensuring they were thoroughly nourished.
Afterward, Lu Chen expanded his spiritual sense to its maximum and meticulously searched through every inch of spirit soil.
"Found you."
Using the Earth-Drawing Technique, he manipulated the spirit soil, causing slight changes that squeezed out a tiny grayish-white bug.
He continued his search, uncovering several more bugs of different shapes and even a tiny, colorful, and unusual insect hidden within the spirit soil.
These bugs lurked in the soil, and once they emerged, their larvae would feed on the leaves and stems of the spiritual plants, hindering their growth.
The bugs had various origins; some were hatched from eggs hidden in the spirit soil, while others might have accidentally been brought into the fields, and a few were mysterious insects with elusive behaviors and strong concealment abilities that could even pass through protective arrays to infiltrate the fields.
As a spiritual herbalist, it was imperative to regularly inspect the spirit soil in one's fields and take proactive measures to eradicate these pests before they could harm the precious spiritual plants.
Due to the busyness of settling into his new home, Lu Chen had only now found the time to conduct a large-scale bug-hunting expedition.
With his spiritual sense combing through the entire field, Lu Chen eventually unearthed seven larvae.
Carrying the bugs, he approached the edge of the spirit spring and pinched a plump white larva, tossing it into the center.
Like lightning, a slender red whisker shot out, wrapping around the larva and delivering it straight into the carp's mouth.
"Wow, that was fast!"
Lu Chen found the carp's reaction amusing as it savored the treat.
The other two carp, a bit farther away, swam closer, their movements mirroring Lu Chen's gestures.
He dropped another larva.
Six red whiskers snapped out simultaneously, vying for the prey.
Then, almost in unison, the whiskers retracted, one of them successfully wrapping around the larva and delivering it to its owner's mouth.
Lu Chen's playful side emerged, and he began tossing the larvae high in the air or faking throws to tease the carp and their whiskers.
Even after the last unusual bug was devoured, he still felt a bit reluctant to stop.
"Haha, those red whiskers by the carp's mouths are like fishing lines. It seems like just as people fish for fish, the fish are also fishing for bugs. How intriguing."
(End of Chapter)
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