Choice

This trip had exceeded its goal.

Chen Sheng was in high spirits.

As he neared home, he was surprised to spot a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the neighboring courtyard.

"Ji Feng, you're back so soon?"

Ji Feng turned to look at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm back."

"I told you, we'd only go around the outskirts, grab what we could, and run. How long could it possibly take?"

Chen Sheng was surprised, but his expression remained calm as he asked, "What about Old Deng? How did you two make out?"

"Old Deng naturally came back too."

"As for the haul..." Ji Feng chuckled, looking somewhat pleased with himself.

"Not bad. About enough to buy a low-grade Dharma Artifact."

Seeing how smug he looked,

Chen Sheng cooperatively showed a look of astonishment.

"Even the cheapest low-grade Dharma Artifact costs dozens of Spirit Stones. You really struck it rich!"

Ji Feng became even smugger.

"Nothing much. This is only the beginning. So, do you regret it now?"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"In a few days, I'm planning to try another direction. Want to come with me?"

Chen Sheng waved a hand. "The harvest is in a couple of days. I really can't spare the time, so forget it."

Ji Feng curled his lip and said mockingly, "Coward! Just watch me get rich."

Chen Sheng nodded helplessly. "You're right. I've never been very brave. I can't do this sort of thing."

With that, he turned and went home, closing the courtyard gate behind him.

At the courtyard entrance,

the smile vanished from Ji Feng's face at once. His expression darkened, and without saying a word, he headed into his own house.

Once home,

Chen Sheng sneered inwardly.

Ji Feng's performance had been far too hasty.

At this point, he was ninety percent certain that Old Deng and Ji Feng had joined forces to set a trap.

"But why had they targeted me?"

Chen Sheng was somewhat puzzled.

"I've only been farming for two years. I don't look like I have money!"

"Why not pick someone else?"

Then another thought occurred to him.

"Someone else?"

A flash of insight struck Chen Sheng.

He suddenly understood!

What was the difference between him and everyone else?

Chen Sheng lived too frugally.

He never kept any Spirit Rice each year, and there was not even anyone in his home to cook.

He lived in such poverty.

Anyone could tell he was saving up Spirit Stones.

"Though I've refused twice in a row, they'll most likely switch targets."

"As the saying goes, it's not thieves stealing from you that you should fear, but thieves keeping their eyes on you."

"I should tell Uncle about this."

Several more days passed.

It was time for the second-half Spirit Rice harvest.

Chen Sheng's ten mu of fields yielded three hundred and eighty jin of Spirit Rice in the end.

The split was seventy-thirty.

He received one hundred and fourteen jin of Spirit Rice.

Ten jin of rice was worth one Spirit Stone.

At that purchase price, Chen Sheng received eleven Spirit Stones and four grains of Spirit Sand.

After taking stock, the Spirit Field steward was quite pleased.

"Your yield is better than some veterans'. Looks like you really put your heart into it."

Chen Sheng smiled and cupped his hands. "You flatter me."

The steward asked, "Same as usual? Exchange it all for Spirit Stones?"

"No."

Chen Sheng shook his head.

"Please hold back sixty jin for me. I plan to send some to Uncle Qin."

The steward chuckled.

"Not bad. Looks like you've finally come to your senses, kid. With such a good relationship, you should visit each other often."

"Fine, I'll set aside sixty jin for you."

Chen Sheng cupped his hands. "Thank you, Steward."

Very soon, he received five Spirit Stones, four grains of Spirit Sand, and sixty jin of Spirit Rice.

Out of consideration for Qin Dajiang,

the steward had always treated him quite well. He never shorted him and even allowed him to keep a little extra Spirit Rice.

Previously, Chen Sheng had been wholly focused on saving money. He could not bear to eat this Spirit Rice, so he had never kept any for himself.

At noon,

Qin Dajiang arrived at Chen Sheng's home carrying wine and food.

"Uncle, why didn't Eldest Brother come?"

Seeing Qin Dajiang alone, Chen Sheng asked.

"He's very busy. He only stayed for two days before returning to the sect."

Qin Dajiang gave a brief explanation.

Seeing the table full of dishes Chen Sheng had prepared, he could not help laughing heartily.

"You've arranged quite a feast. Later, you'll have to drink a few good cups with your uncle."

"Of course, of course."

Chen Sheng hurriedly agreed.

Yet he felt somewhat regretful.

He had wanted to learn more about Qinghua Sect from Qin Shuang.

At the dinner table,

the two drank and ate as they chatted.

"I asked around about three places for you. All of them are decent choices. The first is Huang Clan Pill Workshop. Its owner is surnamed Huang, a seasoned Mid-grade Alchemist."

"He's very strict, but he teaches real skills. He has only a few apprentices: six years learning herbs, six years controlling fire, and eight years of Pill Condensation. You'd be both an apprentice and a worker for him."

"After twenty years, becoming a low-grade alchemist should basically be guaranteed."

"The second is the Artifact Forging Workshop. Its owner, Master Li, is a high-grade Artifact Refiner. Your prospects would be better under him."

"However, he has many apprentices. If you lack talent, it won't be easy to catch his eye, and you won't learn much."

"The third is Luo Clan Winery. Boss Luo is a Mid-grade Spirit Wine Master, and he and I are on good terms. He promised me that he'd teach you genuine skills."

"But he has a son. He definitely won't pass his secret recipes on to you, so you'd only learn the basic work of brewing spirit wine."

"Think it over."

Chen Sheng pondered in secret.

He had already ruled out the third option.

Spirit wine was too niche.

And basic work alone offered no competitive advantage.

The first two each had their advantages.

Chen Sheng could not make up his mind for the moment.

He asked several more questions.

Qin Dajiang answered them one by one.

"Master Huang is an honest man. He guarantees a solid baseline. But none of his apprentices have become Mid-grade Alchemists, and he keeps his secret Pill Formulas tightly guarded."

"Master Li keeps some things to himself too, but he is, after all, a high-grade Artifact Refiner. Two of the apprentices who trained under him became mid-grade artifact refiners and are doing quite well in the neighboring Market Town."

Chen Sheng nodded at each point.

Finally, he asked about the two masters' ages, cultivation, temperaments, families, and other details.

Qin Dajiang told him everything he knew.

The scales in Chen Sheng's heart gradually tipped.

He made his final choice.

"Master Huang, then. Your nephew doesn't know whether he has any talent, so it's better to be safe."

Qin Dajiang laughed heartily.

"I figured you'd choose this one, kid. Twenty years is long, but learning a craft is just like that. As long as you learn something, that's what matters."

"Alright. Come find me the day after tomorrow, and I'll accompany you to take a master."

Chen Sheng nodded. "Thank you, Uncle."

After a few cups of wine, the atmosphere grew even warmer.

Taking the opportunity, Chen Sheng brought up the Secret Realm and how Ji Feng had invited him to join up twice.

The moment Qin Dajiang heard this, he slammed his wine cup onto the table.

His tiger-like eyes widened, and the scar on his face made him look especially fierce.

He gave Chen Sheng's shoulder a heavy pat.

There was approval in his voice.

"Not bad. You've got some wits about you. You're a little like your father back then!"

"People like that are definitely harboring bad intentions. Leave this matter to your uncle. You just focus on learning your craft."

Chen Sheng nodded. "Sorry to trouble you, Uncle."

Qin Dajiang nodded.

Then he began sharing his experience.

He had worked in this Market Town for half his life.

He had seen much and knew much.

He explained, piece by piece, all manner of tricks and schemes commonly used by the Robber Cultivators around Market Town to cheat people.

Chen Sheng quietly committed those examples to memory.

In the end,

Qin Dajiang summed it up.

"When all's said and done, as long as you aren't greedy yourself, it won't be easy for others to lure you into their traps. But alas..."

Qin Dajiang shook his head.

Too many people could not rein in their greed.

Chen Sheng nodded in deep agreement.

The words "do not be greedy" sounded simple, but putting them into practice was extraordinarily difficult. For cultivators pursuing higher realms and racing against their own lifespans, it was harder than climbing to heaven.

Thinking of himself, Chen Sheng had the Myriad Lives Tome at his side. He did not need to fight over temporary gains and losses. Perhaps he truly could live by those words: do not be greedy.