Chapter 48

Hmph—spit!

As Wang Chen stepped out of the Outer Sect Main Hall, he spat onto the ground in disgust.

The set quota for field rent was two thousand five hundred Jin, but in reality, he had paid at least two thousand six hundred Jin.

Over a hundred Jin had been scraped off by the Spirit Planting Hall!

It might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things.

But one must understand, those hundred-plus Jin of Spirit Valley had been laboriously scrimped and saved from his own mouth.

Without any return whatsoever!

And with the current soaring grain prices, the value of that extra hundred Jin of Spirit Valley was at least double that of last year.

Wang Chen had seen through it all.

To the vast Cloud Sun Sect, the hundred thousand cultivators of the Outer Sect were nothing but chives in the field.

Pawns to be harvested at will.

In this world where might was the sole authority, a single Golden Core True Person could suppress tens of thousands of bottom-tier cultivators.

Thus, the middle and upper echelons of the sect cared not for the life or death of those below them.

After all, no matter how many died, there were always a plethora of Loose Cultivators in the Outer Domain scrambling to get in.

Wang Chen knew he was weak and could do nothing about it.

But he no longer felt any sense of belonging to the Cloud Sun Sect.

Now, he would lie low and slowly gather strength until the day he was powerful enough to fend for himself, then find a new world.

The Mountain and Sea Realm was vast beyond measure.

Wang Chen refused to believe he couldn’t find a place truly suited for himself!

With these thoughts in his mind, he walked forward along the main street.

Suddenly, a noisy uproar broke Wang Chen’s train of thought.

Before a store bearing the sign ‘Dahong Rice Shop’ on the side of the street, a large crowd was gathering.

Most were Spiritual Plant Farmers like Wang Chen.

“Old Rice was only six Fragmented Spirit Stones yesterday, how did it jump to eight today?”

“White Jade Rice for ten Fragmented Spirit Stones a Jin, are you planning to rob us?”

“Swindlers!”

“How can people be this wicked?”

“The grain shop ahead is charging the same rate; you’re all in cahoots to scam us!”

“Where’s the shopkeeper? Come out, shopkeeper!”

Everyone was brimming with righteous indignation, surrounding the assistant standing in front of the price board and shouting loudly, faces flushed with anger.

Their rage was entirely justified.

In previous years, the grain shops in the city only paid two Fragmented Spirit Stones per Jin for Spirit Valley.

Even buying back would only cost a little more.

But now the price had skyrocketed to three to four times that, an absolutely infuriating increase!

Clearly, the other party intended to take advantage of the year’s crop failures, knowing the farmers couldn’t pay their full rent or needed food for sustenance.

They were hoarding to make a huge fortune!

However, faced with a group of cultivators at the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth levels of Qi Cultivation, the assistant, with mere Shedding Mortality cultivation, was not the slightest bit fearful and boldly argued with hands on hips, necks outstretched.

“Ever heard of supply and demand? Let me tell you, if you don’t buy today, the price will go up tomorrow!”

“If you don’t buy, plenty of others will.”

“Buy if you want, get lost if you don’t!”

“Calling me a swindler? Say that one more time. Do you know who our boss is?”

“Ever heard of Hundred Arts Pavilion Superior Fan?”

“All of you, get lost and don’t hinder our business.”

“Don’t leave, and I’ll call the Patrol Guard!”

Despite being outnumbered, the Dahong Rice Shop assistant debated vehemently with dozens of cultivators, leaving the Spiritual Plant Farmers at a loss for words.

His combativeness was off the charts!

Although any one of the cultivators could squash this brazen fellow with the flick of a finger,

who would dare to engage in combat within the city?

Especially when the assistant had the backing of a Superior from the Inner Sect!

Aside from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion and the Four Seas Commerce Association, all of the stores doing business in Cloud Mountain City were not simple players.

They were either directly owned by a Superior’s family or affiliated with one.

Very few were exceptions.

This was clear to everyone; it was just the heat of the moment that had led them to surround the store and protest.

Now, having been brought back down to earth by the assistant’s retorts, reason regained its place in their minds.

He couldn’t help but shrink back.

“Tch!”

Watching the Spiritual Plant Farmers disperse in low spirits, the store assistant spat triumphantly on the ground.

A female cultivator walked over, leading a child by the hand.

She stopped in front of the rice shop and furrowed her brow at the price list on the wall.

“White Jade Rice has gone up in price again.”

The female cultivator sighed and then said to her child, looking down, “Hu, White Jade Rice is too expensive now. Can we buy some Tribute Rice to take home and make rice balls for you?”

“No way!”

The four or five-year-old stubborn child shook his head like a rattle drum, “Mom, I want to eat White Jade Rice, Tribute Rice doesn’t taste good!”

White Jade Rice is Spirit Rice.

Tribute Rice, however, comes from the realm of mortals and is pearl rice.

In fact, the taste of pearl rice isn’t bad, and it’s sufficient to fill one’s stomach.

But without a trace of spiritual energy, it is very cheap.

Many Loose Cultivators rely on Tribute Rice to avoid starving to death in the Outer Domain.

However, if a cultivator frequently eats Tribute Rice, it not only affects their daily cultivation but also brings about the trouble of the cycle of five grains.

Even a little child knows the benefits of Spirit Rice!

To enhance his persuasiveness, the stubborn child let go of his mother’s hand and started rolling on the ground.

“Spirit Rice, I want to eat Spirit Rice, ahhh~”

The crying was loud enough to shake the heavens.

The female cultivator was quite embarrassed and unable to resist her own stubborn child.

So, she clenched her teeth and took out Spirit Stones from her Storage Bag to buy expensive White Jade Rice.

No sooner had she left with her child than another group of Spiritual Plant Farmers ran over to look at the rice prices.

Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads in shock!

“Good news!”

Just then, a cultivator rushed over, shouting loudly, “The Outer Sect Main Hall has just posted a notice, forming ten Reclamation Camps, and all qualified disciples may join.”

“Those who join will immediately be exempt from this year’s tax on ten mu of land, or be given an equivalent allocation of Spirit Valley!”

“With limited spots, this is a rare opportunity!”

As he ran and shouted, everyone on the long street heard him loud and clear.

There was a stir among the crowd!

Earlier, the Main Hall sent out Messenger Cranes to recruit disciples for the Third Hall, and now they were planning to form ten Reclamation Camps.

The so-called Reclamation Camps refer to teams of cultivators tasked with expanding the sect’s territories.

The main purpose of reclamation is to claim new hunting grounds, find new mineral veins, as well as gather spiritual medicine and Spiritual Materials, among other things.

Due to the numerous demons and Evil Wraiths in the Outer Domain, reclamation is quite a dangerous job.

It has been thirty years since the Cloud Sun Sect undertook a large-scale extermination outside!

Normally, the sect encourages disciples to go out and explore, helping them gather resources through assignments.

Forming Reclamation Camps means they were gearing up for a big undertaking.

A single Reclamation Camp consists of three hundred cultivators; ten would be three thousand cultivators.

Moreover, according to past conventions, each Reclamation Camp is led by two or three Purple Mansion Superiors.

This is madness!

Many cultivators were immediately intrigued.

With the price of rice soaring,

the exemption from the tax on ten mu of land or the equivalent allocation of Spirit Valley was enticing enough.

And the treatment for Reclamation Camps was also very good, with allocations for Cultivation Techniques, Pills, Talismans, Magic Artifacts, and more.

If the reclamation was successful, the rewards in Merit Points would be substantial!

Some cultivators could not hold back and immediately rushed to the Main Hall to find out more.

But Wang Chen was not amongst these people.

He was not excited.

Instead, a chill arose in his heart!

After some thought, Wang Chen decisively ran back home.

It didn’t matter what others thought; he would join neither the Third Hall’s preparatory group nor the Reclamation Camps.

The second update delivered.

PS: Some people can take a break; if you’re going to criticize the book and insult others, please head out and turn left. This establishment does not welcome you; I’ll block anyone I see.