The night over Jade Heart Plantation had collapsed into madness.
Flame talismans streaked across the darkened sky like falling stars and exploded among herb beds and spirit crops. Red and orange qi flames rose into the sky, mixed with black smoke that spread throughout the land like a suffocating tide.
From within the plantation, the cries of agony rose and fell without end. Steel rang against steel. Fresh blood soaked deep into the fertile soil.
The silver devil masked cultivators rampaged openly through the plantation. They moved like ravenous beasts released from their cages.
Wherever they passed, spirit farmers were butchered without mercy. Old men who had spent their lives bent over fields died screaming beneath blades. Young apprentices were torn apart before they could even cry out. Storage rings were ripped from severed fingers, and some silver masked figures laughed loudly as they set entire spirit fields ablaze.
It was a sight filled with cruelty.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The warning bells of Jade Heart Plantation rang again and again.
At first, panic ruled the place. Then slowly, chaos shifted into order.
Cultivators who had hidden in residences or underground chambers emerged. Spirit farmers, even with their low battle strength, armed themselves with sickles and magical treasures. Defensive talismans flared to life around courtyards and fields.
And so the resistance grew stronger across the plantation, with many battles turning into brutal stalemates. The Jade Heart Plantation no longer looked like a place of nurturing. It had become a vast killing ground.
On the central plateau, the silver masked devils marked with odd numbers gathered in force. Under the command of the golden demon masked cultivator, they laid siege to the plantation's largest storage site. The greatest hoard of resources was there.
Experts from the plantation formed a desperate line at the entrance. Spirit farmers stood behind them, channeling defensive formations with shaking hands. The battle only seemed to be in its beginning stages. Neither side seized a decisive advantage, yet the ground was already littered with corpses.
The night grew louder.
Far to the south, Jiang Chen walked alone.
He halted ten meters from a residence as a middle aged man in blue robes stepped out.
The man's appearance was unremarkable. His face bore the marks of wind and sun, streaks of gray threading his hair. Though his posture remained dignified, his eyes betrayed him, darting restlessly as he scanned for threats.
Jiang Chen sensed his cultivation.
'Ninth layer of Qi Condensation.'
Before either could speak, a shrill whistle cut through the air. A distress signal shot into the sky nearby, crimson light blooming like a fresh wound torn open against the clouds.
The middle aged man flinched, his expression darkening with a flicker of dread.
'The situation worsens by the second. I can't depend on backup,' he thought anxiously.
Jiang Chen drew his sword in a fluid motion, the polished metal catching the flickering orange light of the distant fires.
The middle aged man inhaled slowly.
'Why here? And why now?' he lamented inwardly.
He understood the situation he was in clearly. Fighting offered him no real benefit. Victory was a coin toss at best, and the price of defeat meant death.
After a brief internal struggle, the middle aged man raised his voice. "Fellow Daoist, wait!"
"Why must we kill each other for no reason? I am merely a small time spirit farmer. If you want resources, we can talk. We can resolve this like civilized people. Fighting to the death will only leave both sides injured."
As he spoke, he subtly spread his hands, allowing his wide sleeves to fall back and reveal his empty palms. It was a gesture that was useless against someone truly intent on killing, but sometimes symbolic acts mattered among cultivators who still clung to a semblance of righteousness.
"Life is difficult," the middle aged man continued. "I understand you may have your reasons for doing this, but I too have the right to live. Let us leave each other a way out. Killing blindly will accumulate bad karma. Even if Fellow Daoist leaves with gains, the aftertaste will not be pleasant."
Jiang Chen did not answer. He stared at the man in silence.
Several breaths passed.
The man felt unease, as if he were standing at the edge of a cliff, waiting to learn whether the ground beneath him would crumble or not.
At last, Jiang Chen broke the silence.
"I do not enjoy killing either."
The lethal tension in the air snapped, fraying just enough to allow the man to exhale a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
'Good. He is at least willing to talk,' the man thought, while forcing his expression to calm.
"Then we find ourselves in agreement," the man said. "The cultivation path is long. Preserving strength and avoiding unnecessary hatred benefits us both." He hesitated for a brief moment, then asked the question he could no longer avoid. "Then what does Fellow Daoist want? As long as it is reasonable, I will fulfill it."
Jiang Chen slowly pushed his sword back into its sheath.
The man tracked the movement with hawkish intensity, feeling the tightness in his chest loosen slightly. Jiang Chen raised his hand and pointed toward a nearby field.
The man followed the gesture, and his heart plummeted.
Hundreds of Honey Pumpkins grew there in neat rows. Each pumpkin was about the size of an adult's arm, round in shape and pale gold. Within their hollow centers, faint humanoid silhouettes were forming. These were Yellow Rank High Grade spiritual fruits, famous across the region.
'I should have anticipated this,' the man thought bitterly.
Honey Pumpkins were prized ingredients in high end spiritual wine and favored by alchemists in the concoction of Meridian Widening Pills. In the current market, a single ripe fruit could easily command a price of forty five to fifty five spirit stones.
He lowered his gaze for a heartbeat, his mind racing through calculations. Giving too much would bleed his pockets. Offering too little would invite battle.
"I can spare some," the man said carefully. "Six fruits. That is already a heavy loss."
The words tasted bitter as they left his mouth.
Jiang Chen shook his head.
"I want all of them."
The middle aged man's eyes bulged in sheer disbelief.
"All?!" he exploded in anger. "Impossible! You might as well slaughter me here. Do you think the world exists only to fill your pockets?"
He snorted coldly. "I will let you take eight. Take it or leave it."
Jiang Chen sighed. He reached into his storage pouch and withdrew a single spirit stone.
"I'm not an unreasonable person. Fairness must be observed," Jiang Chen said calmly. "I shall pay you for your goods, Junior."
Upon hearing this, the man actually began to laugh.
He was laughing from anger.
'Fair? Which dog brained bastard taught you the meaning of fairness!?'
Then his laughter froze.
'Junior... Did he just address me as Junior?'
The middle aged man was at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation, yet this masked cultivator called him Junior.
What did that mean?
'Is he bluffing? With his concealment methods in place, I cannot tell,' the man wondered. 'I expected him to be of similar cultivation since he was willing to negotiate, but now it is difficult to say.'
Before his thoughts could settle, Jiang Chen flicked his fingers. The spirit stone shot forth like a meteor.
The man's pupils constricted. He groaned and mobilized his spiritual essence. Both hands turned jade green as he moved to catch it.
BAM-!!
The force drove his arms backward, numbing them to the bone. The spirit stone cracked apart, spiritual essence spilling out like mist. The impact actually tore through the jade layers and bit deep into his flesh.
His hands trembled as the jade light faded.
Cold crept up his spine.
'That casual flick carried the power of a 12th layer cultivator!' the man realized as he stumbled back.
'I absolutely cannot fight him.'
He clenched the cracked stone tightly and forced a subservient smile. "Senior is fair minded. However, taking all of them… maybe not ideal. Perhaps we can find a better way?"
Jiang Chen's hand drifted toward his sword.
The man swallowed. "Senior, forgive my foolishness. Many of the Honey Pumpkins are not fully ripe. Taking all of them would be wasteful. Why not take only the ripe ones and leave the rest to grow? Senior could return in the future to retrieve them."
He bowed slightly.
"In this manner, Senior secures a profit today and an even greater gain in the future."
Jiang Chen studied the man, his gaze cold and emotionless.
'Silver tongue indeed,' Jiang Chen nodded after a moment, saying, "Lead the way."
They approached the field together, though the man kept a careful distance. Jiang Chen's divine sense swept the area. There were no formations or traps.
"These," Jiang Chen said, pointing out the mature Honey Pumpkin fruits.
One by one, they floated into the air. The man counted silently, each number a knife twisting deeper into his heart. By the time he reached forty seven, his chest felt hollow.
'You greedy devil,' the man scolded inwardly, resentment burning behind his eyes as he harvested them using a spirit farming technique.
Jiang Chen stored the fruits in his bag of holding. Then he retrieved a blank jade slip and walked toward the man.
The man stumbled backward. "S senior, what is the meaning of this?"
Jiang Chen stopped and laughed softly.
"Tch, you are quite cowardly for a man of your age." He tossed the jade slip through the air. "Transmit all your spirit farming knowledge into the slip."
The man stared, momentarily speechless at Jiang Chen's shamelessness.
"I will know if you lie," Jiang Chen added.
"I would never dare," the middle aged man said hoarsely, gritting his teeth as he complied.
As the minutes ticked by, Jiang Chen's thoughts began to drift.
'I have no strong desire to become a spirit farmer right now, but knowledge that could benefit me should not be wasted. Depending only on sect missions for spirit stones is unwise. It carries much risk, consumes time that could be used for cultivation, and also exposes me to possible assassination outside sect protection.'
Given his terrible cultivation talent, Jiang Chen viewed resources as paramount. He wanted multiple steady income paths to support his growth.
When the transmission ended, Jiang Chen stored the jade slip.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
The man's eyes went wide.
Jiang Chen charged forward with killing intent.