Chapter 47: The Day of Spirit Rice Freedom Is Not Far Away!

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Day of Spirit Rice Freedom Is Not Far Away!

Steward Ma flipped his hand, taking out a piece of jade, and infused it with Spiritual Power.

A moment later, an honest-looking man of about thirty walked in from outside.

Steward Ma looked at him and ordered, "Wu Sheng, go with him to check the condition of the Spirit Fields. Inspect all the Low-grade Spirit Fields. Once you’ve finished the investigation, report back to me immediately."

"Yes, sir," Wu Sheng replied respectfully.

Steward Ma waved his hand. "Go on."

Wu Sheng looked at Dong Xing and gestured with his hand. "After you."

Dong Xing beamed with joy. He cupped his hands toward Steward Ma. "Thank you, sir." He then turned to Wu Sheng. "Please, Senior Brother, after you..."

After the two left, Steward Ma’s expression suddenly darkened, his eyes gleaming with the sharp, predatory light of a falcon.

"Heh, an insect plague, really? You’ve certainly gone to great lengths just to take my position as Steward!" he muttered.

A moment later.

His expression calm once more, Steward Ma walked out of the Spirit Field Hall. With a wave of his hand, he produced a Jade Ruyi engraved with complex runes. Spiritual light surged from it, transforming into a streak of azure light that shot into the sky and vanished over the horizon.

CRACK!

Li Changsheng swung his hoe with all his might, burying it into the already tottering tree trunk.

CREAK...

With a grating creak, the ironwood tree crashed heavily to the ground. No fewer than ten ironwood logs already lay scattered across the forest floor.

"I’ll just chop this many for now," Li Changsheng muttered.

He looked up at the sun, then found some thick vines and began tying the ironwood logs together. A Cup of Tea’s Time later, a heavy pile of ironwood was securely bundled.

Li Changsheng grabbed a few sturdy vines and wrapped them around Xiaohua’s body. Once they were tied tightly, he vaulted up and sat on its back.

"Let’s go, Xiaohua."

GRUNT, GRUNT.

Xiaohua grunted, its muscles tensing as it took heavy strides toward the small courtyard.

Under the leadership of Big Bro and Little Bro, the swarm of Red-winged Blood Bamboo Insects split into two groups, patrolling back and forth through the forest to hunt for insect beasts.

By the time Xiaohua dragged the heavy ironwood back to the courtyard, the sun was already halfway set. Li Changsheng hopped down and quickly unfastened the vines from Xiaohua.

The trip had thoroughly exhausted the beast. Once freed from the vines, it swayed as it walked to the door and flopped down.

Li Changsheng glanced at it, then turned and went into the wooden cabin. He soon emerged carrying a large vat, which he placed in the center of the courtyard.

Forming a Technique with his hands, Li Changsheng focused his thoughts. His Spiritual Power quickly flooded the meridians required for the "Minor Cloud and Rain Spell."

As the spiritual light within his meridians swirled, he changed his hand seals and softly chanted, "Form!"

Within a few breaths, a dark cloud, one meter Fang Yuan in size, gathered and took shape above.

"Fall!"

At his command, fine strands of rain drifted down from the cloud and landed in the large vat. A thick mist, accompanied by Spiritual Qi, rippled outward.

Xiaohua grunted and plodded over, its small eyes staring intently at the vat.

Li Changsheng turned and smiled at it. "Wait just a little longer. I’ll let you drink your fill."

He maintained the Technique until over half the Spiritual Power in his body was depleted, filling the vat to the brim with clear Rootless Spirit Water.

Withdrawing his Technique, Li Changsheng dismissed the cloud in midair with a mere thought. He patted Xiaohua’s head, pointed at the water vat, and chuckled. "Drink up."

GRUNT, GRUNT.

Xiaohua grunted and sidled up to the vat, plunging its head right in and gulping the water down with loud GLUG GLUG sounds.

Stroking Xiaohua’s coarse, stiff bristles and feeling its vigorous heartbeat, Li Changsheng decided to leave the remaining three-tenths of an acre to be plowed tomorrow. Even though Xiaohua was a Spirit Beast and wouldn’t break down as easily as a mortal animal, there was always a "what if."

Currently, Xiaohua shouldered the heavy responsibilities of being a mount, plowing the fields, hauling cargo, and fighting enemies. He couldn’t let it get injured over something trivial.

While Xiaohua drank, Li Changsheng set to work processing the ironwood. It wasn’t until the evening glow set the horizon ablaze with red that he finally finished chopping the ironwood into various lengths.

"Phew..."

Li Changsheng plopped down on a log, panting heavily. Ironwood truly lived up to its name. Even with his Second Layer Qi Cultivation base, he was completely worn out from the labor.

As he was resting, the giggling of children suddenly reached his ears. Li Changsheng looked toward the source of the sound.

Not far from the courtyard, two little girls—neither even a meter tall—were laughing playfully as they chased a blue butterfly. One wore a blue skirt and the other red, and both had their hair tied in twin pigtails sticking straight up.

A bewildered look crossed Li Changsheng’s face. He wondered whose children they were. After a moment of thought, he got up and walked out the courtyard gate.

As soon as he stepped out, his gaze met two pairs of large, watery eyes.

After a moment of frozen silence, the two identical-looking little girls suddenly jumped up in unison and screamed, "Ah! A ghost!"

Having shouted, the two brats whirled around and bolted. They were in a frantic rush, their little legs churning in a blurry frenzy. In the blink of an eye, they turned into tiny dark specks and vanished.

Li Changsheng was speechless.

He had initially been worried about their safety, but now he was completely at ease. If he wasn’t mistaken, the clothes the two girls were wearing were likely embroidered with special materials bearing runes for Lightness or Swiftness. Otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible for them to run that fast!

"Tsk... Truly filthy rich. What deep-pocketed snobs!"

Li Changsheng clicked his tongue in amazement and stepped back inside the house. Smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, and the familiar sound of chopping vegetables echoed through the house once more.

After feeding his several beasts, Li Changsheng headed up to the second floor.

Inside the large vat, the branches of the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree were no longer leaking sap. The few remaining leaves were a vibrant green, and the tree looked to be in excellent condition.

The Red-winged Blood Bamboo Insect Mother lay on the tree’s central branch. After half a day, more than a dozen thumb-sized objects resembling bee pupae had been stuck to the bark around it.

"It’s reproducing already?" Li Changsheng said, pleasantly surprised.

He leaned in for a closer look and found that the pupae were empty; there were no larvae inside yet.

He wasn’t disappointed. After inspecting them for a moment, he sat down cross-legged nearby. Taking out a Spirit Gathering Pill, he swallowed it and began circulating his Cultivation Technique to cultivate.

The next day. In the Spirit Field.

"Lo lo lo!"

Xiaohua walked in front, pulling the wooden plow, while Li Changsheng occasionally hollered to guide it. In less than two hours, the man and beast completely plowed the remaining three-tenths of an acre of the Spirit Field.

Li Changsheng unfastened the vines from Xiaohua. Standing with his hands on his hips, he gazed over the two and three-tenths acres of Spirit Field, an uncontrollable surge of excitement welling up in his heart.

"Haha... The day I can enjoy Yellow Seed Spirit Rice for every meal is fast approaching."

Overcome with excitement, he paced around the edge of the field a few times before finally calming down.

With a thought, Li Changsheng took out a damp bundle and opened it. Inside were plump, dark, and glossy seeds.

Carrying the bundle, he walked into the Spirit Field. Every ten centimeters, he dropped two seeds and then used his foot to press them firmly into the soil.

Desperate to achieve his Spirit Rice freedom, he completely lost track of time. It wasn’t until the sun had risen, crossed the sky, and set, leaving red clouds on the horizon, that he finished.

"Phew... That feels great!"

Li Changsheng straightened his back and stretched his limbs with abandon. He turned to look at the two and three-tenths acres of Spirit Field, his heart brimming with a deep sense of accomplishment.

"Let’s go home, Xiaohua!"

Li Changsheng vaulted onto Xiaohua’s back, leaned against the wooden plow, and shouted loudly.

GRUNT, GRUNT.

Xiaohua grunted and ambled lazily along the edge of the field.

Under the glow of the evening sky, the atmosphere was perfectly tranquil.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Li Changsheng suddenly turned his head to the side.

Not far away, two figures—one in blue, one in red—darted away at lightning speed, as if they had been startled.

"What naughty kids!"