"What?!"
Ji Yuan had already considered after hearing Qiu Qianhai talk about the situation on Maple Island yesterday, whether something might happen to his two neighboring households.
But back then it was just a guess—he never thought it would actually come true today…
After coming ashore, Lin Hu carefully helped Wu Qin onto land, and only at this moment did Ji Yuan notice that Wu Qin seemed to be injured on her back; blood was even seeping faintly around her waist.
Lin Hu put away the fishing boat, then gave Ji Yuan a bitter nod.
"Let's talk about it at your place in a bit, Brother Ji."
Ji Yuan hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded. "Alright."
"..."
After some time, after settling Wu Qin at home, Lin Hu came over to Ji Yuan's place, but didn't go inside—they just sat together in the front yard.
Right now, Lin Hu still had shock in his eyes. He said he came to talk to Ji Yuan, but really, he just wanted a little comfort.
"The first few days we went, things were alright with Old Man Huang leading us. We faced some danger a few times, but we got through it."
"At the time…the chaotic fighting hadn't started yet, and Old Man Huang still considered us his own folks."
As Lin Hu spoke, regret flashed in his eyes; his fists clenched tightly on his knees.
"Later, something happened on the Taian Square side—they suddenly banded together, and started killing people from Jingde Square. Us folks from Zengtou City wanted to profit, watching the tigers fight from the mountain."
"But once the Jingde Square people realized, they suggested to the Taian Square folks that they should kill us from Zengtou City first, to avoid being taken advantage of… So they joined forces."
"Of course we weren't stupid. We teamed up with Taian Square to kill the Jingde Square people. All in all, it was a free-for-all—people got so crazy that by the end nobody cared who was from where. Just kill anyone you saw."
"Our group was weak, so we just wanted to escape."
"We dodged left and right, but in the end a Qi Cultivation Stage Level Six cultivator singled us out."
Lin Hu's voice trembled as he spoke that part.
Ji Yuan didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only sigh and say, "Cloud Rain Marsh is just big fish eating small fish. But aren't things the same on shore? Cultivation is a struggle against heaven, against earth, and against people."
"Brother Ji is exactly right… That Tribulation Cultivator's Dharma Ship was much better than ours, and we were almost caught. At the critical moment, Old Man Huang actually tossed me back onto my parents' Black Wood Boat."
Lin Hu punched his thigh hard as he spoke.
"That bastard dog!"
"..."
Lin Hu didn't say what happened after, but Ji Yuan could guess.
"Did Old Man Huang survive?"
"No idea." Lin Hu shook his head. "My parents held back that Tribulation Cultivator, while the rest of us fled for our lives. We never saw Old Man Huang again on the way out; better if he's dead, rotted to the bone."
Honestly, Ji Yuan hadn't said it, but he also felt something was off about Old Man Huang.
Not trustworthy.
Sure, it's all 'better the Dao friend dies than me,' but to do it so bluntly, to sell out your teammates just to survive… Better keep your distance, never get involved with him.
Of course, that's only if you even have a future.
Lin Hu went back. Even though he was angry, he still had some sense—he didn't force his way into Old Man Huang's yard.
According to Water Dragon Sect's rules, as long as you pay the Immortal Residence fee, your house is protected by Water Dragon Sect. If Lin Hu tried to break in…he'd be picking a fight with the Water Dragon Sect.
If you win, fine. You could even mess with the Sect Leader, never mind just Zengtou City.
But if you lose, well, too bad—Water Dragon Sect will teach you a lesson.
After Lin Hu left, Ji Yuan sat a bit longer in his original spot. The death of Lin Youwei and his wife was a shock to him, somewhat.
Fighting for Immortal Fate—succeed and you ascend, lose and you die.
If it were just competing, that would be one thing, but you also have to watch out for people like Old Man Huang around you… Adventuring outside is just too dangerous.
Even if he'd finally broken through to Level Four Qi Cultivation, so what?
The likes of his birth parents, and Lin Youwei, had all reached Qi Cultivation Stage Four, but when it's time to die—you die anyway.
Forget it, farming is more important!
At this thought, Ji Yuan got up, went to lock the yard gate, then entered the backyard, staring at the line of text floating above the pigsty.
[Pigsty: lv0]
He'd prepared all the Spirit Stones he needed; Ji Yuan focused his will, and watched as the number 0 rolled over to 1.
Right after, the Spirit Stone in his hand crumbled to powder, and on his panel, the upgrade requirements for Level 2 Pigsty popped up.
[Pigsty: LV2]
[Spirit Effect: Outputs half an ounce of Blood Essence daily; increased flesh effect]
[Upgrade requirements: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×50, Rotten Bone Flower ×3 plants, Carved Expel-Filth Runes]
Blood Essence!!
This was the core ingredient to make Qi Blood Pill—and the Qi Blood Pill was an excellent healing elixir for the Qi Cultivation Stage.
Its effects were far better than Hundred Herbs Pill.
Hundred Herbs Pill worked wonders for injuries at the early Qi Cultivation stages, but for late-stage injuries, it's pretty much useless.
The healing elixir cultivators mostly used was the Qi Blood Pill.
A Level-2 pigsty produced half an ounce of Blood Essence a day. Ji Yuan remembered that in Zengtou City, Blood Essence sold for twenty Spirit Stones per ounce.
Half an ounce was ten.
Ten Spirit Stones a day coming in, and if he upgraded the Fish Pond to Level 2, he could gather one drop of Water Dew daily from there too—another stream of income.
Ji Yuan didn't even dare imagine what his life would be like then. Maybe… he'd never have to eat egg shell again?
He could even steam or boil the Spirit Eggs?!
Right now, though, no way. However skinny the mosquito's legs, it's still meat.
Every day, Ji Yuan ground up the Spirit Egg Shells into powder, and refined them as he took them.
[Pigsty] upgraded. Ji Yuan picked up three Spirit Eggs and the one Spirit Stone he had left, and headed to Zengtou City.
First, he found the chicken cultivator he knew and sold three Spirit Eggs in exchange for one Spirit Stone and five Broken Spirit stones.
Then, with his 2.5 Spirit Stones, he went to Zengtou City's pig cultivator… the Spirit Pig shop.
The loose cultivator doing Spirit Pig business here was called Luo Tong, a good friend of Ji Qingyun—Ji Yuan had heard about him from Old Man Huang.
Ji Qingyun's old Dharma Ship was currently in Luo Tong's hands.
When Ji Yuan arrived, before he could speak, the big burly Luo Tong, wearing a blood-stained apron, glared at him: "Kid, what's your deal? So long and you haven't come to see your Uncle Luo."
"Forgotten all about me, have you?"
Ji Yuan hurried to laugh: "How could I, it's just these days…"
"Short on Immortal Residence fee? Come on, I've got some. Take these first and pay it, then we'll talk." Luo Tong didn't leave room for argument as he handed over three Spirit Stones.
Ji Yuan looked up at the burly, bearded man and couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth.
In all the scheming and intrigue of Zengtou City, it was rare for outsiders to treat him so kindly.
"Many thanks, Uncle Luo. I got lucky last time, found an injured Spirit Fish, already paid the fee."
"Good then. If you're short, just come to Uncle Luo."
Luo Tong didn't waste words, pocketed the Spirit Stones, and picked up a four or five pound piece of Spirit Pig meat from the cutting board. "Here, take this meat home to eat, it'll help you recover."
"No, no need, Uncle Luo. I came today for something else."
"Oh? What's up?"
"..."
After Ji Yuan explained, Luo Tong went to the backyard and brought out a piglet in a cage.
"Spirit Stones?! If you still consider me an uncle, take them back. Bring up Spirit Stones again, and I'll slap you so hard you'll turn into a Spirit Pig!"
Faced with such an 'unreasonable' uncle, Ji Yuan had no choice. He could only accept the favor for now, and planned to bring more Spirit Eggs next time to pay it back.
What he didn't expect was, after giving him the Spirit Pig, Luo Tong pulled him into the inner room, lowered his voice and whispered:
"I bought your dad's Willow Leaf Boat. Wait till you reach mid-stage Qi Cultivation, then bring me ten Spirit Stones and I'll return the boat to you."
Ten… Even the cheapest Dharma Ship is twenty Spirit Stones, and those are damaged ships. Ten Spirit Stones is basically a gift.
Before Ji Yuan could reply, Luo Tong clapped him on the shoulder.
"As for anything else, wait till you reach Level Six Qi Cultivation. If you don't get there… just focus on fishing, kid. Sigh."