Chapter 14

The shopkeeper said with an apologetic smile, "I'm afraid we can't disclose our customers' private information. Are you looking to buy or sell?"

The young man pressed no further. "I'd like to buy some talisman ink."

The shopkeeper led the young man inside to a shelf to get the talisman ink.

Before leaving, the young man made a point of taking another look at the Earth Spirit Ginseng.

Shan Heyuan knew nothing of what had happened at the shop. After he and Shen Duheng had a hearty meal, he solemnly repaid Shen Duheng 250,000 spirit pearls.

This time, Shen Duheng did not refuse.

With half his debt repaid, Shan Heyuan felt much more at ease.

Though he felt that the kindness Shen Duheng had shown him could never be repaid with a few hundred thousand spirit pearls, a debt still had to be paid.

The next morning, after finishing his cultivation, Shan Heyuan brought out a bucket of fertilizer, ready to raise seedlings.

There were many ways to raise Spirit Plant seedlings. After considering them, he decided on the mud ball method.

The mud ball method required mixing soil, fertilizer, medicine, and other ingredients in the right proportions, shaping the mixture into a moist ball, then pressing a seed into it.

The prepared mud balls contained a variety of nutrients, providing ample nourishment for the Spirit Plants to germinate.

Besides that, they were also useful for transplanting.

When it was time to transplant them, he could put the mud balls and seedlings straight into their new holes together, without damaging the seedlings' roots.

This batch of fertilizer had been made by burning and refining a large amount of spirit beast entrails and Spirit Plant roots and stems. It was extremely fertile.

Seedlings raised with fertilizer like this were sure to grow sturdy.

Shan Heyuan specifically got out a scale and carefully measured and mixed the fertilizer.

Just as he was bent over shaping mud balls, someone knocked at the courtyard gate.

The person knocking was polite and restrained, tapping lightly at regular intervals and pausing after every few knocks.

Shan Heyuan had lived here for a long time and got along well with the villagers, so he had no idea who might have come looking for him.

He stood up and held his hands up as he went to open the gate. "Who is it?"

The gate opened to reveal a tall, thin young man in white standing outside.

The young man looked refined and handsome. When he saw Shan Heyuan, he smiled and said, "Good morning, Fellow Daoist Shan. I'm Jiu Mingyue, an inner disciple of the Supreme Harmony Sect. Sorry to disturb you."

Shan Heyuan was surprised. "Hello, Fellow Daoist Jiu. Come in and have a seat. Sorry, let me wash my hands."

Jiu Mingyue followed him into the courtyard and immediately saw the large tree in one corner and the spirit herbs of varying heights filling half the yard.

The Spirit Plants were a lush green, every one of them thick with branches and leaves and brimming with life.

In the sunlight, bees and butterflies fluttered among the branches.

Beside the spirit field was a small pile of dark soil, with a somewhat worn low stool in front of it. Clearly, Shan Heyuan had just been working there.

Jiu Mingyue's gaze lingered, appreciation showing in his eyes.

Shan Heyuan drew some water from the well, quickly washed his hands, and led Jiu Mingyue into the sitting room. He served him tea, then asked what had brought him here.

Jiu Mingyue got straight to the point. "I came to ask Fellow Daoist Shan to take a look at the Spirit Plant garden for me."

Shan Heyuan said, "Your Spirit Plant garden?"

Jiu Mingyue replied, "My master's."

Shan Heyuan nodded to show he understood.

Jiu Mingyue said, "My master has gone on a long journey. Before he left, he entrusted the Spirit Plant garden to us. Unexpectedly, a heavy rain some time ago knocked the leaves and branches off the Spirit Plants, and after it stopped, they began to fall ill. We've tried many methods, but they haven't gotten any better, so we wanted to ask a grower to take a look."

After hearing the whole story, Shan Heyuan repeatedly waved his hands. "I can't do that. I'm afraid you'll have to find someone more capable, Fellow Daoist."

Jiu Mingyue said, "We've asked other growers, but they didn't accomplish much."

Shan Heyuan said, "Then I'm even less capable. To be honest, everything I know about growing plants is self-taught. My foundations aren't solid, and my knowledge is limited. I really wouldn't dare hold up work on your master's garden."

Jiu Mingyue did not try to persuade him further. Instead, he looked around the courtyard and said, "I think the Spirit Plants in your courtyard are growing extremely well, Fellow Daoist Shan. They were flooded too, weren't they?"

Shan Heyuan said, "I was already working to keep them from getting sick on the day it rained, using a rather crude method. The Spirit Plants at your place are already sick, Fellow Daoist Jiu. Treating them now would be much harder."

A major sect like the Supreme Harmony Sect was sure to grow very rare Spirit Plants.

Shan Heyuan did not want to take on that responsibility.

If he treated them and made things worse, he wouldn't be able to pay for them even if it cost him everything he owned.

It was unclear where Jiu Mingyue's confidence came from, but he said, "You haven't seen them yet, Fellow Daoist Shan, so how do you know how difficult it is? Perhaps once you've seen them, you'll happen to have a solution?"

Shan Heyuan shook his head. "How could things work out so neatly?"

Jiu Mingyue said, "My spiritual perception has always been strong. I have a feeling you have a solution, Fellow Daoist Shan, so perhaps you really do. Even if you can't help, it's all right. I'll bring you back afterward. What do you say?"

The Supreme Harmony Sect had always enjoyed a good reputation and treated the cultivators under its rule well.

Shan Heyuan received a monthly allowance from the Supreme Harmony Sect and had a very favorable impression of it.

After Jiu Mingyue repeatedly urged him, Shan Heyuan finally agreed. "I'll go take a look first, but I can't promise I'll have a solution."

Jiu Mingyue smiled. "You'd be doing me a great favor just by agreeing to take a look, Fellow Daoist Shan."

Shan Heyuan said, "You're too polite, Fellow Daoist Jiu."

There was no time like the present.

Shan Heyuan sent Shen Duheng a communication talisman, telling him he was going to the Supreme Harmony Sect and wouldn't be back at noon.

They had plenty of money on hand now, and could spare the spirit pearls for a talisman or two.

After receiving the communication talisman, Shen Duheng made a point of sending one back, saying he would come pick Shan Heyuan up in the evening.

Jiu Mingyue watched Shan Heyuan exchange communication talismans with a smile. Once he was done, Jiu Mingyue took a flying boat Law Artifact from his storage ring and piloted it back to the Supreme Harmony Sect with Shan Heyuan aboard.

Law Artifacts cost far more than Spirit Artifacts and were also more difficult to operate.

Jiu Mingyue piloted the flying boat both swiftly and steadily.

Shan Heyuan cast an envious glance at the flying boat, then surveyed their surroundings. He guessed that Jiu Mingyue was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator; otherwise, he couldn't have flown so well.

As for Shan Heyuan, even at Qi Refining Fourth Stage, he still wasn't qualified to learn to fly on an artifact, much less carry a passenger so far.

Shan Heyuan's thoughts wandered all the way there, and he was somewhat nervous.

Since transmigrating here, he had yet to properly deal with any sect.

Going to the disciples' affairs office didn't count; that was a public service institution.

Now he was going to the headquarters of a sect that guarded a whole region, and he felt quite different.

The Supreme Harmony Sect occupied a vast stretch of connected mountains.

Looking down from the flying boat, Shan Heyuan could see magnificent halls on many of the peaks, as well as various courtyards situated among the mountains.

Cultivators traveled back and forth through the mountains and forests on all kinds of flying devices, and plenty of people were coming and going along the mountain paths too.

It was as though there were a small town here as well.

Shan Heyuan watched it all.

He knew the Supreme Harmony Sect was a considerable power, governing one city and fourteen towns, but he hadn't realized it was this large.

The world of Jingzhishan Town was still too small.

His understanding of the cultivation world was too shallow as well.

Chapter 14

Outside the Spirit Plant garden on the Supreme Harmony Sect's Thousand Cries Peak.

As soon as Jiu Mingyue brought Shan Heyuan down to the ground, Shan Heyuan felt dense Spiritual Qi wash over him, followed by a distinctive bitter fragrance.

The Spirit Plants' spiritual power and bitter fragrance awakened his whole being, and his mind became exceptionally clear.

A layer of mist shrouded the outside of the Spirit Plant garden on Thousand Cries Peak. Shan Heyuan leaned forward to peer inside, but couldn't make anything out.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Jiu Mingyue said, "A restriction has been placed around the Spirit Plant garden. Follow me, Fellow Daoist Shan."

With that, Jiu Mingyue stepped toward the mist.

Shan Heyuan followed behind him and saw him take out a jade talisman and lightly toss it into the mist.

The moment the mist touched the jade talisman, it melted away, revealing a narrow, winding path through the middle.

Shan Heyuan looked down the path.

It wound onward, and from where he stood, he could already see lush Spirit Plants.

At the same time, even denser Spiritual Qi and a stronger bitter fragrance washed over him. He couldn't help pinching his nose and turning aside to sneeze.

Seeing this, Jiu Mingyue laughed. "It's natural to feel a little unaccustomed to a Spirit Plant garden like this on your first visit. You'll be fine in a little while."