Waiting for the Start of Spring

When Li Ye returned home and pushed open the door, laden with a full haul, he immediately spotted a clear spring gushing up in the corner of the courtyard.

Even beneath the steadily falling snow, it continued to flow outward, gradually soaking the surrounding ground. Clearly, this spring would need Li Ye to plan it out as well.

Just as he was about to set the beavers down and deal with it himself, the little beavers suddenly became restless, conveying their desire to go out.

He looked at the spring, then at the beavers gazing at it longingly, and immediately understood. "You want to deal with that spring?"

The beavers nodded in unison. Their tiny bean-like eyes sparkled as though they were looking at some rare treasure. Their innocence was plain to see, and utterly delightful.

"Then go on. I'm looking forward to seeing you help me do a good job."

After Li Ye tilted the box and set it down, they eagerly dashed toward the Spirit Spring gushing forth water, gathering mud and fallen twigs and dead leaves from the courtyard plants along the way.

When they reached the Spirit Spring, they chirped at each other as though exchanging a few words.

Then, as though it were an instinct carved into their bodies, two beavers mixed mud, one gnawed and trimmed branches, while the other two moved through the current, using mud and branches to build a small dam.

Their division of labor was flawless.

At first, the dam would still be washed apart by the spring water.

But after reinforcing it only two or three times, the water obediently flowed out through the gaps between the branches of the dam, becoming exceptionally gentle.

And though the dam had clearly been made from mud and casually gathered dead branches and leaves, it somehow filtered the water as well. The spring water flowing through it seemed even clearer.

"That really is rather miraculous."

He walked over to the little dam and watched the beavers continue busily digging earth to build themselves a nest. After thinking it over, he found the most steady one and placed it in his palm.

Then he took out the Hungry Bone that radiated an ominous aura.

The beaver raised its head curiously and looked at his other hand, its eyes filled with pure curiosity.

In other words, it did not reject it.

Binding requires 100 points of Vital Essence.

Fortunately, he had eaten quite a few Spirit Materials lately and taken Moon Nectar Pearls every day. He had not expected this binding to require a hundred points—the Silver Moon Grass and Flint Crystal Worm had only needed twenty points.

Bind.

With a thought from him—

A mysterious connection seemed to form between the Hungry Bone in his hand and the tiny beaver. The latter blinked its little black bean-like eyes at the Hungry Bone, then hugged it outright.

Li Ye did not know whether it was an illusion, but he vaguely sensed that the Hungry Bone was resisting. Yet in the end, it was defeated by the beaver's enthusiasm.

"..."

Li Ye set it down, and the Micro-Stream Beaver dragged the Hungry Bone, which was twice its own size, toward the nest still under construction with great effort, seemingly intending to place it inside.

Logically speaking, the Hungry Bone, which radiated an aura of resentment, would make even cultivators feel as though their hands were being pricked when holding it, perhaps even affecting them. Yet strangely enough, it did not affect the beaver in the slightest.

—No, it did have an effect. It affected the other beavers. The beaver dragging the Hungry Bone had been given a separate area by its companions, who did not dare approach it at all, afraid of being contaminated.

But it seemed to enjoy this arrangement and was willing to stay apart.

Li Ye watched from the side for a while. Once he saw that nothing unusual was happening, he began giving the beavers instructions.

—He needed them to use the dam to divert the Spirit Spring's water toward the plot of land where he was about to plant crops.

After giving them some guidance, he realized that these little fellows were truly astonishingly intelligent.

With only a few suggestions, they could understand him perfectly and immediately, tidying things from the ground while busily working away.

They were brimming with energy.

"I should've bought more. I wonder if it's too late to go back and ask for a few more."

Such peculiar spirit beasts were truly rare to see. With them helping out, he could save himself the trouble of constantly watching the watering and tending the courtyard.

Over the next several days, Li Ye remained busy preparing a suitable environment for the Silver Moon Grass to grow.

To that end, he even used Spirit Stones to replenish its Spiritual Energy, then used the Spiritual Energy it returned to make Ice Bead Pearls.

The wheat was also being soaked and prepared for cultivation through certain methods. The courtyard soil had been tilled as well; once spring arrived, he could sow the seeds directly.

During this time, the Glass Snow Lotus finally withered.

Li Ye did not know whether finding an ice-attributed bird could save it. Besides, winter would soon give way to spring—where would there be for it and the bird to frolic freely then?

So he could only watch as its lotus petals gradually withered and its leaves drooped limply, until only a single lotus seed remained, resting quietly in the jar that had once held snow.

He put away the lotus seed, intending to plant it again in winter.

As for the Frost Wheat, he still did not understand why it alone could bind with spirit plants, but that did not stop him from trying to bind it with the newly acquired Start of Spring Wheat.

Unfortunately, only a little over thirty stalks of Frost Wheat possessed the requirement to produce Wheat Pellets and undergo binding.

He could only bind with more than thirty wheat seeds one after another, then tend to them with great care.

Thus, these days, he ate as many good things as he could to accumulate Vital Essence.

Moon Nectar Pearls, stockpiled spirit wheat flour, and occasionally some Spirit Fruit bought at the market and mixed with Spirit Spring Water. They were indeed delicious; the only problem was the lack of meat.

But honestly, this Golden Finger was truly convenient. He did not need to do anything at all—just eat, and he could accumulate enough Vital Essence. Eating was what he loved most.

"So I started looking after my health while I was still so young."

In his spare time, he would sit by the window, with pastries and cheap spirit tea on the table beside him, leisurely reading the two manuals he had bought.

The one in his hands now was Mystic Minor Spells.

It recorded all sorts of highly practical and convenient little spells.

For example...

Li Ye stretched out a hand toward the pastry before him and cast the Retrieval Art he had just learned.

That piece of pastry trembled as it barely floated up, like a bird that had only just learned to fly—rising high one moment and dipping low the next—but it eventually landed in Li Ye's hand.

He took a bite of the pastry and let out a satisfied breath.

"No wonder Spirit Vine recommended I buy this book. The little spells inside may not be as systematic as the Five Elements arts, but if you want to live comfortably, you really can't do without them."

He finished the pastry in a few bites. Looking at the crumbs on his clothes, he held two fingers together like a sword and gave a light sweep—an invisible current of spiritual power immediately gathered all the dust and pastry crumbs together into a tiny clump.

With a casual use of the Retrieval Art, he tossed it into the trash bin.

Then he silently recited the Calm Heart Mantra, temporarily shutting stray thoughts out of his mind, and patiently began learning more spells.

And so, time slowly passed.

Until one night, while he was asleep, the sound of a bronze gong suddenly rang out from outside. At the same time, a deep, resonant male voice echoed throughout the market district.

"Fellow Daoists."

"Start of Spring has arrived, and all things are reviving. The Four Seasons Sect has gifts for everyone."

"As the four seasons turn, let us seek an auspicious beginning!"

When Li Ye hurriedly climbed out of bed and went to the window, the sight before him made his mouth fall slightly open.

As expected of the Four Seasons Sect.

They truly had wealth to burn.