Chapter 156 - 142: Taking on the Burden

Chapter 156: Chapter 142: Taking on the Burden

Dong Yao, however, had no such reservations. She nodded with delight. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I was just wondering what to raise in my spare time. I’ll take them all." She paused, then added reassuringly, "Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I could never bring myself to slaughter such wonderful Spirit Beasts."

Wu Yong’s mouth opened slightly, but after a moment of hesitation, he didn’t dare to speak.

Whether Dong Yao was being sincere or just flattering him, Li Changsheng was very pleased to hear it.

After considering it for a few moments, Li Changsheng spoke.

"An adult Snow Goat is a first-tier, low-grade beast. The sect’s purchase price for one is fifty-five Spirit Stones, and my Snow Goats are all mid-grade..."

"I won’t overcharge you. Two hundred and seventy Spirit Stones for each Snow Goat, and three hundred for the male."

"Five hundred Spirit Stones for each Red Fox."

Li Changsheng smiled. "Is this price acceptable to you?"

Wu Yong’s eyes flickered as he quickly calculated the pros and cons in his mind.

However, before he could finish weighing his options, a gentle voice reached his ears again.

"Thank you for looking out for us, Senior Brother. That price is fine."

Watching Dong Yao agree so readily and pull Spirit Stones from her storage bag, Wu Yong rolled his eyes in resignation. He then pretended to be a wooden puppet, just nodding his head without saying a word.

Both of them were Cultivators, and with the daily expenses of cultivation, they had very few Spirit Stones saved up. These two thousand one hundred and ten Spirit Stones were compensation from the sect for their lost Spirit Fields.

Li Changsheng put away the Spirit Stones, feeling quite happy.

The Spirit Stones were secondary. The main thing was that after getting rid of this burden, he would have more time for his cultivation.

Dong Yao was also happy, and what she had said was true.

Over the past few days, she had grown restless from the quiet and had indeed thought about raising Spirit Beasts. But because the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land was so remote and had no beast pens, she had put the idea aside.

Now, Li Changsheng selling her Spirit Beasts was exactly what she wanted.

After a bit of small talk, seeing them glance at each other evasively, Li Changsheng took the initiative and asked, "Regarding Senior Brother Dong’s three acres of Spirit Fields, did the sect offer any compensation?"

Dong Yao and Wu Yong exchanged a look.

Dong Yao nodded and said hesitantly, "The sect did offer compensation, it’s just..."

"Hm?"

Li Changsheng looked at them and smiled. "Junior Sister, just say what’s on your mind." He paused, then added, "Although I’m just a farmer, I’m on good terms with Steward Tan. I have some sway with him."

Wu Yong discreetly nudged Dong Yao, blinking at her repeatedly.

Annoyed, Dong Yao stomped on his foot and said with a chuckle, "The sect has already compensated us, so we won’t trouble you, Senior Brother."

She had her own ideas. Before getting the Spirit Beasts, she had indeed wanted to ask Li Changsheng for help in persuading the sect to exchange the Spirit Stone compensation for Spirit Fields instead. After all, not only was the amount of Spirit Stones small, but something like a Spirit Field, which could be passed down like an heirloom, couldn’t be measured in Spirit Stones.

But after acquiring the Spirit Beasts, her thinking changed.

With the Spirit Beasts, she now had a small foundation for a business, and she didn’t want to use up the goodwill between them for this matter.

She and Wu Yong were both at the Late-Stage of Qi Cultivation and were currently learning Magic like the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique. Once they mastered it, they could either rent Spirit Fields to farm or cultivate for the sect. Although the income would be less than their time in the Demon Hunting Corps, it would be much safer and more stable.

Li Changsheng studied her for a moment, then glanced at the anxious look on Wu Yong’s face. After a brief thought, he smiled. "That’s good, then."

’It’s over...’

Wu Yong’s heart sank, and his expression immediately became dejected.

Dong Yao nodded and pointed to the two little girls beside her. "Senior Brother, this is what I was thinking. Could we wait until Qing Lan and Qing Yue are a bit older before sending them to the sect?"

A worried look appeared in her eyes. "They’re too young. I’m afraid they’ll be taken advantage of if they go now."

Li Changsheng didn’t hesitate at all, nodding in agreement. "Then let’s wait until they’re older to send them to the sect." He paused and asked, "Won’t that be too much of a hardship for you?"

These weren’t Spirit Beasts, but living people with their own thoughts and personalities.

Dong Yao smiled. "Qing Lan and Qing Yue are very well-behaved."

The two little girls nodded vigorously.

Seeing that her mind was made up, Li Changsheng nodded. "If you need anything, remember to find me."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Dong Yao patted the two little girls’ heads and whispered, "What are you waiting for? Thank your Uncle Li."

Qing Lan and Qing Yue said in their clear, young voices, "Thank you, Uncle Li."

"If you’re going to thank anyone, thank your Aunt Dong Yao."

Li Changsheng smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

Then, they all started chatting and gossiping.

Through their conversation, Li Changsheng learned about the recent changes in the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land.

For example, the new Steward at the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land was a Female Cultivator with a rigid personality. The other Stewards were all afraid of her, to say nothing of the Spirit Farmers below them.

Also, Spirit Beasts had been slowly infiltrating the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land. Although the Patrol Guards had discovered and killed them, preventing any casualties among the Spirit Farmers, it had still given everyone a fright.

Because of this, the Patrol Guards who originally stood watch over the perimeter had organized two separate squads to patrol the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land day and night.

And the Spirit Fields within the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land were successively being planted with Spirit Medicine and Spirit Rice.

Just then, Wu Yong hesitated before saying, "I happened to overhear a Cultivator from the Patrol Guard say that Miscellaneous Peak is recruiting a large number of Loose Cultivators to come to the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land."

He glanced at Li Changsheng, a worried look on his face. "I don’t know what the sect is planning. If they all come to cultivate Spirit Fields..."

Dong Yao couldn’t help but frown as well.

If a large number of Loose Cultivators flooded into the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land, their own importance would naturally decrease, and their compensation would likely be reduced significantly.

Hearing this, Li Changsheng instantly recalled what Steward Ye had said about the large expanse of Ungraded Spirit Fields at the edge of the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land.

’Miscellaneous Peak is planning to fully develop the Spiritual Land...’

Seeing the worry in their eyes, and since this wasn’t exactly secret information, Li Changsheng explained the situation to them.

After listening, they had a moment of realization, and their worries vanished.

Opening up Ungraded Spirit Fields to plant Spirit Rice had little to do with them.

After chatting a while longer, Li Changsheng led them into the beast pen.

A short while later, Dong Yao and Wu Yong tucked away the Spirit Beast Bags containing the Spirit Beasts and bid him farewell.

Li Changsheng watched them leave, then glanced at the now empty and quiet beast pen. He sighed inwardly, called for Xiaohua, and ambled off toward the pool.

Meanwhile, not long after the group of four had left the courtyard, Wu Yong’s previously dejected expression slowly brightened, and his slightly slumped posture straightened up.

They had originally sought out Li Changsheng to ask for his help, but Dong Yao had changed her mind at the last minute. At first, Wu Yong had felt a bit resentful, but as he walked out of the courtyard, he was suddenly struck by a sense of relief he had never felt before.

He pondered for a few moments and then understood.

Asking Li Changsheng for help was, no matter how you put it, still asking for a favor. Although being able to ask for help was a skill in itself, he, Wu Yong, had once had a minor reputation of his own. Always having to act so humbly was a bit stifling.

’This isn’t so bad, actually.’

Wu Yong thought cheerfully, a trace of his former confidence returning to his brow.

Dong Yao glanced at him, and after a moment’s thought, she understood what was going on. She discreetly reached out and pinched him, saying with a grin, "Great Cultivator Wu seems very happy, doesn’t he?"

She crouched down, hugging Qing Lan and Qing Yue, and teased, "Why don’t you tell the three of us what you’re so happy about?"

"Uh..."

Wu Yong was taken aback for a second. He lowered himself and said with a sly grin, "I’m just happy because we bought some good Spirit Beasts and because Qing Lan and Qing Yue get to stay with us."

In response to that, Dong Yao gave him an exasperated eye-roll.

She then lifted her head and, holding Qing Lan’s and Qing Yue’s hands, walked toward Dong Xing’s courtyard.

Wu Yong chuckled, clasped his hands behind his back, and followed leisurely behind them.

If an unknowing bystander were to see this scene, they would surely assume they were a family of four.

「On the other side.」

Li Changsheng and Xiaohua hadn’t yet reached the deep pool when a large, gnarled tree with lush foliage came into view.

As the man and the pig drew closer, RUSTLE... The tree’s branches and leaves swayed, and a root resembling a black serpent shot out of the ground, reaching for Xiaohua.

Seeing the root trying to wrap around Xiaohua, Li Changsheng irritably slapped it away.

He had no idea how the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree had learned this habit of coiling its roots around beasts, dragging them into the deep pool to be poisoned, letting them soak for a few days, and then absorbing them with its roots.

As he got closer, the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree’s branches and leaves rustled even more frequently, and a sense of excitement emanated from its consciousness.

Li Changsheng quickly connected with it through his mind, stopping it from instantly blooming, and fixed his gaze upon the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree.

[Target: Snake Saliva Spirit Tree]

[Race: Spirit Tree]

[First-Tier, High-Grade: 98%]

[Talents: Gathering Spirit, Serpent Control.]

[Status: Healthy.]