Chapter 38: Three Farming Techniques

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Three Farming Techniques

"I won’t ask why you didn’t go to the Spirit Beast Cage."

Steward Ye paused, then said with a faint smile, "Do you know how to cultivate a Spirit Field?"

Li Changsheng looked puzzled. ’Isn’t farming supposed to be simple?’

Seeing his expression, Steward Ye scoffed, "Heh, you think cultivating a Spirit Field is like regular farming? Just dig a hole and cover it with some dirt?"

"If it were that easy, the sect would just hire mortals. Why would they need you?"

Li Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly. It seemed he had oversimplified the process of cultivating a Spirit Field.

Steward Ye continued, "Whether it’s Spirit Rice or Spirit Medicine, they all need to take root in Spiritual Land rich with Spiritual Qi. They also need to be watered daily with Rootless Spirit Water."

"Furthermore, to prevent the Spiritual Qi in the Spiritual Land from dissipating, talismanic artifacts are buried underground. That’s what makes it a Spirit Field. These artifacts make the ground as hard as metal, so mortals can’t till it. That’s why it takes us Qi Cultivators to farm them."

"The seedlings in the Spirit Field are also plagued by tough weeds, spiritual insects they attract, and so on..."

Steward Ye shot him a sidelong glance and said flatly, "Farming is a lot harder than raising beasts..."

Li Changsheng watched Steward Ye’s fingers tap on the desk, and an idea sparked in his mind.

He stepped forward. CLATTER... Ten lustrous Spirit Stones landed on the table.

Li Changsheng said respectfully, "Please, Steward Ye, teach me."

Steward Ye glanced at the Spirit Stones, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He pointed at Li Changsheng and chuckled, "You kid..."

"Don’t worry. I won’t let you get a bad deal."

Steward Ye swept the Spirit Stones away with his sleeve, cleared his throat, and said, "To cultivate a Spirit Field, the most important thing is to learn three types of Magic."

"The Lesser Cloud and Rain Art, the Sharpen Metal Art, and the Brute Force Art."

"Among them, you must learn the Lesser Cloud and Rain Art. The Rootless Spirit Water needed by the Spirit Plants comes from it."

"The Sharpen Metal Art can be used to enchant ordinary tools, making it very useful for both loosening the soil and cutting weeds."

"As for the Brute Force Art, it gives you the strength of an ox, making physical labor much easier."

At this, Steward Ye flipped his hand over, produced a yellowed booklet, and tossed it to him. He smiled, "I told you I wouldn’t let you get a bad deal. This booklet contains those three types of Magic, along with some of my own insights. Take it."

Li Changsheng glanced at the booklet and said with feigned delight, "I thank you, Steward."

Steward Ye waved his hand dismissively and took out a jade slate about half a meter wide. He beckoned to him, "Come over here and pick a Spirit Field."

Li Changsheng walked over, his eyes scanning the slate.

The jade slate was divided into four zones: A, B, C, and D. Each zone was further subdivided into red and blue squares of varying sizes.

Steward Ye explained, "Your cultivation level is too low, so you can only choose a Low-grade Spirit Field in D Zone. The blue squares are the ones that aren’t currently rented. Pick one."

Li Changsheng looked at the Spirit Fields on the slate, hesitated for a moment, then took out five Spirit Stones and placed them on the table. "This disciple is new here. I’d like to ask the Steward to help me choose a good plot."

Steward Ye’s smile deepened. He swept the Spirit Stones away with his sleeve and pointed to a medium-sized blue square in D Zone.

"This Spirit Field is two and a third mu. Its Spiritual Qi content is not much different from a Mid-grade Spirit Field."

"The only thing is, it’s in a remote location, and poisonous insects and fierce beasts often wander into it. That’s why very few people have chosen it."

Steward Ye smiled again. "If you think it’s too remote, I can pick another one for you."

Li Changsheng stared at the jade slate, his expression conflicted.

The Spirit Field Steward Ye was pointing to was on the very edge of D Zone. It was indeed quite remote.

Li Changsheng wrestled with the decision for a few breaths, then suddenly asked, "Since it’s so remote, will demons wander in?"

Hearing this, Steward Ye was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. "The demons within a thousand li of the Miscellaneous Peaks have basically all been wiped out by the Demon Hunting Corps."

"I’ll take it, then."

Li Changsheng’s mind was put at ease, so he chose it without further hesitation.

Remoteness had its advantages. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to interact with people often.

Besides, he wasn’t just planning on farming. He had to raise Big Flower, Xiaohua, Xiaobai, and his other beasts. A remote location was actually better for that.

Steward Ye nodded, changed the square from blue to red, and told him the rental price in Spirit Stones. A Spirit Field of two and a third mu cost two hundred and thirty Spirit Stones per year.

After confirming everything, he took out a contract for Li Changsheng to sign.

By the time the whole process was finished, night had begun to fall.

Li Changsheng put away the contract and took his leave of Steward Ye. "Steward, this disciple will be heading back now."

Steward Ye waved his hand.

Li Changsheng started to leave, but just as he was about to exit, Steward Ye’s voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Wait..."

Li Changsheng paused and turned his head just in time to see a dark object flying toward him. He instinctively reached out and caught it.

THWACK...

Steward Ye waved his hand and said, "That’s a hoe I used in my earlier years. It’s a gift."

"Go on back."

The sky was dim, so Li Changsheng didn’t get a good look at it. He put the hoe away, clasped his fist to Steward Ye in a gesture of thanks, and turned to leave.

"Tsk... a beast-raiser coming here to farm."

After Li Changsheng left, Steward Ye chuckled and began tossing a Spirit Stone up and down in his hand.

Leaving Steward Ye’s office, Li Changsheng went to the Spirit Seed Zone. He spent three Spirit Stones to buy enough Yellow Seed Spirit Rice seeds for a two-mu Spirit Field.

Exiting the main hall, Li Changsheng got on a wide path and hurried down the mountain.

By the time the great moon was high in the sky, a desolate, weed-choked Spirit Field came into view. Beside the field stood a two-story wooden house that looked rather dilapidated.

Li Changsheng first walked a lap around the Spirit Field. The soil was different from ordinary dirt; it was dark black and felt like warm jade to the touch. He could clearly sense the Spiritual Qi contained within it.

After inspecting the Spirit Field, he strode into the wooden house.

The house was made entirely of ironwood. Though it looked mottled and was covered in dead branches and leaves, it was structurally sound.

In the yard, Li Changsheng summoned Xiaohua and the swarm of Red-winged Blood Bamboo to stand guard, then he got busy cleaning up.

「The next morning.」

Sunlight streamed down through the clouds and mist. At the edge of the verdant Spirit Field, outside a simple two-story wooden house, a young man in a black shirt was hacking away at large swaths of weeds with a Bone-Chopping Knife.

Behind him, a massive black boar followed at a leisurely pace, while a swarm of Red-winged Blood Bamboos darted through the weeds, sometimes flying up, sometimes landing.

They snatched up colorful venomous snakes and poisonous insects, tearing them apart and devouring them.

This continued until the sun began to rise.

"Haaa..."

Li Changsheng wiped the sweat from his brow, stood up, and took a deep breath as he looked at the results of his night’s labor.

The weeds in a five-meter radius around the wooden house had all been cleared and piled up.

"This is good enough."

Li Changsheng flicked the grass juice off his knife, picked up a bundle of stink-ferns he had deliberately left behind, called to Big Flower, and returned to the wooden house.

The swarm of insects continued to clear out the poisonous bugs around the house.

Inside, the wooden house was completely transformed, and the air was still moist.

Li Changsheng set down the stink-ferns and turned to enter the kitchen on the first floor.

The kitchen was very simple. Aside from some rotten wood, there was only a stove.

’Luckily, I came prepared.’

With a slight thought, Li Changsheng first summoned a large wok, followed by smaller pots, bowls, and ladles.

’The stove is a bit small...’

Li Changsheng held up the large wok to compare. It was far too big for the stove.

There was no other choice. He had to dismantle the stove and expand it.

The stove was made of mud and stone, so it came apart quickly.

To expand it, he would need to mix some mud, but the water cistern in the house had long since dried up.

Li Changsheng picked up two wooden buckets, turned to go outside, called out to Xiaohua, and hopped onto its back.

"Let’s go!"

"OINK OINK OINK..."