“We need to inquire, but not too directly,” Chen Mu pondered.
The Underground Market is quite covert, and the goods traded there often have a gray area. One must be cautious when probing, to avoid inviting trouble.
“Let’s start with discussing the tricks of planting Yellow Bud Rice for a few days. Once I’ve blended in, then I can begin to indirectly inquire,” Chen Mu had a plan in mind.
The cost of achieving Spirit and Soul Unification indeed increased significantly, but in the end, he still had nine White Jade Coins. There was no need to exchange them for money right away.
“Keep calm,” Chen Mu reminded himself.
In an unfamiliar place, stability is the most important.
“I also need to gather details about the cultivation of Spirit and Soul Unification,” Chen Mu said as he kneaded his skin that emitted a faint chill.
He always felt that his practice was somehow off.
…
“Let’s wait another three to five months,” Old Hao put down his bowl, which he had wiped clean of Yellow Bud Rice, on the square table.
He took out his pipe from behind his waist and lit it, squinting his eyes as he thought and said, “The Scripture Transmission Institute of the Lower Courtyard holds a big sermon every six months.”
“Each sermon lasts for half a month, and everyone can listen for free.”
“It starts from Spirit and Soul Unification and goes all the way to Perceptive Spirit Light.”
“Although it’s only a general explanation, it should solve most of your doubts.”
“If you’re lucky, you might even get a chance to ask questions individually,” Old Hao said, exhaling a fragrant white smoke.
Chen Mu couldn’t help but squint his eyes.
Such a good opportunity; he definitely had to go and see it when the time came.
Old Hao glanced at Chen Mu and hinted without showing much emotion, “Of course, if you have the money, you can go to the Scripture Transmission Institute at any time.”
“You can purchase Secret Techniques, pay for personal instruction on cultivation bottlenecks, all of that can be handled there.”
Chen Mu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow – a different world’s version of knowledge payment?
“What’s the price? Is it reliable?”
“The Scripture Transmission Institute does these things all year round. What’s there not to trust?” Old Hao rolled his eyes.
“As for the price, it varies. The Secret Technique Jade Scrolls have a clear price tag, but for personal instruction on cultivation issues, it depends on the main instructor, the content, and the teaching methods – all the prices are different,” Old Hao told him.
He further gave Chen Mu several examples.
Chen Mu listened, puzzled.
The educational philosophy is so… trendy?
That’s quite similar to the training institutions of the previous world.
He had thought it would be a master-disciple teaching model.
“Even for master-disciple teaching, don’t you have to present a gift to the master?” Old Hao looked at Chen Mu strangely: “Who would impart cultivation experience for nothing?”
“Like how I teach you to plant Yellow Bud Rice, if I teach well, the Scripture Transmission Institute has to pay me.”
“This is equivalent to the Lower Courtyard spending money to hire a teacher for you.”
Old Hao looked at Chen Mu with a face that said, ‘How do you not understand this?’
Chen Mu felt uncomfortable all over.
He felt like a country bumpkin with no worldly experience.
Then he thought of his own origins, an island suspended in the sea – although the island was overly large – it did indeed belong to the remote outskirts of the overseas lands.
Wasn’t he precisely an unsophisticated country bumpkin?
Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“The Scripture Transmission Institute of the Lower Courtyard is indeed very serious and responsible,” Old Hao said with narrowed eyes: “Of course, all this presupposes that you have enough White Jade Coins.”
Chen Mu shook his head helplessly: “If I had money, I wouldn’t be slogging away farming here.”
He didn’t continue the conversation, instead shifting the topic to ask about the essentials of farming, explaining all of the questions and doubts he had accumulated over time.
…
After sending Old Hao off, Chen Mu looked at the wall detailing his proficiency. Find your next read at empire
Planting: 7416/10000/First Rank;
“Seeking instruction to learn can also increase proficiency?”
“That’s great.”
He then glanced at the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique. Ever since his last advancement, the breathing method of the Spirit Armor Technique had undergone another adjustment.
Even the structure of his muscles, the way he exerted strength, and habits like walking and sitting had minor changes.
This made the cultivation of the Spirit Armor Technique even more highly automated.
However, the speed at which proficiency increased was cut by half.
“Earth Spirit Vital Energy?”
When he took the White Ge Loach Shuttle to Yunzhou.
The closer he got to Yunzhou, the faster his proficiency increased.
Upon settling down in Jilong Road’s Lower Courtyard, even if he did nothing and just breathed, he could gain forty-eight points every day.
So the question arises, what is special about Yunzhou, or rather the Lower Courtyard of Jilong Road?
Earth Spirit Vital Energy!
“If only I could go to the Upper Court of Jilong Mountain,” Chen Mu sat in the courtyard, staring at the lush green mountains shrouded in mist to the east, lost in thought.
The Upper Court of Jilong Road was nestled among those mountains, enveloped in clouds and mist.
“Could it be because of a lack of Earth Spirit Vital Energy that I have such an increased appetite?” Chen Mu realized in his heart.
“It’s a pity…” he was just an outsider who had recently joined the Lower Courtyard.
There was no way he could go to the Upper Court.
He couldn’t even leave the Lower Courtyard plains without permission.
“Just keep on practicing slowly,” Chen Mu shrugged his shoulders.
…
Time flew by.
Chen Mu spent most of his days in the Yellow Bud Rice Fields. He carefully weeded and meticulously cared for each Yellow Bud Rice plant.
This thing really was peculiar; in just a month, it shot up to the height of a person.
The main stem was as thick as a child’s arm and tough enough to compare with hardwood.
The leaves were broad and plump, their vibrant green color akin to jade carvings.
“This isn’t like planting rice at all, it’s more like tending to little fruit trees,” Chen Mu shook his head, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.
The most critical two months for the Jade Seed to sprout and grow had passed, and the Yellow Bud Rice was almost guaranteed to mature.
Watering, fertilizing, weeding, and protecting the crop afterward was still not simple.
Any small mistake could lead to a loss of yield.
But at least they had survived, hadn’t they?
…
At dusk, within the Low Hill Courtyard.
“You do have a talent for farming,” Old Hao commented with complexity.
The reward from the Scripture Transmission Institute might be within reach, but the commission from selling treasures was probably gone.
In the past two or three months, all of the outsiders who had arrived with Chen Mu had sold some of their personal treasures.
In a region, the top-tier individuals invariably had rare items in their possession.
Even on remote overseas islands, the treasures accumulated by the elite were still valuable.
Those who traded them had made a pretty penny, making him and the fat monk drool with envy.
Unfortunately… Old Hao looked helplessly at Chen Mu.
This man was too earnest, spending all day just farming. Seeing others’ cultivation rise rapidly, wasn’t he anxious at all?
No, that’s not right!
How did such an honest man cultivate a Shell Soul, and how did he even traverse the vast ocean?
Old Hao’s heart skipped a beat.
There must be something off here!
Old Hao’s brows furrowed tightly as he stared intently at Chen Mu from head to toe!
Recalling their interactions over the past few months and observing Chen Mu’s behavior,
Old Hao’s face suddenly darkened.
“This man…”
“This man is truly damn lucky!”
“It must be so!” Old Hao affirmed.
Otherwise, an honest, uncontentious person without top-notch luck could never have come this far!
Old Hao looked at Chen Mu with mixed feelings.
“Maybe, next time I go to the gambling ship, I’ll take him along for the ride? Maybe I can rub off some of his luck?” Old Hao’s eyes lit up.
“Forget it, we don’t have many honest people like him anymore, can’t lead him astray,” Old Hao sighed.
The honest man, Chen Mu, felt uneasy under Old Hao’s intense gaze.
What was the old man thinking?
Never mind that, we’ve gotten familiar over this period; it’s time to inquire about the Underground Market District.
Thinking this, Chen Mu casually mentioned, “I heard there’s a market district here besides Tongtian Square?”
“There is one,” Old Hao glanced at Chen Mu, “Tongtian Square sells genuine goods, but the prices…”
Old Hao made a face at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu nodded in understanding. The buying prices were low, and selling prices were high.
“There’s also an Underground Market District. They have a gathering every half month. But the place is a mix of good and bad; it can easily lead to trouble.”
Chen Mu nodded. This was consistent with the norm for a Ghost Market. If there weren’t problems, who would go to such a place for trading?
“Why are you asking about this?” Old Hao looked at Chen Mu curiously.
“I just have some items I can’t use; I’m wondering where I could exchange them for some money?” Chen Mu looked at the Calming Pills inside the Five Ghosts Bag.
The Hundred Herbs Pavilion was selling them at thirty for one White Jade Coin. The purchase price would definitely not be that high. So, it was better to sell them in the Underground Market District.
In the entire plains of the Lower Courtyard, there were several thousand Armor Spirit Warriors. Just by giving out three to five pills, he could quickly monetize them.
Chen Mu pondered how to sell them securely while making money.
However, Old Hao was staring at Chen Mu, his face filled with unspeakable delight.
“After all the twists and turns, is the commission coming back to me?!”
What an unexpected joy!