A Bountiful Harvest

Plant spirits are the toughest of their kind, possessing thick hides that make them incredibly difficult to deal with, let alone slay.

However, these spirits are not without their weaknesses; once the demon soul within their bodies is destroyed, most of their supernatural abilities vanish, leaving them virtually helpless and at the mercy of others.

Zhou Yan's plan was not particularly meticulous—it was even somewhat crude—but it was sufficient for dealing with a spirit.

Moreover, overly elaborate plans often leave no room for error, and a single mistake can lead to total failure.

Once the Yaksha had pried the demon soul out, it gave the soul no chance to escape back into the tree. Its fork danced through the air, quickly tearing the demon soul into fragments that dissolved into specks of light between heaven and earth.

"Decree, seal!"

Seeing the demon soul torn to shreds, Zhou Yan hurriedly cast a spell to cease his Corpse Controlling.

Such a massive Locust Tree Spirit, possessing hundreds of years of cultivation, meant the trunk itself was a treasure.

With just a little refining, it could be used to craft a vast number of magical artifacts.

He was even more drawn to the tree's ability to gather yin energy; if crafted into a coffin, it would be of immense benefit for nourishing a Zombie.

Zhou Yan paced around the shell left behind by the Locust Tree Spirit, his eyes practically gleaming.

He mused to himself that even if he received no other payment, being able to take this locust tree away was already a massive bargain.

Zhou Yan carefully inspected the area once more to ensure the Locust Tree Spirit's soul was thoroughly dispersed and incapable of resurrection, then immediately commanded his two Zombies to uproot the tree.

It was only because Zombies possess infinite strength that the two of them, working in tandem, were finally able to push the locust tree over.

Even so, the massive pit left behind was still riddled with the tree's roots, looking dense and tangled.

By the time the middle-aged butler arrived, the locust tree had been completely toppled.

"Butler Yue, the Locust Tree Spirit has been eliminated, but this tree had to be pushed over as well. Otherwise, over time, it would easily breed monsters again," Zhou Yan said with a straight face.

This statement was not incorrect; while his actions were driven by self-interest, they were not without reason.

The great, prestigious families possessed many legacies, and even matters concerning demons and ghosts were recorded in their archives.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Zhou Yan had never intended to fully hide his motives from the other party.

Butler Yue nodded slightly, smiling as he cupped his hands in a salute. "Many thanks, Master Zhou, for eradicating the monster."

He waved his hand, and a maid stepped forward carrying a tray holding ten small gold bars, causing Zhou Yan's eyes to light up with greed.

A single small gold bar was worth at least one hundred silver dollars.

Ten gold bars meant one thousand silver dollars.

That was merely the official exchange rate; on the black market, it could fetch at least twenty percent more.

In other words, these ten gold bars could be exchanged for twelve hundred silver dollars.

Zhou Yan struggled to tear his gaze away, looked at Butler Yue, and cupped his hands. "Butler Yue, I wonder how your estate intends to dispose of this locust tree? If possible, I would like to purchase it..."

Before Zhou Yan could finish, Butler Yue replied with a smile, "What are you saying, Master Zhou? Since it is the spoils of your battle, naturally everything belongs to you, and your reward remains untouched."

Zhou Yan was stunned, looking at Butler Yue in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

He did not believe for a second that the other party was unaware of the value of a centuries-old locust tree; if they were that ignorant, they could not possibly be a butler.

Yet, Butler Yue's actions left him somewhat mesmerized.

Regardless, if he could obtain this centuries-old locust tree, Zhou Yan was willing to swallow his pride and accept.

"Of course I am," Butler Yue said firmly.

Hearing this, Zhou Yan said nothing more, merely bowing deeply to Butler Yue.

"I acknowledge this favor."

The words were few, but they carried great weight.

To avoid any complications, Zhou Yan had his two Zombies carry the massive locust tree trunk, one in front and one behind, and departed.

After Zhou Yan had gone, a sharp glint flashed in Butler Yue's eyes as he ordered the servants to close the gates.

He dismissed the servants and headed toward the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was brightly lit, clearly indicating the presence of the masters of the house.

Yet, from start to finish, Zhou Yan had no idea that the masters resided in this villa, assuming Butler Yue was in charge of everything.

"Third Miss, Master Zhou has departed."

Butler Yue approached Third Miss, bowing as he spoke. "As per your orders, I have gifted the trunk of the Locust Tree Spirit to Master Zhou and provided the reward of ten small gold bars."

Third Miss nodded slightly, satisfied. "Well done."

Ruyu, standing to the side, could not help but ask, "Miss, you discovered this locust tree long ago, and our own people could have handled it. Why did you let a common rogue cultivator take care of it, and why give him the entire centuries-old tree?"

She was primarily responsible for the finances, so she felt a pang of heartache over the loss of a centuries-old locust tree.

Coupled with those ten gold bars, it was a loss of several thousand silver dollars.

Even though her mistress was wealthy and powerful, Ruyu still felt uneasy.

If that money were spent, it would be enough to arm a crack force of nearly a hundred men.

Third Miss Yue Yuna smiled slightly and said, "It's only a few thousand ocean dollars; consider it an investment."

Immediately after, she continued to ask Steward Yue, "Steward, what do you think of this Zhou Yan?"

Steward Yue did not answer immediately, instead pondering for a moment: "This Master Zhou lacks the usual shortcomings of independent cultivators; he is upright and has a bottom line in his actions. Moreover, he is intelligent—not with petty cleverness, but with great wisdom. He will surely achieve great things in the future."

Yue Yuna was slightly surprised: "You actually think so highly of him?"

"It is not just thinking highly of him; this person is truly extraordinary," Steward Yue said in a deep voice.

"Not only that, but what I value most about him is the hidden arrogance and ambition in his bones. He possesses a spirit far beyond the average person; he is a natural-born hero. In the future, he will either achieve greatness or suffer a crushing defeat..."

"This person cannot be constrained by rules; he must be befriended through kindness and righteousness. Third Miss has done very well in this regard..."

Ruyu was already stunned, never expecting Steward Yue to hold that independent cultivator in such high regard.

Even Yue Yuna's expression was slightly surprised.

She valued Zhou Yan for other reasons, but those were things she could not speak of to anyone.

However, Steward Yue was a veteran of the household, and his eye for people was incredibly sharp; everyone he valued possessed extraordinary talent.

Yue Yuna had originally intended to use Steward Yue's words to cover up some of her potential future actions.

But now it seemed that Steward Yue's high regard for Zhou Yan could actually allow her to make her planned schemes even more aggressive...