Chapter 39: Bribery

After seeing off Cai Laojiu.

Qin Ming closed the courtyard gate and immediately began to ponder alone.

He hadn't expected the Lingyu Sect's teleportation array to be repaired so quickly; under current circumstances, his situation would become extremely awkward.

Qin Ming was currently living under others' roofs, serving corvée labor within the Lingyu Sect, with no control over his own fate, constantly constrained by the sect.

The sect's upper echelons could change decisions on a whim—today dragging you to the front-line war camp as cannon fodder, tomorrow banning you from privately selling spirit rice.

They squeeze you dry in peacetime and use your life in war! These sects never regarded these spirit farmers as human beings—purely treating them like oxen and horses.

Beyond that.

The Immortal Realm was unpredictable, its situation shifting by the moment; despite the current harmony between the Lingyu Sect and the Jin Yun Valley.

Who knew that one day, over resources and interests in Yunze Dahuang, they might turn on each other instantly, starting war at the slightest provocation.

When that happened, those most affected would still be these low-level cultivators.

The front-line war camps had been fighting for years against those barbarian cultivators, yet made no progress, gained no advantage, and suffered heavy losses instead.

What did this indicate? The natives deep within Yunze Dahuang probably weren't as easy to manipulate as the Lingyu Sect and Jin Yun Valley assumed.

If those natives launched a counterattack, it would be disastrous.

"I must make plans early."

Qin Ming's gaze flickered uncertainly; his desire to escape the Lingyu Sect grew ever stronger!

"Running away directly isn't realistic."

"I still need to find a way to be exempted from corvée labor and regain my freedom."

He pondered for a while.

To be exempted from the Lingyu Sect's corvée labor, he had to meet any one of the three conditions the sect had set.

The first condition was reaching Foundation Establishment; Qin Ming dismissed this outright—it was impossible for him to achieve Foundation Establishment in such a short time.

The second condition was submitting any resource that aided Foundation Establishment; he also skipped this—he didn't even possess such rare resources, let alone submit any.

After much thought.

Qin Ming felt the third condition held promise and high feasibility: mastering any one of the Hundred Arts of the Immortal Realm to the Second Rank.

He was already a Mid-Grade Spirit Planter; after next year, he expected to advance to Upper-Grade Spirit Planter.

With his term entries, his chances of breaking through to Second-Rank Spirit Planter were quite high.

Yet he currently had no idea what conditions were required to advance to Second-Rank Spirit Planter.

He'd have to visit the Administrative Hall tomorrow to inquire.

Thinking of this.

Qin Ming's eyes hardened; he had already decided on his future plan.

He then began to seriously consider how to handle the sale of Beast Tooth Rice next year.

Time slipped by, more than half a month passed.

As expected, just as Cai Laojiu had said.

During this year's spring plowing, Elder Gu led a group to the spirit fields and announced the ban on private sales of spirit rice.

This was a crushing blow to the spirit farmers.

This year, Qin Ming still planted Xue Huang Mi in his three mu of spirit fields.

He then activated the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique to summon the spirit rain.

……

After finishing his work in the spirit fields.

Qin Ming returned to his courtyard and resumed his daily, grueling cultivation.

Under the heavy accumulation of Premium Blood Locust Rice, the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture forcibly pushed his Body Refinement technique to the peak of Layer Six.

The five 【Faint Blood Qi】 and two 【Abundant Blood Qi】 term entries within his mind sea were also successively consumed through cultivation.

Even with this level of Blood Qi accumulation, he still failed to break through to Body Refinement Layer Seven.

It was easy to imagine the terrifying quantity of Blood Qi materials required for the later stages of the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture.

As for his magic power cultivation.

Qin Ming could now brew his own Condensation Pills; though their effect was far weaker than that of Spirit Gathering Pills.

Yet his internal magic power was steadily increasing.

One day.

Qin Ming was in cultivation when a disturbance rippled through the protective array outside his courtyard gate.

He ended his practice, opened his eyes, rose, and walked to the door to peek outside.

He had seen this person before.

The visitor wore a wooden hairpin, a jade belt around his waist, had pale skin, a haughty expression, slightly swollen eyes, and kept yawning incessantly.

He was at Qi Condensation Level Seven, slightly short in stature, dressed in the blue inner-disciple robes of the Lingyu Sect.

Though a wealthy nobleman, it was clear he had indulged too much in brothels and entertainment quarters.

This man was precisely the short cultivator who, on that street day, had been among Jiang Kun's group stealing the old man's treasure.

Perhaps having followed Jiang Kun too long, he had grown as arrogant as his master.

Seeing this man, Qin Ming frowned.

He inwardly cursed his bad luck, yet still forced himself to open the door—the man was from the Lingyu Sect.

"Oh my, you're Cultivator Qin, right?"

"I'm Chen Ziang of the Lingyu Sect."

"I heard you recently advanced to Mid-Grade Spirit Planter? Congratulations!"

"Brother Jiang now wishes to invite you to Mingzhen Pavilion for a drink, Brother Qin. Do me the honor?"

Chen Ziang, contrary to his usual demeanor, wore a warm smile and extended the invitation with sincere earnestness.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming knew he had no choice but to accept.

This time, he could not possibly evade it.

"If Brother Jiang invites me, then Brother Chen, please lead the way."

After all, Qingyang Marketplace was under the direct jurisdiction of their Lingyu Sect; Jiang Kun and his group would not dare act too recklessly in public.

Moreover, the marketplace was a tangle of competing factions, many of which—even core members of the Lingyu Sect—had to tread carefully.

Jingxue Pavilion was one such faction.

……

"Brother Qin, a pleasure to meet you."

Inside the private chamber of Mingzhen Pavilion, Jiang Kun, a core disciple of the Lingyu Sect, clad in a blue robe embroidered with golden threads, his bearing noble and commanding, regarded Qin Ming with smiling phoenix eyes.

"Brother Jiang invited me—may I ask why?"

"No rush, no rush. First, taste this fine-brewed spirit grain wine."

Jiang Kun took out two Bai Yu cups and poured wine personally for Qin Ming.

He then poured himself a cup, raised it in toast to Qin Ming across from him, and drained it in one gulp.

Qin Ming, caught off guard by this gesture, felt unexpectedly honored.

He picked up his cup without hesitation and swallowed it in one go.

The Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture he cultivated rendered him immune to all poisons; he had no fear of any trickery in the wine.

The spirit grain wine slid down his throat.

Its flavor was rich, crisp, and sharp; spiritual energy lingered in his mouth and teeth—truly an excellent wine.

"Brother Qin is indeed a man of straightforward character."

A flicker of barely perceptible surprise passed through Jiang Kun's eyes.

Then he smiled slightly. "By the way, there was still a bit of misunderstanding between us last time. That day in the Office of Affairs, when I was hurriedly securing a slot for my subordinates, my tone may have been harsh. I hope you won't take it to heart."

"Haha, Brother Jiang, you flatter me. Had you not mentioned it, I'd already forgotten the whole thing," Qin Ming replied with a forced smile, his expression cold beneath the surface.

"Then I must have overthought it. Brother Qin, so magnanimous—I shall punish myself with a drink." With that, Jiang Kun truly refilled his own cup and drained it in one swallow.

Afterward, Jiang Kun began chatting about recent events.

For instance, on the subject of spirit rice cultivation, he praised Qin Ming endlessly and congratulated him on his promotion to Mid-Grade Spirit Planter.

He also inquired how Qin Ming had established ties with Jingxue Pavilion.

Qin Ming adapted his words to whoever he spoke to.

He spoke freely of what he could, and glossed over everything else.

Had he not recently witnessed Jiang Kun's true nature firsthand…

He might truly have believed the man was a humble, approachable senior brother who honored talent.

After three rounds of wine…

Jiang Kun, smiling, withdrew a delicate jade box from his storage pouch and gently pushed it toward Qin Ming.

"A small token. I hope Brother Qin will accept it."

Qin Ming was thoroughly baffled by this sudden gesture.

"Brother Jiang, what is the meaning of this?"

As Qin Ming hesitated, he reached out and opened the jade box.

The contents stirred him deeply.

Five round, lustrous spirit stones radiated dazzling brilliance; their dense spiritual energy could be felt from afar.

They were Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!

Each could be exchanged for one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, sometimes even more.

This amounted to over five hundred spirit stones.

Inside the jade box was also a delicate porcelain bottle.

Qin Ming picked up the bottle, opened it, and a refreshing, penetrating medicinal fragrance filled the air.

Inside swirled a single deep-green spirit pill.

He knew this pill intimately—he had watched Su Yuqing brew it himself.

"Qi Condensation Late-Stage Breakthrough Pill—Washing Marrow Pill!"

PS: Thank you, esteemed readers, for your monthly votes—I bow deeply in gratitude!

(End of Chapter)