Side Story: Sect Industry

Every immortal sect needed ways to earn money. It needed money to keep supporting the disciples as well as the immortal master. Spiritual crystals, medicinal pills, and equipment… everything had a cost and they were not cheap.

Even Chen Wentian, with his vast and seemingly endless pile of wealth, could not keep spending and giving away stuff forever without something coming back in return. He had no more immortal items and no more spatial bags. The last ones had been given to Qiu Jingyi before the war. Since the gift had already been given out, it was improper to ask for it back.

There were many ways to generate wealth. Some sects had access to rich lands that naturally produced treasures, like the Beast God Sanctum with the eastern wilderness. Others sent their disciples out on profitable missions, either to support the mortal population or to fight beasts and demons. A vast source of natural resources combined with an army of disciples meant a constant flow of wealth and material into the sect.

Chen Wentian only had a few disciples. There wasn't much to be gained from their individual efforts. He had to rely on other means. His province also was not rich in cultivation resources. It was fine for mortals but not great for an immortal sect. He could leverage Cloudy Mountain Province, Divine Blazing Province, and Glacier Province but these regions were not completely under his control yet and much of the resources had to be used to support the original residents.

His immediate solution was to create his own industry within the sect. It was something he had thought about when he first decided on the location of the sect. Ten Thousand Flower Valley was a good spiritual valley. It had tall snow-capped mountains and a deep forested valley. The spiritual aura and climate within the valley were good for cultivating medicinal herbs. He had planned for a herb farming industry for a while and in the second year of the sect's founding, some parts of the plan finally came together.

There was an open field within the valley, some distance away from the main sect building. The field was separated into squares of a hundred meters by a hundred meters. There were many such squares along the gently sloping hill. Walkways separated each field and the entire thing was ring by tall, aged trees.

A group of people in ordinary farming attire were walking through the dirt walkways in the middle of it all. They were all women, some old, some young, all hardy looking types that were not afraid of work and getting dirty.

The middle-aged woman in the lead wore distinctive green robes. She was a specialist and the supervisor. Her name was Xiao Rong. She was Wu Qianyu's aunt thrice removed or was it four times… it didn't really matter. Once news of Wu Qianyu and her fame spread out across the province, her surviving relatives all flocked to Ten Thousand Flower Valley to seek opportunities.

Naturally, men were forced to stay away and Wu Qianyu only took in those women that had herb cultivation knowledge to be her helpers. Her Green Leaf Sect which had been destroyed was one that specialized in such farming arts. She taught her knowledge to her chosen people, who in turn helped cultivate these farmlands.

Xiao Rong's voice cut through the morning fog as she explained to the newcomers, "So that's it for the cultivating crimson ginseng. It is a cash crop so we have a lot of it. Lady Wu Qianyu and the immortal lord are also preparing to cultivate a batch of ice ginseng up in the mountains soon so please read up on that. Next…"

She pointed to the open field ahead which was bare dirt, "This is where we will be planting a crop of elder golden chrysanthemum. It is important, not really in monetary value but because it is the immortal lord's flower!"

There were many eager nods and confident looks on the newcomer's faces. They were happy to be given such an important task.

"Now for chrysanthemums, they need moistness and regular watering. They are afraid of weeds and take time to grow slowly. Therefore, you should…"

"Ahhh!"

"What's that!"

Several screams interrupted Xiao Rong's speech. The women were pointing at something behind her. She turned around and chuckled when she saw what it was.

A strange elongated beast, like a python, had emerged from the ground and was currently waving its bulbous, faceless head around. It looked like an oversized earthworm that had grown brown fur and.

The worm seemed to fixate on a spot in the field. It charged towards it, burying its head in. Its body followed, several tens of meters of it, and it disappeared once more into the ground.

"Don't worry. Don't worry!" Xiao Rong waved her hands, "That is the Giant Mole Worm. It is the immortal lord's pet and a specialist in cultivating the soil. Just like a normal earthworm, whatever soil it eats is expelled with a lot of important nutrients for growing crops. This worm is capable of leaving behind spiritual soil which is extremely beneficial to our spiritual herbs and flowers."

"The worm won't harm you in any way. It comes and goes as it pleases. Sometimes it can be playful like a little puppy. Though I want to warn you, it is extremely powerful and unfathomable, just like our immortal lord. Don't bully it or it can increase its size and become as big as a mountain."

"Um… what happens then?" A scared voice asked.

"Then it eats you!" Xiao Rong said with a smirk.

"Ahhh!"

"Mother, I don't want to be eaten!"

Xiao Rong laughed, "Don't worry. Don't worry. Even if the worm eats you, it's fine. It will just spit you out a few seconds later. Although your clothes might be gone, you won't be hurt at all."

"Whaaat?"

"Is this worm some kind of pervert?"

Some of the new recruits looked a bit uncertain.

Xiao Rong shrugged, "Don't know. Don't worry about such things. You are now in an immortal sect so cherish your opportunity."

"Yes, Supervisor Xiao!"

They bowed respectfully. This was indeed the truth. There were a thousand times more women who could only dream of being in their position.

They continued to tour around the field, studying each different kind of spiritual herb. Some time passed and they were rewarded with another awe-inspiring sight.

The first to feel it was Xiao Rong who looked up into the sky.

"Everyone look! Our immortal lord approaches!" She cried.

The spiritual energy in the air became thicker as Chen Wentian descended along with Li Yuechan in his arms.

"Servant greets Immortal Blue Dragon! Lady Li Yuechan!" Xiao Rong said respectfully with a bow.

Everyone else followed suit.

"Servant greets Immortal Blue Dragon! Lady Li Yuechan!"

"Servant greets Immortal Blue Dragon! Lady Li Yuechan!"

"Rise." Chen Wentian said and looked around the fields, "Xiao Rong, I will be taking back the worm."

"Understood!"

He found the beast and beckoned it with his finger. The Giant Mole Worm emerged from the ground and its entire massive body floated into the air. As it flew up, it shrank visibly until a thin rope remained.

It was Li Yuechan who caught it. With practiced movements, she tied it around her waist. Afterward, it looked inconspicuous and completely like an ordinary fur belt.

"Thank you, everyone, for your hard work." Chen Wentian said.

"Thank you, sisters." Li Yuechan added.

The women watched wide-eyed and in awe as the pair flew away and quickly disappeared from view.

"Wow…"

"She's so pretty!"

"He's so handsome…"

"I know!"

Xiao Rong clicked her tongue like an annoyed hen, "Quiet. Alright, quiet down. You can have your daydreams and fantasies but keep it to yourself. You're here to work, not to try to be an immortal's concubine."

Many disappointed and disagreeing noises came her way. It was obvious that some of the women who were confident in their own looks thought otherwise.

Xiao Rong shook her head, "Let me tell you. Ten Thousand Flower Valley now has more than a thousand servants working various jobs. In the past two years, not once has the immortal lord taken any of us. Zero. None. Not once has he visited the dormitories of the servants. Not once has he called a servant into his quarters or met one in private."

"We all have eyes and ears. I am well connected with the other supervisors and each of them will tell you the exact same thing. Our immortal master is very picky with his disciples. Each one is special, an empress among mortals, a goddess among immortals. It is impossible for ordinary women like us. Work hard and do a good job. It is already more than adequate for us. Understood?"

"Yes, supervisor!"

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