Every day, each member of the entire clan gives me a wisp of spiritual energy.

Chapter 107 A Guest Arrives

Upon probing with his divine sense, he saw Zhao Yuanlang leading Xuanji alone, walking up the mountain path.

Both were dressed casually, and the clerk, Xuanji, was carrying a celadon wine jar, which made them seem much more relaxed than when they had come before.

Shen Qing's heart stirred slightly. Zhao Yuanlang's sudden visit today, traveling light and without a entourage, was most likely to check on the progress of the spirit field.

After all, he invested so much money in these seeds, so it's only natural that he would come and see the harvest for himself.

Shen Qing flew to the mountain gate on his sword and welcomed Zhao Yuanlang and Xuanji into the mountain.

"Your Excellency is in high spirits today," Shen Qing said with a cupped hand and a smile.

Zhao Yuanlang pointed to the celadon wine jar in Xuanji's hand and laughed, "I recently acquired a jar of fine wine. Knowing that Sect Leader Shen is cultivating alone on the mountain, I've come to share a couple of cups. What, aren't you welcome?"

"Your Excellency is too kind. This way, please." With that, Shen Qing stepped aside to lead the way.

The three of them walked up the mountain path. As Zhao Yuanlang walked, he looked around. His eyes swept over the railings that Huang's family had built last year and the mountain gate that had been repainted. He nodded slightly. Qingyun Sect had indeed picked up a ready-made one.

When they reached the fork in the road, Shen Qing paused. To the left was the main hall of the sect, and to the right was the spirit field in the back mountain.

Shen Qing had no intention of engaging Zhao Yuanlang in a drawn-out discussion and went straight to the point: "Your Excellency, why don't we go to the back mountain to take a look at the spirit fields first?"

Zhao Yuanlang laughed heartily: "Sect Leader Shen is quite straightforward. Very well, business is more important."

The three turned towards the back of the mountain, passed through the pine forest, and arrived at the spirit field in the valley.

Zhao Yuanlang stood on the ridge of the field, his gaze sweeping over the field of dark green, robust Linggu plants. Their leaves were broad and thick, their stems upright, and nearly half of the plants had already sprouted slender spikelets.

The surface of the spirit field was shrouded in a very thin layer of spiritual mist, which was the spiritual atmosphere formed by the fusion of the earth's vein energy and the spiritual water.

The entire field of spiritual crops is growing neatly and thriving.

He looked at it for a long time, and a look of satisfaction gradually appeared in his eyes.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhao Yuanlang repeatedly praised it, then turned to Shen Qing, "Sect Leader Shen, the growth of this batch of spirit grains is no less impressive than the standard fields I've seen at the Spirit Item Bureau in the county city. To achieve such results in the first year, Sect Leader Shen, you've truly made a remarkable achievement!"

Shen Qing replied, "It's all thanks to the cultivation method and spiritual seeds sent by the county magistrate. If I had to figure it out myself, I'm afraid it would have taken me three years to grow something like this."

Zhao Yuanlang waved his hand: "The cultivation method is static, but people are dynamic. I've seen those useless farmers in the Spirit Object Division. Even with the cultivation method in hand, some still managed to kill the spirit grains. Sect Master Shen, there's no need to be so modest."

He walked a few steps along the ridge, his gaze falling on the spirit millet plant whose roots had been gnawed by mole crickets.

This Linggu plant was noticeably shorter than the surrounding ones, and its leaves were also yellowish, making it stand out against the lush greenery of the field.

"What's going on with this plant?" Zhao Yuanlang asked.

"It was eaten by a mole cricket, which happened just a few days ago. That day, I went down the mountain to fetch spiritual water from the spiritual vein left by the Huang family. I was gone for less than three hours, and when I returned the next day, I found a mole cricket burrowing deep into the soil and had eaten most of the main root of this spiritual grain."

Zhao Yuanlang frowned slightly: "Mole crickets? Spirit insects have appeared on Qingyun Mountain so quickly?"

Shen Qing shook his head and sighed, "I always thought there weren't any either. I didn't see a single spirit insect for the first two months, and I thought it was just good luck. Now it seems that it's not that there aren't any, it's just that the time hasn't come yet."

Zhao Yuanlang nodded: "The concentration of spiritual energy in the spiritual field will gradually increase as the spiritual grain grows. At the beginning, the spiritual energy is weak and cannot attract spiritual insects. Once the spiritual grain grows to a certain extent, the concentration of spiritual energy in the spiritual field will exceed the threshold of the surrounding environment, and the spiritual insects will naturally come to smell it."

He paused, then asked, "What about the mole cricket? Did you catch it?"

"We caught them."

Shen Qing did not hide anything and briefly explained how he discovered and how he eliminated the enemy.

He paused at the end and added, "The cultivation method of the Hou Tu sect says that this insect is edible, so I roasted it and ate it."

Zhao Yuanlang was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "You ate it? You certainly don't waste food."

After laughing, he continued, "Mole crickets are indeed edible. The cultivators of the Thick Earth Sect deal with the land all year round, and their attitude towards spiritual insects is different from that of ordinary cultivators. The cultivators of the Thick Earth Sect will collect the insect corpses and use them for medicine, refining weapons, or eating them directly."

"Spirit insects are born nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the essence contained in their flesh and blood is a great tonic for cultivators."

Shen Qing seemed to understand something: "In that case, although mole crickets are pests, they are also an opportunity."

"It depends on how you use it."

Zhao Yuanlang said, "There is a saying in the Hou Tu Sect: 'The more spiritual grains grow on the ground, the more spiritual insects will be born in the soil.' Spiritual insects and spiritual creatures are interdependent, and cultivators who cultivate spiritual fields will eventually have to learn to deal with spiritual insects."

Shen Qing nodded and then led Zhao Yuanlang to see the growth at the other end of the spirit field.

The two walked around the field ridge, with Zhao Yuanlang stopping from time to time to examine the leaves and rachis of the Linggu grain.

Xuanji followed behind the two, his gaze sweeping over the spirit field without uttering a word.

After walking through the entire acre of spirit field, Zhao Yuanlang sat down under the shade of the pavilion. Xuanji, quick-witted, took out the wine set he had prepared beforehand, filled two cups with spirit wine, and turned to Shen Qing with a smile, saying, "Sect Master Shen, this is spirit wine that Dongweng specially brought back from the prefectural city. It has a unique flavor, so you must have a good taste."

After saying that, Xuanji first respectfully presented a cup of spirit wine to Zhao Yuanlang, then stepped aside and handed another cup to Shen Qing.

Zhao Yuanlang took the jade cup, his fingertips lightly touching the cool cup wall. He inhaled the pure and mellow aroma of the wine, a look of satisfaction on his face. He took a small sip and swallowed slowly, nodding in praise: "This is a fine wine from the prefecture, with a mellow and smooth taste. It is truly a superior wine."

Shen Qingyi calmly accepted the wine cup, bowed slightly in thanks, and did not rush to drink. He simply lowered his eyes to examine the clear wine in the cup, and after a moment took a small sip: "This is truly fine wine. Today, I am fortunate to have the honor of meeting the County Magistrate."

Xuanji stood respectfully to the side, a smile appearing on his face upon hearing this. He remained quietly by the side, not uttering a word to interrupt their conversation.

Zhao Yuanlang picked up his wine cup and took another sip, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, what about the seeds of the Jade Scrophularia? Have they sprouted?"

Shen Qingyi shook his head, took out the dark jade-colored cloth bag containing the Jade Ginseng seeds from his storage bag, and returned it with both hands: "Your Excellency, I cannot plant the Jade Ginseng for the time being."

"Oh?"

Zhao Yuanlang took the cloth bag but didn't open it immediately. "Why?"

Shen Qing truthfully replied, "Jade Ginseng is a second-tier spiritual herb. The cultivation method clearly states that it must be planted on a shady slope with abundant spiritual energy, and the soil must be repeatedly soaked with spiritual water for more than a year."

"The foundation of my Qingyun spiritual field is still shallow, not even qualifying as a low-grade spiritual field. The spiritual energy content in the soil is far below the survival threshold for the Jade Ginseng seedlings. If we force them to grow, I'm afraid not even one of the more than twenty seeds will sprout."

Shen Qing paused for a moment, then said frankly, "Rather than wasting such a precious resource, it's better to keep it for now and make further plans after the spirit field's grade is improved."

Zhao Yuanlang was not angry upon hearing this. Instead, he nodded and said, "It's good that Sect Leader Shen is so pragmatic. Jade Ginseng is indeed not something that can be grown in one or two years. I didn't expect you to be able to grow it in the first year. Keep the seeds. You can plant them whenever you are ready."

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency."