Chapter 22
"Maturity in progress..."
"Maturity in progress..."
His focus gathered on the Firefly Grass; the status of the fourteen Firefly Grass indicated they were all in the process of maturing.
"Faster! Higher! Stronger!!"
The black Sword Grass stood tall, imparting a sense of uplifting spirit to Lu Xuan.
"When the flowers bloom, you'll come to see me..."
Within the Crimson Cloud Pine's slender red needles, Lu Xuan noticed several clusters of bright red flowers budding out sharply.
After nurturing it for so long, the Crimson Cloud Pine finally bloomed.
"There's a more decayed scent in the air than usual, with a hint of char, oddly enchanting."
On the decayed wood, the Dark Marrow Fungus, covered in countless crimson mycelium, clearly appreciated the special fertilizer Lu Xuan added to the Spiritual Field last night.
Having toured the Spiritual Field and confirmed the excellent growth of each spiritual plant, he returned to his house.
Among Qin Ming's leftover items, Lu Xuan immediately made use of the storage bag and the two hundred plus spirit stones.
As for the remaining flying sword artifacts, the unknown elixirs in jars and bottles, he didn't intend to rush into selling them just yet.
After all, uncertain if the flying sword artifacts contained hidden records, he decided to wait until the storm settled before exchanging them for spirit stones or spiritual seeds.
Days passed, and Lu Xuan remained in the courtyard, tending to the spiritual plants daily. It seemed relaxed and leisurely, yet internally, he was tense, worried about the potential consequences of Qin Ming's murder.
Not having detected any cultivators intruding or spying on his courtyard, he relaxed slightly and stepped out of his house.
The Spiritual Field in his courtyard was too small, and considering Steward He's mention of establishing a simple cooperation model with Lu Xuan, he entertained the idea of renting a larger Spiritual Field.
He entered a shop specifically catering to cultivators.
Inside the shop's hall, only a few individuals were either attending to cultivator customers or arranging items.
"Welcome, fellow Daoist."
An idle shop attendant, recognizing a customer, promptly greeted with an exceedingly warm smile.
"Oh, it's Daoist Lu again. Planning to inspect the Spiritual Fields this time?"
This shop attendant happened to be the scarred young cultivator who gossiped behind Lu Xuan's back last time. His memory served him well as he immediately recognized Lu Xuan's figure, although his smile froze momentarily, intentionally emphasizing the word "again."
Lu Xuan nodded, his expression indifferent.
Seeing Lu Xuan's demeanor, the scarred cultivator flashed a profoundly cryptic hint of mockery in his eyes and called out to a slightly chubby young cultivator nearby.
"Hey, this Daoist wishes to inspect a Spiritual Field. Take care of it."
He knew Lu Xuan was merely a second-level Qi cultivator, unlikely to possess the strength to rent those large courtyards. Not wanting to waste time, he directly summoned a newly employed junior cultivator to handle the matter.
The chubby youth raised his head, smiling at Lu Xuan.
"If you have any requirements, feel free to ask me. We have a wide range of Spiritual Fields here to meet your needs."
"I'm interested in a Spiritual Field I saw earlier. Just take me there."
Lu Xuan explained the Spiritual Field he had previously inspected, asking the youth to guide him directly there.
The chubby young cultivator nodded, and the two departed from the shop.
"Looking at those larger Spiritual Fields again, what's the use? I can't afford them anyway."
The scarred young cultivator, watching the two departing figures, chuckled to himself, then swiftly changed to an excessively enthusiastic smile.
"Fellow Daoist, let me introduce you to a popular high-grade Spiritual Field..."
Lu Xuan first chose the courtyard containing a spiritual spring, although it had the highest rent of sixty spirit stones per month, the allure of the spiritual spring was irresistible.
More importantly, with the two hundred plus spirit stones from Qin Ming, Lu Xuan found the price reasonable.
Guided by the chubby young cultivator, he arrived at the massive courtyard and saw a specially arranged array disk outside, activating a protective formation.
"Daoist Lu, please have a look. This courtyard is centrally located near the market square, inhabited by some renowned mid-level Qi cultivators, ensuring its safety."
"There's over an acre of Spiritual Field inside, rich in spiritual energy, ideal for a spiritual plant cultivator like yourself."
"Of course, the most significant feature is the spiritual spring in the Spiritual Field, constantly seeping out a faint spiritual aura, perfect for brewing spirit wine or steeping spirit tea."
"Adding a small amount of spiritual spring water when refining pills or artifacts can also slightly enhance their quality."
The chubby young cultivator pointed to a spiritual spring, explaining to Lu Xuan.
The spiritual spring was about ten feet long and five feet wide, containing a shallow accumulation of spiritual spring water.
"Will this spiritual spring continuously produce water? Or will it stop after usage?" Lu Xuan raised his concern to the chubby cultivator.
"Daoist, rest assured. It's said the spiritual spring is closely connected to a branch of the spiritual vein under the market square, so it will continue seeping, although in limited quantities."
"We can include this in the contract. If it ceases, we'll compensate you adequately."
The chubby young cultivator reassured Lu Xuan with a smile.
"Can the rent be lowered a bit? Sixty spirit stones per month seems a bit steep."
Lu Xuan adeptly employed his negotiation skills.
"Well... the rent isn't up to me to decide, but if you decide to rent it, we'll let you use the first-rank protection formation in the courtyard for free for a period."
The chubby young cultivator sighed inwardly, realizing his hope that Lu Xuan might rent the place was fleeting.
"Sixty spirit stones..."
Lu Xuan paused briefly.
"Alright, I'll take it!"
"If you find sixty spirit stones a month too expensive, you can check out another courtyard nearby."
The chubby young cultivator replied formulaically with a smile.
"Oh...?"
He suddenly realized something, looking up at Lu Xuan with a gaze that was part anticipation, part suspicion.
Lu Xuan smirked slightly, nodding.
"Thank you, thank you! I'll take care of everything for you!"
The shop.
The scarred cultivator reclined on a wooden chair, lightly swaying back and forth, evidently in a good mood.
Just now, he successfully closed a deal, renting out a small courtyard for seven spirit stones per month and earning a hefty commission.
The chubby young cultivator rushed in energetically.
"Back already? Didn't that cultivator ask you to show him more Spiritual Fields?"
He looked at the chubby cultivator behind the counter, his tone tinged with mockery.
"No, he only looked at one."
The chubby young cultivator replied without raising his head.
"At least he has a bit of conscience, not wasting too much of your time."
"Yeah, Daoist Lu is too kind. He looked at one Spiritual Field and readily agreed, even paid the deposit."
"Huh?"
The scarred cultivator thought he misheard something, and the gentle rocking of his chair abruptly stopped.
The chubby young cultivator raised his head, revealing a simple, honest smile.
"The one that costs sixty spirit stones per month."
With a clang, the chair lost balance and fell to the ground.
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