Eternal Life: Starting with Refreshing the Farmland

**Brightsun Market.**

Inside a private room at the Gathering Pavilion, Qin Ming and Cai Laojiu were enjoying a lavish meal, feasting on fine wine and delicacies.

Shopkeeper Liao sat beside them, a smile on his face as he joined them for drinks.

He knew very well that the two hadn't come just for food and drink.

Shopkeeper Liao had long been eyeing Qin Ming's Spirit Tusk Rice.

After several rounds of drinks, Qin Ming and Cai Laojiu were both full and satisfied.

It was only then that Shopkeeper Liao rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "Fellow Qin, about that Spirit Tusk Rice you promised..."

Qin Ming took a sip of wine before calmly bringing out the Golden Spirit Rice and Spirit Tusk Rice.

"Over five hundred pounds of Golden Spirit Rice and a hundred pounds of Spirit Tusk Rice. It's all here."

Shopkeeper Liao's eyes gleamed, barely glancing at the Golden Spirit Rice as his attention focused entirely on the bag of Spirit Tusk Rice.

He reached in and picked out a few grains of the white-and-red Spirit Tusk Rice, carefully examining them.

After a long while, he said, "Fellow Qin, your Spirit Tusk Rice is truly exceptional. The quality is top-notch, almost reaching the premium level!"

He noticed the bright crimson hue deep within the grains, and even the usually composed Shopkeeper Liao couldn't hide his excitement.

In all his years of business, he had never encountered Spirit Tusk Rice of such high quality.

If handled well, this batch of Spirit Tusk Rice could fetch several times its usual price, offering a substantial profit margin.

More importantly, by establishing a good relationship with Qin Ming, he could secure an exclusive supply of Spirit Tusk Rice.

Given Qin Ming's talent in spirit plant cultivation, it was likely that he would continue producing high-quality Spirit Tusk Rice in the future.

This would undoubtedly earn him significant recognition in the Gathering Pavilion's records.

If the pavilion master was pleased, Shopkeeper Liao might even see a promotion after so many years in his current position.

With this in mind, Shopkeeper Liao seemed to make a decision.

"Fellow Qin, I can offer you a price twenty percent higher than the market rate for this batch of Spirit Tusk Rice."

"That would be six spirit stones per pound. How does that sound?"

Qin Ming thought for a moment but didn't respond immediately.

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Liao quickly stepped forward and took out a jade token from his storage pouch, handing it to Qin Ming with a serious expression.

"This is a discount token for the Gathering Pavilion."

"With this, you'll enjoy a twenty percent discount on all purchases at the Gathering Pavilion or any of its branches."

Qin Ming took the token, examined it carefully, and then nodded. "Deal."

Shopkeeper Liao's face lit up with joy.

He immediately brought out a measuring tool and began weighing the rice.

"Five hundred and ten pounds of Golden Spirit Rice, valued at one hundred and seventy spirit stones."

"One hundred and five pounds of Spirit Tusk Rice, valued at six hundred and thirty spirit stones."

"Total of eight hundred spirit stones."

After calculating, Shopkeeper Liao promptly handed over the spirit stones to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming stored the spirit stones in his pouch, feeling a surge of confidence with such a large sum in his possession.

Cai Laojiu, sitting beside him, couldn't help but drool at the sight of so many spirit stones, his face filled with envy.

Shopkeeper Liao then asked with a smile, "Fellow Qin, is there anything else you need to purchase?"

"Not for now," Qin Ming replied indifferently.

"By the way, has anything noteworthy happened recently?"

Qin Ming suddenly added.

Shopkeeper Liao was momentarily taken aback before replying, "Nothing much. The Spirit Feather Sect is still busy repairing the teleportation array. It'll probably take a while."

He spoke in a low voice and didn't elaborate further.

Qin Ming nodded.

By selling a hundred pounds of Spirit Tusk Rice to Shopkeeper Liao in one go, Qin Ming had intentionally demonstrated his value.

Shopkeeper Liao had significant connections and access to high-level information and trends.

Qin Ming knew he would need to rely on him for updates on the cultivation world in the future.

Afterward, Cai Laojiu also sold two hundred pounds of Golden Spirit Rice to Shopkeeper Liao.

Once the transactions were complete, Qin Ming prepared to settle the bill and leave.

Shopkeeper Liao generously gave him a twenty percent discount, charging only five spirit stones for the meal and even throwing in a small bottle of spirit wine.

He then escorted the two out of the shop with a smile.

---

After leaving the shop, Qin Ming headed to the Spirit Feather Sect's administrative hall to take the spirit plant knowledge exam and officially become a first-grade spirit plant cultivator.

He bid farewell to Cai Laojiu, and the two went their separate ways to attend to their own matters.

Qin Ming arrived at the administrative hall alone.

The exam went smoothly, taking only an hour to complete.

It mainly covered basic knowledge of spirit plant cultivation and required a written essay on the experience of cultivating first-grade spirit plants.

The examiner quickly graded the test and announced the result—Qin Ming had passed.

He then stamped Qin Ming's spirit plant cultivator identification plaque with an official seal.

One of the leaves on the spirit plant design on the back of the plaque lit up, marking Qin Ming's status as a first-grade, low-tier spirit plant cultivator.

"To advance to mid-tier spirit plant cultivator, you'll need to successfully cultivate at least three types of mid-tier first-grade spirit plants."

"Once you've done that, you can return here for promotion," the Spirit Feather Sect official said, giving Qin Ming an appraising look due to his young age.

"Understood. Thank you, sir," Qin Ming said respectfully before leaving the hall.

---

As Qin Ming walked through the market streets, he played with his spirit plant cultivator plaque for a moment before storing it in his pouch.

"Well, well, well! What a coincidence!"

"Fellow Daoist, don't rush off! Two spirit stones for a good time. Interested?"

On his way to the Ruan family estate, Qin Ming passed by the pleasure house again.

The same green-robed female cultivator from before was there, batting her eyelashes at him and calling out.

Qin Ming ignored her, keeping his eyes forward as he continued toward the Ruan family estate.

"Ugh, how boring!" the woman spat out in frustration.

As soon as she finished speaking, two men emerged from the building behind her, one of whom was the burly man with the scruffy beard.

"Still no luck," the man muttered.

---

The Ruan family estate was located near the center of Brightsun Market.

The surrounding alleys were lined with large, standalone houses, each with spacious courtyards.

These homes were well-equipped, featuring private cultivation chambers, workshops for various cultivation arts, and even isolation arrays to prevent spying.

After all, in the cultivation world, privacy and security were of utmost importance to cultivators.

Those who could afford to rent here were typically mid-to-late-stage Qi Refining cultivators with substantial resources, or even those at the peak of Qi Refining.

Qin Ming took the opportunity to inquire about the housing situation in the market.

He learned that rental prices had skyrocketed since the previous year, increasing several times over compared to earlier years.

"Now, even the worst houses in Brightsun Market cost three hundred spirit stones a year in rent," someone told him.

Qin Ming was stunned.

"However, all the houses in the market are currently occupied. If a property becomes available, you'll need to apply for a spot at the Spirit Feather Sect's administrative hall."

"I've heard that this year, over nine hundred cultivators are already on the waiting list for housing."

Qin Ming: "..."

He had thought the rental prices were already absurdly high.

But now, he realized that even at such prices, securing a spot was fiercely competitive.

"Sigh... If it weren't for the second-grade protective formation covering the market, no one would bother renting here."

"Even a dog wouldn't rent here!"

"Pah!"

---

At the entrance to the Ruan family estate, Qin Ming knocked on the door several times, but there was no response.

He sent a message talisman to Fellow Daoist Ruan.

A short while later, he received a reply.

"Fellow Qin, I apologize, but I'm currently handling some matters outside and won't be able to return home for a while."

"How about I give you an address? It's not far, so you could come to me."

Qin Ming frowned, his brow furrowing.

After some thought, he replied cautiously, "Fellow Ruan, things aren't very safe outside right now. I'll wait until you return."

"Just let me know when you're back."

(End of Chapter)

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