Chapter 59: Farming at the Foot of the Mountain, People Falling from the Top

"I wonder which experts are among them?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Cao Qiushui, Wen Zhao, Du Jiao Sect, Hong Sihai, Dong Chuan, Xiang Chenglin…" Zong Shichang rattled off more than ten names in one breath. "All the ones I just mentioned are at the ninth stage of Qi Gathering — just one step away from entering the ranks."

"If Brother Zhao wishes to know these people's detailed backgrounds and origins, why not chat with me as we go?"

"Fine, then let's walk together." Zhao Xing didn't refuse again.

Actually, whether he knew these experts or not, he didn't care. He only planned to stay at the foot of the mountain farming on the first day, and wouldn't immediately go up the mountain to compete.

"Whoosh~"

A breeze swirled at the bottom of the Wen Zhu box, and Zhao Xing shouldered the box and set off again.

"Others ride the wind to carry heavy things and have to eat a layer of dust themselves, but your wind-rising is quite exquisite." Zong Shichang praised.

"Young Master Zong has good stamina too." Zhao Xing glanced over — Zong Shichang wasn't using wind to carry his bamboo box.

"Not at all, my Wen Zhu box comes with a built-in lightening effect, so it doesn't require me to bear the weight." Zong Shichang gave the outside of the box a light pat, and immediately swirling breezes appeared at the bottom, left side, and back of the bamboo box.

Specks of green light radiated. Not only did Zong Shichang not have to carry it, most of his body was actually leaning on the box — it was as if the box was pushing him along!

"…" Zhao Xing was left speechless.

Being rich is damn bliss.

What Young Master Zong uses is pure luxury.

Just this bamboo box for storing things is already a third-grade superior item.

Zhao Xing could be considered to have some money, but he wouldn't spend it this lavishly either.

"Once we pass this mountain stele, we'll have truly entered the Spirit Mountain. What are your plans, Brother Zhao?" The two followed the mountain path until they reached a stele, then stopped.

"I plan to rob Brother Zong and take your box — you must have quite a few treasures on you." Zhao Xing said lightly.

Zong Shichang was stunned: "There's no need for that, is there? I don't have much of value on me either."

Zhao Xing laughed: "Anyway, once we pass the Forget-Worry Stele, after coming back down the mountain we won't remember anything. If we don't do it, it'd be a waste, wouldn't it? Brother Zong, you're so flashy — even a single box is a third-grade superior treasure. Wouldn't it be better to let me have the bargain than someone else?"

Zong Shichang could tell Zhao Xing was joking, but was actually reminding him to keep a low profile. He immediately scratched his head and said: "Fair point. Even if my father has face, I won't remember who bullied me, so how would I take revenge?"

Zong Shichang then switched off the effects of the Wen Zhu box. The box instantly became plain and unadorned, no longer emitting specks of green light.

But this way, he'd have to rely purely on his own ability to carry the box.

"Rise wind!"

"Whoosh~"

"Cough cough… stop it, Brother Zong, let me give you a hand."

Zhao Xing got choked by the flying dust and sand, and quickly told him to stop.

What on earth are you even summoning?

"My apologies." Zong Shichang was a bit embarrassed. "I've never done such delicate work before."

Zhao Xing shrugged and continued forward.

Once past the mountain stele, one could clearly feel the Yuan Qi had grown much denser.

The first three days of the mountain opening are when the Yuan Qi is at its densest. If the effect of gathering Yuan Qi for one day outside is 1, then in the mountain it's 10 — and this is only at the foot of the mountain; higher up it might be even more.

East Lake Mountain was steep and perilous. Zhao Xing walked around the foot of the mountain for half an hour before finally finding a suitable planting spot.

He chose a place beneath a cliff, beside a small stream.

"Brother Zhao, you're not going up the mountain, and you walked around the foot of the mountain for so long — just to farm?" Zong Shichang saw Zhao Xing take things out of the bamboo box and thought he was stopping to eat, only to discover they were a few saplings.

"You've followed me for so long — you can't really be planning to just tour the mountains and enjoy the scenery, can you?" Zhao Xing said in surprise. "Besides food, you didn't bring anything else? You're not planning to participate in the Dengshan Spirit Harvest at all?"

"Not entirely." Zong Shichang had already set up a tent, and after folding the Wen Zhu box twice, it actually turned into a reclining chair.

He lay by the stream, holding a pot of fine wine, and drank on his own: "Before I entered the mountain, I found four skilled men to seek out the mountain's Spirit Harvest for me."

"When they make gains on the mountain, I'll just take them straight out and hand them in."

Zhao Xing asked while planting: "Will they agree? The Spirit Harvest in the mountains is a fine thing — perhaps an official appointment is just one Spirit Harvest short of being granted."

Zong Shichang chuckled lightly: "What do they seek the Spirit Harvest for? Nothing more than promotion and wealth. I can directly help them get promoted and rich — isn't that more reliable?"

Zhao Xing asked: "Brother Zong, would you mind if I punched you for thirty taels?"

The Wen Zhu box Xue Wenzhong had prepared for Zhao Xing contained Vajra Bamboo and Green Vine saplings.

Zhao Xing took out three of each and planted them on the spot.

Then he performed Earth Vein Yuan Convergence, enveloping the soil within a radius of one li.

"Drifting clouds!"

"Spread rain!"

With a point of his hand, a small cloud appeared three meters above the saplings, just covering a ten-meter square area of soil.

With the stream nearby, Zhao Xing easily drew enough rainwater, without having to consume much of his own Yuan Qi.

"Pitter-patter~"

Raindrops seeped into the soil.

Zhao Xing cast his spell again, performing 【Cultivation Art】.

"Nice work!" Young Master Zong clapped from the side. "Being able to control the drifting clouds so small — worthy of being Zhao the Third-Ranked. Are you planning to set up some straw men again?"

Here I am working hard farming, and you're treating it like a show? Zhao Xing retorted without hesitation: "Yes, the same kind of straw men that beat you last time."

"…" Zong Shichang felt a chill below his waist, as if recalling unpleasant memories, and the smile transferred to Zhao Xing's face.

Having gotten no amusement from it, Young Master Zong looked into the distance and drank alone.

As he drank, Zhao Xing actually discovered the guy had fallen asleep?

You really did come here for an autumn outing!

Shaking his head, Zhao Xing continued working.

Because East Lake Mountain's Yuan Qi was dense, and the mountain had been sealed for most of a year, the soil here was extremely fertile.

The Diamond Bamboo and Green Vine that Zhao Xing had planted quickly entered their growth period.

"Once they hit the growth period, it'll be easy. Their roots dig deep into the ground, so they can withstand mid-tier spells that force maturity."

"Grow wild!"

Six streaks of Jin Guang emerged from Zhao Xing's fingertip and sank into the bodies of the Diamond Bamboo and Green Vine.

This single move consumed half of his Yuan Qi, but the effect was also extremely obvious.

"Fizz fizz~" The Green Vine began to grow wildly, clinging to the cliff face. In the blink of an eye it had climbed up a full meter and even bloomed flowers.

The Diamond Bamboo's performance was no weaker — it was almost growing taller every single second. After a quarter of an hour, it had actually surpassed the vine's growth rate.

"Rustle rustle~" The surroundings showed the opposite of what was happening with these two plants: all the grass had withered, and the smaller trees began shedding their leaves.

Even the fish in the stream — quite a number of them had begun to belly-up.

The surroundings looked like a scene from late autumn.

"Did I sleep so hard I lost my head? What's going on here?" Zong Zong Shichang stared at his surroundings in astonishment. He had clearly pitched his tent on a patch of green grass, yet upon waking he found dead grass beneath him!

The leaves on the surrounding trees had also yellowed, and when the wind blew, they spun down and landed right on Zong Zong Shichang's head.

"Brother Zong, you overslept. It's already late autumn now," Zhao Xing said offhandedly, making something up.

"You think I'm a three-year-old?" Zong Zong Shichang snorted. "I slept at most two hours ago."

"Then you really can… hmm?" Zhao Xing's expression suddenly changed, as if he sensed something, and he jerked his head up.

He saw a black shadow appear in the sky and tumble down along the cliff face.

"Splat!" The black shadow hit the gravel flat ahead, and a splash of crimson immediately flew up.

Zhao Xing's expression shifted slightly — this had actually been a person who had fallen!