18 Chapter 17 Cooperation_1
Translator: 549690339
“Each mature spirit plant bestows different gifts within the white light cluster.”
After harvesting two different types of spirit plants, Lu Xuan began to recognize some patterns.
When the Spirit Firefly Grass ripened, the white light cluster contained varying levels of cultivation, low-grade formula methods, and First Grade Talismans. When the Moon Erosion Fruit ripened, it mainly unveiled fragments of magic weapons, elixirs, charms, and occasionally the much rare elixir recipes.
“Perhaps in the future I could adjust the types of spirit plants I’m cultivating according to my needs.”
However, the immediate problem that needed to be solved was to find a larger Spirit Field with abundant spiritual energy and a complex environment suitable for various types of spirit plants.
The second most pressing concern was a storage bag, because as his wealth was increasing, the amount of talismans, elixir medicines and more was also growing. He couldn’t possibly carry all of them in his pockets every time he went out.
With that in mind, Lu Xuan, looking at the twenty-eight Moon Erosion Fruits piled up in his room, decided to sell them and exchange them for spirit stones.
He packed them in a sack and without stopping along the way, he headed straight for his destination – Bai Cao Tang.
In the room full of heavy medicinal aromas, Manager He, with sharp eyes, spotted Lu Xuan and the bulging sack he was carrying.
“Kid Lu, it’s been a while. Did some other spirit plants mature?”
“Two Moon Erosion Trees entered the mature stage and I harvested some fruits to visit you.”
Lu Xuan said with a smile.
“Visiting this old man is not the real intention, visiting the spirit stones of Bai Cao Tang is the real goal, right?”
The thin and old man said with a teasing smile.
“Take out your treasures and show this old man.”
Lu Xuan placed the sack on the wooden cabinet.
“Twenty-eight Moon Erosion Fruits, one of them is of superior quality while the rest are all of good quality.”
“Almost all of them are of good quality? Did you gain some insight?”
Manager He said, astounded. Previously, the Spirit Firefly Grass that Lu Xuan brought had plants of good and superior quality, but there were also many of ordinary grade. Now, all of them are of good quality, which surprised him.
“They are certainly all of at least good quality.”
He checked each Moon Erosion Fruit one by one, determining their quality by assessing the size and roundness of the fruits.
“A gentleman changes within three days… One should look at him with fresh eyes.”
The lean old man stared at Lu Xuan and sighed with emotion.
He remembered when this teenager had first come to Bai Cao Tang, selling a few ordinary Spirit Firefly Grass.
Bai Cao Tang usually had steady suppliers and didn’t buy spirit plants from small Loose Repair cultivators. However, seeing the persistent and firm expression on the young boy’s face, the old man empathetically agreed to his request to sell the plants.
And now, this young man had become a Spirit Plant Master, capable of planting high-quality spiritual medicines anytime he wanted.
The lean old man was filled with a momentary reflection, but the youngster’s next sentence pulled him back to reality.
“Manager He, are you daydreaming? Are you thinking about how to take advantage of me?”
“You cheeky brat!”
Manager He laughed and scolded.
“Good quality Moon Erosion Fruits will be ten broken spirits for each, and that superior quality one will add twenty broken spirits.”
“Agreed.”
Lu Xuan had compared the prices with several other drugstores and stalls, and knew that this was a fair price, and readily agreed.
The price of Moon Erosion Fruits was lower than Spirit Firefly Grass, but one Moon Erosion Tree could produce more than twenty fruits. So, in the end, the value was much higher than the Spirit Firefly Grass.
Manager He gave Lu Xuan a total of thirty-two low-grade spirit stones and curiously asked,
“Kid Lu, tell me honestly, has your planting skills improved a lot? So many good quality Spirit Fruits can’t be achieved purely by luck.”
“Yes, they have improved.”
“However, this improvement came with a lot of sacrifices.”
“I only use the time other cultivators spend on cultivation and exploring the Secret Land on planting spirit plants.”
“In order to plant higher quality spirit plants, I have completely given up the naive idea of becoming a powerful cultivator. Now, I just want to plant spirit plants and live an ordinary life as a Spirit Plant Master.”
Lu Xuan stared blankly, trying hard to maintain his character as a very ordinary Spirit Plant Master.
“It’s good to have such thoughts; it’s definitely safer. You don’t need to fight to death with others for a slim chance, and you might even live longer than them.”
“And if you keep improving like this, you can also gain a high status as a Spirit Plant Master.”
The lean old man empathized and comforted Lu Xuan.
He paused for a moment, then continued.
“I told you before, if you can maintain this level of planting skill, I’ll give you an opportunity.”
“You know that there is a Pill Master in Bai Cao Tang. His alchemy level is one of the top in Linyang Market, and he has many alchemy apprentices under him.”
“Hence, the demand for various elixir materials is huge. We also have a few big Spirit Fields, hiring Spirit Plant Masters specifically to plant related spiritual medicines.”
“Though I don’t hold a high position, I can still have some say in Bai Cao Tang. I can recommend you to cooperate with Bai Cao Tang.”
“What kind of cooperation?” Lu Xuan asked curiously.
“There are generally two kinds. The first is to directly hire a Spirit Plant Master to plant spiritual medicines for Bai Cao Tang, and the produced spiritual medicines belong to Bai Cao Tang, with a certain compensation given to the Spirit Plant Master.”
“The better the quality of the produced spiritual medicine, the more rewards will be given.”
“This cooperation model can provide you with a more stable planting environment, so you can concentrate on cultivation, without worrying about anything else.”
“The second one is much simpler. We will sell spiritual seeds to Spirit Plant Masters who want to cooperate at a low price, and at the same time stipulate that when the spirit plant matures, Bai Cao Tang has the right to buy it first. The risks and benefits are all borne by the Spirit Plant Master himself.”
“Of course, this right of first refusal will not be abused. If the price difference with other buyers is too great, the Spirit Plant Master can make a decision on his own.”
Lu Xuan nodded. Both modes of cooperation had their pros and cons.
The first one is more stable, providing safety for both himself and his spiritual plants, but comparatively it has less freedom.
The second one carries higher risks, but it can also generate higher rewards. If he were truly content with a mundane life as an Ordinary Spirit Plant Master, the first option would definitely be more sensible.
However, Lu Xuan has never liked being restrained, and with the existence of the white light cluster, having the freedom to do as he pleases was especially important for him.
“Manager He, I’m used to being lazy and not keen on being controlled, so if we are to cooperate, I’d choose the second kind.”
Lu Xuan was pleased at the prospect of having people providing spiritual seeds for him.
“Alright, then I’ll report it to the superiors. Once it’s confirmed, I’ll inform you when you come next time.”
“Thank you, Manager He.”
Lu Xuan clasped his hands towards the lean old man in gratitude.
He could clearly sense the kindness of the old man, which he kept deep within his heart.
“With this, the most pressing matter is to get a bigger and better Spirit Field.”
His heart was filled with a clear sense of urgency regarding this idea.