Chapter 613

Chapter 613: The White Slip

“It’s all my fault!”

After hearing Wang Chen’s account, Zhang Mushan suddenly slapped his own forehead and said with great frustration, “I should have told you much earlier.”

The matter of the wine shop forcefully buying spirit rice had become an unspoken rule both inside and outside Feixu Valley.

As the highest-ranking cultivator in Feixu Valley, Master Mu controlled the fates of thousands of loose cultivators in Feixu Camp.

This Golden Core true master’s will was carried out through his subordinates.

This kind of coercion was essentially a form of taxation.

It didn’t only target Wang Chen.

Any cultivator who farmed in and around Feixu Valley would inevitably face exploitation!

Wang Chen felt utterly speechless.

He never expected to go through so much trouble and hardship, only to ascend from the lower realm to the higher realm, just to become the chives harvested by the upper class – in essence, Feixu Camp was not much different from the Yunyang Sect of old.

“But Qian Wancheng has gone too far!”

Zhang Mushan said bitterly, “In situations like yours, it’s reasonable to keep one-third of the harvest.”

However, Qian Wancheng had only allowed Wang Chen to keep one thousand jins of spirit rice.

That truly was a pittance; after husking, it would amount to only about seven or eight hundred jins, barely enough for Wang Chen himself.

Wang Chen had cultivated around thirty acres of spirit fields outside Feixu Valley, with high yields of green Japonica rice, coupled with generous meat to thrive that he provided; he predicted a harvest of four to five hundred jins per acre.

The total yield would be at least twelve thousand jins.

One thousand jins barely amounted to one-tenth!

“Li Chengdong has a good relationship with Qian Wancheng; they are even related by marriage.”

Zhang Mushan said with a serious face, “Last time, Li Chengdong fell into a big trap, and Qian Wancheng is using you to strike at me while further lining his pockets!”

“Moreover, he won’t pay you spirit stones for the more than ten thousand jins of spiritual grains.”

Wang Chen couldn’t believe his ears, “So it’s free?”

“Essentially a white slip.”

Zhang Mushan sneered. “And then you can use the white slip to buy supplies in his shop, but the slip is heavily discounted; if you can buy back something worth a thousand spirit stones, you’re lucky.”

Crap!

If Qian Wancheng were standing in front of Wang Chen right now, he would definitely punch him in the head!

With the market price of green Japonica rice at about one jin for one spirit stone, over ten thousand jins would translate to more than ten thousand spirit stones.

After Qian Wancheng’s big cuts, he could only get back a thousand spirit stones?

Wang Chen’s anger surged, and he felt a fierce determination rising within!

“It’s all my fault.”

Zhang Mushan repeated, feeling guilty. “Brother Wang, I will find a way to make it right.”

He seriously reminded Wang Chen, “Just bear with it for now; Qian Wancheng is very treacherous and difficult to deal with.”

Most importantly, this guy had the backing of a Golden Core true master. Wang Chen had just obtained his loose cultivator status, and if he got into a conflict with Qian Wancheng, provoking Master Mu’s involvement, it simply wouldn’t be worth it.

One day, when Wang Chen condenses his Golden Core or enters the immortal registry, he can seek revenge then!

Wang Chen outwardly accepted Zhang Mushan’s well-meaning advice, but the fire within his heart remained unquenched.

He could endure.

But he would never be a dog!

Unaware of Wang Chen’s inner thoughts, Zhang Mushan believed he had taken his advice to heart.

After offering a few more words of comfort, he left feeling reassured.

The next day, Qian Wancheng arrived with his entourage as promised.

At this time, the green Japonica rice was not yet fully mature; although it could still be consumed, the taste would be somewhat inferior.

But the proprietor of the Wine and Rice Shop paid no heed, commanding his team to harvest over twenty acres like a swarm of locusts.

In the end, only two acres of unharvested rice were left for Wang Chen.

“Here are the grain collection receipts.”

Qian Wancheng pulled out a large stack of white slips and handed them to Wang Chen, saying arrogantly, “In the future, you can exchange these for spiritual rice and spiritual wine at my shop, but you’ll need to purchase a hundred spirit stones’ worth of rice to use one.”

The stack of white slips in his hands contained at least a hundred pieces!

Wang Chen accepted them without a change in expression.

“Good to see you’re being sensible!”

Qian Wancheng sneered, “From now on, be smart, and don’t get involved with the wrong people. Your days will naturally improve.”

With that, he swaggered away.

As he left, the owner of the Wine and Rice Shop glanced at the two acres of spirit fields that remained unharvested, a look of regret crossing his face.

Wang Chen watched the pack of wolves depart with pride.

He clapped his hands together, and the white slips in his hands instantly turned to ash!

In the days that followed, Wang Chen first harvested the two acres of spirit fields that were fully mature, gathering over nine hundred jins of rice.

He burned all the rice stalks clean and then sowed winter amaranth seeds.

Winter amaranth is a plant that thrives in autumn and winter; its life force is robust and requires little care. It helps enhance soil fertility.

Spirit rice and spiritual grains not only need to absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth but also rely on the nourishment of the land. Thus, fertilizing and enriching the soil are crucial; otherwise, the land’s vitality would be depleted, inevitably affecting the yield.

After completing these tasks, the weather turned cold, marking the arrival of winter.

In winter, the magical beasts in the mountains either retreated into hidden caverns to hibernate or reduced their range of activity.

Hunting became both difficult and dangerous.

Moreover, there was no need to prepare meat to thrive in winter, so Wang Chen ceased his hunting trips to Dongli Mountain.

With more free time, he began visiting Feixu Valley more frequently.

Sometimes, Wang Chen would seek out Zhang Mushan for casual chats, or he would sit at the valley’s only tavern, warming a pot of spiritual wine and savoring a plate of jerky for hours on end.

He rarely engaged with others, mostly sitting in a corner, listening to other cultivators discuss various topics.

Time flew by, and another month passed.

Feixu Valley, located in the northwest of Yongzhou, experienced distinct seasons—hot summers and cold winters. As the year-end approached, a cold wave from the north arrived as expected.

A heavy snowfall heralded the onset of a harsh winter!

In Feixu Valley, at Zhang Mushan’s home, a copper hot pot bubbled and steamed.

Zhang Mushan took the freshly sliced meat brought in by his wife and poured it all into the boiling pot. Soon, the air was filled with a rich, meaty aroma.

“Eat up!”

He urged Wang Chen, who sat across from him, “What are you waiting for?”

Wang Chen smiled, took a spoon, and scooped some cooked meat into his bowl, then mixed it with Mrs. Zhang’s homemade sauce.

The flavor was truly delightful.

Wang Chen ate half a jin in one go.

Zhang Mushan, however, seemed deep in thought, “Brother Wang, I feel like something’s off with you lately?”

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he sensed something unusual.

Wang Chen chuckled, “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Mushan hesitated, shook his head, and didn’t press further, instead serving more dishes and encouraging Wang Chen to eat more.

After finishing the hearty hot pot meal, Wang Chen politely declined Zhang Mushan’s invitation to stay, braving the wind and snow to return home alone.

Zhang Mushan watched Wang Chen’s figure vanish into the swirling snowstorm and suddenly saw a dragon soaring into the sky.

The Purple Palace cultivator was momentarily stunned.

He looked more closely but found nothing out of the ordinary.