Several more days passed in the blink of an eye. In Qingyang County Town, the matter of the Meng and Lin Families competing for each other's markets with their new talismans was quickly turned over like a page.
After all, Qingyang County Town was a place where fish mingled with dragons, and only the seven Ninth-Rank Cultivation Families in the county town held the power of life and death over every faction. A Lesser Cultivation Family like the Meng Family could only survive by living at their mercy.
Neither family was a protagonist in Qingyang County Town, so the spotlight naturally would not remain on them forever.
Besides, disputes like the Meng and Lin Families fighting over each other's markets happened all the time.
It was even something tacitly permitted by the seven Ninth-Rank Cultivation Families.
During this period, the Meng Family's new talisman, the "Spirit Taming Talisman," had already devoured seven or eight parts out of ten of the Lin Family's original talisman market share.
Lin Qingshan, who had risen to become the master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion, obtained the Lin Family Patriarch's approval and once more lowered the price of the "Five Elements Defensive Talisman," selling each one for only three Spirit Stones.
Only then did they barely stabilize the Lin Family's scant remaining share of the talisman market.
Otherwise, in a few more days, it would likely be exceedingly difficult for the Lin Family to even drink a mouthful of hot soup from the talisman market!
After Meng Haoran advanced to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, he had kept a low profile and rarely ventured out in order to consolidate his cultivation and heed Meng Luohai's warning.
Whether leaving Xinghua Village or entering Qingyang County Town, he was extremely discreet and never drew attention.
Thus, he knew even less about the private deal Lin Qingbai—who had lost his position as master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion because of him—had reached with Chen Jinmeng of the Chen Family.
In Xinghua Village, in the Meng Family's rear courtyard.
One Meng Family junior after another personally cast the Daoist Magic "Condensing Sickle Art," carefully harvesting this vast field of mature Second-Tier Spirit Plants, "Six-Pattern Wheat."
Though they were drenched in sweat, their faces overflowed with happy smiles.
Every stalk of Six-Pattern Wheat they harvested meant a considerable Spirit Stone income for the Meng Family!
And in the future, those Spirit Stones would all be converted into monthly stipends and distributed into each of their hands.
To the side, Meng Haoran stood beside a huge stone scale. As clan members placed sack after sack of Six-Pattern Wheat on it to be weighed, he recorded every weight in a booklet.
Meng Bohai sat in the pavilion behind him, chatting and laughing with Meng Jingshan, the Meng Family Patriarch.
Now that the Spirit Taming Talismans at Xinghua Meng Pavilion in Qingyang County Town had gradually gotten on track, and the Second-Tier Spirit Plants, Six-Pattern Wheat, in the Meng Family's rear courtyard had all ripened and been harvested—
These two things would bring astonishing Spirit Stone income to the Meng Family!
Thus, over these past days, Meng Jingshan—who rarely left the vicinity of the Spirit Spring because of an old injury—had been happily making his rounds through the various branches of the Meng Family.
Tap, tap, tap!
After weighing the final sack of Six-Pattern Wheat, Meng Haoran turned and climbed up to the pavilion, handing the booklet containing all the weight records to Meng Bohai.
Meng Bohai turned to look at Clan Leader Jingshan.
Meng Jingshan felt a faint stir of excitement. This was the first time in the several hundred years since the Meng Family had arrived in Xinghua Village that they had planted Spirit Plants above the second tier.
Just how much Spirit Stone income would this harvest of Six-Pattern Wheat bring the Meng Family?
Meng Jingshan forcibly suppressed the restlessness in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Bohai, read it!"
"Yes!"
After speaking, Meng Bohai took a deep breath and slowly opened the booklet. Rather than looking at the weight of each sack of Six-Pattern Wheat, he fixed his eyes on the final total and replied solemnly, "Five mu of Spirit Plant Fields were used to grow Six-Pattern Wheat this time. Today's harvest is as follows: the A-grade Spirit Plant Field yielded 853 jin of Six-Pattern Wheat; the B-grade Spirit Plant Field yielded 937 jin; the C-grade Spirit Plant Field yielded 1,064 jin; the D-grade Spirit Plant Field yielded 1,148 jin; and the E-grade Spirit Plant Field yielded 1,221 jin."
Meng Bohai swallowed slightly and continued reading downward. Raising his voice, he announced, "Today, the five mu of Spirit Plant Fields yielded a total of 5,223 jin of mature Six-Pattern Wheat!"
Even as a cultivator at the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining, Meng Bohai had never once seen so many Second-Tier Spirit Plants, Six-Pattern Wheat, in the Meng Family over the course of his decades of cultivation!
"We're rich! The Meng Family is going to be rich!"
That was the only thought in Meng Bohai's mind now.
At his side, Clan Leader Jingshan was also faintly shocked after hearing Meng Bohai read out the final number!
"Good! Good! Good!"
Meng Jingshan praised them again and again.
In Meng Jingshan's view, planting Second-Tier Spirit Plants like Six-Pattern Wheat in one mu of Yellow-grade Spirit Plant Field could yield at most 800 jin, and that was already beyond the limits of what could be expected.
Who would have thought that all five mu of Spirit Plant Fields would surpass his expectations, breaking past the 800-jin limit!
The E-grade Spirit Plant Field had even produced 1,221 jin of Six-Pattern Wheat!
That was truly beyond his expectations!
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Meng Bohai set down the booklet recording the weights, raised his head to look at Meng Haoran, and said seriously, "Haoran, you have truly worked hard these past days. Over these two months, you alone tended the Six-Pattern Wheat in these five mu of Spirit Plant Fields. Clan Leader Jingshan and I have both seen your contribution!"
Clan Leader Jingshan also looked at Meng Haoran and praised, "A tiger father has no dog son! Back then, when your father Meng Liuhai stepped onto the path of cultivation, he forced all the younger generation of the Lin and Chen Families to hang their heads. Now, you too are beginning to show your brilliance within the Meng Family!"
Meng Haoran clasped his fists. "Haoran is lacking in ability and unworthy of Clan Leader Jingshan's and Clan Uncle Bohai's praise!"
What Meng Bohai liked most was Meng Haoran's unruffled manner in the face of favor or disgrace. He rose to his feet, looked at Meng Jingshan, and asked, "Clan Leader, time waits for no one. Since this batch of Six-Pattern Wheat has been harvested, we should promptly take it to the Black Market and sell it to Gray Robe Jiang Lao. What do you think?"
"I agree. However, aside from taking Haoran with you to the Chiyang County Black Market this time, have Luohai accompany you as well."
Meng Jingshan nodded and replied, "The quantity of Six-Pattern Wheat our Meng Family is bringing to the Chiyang County Black Market this time is too great. I fear that after Gray Robe Jiang Lao sees it, he may harbor evil intentions. To guard against every eventuality, let Luohai come along too."
After he spoke, Meng Luohai walked up from below the pavilion and gave Meng Haoran and Meng Bohai a slight nod.
Meng Haoran looked at Meng Luohai and thought to himself, Clan Uncle Bohai is a cultivator at the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining, while Clan Uncle Luohai is at the Eighth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm. If the three of us head to the Chiyang County Black Market together, then if Gray Robe Jiang Lao wants to murder us for our wealth, he will have to weigh the pros and cons carefully in his heart!
Meng Bohai clasped his fists. "Clan Leader Jingshan, since everyone is here, we shall depart now and exchange the Six-Pattern Wheat for Spirit Stones as soon as possible!"
Meng Jingshan nodded in reply. "Safety above all else. Go!"
The three of them saluted together, then turned and departed, heading toward Chiyang County.
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