Lu Xuan spoke firmly, not allowing Zhang Xiuyuan to argue back. He didn't want to waste a lot of time looking for wandering Spiritual Plant Cultivators who had encountered pest problems, so he handed this task over to Zhang Xiuyuan and offered him a small reward.
With no other choice, Zhang Xiuyuan accepted. The thought of finding a cultivator whose plants had been attacked by pests and earning thirty Spirit Fragments made him feel excited and hopeful.
"But there are some conditions," Lu Xuan added. "The cultivators you find can only be from the northern area, and I can only help three wandering Spiritual Plant Cultivators with pest problems in a day."
Right now, Lu Xuan was mainly focused on the Spiritual Plants in his own yard. If he got greedy for a few Spirit Stones and let his plants suffer, it wouldn't be worth it. He knew how to prioritize.
Another reason was that he was currently only at the second level of Qi Training. If he frequently used the Gengjin Sword Art, it would easily reveal his true cultivation level.
Over the next ten days or so, Zhang Xiuyuan worked hard to find cultivators, while Lu Xuan went out almost every day to help deal with pest problems. As the pest issues worsened and sometimes recurred, he had to use the Gengjin Sword Art three times each time he went out.
Each time he helped, he gave Zhang Xiuyuan thirty Spirit Fragments, while he himself earned four Spirit Stones and seventy Spirit Fragments. In just over ten days, combined with what he had saved up before, Lu Xuan now had around two hundred Spirit Stones.
During this time, the owner of the yard came to collect rent, paying thirty Spirit Stones. He also harvested eleven Moon-Eroding Fruits, leaving nineteen in total. All were of good quality, including five pieces of the Silver Splitting Blade, three first-grade Spirit Nurturing Pills, and three first-grade talismans.
With the five pieces of the Silver Splitting Blade, the incomplete blade looked a bit more whole, with only a few small gaps left. The Moon-Eroding Fruits were easier to store, so Lu Xuan didn't rush to sell them. He planned to collect them all and sell them to Steward He at Hundred Herbs Hall once they were fully ripe.
Aside from the soon-to-mature Moon-Eroding Trees, the other three types of Spiritual Plants in the Spiritual Field were growing very well. The Spirit Firefly Grass had passed the halfway mark in its growth cycle, and in a little over a month, it would be ready for another harvest. The Red Cloud Pine hadn't changed much, just noticeably taller.
As for the Sword Grass, under the daily stimulation from the golden sword energy of the Gengjin Sword Art, a black thin grass had slowly grown out, resembling a sharp sword. It stood straight, with the tip pointing towards the sky, and a faint sword intent lingered around the grass leaves.
“Come, come, come! Here are your Spirit Stones. This is your reward for today,” Lu Xuan said on the stone path, taking out ninety Spirit Fragments and handing them to Zhang Xiuyuan.
“Thank you, Uncle Lu!” Zhang Xiuyuan said with a silly grin, skillfully taking the Spirit Fragments and carefully tucking them into his clothes.
The two had just visited three wandering cultivators' homes, and Lu Xuan had successfully resolved their pest issues, so it was time to split the earnings.
“They're back! The first batch of cultivators from the new secret realm has returned!” Suddenly, there was a commotion not far ahead. Lu Xuan vaguely heard a few sentences, seeming to indicate that the first group of wandering cultivators who had gone to the wilderness with the Wang family had returned.
He had never been to that wilderness, which was full of opportunities and risks, and he was curious about the new secret realm, so he went over with Zhang Xiuyuan.
“I heard that the new secret realm has several powerful protective formations. The formation masters from the Wang family managed to break through two of them and found many rare Spiritual Plants, heavenly materials and treasures, and even high-grade artifacts and techniques!”
“Damn, I’m so jealous! I regret not signing up to go with them!”
“If I had gone, I might have gained a huge opportunity and soared to become a Foundation Establishment or even a Core Formation master!”
“Exactly! I wish I could take their place!”
Everyone was discussing, all envious of the great rewards the cultivators who returned from the secret realm had received.
Lu Xuan remained calm. It was expected that the rewards from the secret realm would be huge; otherwise, the Wang family wouldn't have organized so many cultivators and invested so much effort and resources into exploring it. However, the majority of the gains would go to the Wang family, while the stronger cultivators would take their share, leaving the wandering cultivators with just scraps. Many might not only return empty-handed but could even lose their lives in the process.
Zhang Xiuyuan, hearing the discussions, thought of his father, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. He felt anxious and rushed to say goodbye to Lu Xuan before running home.
Lu Xuan walked slowly on the path home. The news of the returning cultivators spread quickly, igniting excitement throughout the northern area of the market town, filling the air with a restless energy.
As he passed by a wandering cultivator's courtyard, he heard cries of grief. Through the open gate, he saw a weary-looking cultivator holding an urn of ashes, while a woman in front of him wept bitterly, heartbroken.
Lu Xuan recognized this family. The male cultivator was a middle-aged man with the surname Xiong, at the third level of Qi Training, who had signed up for the secret realm exploration. The outcome was clear.
He had seen or heard such scenes many times along the way.
“The path of cultivation is long and difficult. If an ordinary cultivator wants to advance, they must seize every possible opportunity, even if it means risking their lives,” he thought. “Cultivation is hard, very hard!”
“Fortunately, I have that special Spiritual Field. I don’t have to fight for unknown opportunities and can focus on cultivating my plants peacefully.”
Lu Xuan felt grateful for his special white light orb and was more determined than ever not to take unnecessary risks.
In the following days, he stayed quietly at home, nurturing his Spiritual Plants. Zhang Xiuyuan hadn’t come to find him in a while. Lu Xuan knew he was worried about his father, and whenever he did see him, he looked listless. Xu Wan, although she appeared calm, had clearly lost weight, revealing her inner feelings.
“Dad!”
One afternoon, while using the Spirit Rain Technique to water his plants, Lu Xuan heard a joyful shout.
He smiled and opened the courtyard door.
Sure enough, Zhang Hong came rushing home, looking disheveled and exhausted, but with a bulging bag in his arms, grinning widely, clearly having brought back a good haul.
Seeing Lu Xuan, he nodded from a distance, smiling in greeting.
Lu Xuan smiled back, watching as Zhang Hong embraced his wife and children, entering the house joyfully.
He didn’t join in the excitement. Zhang Hong had just returned from the wilderness with his gains, and it was a sensitive time. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the atmosphere was tense.
Although they trusted each other, if Lu Xuan rushed over now, it could raise unnecessary suspicions.
After a little while, Zhang Hong came looking for him.
(End of Chapter)