Chapter 45: Please, Save Me
Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Please, Save Me
The swarm of Drunken Aphids blotted out the sun like army ants, taking flight once more after devouring a Spirit Field. And this time, they were heading straight for Xiao Changhua’s ten acres of Spirit Fields!
At the horizon, the blazing sun was entirely eclipsed. Only a few stray rays of light managed to pierce through the swarm, casting hazy, flickering shadows over the land.
Xiao Changhua’s expression was dark. This year, he had just taken over Wang Lixia’s five acres of Spirit Fields, only to encounter a once-in-a-decade insect plague today. His luck was truly indescribable.
For a Spirit Plant Cultivator, contracting more Spirit Fields meant greater yields—even after deducting grain taxes and rent. But the risks scaled alongside the rewards. With five acres of Spirit Fields, Xiao Changhua stood to lose a thousand catties of Spirit Rice. Now, with ten acres, that potential loss had doubled!
A year of painstaking effort was completely wasted. Without cultivation resources for the coming year, how could he break through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer and successfully join Purple Cloud Peak? How could he finally shed the lowly status of a Spirit Plant Cultivator?
Watching the dense swarm of Drunken Aphids arrive, Xiao Changhua remained as immovable as a mountain. He stood at the edge of the field like a statue, relentlessly unleashing his Flaming Palm at the swarm dancing across the sky.
However, human power was limited in the face of a natural disaster. His Flaming Palm strikes landed on the Drunken Aphids, only emitting a few sparks before fizzling out completely. Occasionally, a few insects that took a direct hit died instantly and fell to the ground, but this small number was merely a drop in the bucket compared to the sky-filling swarm. The insect swarm bypassed the spot where Xiao Changhua stood, descending upon the ten acres of Spirit Fields behind him.
The expression of this Cultivator of the Martial Dao fell into a momentary daze. He turned around. Behind him, tens of millions of Drunken Aphids were devouring his entire livelihood, chewing away at his bleeding heart.
He thought, "But... what else can I do?"
Xiao Changhua gritted his teeth, ceasing his senseless struggle. He stood there until his lips bled from biting... until the swarm finished devouring all of his crops.
They were gone. Completely gone. A year of arduous labor had completely dissolved into nothingness in the wake of this insect plague.
He thought, "A Spirit Plant Cultivator? What a ridiculous identity!"
Xiao Changhua lowered his head, hands clenched into fists, and silently walked back to his small wooden cabin.
The swarm flapped their wings and flew high into the air. This time, they headed straight for the Spirit Fields of Chen Mo and He Zhiping.
At this moment, Chen Mo was exceptionally calm. In the instant Xiao Changhua resisted the swarm, Chen Mo had already formed a plan. He had to make a sacrifice! Indeed, he knew he had to give something up in order to salvage anything. With his current strength, even if his Geng Metal Finger reached Great Success, it was impossible to protect all five acres of his Spirit Fields. Therefore, his goal was very clear: two acres! Even if it was only two acres, he would use all his strength to protect them.
He stood in the two acres of Spirit Fields closest to his wooden cabin, which also happened to boast the most fertile soil. Facing the descent of the overwhelming insect plague, his hands were instantly enveloped in a faint golden glow.
When the Drunken Aphids arrived, the golden light illuminated the dark night. Wherever the Geng Metal Finger pointed, large swaths of insects fell to the ground. The oppressive, pitch-black veil covering the sky was forcefully torn open by Chen Mo, creating a visible gap.
On the other side, He Zhiping was too overwhelmed to even fend for himself. Also possessing the Geng Metal Finger, he was struggling, desperately trying to protect a patch of Spirit Rice from the mandibles of the insects. However, his Geng Metal Finger was only at the Proficient Stage. He still had a fighting chance against Adult Stage Drunken Aphids, but against Mature Stage ones? It was as useless as scratching an itch through a boot!
Finally, after resisting for a brief moment, he gave up.
He Zhiping sat dejectedly in his Spirit Field when a sudden light shone over him. He looked toward the source of the light and saw a stalwart figure casting an infinitely long shadow. Countless corpses of Drunken Aphids were plummeting like torrential rain. Behind that figure, the Spirit Field remained perfectly intact!
"Chen Mo!"
"His Geng Metal Finger!"
He Zhiping pressed his hands onto the fallen Insects, his pupils quaking violently as he stood up. He looked at everything unfolding before him in absolute disbelief, unable to comprehend or accept that the other party’s Geng Metal Finger was this powerful!
He thought, "Back then... if he had attacked me with this method, I would have been pierced through instantly, leaving me no chance to escape at all! He! Why is he so strong?!"
Before He Zhiping’s eyes, Chen Mo seemed like a descending deity, streaks of golden light shooting out from his fingertips. Every strike resulted in the death of a massive number of Drunken Aphids. But only Chen Mo knew the true difficulty of this situation! Exerting his full effort, the Spiritual Qi in his body was being wildly consumed, depleting like a deflating ball.
Having no other choice, he seized every available fraction of a second. He held a large mouthful of Spiritual Sand in his mouth, and while executing the Geng Metal Finger, he simultaneously circulated the Qi Cultivation Technique to replenish his consumed Spiritual Qi. However, it was merely a drop in the bucket. Time slipped away bit by bit.
He Zhiping seemed to have completely forgotten that his own Spirit Fields were utterly ruined. He just stared at Chen Mo, his mood extremely complicated.
On the other hand, Lan Ling, whose face had turned ashen after witnessing the terrifying power of the insect plague, suddenly seemed to have grasped a lifeline. She saw hope. That’s right! As long as Chen Mo was willing to lend a hand, her Spirit Fields would be saved!
"He will agree. He will agree! Doesn’t he want to become Dao Companions with me? I agree. I agree! I agree to it!" Lan Ling muttered to herself incessantly, an uncharacteristic blush appearing on her face.
The insect plague continued to spread. After He Zhiping’s Spirit Fields were devoured, the swarm of Drunken Aphids took to the air once again, heading straight for Lan Ling’s Spirit Fields.
At this time, an exhausted Chen Mo lay directly on the ground. Catching a fleeting glimpse of his fields as he lay down, a smile finally crept onto the corners of his mouth.
He thought, "It worked! Although it isn’t much, I still managed to save it."
Just as he was about to get some well-deserved rest, a figure rushed over and tried to pounce on him without a word. Chen Mo frowned. He raised a foot and kicked the incoming person flying.
An "OUCH!" rang out. Soon after, the figure came scrambling back over, crawling and stumbling.
"Help me. Help me."
"Scram!" Chen Mo snorted coldly. There was no way he would do something that pushed him to his absolute limits a second time!
However, Lan Ling was unrelenting. After all, this was her final hope.
"I agree! I agree to be your Dao Companion! Help me, please help me save my Spirit Rice!"
"Sorry, my strength is limited." Chen Mo didn’t want to entertain her at all.
"No! You have to help me!
"Please, please, please! I’m willing to do anything."
Lan Ling turned her head to look at her Spirit Fields. Watching helplessly as the Spirit Rice was devoured bit by bit, tears streamed from her eyes. She pulled forcefully with her hands, tearing off her own top, and cried, "I’ll give it to you! I’ll give it to you right now. I’ll be yours from now on. I’ll do anything for you, even slave away like a beast of burden. Didn’t you want me to be your Dao Companion? I’ll give you my body."
Her voice was laced with sobs. She didn’t want to be sold into the Black Mine Pit because she couldn’t pay the grain tax or the rent. She had heard that it was a dead end for Cultivators, and an absolute hell for Female Cultivators! She didn’t want to go! She couldn’t go!
"Take me. Please, take me.
"I beg you, I beg you."
Chen Mo cast a glance at her. Faced with her delicate skin and perky breasts, he was completely unmoved. He frequented the Fragrance Pavilion, and he had slept with Yu Xi, but there was absolutely no way he would put himself in danger for a woman! He slowly stood up, turning a blind eye to Lan Ling, who was weeping and shedding her clothes, and walked toward his cleared Spirit Fields with his hands behind his back.
"I beg you... please..."