In the Deacon Hall of Green River Peak, Song He savored the delicious Spirit Rice Cakes, listening attentively as the white-robed cultivator spoke of his "business"–
"Junior Brother Song also knows that although we cultivators already possess Divine Sense and have shed our mortal roots to embrace spirit Qi, our craving for the pleasures of the palate still cannot be dismissed.
The largest business front outside the sect is the Lingye Pavilion, not only selling Spirit Plants and Spiritual Beasts, but also taking care of the culinary business similar to mundane restaurants, providing a place for cultivators to satisfy their cravings."
Song He nodded thoughtfully.
He vaguely guessed what the white-robed cultivator's business was all about.
The white-robed cultivator continued:
"The Spirit Plants useful to cultivators all require a long growth period and much care, not yielding harvest in the short term.
But some special Spirit Plants grow quickly, taste good, and are deeply favored by cultivators."
As he said this, he pointed to the delicate pink pastry on the plate and asked, "What do you think of the taste of this pastry, Junior Brother?"
"The taste is amazing."
Song He, too, was something of a foodie. In his previous life, he spent not a little money on food, but even the confections from branded stores were far from matching this one.
The flavor was sweet and delicate, soft and delicious.
Inside there seemed to be a trace of lotus fragrance, almost there yet not, and after eating it, the spirit Qi within his body faintly stirred, clearly beneficial for cultivation as well.
"The ingredients here are all Spirit Plants, with the key being a type of lotus named the Spirit Enhancing Lotus. It's the spiritual liquid and pollen extracted from this lotus that provide the special effect of increasing spirit Qi."
Song He immediately understood his meaning and asked, "Does Senior Brother mean for me to cultivate this type of lotus?"
"Exactly. I see that the area you've chosen is close to a water body. Although ordinary waters are not as miraculous as Spirit Spring Water, they are more than sufficient for cultivating the Spirit Enhancing Lotus.
My family also runs more than a dozen restaurants, and there's a huge demand for Spirit Plants like the Spirit Enhancing Lotus; you needn't worry about being unable to sell them.
If you're willing to cooperate, when the Spirit Enhancing Lotus matures, I will send someone to collect them, with the price depending on their quality."
Uh... no wonder he looks so carefree; turns out his family has a business, ah. More than a dozen restaurants? You could live a lifetime without lifting a finger!
Song He felt a tad envious.
But it was just a fleeting thought, and he seriously considered the proposal.
The result was naturally feasible, not even requiring much thought.
He had come across information about the Spirit Enhancing Lotus while browsing through tomes. This lotus is merely a Class I Spirit Plant, and as long as the water is sufficiently rich in spirit Qi, the lotus will grow.
Its growth rate is extremely fast as well, taking only about ten days from planting to germination and flowering, and with maturity in about fifteen days.
For Song He, it represented a chance to make quick profit.
He was in urgent need of Spirit Stones now; without earning more, he would not even be able to afford to maintain his gourd.
He absolutely had to grab this olive branch.
"Then... thank you, Senior Brother."
Seeing Song He accept, the white-robed cultivator nodded and said:
"No problem, no problem at all. You must have been tested by Uncle Jiang on your discernment as well. As a spirit planter, being able to choose seeds is also a skill."
He took out a jade box for storing Spirit Plant seeds and opened it, revealing a dense collection of black seeds within.
He gestured and said:
"Here, three seeds for one Spirit Stone. I won't say much; it's up to your discernment now."
Yo, isn't this my forte?
As if this could stump me?
When it came to appraising and selecting seeds, Song He dared say that no one in the Cultivation World was better than him, who possessed the panel. He immediately began to inspect them one by one, carefully and thoroughly.
One, two...
Song He was choosy and only selected those with descriptions and without obvious defects, the ones that were plump and in good condition.
This box had quite a few, over a hundred seeds.
It must be said that these are indeed fine seeds, each one brimming with spirit Qi and full of vitality. With just his eyes and his weak divine sense, he probably would not have been able to tell the good from the bad.
But... he had the panel to cheat with!
After successfully picking out twenty-some seeds, Song He's eyes suddenly lit up, and he reached for a plain-looking seed—
[Name]: Seed of the Spirit Enhancing Lotus
[Class]: Class I mid-grade
[Status]: Seed (0%)
①. More Children More Happiness (Blue): After this spirit plant matures, it will produce an additional 20 seeds (upgrade requires 3000 Points).
②. Inheritance (Blue): There's a 20% chance that this spirit plant's traits will be inherited by its seeds (upgrade requires 3000 Points).
'This is the one! If this were combined with my Atavism and Good Birth, Good Choice traits, wouldn't I be able to cultivate an excellent selection spirit plant?'
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Song He picked a few more seeds to make up a total of thirty and then took out thirty Spirit Stones to give to the robed cultivator.
"Senior Brother, this is for the seeds and a small token of my appreciation. It's a bit less than usual, please don't mind it," he said.
The latter looked at the twenty extra Spirit Stones and a smile appeared on his face.
Although his large family and extensive business meant he did not care much about these twenty Spirit Stones, for a low-level cultivator like Song He, twenty Spirit Stones was not a small amount.
The key was the gesture.
'This junior brother seems to know his way around social niceties.'
The robed cultivator didn't refuse and naturally accepted them.
Given his practiced manner, he clearly had a habit of "accepting bribes".
Song He, too, breathed a sigh of relief. If he were to do business for the long term, he would certainly have to deal with this Senior Brother often, considering his wide connections and extensive knowledge.
There would definitely be a boost in the future.
Making a good impression by establishing a positive connection now was indeed necessary.
The man had gone to the trouble of finding him a cave dwelling and introduced him to a business, something that could not last long solely on Uncle Jiang's orders. It needed to be managed well.
After all... at the end of the day, it was not him who earned the Spirit Stones, but the original owner who had toiled away for them. Money not earned by oneself does tend to be spent with less hesitation.
If it's gone, it doesn't matter. I can always earn more.
After receiving Song He's "bribe," the robed cultivator's fondness for him increased a bit more, and he voluntarily offered:
"Since we're done here, and I happen to be free, I'll take you to see the cave dwelling."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Song He didn't refuse, even though he had a map, having someone familiar with the area as a guide would save him some trouble.
"Let's go."
The two of them stood up and left the Deacon Hall.
...
Along the way, the robed cultivator chatted with Song He about many things, including precautions needed while planting the Spirit Enhancing Lotus, the temperaments of the nearby cultivators, as well as some local points of interest.
While not any precious cultivation experience, this information was quite useful for Song He to understand the Cultivation World and Spiritual Leaf Sect.
It was also an eye-opening experience.
In the midst of casual conversation, whether intentionally or not, he revealed his surname—Jiang.
With the surname Jiang and such extensive family assets, Song He really found it hard not to suspect some kind of family relation with Uncle Jiang, but since the other party did not bring it up, he did not ask.
Being too curious is not always a good thing.
Talking while walking, they soon arrived at the cave dwelling Song He had chosen.
As Song He took out his Identity Jade to remove the wards outside the cave dwelling, the entire place was revealed before him.