Chapter 95

The March sunshine fell on Wang Chen’s face, bringing a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Like a rat that shuns the light, he had hidden himself for nearly ten days, but now he could finally appear in his own Spirit Fields openly and aboveboard.

So much time had passed, Wang Chen was obviously safe.

Speaking of which, Wang Chen believed he had done an excellent job of destroying the body and erasing all traces, only fearing the unpredictable Heavenly Secret Technique.

After all, the one he had killed was the direct descendant of a Purple Mansion Superior!

And yet, the matter had seemingly concluded without further consequences.

Since he had been hiding at home all this time and hadn’t been in contact with the outside world, Wang Chen was very out of touch with current events and had no idea what was stirring in Cloud Mountain City.

But in his opinion, the prestigious Purple Mansion family, having suffered such a huge loss, would certainly not let the matter rest easily.

It’s just that using the Heavenly Secret Technique came at too great a cost, and no one was willing to take action.

That’s why he had managed to escape this disaster.

For some reason, Wang Chen suddenly recalled that one point of Heavenly Merit that had disappeared out of nowhere.

He even oddly tasted a hint of disdain.

How strange and perplexing!

“Wang brother!”

The call from a neighbor snapped Wang Chen back to reality.

He turned around and waved to a middle-aged man in the neighboring Spirit Fields, “Uncle Han.”

This middle-aged farmer was Wang Chen’s new neighbor, surnamed Han and named Dashi.

He had taken over Old Sun’s house and all the Spirit Fields.

As the saying goes, a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor.

Although they didn’t interact much normally, their relationship was still decent.

They would greet each other when they saw one another.

“Tired?”

Han Dashi was quite enthusiastic, “Come rest under the tree for a while, drink some tea to cool off.”

“Alright.”

Wang Chen nodded, carrying his hoe over, and sat down on a slab of stone under a big tree by the road.

He fished out a gourd and took a drink.

“Here.”

Han Dashi pulled out two lotus leaf rice balls and offered one to Wang Chen, “Try the handywork of my wife.”

“Thank you, uncle.”

Wang Chen politely declined, “I’ve got my own.”

He knew that the man had originally lived in Jia Seven Defense Area and had moved here after splitting from his larger family.

Many Spiritual Plant Farmer families faced the same situation.

Generation after generation, they farmed the Spirit Fields outside the Outer Sect, raising children and spreading their branches.

Han Dashi’s family had five members in total.

A husband and wife, plus two almost-grown lads and a little girl with a runny nose.

As the old adage says, half-grown kids can eat their parents out of house and home.

For families like theirs, who relied on thirty mu of Spirit Fields, having Spirit Rice meals every single day was impossible.

How could Wang Chen have the heart to eat their Spirit Rice?

Han Dashi wasn’t truly being insistent, so he chuckled and withdrew his hand.

At that moment, a group of people came hurrying down the path.

By their attire, it was clear they were from the Defense Area!

Wang Chen instantly became alert.

Overtaken by a few dozen steps, the leading young Cultivator called out loudly, “Wang Chen? Han Dashi?”

Han Dashi quickly stood up, nodding and bowing to the newcomers, “Vice Chief Zhang, what brings you here?”

Wang Chen subtly rose to his feet.

This young Cultivator was the newly appointed second deputy of the Yi Ten Defense Area.

Wang Chen had met him once before.

Compared to his predecessor, Zheng Tu, the current Vice Chief Zhang was not as arrogant and contemptuous.

He probably also feared suddenly dying on duty.

The reward notice issued by Lu Zhisen is still posted on the city walls of Cloud Mountain, weathering wind and rain!

“It’s good that you’re all here, saves me the trouble of running around.”

The Cultivator surnamed Zhang quickly walked over and said, “The ancestral worship ceremony this year is being taken very seriously by the higher-ups; they have ordered us at the Defense Area to clear the roads and repair the ditches.”

“If Sect Master True Person sees even a speck of filth or grime during the inspection, then none of us will have a good time!”

Wang Chen and Han Dashi exchanged glances, both feeling the dread of trouble descending out of the blue.

The annual ancestral worship ceremony of the Cloud Sun Sect usually lasted seven days.

Besides the routine ceremonies, the Sect Master True Person would inspect territories including the three cities of Cloud Mountain, Cloud Lake, and Cloud Sea, penetrating the grassroots to observe the lower echelons.

But that was the official statement.

In actuality, Wang Chen, or rather, the original occupant of his body, had never once seen the Sect Master True Person’s majestic presence in the five years he farmed the Spirit Fields.

After all, a Golden Core True Person and leader of a sect, how could he possibly have so much spare time to wander around the rural areas.

He is not the Ever-Spring Resident!

“What’s with those looks on your faces?”

The Cultivator surnamed Zhang scolded, “Are you suggesting that I’m lying to you two?”

“Not at all, not at all!”

Han Dashi hurriedly denied, “Vice Chief Zhang, what do you need us to do?”

The Cultivator surnamed Zhang “hmmphed” and said, “One person from each family, bring your Storage Bag and tools, the day after tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., clean the Chi Path and repair the ditches, also…”

He waved his hand, and a Cultivator from the Defense Area took out two paper packages and handed them respectively to Wang Chen and Han Dashi.

“These are Purple Brocade seeds; each of you is responsible for planting thirty along the Chi Path. You must ensure that when Sect Master True Person passes by during the inspection, all the plants are in full bloom!”

The Cultivator surnamed Zhang asked, “Have you mastered the Withered Glory Technique?”

Han Dashi nodded vigorously, “Yes, I have!”

Wang Chen said awkwardly, “I haven’t.”

The full name of the Withered Glory Technique is “Plants and Trees Withered Glory Technique,” a spell that sounds very much like a Spiritual Plant Farmer’s spell.

However, the learners of this Technique are not limited to just Spiritual Plant Farmers.

The Withered Glory Technique can rapidly mature plants and trees; when cultivated to advanced levels, it can turn a seed into a large tree bearing plenty of fruit within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!

Cultivators who master this technique can simply carry seeds when they go adventuring. If they run out of food, they can rely on the Withered Glory Technique to quickly obtain sustenance.

However, the Technique is merely for emergency use; it certainly does not work for cultivating Spiritual Rice.

Because the fruits ripened in such a way contain hardly any Spiritual Energy.

Only enough to fill the stomach.

As a result, many Spiritual Plant Farmers are actually reluctant to learn this Technique.

If there isn’t enough Spirit Rice to eat, then just buy some cheap Tribute Rice; it even tastes better.

The original occupant was one of them.

“You’re getting a bargain!”

The Cultivator surnamed Zhang did not seem surprised, and he immediately took out a Cultivation Technique Jade Slip, “Cognize it once for five Low Spirit.”

“But remember, if you can’t complete the task, you’ll have to figure out a solution yourself, otherwise, you’ll face a penalty of thirty Spirit Stones!”

Wang Chen silently took out five Low Spirit and accepted the Jade Slip, pressing it to his forehead to comprehend.

Until a new cluster of Spiritual Light Law Seed formed in his Sea of Consciousness.

For a spell, five Low Spirit was indeed very cheap.

If it weren’t for the Sect Master True Person’s inspection duty, he would never have had such a great bargain!

“Moreover…”

After taking back the Jade Slip, the Cultivator surnamed Zhang added, “On the day Sect Master True Person inspects, remember to put on new clothes and bring your families to the Chi Path to observe his authority, this is a huge blessing!”

Han Dashi repeatedly agreed, looking forward to the honor with anticipation.

Whereas Wang Chen wanted to retort, but had no idea where to begin!

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The first update is here.

PS: The issue with chapters and comments not displaying correctly is normal for these two days; it should be back to normal tomorrow, just so you know.