You Cultivate, I Farm

It wasn't until the crimson-clad girl and the Four-eyed Crimson monkey's figures vanished completely from his sight that Lu Xuan finally let go of his worries.

"The disciples from the sect are truly remarkable. Whether it's the girl's own cultivation or the peculiar spirit pet she keeps, they both display a distinct aura unlike that of wandering cultivators."

Lu Xuan sighed inwardly. The red-clad girl, almost his age, was already at the advanced stage of Qi cultivation. She could discern the extraordinary aspects of the tracking demon, something that others might overlook.

There's always someone beyond, and something beyond that. The appearance of the red-clad girl instantly calmed Lu Xuan's restlessness, which had grown due to his continuous improvement in cultivation.

As for the possibility that the four-eyed red demon might have been drawn by the Crimson Cloud Pine in his storage bag, Lu Xuan merely speculated. He didn't have any intention to actively offer it as a gift.

He arrived at the Hundred Herbs Hall with his Cloud-Stepping Lynx.

In the hall rich with the scent of medicine, over a dozen attendants bustled around while Steward He leaned comfortably on a redwood chair.

"Lu kid, did you manage the treatment of those mutated spirit plants from the last time? How many were cured this time?"

Seeing Lu Xuan, the slender old man lazily inquired.

"Seven of the first-grade ones healed, one of the second-grade ones died, and one is still under treatment."

Lu Xuan took out the seven first-grade spirit plants from his storage bag.

All were of inferior or ordinary quality. After a rough estimation by Steward He, they settled on a deal, purchasing the seven spirit plants for a price of a hundred and fifty spirit stones.

"Thanks, Elder He!"

Lu Xuan received a hundred and fifty spirit stones with a beaming smile from the old man.

"Someday, I'll bring you some spirit beast meat and good spirit wine to show my appreciation, Elder."

"Tch!"

Steward He lightly clicked his tongue and chuckled, "You, lad, never miss an opportunity, huh? Planning to bring me spirit wine and beast meat? Just fanciful things!"

"Haha! You know me too well, Elder!"

Lu Xuan's thick skin had been honed over time. He wouldn't easily be caught off guard like that, laughing while giving a thumbs-up to Steward He.

The old man was only teasing; their bond was deep. Lu Xuan made a good profit from the purchase of mutated spirit plants this time, earning quite a few spirit stones. The intermediary role had also gained him sixty to seventy stones, equivalent to his usual two months' income.

He fetched a cloth bag from below containing nearly twenty-three mutated spirit plants. Each had a small clump of spirit soil wrapped around their roots, with droplets of spirit rain on their leaves, striving to sustain their vitality.

"I heard that the dominant force in the market, led by the Wang family, invited disciples from the sect to deal with the intrusion of malevolent spirits. It's estimated that cases of mutated spirit plants like this will be rare in the future. So, I took the liberty to find twenty-three in a few of Hundred Herbs Hall's gardens for you."

"Twenty first-grade mutated spirit plants and three second-grade ones."

"Thanks a lot, Elder. It's all thanks to your experience. You've helped me greatly in advance."

Lu Xuan expressed his gratitude and clarified the total expenditure incurred for purchasing the spirit plants, along with the payment for the old man's assistance, amounting to a little over a hundred and twenty spirit stones.

Upon hearing about the appearance of sect disciples, he conceived the idea of making one final profit. After all, the market wouldn't continually produce mutated spirit plants like this time, and occasionally, one or two wouldn't bring much profit.

As he was about to leave Hundred Herbs Hall after gathering the twenty-three mutated spirit plants, the slender old man called out to him.

"Do you remember Miss He you met earlier? The granddaughter of the alchemy master here in the Hall."

Lu Xuan nodded. When he established cooperation with Hundred Herbs Hall, Steward He introduced him to a graceful girl who managed the daily affairs of the Hall.

At that time, Steward He also arranged for him a hundred Firefly Grass seeds and twenty Blood Jade Ginseng seeds.

"She paid a visit today and mentioned you. Seems quite impressed. Why don't you go and make an acquaintance? Who knows, she might sell you some rare spirit seeds in the future."

Upon hearing about the girl's authority over rare spirit seeds, Lu Xuan, who was initially inclined to refuse, brightened up. With the old man leading the way, he went to where the girl was.

As they walked and talked, Lu Xuan learned that the girl's name was He Yuntong. Her cultivation was on the verge of breaking through to the advanced stage of Qi cultivation. She managed Hundred Herbs Hall exceptionally well and was greatly favored by the foundational alchemy master behind her.

The two arrived at an elegant room. The old man exchanged greetings with the graceful girl sitting in the middle and took his leave, leaving Lu Xuan alone.

Curiously, He Yuntong glanced at Lu Xuan standing beside her.

Due to their similar ages, she had a faint impression of Lu Xuan.

She remembered that when Steward He brought Lu Xuan to inquire about seed qualifications, Lu Xuan was just a Level Two Qi cultivator, unremarkable at that time. If not for his slight talent in nurturing spirit plants, they wouldn't have had any interaction.

But now, Lu Xuan had advanced to Level Four in cultivation and displayed terrifying talent in nurturing spirit plants. Not only could he continuously cultivate perfect quality spirit plants, but he could also cure most of the mutated ones that stumped other cultivators. She had heard his name more than once in the family council.

"Are you Lu Xuan?" she looked at the young man before her, natural and composed, with a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"Yes," Lu Xuan replied with a smile.

"With such remarkable talent in nurturing spirit plants, are you not considering joining Hundred Herbs Hall?"

"As soon as you enter the Hall, you'll be granted management rights over a garden, where several spirit planters will be at your command."

"Moreover, whether it's spirit stones, artifacts, cultivation techniques, or even spiritual partners, the Hall will provide if you desire."

"What do you think?"

Her voice was clear, but it carried a strong enticing force.

Lu Xuan lowered his head slightly, as if contemplating.

After a brief moment, he raised his head, speaking firmly.

"Apologies, Elder He. I'm accustomed to a lazy and unrestrained life; I can't bear even a bit of restriction. I'd prefer to stick to our original cooperation model."

"As long as the Hall provides me with spirit seeds or saplings as agreed upon, the spirit plants I cultivate will still be prioritized for sale to Hundred Herbs Hall."

Although He Yuntong's proposal was highly tempting, Lu Xuan seemed to weigh his options but didn't hesitate in reality.

The white glow orb was his biggest chance. While nurturing spirit plants independently was fine, joining Hundred Herbs Hall would subject him to constant constraints and risks, which he preferred to avoid.

"If that's your determination,

I won't force it anymore."

The elegant girl's tone shifted.

"However, I believe we can engage in deeper cooperation. If you wholeheartedly devote yourself to cultivating spirit plants for the Hall, we can provide you with ample opportunities to cultivate second-grade spirit plants and even let you experiment with third-grade ones."

Lu Xuan glanced at He Yuntong, seeing a familiar face he often encountered in his past life—the face that clearly read: "Painting a Picture."

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