Chapter 12 (continued)

Shen Duheng said, "Change your clothes before you go."

Shan Heyuan understood what he meant. "You're coming with me?"

Shen Duheng said, "The broken sword is still in your Dantian. If a wolf eats you, where am I supposed to find it?"

Shan Heyuan automatically filtered out the unpleasant words. "Thank you, Brother Shen. I'll go change and be right back."

The rain was coming down so hard tonight that quite a few of the Spirit Gathering Formations on the mountain had probably been damaged.

After changing, Shan Heyuan passed the workbench and made a point of stuffing all the Spirit Gathering Talismans he had carved recently into his shoulder bag, so he could replace the damaged ones later.

The rain showed no sign of letting up, so Shan Heyuan took Shen Duheng with him and braced himself as they set out into the downpour.

The Spirit Artifact lamps in their hands gave off a hazy glow that barely illuminated the way ahead.

Outside, the rain was heavy and the wind was strong.

The cold wind blew Shan Heyuan's clothes tight against his body.

It was as though autumn had fully arrived overnight.

When they reached the Earth Spirit Ginseng fields, they found them flooded, just as expected.

Several sections of the field ridges had washed away, and the Earth Spirit Ginseng lay in disarray in the water. Let alone the Spirit Gathering Formations, even a good deal of the soil had been washed away, exposing the sand and stones beneath.

Shan Heyuan had cultivated these fields for so long that his heart nearly bled at the sight.

He and Shen Duheng hurried into the fields, cleared drainage ditches, reinforced the ridges, and did their best to bury the Earth Spirit Ginseng back in the soil.

The Earth Spirit Ginseng was in poor condition. Shan Heyuan used "Gentle Breeze" on it, then "Rising Sun Ascends in the East," but amid the pelting rain, neither was much help.

He was already a cultivator, yet he still had few ways to deal with a natural disaster like this.

Shan Heyuan and Shen Duheng worked in the Earth Spirit Ginseng fields until dawn. It was not until after eight in the morning that the rain gradually stopped.

By then, Shan Heyuan had almost exhausted the Spiritual Power in his body.

The Jade Void Herb that supplied him with Spiritual Power in his Dantian had been overtaxed and was on the verge of withering.

After Shan Heyuan took out the Jade Void Herb, he felt even more exhausted, barely able to walk.

He trudged along behind Shen Duheng with heavy steps.

From time to time, Shen Duheng turned around and gave him a hand to keep him from falling.

The two supported each other through the sudden wind and rain.

On the way down the mountain, Shan Heyuan saw that the mountain stream beside the path had flooded.

The muddy floodwaters, like a giant

dragon,

roared out of the mountains. Some fish were swept straight onto the path and landed on their feet.

In just that short stretch, Shan Heyuan picked up several.

Shan Heyuan was far too tired that day to read the newspaper digest or eat breakfast. After swallowing a Grain Avoidance Pill, he washed up, climbed into bed, and fell asleep.

He slept until the afternoon.

When Shan Heyuan got up, he found that Shen Duheng was not home.

Duheng had left him a note on the workbench, saying he had gone out on business and would be back before dawn tomorrow at the latest, so there was no need to worry.

After reading it, Shan Heyuan carefully put the note away. He washed up and took another Grain Avoidance Pill, then tended to the spirit herbs in the courtyard. Once he was done, he carried fertilizer up the mountain to tend to the Earth Spirit Ginseng.

After being flooded, the Spirit Plants had not only grown weaker but had also developed diseases and insect infestations.

Shan Heyuan used the "Spring Transformation Art" to regulate the Spiritual Power in the Spirit Plants while poring over all kinds of reference materials, treating the diseases and getting rid of the insects. He devoted almost all his time and attention to the Spirit Plants.

Before long, he had used up the Spirit Plants he had prepared to place in his Dantian to replenish his Spiritual Power ahead of schedule, and for the time being, he had no spirit pearls to buy other high-grade spirit herbs for cultivation.

Fortunately, there was plenty of Qi Refining Third Stage Earth Spirit Ginseng in the spirit fields, enough to tide him over for a while.

During this period, Shan Heyuan went into the mountains again with Zhong Shuran and the others.

With their experience from the first trip, they worked together better and came away with a bigger haul.

Besides two Qi Refining Seventh Stage Spirit Plants for cultivation, Heyuan received nine thousand three hundred spirit pearls.

That filled out his purse considerably and allowed him to order some fertilizer and medicines specifically for spirit herbs in town-

Agriculture in the cultivation world was fairly well developed. Fertilizers and medicines made by specialized sects or individuals were available on the market, ranging from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul grade. As long as they had enough spirit pearls, any grower could buy these fine goods.

That day, after Shan Heyuan finished working in the Earth Spirit Ginseng fields, he did not go straight home. Instead, he took a detour to Zhong Shuran's house.

Zhong Shuran's door was unlocked.

Shan Heyuan knocked, then pushed the door open and went in. At a glance, he saw Zhong Shuran bent over, working on something.

A dead tree lay at Zhong Shuran's feet, with dried leaves still hanging from it.

His instincts as a grower told Shan Heyuan that it was a Spirit Plant.

Seeing Shan Heyuan come in, Zhong Shuran looked up and greeted him.

Only when Shan Heyuan came closer did he notice that Zhong Shuran had a fire going and was cooking something.

The yellowish-brown liquid in the pot had come to a boil, sending up a strange medicinal smell.

Shan Heyuan asked, "What are you cooking?"

Zhong Shuran stirred the pot nonstop with a spoon. "Talisman pieces. Ah, I'm exhausted."

Shan Heyuan asked in surprise, "You have to boil talisman pieces?"

Zhong Shuran gestured toward the dead wood beside him. "Yes. Freshly harvested wood isn't dense enough. It has to be boiled and soaked in a medicinal solution for a long time to make it denser. After it has absorbed plenty of Spiritual Qi, it's brushed with clear oil and dried in the shade. Only then will the talismans made from it work well."

Shan Heyuan had always bought ready-treated talisman pieces and had not known that making them was so troublesome.

Zhong Shuran switched hands to stir the pot. "Talisman pieces you make yourself work better, and they're cheaper too. What did you come to see me about?"

Instead of answering, Shan Heyuan asked, "How much cheaper?"

Zhong Shuran knew money was tight for him, so he did not hide it. "I spent nineteen thousand in total on this pile of materials. The wooden talisman pieces I make from them would sell for at least a hundred thousand spirit pearls."

Shan Heyuan sucked in a breath of cold air. "That expensive?!"

Zhong Shuran snorted. "Why else would I make them myself?"

Shan Heyuan asked, "Are the talisman pieces sold by weight at the general store treated this way too?"

Zhong Shuran said, "How could they be? Those talisman pieces are probably just soaked briefly in a medicinal solution. Mine are all high-quality talisman pieces. They resist insects and decay and hold a great deal of Spiritual Power, and the talismans made from them are much higher grade than ordinary ones."

Thinking of his Spirit Gathering Talismans that broke so easily, Shan Heyuan nodded thoughtfully.

Zhong Shuran looked up and smiled at him. "You didn't come all this way just to chat with me today, did you?"

Shan Heyuan shook his head. "No, I didn't. My Earth Spirit Ginseng is almost mature, and lately birds and beasts have kept coming down to steal it. I've suffered quite a few losses. I wanted to ask if there are any defensive talismans or formations I could use in the spirit fields."

Zhong Shuran said, "There are. But defensive talismans are all quite expensive. If you used them in your Earth Spirit Ginseng fields, I don't think it would be worth the cost."

Shan Heyuan asked, "About how many spirit pearls would the lowest-grade kind cost?"

Zhong Shuran blinked. "The lowest-grade defensive talismans I've come across cost at least five thousand spirit pearls each. The kind we used when we went into the mountains sells for twelve thousand."

So expensive!!!

Shan Heyuan refused to give up and asked, "How much area can the lowest-grade defensive talisman cover?"

Zhong Shuran said, "About three square meters? A talisman's effect depends on the talisman master's skill. For your four plots, you'd probably need at least ten."

Ten!

He might as well let the birds and beasts ravage them.

Zhong Shuran said, "Talismans aren't cheap. That's just what they cost to make. If you ask me, your Earth Spirit Ginseng is only a few days away from maturing. Rather than buying defensive talismans, you and your sword spirit might as well take turns guarding it. The high-grade spirit beasts around the village have all been wiped out anyway, so keeping watch at night isn't dangerous."

Shan Heyuan said, "I'll think about it."

The talisman pieces Zhong Shuran was boiling were about done. He picked up the pot and set it on the ground, put out the fire, and pounded his back before inviting Shan Heyuan inside for tea.

Shan Heyuan waved him off. "I'll have tea with you another time. I'll go back and discuss taking turns on watch with Shen Duheng first."

Zhong Shuran said, "Didn't your sword spirit go out? I only saw him heading into the mountains this morning. He came back that quickly?"

Shan Heyuan said, "He usually comes back around this time."