Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp, Gathering Invitation

Several more days passed.

The endless spring rain finally came to a complete stop.

Spring sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone upon the earth. He could distinctly feel the warmth settling over his body, while the wheat seedlings in the yard had somehow grown lush and flourishing over just these past few days.

A field of emerald green, exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

More than thirty stalks among them had grown especially tall, their verdant leaves tinged with a faint, icy blue. Around them stood the rather listless Frost Wheat.

Frost Wheat—just from the name, one could tell that it preferred icy environments. It also needed to absorb sufficient ice-aspected Spiritual Energy to grow. The current conditions were clearly unsuitable for it.

Yet perhaps because it was bound to Start of Spring Wheat—

Though it faced a spring breeze carrying a trace of warmth and grew without much vigor, it was still growing. It simply no longer produced wheat.

But that did not matter.

"As long as it's alive."

"At least the binding will still be in effect while it lives."

Li Ye made a round through the yard before arriving at the beavers' nest. By now, they had built a ring of dams around the entire Spring Water, allowing the water to split off through openings they had deliberately left behind.

They had even cleverly understood Li Ye's instructions. They would watch to see whether the wheat lacked water, then open the sluice at the proper time to release it. They had truly saved him an enormous amount of trouble.

Li Ye picked up the peanuts he had bought and tossed them to the beavers one after another. Watching them raise their paws and bow, he saw each of them take a peanut back into the nest to enjoy slowly.

"It's time to plant some aquatic spirit plants."

"Something edible..."

The wheat occupied one mu of the yard, but there was still a full mu of empty land. Li Ye planned to buy some spirit plants to bring back and cultivate, take care of a few other matters, and bring the spring rain to the Spirit Vine while he was at it.

Once he made up his mind, he set off at once. After packing his things, he headed straight out.

The market was especially lively.

With all things reviving in spring, many spirit plants could be planted, and there were more spirit beasts as well. The place had even begun to grow somewhat noisy.

As Li Ye wandered along, a large vat before a cultivator soon caught his attention.

Inside were crimson-gold koi, each one looking exceptionally festive. Yet there were tiny protrusions on their heads, as though horns were concealed beneath the surface.

Name: Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp

Mood: Stifled

Status: Longing to Leap

Bindable: Any aquatic spirit plant that is not overly tall. It must allow it to leap and be sufficiently sturdy.

"Fellow Daoist, have you taken a liking to my Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp?" The stall owner was a middle-aged cultivator.

He smiled. "Every seven days, these Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp shed a scale. Fry those scales in oil, and they can be eaten directly—the flavor is superb."

"The name certainly sounds grand."

"But what benefits do these scales offer when eaten?"

Li Ye examined the carp swimming about within the vat. Koi were called koi for a reason; that crimson-gold color truly was beautiful. If their scales offered enough benefits, he really did want to buy some and raise them in the Spring Water.

Seeing that Li Ye was interested in purchasing them, the middle-aged cultivator hurriedly said, "These scales have quite the origin! It is said that these fish once swam alongside the dragon clan in a vast, mist-shrouded lake, and were fortunate enough to eat dragon scales.

Long-term consumption of this fish's scales not only preserves one's beauty and youth, but also strengthens the physical body. The benefits are truly countless!"

Li Ye naturally knew there had to be some exaggeration in those claims. But first, the fish really were beautiful; second, they could be bound; and he happened to need to buy some aquatic spirit plants as well. It was killing two birds with one stone.

After a brief hesitation, he decided to buy them.

Just then, a pleasantly surprised voice rang out beside him—

"Hey, isn't that Fellow Daoist Li?"

He turned his head and found that it was the cultivator surnamed Zhou, who had been selling spirit wheat these past days. The man's face was glowing with health and his smile was broad, as though something joyous had happened.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou hurried over, glanced over curiously, then exclaimed in surprise, "Third Uncle, why are you here? You actually dared to catch these Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp!"

Clearly, he knew the fish seller.

The middle-aged cultivator said helplessly, "Nephew, I raised these fish myself. Of course I can bring them out to sell. But is this fellow Daoist your friend?"

"Indeed! Not only is he my friend, he has shown your nephew great kindness. Sell these Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp to Fellow Daoist Li a little cheaper, will you?"

"...You brat, always siding with outsiders!" The middle-aged cultivator laughed as he scolded him. "These Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp should have been one hundred Spirit Stones each. I'll sell them cheaper—eighty Spirit Stones apiece!"

Watching this exchange between "uncle and nephew," Li Ye was left a little dumbfounded.

The scene somehow felt like some kind of Immortal Jump scam, but the Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp truly were second-rank spirit beasts with special effects. Eighty Spirit Stones per fish was not expensive.

Perhaps noticing the doubt in his gaze, the cultivator surnamed Zhou hurriedly explained, "These Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp are spirit beasts unique to my Third Uncle's family. They came from Returning Shore, an ancient cultivator's blessed grotto-heaven.

Fellow Daoist can ask around casually and find out. I have absolutely no intention of deceiving you. Besides, I came today specifically to find Fellow Daoist—I brought you some gifts!"

He took a parcel weighing roughly ten jin and a small box from his Storage Pouch. Leaning closer, he lowered his voice and said:

"Thanks to Fellow Daoist Li's good fortune, that batch of Spring Thunder Wheat really produced Wheat Pellets. Here are ten jin of fine flour and twenty Wheat Pellets. You must accept them!"

After saying that, he returned to normal and said gratefully, "If not for Fellow Daoist's reminder that day, I would likely have sold that batch of wheat long ago. How could I have gained such a fine harvest? I truly cannot thank you enough."

He even gave a slight bow.

Li Ye immediately dodged aside. "Those wheat plants were cultivated by Fellow Daoist in the first place. It is only natural that you should reap such gains. I merely mentioned it in passing."

"Ah!" The cultivator surnamed Zhou waved his hand. "It cannot be put that way. Some matters only lack a single word of guidance. Fellow Daoist's words pierced through the fog for me—this is a kindness I owe you.

"Come to think of it, are you free three days from now? We spirit plant farmers are holding a gathering at the Peach Blossom Garden in Returning Shore Market. We can get to know one another then."

This was a good thing.

The circles of cultivators were sometimes just that hard to enter. Without someone to lead the way, one could never squeeze in no matter what. He was not cultivating the path of some solitary immortal, either; he would certainly need dealings with other cultivators.

So he nodded readily. "Since Fellow Daoist Zhou has invited me, I will make time even if I have none. I will surely attend in three days!"

The cultivator surnamed Zhou was quite pleased.

His family had some influence here, so naturally he knew who had accepted the Four Seasons Sect's assignments. His grandmother had guessed that this cultivator named Li Ye would very likely enter the Four Seasons Sect in the future.

If they did not forge a good connection now, it would simply be casting pearls before swine!

Moreover, he himself also found Fellow Daoist Li rather unusual and wanted to befriend him.

Li Ye helplessly accepted his goodwill, then ultimately bought five Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp, intending to raise them for a while and see how things went.