"Jingxing, why are you up? How is your body?"
Xia Qingfeng, who had just returned from the Family grounds, asked with some concern when he saw his son squatting in the corner and giggling.
"I've already taken the Pulse Recovery Pill. But it will take half a month to recover."
"That's good!" Xia Qingfeng nodded, relieved.
Xia Jingxing looked up and saw his father's gloomy face.
"Father, what's wrong? Did Elder Chen not agree?"
"Alas! I told her you just came back from the brink of death and wanted to withdraw your punishment. But the Family's current tasks have already been assigned. If you don't go, you'll have to find someone to take your place."
"I asked around. Most of the Cultivators in the Family have been assigned tasks. I can't find a replacement for now."
Xia Qingfeng wanted to switch with his son, but his task required a Cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement to be competent.
Chen Manyu's task was to do odd jobs for the Family's medicine hall, which required certain pharmacological knowledge. With Xia Jingxing's knowledge, he certainly couldn't do it.
Xia Xiao Chang was not yet of age and had not been assigned a task. She was only at the second level of Qi Refinement. If she were persuaded to take her brother's place in guarding the Spiritual Plant field, it would be unfair to her.
"Father. Let me go. Guarding the Spiritual Plant field is an easy job. It's also good for healing."
Xia Jingxing immediately understood something upon hearing this.
The Xia Family's tasks had certain quota restrictions and required sufficient quality to be chosen. The remuneration was not low. Therefore, once assigned, very few people would choose to switch, let alone the remote and less profitable Banzhu Mountain.
This was a punishment brought about by the original body, and he should resolve it himself.
Now, the mind-reading ability brought from the apocalypse had turned into an intelligence ability, which might be helpful for farming.
"Are you sure you've thought it through? That abandoned Spiritual Plant field in Banzhu Mountain has been unmanaged for years. The Spiritual Vein is only the lowest-grade First Grade Low Grade. If it weren't for your transgression this time, it wouldn't have been assigned."
"At that time, I'll ask Senior Li Biao to help purchase a First Grade High Grade Spirit Gathering Array. Practicing alone shouldn't be affected."
"That's true! Since Li Biao swore to protect your Dao for five years, he shouldn't go back on his word. With his protection, your trip to Banzhu Mountain should be fine." Xia Qingfeng thought of Li Biao, who swore to protect his Dao, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Although Elder Chen cannot revoke your punishment, she can decide to give you the task remuneration for guarding the Spiritual Plant field. Ten Spirit Stones per month. You are allowed to recuperate for one month before going. If there is a harvest in the Spiritual Plant field, you can dispose of it as you wish. However, you must manage and plant it yourself."
"Your son understands!"
"It's getting late, get some rest early."
...A month later, in the Family's back mountain medicine garden.
Xia Jingxing planned to come to the medicine hall here to buy some spiritual seeds.
Half a month ago, he had already repaired his Dantian, and his cultivation had successfully broken through the Bottleneck that had plagued him for five years, reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement.
He also spent half a month in the Family's library catching up on cultivation knowledge.
There were only one or two days left until he had to go to Banzhu Mountain to guard the Spiritual Plant field, so he planned to purchase everything in these few days.
"Thirteenth Uncle! I want to exchange for some spiritual seeds!"
After arriving at the medicine hall, Xia Jingxing called out to Thirteenth Uncle, who was calculating on an abacus at the counter.
"It's you, kid! I heard you came back from the brink of death. Are you feeling better now?"
"Much better!"
"You, your Aptitude is not bad. A rare three-Spiritual Root Genius in the Family. Although your father is a bit strict, he truly considers your well-being. You must not be so ignorant in the future." Thirteenth Uncle pretended to be angry and gave him a few pointers.
"Thirteenth Uncle, I understand. I was ignorant before!"
Thirteenth Uncle saw that Xia Jingxing actually admitted his mistake, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise, thinking to himself, could this kid have come to his senses after dying once?
In the past, he would immediately turn hostile if he was lectured a few times.
Xia Jingxing had been in the Family for a month and gradually realized how unpopular the original body was in the Family.
Female Cultivators would hide when they saw him, fearing being harassed, and the various Family Elders would shake their heads and sigh when they saw him.
There were many three-Spiritual Root Cultivators in the Family, but compared to four-Spiritual Root and five-Spiritual Root, they were rare. Only three or four out of fifty people had three-Spiritual Roots, and only one out of a hundred had dual-Spiritual Roots, which the Family treated as a treasure.
The Family Genius, Xia Ranran, who caused him to be misunderstood as harassing her, was a wood-fire dual-Spiritual Root Genius and a good seedling for an Alchemist.
It was no wonder that Elder Chen of the Family, in order to protect her, sent Xia Jingxing to the remote Banzhu Mountain as punishment.
Therefore, the Family Elders were very resentful of Xia Jingxing's lack of ambition, idleness, and lazy behavior all day long.
It was as if they could soar to the sky just by possessing this Spiritual Root.
"What spiritual seeds do you want?" Thirteenth Uncle took out about ten bags of spiritual seeds and asked in a low voice.
"I wonder if there are any blood coagulation grass spiritual seeds?" Xia Jingxing had read many farming classics these days.
Healing-type Spirit Medicine was the most in demand. Cultivators would inevitably get injured in beast fights and spell fights, so the prices of these medicinal materials were relatively affordable.
Among them, blood coagulation grass did not require high soil quality, ripened in five months, and was more suitable for planting in abandoned Spiritual Plant fields like Banzhu Mountain.
"blood coagulation grass has always been in short supply. Any remaining spiritual seeds are immediately planted. I don't have any right now. If you want some, I'll take you to the medicine garden to get them later. What else do you want? Tell me everything at once, and I'll get what I don't have."
"polygonatum root, green vine leaf, Cinnabar Root..."
Xia Jingxing rattled off eight types of First Grade Spiritual Plants, mostly healing-type Spirit Medicine. Only rock heart grass and golden thread grass were relatively drought-resistant and were auxiliary medicines for many First Grade Spirit Pills.
"Hmm! I only have four types here. I'll take you to the medicine garden to pick the remaining five." Thirteenth Uncle pondered for a moment and picked out the four bags of spiritual seeds he needed.
"Each bag contains one hundred to three hundred spiritual seeds, and each bag costs three Spirit Stones. Common Spiritual Plant seeds have a larger quantity, like golden thread grass, which has three hundred seeds, and it's still three Spirit Stones a bag."
Thirteenth Uncle saw Xia Jingxing's surprised expression and immediately said with a smile, "Usually, only forty to seventy percent of these spiritual seeds can survive and be successfully cultivated. Even fewer high-value Spirit Medicine seeds survive! Don't think you're getting a bargain."
Xia Jingxing's entire face immediately drooped upon hearing this.
"Alright! Let's go pick the spiritual seeds, hurry up and follow!" Thirteenth Uncle said, then got up and walked towards the backyard.
Xia Jingxing quickly followed.
As he stepped out of the backyard gate's Formation, he saw a vast expanse of spiritual plant fields ahead, about a hundred acres, lush green and stretching as far as the eye could see.
Many Family Cultivators were moving through the medicine fields.
"If you learn pharmacology in the future, you can come to the medicine hall for assessment. The Family's medicine hall tasks are a lucrative position. Every year, Cultivators break their heads trying to get in, but only about ten are accepted."
Xia Jingxing wasn't listening carefully. As soon as he walked past a patch of purple bamboo forest, the sound of purple cloud bamboo coughing reached his ears: "So thirsty! So hungry! ..."
"The bamboo rats below have hidden gold crystal ore! And quite a lot of it!"
"If only someone would come and steal it!"
Xia Jingxing looked up and saw a text box appearing in front of the purple cloud bamboo, making his eyes light up slightly.
【Name: First Grade Purple Cloud Bamboo
Innate Attribute: Tough Wood】
【Cannot be absorbed】
This ability could only view the attributes of spiritual plants and absorb talents.
"Could it be that only spiritual plants I personally plant can have their talents absorbed?"
Thinking this, he looked at the blood coagulation grass next to him.
【Name: First Grade blood coagulation grass
Innate Attribute: Blood Qi Enhancement】
【Cannot be absorbed】
"Indeed! Only spiritual plants I plant myself can have their talents absorbed!"
And it should only be spiritual plants that can have their information read.
"It seems I have no choice but to farm!" A hint of joy appeared on his face.
"These few acres are planted with blood coagulation grass! They will be ripe in a few days. The spiritual seeds can be harvested in advance. Otherwise, the Spiritual Qi in the spiritual seeds will be absorbed by the plant." Thirteenth Uncle finished speaking and directly entered the blood coagulation grass field to collect spiritual seeds.
Xia Jingxing had no experience in harvesting and wanted to learn by following Thirteenth Uncle. A blood coagulation grass at his feet suddenly shrieked: "Ah! There's an insect laying eggs in my stem!"
"Don't step on me! Don't step on me!"
"Every day someone comes to steal spiritual seeds. I wonder when it will stop!"
"That old man always hides a lot, buried fifty inches deep three zhang ahead."
"Kid Yu, watch carefully! For these nearly ripe Spirit Medicine seeds, usually take half and leave half for them to absorb, otherwise it will affect the medicinal properties! ..." Thirteenth Uncle explained and harvested at the same time.
Xia Jingxing listened to the blood coagulation grass tattling, his thoughts stirring slightly.
"Ah! So painful, so painful!"
"Gentler! Gentler!"
"Damn thief, actually stealing my spiritual seeds!"
Xia Jingxing observed Thirteenth Uncle's movements with sharp eyes.
The chirping of the blood coagulation grass in his ears made his heart flutter slightly.