Chapter 236 - 231: Xiao Nanshan 2
Divine Wood City was originally an area inhabited by ordinary people. After all, many cultivators have descendants, and there are some tasks that require ordinary people to carry out. So, the sect decided to open a plain here. However, as time went on, the population gradually flourished and it became today’s situation.
“Let’s pick the largest one, I might open a rice shop or a tavern in the future, and I need a warehouse. It doesn’t matter if the place is a bit remote.”
Chen Mobai ended up selecting the largest shop in the southern part of the city, which was nearly a thousand square meters.
“Uncle Master has good vision, this place was originally a granary. But later to maintain hygiene, the Sect Leader promoted the use of Fasting Pills among mortals, and this granary became vacant and then was transformed into a shop.”
After choosing the shop, Chen Mobai also selected a courtyard-house. Using the excuse of needing to manage the shop, he selected a two hundred-square-meter house in the south of the city.
The main reason was for tranquility. After all, he was someone who would disappear at any time. Even though he would only stay at this house occasionally, if his neighbors were all Foundation Establishment cultivators, it could potentially expose him over the years.
Although E Yun didn’t think Chen Mobai’s choices were good, he didn’t intervene either.
It wasn’t until the final selection of the cultivation place, which was a Rank-3 Spiritual Vein Cave Dwelling, that he began to take it seriously.
“Junior Brother, the Rank-3 Spiritual Veins can be divided into upper, middle and lower grades. For the sake of convenient cultivation, you absolutely can’t’ be careless.”
“Elder Uncle, the upper-grade Rank-3 Spirit Veins were already picked clean twenty years ago.”
The female Qi Cultivating cultivator who said this started to sweat profusely again.
Everyone wanted the best Spirit Veins. The disciples of the Spirit Vein Department depended on this privilege to gain high status within the sect.
E Yun, as the Sect Leader’s disciple, had his own upper-grade Rank-3 Spirit Vein Cave Dwelling granted by Meng Hong after his Foundation Establishment. As for Zhou Wangshen, being a descendant of Elder Zhou, he didn’t even need to be mentioned.
Although Chen Mobai was praised as a peerless genius, if he wanted an upper-grade Rank-3 Spiritual Vein, he could only ask one of the Foundation Establishment elders to give up theirs.
The Spirit Vein Department couldn’t dare to offend people with such a major matter.
“If there are no upper-grade ones, there should still be middle-grade Rank-3 ones, right?”
E Yun clearly knew the ins and outs as well. This Chen junior brother of his was simple-minded, only thinking about sword training and farming. He felt that if he didn’t come along, the Spirit Vein Department might send him off with a lower-grade Rank-3 Cave Dwelling.
“Yes, yes, yes. There are still seven Rank-3 middle-grade Cave Dwellings. I’ll mark them for the two Elders. You can see which one is suitable.”
The female Qi Cultivating cultivator immediately extended her index finger, cast a Bright Light Technique, and marked out the seven middle-grade Rank-3 Spiritual Vein Cave Dwellings scattered around Giant Tree Ridge.
“Huh, how come there are so many Spirit Fields here?”
Chen Mobai looked again and again, discovering that large areas of open plains surrounded one of the spiritual veins. It seemed like they were all abandoned Spiritual Lands.
The previous head of the Spiritual Planting Department tried to cultivate Rank-3 Spirit Rice here and opened up sixty acres of Spirit Fields. After he passed away, this place was abandoned.”
The female Qi Cultivating cultivator, able to stay on duty in the Spirit Vein Department, was indeed competent and was able to answer Chen Mobai’s question immediately.
“Rank-3 Spirit Rice? Could it be that this Spiritual Vein Cave Dwelling was not just a middle-grade Rank-3 one before?”
To open up a Rank-3 Spirit Field, some essence of the Spiritual Vein needed to be consumed. If these sixty acres were all Rank-3 Spirit Fields, the grade of this Spiritual Vein must not have been low before.
“Uncle Master Chen is indeed from the Spiritual Planting Department. This Xiao Nanshan originally was a Rank-4 Spirit Vein, but its grade dropped to a middle-grade Rank-3 after the cultivation of the sixty acres of Spirit Fields.”
Xiao Nanshan.
Chen Mobai thought that this name sounded very pleasant and fit his low-profile personality.
He looked again and again, feeling that this Spiritual Vein was just perfect for him.
“Let’s choose this one.”
E Yun also knew Chen Mobai’s character, with his heart only set on sword training and farming. Although the Spiritual Vein level of this Xiao Nanshan ranked low among the seven middle-grade Rank-3 ones, who can resist so many Spirit Fields next to it!
“Uncle Master Chen, we’ll allocate Xiao Nanshan to you, but the cultivation rights to the sixty acres of Spirit Fields, you still need to go to the Spiritual Planting Department to process.”
The female Qi Cultivating cultivator reminded him beforehand, and Chen Mobai expressed his thanks.
The Spiritual Planting Department, that much face he still had.
“I’ll accompany you on a trip. I am acquainted with Vice-Minister Jin of your Spiritual Planting Department.”
E Yun saw Chen Mobai to the end. After helping him secure Xiao Nanshan, he again accompanied him to the main hall of the Spiritual Planting Department. Upon arrival, E Yun went to find Jin Shanping, while Chen Mobai went to pay his respects to Sun Gaochang.
“Master…Uncle Chen!”
Sun Gaochang was also here with Lu Jun, who almost didn’t manage to switch his address when he saw Chen Mobai.
With the announcement that the Divine Tree Secret Realm was about to open, almost everyone knew that a True Disciple had successfully established his Foundation.
And a bit of inquiry revealed who it was.
However, when Lu Jun actually saw that Chen Mobai had established his Foundation, he still had a look of astonishment on his face.
The image of that boy, who had just graduated from Bud Hall, receiving seed downcastedly and cultivating his Spirit Field, was still in his mind.
In the blink of an eye, that boy had accomplished a breakthrough that he could never complete in his lifetime.
“Brother Lu, long time no see.”
Chen Mobai wasn’t accustomed to addressing people based on their cultivation level, so he still affectionately addressed them as brothers. Nobody else cared, it’s common to be like this just after breaking through, but after a decade or two, you’d get used to addressing people based on their cultivation level.
“Now that you’ve returned in glory, at last, you’ve stopped by. I thought you wouldn’t want to stay in the Spirit Plant Department any more after you established your Foundation?”
The plump Sun Gaochang was really happy that Chen Mobai came to visit him first. He especially prepared a pot of wine to entertain him.
This wine, in fact, was bought from Chen Mobai himself.
“No way, in my entire life I’ve had no other interests than farming and brewing.
Even if I were to become the Sect Leader, I wouldn’t leave the Spirit Plant Department.”
Chen Mobai’s words surprised Sun Gaochang slightly, but he took them as a metaphor by Chen Mobai.
“Have you chosen a Spirit Vein yet? I know a place, a Rank-3 Lower-grade Cave Dwelling. Although it doesn’t seem much, at the foot of the mountain, they’ve opened up twenty acres of medicinal fields. If you take it over, I’ll put in some good words for you so you can get the Cave Dwelling and medicinal fields completely. Even if you don’t manage them yourself and lease them to Sect Disciples, you could earn at least a thousand sect contributions every year.”
That’s precisely what I wanted to discuss with you, Inspector Sun…”
Since Sun Gaochang brought it up, Chen Mobai honestly told him his purpose of coming.
“Xiao Nanshan, it really is the most suitable place for you.”
As the inspector of the Spirit Plant Department, Sun Gaochang naturally knew about the abandoned Spirit Field near Xiao Nanshan. He understood immediately why Chen Mobai chose that place, and he couldn’t help but applaud.
“Lu Jun, issue my order and get this matter taken care of. Before Brother Chen and I finish this pot of wine and he leaves, transfer the rights to farm that sixty-acre Spirit Field for the next ten years over to him.”
“Yes, Inspector.”
Chen Mobai felt somewhat embarrassed by Sun Gaochang’s quick agreement.
Previously, when he was exchanging for Foundation Building Pills and was short on Sect Contribution, he borrowed from him to make up the shortfall.
Now, he harbored no more grudges about being talked into joining the Spirit
Plant Department by Lu Jun. Even though Sun Gaochang’s attitude improved only after he had revealed his talents, Chen Mobai owes him credit for becoming a True Disciple and obtaining the Foundation Building Pills that quickly.
He decided to do his best in farming for the Spirit Plant Department and create even better profits.
“By the way, Brother Chen, our Spirit Plant Department is part of the Reward Virtue Hall. After your foundation establishment, if you’re willing, you could also join the Reward Virtue Hall.”
At the end of the drinking session, Sun Gaochang suddenly brought up this.
Chen Mobai was originally going to agree offhand, but he remembered E Yun and though he should consider him since he officially belonged to E Yun.
He told Sun Gaochang the truth, and the latter was still smiling and politely saw him off.
By the time he left, Lu Jun had already completed the transfer of the rights to farm the sixty acres of Spirit Field.
That evening, he discussed the matter with E Yun, who responded with a guess after a slight smile.
“The Hall Master of Reward Virtue Hall and my master are the only two cultivators who’ve perfected their Foundation Establishment in the Divine Wood Sect. If my master retires to form his core, the calls for him to take over as sect leader will be high.”
“You mean…”
“If he becomes the sect leader, the Reward Virtue Hall will need a successor. I guess he has his eye on you.”
Chen Mobai fell silent.
He was worried.
What should he do?
Seems like his genius persona is becoming more and more deeply ingrained in people’s minds..