The morning light filtered through the gaps in the tree branches, sprinkling golden spots on the ground.
Ji An finished his morning cultivation and walked out of the small courtyard carrying two bags of spirit rice.
He was about to take out his Talisman Bird when he heard a cheerful shout:
"Junior Brother Ji, where are you heading?"
Following the voice, he saw a slightly chubby figure riding a Talisman Bird approaching.
Placing the bag under his feet, Ji An cupped his hands in greeting:
"Senior Brother Wei!"
The visitor was indeed Wei Songnian. After the Talisman Bird landed, he agilely lifted his leg and stepped down:
"I happen to be free today, came to have a drink with you.
How is the harvest of Spirit Grain?"
"Thanks to your blessings, from two acres of Spirit Field, I harvested 580 jin of Yellow Sprout Rice.
Here I am, about to sell some and trade for Spirit Stones to buy pills from Senior Brother."
Wei Songnian paused for a moment, then looked at the full bags at the opposite person's feet and smiled:
"Junior Brother is impressive."
He knew about planting, and a yield of this scale from two acres of Spirit Field planted with Yellow Sprout Rice was exceptional. The other must have practiced some kind of magic to perfection during the Spirit Grain's elongation stage.
Taking a step forward, Wei Songnian hoisted one bag of spirit rice up:
"Junior Brother, sell the spirit rice tomorrow. I'll call Old Huang, and we fellow disciples can have a good drink together.
I've already bought Spiritual Food and Wine; please, do honor us."
"I ought to be the one treating, how could I let Senior Brother spend?"
"Heh, when you reach Mid-stage Qi Refining, there'll be no avoiding treating!"
Wei Songnian joked as he carried the spirit rice to the door of the bamboo house.
Ji An could only pinch a spell to open the Dharma Prohibition.
Wei Songnian pushed the door open and, seeing another bag of spirit rice inside, nodded slightly.
Hmm, the yield of 580 jin matches well enough.
Putting down the bag, Wei Songnian said:
"Quick, Old Huang should have just returned from Jade Water Lake by now, he won't stay long, let's wait at his place."
The two hurried out and rushed to Old Huang's house.
Sure enough, they soon saw Old Huang coming back, humming a tune.
The three moved out tables and chairs, and Wei Songnian took out three bottles of Spirit Wine and some cooked Spiritual Food from his Storage Bag.
Though it felt odd to drink this early, Ji An still sat down obediently.
After three rounds of wine, Old Huang sighed and said:
"I wonder if Flying Tiger, my grandson, can pass the Illusion Heart Array on his own next year. If not, I'll have to fork out a lot."
Wei Songnian hummed in agreement and laughed:
"All those crystal stones you've been saving are for that day, aren't they!
Joining the Sect is certainly much more promising than being a Loose Cultivator.
Hey, no matter what, your grandson's starting point is far higher than yours back then, he's hopeful to reach Foundation Establishment."
Old Huang's face bloomed like a chrysanthemum:
"Thanks for your good words, Senior Brother.
However, I'll have to leave after Flying Tiger enters the Sect in his second year, so please take care of him."
Wei Songnian patted his chest:
"Old Huang, we've known each other for almost twenty years, right? Don't worry, I'll help wherever I can, no shirking!"
"Me too."
Ji An smiled, recalling how he had borrowed his first Spirit Stone from Old Huang, feeling he owed him that respect.
"Great, with you two saying this, I'm relieved."
Ji An asked:
"May I ask, Senior Brother, if one can't wake up in time in the Illusion Heart Array, how much does it cost to enter the Sect?"
Wei Songnian extended a hand: "Fifty Spirit Stones, actually it's a backdoor left for the descendants of major clans.
It seems expensive, but it's not much to them.
Youngsters in their teens have little endurance, but there's plenty of time to cultivate it."
Old Huang took a deep breath and said:
"By then, plot number 癸未 should be handled by Junior Brother Ji. I want Flying Tiger to continue as a Spirit Farmer."
Wei Songnian contemplated and said:
"To be honest, unless you're like Junior Brother Ji, the ceiling for a Spirit Farmer is not high, better to learn some skill with a brighter future."
Old Huang took a sip of his wine, exhaled long and deeply:
"I know that, but by learning to be a Spirit Farmer, at least I can lend a hand.
If it's Artifact Refining, Beast Taming, or Talisman Making, if he's talented, that's fine, otherwise who knows how many Crystal Stones would be needed to make a name.
What I have saved can't be tossed around, and though Spirit Farming is hard, it offers a guaranteed income.
Even if Flying Tiger struggles with cultivation like me, he can still save more than I did, providing his descendants with a higher starting point."
"Wise words, I wasn't considerate enough."
Wei Songnian nodded, understanding that without substantial support, initial accumulation is the hardest part for people.
Old Huang turned and said:
"When Flying Tiger enters, I'll hand over my Tier One Spirit Field to Brother Xiao'an to cultivate!"
"Senior Brother, you can't do this."
Old Huang waved it off:
"Brother Xiao'an, don't refuse, the Spirit Field in the valley is far from the Spiritual Vein, if not regularly nurtured with the Fourth Layer of the Thick Earth Technique, it will degrade in a few years.
Leaving it with Flying Tiger would be a waste."
He turned to Wei Songnian and cupped his hands:
"Senior Brother, if I ever leave the Sect without a good place, may I rent some of the Wei Clan's Spirit Fields to cultivate?"
"I couldn't ask for more."
Wei Songnian immediately agreed, as Old Huang was quite a competent Spirit Farmer among the Qi Refining Stage disciples, better than most of his clan's Spirit Farmers.
He considered renting him a Tier One Lower Grade Spirit Field and hoped that nurturing it with the Great Success Earth Technique might elevate it to Tier One Middle Grade.
After the drinks and dishes were finished, the trio chatted for a while before parting ways.
Wei Songnian pulled Ji An aside, taking out three jade bottles:
"Junior Brother, take these bottles of Yellow Bud Pills with you."
Has the investor raised stakes?
Ji An didn't take them immediately, saying:
"Senior Brother, I don't have the crystal stones to pay."
"Heh," Wei Songnian chuckled:
"You understand what I mean, Junior Brother. I see great potential in your future, making an advance goodwill.
Consider them on credit, pay me back after you pass the three-year evaluation for new disciples."
"Senior Brother's kindness, I will remember," Ji An bowed slightly, reaching out to take the pills.
This meant he could repay in two and a half years, ample time given.
With everything clear, the two felt closer.
Wei Songnian raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and said:
"It's almost noon, I should go, still have to set up a stall at Jade Water Marketplace."
Lowering his hand, he added:
"When you're ready to break through your bottleneck, remember to find me, I've prepared a couple of Jade Pills for you."
Ji An didn't refuse again, cupping his hands to say:
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Seeing Wei Songnian off, Ji An turned back to the bamboo house, immediately sitting down on the Pudun to refine the Spiritual Food and Wine.
Once he refined all the Spiritual Power from the food, his merit made further progress.
He took out the pills given by Senior Brother Wei, opened them up one by one, and counted a total of 12 pills across three bottles.
Keeping this debt in mind, Ji An hoisted a bag of spirit rice and headed out.
With no shortage of pills now, he planned to go to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to exchange for Contribution Points and trade for the jade slip to learn to make Talisman Paper and mix Talisman Ink.
He planned to open up another acre of Spirit Field, planting half an acre of Talisman Grass.
This way, he could maximize the use of his Magical Power.
Additionally, he heard that mixing Talisman Ink consumes less Magical Power, so he could try purchasing some materials for mixing.
His current lack of Crystal Stones was severe; he wondered when he would be able to enjoy cultivating with the Spirit Capturing Array.