Chapter 97: Farm

Kian pressed his palm harder into the soil and let his Qi pulse once, twice, three times. The ground answered like a slow heartbeat. A system chime rang inside his skull, sharp and clean.

[Land detected. You need the consent of this island’s spiritual owner, or takeover it by force. Warning: The Island is too high level, forced takeover is unlikely to succeed.]

At the same time, Feimei also seems to have recieved a faint feeling.

He looked at her.

"Hm, weird," she muttered. "It’s like one of our nights together. I can feel you trying to..." She shook her head, not verbalizing the private feeling, but Kian could guess what she meant.

"Like I am invading you?"

"More like you are trying to embrace me." She closed her eyes and reciprocated with the feeling.

[Ding]

[Do you want to designate this island as your farm?]

[Yes/No]

Kian didn’t hesitate. He focused on Yes. The soil beneath his hand grew warm. Faint qi waves rippled outward from his palm, branching like roots, marking the boundaries of the island’s cleared ground.

Fwoo.

Fwoo!

FWOOOH!

A wind hit his face and flew past him.

[Designating farm...]

[Farm designated: Unnamed Island Farm.]

A new screen popped into view, bigger and brighter than before.

[Farm Status]

[Name: Unnamed Island Farm]

[Level: 1]

[Size: 10 acres of fertile land]

Kian’s eyes lit up.

[At level 1, the farm can generate 10 Qi Sparks for you per day. Improve the farm level to earn more Sparks per day.]

[Qi Sparks Generated: 10 / day]

[Upgrade Requirements: Set up the basic foundations of a farm across all ten acres of your land]

’I wonder if I can use fortune points to upgrade this.’

Kian stared at the screen, a slow grin pulling at his mouth.

Ten Qi Sparks a day wasn’t much, but it was passive, constant, and entirely his. No killing, no stealing, no working hard. Just the land doing what land did best.

Feimei stepped closer, her bare feet silent on the black sand. "It took the whole island?"

Kian shook his head. "Just the area around us, I think. If I am right, this island is more than just ten or twenty acres, but we have ten acres to work on right now. The rest is still wild."

Feimei nodded slowly. "Yeah thought so. I only feel you embracing a quarter of it, not my whole."

"That makes sense."

They laughed.

"Anyway, Kian, I feel like your aura is a bit different now. You look more... at peace with yourself."

Kian barely heard her.

The system was already humming again, and a small pulse of warmth ran from the soles of his feet into his lower dantian.

A fresh line appeared just below the farm panel.

[You have received +10 Qi Sparks.]

He pulled up his full status window to see where he stood.

As it appeared, a smile slowly stretched across Kian’s face. He had absorbed far too many peak grade stones. So much that his cultivation had made a heaven and earth difference.

One stone alone was about 5000 stones worth of strength, after all!

Kian shook his head and dismissed the system window. The numbers could wait.

Right now, the only thing worth watching was the chaotic little farm taking shape around him.

He rolled his shoulders and walked toward the girls with his arms folded behind his back, every bit the lazy young master inspecting his estate.

"Good good, very good my wives you are all working very beautifully."

Xiao Cui was the first to feel his gaze.

She was sorting tools by the storage crate and fumbled a pruning knife straight into the sand.

Immediately, yesterday night came to her mind.

Her ears went pink.

"You’re making it awkward," she muttered without looking at him.

"There is no awkward between us, Cui Cui. I’ve lit up places in you where even sunlight doesn’t reach, what else is there to see?"

Her blush went all the way back to her neck.

Kian only smiled. "Let me check the next one."

He walked to the next.

Jiao Yin kept scattering feed in smooth arcs across the soil, glanced his way once, and called out, "No need to look at me, I am doing nothing special."

"Is the soil fertile?" he asked, ever the supervisor.

"It is," came Mia’s sweet and enchanted voice from another side.

He went over immediately.

"Farming is so nice," Mia exclaimed. "And this sand is just so magically fertile it’s crazy! I could live here forever, hubby!"

Mia was kneeling by the seed bundles with her sleeves bunched at her elbows. She didn’t even lift her head.

Jia scoffed from the side. "If you’re going to stand there, at least look useful."

Mia smiled. "He’s the farm owner now, Jia. He’s supposed to stand there and act like he knows everything while we do the actual work."

A strand of hair fell across her face, and she blew it aside. "Isn’t that right, Master Kian?"

"Indeed, young lady, indeed. This master knows his stuff."

Kian wandered over to Jia. She was crouched beside the first herb bed, tucking moonpetal starters into the dark soil with sharp, efficient presses while she brushed her teeth in annoyance.

Kian shook his head. His girls were too good at stuff like this that even when they did it casually, they knew their stuff.

Mia and Jia were indeed lovers of farming.

Still, he had to act like an expert.

"Deeper," he said. "They need space to root."

Jia’s hands stopped. Then her head whipped up, her eyes squinting with the look of an annoyed wife. "Deeper? Oh, now you’re an expert? Since when have you planted anything in your life?"

She stood fast and shoved the whole bundle of frost grass seeds against his chest. "Here. You do it then. Since you know everything better than me."

Kian caught the bundle before it could drop and looked down at her.

Kian didn’t back down. He had read some article once in his past life, and he knew some very modern knowledge!

Not really, it was a reel from a shorts app, but Kian could larp easily.

Humph!

"Plants that look small likes loose, drained soil. If you pack it in like you’re burying treasure, the roots suffocate. You are too inexperienced, young lady."

Jia let out an annoyed laugh that had disdain in it. "Suffocate? Frost grass grows in cold, dense beds. The ground holds the ice qi close to the root. If you loosen it, the cold seeps away and the sprout dies by morning."

Frost Grass?

Kian’s nose twitched.

’I’ll larp harder!’

He frowned. "That’s mint. You’re describing mint."

"What mint? It’s not mint, you absolute city boy." She jabbed a finger at the bundle in his hands. "These are winter bloom starters from the northern ridge. Mia and I harvested them ourselves in the past. They need packed earth."

She turned to his disdainfully and waved her hand. "But please, go on and teach me about soil with all that knowledge you pulled out of thin air."

Larp harder!

Kian opened his mouth, closed it, then set his jaw. "Your way might sprout first. But the roots will come up thin. Loose soil lets them spread wider and drink deeper."

Jia shook her head with a pitying smile.

"Fast leaves or strong roots? That’s like an idiot cultivating speed before foundation. Wait, that’s exactly what you are."

She turned on her heel and walked toward the water basin by the hut, one hand wiping at her mouth. "I’m going to rinse my teeth. Don’t follow me."

He followed.

Five steps later, her shoulders went stiff. She didn’t bother turning around. "You’re following me. Over seeds. You’d rather follow me to a water basin and argue than admit you don’t know how to plant frost grass."

She spun, toothbrush still in hand, foam at the corner of her lips, and gave him a sweet, poisonous smile. "That’s not just stupid, cute Kian. It’s a little tragic."

Something pissed off behind his eyes.

He stepped closer, holding the seed bundle to his chest like a shield. "Fine. Let’s settle it. Same seeds, same plot size, same start time. You plant your way, I’ll plant mine. We’ll see whose frost grass grows taller and faster by the end of the week."

Jia blinked, then wiped her mouth with the water. "And when I win?"

He leaned down, voice dropping. "When I win, you call me Master Farmer Kian. For a full day. In front of everyone, and admit you were wrong."

"Ok, not happening. What if I win?"

Kian’s grin went lazy. "If you win, I’ll give you an amazing reward. Don’t worry, it’ll be great."

He let the words hang, watching her eyes roam his grin.

Jia narrowed her eyes, suspicion and interest warring on her face. She chewed the inside of her cheek once, then nodded. "Fine."

He closed the distance and landed a sharp smack on her backside before she could react. "Then let’s see."

He tossed the seed bundle back into her arms and walked off, hands in his sleeves, whistling.

Jia let out a little growl and kicked sand at his back.