Chapter 27 Fishing Worm_1
Lu Xuan was busy preparing dinner, so after exchanging a few casual words with Xu Wan, he quickly headed into the kitchen.
Beside the Spiritual Spring.
Zhang Xiu Yuan leaned over with his little head, watching the Red-bearded Carp leisurely swimming in the spring water without moving a muscle.
From time to time, he stretched out his small hand, hesitating as if wanting to grab at those two slender red whiskers, but ultimately lacked the courage and quickly pulled his hand back.
"These are Red-bearded Carp, they don't have any offensive tendencies. Their red whiskers are beautiful, aren't they?"
Manager He, who had unknowingly appeared beside him, introduced the Red-bearded Carp's origins.
"Beautiful! I didn't expect Little Uncle Lu to be raising three such gorgeous Spirit Fish—so amazing!"
The young boy exclaimed in genuine admiration.
Behind him, Xu Wan nodded discreetly.
Unlike her son Zhang Xiu Yuan, who was only focused on whether the Red-bearded Carp were visually appealing, she saw more beneath the surface.
*The Spirit Field was vast, coupled with a Spiritual Spring—the amount of Spirit Stones required to support all this was nearly unimaginable.*
She hadn't interacted much with Lu Xuan; her impressions were mostly based on her husband Zhang Hong's occasional comments about him.
From Zhang Hong's descriptions, Lu Xuan had an ordinary aptitude, a silent and reserved personality, struggled with social interactions, but had a kind heart, worked tirelessly in cultivation, and diligently labored in cultivating Spiritual Plants.
An unremarkable but decent person—a Spirit Plant Master of modest talent.
Yet now, between helping her family clear out pests, helping Zhang Xiu Yuan earn Spirit Stones, the mysterious nighttime incident, and the financial strength demonstrated by renting a courtyard like this—these pieces painted a picture she could no longer fully grasp.
"Kid Lu has changed quite a lot recently, hasn't he? I never imagined that the quiet, stubborn boy who used to be as stingy as an iron rooster has unconsciously grown into this,"
A frail old man nearby also sighed deeply, his face showing a faint, gratifying smile.
"Dinner's ready!"
Lu Xuan's voice rang out from not too far away.
"Braised Puffer Beast Meat!"
"Wok-fried Wild Ox!"
"Hand-shredded Jade Spirit Leaves!"
One by one, dishes brimming with color, aroma, and flavor were placed onto the table.
"Wow! It smells amazing!"
Zhang Xiu Yuan exclaimed exaggeratedly, making Lu Xuan momentarily bask in the praise.
Manager He and Xu Wan were far more reserved, but their occasional side glances toward the dishes clearly betrayed their appetite.
Lu Xuan served each of them a steaming bowl of Spirit Rice, followed by a bowl of Orange Spirit Brew.
"Thanks to Manager He, Sister Zhang, and Little Yuan for coming over to help me celebrate my new home's housewarming. Cheers!"
Manager He and Xu Wan offered their blessings, and the group downed their drinks in one gulp.
The Spirit Brew slid down their throats—first bringing a burst of fiery spice, then spreading a warm richness throughout the body, warming every limb and organ.
"Growl!"
Setting down his bowl, Zhang Xiu Yuan's stomach let out an audible rumble, earning chuckles from the three adults.
"Dig in, dig in—no need to hold back, everyone."
Whether it was the Spirit Beast Meat or Spirit Rice, the taste lived up to their price—exceptionally delicious and infused with traces of spiritual energy.
The four dined heartily, devouring every last bit of food on the table like a gale sweeping away clouds.
After resting for a while, Xu Wan and her son, along with Manager He, bid their farewells one after another.
Manager He lived nearby and, being significantly stronger than Xu Wan and her son, returned home alone.
Xu Wan and Zhang Xiu Yuan, however, lived on the edge of the North District, a place teeming with all sorts of characters. Given their low strength, Lu Xuan escorted the pair back home.
It was already late at night when he returned.
The sky hung dark, speckled with faint stars against a crescent moon.
Lu Xuan removed the Charm and Slivered Silver Blade from his sleeve and gazed up at the night sky, carrying even greater expectations for his future.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Lu Xuan had already risen.
After cultivating for a full cycle while still in bed, he washed up and entered the Spirit Field amidst light morning mist.
Within the Spiritual Spring, the three Red-bearded Carp formed a triangular pattern as they roamed the water.
Lu Xuan focused his spiritual sense on them.
*A thought suddenly popped into his mind: "Drinking water yesterday, drinking water today, drinking water every day—how are you supposed to grow up like this?"*
*"You should be grateful you even have Spiritual Spring Water,"* Lu Xuan muttered as he teased them, then hurried back indoors to grab a handful of Spirit Rice.
It seemed the faint spiritual energy emanating from the Spirit Rice caught their attention, as the three Red-bearded Carp noticeably picked up speed, following Lu Xuan's every move.
He sprinkled a small handful, and immediately, the water's surface churned with activity. Six fine, slender, red whiskers flickered like delicate lines appearing momentarily before disappearing.
A few breaths later, the water calmed once more, and the three carp began leisurely swimming again—although their gazes remained locked on Lu Xuan's direction.
Lu Xuan focused his spiritual sense on the Red-bearded Carp's bodies.
*"Please, just a little more rice, okay?"*
A thought flitted through his mind, and he sprinkled another handful of Spirit Rice.
The water surface rippled once more.
Lu Xuan emptied the entire handful into the spring, allowing the carp to devour every single grain.
After filling their bellies, the Red-bearded Carp no longer followed Lu Xuan, adopting a lofty attitude as if indifferent to anyone.
Lu Xuan turned his attention to the wide variety of Spirit Plants within the Spirit Field.
He adjusted the position of displaced Blood Jade Ginseng Spiritual Seeds and, depending on the unique needs of each Spirit Firefly Grass, provided them with meticulously measured doses of Spirit Rain to ensure they received optimal nourishment.
Next, Lu Xuan expanded his spiritual sense to its maximum, carefully examining every block of Spirit Soil.
"Gotcha,"
he declared as he activated the Earth Pulling Technique. The Spirit Soil shifted slightly, extruding a small gray-white worm.
He continued scanning and uncovered several more tiny worms in odd shapes, even digging up a small, brilliantly multicolored Strange Worm from the Spirit Soil.
These pests lurked within the Spirit Soil, emerging as larvae to feed on the Spirit Plants' stems and leaves, disrupting their normal growth.
The origins of these pests varied; some came from eggs hidden deep within the Spirit Soil, some were inadvertently introduced, while others—such as Strange Worms—possessed uncanny abilities to bypass protective formations and infiltrate the Spirit Field.
As a Spirit Plant Master, it was essential to routinely examine the Spirit Soil in their Spirit Fields to preemptively eliminate threats before the pests harmed the Spirit Plants.
Since moving to this new Spirit Field, the busyness of settling in had kept Lu Xuan from conducting a thorough pest control until today.
His spiritual sense combed through the entire field, eventually uncovering seven larvae.
He took the larvae to the edge of the Spiritual Spring, pinched up a plump, white worm, and tossed it toward the center of the spring.
With lightning speed, a fine red whisker shot out, tightly coiling around the white worm and delivering it to the carp's mouth.
"Wow, such quick reflexes!"
Lu Xuan marveled at the Red-bearded Carp still savoring the taste of the larva, finding the display amusing.
The other two carp, having been farther away, swam over and started to follow Lu Xuan's hand movements.
Another larva dropped.
Six slender red whiskers simultaneously sprang into action, vying for the larva.
Then, almost at the same moment, the whiskers retreated to the carp's heads. One lucky carp managed to snatch the larva and promptly devoured it.
Lu Xuan's playful streak kicked in. Sometimes he tossed a larva high into the air, and other times, he used feigned motions to bait the red whiskers into reacting.
When the final Strange Worm was consumed, he still felt unsatisfied.
"Haha! Those red whiskers next to their heads are just like fishing lines. It's funny; here we are fishing for fish, but aren't the fish fishing for worms in their own way? Quite entertaining, isn't it."