After half a month of hard work, they had finally finished tending those fifty-odd mu of land.
As for sowing the next crop of spirit rice, that would have to wait until next spring, once the spiritual energy in the fields had recovered.
During the fallow period, the spirit fields still needed watering with spirit-nurturing liquid, or the following year's harvest would suffer greatly.
Next came preparations for the trade fair on Little Wave Island at the end of October.
The waters around Linghua Island had been opened up a hundred years ago, when the Tide-Subduing Sect launched a major offensive into the outer seas and recruited rogue cultivators to develop the region.
The Tide-Subduing Sect had attacked eastward from the Fubo Sea Region, along the line of Azure Cloud Island, Biyu Island, and Bixia Island.
The waters around Linghua Island lay at the northernmost end of Azure Cloud Island. The region was poor in resources, members of the Demon Race were scarce, and the Tide-Subduing Sect's attention lay elsewhere, so it had encouraged rogue cultivators to settle there back then.
The Zhao Family of Little Wave Island was currently the only lineage in the Yunsha Sea Region with a Spirit-Drawing cultivator.
Merchant ships trading out of Azure Cloud Island visited these waters only once a year. Each time, they conducted their business on Little Wave Island and never visited the other islands.
Taking advantage of this, the Zhao Family of Little Wave Island had established the trade fair, making the island the hub of these waters.
Every year in late October, the Zhao Family sent people ahead to notify the various islands of the trade fair's starting date, allowing their cultivators to set out for Little Wave Island in advance.
Besides preparing goods to sell, Zhao Yi also intended to prepare some gifts for his master's friends.
His master had lived in these waters his entire life and had made a few close friends.
Every year during the trade fair, those old friends would gather.
This year, his master was gone. If someone came to notify Linghua Island when the time arrived, Zhao Yi could only attend himself. Bringing some gifts would at least give him something to offer.
As for the news that his master had passed away in meditation, he absolutely could not let outsiders learn of it!
At this thought, Zhao Yi's expression darkened. The human heart was unfathomable, and Daoist Mu was proof of that. His master and Daoist Mu had known each other for decades.
Now the burden of Linghua Island rested entirely on Zhao Yi's shoulders.
Little Wave Island was over six hundred li from Linghua Island, a voyage of three days and two nights.
The islanders of the Yunsha Sea Region also attended the trade fair to purchase everyday necessities.
Zhao Yi planned to travel to Little Wave Island with the islanders from Linghua Island and Jade Pearl Island, so he could keep them safe along the way.
This year, Zhao Yi had prepared two hundred jin of spirit rice, one hundred jin of spirit-nurturing powder, and twenty-one shi of green jade polished rice. If he sold everything, it would bring in one hundred and ninety spirit stones.
That seemed like a lot, but once costs were deducted, few spirit stones would remain.
To maintain the spirit spring and the formations laid over the spirit fields, he needed to buy two spirit stones each of the water, earth, and wood attributes this year. That alone would cost forty-two spirit stones.
A hundred jin of demon beast bones would cost an estimated four spirit stones, while four jin of spirit rice seeds would cost ten. These were all expenses, totaling fifty-six spirit stones.
Li Hai was fourteen this year. Starting cultivation at this age was already rather late, and his impoverished childhood had left his body severely depleted. Those deficiencies had to be properly remedied.
Liu Yu had arranged for Li Hai to drink Vitality-Strengthening Soup daily and take a medicinal bath every three days.
Some of the herbs used in both the Vitality-Strengthening Soup and the medicinal baths grew in the herb garden, but three spirit medicines-vitality-strengthening grass, dragon-snake branches, and poria fruit-would have to be purchased.
He needed to buy at least twelve of each, enough for a year.
Of course, all three spirit medicines were cheap, costing no more than thirty spirit stones altogether.
In fact, Linghua Island could grow some low-grade spirit medicines. Those two mu of spirit fields could easily meet their growing requirements.
It was just that no one on Linghua Island knew how to grow spirit medicines. Unlike spirit rice, each spirit medicine had different growing habits.
Without inherited knowledge, planting them haphazardly would be throwing spirit stones into the water.
He also needed to buy ten bottles of Origin-Nourishing Pills for thirty spirit stones. Origin-Nourishing Pills were suitable for the Qi-Nourishing stage, and no one on Linghua Island could use them yet. Zhao Yi intended to feed them to the spirit fish.
He had used two low-grade spirit talismans and six Talisman Arrows in his deadly fight with Daoist Mu that night, and they needed replenishing promptly. Zhao Yi planned to buy two Sharp Metal Talismans, two Golden Light Talismans, and another ten Talisman Arrows, which would cost twenty-two spirit stones.
Wang Qing had already reached the Meridian-Opening stage, but still used an ordinary iron-backed bow. At the trade fair, Zhao Yi would see whether there was a suitable Dharma Weapon. Even one would cost at least five spirit stones.
Now that Liu Yu and Wang Qing had both entered the Meridian-Opening stage, the pills they took needed to be Essence Qi Pills, at twenty-five spirit stones a bottle.
Zhao Yi had reached greater mastery of Meridian Opening. Essence Qi Pills were no longer potent enough, so he needed Essence Origin Pills, at sixty spirit stones a bottle.
Altogether, he would need at least two hundred spirit stones. This time, he might have to dip into his reserves again!
Sigh!
Hard! Hard! Hard!
Before transmigrating, whenever he read cultivation novels, he had always thought that if he transmigrated, he would surely be a protagonist, soaring through the heavens and burrowing through the earth, free and unfettered.
But only after actually transmigrating had he discovered that things were the same everywhere.
A cultivator at the very bottom of the cultivation world lacked everything-wealth, companions, methods, and land. Running himself ragged every day was really just a way to earn a bowl of spirit rice.
Never mind soaring through the heavens and burrowing through the earth. With bad luck, he could not even cast the Fireball Technique. He could rub his fingers until they smoked and still only manage to light an incense stick or candle.
Bitter! Bitter! Bitter!
Sigh!
In the quiet depths of the woods, Zhao Yi was wholly absorbed in tempering his muscles and bones.
Morning sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering patches of light over his resolute face and powerfully built body.
Zhao Yi drew a deep breath, wrapped both arms tightly around the man-high boulder before him, and let out a loud shout.
His arm muscles knotted and his veins bulged as he slowly lifted the boulder.
Ten breaths later, he slowly lowered it and let out a long breath, then immediately strained to lift it again.
After several dozen repetitions, Zhao Yi set down the boulder and walked aside. Picking up his gourd, he gulped down mouthfuls of spirit spring water.
In the distance, a figure slowly approached. It was Liu Yu.
"What is it?" Zhao Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead, holding the gourd in one hand.
"Senior Brother, word came from the foot of the mountain. A boat from the Zhao Family of Little Wave Island stopped at the pier and delivered a letter by arrow. The trade fair will be held on Little Wave Island on October twenty-seventh."
"Word has finally arrived. Where are they?"
Zhao Yi put down the gourd, wiped the sweat from his face, and spoke with a smile.
"They left in a hurry. They said they had to rush to Kongqing Island."
"Kongqing Island..." Zhao Yi nodded, his thoughts unknown.
"Senior Brother, when will you set out, then?"
"In that case, tomorrow. Go down the mountain and tell Old Wu to have the boat ready. Oh, and since we're leaving tomorrow, have Old Wu send someone to call Wang Qing back. Wang Qing will stay to watch over the island. He needs to return today!"
"All right, Senior Brother. I'll head down the mountain now!"
Liu Yu nodded, then turned and headed down the mountain.
October twenty-third was overcast with light rain. The icy rain struck their faces, its chill piercing straight to the marrow and making them shiver involuntarily.
Wang Qing and Li Hai stood at the harbor, holding umbrellas and gazing into the distance.
"Third Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother's ship has left the harbor!"
"I see it. Come on, let's go back. We'll have to keep a close watch over Linghua Island these next few days!"
In the distance, a large two-masted ship sailed out of the fishing harbor. This was the Linghua, Linghua Island's only two-masted seagoing vessel.
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