10: Chapter 10 Turmoil

"Forced buying and selling? You could interpret it that way."

"Quickly, everyone make way, Brother Qiang is here!"

A group of people trotted over, parting the crowd, and a scholar-like man stepped out from among them.

He wore white clothes, white pants, and a white headscarf, but his face was pale and he had two particularly obvious dark circles under his eyes, looking quite comical.

"Liu Daqiang, what are you doing here?"

Ding Xin took a step forward and whispered in Zhao Mo's ear, "This is the legitimate son of Immortal Master Liu, and he works in the rice trade. Stall him for a bit; I've already called my sister over."

"Hmph, Big Idiot Ding, why can't I be here?"

"The spirit fields of Xiao Ji Village belong to the Xuan Sect. What's wrong with my rice shop coming here to purchase spirit rice?"

"Are you going to stop me from buying spirit rice?"

Zhao Mo stopped Ding Xin, who was about to speak, and patted his shoulder, signaling that it was fine.

"Naturally, no one is stopping you."

"However, my spirit rice costs one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per jin, and it can only be used for eating. If it is used for any other purpose and problems arise, I will not be held responsible."

Zhao Mo was being almost explicit.

Eating it was fine, but if they took it to use as seeds, they shouldn't come looking for him if something went wrong.

"Wait, how can you just raise the price like that?"

"Wasn't it ten purple gold coins just now?"

Zhao Mo said, "If you don't have the money, you don't have to buy it."

"Are you deaf? Didn't I tell you to give me three jin?"

Luo Yan, this woman, truly lived up to having played cards with Zhao Mo; she provided a divine assist at the critical moment.

"Alright, that'll be three Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Junior Brother Ding, collect the money."

"Remember, it's only for eating."

Zhao Mo exhorted once more.

"Hmph."

Luo Yan took the spirit rice and left.

What a joke, eating spirit rice that costs one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per jin? Of course it was for seeds. After all, the spirit rice Zhao Mo harvested had been under everyone's watchful eyes; everyone knew Zhao Mo had no chance to tamper with it, which was why everyone was forcing him to sell it.

Delaying things only invites trouble.

Who wouldn't be envious of divine rice that yielded a thousand jin per mu?

Ding Xin grabbed Zhao Mo's hand.

"Why did you...?"

"I said not to worry, my sister will be here soon."

Zhao Mo didn't say much; in his mind, he'd be a fool not to sell spirit rice when the price had increased a hundredfold.

"Who else wants to buy? If you miss this chance, you won't get another."

Liu Daqiang said, "My rice shop will take all of it."

"It's one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per jin, right?"

"Here are twenty-eight Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

Liu Daqiang threw a cloth bag to Zhao Mo. Upon opening it, it was full of shimmering Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

In the Xuan Sect, one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone was equal to a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Zhao Mo counted them; there were exactly twenty-eight.

"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother Liu. All this spirit rice belongs to you now. Just remember, it's only for eating."

Liu Daqiang said smugly, "That's none of your concern, Junior Brother Zhao. You lot, move all this spirit rice onto the flying boat for me."

"Let's go, Junior Brother Ding, we're going back to eat spirit rice too." Zhao Mo shouldered the bag by his feet; it contained the remaining eighty jin.

The onlookers were stunned. They hadn't expected Liu Daqiang to be so overbearing as to forcibly buy all of Zhao Mo's spirit rice.

Of course, there were also Luo Yan's three jin, but seeing the way she was now clinging to Liu Daqiang's arm, what difference was there from Liu Daqiang buying it himself?

Seeing that the crowd still wanted to surround him, Zhao Mo hurriedly said, "Everyone, I won't sell these eighty jin of spirit rice even if you kill me. After a year of hard work, you have to let me have a taste."

With that, he pulled Ding Xin and left.

Ding Xin kept looking back with every step.

"You just sold it like that?"

"Well, these eighty jin are enough for us to use as seeds next year."

"Sigh, from today on, you're going to be famous."

Ding Xin was right. In the Xuan Sect, who could grow spirit rice with a yield of a thousand jin per mu? Who could sell spirit rice for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per jin? Only Zhao Mo.

The people who had been surrounding Zhao Mo now swarmed around Liu Daqiang. After all, Zhao Mo only had eighty jin left, which wasn't enough to share among them.

"Everyone go to the rice shop. One Spirit Stone per jin, buy quickly if you want it." Liu Daqiang bared his sharp teeth; one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone was also a Spirit Stone, so what he said wasn't technically wrong.

"Good job. Wash yourself up tonight and wait for me."

Liu Daqiang gave Luo Yan's waist a squeeze, completely ignoring the crowd around them.

Inside Zhao Mo's small courtyard, Zhao Mo looked curiously at Ding Xin and his sister. Were they really born of the same parents?

Dings Little Sister was petite and exquisite, as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal, but what was with her carrying a massive saber?

"Divine rice with a thousand jin yield?"

"Forced buying and selling?"

"Brother, I've always thought you weren't very bright, but now you're talking nonsense?"

"Is someone bullying you?"

"Him?"

Zhao Mo felt the cold air emanating from the blade's edge and quickly explained, "It's not me. Junior Brother Ding and I are like brothers; why would I bully him?"

"It was Liu Daqiang."

"Liu Daqiang again?"

"That scoundrel, I'm going to hack him down."

After saying that, Dings Little Sister gripped her saber and took to the air, vanishing in an instant.

"Flight? White clothes with gold embroidery... your sister is a True Disciple?"

Ding Xin said happily, "Naturally."

Then he looked distressed again.

"Liu Daqiang won't actually be hacked to death, will he?"

"His father is a Golden Core Immortal Master."

"By the way."

"This... that..."

Zhao Mo said, "What do you want to say? Don't hesitate."

"Oh, do you want to eat this hybrid spirit rice?"

"I haven't eaten it either; I'll make some right now."

Ding Xin: "I want to..."

He stammered for a long while but ultimately didn't say it.

Zhao Mo naturally knew what Ding Xin meant, but now was not the time; he had to leave him hanging for a bit.

"Wow, it smells so good."

The spirit rice cooked from the hybrid spirit rice was clearly more fragrant than that made from ordinary spirit rice.

Taking a bite, it was sweet and soft, and the texture was several levels higher.

"It's delicious."

"This hybrid spirit rice is a success."

Things had quieted down on Zhao Mo's end.

But over at Liu Daqiang's place, it was completely bustling.

spirit rice for one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone per jin, limited to a hundred jin a day—take it or leave it.

Someone asked how long he planned to sell it for. Liu Daqiang gave a cold laugh. If it doesn't sell, it doesn't sell; I'll keep it for seeds.

"Hmph, you should know that my rice shop is the biggest landlord in the Xuan Sect."

He wasn't polite at all, naming it 'Divine Rice' directly.

"Second Young Master, this is bad! Daoist Qingning is here."

The newcomer was none other than Ding Xin's sister, whose Daoist name was Qingning.

"That madwoman! Quick, tell her I'm not here."

Liu Daqiang dropped to the floor and crawled under the bed; judging by his proficiency, he likely hadn't done this just once or twice.

Dings Little Sister arrived in a rage and left disappointed.

Back to Zhao Mo.

After a preoccupied Ding Xin left, he opened the System.

He was overjoyed looking at the System's information.

【Farmer: Zhao Mo】

【Cultivation: Qi Refining Fifth Layer (Can be upgraded)】

【Experience Points: 330/200】

【Rewards: ox-driving whip, ox tether】

"Three hundred and thirty Experience Points."

"Not only did I get twenty-eight Mid-Grade Spirit Stones this year, but my cultivation is also about to Breakthrough to Qi Refining Sixth Layer."

Qi Refining Sixth Layer! How could Zhao Mo have dared to dream of this before?

After hanging a 'Seclusion' sign outside the small courtyard, Zhao Mo said softly, "Upgrade cultivation."