Seeds

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

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

This stall owner was actually somewhat familiar with him. Back when he was at the Spirit Plant Hall, apprenticed under a spirit planter surnamed Sun, that man had once taken him to a spirit planter's Spirit Field to learn. Senior Chen before him, Chen Yushu, had been that spirit planter's disciple.

Of course, if that were all, the two of them would not have had much interaction.

However, later on, that spirit planter needed to go out for a time due to some matter, so he asked the spirit planter surnamed Sun to arrange for a few apprentices to come assist his disciple—Senior Chen before him—in tending the Spirit Fields.

Zhou Changwang had been one of the apprentices assigned there.

After going back and forth like that, they naturally became acquainted.

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 gradually developed some friendship.

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

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

Chen Yushu replied casually.

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

Zhou Changwang was taken aback, but he did not feel pleased.

Instinctively, he sensed that something was wrong.

"It used to be ten catties, but now all the major spirit rice shops are selling ten and a half catties for one 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 prices down?"

Zhou Changwang's heart tightened.

The Spirit Rice in his own Spirit Field was about to mature, yet the market price for spirit rice was dropping at precisely this time. That was no good thing for him, or for any spirit farmer.

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

"It happens almost every year. I myself have planted more than ten mu of Spirit Fields. If I'm in a hurry to sell, I can only accept such a price."

"It's eleven catties for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone now. In a few days, it will probably fall to twelve catties, perhaps even thirteen catties, for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone."

"If you aren't 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 mood to chat with others.

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

Zhou Changwang cupped his hands, then quickly handed over the Spirit Stones. "Give me eleven catties of Spirit Grain Rice. Here are the Spirit Stones."

He had bought spirit rice in order to raise his strength as quickly as possible, so naturally he would not deliberately wait two days over 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 grew heavier.

"Alright!"

Chen Yushu nodded. He weighed out eleven catties of Spirit Rice and handed it to Zhou Changwang. Then, after thinking for a moment, he said, "I remember you studied spirit planting under Martial Uncle Sun, didn't you? What Martial Uncle Sun excels at most is cultivating spirit plant seeds."

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

Zhou Changwang looked at the other man's waist, unable to keep a trace of envy from appearing on his face.

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

Though he envied it, his gaze soon fell upon the three seeds. A trace of curiosity appeared on his face as he asked, "What kind of spirit plant seeds are these?"

"Spirit rice seeds."

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

"That place was said to have once been the grounds of some cultivation Lineage. But after a great battle, it had long since become ruins. Even the Spirit Vein that had originally existed within Heavenly Gate Mountain had been shattered."

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

"I have a few suspicions, but none of them can be confirmed."

"Unfortunately, these seeds have been sealed away for too long. Having been cut off from spiritual energy for so long, the vitality in each of them has nearly been extinguished. I have tried all kinds of methods, yet I could not make them sprout and grow again."

Chen Yushu did not hide anything. Then he said seriously, "Therefore, if you can cultivate these seeds until they sprout, I will not let your efforts go unrewarded. I am willing to offer one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, or a treasure worth no less than one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, including a Storage Bag."

Clearly, he had noticed the look Zhou Changwang had given his Storage Bag earlier.

"I can only give it a try."

Zhou Changwang frowned.

He knew his own capabilities best. Even a spirit planter 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 his current self could do it either.

Unless I could raise the Growth Technique to Minor Mastery, or even Major Mastery...

As for Chen Yushu's claim that he had studied under the spirit planter surnamed Sun, more than ten people had learned alongside him back then. That man had at most treated them as free labor and had barely taught them any spirit planting methods. Whether it was the Cleansing Art, Spirit Rain Art, Growth Technique, or Geng Metal Finger, Zhou Changwang had spent his own Spirit Stones to learn them from the Spirit Plant Hall...

Later, once the five-year term ended, that man had dismissed him as promised, without the slightest intention 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 placed much hope in Zhou Changwang to begin with. He had plenty of such spirit rice seeds in his Storage Bag, and he had previously found many spirit planters to try cultivating them, yet none had succeeded. No matter how broad-minded he was, he would not place all his hopes on a bottom-tier spirit farmer and Rogue Cultivator at only the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

He was merely taking a swing in the dark, whether there were dates on the tree or not.

Hearing this, Zhou Changwang could only accept the seeds and Spirit Rice. He cupped his hands and said, "Then farewell, Senior Chen."

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

But soon, he smiled helplessly. There was no use thinking too much about it. No matter what intentions the other man had, he could only accept it. Besides, this was merely a commission. Judging from Chen Yushu's final expression, he clearly had no hope at all that Zhou Changwang could complete it, so why should Zhou Changwang trouble himself for nothing?

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

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

That made sense.

He was merely a spirit farmer and Rogue Cultivator at the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm, poor as a church mouse. Who would go to the trouble of setting their sights on him?

He was simply looking for trouble where there was none.