Chapter 32: First Entering the Fragrance Pavilion
Chapter 32: Chapter 32: First Entering the Fragrance Pavilion
"Fellow Daoist, please."
Song Yunxi didn’t hesitate. Like performing a magic trick, he retrieved a crystal-clear Spirit Stone from his Storage Ring.
It was about the size of a fist.
This was Chen Mo’s first time seeing a Low Grade Spirit Stone. He hadn’t expected that even before he touched it, a dense wave of Spiritual Qi would emanate from it, nourishing his body and mind!
When he grasped it in his hand, the refreshing sensation was more than a hundred times better than that of Spiritual Sand.
"When excavating an Ore Vein, the vast majority of what is found is Spiritual Sand. Low Grade Spirit Stones are incredibly rare. In a Tier Two Spirit Vein, the number of Middle Grade Spirit Stones you could dig up can probably be counted on one hand," Song Yunxi explained eloquently, effectively answering the doubts in Chen Mo’s mind.
"Thank you for the explanation, Senior." Chen Mo carefully put away the incomparably precious Low Grade Spirit Stone and asked, "Shopkeeper Song, is that a Storage Ring on your hand?"
"Are you interested, Fellow Daoist Chen?" Song Yunxi didn’t reveal a disdainful expression like others might have.
"I’m afraid it must be very expensive."
"I exchanged five Low Grade Spirit Stones for this Storage Ring at the inner Marketplace of Purple Cloud Peak, the Purple Cloud Marketplace. The Storage Space is roughly twenty square feet and can hold around twenty to thirty thousand catties of Spirit Rice." To give Chen Mo a more intuitive impression, the other party used Spirit Rice as a comparison.
"Five stones?" Chen Mo shook his head with a bitter smile. He had exhausted his entire fortune just to get one piece. How long would he have to save up for five!
"Fellow Daoist, I would like to sign a Contract with you. Would that be amenable?" Song Yunxi no longer beat around the bush and finally voiced his thoughts.
"Please speak, Shopkeeper. Is it related to Breeding?"
"Naturally! In the future, after the autumn harvest every year, could you come to the grain station to help me breed a thousand catties of Spirit Rice? I’ll pay you at the price of 1.5 taels per catty of Spirit Seeds. How does that sound? Furthermore, as long as you have Spirit Seeds, I will purchase them all at eighty percent of the Marketplace’s selling price. How about it?"
A thousand catties of Spirit Rice would yield thirty catties of Spirit Seeds. And this was only at the Proficient Realm. In the future, he might be able to produce a hundred catties. At that time, the income from Breeding alone could reach one hundred and fifty taels of Spiritual Sand. This deal was worth taking!
Chen Mo hardly hesitated. "Shopkeeper Song, since it seems we’re fated to meet, I won’t let my skills go to my head. I do have some Talent in the Qi Crossing technique, and the seed yield rate will only get higher in the future. When that time comes, will you still be able to honor this price?"
"You worry too much, Fellow Daoist! Even if you can achieve a ten-to-one ratio, Song will still pay the same price!" Song Yunxi had made up his mind—he had to retain this man no matter what!
If the Breeder in front of him truly had that kind of capability, then he could even increase the price further. A thousand catties of rice were only worth one hundred taels of Spiritual Sand. Bred into seeds, they would be worth two hundred and forty taels!
"Deal." With the other party’s assurance, Chen Mo agreed. "However, Shopkeeper Song, I roughly calculated that all the Spirit Fields in the entire Ancient Dust Marketplace only need around three hundred catties of Spirit Seeds. Can you really bite off a piece of meat from Niu’s Shop?"
Song Yunxi smiled at him and said unhurriedly, "Although Niu Youde’s younger brother, Niu Youliang, is the Pavilion Master, he still has to listen to Purple Cloud Peak, doesn’t he?"
"Purple Cloud Peak? Shopkeeper Song knows..."
Chen Mo didn’t finish his sentence as the other party waved a hand. "You don’t need to worry about that, Fellow Daoist. When the time comes, just focus on Breeding. As for the sales, I have my ways!"
Chen Mo nodded, no longer pressing the issue.
Song Yunxi took out an already prepared Contract from his chest pocket and spread it out on the table. He did not rush him. Only after Chen Mo had read the contents of the Contract word by word did he gesture for Mei Hua to bring over a brush and ink, handing them to Chen Mo.
Chen Mo took the brush and fluidly signed his name in one go. From today on, after every autumn harvest, he would come here for a few days!
"Fellow Daoist Chen! It’s destiny that brought us together. How about we go out for a drink?"
"Alright!" Chen Mo didn’t decline. Being coy at this point would only make him look petty. A Spirit Plant Cultivator might not have much status in the Marketplace, but a Breeder was still highly respected.
"Then let us take a trip to Fragrance Pavilion!"
The two left Yi Er San Grain Station, one after the other.
Mei Hua watched their departing figures and shook his head with a bitter smile, lamenting to himself, "From the looks of it, he’s just like me, only at the Qi Refining Second Layer... I haven’t even been to Fragrance Pavilion yet! Ah well, who asked him to be a Breeder."
***
In the Marketplace after the arrival of spring, the willow trees on both sides of the road had already sprouted buds. Gusts of clear breeze brushed past, making the willow branches sway like dancing silhouettes, incredibly beautiful.
Chen Mo followed Song Yunxi to Fragrance Pavilion. He had passed by this red-light district three or four times, and each time, Female Cultivators would twist their waists and invite him up for a drink. However, such a money-draining establishment was completely unsuitable for someone like him whose career had just started. Indulging in pleasure so soon after beginning his cultivation—he’d probably never achieve a breakthrough in his entire life!
"Oh my, isn’t this Shopkeeper Song? You have free time to visit today!" At the entrance, a heavily made-up Female Cultivator threw herself forward, pressing her body against him.
Setting aside her looks and figure, her Realm alone seemed no lower than Chen Mo’s. He never expected that such a Cultivator would be reduced to selling her body. Fortunately, Song Yunxi was paying the bill today, so he could do his part for "poverty alleviation."
"Are Yun Rou and Yu Xi hosting guests right now?"
"They’ve been waiting just for you. How could we dare schedule anyone else?"
"Good, invite them both over. I’m entertaining an important guest."
Song Yunxi was incredibly familiar with Fragrance Pavilion. Although he wasn’t here singing and dancing every single day, he visited frequently each month. The Spiritual Sand he spent here flowed like water.
The greeting woman looked past Song Yunxi and saw a plainly dressed young man standing behind him. Judging by his clothes, he was as ordinary as could be. He looked just like a lowly Spirit Plant Cultivator. However, since he was a guest brought by Shopkeeper Song, she naturally didn’t dare to neglect him. Ignoring the dust on his clothes, she took the initiative to lean close, pressing her body against his arm.
Chen Mo didn’t dodge, allowing her to rub against him. He thought, "It’s not like I’m losing out anyway. Why act like a virgin?"
Soon, the three of them entered the interior of Fragrance Pavilion, chatting and laughing.
Chen Mo looked around. The surroundings were extremely luxurious, giving a deeply immersive sense of indulgence and pleasure. Above, bouquets of flowers clustered together as women danced gracefully. Below, people clinked glasses and engaged in intimate whispers—a truly beautiful and moving spectacle.
However, Cultivators were Cultivators after all; they still cared about saving face. At least there were no live, public performances of *that* sort.
Soon, Song Yunxi and Chen Mo were led into a private room. The greeting Female Cultivator, Hong Yan, settled the two men into their seats, then turned around to summon the others.
"How is it? Fellow Daoist Chen, have you ever been here before?" Song Yunxi looked radiant.
As the most luxurious brothel in Ancient Dust Marketplace, Fragrance Pavilion was well-regarded even in Purple Cloud Peak. Many Cultivators from other Marketplaces would rush over just to catch a glimpse of its beauties.
"No, I haven’t. This place must cost quite a bit of Spiritual Sand, right?"
"Rest assured, Brother Chen. I’ll cover all the expenses today!"
For a Breeder, Song Yunxi was more than willing to invest a hefty sum!
***
After attending to the two men, Hong Yan hurried to the back kitchen. The guests were waiting—first for Yun Rou and Yu Xi, and second for Spiritual Food and Spirit Wine.
Pushing open the door, she saw several sallow-faced male Cultivators mechanically pounding Spirit Rice by hand, their faces practically drained of blood.
She took one look, then stomped her foot down onto a male Cultivator’s face, snapping in disgust, "Hurry! Go deliver Spirit Wine to Earth Character Room Two."
Yin Zheng turned his head with difficulty, not daring to meet her eyes. With his face still pressed against the ground, he could only reply, "Understood."