52 Winning Over (1/2)
”Vermillion Fruit…”
After turning away someone who was seeking medical help, Fang Yuan glanced at the nearly filled proficiency progress bar while he tossed the box containing the Vermillion Fruit. He was satisfied.
This might give him the chance to upgrade his [Botany] to Level 4.
”It is impossible to grow Vermillion Fruits in the secluded valley, but it might be possible to grow it on the spiritual lands of Green Peak. Either way, it is always good to be prepared!”
As Fang Yuan entered the valley, the Flower Fox Ferret darted towards him and circled him continuously. It seemed to have sensed a gem on Fang Yuan.
”This seed is of paramount importance, I cannot allow you to eat it!”
Holding onto the box, Fang Yuan said, ”Anyway the Vermillion Jade Rice is about to ripen soon, are you still worried there is not enough food for you it?”
”Keke!”
Upon hearing this, Flower Fox Ferret thought about it extensively before indignantly making a choice.
”That's right, good boy!”
Right after Fang Yuan's compliment, Flower Fox Ferret raised its paw and pointed towards the direction of the spiritual bamboo. Its intentions were crystal clear.
”What… you want the spiritual bamboo after they have borne fruit as compensation?”
Fang Yuan touched his forehead and said, ”You are really insistent on not being short-changed…Eh? Wait!”
Fang Yuan smelled something fishy as he looked at the expression on Flower Fox Ferret's face. It looked as though he made a deal that was almost too good to be true. This aroused Fang Yuan's suspicion and he hurriedly walked towards the spiritual bamboo.
Before he even reached, he took in a deep breath and felt enveloped by a gush of current in the air.
”The purity of the air here is already almost on par with that of the spiritual land. What a pity it is still lacking in terms of spiritual energy…”
Shaking his head, Fang Yuan crossed the drain.
Next to a rock, a green bamboo looked as though it was brimming with life and energy.
”From what I saw earlier this morning, it looks extremely different…Is this because it has finally accepted this plot of land?”
Fang Yuan broke into a smile. This meant that the spiritual bamboo was completely alive. Furthermore, looking at the flower buds, it would only take a few days for it to blossom.
Fang Yuan finally understood why Flower Fox Ferret was willing to compromise on the Vermillion Fruit. It had set its sights on the spiritual bamboo!
Of course, if the Vermillion Fruit was perfectly undamaged, with its flesh intact, it would be a completely different situation altogether.
...
One night passed.
On the next day, Fang Yuan woke up early in the morning. He immediately felt there was something different about his surroundings.
”Could this be…...the spiritual energy produced by the spiritual bamboo? It could even travel till here?”
Appearing to be solemn, Fang Yuan was actually filled with astonishment at this discovery.
”Keke!”
Flower Fox Ferret sprinted towards Fang Yuan. It was obvious that there was important news from the garden.
Fang Yuan rushed over to where the spiritual bamboo was. The flower bud he saw the day before was in full bloom. Its pure white petals danced in the wind, releasing its spiritual energy. It also seemed to be causing a subtle resonance in the area next to it.
”Is that…the field of Vermillion Jade Rice?”
Fang Yuan tensed up and walked hurriedly to the side of the field. He was shocked at what he saw.
In front of him were several red stalks of rice. They were half the height of a grown man and bore enormous grains that bent the thick stalks of the plant.
”It ripened surprisingly fast! This is even faster than the previous harvest!”
Fang Yuan stepped forward and stroke the grains and said, ”Furthermore, the quality appears to be more superior than the previous harvest. Even though there were no major and sudden changes, could it still have been gradually accumulated?”
Looking at this, Fang Yuan was filled with aplomb.
As long as he selected the best harvest and continued to grow them over the next few seasons, he would definitely be able to bring about a transformation in the spiritual plants.
Looking at the numerous fields nearby, Fang Yuan was suddenly touched and thought to himself, ”Great! There is sufficient spiritual rice from the harvest this time for Flower Fox Ferret and me to consume over the year...There will even be leftovers after we leave behind those for planting and cultivation...If we can sell the rest, it would definitely bring in immense riches!”
The Vermillion Jade Rice was only the lowest grade of spiritual plants. There was even a department within the Spirit Returning Sect that sells it as a source of revenue.
Previously Fang Yuan was thoroughly shocked by the price of this sort of spiritual plants. Based on the quality of his recent harvest, he was sure that it would be in great demand on the market.
Of course, there would be people who did not deserve it but yet desired to obtain it.
”If it is just the Vermillion Jade Rice, it isn't such a big deal…furthermore…why would I even need money?”
Upon packing the last sack of Vermillion Jade Rice into the storage room, Fang Yuan broke into a wide smile of satisfaction. He thought, ”Great, we shall eat Vermillion Jade Rice every day starting from today until we get sick of it!”
”Keke!”
Flower Fox Ferret which was next to him jumped about excitedly. It looked like it could hardly control its excitement.
With the spiritual rice, what else was there for Fang Yuan to fret about? He cooked a big pot of fragrant Vermillion Jade Rice right away.
The uniqueness of the flavour of the Vermillion Jade Rice this time was many times more intense than the flavour previously. The immense pleasure from eating the Vermillion Jade Rice was also intensified.
After a long time, Fang Yuan finally woke up from his deep sleep. He opened his mouth and released a breath of white gas.
He looked down and saw that he had already finished the entire pot of spiritual rice. Down to the very last cell in his body, he felt as though as he was reborn
”The effects of the spiritual rice are even stronger this time…”
Fang Yuan was extremely pleased. As he looked in the direction of the spiritual bamboo, he was filled with doubts as he wondered, ”If the blossoming of the flower of the spiritual bamboo could actually accelerate the time taken for the spiritual rice to ripen, what type of spiritual bamboo is this? What are the uses of its fruits?”
His doubts were answered soon enough.
After three days, most of the flowers from the bamboo withered. They were replaced by green fruits which hung on the branches, brimming with life. It was a sight Fang Yuan had never seen before.
”Bamboo fruits…in the legends, they were the staple foods of the phoenixes…”
Flower Fox Ferret was already waiting patiently at the side for some time. Fang Yuan glanced at it, plucked a fruit and tossed it in the air.
”Shoo!”