Qing'an Town, the location of the Qing Xuan Sect, located in the town center, the tallest and largest building.
Along the way, Li Mu encountered many who, like him, were pushing wheelbarrows and wooden carts early, rushing to deliver Spirit Rice, paying tenant rent as Spirit Plant Cultivators.
During the Spirit Rice harvest season, the Qing Xuan Sect's Outer Disciples are dispatched to maintain order among the Spirit Plant Cultivators paying their dues; no one dares cause trouble at this time.
"Worm-like aphids! I didn't notice the Worm-like aphids appeared, this harvest has striked a considerable loss!"
"Yeah! I only harvested 600 pounds of Spirit Rice per acre, half a year of hard work gone down the drain, and I even lost ten Lower Spirit Stones."
"Alas! Isn't everyone in the same boat? But if we don't cultivate Spirit Rice, what else could we do?"
"I'm quitting! I heard they discovered a Spirit Stone Vein in neighboring Qingping Town, and they're hiring. I'm planning to go mine Spirit Ore."
"Mining Spirit Ore? Entering mine tunnels, it's easy to encounter Earth Fiends. Those sinister beings can kill you without a hint, better settle down and keep farming!"
"This pest disaster is no small matter, next year the Worm-like aphids will definitely cause trouble again, just be more careful!"
...
As he queued to pay the tenant rent, Li Mu listened to the distressing discussions of the surrounding Spirit Plant Cultivators and felt inexplicably heavy-hearted.
The sudden widespread infestation of Worm-like aphids, which many Spirit Plant Cultivators failed to notice in advance, resulted in substantial losses in Spirit Rice yields, causing sighs and even some shedding tears in secret.
Li Mu stood silently in the queue, waiting to pay the rent, not involving himself in their conversation.
If it weren't for the help of his Golden Finger, discovering the pest problem early, he would also be like them, furrowing his brow and worrying about insufficient harvests failing to cover tenant rent.
Soon enough, it was Li Mu's turn to pay the rent, the Management Disciple opened the Spirit Rice bags and checked them, immediately realizing the quality of this batch of Spirit Rice was quite good.
"The remaining three bags of Spirit Rice, you're planning to handle them at the market, right? Sell them to the Sect!" The Management Disciple looked at Li Mu and demanded forcefully.
"Uh! Sir, how will the price of the rice be calculated?" Li Mu was taken aback and hurriedly asked.
"It won't shortchange you, we will collect at the market price!" The Management Disciple glanced at Li Mu impatiently and instructed a junior by his side: "Xiaozhou, give him thirty Lower Spirit Stones, and move the rice bags into the warehouse together."
"Got it!" The disciple named Xiaozhou took out a child spirit stone and handed it to Li Mu.
Li Mu counted, not one more, not one less, exactly thirty Lower Spirit Stones.
All ten bags of Spirit Rice were taken by the Qing Xuan Sect, and Li Mu was happy to be relieved, pushing the empty cart, heading to the market to purchase some supplies along the way.
Upon reaching the market, after inquiring about the Spirit Rice price, Li Mu was almost eager to slap himself several times.
He had lost significantly!
Due to the impact of Worm-like aphids, many Spirit Plant Cultivators harvested insufficiently and needed to purchase Spirit Rice on the market to pay tenant rent, now the market price of White Jade Spirit Rice had already risen by two Broken Spirits, and following this trend, the Spirit Rice price would continue to rise.
Damn! The Qing Xuan Sect has nothing good!
Uh! Except for me.
Li Mu sighed and acknowledged the loss, that Management Disciple's cultivation was Late-Stage Qi Refining, not someone he could provoke, if he insisted on buying the Spirit Rice, he couldn't stop him anyway.
"Boss, how much for the Wind Spirit Grass Spirit Seed?" Li Mu went into the Spirit Plant Store and asked the store owner.
"Five Lower Spirits per pound." The store owner directly pulled out a prepared pack of Spirit Seeds from under the counter, they sold Wind Spirit Grass seeds whenever the Spirit Rice harvest paid tenant rent season came around.
"Does a pound of Spirit Seeds plant an acre? Is the price negotiable?" Li Mu hesitantly asked, after cultivating the fields for half a year, he only earned thirty Lower Spirit Stones, he wished he could split a stone into two to spend.
"They're allotted for an acre of Spirit Field, price isn't negotiable, if you don't want it, don't let the door hit you on your way out!" The Spirit Plant Store owner glanced at Li Mu, indifferent.
...
Damn it! If there weren't only one Spirit Plant Seed Store in Qing'an Town, with the owner's sales attitude, Li Mu would definitely walk away.
Helplessly, almost the entire Qing'an Town was under the control of the Qing Xuan Sect, many industries were monopolized.
For instance, this Spirit Seed trade, all cultivated by the Sect's High-tier Spirit Plant Cultivators, many of the selling Spirit Seeds could only fruit but not be used for self-sustaining seed cultivation.
Li Mu gritted his teeth and took out five Lower Spirits, bought a bag of Wind Spirit Grass Spirit Seed, and left the Spirit Plant Store.
Li Mu pushed the wooden cart around the market, spending five Broken Spirits, bought half a pound of Spirit Deer Meat, at the Tailor Shop with two Lower Spirits bought a Training Suit, at the Spirit Talisman Store bought several doves of Talisman Paper, ... various food and items, soon the cart was stacked with living supplies.
...
"How much for this Spell?" Li Mu stopped at a stall selling Cultivation Techniques and pointed to a tattered Spell book and asked.
Just earlier, as Li Mu scanned the Loose Cultivator stalls, using his ability Recognize Ten Thousand Spirits, he unexpectedly found a minor loophole, a Profound Level Technique tucked within a finger strength technique book that wasn't even a Top Grade.
Li Mu suppressed his feelings of excitement and asked the seller of the Cultivation Techniques for the price.
"Two Lower Spirits!" The old tradesman glanced at the book Li Mu pointed to and responded.
"This technique doesn't even count as a grade, two Lower Spirits is too expensive, I'll take it for one Lower Spirit!" Li Mu habitually haggled.
The old tradesman hesitated, as Li Mu said, a common technique wasn't worth a high price, but the old tradesman was reluctant to sell it for just one Lower Spirit.
"How about this, if you buy other cultivation techniques, I'll throw this book in as a freebie." The old tradesman contemplated and suggested.
This old guy, is really good at business!
Li Mu thought for a while, besides his Sword Control Technique as an Enemy Defense Technique, and Swordsmanship, he seemed to need to cultivate a spell technique, such as not to be caught off guard by ghostly beings like Yin Souls.
"Do you have any Fire Element Techniques? What are your prices?" Li Mu scanned the Cultivation Technique books on the stall again.
"Yes, yes, I have this Fire Manipulation Technique, and also this Condensing Fire Technique, they're both good Enemy Defense Techniques, each only costs 20 Lower Spirits, with an accompanying Finger Strength Technique book." The old tradesman came alive with interest and immediately singled out two techniques.
"Both are Yellow-level Lower Grades, just Fire Manipulation Technique then! 15 Lower Spirits." Li Mu decisively countered.
"Give me a little room to make a profit! 19 Lower Spirits, you take the two books!" The old tradesman face fell into a mask of misery, pleaded.
"I only have 15 Lower Spirits left, if not, I'll just buy this Finger Strength instead." Li Mu flatly refused.
"Just add two more, just two more Lower Spirits, 17 Lower Spirits." The old tradesman pleaded pitifully.
Li Mu hesitated for a moment, but after touching his Spirit Stone Bag, he hardened his heart once more, directly displaying his Spirit Stone Bag for him to see.
In the end, the old tradesman was defeated by Li Mu's Spirit Stone Bag, sullenly accepting the fifteen Lower Spirits, and no longer wanted to deal with this pauper.
Li Mu silently stored the two Cultivation Technique books in his arms, effortlessly pushing his cart out of Qing'an Town, having promptly spent all thirty Spirit Stones he earned from selling Spirit Rice, next, he'd have to endure a tough period, continuing to earn Spirit Stones by drawing Spirit Talismans.