Chapter 16 Spirit Rice Matured

"Low Grade Spirit Stone!"

"5 pieces!"

"Zhao Kuangfeng is actually so extravagant!"

Liao Cao exclaimed repeatedly, more surprised than seeing a Martial Arts Secret Manual.

Yang Shi took out a crystal stone and pinched it between his index finger and thumb, under the sunlight, the white spiritual energy inside the crystal stone fluttered enchantingly, carrying an ethereal Immortal charm.

"A transparent rhombus crystal, with flowing gas inside, this appearance... Directly at the jade auction, selling one would make a huge sum of money."

Yang Genshuo clicked his tongue twice, highly approving of the crystal stone's design.

"Is this the same spirit stone that could buy 20 kilos of Spirit Rice?"

"Exactly! These five pieces, at my Treasure Pavilion, could be exchanged for 100,000 taels of silver, priceless..."

"Heh, Zhao Kuangfeng has indeed done a good deed, I'll accept this spirit stone as compensation for your offense towards the Yang Family."

If Zhao Kuangfeng could speak a word, he would definitely open his eyes and curse him: "Compensation? Is losing one's life not enough? Presumptuous guy!"

These five Low Grade Spirit Stones were more valuable than all of Yang Shi's entire fortune combined.

"Shopkeeper Liao, let's end this matter here, remember, no swordsman came to Qingshi County today, and you never saw anyone from the Ge Family, everything... just as usual."

"I will keep it sealed like my lips, from now on the Yang Family is forever a friend of the Liao Family!"

Liao Cao was now fully aboard Yang Shi's ship, and could no longer get off.

Everything today was pre-planned by Yang Shi, from the city gate, step by step leading into Shopkeeper Liao's private residence's basement, and even few passersby had seen Zhao Kuangfeng.

"Hu Zi, later go reserve a few tables of gourmet food at Xiang Man Yuan and send them for the brothers of the Beggar Gang to eat."

"Alright~"

Shopkeeper Liao sighed upon hearing this.

"Sixth son... was killed by Zhao Kuangfeng."

"Why?"

"He went to my place asking for a reward, and was kicked to death by a single foot."

"... Make a large coffin for the sixth son, let Zhao Kuangfeng bow his head and kneel inside, and let him repent properly in the underworld."

Back at the Yang Manor.

"Brother!"

Jiang Xiaobai, waiting at the doorway, burst into tears and threw herself at Yang Shi, sobbing quietly in his embrace.

Despite Yang Shi having told her he had found strong reinforcements, Jiang Xiaobai still felt immense helplessness and worry while sitting and waiting in the manor.

She couldn't do anything but pray continuously for brother Yang to come back safely.

She hated this feeling of powerlessness.

"Hehe, Xiaobai, don't cry, I have the protection of the Yang family ancestors, nothing will happen to me."

"I... I didn't mean to cry, but... I just couldn't stop the tears."

Jiang Xiaobai dabbed her teary, rosy eyes, her cute face streaked with tears, her stunning beauty just beginning to blossom, like a lotus emerging from the water.

Yang Shi couldn't help but pinch Jiang Xiaobai's pitiful little face.

"Alright, it's all over now, and we've got quite a few benefits out of it, it's a blessing in disguise."

He raised the bag of spirit stones in his hand, shook it, making a crisp clinking sound, and smiled.

Jiang Xiaobai's eyes lit up.

Seeing this, Yang Genshuo was already so tired that he was nearly blacking out.

"Can't stay awake any longer, I'm about to die of exhaustion, time to sleep."

After giving the Spirit Field one last shower of spiritual rain, Yang Genshuo typed out "closed-door training" and then fell asleep on the single bed in the study.

Time accelerated in the game...

"2 years 20 days, Yang Shi became a disciple of Innate Realm master Liu Wuheng, who taught him the Traceless Sword Technique and the Mingxin Technique, and Yang Shi trained diligently."

"Hu Zi learned the Gale Blade Technique and the Domineering Technique..."

"2 years 58 days, Yang Shi smoothly executed the entire set of the Traceless Sword Technique, reaching the proficiency level of 'beginner practice.'

"2 years 65 days, Liu Zihan's tuberculosis was cured, Liu Wuheng was extremely pleased, and he gave Yang Shi a bottle of Copper Sinews Iron Bone Pill, which after consumption could strengthen muscles and bones, being the best elixir for the fifth level of Body Refining."

"2 years 100 days, the Spirit Rice matured."

"It's truly a bountiful year!"

In the Emerald Bamboo Forest, the members of the Ge Family were busy harvesting Spirit Rice, representing the most important moment of the year for the clan.

Ge Xiangshu, who managed the Ge Family's storage, made a round contentedly.

But his gaze shifted, seeing the clan leader, Ge Xiangying, sitting cross-legged atop the towering Vajra Fruit Tree, frowning and gazing into the distance.

"This year the yield of Spirit Rice is plentiful, even after setting aside the tribute for Xuan Stone Sect, there'd still be 20,000 kilos of Spirit Rice and Spiritual Wheat left. Brother, why the worry?"

Ge Xiangshu floated up the tree trunk as light as a feather.

"My guest must have met with trouble..."

"Zhao Kuangfeng? It could just be that the journey is long and he has encountered some delays, plus escorting mortal craftsmen is rather troublesome..."

"I have calculated, as long as he hasn't left Yulong County, it should take him one to three months to return. Now four months have passed without any news, he most likely met with an accident."

"Ah, Zhao Kuangfeng is in the Half-step Innate Realm. There shouldn't be many people among mortals who could capture him, right?"

"If he is in trouble, the person who made a move must certainly be an Innate Realm grandmaster."

"What if it was another cultivator?"

"That's unlikely... If it were cultivators like you and me, we would be able to afford Spiritual Wheat Flour. He could easily make his own Spiritual Food Grain Avoidance Cakes to sell at the Loose Cultivation Market in exchange for Spirit Stones. Why would any cultivator covet the gold and silver of mortals?"

"I heard that the alchemists from Xuan Stone Sect are quite short on gold. They sell some elixirs to the Royal Family every year in exchange for gold..."

"Am I asking you to find exceptions to contradict me? I'm saying that in most cases, cultivators don't need gold or silver."

"Your statement is much more precise this way, elder brother."

"That's what I meant from the start!"

"Then you should have said it earlier, why didn't you? If you had explained earlier, there would have been no confusion, right?"

Ge Xiangying felt a throbbing in his forehead. He thought his younger brother, stuck in the Qi Refinement Realm until now, was probably pondering too many strange questions during his cultivation practice.

"So our next step should be..."

"To give up on this formula and continue as a Spirit Plant family!"

Ge Xiangyang kicked Ge Xiangshu off the tree with one foot.

"Take your Spirit Rice away! Don't come up here again!"

"I think farming every day is pretty good. Why overthink things? Don't just look at your Qi Refinement Realm; you're even losing hair. Who knows, I might live longer than you..."

Ge Xiangshu muttered as he walked away, leaving Ge Xiangying trembling with anger atop the spirit tree.

"The Immortal Path is long. How can one achieve greatness without calculating each step?"

"I have trodden on thin ice all my life..."

After calming himself down, Ge Xiangying looked out again.

"The tribute to Xuan Stone Sect cannot be delayed. I need to hasten the ripening of this Vajra Fruit Tree before the envoys from the different Immortal Clans come to collect tributes."

"Once Ge Tan refines a strand of Wood Spiritual Energy and achieves the Qi Refinement Realm, we'll go eliminate that Innate Realm grandmaster and retrieve the formula."

He sat cross-legged on a tall Spirit Fruit Tree, forming magic formulas with his hands. Strands of green Spiritual Energy drifted from the surrounding forest nourishing the Vajra Fruit Tree.

...

Yang Genshuo managed to sleep for only eight hours before naturally waking up, feeling refreshed, vibrant, and spirited.

He first checked on the events of the past half-year in the game. There was nothing that required his intervention. The Spirit Rice had matured and was already harvested and drying outside.

Once the moisture evaporated, it could be stored or de-husked for eating.

Yang Genshuo went into the yard, where Lin Yue's lunch box was laid out on a wooden table. She probably left after seeing that Yang Genshuo was still asleep.

The heartwarming homemade food was delicious.

Yang Genshuo checked his body, nearly fully absorbed the Solid Essence Rejuvenation Pills, feeling none of the medicine accumulating inside him.

"Today I'll try the 'Qi and Blood Tonic Powder'."

Once prepared, the medicinal brew emitted a faint aroma of herbs, which was slightly intoxicating.

After drinking it, Yang Genshuo's body began to heat up, covering him in a fine layer of sweat.

He felt as if he were sitting in a sauna, hot and sweaty, making his skin itch from within.

"I still need to train!"

He vigorously trained for three hours until the heat subsided.

After taking a shower, looking into the mirror, Yang Shuo couldn't help but touch his chin.

"It's getting a bit angular..."

He felt his fat silently shedding away, seeming to return to his former handsome self.

"Once I try all the body-refining medicine, my physical condition will surely be top-notch."

Sitting in front of the computer.

Yang Genshuo prepared to chat for a bit with Yang Shi.

Suddenly, an anomaly occurred.

A cloudburst of Spiritual Rain formed over Yang Family's estate, pouring down onto the newly planted Spirit Rice seeds in the Spirit Field.

Yang Genshuo was startled.

"Eh? I didn't do anything?"