Chapter 41: Chen Zhou
For most others, having Zhao Lin handle such matters would undoubtedly require a bribe of spirit stones. This was one of the ways he profited from his position as the manager of the Spirit Herb Pavilion.
However, when it came to his friends, Zhao Lin would take care of these matters without needing to be asked.
Between people, relationships differ.
Some are close, others distant.
This was a principle Zhao Lin understood well, and he had always been skilled at navigating human interactions.
Now, seeing He Song express his gratitude, Zhao Lin naturally did not make a big deal out of the gesture.
After confirming the location of his newly allocated farmlands, He Song lingered in the Spirit Herb Pavilion for a while longer.
Only when others came to handle their business did he bid Zhao Lin farewell and leave.
As the manager of the Spirit Herb Pavilion, Zhao Lin had responsibilities to attend to, and He Song felt it would be inappropriate to continue disturbing him.
After leaving the pavilion, He Song hesitated for a moment before heading back to his spirit farmlands.
Previously, he had only used the Spirit Rain Technique on his original five acres of farmlands, unaware that he had already gained an additional two acres.
Now that he knew, He Song naturally wouldn't let those two acres go untended.
Fortunately, the new farmlands were already planted with spirit rice, so he didn't need to cultivate the land from scratch—he simply needed to cast the Spirit Rain Technique daily.
At the farmlands, He Song scanned the area based on his memory and quickly located the two newly added acres.
He then formed a hand seal and began casting his spell. The Spirit Rain Technique manifested as a rain cloud, covering the size of the two-acre farmland.
Drip, drip, drip.
As the spell took effect, a fine rain began to fall, drawing spiritual energy from the surroundings and infusing it into the rainwater that soaked into the farmlands below.
The spirit rice, nourished by the spiritual energy, thrived and looked lush and vibrant, filling He Song with satisfaction.
However, just as He Song was casting the spell to tend to his new farmlands, a figure suddenly approached from a distance and walked straight up to him.
"This Daoist Friend, I am Chen Zhou. May I ask if you are the new owner of these two acres of farmlands?"
The newcomer, dressed in a green robe, appeared frail and thin, as though a gust of wind might topple him.
He Song had already noticed Chen Zhou as he approached.
Though the man looked physically weak, it was clear he was coming straight for He Song.
Hearing his question, a thought immediately crossed He Song's mind.
A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes as he quickly assessed the situation.
This person was at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, the same as He Song's current cultivation.
Although He Song's defensive abilities were limited, the Thick Earth Talismans Zhao Lin had given him provided some assurance. He did not fear Chen Zhou suddenly attacking.
Confident there was little danger, He Song allowed himself to relax slightly.
However, he remained on alert. His fingers, hidden within his sleeve, had already pinched a Thick Earth Talisman.
If anything unexpected happened, He Song could activate the talisman instantly to protect himself.
"Yes, I am He Song. I recently broke through to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement and was allocated these two acres of farmlands. Is there something you need, Daoist Friend?"
He Song admitted candidly in response to Chen Zhou's inquiry.
However, as he spoke, He Song felt a faint sense of familiarity with the name Chen Zhou, as though he had encountered it somewhere before.
After pondering for a moment, he suddenly looked at Chen Zhou with a flash of realization.
He remembered now.
Earlier, when he and Zhao Lin had been looking at the map in the Spirit Herb Pavilion, one of the names marked on the farmlands was Chen Zhou.
At that time, He Song had been sighing over how many people, after breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, ended up with new spirit farmlands located elsewhere. Those individuals had to travel to two separate locations daily to perform the Spirit Rain Technique twice, which was a hassle.
Now, ironically, the name he had casually noticed back then had appeared before him in person so quickly.
If He Song remembered correctly, the reason he had noticed Chen Zhou's name in the first place was that their farmlands were adjacent.
This meant that the two acres He Song had just been assigned were likely forcibly taken from Chen Zhou and reallocated to him by Zhao Lin.
Meanwhile, Chen Zhou's newly acquired two acres had been reassigned to a different location.
In essence, Chen Zhou was the victim of this situation.
Realizing this, He Song felt at a loss for words. He could only stand in place, silently continuing his Spirit Rain Technique as he waited for Chen Zhou to speak.
No wonder Chen Zhou had walked directly toward him the moment he saw him.
No wonder Chen Zhou seemed to have been lingering around here.
No wonder Chen Zhou had immediately asked if He Song was the new owner of these two acres.
It was clear now—his farmlands had been reassigned, and he had come looking for answers.
For a moment, He Song felt a complex mix of emotions.
He hadn't expected it.
He had become the "villain" in someone else's life.
"Daoist Friend He, these two acres used to belong to me," Chen Zhou said, bowing slightly as he spoke. "If I may be so bold, could we exchange farmlands? I also have two acres elsewhere."
As he spoke, Chen Zhou pulled out ten shining spirit stones from his pouch.
The ten spirit stones sparkled under the sunlight, immediately catching He Song's eye.
But as Chen Zhou extended the spirit stones toward him, and He Song finished processing his words, his expression quickly turned serious.
While maintaining his hand seal for the spell, He Song shifted slightly to the side.
Ten spirit stones were not an insignificant amount—they could rent a room in the Immortal Market for a month.
However, for a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator like He Song, it was far from sufficient.
He Song could earn ninety spirit stones annually from managing his farmlands alone.
Furthermore, if he agreed to the exchange, he would inevitably have to travel to two different locations daily to perform the Spirit Rain Technique twice.
This would significantly increase the time spent managing his farmlands, leaving less time for cultivation.
Trading so much time for ten spirit stones didn't seem worthwhile to He Song.
Beyond that, these farmlands had been allocated to him as a favor from Zhao Lin.
Zhao Lin's effort and maneuvering to arrange this—was it only worth ten spirit stones?
If Zhao Lin found out that He Song had traded the farmlands away for ten spirit stones, what would he think?
Now, Chen Zhou wanted to exchange farmlands with only ten spirit stones as an offer.
Frankly, it felt like Chen Zhou underestimated both He Song's position as a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator and the value of Zhao Lin's goodwill.
"Keep your spirit stones," He Song said coldly. "If you want to exchange farmlands, go speak to the manager of the Spirit Herb Pavilion. If he approves, I'll comply."
After speaking, He Song didn't forget to issue a warning.
"One more thing—I forgot to mention that the pavilion's manager is a close friend of mine. When you approach him, be sure to weigh your options carefully."
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