You Cultivate, I Farm

Inside a small pavilion, Wang Chong'an was introducing the identities of various individuals to a young woman dressed in red.

"This is Nie Wendao, the younger son of the Nie family head. He possesses exceptional talent and is likely to become a junior disciple among us three."

"And this is..." 

Soon, Wang Chong'an led the two to stand before He Yuntong.

"This is Daoist He Yuntong, the granddaughter of He Dan, a foundational cultivator in the Hundred Herbs Hall. She manages the largest medicine hall in the market and possesses impressive natural gifts, on the verge of breaking through to the seventh level of Qi cultivation."

He spoke softly to the young woman in red.

He Yuntong, with a respectful demeanor, greeted her quietly.

In the market, her status was esteemed. Every alchemist and botanist in the Hundred Herbs Hall treated her with utmost respect.

Raised practicing superior techniques since childhood and continuously supplied with elixirs for her cultivation, she possessed both beauty and exceptional abilities. She was greatly favored by foundational cultivators.

Yet, in front of the young woman in red, she felt inadequate.

All that she took pride in seemed insignificant compared to this young woman.

From what she knew, the young woman in red was two years younger but already an advanced Qi cultivator, possibly at the ninth or even completed level.

Each level of cultivation required extensive resources and time. Many average cultivators spent their entire lives trapped in lower levels, never able to reach higher tiers, let alone touch the threshold of foundation building.

Not only in cultivation but in appearance and background, the young woman in red surpassed her effortlessly.

With a sigh in her heart, she smiled and tried to blend in with the group.

"I heard from Junior Brother Chong'an that Miss He comes from the Hundred Herbs Hall?" 

The young woman in red, seemingly curious, appeared beside her.

"Yes, that's correct, Senior Sister Xu." 

He Yuntong nodded slightly, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Our hall specializes in alchemy and cultivates many spiritual plants. I'm not sure if we have any spiritual fruits suitable for the consumption of spiritual beasts."

"I'm not entirely sure about that," He Yuntong hesitated. "There are numerous spiritual plants in our medicinal garden, but I rarely visit. I'd have to ask the botanists in the hall for specifics."

"Last time, while tracking some anomalies in the market, I unexpectedly encountered a youth who emitted a certain spiritual fruit aura. Upon inquiry, I learned he's a botanist from the Hundred Herbs Hall, hence my visit to ask you, Miss He."

The young woman in red smiled brightly, radiating charm.

"Young botanist? Indeed, there are several young botanists in the hall. I'll need to find out more details."

Somehow, in He Yuntong's mind, the image of Lu Xuan flashed.

***

Lu Xuan's figure flickered as he arrived beneath the courtyard wall.

Perched atop the wall was a peculiar and beastly creature, the Four-eyed Crimson monkey he had encountered in the market before.

Somehow, it had found Lu Xuan's whereabouts.

Inside the courtyard, the Cloud-stepping Lynx with emerald pupils stared intensely at the Crimson monkey atop the wall, occasionally letting out a low growl.

Inside the Gray Grass Puppet's ashy knots, several thin grass ropes twisted like gray snakes, ready to ensnare the Crimson monkey if it intruded into the spiritual field.

The Crimson monkey remained unresponsive, squatting obediently on the courtyard wall, its four eyes fixed on Lu Xuan.

Its eerie four eyes made Lu Xuan a bit uneasy, unsure of how to react.

Maintaining the second-grade Mist Concealment Formation required numerous spiritual stones. Therefore, during the day, Lu Xuan usually deactivated the formation, unwittingly allowing this peculiar spiritual beast to sneak in.

He scolded it a few times, but the Four-eyed Crimson monkey remained unfazed, leaving Lu Xuan helpless.

This Crimson monkey on the courtyard wall came from an extraordinary background, nurtured by the young woman in red from a prestigious sect. Lu Xuan worried that harming it might bring unnecessary trouble.

Of course, more importantly, the Crimson monkey was quite mystical, easily detecting traces of anomalies. Lu Xuan felt he might not be able to handle it...

"Why don't you come down!" 

He gestured to it with a finger, seeing the Crimson monkey as sensible and understanding.

The Crimson monkey grinned, its face with ghostly patterns suddenly coming to life.

It leaped down to Lu Xuan and circled around him.

With four red and white eyes rolling, it displayed an impatient demeanor, creating a strange contrast to its initially mysterious appearance.

"Are you after this?" 

Lu Xuan retrieved a Crimson Cloud Pine nut from his storage pouch. When he encountered the Four-eyed Crimson monkey in the market, he suspected that the lingering aura on him might attract it, and now, upon seeing the nut, the Crimson monkey's four eyes lit up simultaneously. Its two extraordinarily long red arms closed together, palms cupped, gesturing for it.

"This monkey is much more polite than the famous mountain monkeys from my past life." 

Lu Xuan sighed and tossed the Crimson Cloud Pine nut to the Crimson monkey.

It eagerly caught it, swiftly tearing open the fish-scale-like pinecone skin, revealing the crystal-clear nut inside.

Extending its furry fingers, it picked out a piece and consumed it.

Its face soon showed an immensely satisfied expression, as if tasting an exquisite delicacy.

Lu Xuan watched it happily munch on the nuts.

"Eagerly consuming something this delicious, you should understand it's not easy to come by, right?"

When about half had been eaten, he suddenly spoke up.

The monkey's intelligence surpassed his expectations. Hearing Lu Xuan's inquiry, it paused, its four eyes flashing a hint of contemplation, then quickly nodded.

"I put in countless efforts and hardships to cultivate these high-quality Crimson Cloud Pine nuts. Originally, I planned to sell them for a good price, but since I've encountered you, giving you some seems like fate."

"However, being from a prestigious sect with an exceptional master, you wouldn't take advantage of my spiritual fruits for free, right?"

Lu Xuan toyed with a spiritual stone in his hand, casually mentioning it.

The monkey tilted its head, a hint of human-like contemplation crossing its four eyes. It then pointed at the spiritual stone in Lu Xuan's hand and roared, signaling Lu Xuan to wait for a moment, leaving half of the Crimson Cloud Pine nuts and swiftly darting away.

In less than two quarters, it returned with the young woman in red to Lu Xuan's courtyard.

"Friend, nice to see you again."

The young woman in red smiled.

"My spiritual pet has been a bit naughty, sneaking into your residence without my knowledge. If it caused any disturbance, please forgive it."

"On our way here, I've communicated with it and understood that it took a high-quality spiritual fruit from you. Since cultivating spiritual plants isn't easy, I'll make sure to compensate adequately."

The young woman's spiritual power brushed over, and the remaining half of the Crimson Cloud Pine nuts floated into her palm.

"High-quality spiritual fruits, no wonder the monkey is fixated on them."

"Let's do this. I'll compensate you with a top-tier spiritual artifact and three Elemental Nourishing Pills. How does that sound to you?"

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