"Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"Five of them!"
"Zhao Kuangfeng was actually this generous!"
Liao Cao cried out repeatedly, even more astonished than if he had seen martial arts manuals.
Yang Shi took out a crystal stone and held it between his index finger and thumb. Under the sunlight, white spiritual energy drifted within the crystal, curling around in an enchanting haze with an airy immortal charm.
"A transparent diamond-shaped crystal, with flowing gas inside... This appearance alone—put it straight into a jade auction, and selling one would make a fortune."
Yang Genshuo clicked his tongue twice, giving the crystal's design his wholehearted approval.
"This was the spirit stone that could buy twenty catties of spirit rice?"
"Precisely! These five can be exchanged for one hundred thousand taels of silver at my Treasured Goods Pavilion. They are priceless and scarce."
"Hehe, Zhao Kuangfeng had at least done one good thing. I'll accept these spirit stones as compensation for your offense against my Yang Family."
If Zhao Kuangfeng could still speak, he would definitely have opened his eyes and cursed him: "Compensation? They paid with their lives and that still isn't enough? What an audacious bastard!"
These five Low-Grade Spirit Stones were worth more than all of Yang Shi's possessions combined.
"Shopkeeper Liao, this matter ends here. Remember, no saber wielder came to Bluestone County today, and you never saw anyone from the Ge Family. Everything... remains as usual."
"I will keep my mouth sealed! From this day forth, the Yang Family shall be my Liao Family's eternal friend!"
Liao Cao had boarded Yang Shi's ship now, and there was no getting off.
Everything that had happened today had been planned in advance by Yang Shi. Starting from the city gate, he had guided matters step by step into Shopkeeper Liao's private residence basement. Hardly any passersby had even seen Zhao Kuangfeng.
"Huzi, go to Full Fragrance Garden later and order several tables of food for the Beggars' Sect brothers."
"Alright~"
Shopkeeper Liao sighed upon hearing that.
"Sixth Brother... was beaten to death by Zhao Kuangfeng."
"Why?"
"He led the way to my place to ask him for the reward money, and Zhao Kuangfeng kicked him to death."
"...Make Sixth Brother a large coffin. Let Zhao Kuangfeng lower his head and kneel inside it, properly repenting before Sixth Brother underground."
Back at Yang Family Manor.
"Brother!"
Jiang Xiaobai, who had been waiting at the entrance, came rushing over with tears streaming down her face. She clung to Yang Shi and sobbed softly.
Although Yang Shi had told her that he had found powerful outside help, Jiang Xiaobai had still felt overwhelming helplessness and worry while waiting in the manor.
She could do nothing. She could only pray again and again that Brother Yang would return safely.
She hated this feeling of powerlessness.
"Hehe, Xiao Bai, don't cry. I have the Yang Family ancestors' protection. Nothing will happen to me."
"I-I didn't want to cry, but I just can't stop the tears from falling."
Jiang Xiaobai wiped at her reddened eyes. Lines of tears hung from her adorable little face, while the girl's startling beauty had begun to bloom, like a lotus rising from the water.
Yang Shi could not help pinching Jiang Xiaobai's pitiable little cheeks.
"Alright, it's over. We gained quite a few benefits too. It was a blessing in disguise."
He raised the bag of spirit stones in his hand and shook it, producing a clear clinking sound as a smile appeared on his face.
Jiang Xiaobai's eyes lit up.
Seeing this, Yang Genshuo was already so sleepy that his vision had gone dark.
"I can't stay up any longer. I'm really going to die of sleepiness. Sleep, sleep."
After giving the Spirit Field one final Spirit Rain, Yang Genshuo typed the words "secluded cultivation," then lay down on the single bed in the study and fell asleep.
Time in the game sped by.
Year 2, Day 20: Yang Shi took Innate Grandmaster Realm Liu Wuhen as his master. Liu Wuhen taught him the Trace-Free Sword Technique and the Mind Illumination Formula, and Yang Shi trained diligently.
Huzi learned the Gale Saber Technique and the Overbearing Qi Formula.
Year 2, Day 58: Yang Shi smoothly performed the entire Trace-Free Sword Technique, reaching the proficiency level of "just getting started."
Year 2, Day 65: Liu Zihan's consumption had fully recovered. Liu Wuhen was overjoyed and gave Yang Shi a bottle of Iron Tendon Steel Bone Pills. They could strengthen the tendons and bones after consumption and were the finest medicine for the Body Tempering Fifth Layer.
Year 2, Day 100: The spirit rice ripened.
"What a bountiful year!"
Within the emerald bamboo grove, members of the Ge Family were all busy harvesting spirit rice. This was the most important time of the year for the Lineage.
Ge Xiangshu, who managed the Ge Family's stores, wandered around for a while, looking quite pleased.
But then his gaze shifted. On the towering Vajra Fruit Tree, Clan Head Ge Xiangying sat cross-legged, frowning as he gazed into the distance.
"This year's spirit rice harvest is quite abundant. Even after deducting the tribute handed over to the Blackstone Sect, we will still have twenty thousand catties of spirit rice and spirit wheat left over. Why are you worried, Brother?"
Ge Xiangshu floated lightly up by stepping along the trunk.
"I fear something happened to my retainer."
"Zhao Kuangfeng? Perhaps the journey was too long, and a few matters delayed him. Escorting mortal craftsmen is rather troublesome as well."
"I calculated it. So long as he had not left Jade Dragon Commandery, he should have returned in one month at the earliest, or three months at the latest. Four months have already passed, yet there is still no news. He has most likely met with disaster."
"Uh... Zhao Kuangfeng was in the Half-Step Innate Realm. Few mortals could have held him back, right?"
"If something happened to him, the one who acted must have been an Innate Grandmaster."
"What if it was another cultivator?"
"Not very likely. If they were cultivators like us, they would naturally be able to afford Spirit Wheat Flour. He could simply make Spirit Meals and Fasting Cakes himself, then sell them at the Rogue Cultivator Market in exchange for spirit stones. What cultivator would care for mortal gold and silver?"
"I heard the Blackstone Sect's alchemists are quite short on gold. Every year, they sell some pills to the royal family in exchange for gold."
"Did I ask you to find an exception to refute me? I meant that under most circumstances, cultivators have no use for gold and silver."
"That was much more rigorous, Brother."
"That was what I meant in the first place!"
"Then you should have said so earlier. Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had said it earlier, wouldn't there have been no question?"
The veins on Ge Xiangying's forehead throbbed. He felt that the reason his younger brother had still not broken through to the Qi Refining Realm was likely because he always came up with strange questions while cultivating.
"So our next step is—"
"To abandon this formula and continue being our Spirit Plant Family!"
Ge Xiangying kicked Ge Xiangshu off the tree with one foot.
"Go harvest your spirit rice! Don't come back up!"
"I think farming every day is quite nice. Why are you always scheming? Don't let your Qi Refining Realm fool you—you're already losing hair. Maybe you won't even live as long as me..."
Ge Xiangshu muttered as he left, leaving Ge Xiangying trembling with rage atop the spirit tree.
"The immortal path is long. Without plotting every step, how can one accomplish great deeds?"
"My whole life is like walking on thin ice."
After calming himself, Ge Xiangying gazed into the distance for a while longer.
"The Blackstone Sect's tribute cannot be delayed. Before the envoy comes to collect tribute from the various Immortal Clans, I must ripen this Vajra Fruit Tree."
"Once Ge Tan refines a wisp of Azure Wood Spiritual Energy and enters the Qi Refining Realm, we will go kill that Innate Grandmaster and reclaim the formula."
He sat cross-legged atop the towering Spirit Fruit Tree, forming hand seals as wisps of azure spiritual energy drifted in from the surrounding forest and nourished the Vajra Fruit Tree.
Yang Genshuo woke naturally after sleeping only eight hours. He was in excellent condition, brimming with energy and high spirits.
He first looked through everything that had happened in the game over the past half year. Nothing required his intervention. The spirit rice had ripened and been harvested to dry outside.
Once the moisture had dried, it could be stored or husked and eaten.
When Yang Genshuo went into the yard, Lin Yue's lunchbox was sitting on the wooden table. She had likely seen that Yang Genshuo was still asleep and left first.
The heartwarming home-cooked meal tasted wonderfully fragrant.
Yang Genshuo felt out his body. He had already absorbed nearly all of the Essence-Sealing Rejuvenation Pill, and no longer had that sensation of medicinal power piling up inside him.
"Today, I'll try the Qi-Replenishing Blood-Nourishing Powder."
After this medicine was brewed, the medicinal soup gave off a faint grassy fragrance, and its flavor was a little intense.
After drinking it, Yang Genshuo's body began to heat up, and a dense layer of sweat beaded across his skin.
His whole body felt as though he were sitting in a sauna—hot and sweating, from the inside out. Yang Genshuo's body itched all over.
"I still need to train!"
He trained madly for three hours straight before the heat finally subsided.
After taking a shower, Yang Genshuo looked at himself in the mirror and could not help touching his chin.
"It's gotten a little more angular."
He felt that his fat was quietly leaving him. That former tall, handsome hunk seemed to be making a comeback.
"Once I've taken all the Body Tempering medicines, my physical fitness will definitely be crazy good."
Sitting before the computer.
Yang Genshuo was preparing to chat with Yang Shi for a while.
At that moment, a sudden change erupted.
A cloud of Spirit Rain actually gathered above Yang Family Manor and poured down upon the Spirit Field that had just been planted with spirit rice seeds.
Yang Genshuo froze.
"Huh? I didn't do anything?"
Before you continue