Chapter 28: The Tribulation Cultivator’s Backer
Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Tribulation Cultivator’s Backer
After looting the Tribulation Cultivator’s corpse and confirming there were no other valuable items left, Chen Mo unleashed seven or eight Flaming Palms at the body until it was completely reduced to a pool of flesh and shattered bones.
Following that, he spent considerable effort covering the remains with the surrounding snow before finally stopping.
As Chen Mo worked, he pondered, "Should I get a magic spell for destroying corpses and erasing traces in the future? It would save a lot of effort."
However, the moment this thought arose, he lightly slapped himself.
"What am I thinking? Caution, caution! If I can avoid a fight, I must absolutely avoid it!"
He muttered to himself, "If forced to make a move, I must ensure a one-strike kill!"
The incident with the Tribulation Cultivators had come to a close.
Those two guys were just unlucky to have run into someone like Chen Mo, who didn’t play by the rules.
Of course, when it came to Tribulation Cultivators, if one or two died, others would still step up to take their place. After all, it was a highly lucrative profession!
Chen Mo walked back along his original path for a while. The small wheelbarrow he had abandoned by the roadside was still there.
He brushed the snow off the handles, hummed a tune, and pushed the wheelbarrow toward home.
The drifting snow in the sky gradually lightened, coming to a complete stop by the time Chen Mo arrived home.
Back inside his house, he lit the stove and took off his padded cotton jacket, revealing the Magic Robe that had saved his life. At this moment, the python claws on this Blue Python Robe looked slightly dim.
In the shopkeeper’s words, the array contained within the Magic Robe had weakened due to the attack.
Fortunately, it wasn’t broken, so there was still a chance to nurture and restore it!
He opened the Tribulation Cultivator’s sachet, poured the Spiritual Sand onto the table, and counted it: a total of thirty-seven taels.
Added to the sixty-four taels left over from selling grain, his Spiritual Sand now reached a total of one hundred and one taels!
At his current pace, these resources were enough to sustain his cultivation for two years!
If he didn’t practice any magic spells, it might even be enough for him to break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer.
As for how to allocate these cultivation resources? Chen Mo opened his interface and began to ponder:
[Name: Chen Mo]
[Class: Spirit Plant Cultivator (Unlocked), Spirit Nurturer (Locked)...]
[Lifespan: 30/77]
[Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer]
[Cultivation Technique: Qi Cultivation Technique (1/200)]
[Magic:]
[Rainfall Technique (Mastery): 59/400]
[Qi Crossing Technique (Pre-Entry-Level): 5/50]
[Flaming Palm (Minor Achievement): 18/800]
[Geng Metal Finger (Pre-Entry-Level): 0/50]
[Talent: Increased Production (Blue), Breeding (Green)]
He had to practice the Qi Cultivation Technique; it was the foundation of his existence.
Chen Mo estimated that based on his current cultivation speed, he would consume about one tael of Spiritual Sand every eight days, amounting to forty-something taels a year.
At the same time, the Rainfall Technique, Qi Crossing Technique, Flaming Palm, Geng Metal Finger, and the Spirit Snake Body Technique he had looted from the Tribulation Cultivator all needed to be practiced—and the higher the realm, the better!
In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, only true strength could guarantee self-preservation.
However, among these magic spells, the cultivation of the Rainfall Technique and Qi Crossing Technique had significant limitations. The Rainfall Technique wasn’t too bad; he could practice it by working for others for free. As for the Qi Crossing Technique, it could only be fed with Spirit Rice!
After pondering seriously for a long time, Chen Mo finally made up his mind. During the day, his focus would remain on practicing the Qi Cultivation Technique; his realm could absolutely not be neglected. At night, upon returning to his room, he would alternate between practicing the Qi Crossing Technique, Geng Metal Finger, and Spirit Snake Body Technique. As for the Flaming Palm, since its required experience had skyrocketed to 800, he could only put it on hold for now!
Having laid out his plan, Chen Mo simply boiled a bowl of Spirit Rice Porridge, ate until he was half-full, and then swallowed a Fasting Pill. Gripping a tael of Spiritual Sand in each hand, he began his day’s cultivation.
...
Outside the window, the Spirit Fields at the foot of Purple Cloud Peak were completely silent.
White snow covered the mountain peaks, burying all traces of sound.
In the distant Ancient Dust Marketplace, Wei Wuwei, who had returned to Niu’s Shop, waited at the Patriarch’s door for a long time before finally being summoned.
He carefully pushed open the door, and a current of warmth instantly enveloped him.
Unlike the freezing temperatures outside, it felt like spring indoors, without the slightest hint of a chill.
Wei Wuwei closed the door and sat with his legs together in the reception room, waiting. After a short while, the Patriarch of Niu’s Shop walked out, having just been dressed by a servant.
The beautiful Female Cultivator who followed him out adjusted her clothes before taking her leave.
"What is it?" Niu Youde asked, somewhat displeased. Anyone interrupted by a report right in the middle of an intimate session would be slightly annoyed.
"Reporting to the Patriarch, a Tribulation Cultivator appeared outside the Ancient Dust Marketplace!"
"A Tribulation Cultivator?" Niu Youde’s brow instantly furrowed into a deep scowl. "How do you know?"
"Someone reported it. I set up an ambush and beheaded that thief with a single sword strike!" Wei Wuwei stated sternly. Although the Tribulation Cultivator was weak, he still posed a threat to the Ancient Dust Marketplace, didn’t he? Moreover, the Patriarch was the older brother of the Pavilion Master! Having accomplished this, he felt a slight sense of pride in his heart!
"What did he look like? Do you remember?" Niu Youde asked again.
"Reporting to the Patriarch, I chopped his head off. I was afraid you might find it..."
"Bring it here."
"Yes, sir!"
Before long, Wei Wuwei retrieved a cloth bundle from outside. Upon opening it, Zhu An’s severed head was starkly revealed.
Niu Youde remained completely impassive on the surface. He casually praised Wei Wuwei a bit and dismissed him. Before Wei Wuwei left, he specifically instructed him to report first if such a thing happened again in the future!
Wei Wuwei naturally failed to grasp the underlying meaning of those words and quickly cupped his hands in farewell.
After he left, the veins on Niu Youde’s forehead instantly bulged!
"Damn it! I finally managed to trick two Spirit Plant Cultivators into acting as Tribulation Cultivators, and they get themselves killed in just a few years!" he cursed, furious.
That’s right! Zhu An and Lin Qing, these two Qi Refining Third Layer Tribulation Cultivators, had been plundering the Spirit Plant Cultivators under his explicit orders. Because of this, the two had strict instructions never to commit murder. Every time, they focused solely on extortion! The spoils they obtained were handed over to Niu Youde, with the profits split sixty-forty.
Although these resources weren’t a massive sum, they were still a considerable source of income. Who would have thought that after only two or three years, one of them would be killed by his own subordinate!
Of course, Niu Youde couldn’t bring this matter out into the open. If Purple Cloud Peak found out, he would be in deep trouble.
Therefore, it was even more impossible to have people from the Marketplace do it. He could only find relatively strong Spirit Plant Cultivators and have them plunder their own kind!
"Forget it, forget it," Niu Youde said, his anger gradually subsiding since being mad was useless. "This year is pretty much over anyway. I’ll just look for another one or two people next year.
"How many Spirit Plant Cultivators at the Qi Refining Third Layer are there in the Marketplace now?
"Twenty, or ten?"
Niu Youde suddenly thought of someone!
Someone his younger brother, Pavilion Master Niu Youliang, had specifically mentioned after returning with the Grain Collection Officer from Purple Cloud Peak—Xiao Changhua!
"Maybe I should give him a little promotion?" Niu Youde’s lips curled up, his smile gradually widening.
...
The next day, the snow stopped.
Chen Mo picked up a large broom early in the morning and began sweeping the courtyard.
Soon, he also cleared all the snow off the field ridges.
However, just as he was preparing to sit cross-legged and cultivate, a figure sprinted toward him from the distance at a speed far beyond his imagination!