The moon was high in the sky.
Chen Mu changed his appearance and figure, had the Five Ghosts Pathfinding for him, and took a circuitous route back to rest in the cellar in the hollow.
He didn’t care about the newcomers in the Underground Market.
Profit margins were already low from buying and selling on the Ghost Ship.
And now, he had to increase the amounts being sent out… Ha!
“Probably some greenhorn just starting out,” Chen Mu shook his head.
Looking at the other party’s crude disguise, it was clear they were inexperienced.
It wouldn’t take long for the increasingly poor profits to teach them a lesson.
…
Low Hill Courtyard.
Chen Mu lay in the rocking chair, swaying back and forth.
Next to him on a short table was a White Jade Plate, and above a fist-sized bronze incense burner, the air twisted with heat carrying a faint sweet fragrance rising up.
Chen Mu’s lips moved, his voice low as if coming from deep within his abdomen.
It was like a thousand overlapping voices chanting strange Curse Commands, continuously spilling from his mouth.
In his mind, a spider-web-like sphere the size of an egg gently vibrated.
At the center, a round Jade Seed also trembled at a certain rhythm.
After a good while, a sudden cool sensation came from the Life Gate at his lower back.
It was as if, in the midst of summer, someone was gently touching his back with two cold metal rods.
Fine, hair-like wisps of white mist appeared in his mind and swiftly burrowed into the Jade Seed, disappearing within.
Chen Mu observed carefully, but saw no change in the Jade Seed.
After a long while, Chen Mu opened his eyes and looked at the semi-translucent grey wall in front of him.
Hundred Intentions Spirit Light Technique: 529/10000;
“An hour for just five or six points of experience, this is far worse than the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique!” Chen Mu sighed.
Others could gain experience just by breathing, even earning progress in their sleep.
And then there’s the Hundred Intentions Spirit Light Technique, sigh…
“No wonder it’s priced the lowest.” Now, Chen Mu understood.
The cultivation time for the Hundred Intentions Spirit Light Technique was indeed long.
He had the proficiency cheat, gaining enlightenment every time he practiced.
With the White Jade Plate, the concentration of Earth Spirit Vital Energy was comparable to that of the Upper Court’s cultivation arenas.
Even with such advantageous circumstances, he calculated that he would still need over seven months of intense effort every day.
Looking at Old Hao, who had bought a top-tier Spiritual Light Secret Technique, he only cultivated for twenty years and… well, let’s not mention Old Hao anymore.
The greatest pain in life is to compare with others. The right attitude should be to compare with oneself.
So… seven months, huh!
Chen Mu curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a grin, squinting his eyes and shaking his leg.
“Seven months for just one Perceptive Spirit Light!”
“How many seven months does one have in life!”
…
“What are you showing off for!” Old Hao, who walked in with his hands behind his back, looked at Chen Mu, puzzled.
Show off? What’s with that look in your eyes!
This is pain and helplessness, conflict and indignation!
“Enough, hurry up and go with me to the Administrative Affairs Institute to register.”
“The ten acres of land to the west, from now on, are yours,” Old Hao urged.
Has it been finalized? Chen Mu was instantly overjoyed.
With the Planting Technique and Five Ghosts Paper Men, growing Yellow Bud Rice wasn’t difficult.
Cultivating ten more acres of land, he could easily earn over twenty White Jade Coins in a year.
“What about the previous tenant to the west?” Chen Mu asked curiously.
“Old Man Bai, he’s gone,” Old Hao took a drag of his cigarette and sighed, “A friend of several decades, no longer to be seen.”
“The land you are now cultivating was originally his.”
“His vitality has been declining over the past two years, and he has been gradually giving up his leases.”
Chen Mu instantly became solemn.
Hearing about someone’s passing so abruptly made him involuntarily tense up inside.
Natural death was one thing, but if it was unnatural…
The key point was that it wasn’t far from his own courtyard!
Chen Mu intently gazed at Old Hao, “How did he go?”
“How did he go?”
“He left by boat,” Old Hao said, not understanding.
Chen Mu immediately felt embarrassed.
“Before Old Man Bai left, he told me he was going home to take thirty-six concubines. Psh!” As if recalling something, Old Hao looked annoyed, “We weren’t even close, why tell me this!”
“You old rascal!”
“Then don’t be envious,” Chen Mu teased merrily.
“Envious? What look is that in your eyes? I’m spitting on it, I’m contemptuous!”
“To give up the path for the sake of enjoyment, I must spit on it!” Old Hao insisted solemnly.
Chen Mu didn’t speak, he just looked on with a sidelong glance.
…
To the north of Tongtian Square, at the Lower Courtyard residence.
Chen Mu followed Old Hao to the Administrative Affairs Institute.
In the main hall of the institute was a storage room, and it was said that the mountain behind it had been hollowed out to create the warehouse for the Jilong Road Lower Courtyard’s supplies.
On both sides were three tile-roofed side rooms responsible for the various administrative affairs of Jilong Road.
Chen Mu followed Old Hao into the second room on the left.
He quickly completed the information change and left with a page of the lease contract.
Just stepping out of the Administrative Affairs Institute, he met face-to-face with a group of hundreds of people, looking tense as they walked towards the back of the residence.
Judging by the direction, it seemed to be the Scripture Transmission Institute.
“Is someone delivering a scripture or giving a sermon today?” Chen Mu wondered, not having heard anything about it.
Old Hao, looking at the crowd with a face full of envy, said, “They are going to the Upper Court arena.”
“The one specifically designed for the disciples of the Lower Courtyard to cultivate in?” Chen Mu realized.
A hundred White Jade Coins could only get you one month of cultivation there.
An ordinary disciple of the Lower Courtyard would have to honestly plant Yellow Bud Rice for three to four years to save up that much money.
“Exploitation is everywhere,” Chen Mu sighed.
Fortunately, he had the White Jade Plate.
“No wonder the Inspection Courtyard was conducting a massive search back then,” Chen Mu squinted his eyes slightly.
“It’s not necessarily true that they’ve stopped now.”
“It’s more likely they’ve shifted from overt to covert investigations.”
“I’ll have to be even more cautious when using it in the future.”
…
Ten nights later, shortly after nightfall.
On the west side of Low Mountain, within a broad expanse of Yellow Bud Rice Fields, three black clouds appeared in mid-air.
Then, they suddenly plummeted as if they were torrents of dark water, rapidly rolling and spreading across the Yellow Bud Rice Fields.
Wherever they passed, the compacted soil instantly turned over and crumbled, becoming loose and friable.
At the edge of the field, Chen Mu nodded in satisfaction.
This was the ten acres of Yellow Bud Rice Fields he had just rented.
Taking advantage of the night, he used the Five Ghosts Yin Spirit to till the field and didn’t even go home.
Putting on his Beast Head Mask and draping a black cloak over himself, his figure and appearance changed. With a few leaps, he sprang onto Low Mountain.
Then, he crossed the ridge and hurried northward at top speed.
The Underground Market was open tonight, and he was going to sell Calming Pills.
…
The more times he went, although he was still cautious, he also felt more relaxed and composed.
“After selling today’s batch, I’ll have enough for the month,” Chen Mu calculated as he walked.
With twenty acres of Yellow Bud Rice Fields and a steady outlet for Calming Pills,
he would no longer worry about White Jade Coins for his cultivation at the Perceptive Spirit Light Stage.
Entering the Underground Market, he leisurely made his way to a familiar spot. However, he discovered that his space was already occupied by someone else.
“Is this newcomer still trying?” Chen Mu was surprised to see his fellow trader occupying his spot.
“Could it be that he’s been adulterating the product?” Buying and selling on the Ghost Ship, one couldn’t make money without doing that.
“Isn’t he afraid of getting killed?” Chen Mu’s own Calming Pills 1.0 were substandard at best,
but others were truly adulterating their products!
Chen Mu shook his head and decided not to concern himself with it any further.
But just as he had gone a short distance further in, he noticed another stall selling Calming Pills.
Chen Mu looked towards the wooden placard for the price.
“One White Jade Coin, thirty-four White Jade Coins.”
Chen Mu: “…”
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
He hurried deeper into the Underground Market.
The third shop, the fourth shop…
Before he even entered the core of the Underground Market, he had already seen seven stalls selling Calming Pills,
and each was more egregious than the last.
The stall with the biggest discount was selling thirty-seven Calming Pills for one White Jade Coin!
What the hell was going on?!