Seeds

"Senior Chen, what is the current price of Spirit Grain Rice?"

After the person ahead of him bought rice and left, Zhou Changwang directly asked the middle-aged stall owner before him.

This stall owner was actually somewhat familiar with him. Back when he had been an apprentice at the Spirit Plant Hall under a Spirit Plant Master surnamed Sun, that man had once taken him to another Spirit Plant Master's spirit field to learn.

The Senior Chen before him, Chen Yushu, had been that Spirit Plant Master's disciple.

Of course, if that had been all, the two would not have crossed paths very often.

Later, that Spirit Plant Master had needed to leave for a time because of certain matters, so he asked the Spirit Plant Master surnamed Sun to arrange for some apprentices to come and assist his disciple—the Senior Chen before him—in tending the spirit fields.

Zhou Changwang had been one of the apprentices assigned there.

With one thing leading to another, they had grown familiar.

Later, after he left the Spirit Plant Hall, he happened to run into Chen Yushu again when he came to the Rogue Cultivator Market to buy rice, and the two developed some acquaintance.

Of course, given the gap in cultivation and status between them, that acquaintance could not be considered deep.

"Eleven pounds of Spirit Grain Rice for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone."

Chen Yushu answered casually.

"Eleven pounds? Wasn't it always ten pounds?"

Zhou Changwang was startled, yet he felt no delight.

Instinctively, he sensed that something was amiss.

"It used to be ten pounds, but now all the major spirit rice shops are selling it at ten and a half pounds per Low-Grade Spirit Stone."

"If I don't lower my price as well, I won't be able to sell any."

Chen Yushu shook his head and explained.

"Senior, do you mean someone is forcing the price down?"

Zhou Changwang's heart tightened.

The spirit rice in his own fields was about to ripen, yet spirit rice prices were falling at precisely this time. That was no good thing for him, nor for any spirit farmer.

"Hasn't it always been like this? When the spirit rice is nearing harvest, those above push the price down. Once the spirit farmers have sold their spirit rice, the price rises again."

"It is almost like this every year. I myself cultivate over ten mu of spirit fields, and if I am in a hurry to sell, I can only accept such a price."

"Right now, it is eleven pounds per Low-Grade Spirit Stone. In a few days, it will probably fall to twelve pounds per Low-Grade Spirit Stone, perhaps even thirteen."

"If you are not in a hurry to buy, you can wait another two days."

Chen Yushu spoke with a calm expression.

As a rice merchant, he naturally understood the fluctuations in rice prices extremely well.

He only said a few extra words because he was acquainted with Zhou Changwang. Otherwise, he would not have had the interest to chat with others.

"I understand. Thank you for telling me, Senior Chen."

Zhou Changwang clasped his hands, then hurriedly passed over the Spirit Stone. "Give me eleven pounds of Spirit Grain Rice. Here is the Spirit Stone."

He was buying spirit rice in order to raise his strength as quickly as possible, so naturally he would not deliberately wait two days because of this.

As for the fluctuations in spirit rice prices, they were not something a bottom-tier spirit farmer and Rogue Cultivator like him could influence.

Still, sensing that his income was about to decrease, his mood could not help growing heavier.

"Alright!"

Chen Yushu nodded. He weighed out eleven pounds of spirit rice and handed it to Zhou Changwang.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "I remember that you studied spirit plant cultivation under Martial Uncle Sun, right? What Martial Uncle Sun excels at most is nurturing spirit plant seeds."

"It just so happens that I have several seeds here which I obtained by chance. If you can nurture them until they sprout, I will reward you handsomely."

As he spoke, he patted his waist. A faint spiritual light flashed, and with a turn of his hand, three pitch-black seeds the size of little fingernails appeared in his palm.

Storage Bag!

Looking at the item at the other man's waist, a trace of envy could not help appearing on Zhou Changwang's face.

This was a cultivator's storage treasure. Even the lowest-grade Storage Bag cost over a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Still, envy was envy. He quickly turned his gaze to the three seeds, curiosity appearing on his face as he asked, "What spirit plant's seeds are these?"

"Spirit rice seeds."

"I obtained them by chance in Heavenly Gate Mountain."

"That place was said to have once been the residence of a cultivation Lineage. But after a great battle, it had long since become ruins. Even the spirit vein that had originally existed in Heavenly Gate Mountain had been shattered."

"As for what kind of spirit rice these seeds are, we will only know after growing them."

"I have a few suspicions, but I cannot confirm any of them."

"Unfortunately, these seeds were sealed away for far too long. Having gone without contact with spiritual energy for so long, the vitality within each of them has nearly been extinguished. I have tried many methods, but none could make them sprout and grow again."

Chen Yushu did not conceal anything. He then said seriously, "Therefore, if you can nurture these seeds until they sprout, I will not let your efforts go to waste. I am willing to give you a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, or a treasure worth no less than a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, including a Storage Bag."

Clearly, he had also noticed the look in Zhou Changwang's eyes when he had glanced at the Storage Bag.

"I can only give it a try."

Zhou Changwang frowned as he spoke.

He knew his own capabilities best. Even a spirit plant cultivator like Chen Yushu, at the Sixth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm, had been unable to use the Growth Technique to make these seeds sprout. He did not believe that he, as he was now, could accomplish it.

Unless he could raise his Growth Technique to the Minor Mastery stage, or even Major Mastery...

As for Chen Yushu's claim that he had studied under the Spirit Plant Master surnamed Sun, there had been more than ten people learning alongside him back then.

That man had at most treated them as free labor. He had barely taught them any spirit plant cultivation methods. Whether it was the Cleansing Art, Spirit Rain Art, Growth Technique, or Geng Metal Finger, Zhou Changwang had spent Spirit Stones to learn every one of them from the Spirit Plant Hall himself...

Later, when the five-year term ended, that man had dismissed him as promised, with no intention whatsoever of formally taking him as a disciple...

"Then I shall await your good news."

Chen Yushu did not say much more and merely waved his hand.

Clearly, he had not held much hope for Zhou Changwang in the first place. There were plenty of such spirit rice seeds in his Storage Bag, and he had previously sought out many Spirit Plant Masters to attempt nurturing them to sprout, yet none had succeeded.

No matter how great his hopes were, he would not place them all on a bottom-tier spirit farmer and Rogue Cultivator who was merely at the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

He was simply taking a swing at the bush, whether there were dates on it or not.

Hearing this, Zhou Changwang could only accept the seeds and spirit rice. Then he clasped his hands and said, "Farewell, Senior Chen."

Afterward, he turned and headed out of the Rogue Cultivator Market, though Chen Yushu's intentions remained on his mind.

But he soon gave a helpless smile. There was no use thinking so much about it. Whatever intentions the other man had, he could only accept them.

Besides, this was merely a commission. Judging by Chen Yushu's final expression, he clearly held no hope at all that Zhou Changwang would complete it. Why should Zhou Changwang seek trouble for himself?

Perhaps Chen Yushu simply wanted to successfully cultivate these spirit rice seeds.

At the very least, Zhou Changwang could sense no ill intent from him.

That made sense.

He was merely a penniless spirit farmer and Rogue Cultivator at the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm. Who would go to such lengths to scheme against him?

He was simply worrying himself for nothing.