Chapter 29: Crimson Harvest
Morning dew clung to the valley's leaves, reflecting the golden sunlight that spilled over the rolling hills surrounding the Crimson Sect. Yet something new stirred in the valley—not just spiritual energy, but life.
Jin Zhen stood at the edge of a terraced farm, dressed in simple black robes, sleeves rolled, hands muddy. Around him, over a dozen wide-eyed villagers stared in disbelief.
"Lord Jin... you're really planting with us?"
Jin Zhen smiled faintly. "You'll find that qi flows best through roots you grow with your own hands."
Fang Mu, nearby, was arguing with a glowing, irate herb.
"It insulted my moustache! I swear it talked!"
"It's a spirit herb," Jin Zhen replied, not looking. "It probably has better fashion sense."
The villagers laughed nervously. Even Lan Yuer, perched atop a spirit rock, cracked a smile.
---
Over the past few weeks, Jin Zhen had invested time—and a fair amount of system points—into agriculture.
He'd used [SP: 1] to unlock [Spirit Soil Enrichment Protocol – Tier 1], which caused nearby farmland to yield 50% more qi-imbued crops over time. Another [SP: 1] had been spent to unlock [Essence Feedback Network], a passive formation inscribed beneath the valley.
Every time a villager harvested crops enriched with qi, a minuscule portion of the spiritual energy returned to him. Like tributaries feeding a growing river.
[System Notification]
[Network: 23 farmers bound]
[Passive Qi Income: +47 per day]
[Spirit Stones Equivalent: +235/day]
[SP Accumulation: 0.3/day]
---
The farms became a living engine.
But it also drew attention.
---
Later that day, a young farmer burst into the sect courtyard.
"Lord Jin! There's… there's a man from the Yellow Crane Sect demanding to meet you. He says we're his 'contracted tenants.'"
Jin Zhen's eyes narrowed.
He arrived at the field shortly after, finding a lanky, smug-looking cultivator in ornate yellow robes. He held a jade scroll in one hand and a dismissive air in the other.
"You must be Jin Zhen," he said, not bowing. "These people owe ten years of harvest to the Yellow Crane Sect. I'm merely here to collect what is due."
Jin Zhen glanced at the farmers. Most had gone pale. One even dropped his hoe.
"No such contract exists anymore," Jin Zhen said calmly. "I've personally freed them. Paid their debts in full with spirit stones."
The man smirked. "How noble. But unless you have signed release documents from the sect's elder council, their status hasn't changed."
---
[System Notification]
[Quest Triggered: "Grain and Chains"]
[Objective: Break false contract through spiritual and legal means]
[Reward: Sect Favor – Farmers' Guild +300, Hidden Skill: "Binding Writ"]
[Failure: Qi feedback interrupted. Market Reputation -200]
---
"Do you know," Jin Zhen said softly, "what the punishment is for fabricating contracts under the Grand Harvest Treaty?"
The man's smirk faded slightly. "I… simply enforce them."
Jin Zhen raised a hand.
A golden talisman flared into life, swirling with crimson fire. It pulsed once—and summoned an illusory scroll in the air. The words of the treaty shone in gold, divine-imbued.
"You may want to read clause fourteen."
The Yellow Crane disciple turned pale as he read.
"…This… this wasn't in the—"
"No," Jin Zhen said. "Because unlike your sect, I actually read before I sign."
He flicked his fingers. The talisman burst into flame, burning the jade scroll in the man's hand. Not harming him—but stripping the false authority bound to it.
"Tell your elders: If they want harvests from this valley, they'll need to grow their own food."
The man turned and fled.
---
That night, Jin Zhen walked alone through the fields.
Lan Yuer joined him, arms crossed. "That was bold."
"I'm planting roots," Jin Zhen said simply. "Real ones. Not just in soil."
He glanced at the horizon, where moonlight touched the tops of newly grown spiritual wheat.
"Power can be bought. Fear can be borrowed. But loyalty…"
He closed his eyes.
"…must be cultivated."
---
[System Notification]
[Quest Complete: "Grain and Chains"]
[Reward: Farmers' Guild Favor +300]
[Hidden Skill Unlocked: Binding Writ – Legal Formation Creation]
[SP Gained: +2]
---
[Status – Jin Zhen]
Cultivation: Core Formation (Late)
Talent Grade: Crimson Starfire – Divine Grade
Physique: Infernal Ember (True Sync)
Wealth: 82,400 Spirit Stones
SP: 2
Passive Qi Income: 47/day
Reputation: Flame-Lord of the Fields
Influence Zones: Crimson Sect Valley, Blazewind Market, Farmer's Guild (Ally)
---
At dawn, Fang Mu stood in the middle of the field, holding a hoe upside down and staring at the mouthy spirit herb.
It hissed, "Your moustache still looks like a burnt squirrel."
"…I'll water you with vinegar."