Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 4: Introducing Business

"One Spirit Crystal for each acre—that's way too pricey!" Old Man Lu attempted to haggle.

"If that's not acceptable, then we're done." Xu Ping spun around to depart.

"Fine, fine!"

Witnessing Xu Ping's firm stance, Old Man Lu stamped his foot in frustration: "Fine, we'll do it your way—get moving!"

Old Man Lu truly had little option.

Lately, his costs had skyrocketed, so pinching pennies anywhere helped.

Plus, since he's skilled in the Spirit Rain Skill, the results ought to be decent... wouldn't they?

Xu Ping pivoted back with a blank face: "Deal's a deal—you owe me payment."

He chuckled to himself inside.

He'd intentionally displayed his mastery of the Spirit Rain Skill right before Old Man Lu.

Sure, Old Man Lu was stingy and lecherous, yet as a veteran farming cultivator of many years, he boasted vast networks and excelled at handling folks.

His assistance would smooth out Xu Ping's scheme to rake in cash.

Still, to secure dominance in dealings ahead, that tough act just now proved essential.

"Don't worry, I always pay up," Old Man Lu grumbled irritably.

"Then off we go."

Once terms were set, Xu Ping directly trailed Old Man Lu to the man's spirit fields.

Old Man Lu's spirit farmland spanned double the area of Xu Ping's, filled with verdant Spirit Rice fields extending endlessly into the distance.

Without pause, Xu Ping stepped amid the crops, formed his Magic Technique hand seals, and launched the Spirit Rain Skill.

The skill at proficiency level instantly revealed its mighty power.

With the incantation activating, clouds swiftly amassed overhead, as a massive dark cloud twisted in the heavens, expanding wildly like it aimed to swallow everything below.

Soon after, soft spirit rain descended steadily, revitalizing the spirit farmland.

Old Man Lu, previously standing distant with a fuzzy view, now peered intently and grasped the exceptional quality of Xu Ping's Spirit Rain Skill.

Though the dark cloud's scale matched Elder Yan's, the key was the rain's spiritual energy—overflowing and far denser than Elder Yan's version!

"Is Xu Ping's Spirit Rain Skill superior to Elder Yan's!!"

Old Man Lu struggled to accept it.

Yet the spectacle unfolding hammered home the truth—it appeared so.

He'd approached Xu Ping to cut costs, but this Spirit Rain Skill's potency turned it into a steal of a bargain!

At that thought, Old Man Lu's grin stretched wide.

His creased features even looked somewhat refreshed.

Snagging a deal like this sure boosts spirits!

Truth be told, Xu Ping's command of the Spirit Rain Skill lagged slightly behind Elder Yan's.

But Elder Yan, aged and frail, possessed a body and meridians far diminished from his prime, so he held back from fully powering the Spirit Rain Skill.

Even deploying half power counted as impressive.

Xu Ping unleashed it at maximum, creating the deceptive impression his version outshone Elder Yan's.

While the spirit rain showered down, Spirit Rice ears across the farmland grew ever more plump and lively.

Old Man Lu's beam grew broader.

Right after Xu Ping completed the second acre's watering, he halted and held out his palm to Old Man Lu: "Two acres done—two Spirit Crystals total!"

"Take them; I keep my word."

Aware he'd scored big, Old Man Lu hastily fished two faintly glowing spirit stones from his storage and passed them over.

Xu Ping accepted the Spirit Crystals smoothly.

Thus, acre by acre in pairs, Xu Ping irrigated Old Man Lu's spirit farmland progressively.

Upon pocketing a Spirit Stone, Xu Ping plopped onto the field ridge.

Exhaustion gripped him, his mana nearly drained dry.

Without the Spirit Rain Skill's recent upgrade—which kept mana use steady and sharpened his command post-breakthrough—he likely couldn't have handled all ten acres of Lu Han’s farmland in a single session.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, that was tough work."

Grinning ear to ear, Old Man Lu approached, mysteriously producing a green fruit from nowhere and offering it: "Here, eat this to refresh yourself!"

"Appreciate it."

Xu Ping grabbed the fruit, rinsed it using water from his gourd, then crunched in. Its juicy pulp burst with sweet aroma, evoking apples from his past life.

After devouring several chunks, his eyes drifted to Old Man Lu's visage as he grinned and inquired: "Fellow Daoist Lu, what do you make of my Spirit Rain Skill versus Elder Yan’s?"

Old Man Lu paused, tempted to praise Xu Ping's superiority but wary it might hike fees, so he vaguely replied: "Roughly equal, roughly equal."

"Fair enough."

Having tossed aside the fruit pit, a glint appeared in Xu Ping's eyes. "Why don't you bring some customers my way, and I'll hand you a twenty percent cut?"

"That sounds perfect!"

Overjoyed, Old Man Lu agreed right away, "Count on me; I know this region like the back of my hand and guarantee to round up customers for you."

Confidently, he thumped his bony chest.

This was precisely the outcome Xu Ping desired.

Thanks to Old Man Lu's assistance, his venture would thrive in no time.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, actually..."

After some hesitation, Old Man Lu finally mentioned how Xu Ping's Spirit Rain Skill surpassed Elder Yan's.

Seizing the moment, he urged Xu Ping to hike his rates, since Elder Yan asked for two Spirit Crystals per acre, and a better Spirit Rain Skill shouldn't go for merely one Spirit Crystal.

Xu Ping pondered it briefly but turned down the idea.

For a newbie like him, insisting on two Spirit Crystals upfront—even with Old Man Lu's aid—would surely hinder early deals.

With the fruiting season under a month away, building fame later would come too late.

Cheap rates draw in spiritual farmers.

Plus, the effort costs next to nothing!

"Fellow Daoist Xu thinks ahead so well; I'll round up some folks right now!" Old Man Lu dashed away, swift as a hare.

Xu Ping grinned to himself.

Such zeal!

.........

Back at home, Xu Ping made a beeline for the bedroom.

At the bedside, he crouched down and dragged out a dark clay pot from beneath the bed, holding all the original host's possessions.

Though deemed all his possessions, it amounted to little.

Merely seven Spirit Crystals plus two Fireball Talismans.

Truly destitute.

Luckily, he'd scored a solid haul today.

Delighted, Xu Ping dropped the ten Spirit Crystals from his embrace into the pot.

A single Spirit Stone wasn't riches to him, yet it could snag fifty pounds of Spirit Rice—and with thrift, sustain him two months.

Even better, his enterprise was just kicking off, with prosperity on the horizon.

"At last, time to savor meat-filled feasts!"

Spirit Rice tasted fine enough, but as a carnivore, he'd gone meatless since transmigrating and ached for some.

Xu Ping had considered hunting wild beasts for a meal, yet this land, tamed for decades by cultivators, was barren of game.

Critters had been wiped out long ago.

For meat, market-bought Demon Beast Flesh was the sole option.

Yet Demon Beast Flesh cost a fortune!

The prior owner never splurged on it.

Naturally, Xu Ping's steady meat supply hinged on his agent, Old Man Lu's, success.