Xu Changqing had originally planned to use the remaining Spirit Rice Grain to brew Spirit Rice Wine.
Unexpectedly, those Winter Awakening Bugs had ruined his plans.
He had already given Hu Bugui twenty jin of Spirit Rice Grain.
Adding what he had consumed himself during this period, only sixty jin remained.
Now, he had to give away fifty jin in one go, even if it was only First-Grade Spirit Rice.
Even for him, that was no small loss.
After all, the Spirit Rice would not be ready for harvest for at least another month.
Looking at the densely packed yellowish-brown bugs before him,
Xu Changqing had no mood to cultivate at all.
He could only stare helplessly.
Just then, the spirit talisman in his hand suddenly trembled.
A faint glow immediately appeared over it.
"It lit up!" Xu Changqing exclaimed in surprise.
He had gone to the Core Administration Office to post the task that morning.
He had not expected someone to accept the pest-extermination task by noon.
He wondered what kind of Spiritual Root they had.
If it was a Water Spirit Root, they could kill the pests while nourishing the Spirit Rice.
As the afternoon wore on, the talisman flashed more and more rapidly.
That meant the person who had accepted the pest-extermination task should be drawing near.
Xu Changqing hurried to the ridge between the fields and waited patiently.
Before long, a lean man gradually approached.
The man held a spirit talisman that flashed continuously in his hand.
He was clearly the one who had accepted the pest-extermination task.
Xu Changqing narrowed his eyes and looked toward the man's chest.
The water-ripple pattern he had imagined did not appear.
Instead, there was an inverted golden sword.
This meant the newcomer was not a Water Spirit Root disciple, but a Metal Spiritual Root disciple.
Metal Spiritual Roots specialized in slaughter and battle.
Even in Early Qi Refining, they possessed considerable combat strength.
The instant this man drew near, Xu Changqing felt as though thorns were pricking his back, making him deeply uncomfortable.
There was no helping it. Wood Spirit Roots were restrained by Metal and Fire Spiritual Roots, and instinctively produced a repulsive reaction.
Luo Zhao sized him up and asked, "Are you Fellow Daoist Xu, the one who posted the pest-extermination task?"
Xu Changqing nodded. "Yes."
Luo Zhao waved the continuously flashing talisman in his hand and teased, "This place of yours is really remote."
"I like peace and quiet," Xu Changqing explained with a smile.
Luo Zhao continued, "Before I kill the pests, take out the Spirit Rice Grain and let me have a look."
"Why?" Xu Changqing's smile faded, and confusion appeared on his face.
Luo Zhao gave a bitter smile. "I've been stiffed too many times already, so I'm a little... helpless."
"I see." Xu Changqing came to a sudden realization.
Without hesitation, he immediately took out the Spirit Rice Grain from his small storage pouch.
Only after confirming that everything was correct did Luo Zhao let out a breath of relief. A friendly smile appeared on his face. "My name is Luo Zhao. I'm a Metal Spiritual Root disciple of Foundry Peak."
Xu Changqing asked in mild surprise, "Foundry Peak, the place that forges spiritual artifacts and magic artifacts?"
"That's right." Luo Zhao confirmed it.
Xu Changqing could not help saying, "Aren't you people quite busy?"
"I'm only an apprentice." Luo Zhao spread his hands and shrugged.
Xu Changqing blinked. "Then can I buy spiritual artifacts from you?"
Ever since he had begun planting in Grade-Two Spirit Fields, he had discovered that ordinary farm tools no longer worked.
If he had not lacked Spirit Rice Grain and spirit stones, he would have long since wanted to buy a set of spiritual artifacts.
"I'm not qualified to sell them, but I can introduce you to someone." Luo Zhao waved a hand.
"Let's talk about that later." Hearing this, Xu Changqing stopped wasting time.
"Fine." Seeing this, Luo Zhao did not waste words either.
With a flick of his hand, a white sphere flew out from his sleeve.
Spiritual power from within his body continuously poured into it.
At once, Xu Changqing saw the sphere light up.
It radiated a white halo.
At the same time, an edge sharp enough to cut through everything spread through the air.
Luo Zhao seized the moment and hurled it fiercely toward the Spirit Fields ahead.
With a whoosh, the white sphere flew over, spinning round and round.
Like scattered spray, it released thread after thread of faint white-gold qi.
Wherever it passed, muffled popping sounds rang out without end.
Xu Changqing discovered in shock that the yellowish-brown Winter Awakening Bugs on the Spirit Rice
had all been sliced to pieces.
Batch after batch died, without even a chance to struggle.
In no time, a third of the area had been cleared.
Yet the Spirit Rice had not suffered the slightest damage. Every stalk remained perfectly intact.
From this, it was clear that Luo Zhao's control was exceptionally precise.
"What is that thing?" Xu Changqing stared so hard his eyes went wide.
Luo Zhao's voice sounded. "It's called a Sword Pellet."
"A Sword Pellet?" Xu Changqing gave him an inquiring look.
Luo Zhao immediately explained, "Every formal disciple among us who awakens a Metal Spiritual Root receives a Black-Iron Sword Pellet. We have to nurture it with our own spiritual power every day. If I didn't come out to earn some extra money, I damn well couldn't afford to keep it fed."
Xu Changqing understood at once.
It seemed that different Spiritual Roots came with different troubles.
Although Wood Spirit Roots were not suited for combat, at least their resource requirements were manageable.
Compared with that, he immediately felt much better.
By the time everything had been sorted out, evening had arrived.
Luo Zhao had nearly exhausted all his spiritual power before finally clearing every bug from the Spirit Fields.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Luo." Xu Changqing hurriedly clasped his hands in salute.
Luo Zhao handed him a talisman. "Don't mention it. If you need help next time, use this Communication Talisman to find me directly."
"Alright." Xu Changqing accepted it.
"I'm off." Luo Zhao put the fifty jin of First-Grade Spirit Rice into his small storage pouch, then turned and left.
Xu Changqing watched him gradually disappear into the distance.
Then he turned his gaze back to his own Grade-Two Spirit Fields.
In truth, dealing with these bugs had not been difficult at all.
If he had possessed a Metal Spiritual Root or Water Spirit Root, he would not even have needed to seek help from outsiders.
Nor would he have had to spend so much Spirit Rice Grain.
At that moment, he yearned for the other Spiritual Roots even more.
"Fellow Daoist Xu!" Just then, a call suddenly rang out from afar.
"Fellow Daoist Luo... hm?" Xu Changqing had thought Luo Zhao had returned, but it was not him.
It was an acquaintance.
Who?
Lin An!
The man who had become a formal disciple alongside him.
Lin An ran over, panting heavily, his face covered in sweat.
Lin An complained, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you really made me search high and low."
Xu Changqing looked at him in astonishment. "Did you need something from me?"
Lin An was just about to explain when the Spirit Rice before him caught his attention.
The entire Grade-Two Spirit Fields were filled with growth, a flourishing sight as far as the eye could see.
The Spirit Rice was exceptionally robust, every grain on every ear plump and full.
One look was enough to tell that its quality was high, and its yield would likely be high as well.
Xu Changqing reminded him, "What did you come to see me about?"
"Right." Lin An came back to his senses and said, "Tomorrow, a senior brother in the Foundation Establishment Realm needs help harvesting spiritual plants. I've already informed Zhao Ziyao. Do you want to come along?"
"Harvesting?!" Xu Changqing's eyes lit up at once.
The spiritual plants cultivated by a Foundation Establishment Realm disciple would certainly be extraordinary.
Perhaps they could bring him an unexpected gain.
Lin An continued, "It won't be unpaid work. Afterward, you'll receive ten jin of Second-Grade Spirit Rice as compensation."
Xu Changqing could not help asking, "How many days will it take?"
Lin An considered it. "One mu of Grade-Two Spirit Fields per person. It should be finished in a day, right?"
"I'll take it." Xu Changqing agreed with a broad smile. "It's not because of the ten jin of Second-Grade Spirit Rice. It's because you came all this way to find me—I can't let you down."
"Hahaha!" Lin An's spirits immediately lifted, and he could not help laughing aloud.
"Don't leave either. We'll go together tomorrow." Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Changqing pulled him toward his wooden hut.
This friend wasn't made for nothing, Lin An thought, feeling somewhat moved.
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