Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the great tree's branches, scattering golden flecks across the ground.
Ji An finished his morning cultivation, slung two sacks of spirit rice over his shoulder, and walked out of his courtyard.
He was just about to take out his talisman bird when a hearty voice called out:
"Junior Brother Ji, where are you headed so early?"
Looking up, Ji An saw a slightly plump figure riding a talisman bird toward him.
Setting the bags at his feet, Ji An clasped his hands in salute.
"Wei Senior Brother!"
The newcomer was none other than Wei Songnian. His talisman bird landed, and Wei swung a leg down with practiced ease.
"Nothing urgent today," Wei said cheerfully. "I came to find you for a drink. How was your grain harvest?"
"Thanks to fortune, from two acres I reaped five hundred and eighty jin of yellow sprout rice. I was just about to sell some, exchange for spirit stones, and come find Senior Brother to buy pills."
Wei blinked in surprise, then looked at the bulging sacks at Ji An's feet and chuckled.
"Junior Brother, impressive indeed."
He knew planting well enough. Two acres yielding that much meant Ji An must have pushed one of his planting spells to the Great Accomplishment stage right at the crucial heading period.
Wei stepped forward, hoisted one sack onto his shoulder, and said:
"Don't sell the rice today. I'll go fetch Old Huang, and the three of us can sit down to a proper drink. I've already bought spirit food and spirit wine. You must give me this face."
"This should've been my treat, how can I let Senior Brother spend?"
"Hah! When you break through to mid-stage Qi Refinement, you won't even be allowed to refuse hosting us!"
Laughing, Wei carried the sack straight to the bamboo house door.
Ji An had no choice but to form a hand seal and lift the restriction.
Wei stepped inside, saw another sack of rice against the wall, and nodded faintly.
Mm, five hundred and eighty jin, the numbers add up.
Putting the bag down, he said,
"Come on, let's go. Old Huang should be just back from Bihai Lake at this hour. He never lingers long. We'll wait at his place."
The two hurried off and arrived at Old Huang's door. Sure enough, before long, the man came humming a tune as he walked back.
They set up a table and chairs, and Wei pulled three bottles of spirit wine and cooked dishes out of his storage pouch.
Though drinking so early in the morning felt a bit odd, Ji An still sat down obediently.
After three rounds of wine, Old Huang sighed.
"I wonder if my grandson Feihu will be able to pass the Illusion-Heart Formation next year. If not… I'll have to spend heavily."
Wei grunted, then laughed.
"You've been saving spirit stones all these years for just that day, haven't you? Entering the sect is a thousand times better than wandering as a rogue cultivator. No matter what, your grandson's starting line will be far higher than yours was. He has a real hope of Foundation Establishment!"
Old Huang's face blossomed like a chrysanthemum.
"May your words prove true, Senior Brother. But once Feihu enters the sect, by his second year, I'll be gone. After that, I must trouble Senior Brother and Junior Brother Ji to look after him."
Wei thumped his chest.
"Old Huang, we've been friends for almost twenty years! Rest easy if it's within my ability, I won't shirk."
"So will I."
Ji An smiled. Old Huang had been the first to lend him a spirit stone; of course, he had to give him face.
"With those words from you two, I'm at ease."
Ji An then asked,
"May I ask, Senior Brother, if one cannot awaken from the Illusion-Heart Formation in time, how much does it cost to still enter the sect?"
Wei raised a hand, spreading his fingers.
"Fifty spirit stones. Truth be told, it's a back door reserved for the scions of great clans."
Though it sounded expensive, for those people, it wasn't much at all.
For youths in their teens, lacking firm willpower was no real flaw; they had all the time in the world to be trained and tempered.
Old Huang drew a deep breath and said:
"By then, this patch of spirit field, plot Guiwei, should be under Junior Brother Ji's care. I'd like Feihu to keep working as a spirit farmer."
Wei Songnian pondered for a moment before replying:
"To be honest, unless one is exceptional like Junior Brother Ji, the ceiling for a spirit farmer isn't very high. It might be better to maneuver him into learning a craft with more promise."
Old Huang took a hard swallow of wine, exhaling a long breath.
"Of course I know that. But if he takes the path of a spirit farmer, at least I can help him along.
If he tries artifact forging, beast taming, or talisman-making… if he lacks talent, who knows how many spirit stones he'd burn before making any name for himself?
The savings I've scraped together can't withstand such waste. Farming may be harder, but at least it guarantees a steady income.
Even if Feihu's cultivation ends up like mine, he'll at least have more wealth than I did, and that way, his descendants will start from a higher point."
Wei nodded slowly.
"Wise words, Senior Brother Huang. I hadn't considered it so thoroughly."
He understood that without powerful backing, the first steps in cultivation were always the hardest.
Old Huang then turned his head and said firmly:
"When Feihu enters the sect, that first-rank spirit field I nurtured, I'll entrust it to Little Brother An!"
"Senior Brother, I can't possibly accept that!"
Old Huang waved his hand.
"Don't refuse, Little An. That valley plot lies far from any spirit vein without frequent use of fourth-layer Thick Earth Art to nourish the earth's qi; within a few years, it will degrade.
In Feihu's hands, it would only be wasted."
He turned toward Wei Songnian, clasped his hands.
"Senior Brother, once I leave the sect, I'll have nowhere proper to go. Could I perhaps rent a few of your Wei clan's fields to farm?"
"That would be ideal," Wei replied at once.
Among Qi Refining disciples, Old Huang was a competent spirit farmer better than most the clan employed. He could even be given a low-grade first-rank spirit field. With Great Accomplishment, Thick Earth Art warming it, perhaps in time it could be raised to mid-grade.
Wine drained, dishes empty, the three chatted a while longer before parting.
Wei pulled Ji An aside, producing three jade bottles.
"Junior Brother, take these bottles of Yellow Sprout Pills."
Is the investor adding to his stake?
Ji An did not reach out.
"Senior Brother, I have no spirit stones to pay for them."
Wei grinned.
"You know what I mean. I believe in your future and want to build ties early. Consider it a credit. Pay me back after you pass the three-year trial for new disciples."
"Your kindness, Senior Brother, I will never forget." Ji An bowed slightly and accepted the pills.
The meaning was clear: he had two and a half years' grace. A very generous term.
With words spoken plainly, their bond felt warmer.
Wei shaded his eyes and glanced at the sun.
"Nearly noon, I should go. I still have to set up at the Bihai Market."
He lowered his hand and added,
"When you're ready to break through a bottleneck, come find me. I'll prepare two Jade Pills for you."
This time, Ji An didn't decline. He clasped his hands.
"Many thanks, Senior Brother."
After sending Wei off, Ji An returned to his bamboo loft and immediately sat to refine the spirit food and wine.
When he had drawn out all the spiritual power from his meal, his cultivation had advanced a little further.
He took out the pills Wei had given, opening each bottle in turn, twelve pills in total.
Ji An recorded the debt firmly in his heart, then hefted a sack of spirit rice onto his back and went out.
He no longer lacked pills, so he planned to head to the Affairs Hall to exchange for contribution points and redeem jade slips on talisman paper making and ink blending.
He was preparing to reclaim another acre of land and plant half of it with talisman grass.
That way, his spiritual power could be put to its fullest use.
Besides, he'd heard that mixing talisman ink consumed much less mana, so he could try buying materials to experiment.
But truthfully, he was still desperately short of spirit stones. Who knew when he would ever be able to enjoy cultivating with a proper Spirit-Draining Array?