Chapter 17: Hoard Food, Not Guns, Your House Is a Granary
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Hoard Food, Not Guns, Your House Is a Granary
It was likely destined that Wang Lixia would not return.
The thirty taels of Spiritual Sand, two hundred catties of Spirit Rice, and eight Fasting Pills became an asset she left behind for Chen Mo. The two of them had met by chance, getting to know each other initially due to a transaction. Chen Mo had never imagined that he would end up being the only one to remember her fondly.
But perhaps, without him around, Wang Lixia would probably end up just like Yin Zheng, who died at the hands of a Tribulation Cultivator. Even if she disappeared completely from this world, no one would ever care.
***
After using Increased Production on the Spirit Field, the ears of rice noticeably multiplied.
However, the Spirit Yellow Rice was still somewhat different from the ordinary rice grown in fields during Chen Mo’s past life. In his past life, after generations of improvement by scientists, rice plants barely reaching calf-height could yield several hundred to over a thousand catties per mu, with the ears so heavy they would bend the stalks to the ground.
In contrast, the yield of the Spirit Yellow Rice here was much lower. Despite the plants growing half a person tall, they typically only produced two hundred catties of Spirit Rice per mu, and the ears would even be hidden by the stems and leaves. Therefore, even with a fifty percent Increased Production—adding a hundred catties per mu—it didn’t result in a drastic visual change. Unless one looked closely, they wouldn’t even notice that the Spirit Rice in Chen Mo’s field was significantly more abundant than that of other Spirit Plant Cultivators!
Chen Mo was naturally displeased with Xiao Changhua’s proposal, but given his current strength, he knew better than to make an enemy of the man. There would be plenty of time in the future. Sooner or later, he would make the man spit out those three hundred and fifty catties of Spirit Rice!
Of course, Chen Mo also kept his wits about him. During the first month, he only applied Increased Production to his own five mu of Spirit Field. As for Wang Lixia’s five mu, he continued to water them with regular water. It was only after confirming that she truly wasn’t coming back—and observing that Xiao Changhua spent his days meditating in Cultivation without ever glancing at the Spirit Field—that he finally applied his upgraded Talent to her plot.
Watching the Spirit Rice mature day by day, the entire Ancient Dust Marketplace was once again filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest. With back-to-back years of abundant Spirit Rice harvests, these Spirit Plant Cultivators who relied on the heavens for their livelihood could finally stand tall.
Seeing signs that the grains were ready to detach, Chen Mo didn’t wait. He began harvesting the Spirit Rice in Wang Lixia’s field early one morning, spending two whole days on the task. From the five mu of Spirit Field, he divided the harvest of over sixteen hundred catties of Spirit Rice into three piles. Two piles of five hundred catties each were stacked at the door of Wang Lixia’s wooden cabin. The third pile, consisting of six hundred catties, was safely stashed away in the large pit he had dug last year before nightfall.
These six hundred catties were his extra earnings; no one was going to take them away.
Early on the third morning, before he even began harvesting his own Spirit Field, Chen Mo pushed a cart carrying three hundred and fifty catties of Spirit Rice and took the initiative to visit Xiao Changhua. The man was still sitting in meditation and Cultivation, like an ascetic monk. Chen Mo had noted that for Xiao Changhua to advance from the Qi Refining Second Layer to the Qi Refining Third Layer in just a few short years, he undeniably possessed some degree of strength and Talent. This dedication to Cultivation anytime and anywhere was something worth learning from.
Seeing Chen Mo arrive, Xiao Changhua glanced at the three bags of Spirit Rice on the pushcart and spoke slowly, "Harvest the Spirit Rice in my field too."
Just as Chen Mo was about to curse inwardly, the man continued, "Deliver the remaining five hundred catties to me. When the Purple Cloud Peak Grain Collection Officer arrives, I will explain."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo’s internal anger dissipated entirely. Spending two days of labor to save himself the trouble of explaining how he managed to tend ten mu of land simultaneously was quite a good deal!
"Thank you, Senior!"
Chen Mo turned around and transported the remaining five hundred catties over. As for his "rightful" one hundred and fifty catties, he brought them back to his own home. He spent another two days harvesting Xiao Changhua’s five mu of Spirit Field before he finally had time to deal with his own two plots.
Until Chen Mo departed, this Cultivator of the Martial Dao had not offered a single word of greeting, aside from monitoring Chen Mo to ensure he didn’t steal any grain.
Watching him leave, Xiao Changhua wore a look of disdain. He looked down on Chen Mo even more now. In his mind, Chen Mo was just a cowardly and foolish brat, completely unworthy of his association! He wondered why Wang Lixia had chosen to work with Chen Mo in the first place. Was it really as the rumors outside said? Was it because of his looks?
***
Chen Mo naturally had no idea about the other man’s silent criticisms.
Having been busy for six consecutive days, he was completely exhausted. However, no matter how tired he was, he had to finish harvesting the Spirit Rice in his fields, threshing the grains, and stacking them neatly before the Grain Collection Officer arrived. His own five mu of land also yielded over sixteen hundred catties of Spirit Rice.
After similarly hiding over six hundred catties, his cellar was now stacked with thirteen hundred catties of unhusked Spirit Rice and two hundred catties of milled Spirit Rice. Coupled with the four hundred catties he kept out in the open and the inheritance Wang Lixia had left him, the resources Chen Mo currently held on hand were approaching a value of two hundred and thirty taels of Spiritual Sand!
This huge sum, based on his current progress, was enough to sustain his Cultivation for several years. One could even say it was enough for him to Cultivate all the way to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!
"Thinking about it now, the hardships of this past year haven’t been for nothing."
After tidying everything up, Chen Mo collapsed onto his wooden bed, resting his left leg over his right and chewing on an ear of rice, feeling in incredibly good spirits. His nerves had been tense for a whole year, and now he could finally relax.
Right now, Chen Mo was considering whether he should take one hundred taels of Spiritual Sand to exchange for a Low Grade Spirit Stone! Although one hundred taels of Spiritual Sand contained a more abundant amount of Spiritual Qi overall, a Low Grade Spirit Stone was far more precious for Cultivation, and the Spiritual Qi within it was much purer. This meant that his Cultivation speed would be faster! Moreover, with his current Cultivation speed, a single Low Grade Spirit Stone would easily be enough for him to use for a year or two.
Soon, Chen Mo made up his mind: he would definitely go to the Marketplace this year and exchange for one!
Just as he was drowsily immersing himself in the joy of the harvest and his soon-to-be increased strength, a chill suddenly welled up within him.
"Wait, something’s wrong!"
"The Tribulation Cultivator!"
Chen Mo sat bolt upright. With his current strength at the Qi Refining First Layer, if he were to run into the Tribulation Cultivator from last year, it would be certain death! If that happened, no matter how much Spirit Rice he harvested, he would ultimately just be working for someone else’s benefit!
There was a slang saying from his past life that he remembered very clearly: "Hoard grain but no guns, and your house becomes a granary for others. Hoard guns but no grain, and everywhere is your granary. Hoard both guns and grain, and you’re the king of the mountain!"
Now, he had the grain. What lay before Chen Mo was the issue of a gun! But where was his gun?
Relying on Xiao Changhua was completely impossible. Right now, the only person he could depend on was himself!
Sitting on the edge of the bed, a layer of roaring flames suddenly ignited over Chen Mo’s hands. This was the Flaming Palm after reaching Mastery; its power was not to be underestimated. However, compared to Wang Lixia, he was still lacking by more than just a little. First of all, the gap in their Realms was too large. She had been at the Qi Refining Third Layer, while he was merely at the Qi Refining First Layer. Secondly, her Flaming Palm had already reached Minor Achievement, whereas his was only at Mastery.
"No! Before I have the strength, I can’t rashly head to the Marketplace!"
Chen Mo opened his interface panel and took a look:
[Qi Cultivation Technique: 92/100]
...
[Flaming Palm: 72/400]
The Qi Cultivation Technique only needed eight more experience points to break through. Even if he practiced day and night, it would still take over forty days to break through to the Qi Refining Second Layer.
The next moment, Chen Mo made up his mind. During these forty days, he would do whatever it took at all costs—even completely consuming the remaining twenty taels of Spiritual Sand—to push his Flaming Palm to a breakthrough into Minor Achievement!