Chapter 10: Expanding Business (Part 1)

Li Xuan put the seeds into a seed bag, intending to germinate them later when he has time; after all, the Courtyard still has a huge batch of Flower Seedlings waiting for him to transplant, and he truly can't be in two places at once.

But before that, Li Xuan still has to dispose of the three corpses in the Courtyard.

Li Xuan thought for a moment, then exerted great effort, dragged the three corpses to the back yard, dug a large pit near the Dark Realm Ghost Orchid, tossed the corpses in, and filled it up.

Corpses near the Dark Realm Ghost Orchid readily generate resentful spirits, and the yin energy released by those spirits can in turn nourish the Orchid; the two complement each other, creating a win‑win, mutually reinforcing effect.

After burying the corpses, Li Xuan returned to the front Courtyard and filled the ceramic jar with water; now the jar contains only a small amount of diluted Green Spirit Liquid, which, when further diluted, no longer extends years of growth but can only boost the germination rate of the seeds.

Li Xuan evenly sprinkled the water into the seedling containers and then stopped tending to the seeds.

Li Xuan then transferred the successfully germinated Flower Seedlings from the containers into Flower Pots, after which they could be cultivated normally.

After spending an afternoon, Li Xuan transplanted all the Flower Seedlings into Flower Pots suitable for their growth.

Once the Flower Seedlings were settled, it was already late, and Li Xuan was exhausted; the remaining seedling work would continue tomorrow, so he returned to his Mao Cao Wu.

Today's boxed meal was finished, and Li Xuan had no food stored, so he could only stay hungry.

Li Xuan shook his head helplessly, not knowing how to endure the long night ahead.

Enduring the hunger, he reluctantly performed today's settlement with the system, earning ten points; shortly after, Li Xuan fell asleep.

……

At early dawn the next day, when the first ray of sunlight hit Li Xuan's face, he instantly opened his eyes.

Today Li Xuan didn't want to miss breakfast again; he couldn't forget how hungry he had been last night.

He changed clothes, gave himself a quick wash, and then set off for the Canteen to eat.

Upon arriving at the Canteen, Li Xuan sensed that the surrounding people gave him odd looks, but he didn't mind; he took a Steamed Bun, found a corner, and began gnawing it, after all he was now a celebrity in the Flower Sea.

Yet just a moment after Li Xuan sat down, a few Flower Slaves came to his side, looking at him with eager faces.

Li Xuan, slightly nervous, lifted his head and glanced at them.

"Gentlemen, what's the matter?" Li Xuan paused with the Steamed Bun in hand, sized up the group, and asked.

"We heard you can germinate seedlings here; we have some seeds we can't cultivate, so we'd like to ask you to trade some seeds with us, or have you cultivate them for us," a Flower Slave said nervously, his face flattered.

"So that's what you mean. First, I state the terms: One for Ten, fair to young and old; alternatively, I have a batch of Common Seed you can trade," Li Xuan blinked, relaxed, lifted his head, and smiled at them.

"Being able to exchange seeds is certainly good; could you show us the seeds?" another Flower Slave said excitedly to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan, unreserved, took a seed bag from his chest and poured the seeds onto a large stone.

"These seeds are of fairly ordinary quality, not hard to plant; the ratio is ten for nine," Li Xuan told the Flower Slaves. Hearing this, the other Flower Slaves gathered around, focusing on the seeds in his hands.

"Let me trade, let me trade; I happen to have ten seeds!" a Flower Slave exclaimed excitedly to Li Xuan.

"Everyone be honest, line up to trade, or else I won't trade," Li Xuan snorted coldly, waved his hand, and packed all the seeds back into the bag, leaving none behind.

The Flower Slaves, shocked by Li Xuan's move, lined up honestly and began exchanging one by one.

Li Xuan was well acquainted with these seeds, so he exchanged them methodically, swapping low‑quality seeds for those with higher planting difficulty.

However, the wolves were many and the meat few; the over one hundred and forty seeds in Li Xuan's hand were all exchanged for the ordinary seeds within a few minutes.

Only about one‑tenth of the Flower Slaves obtained the easy‑to‑plant seeds; the others still stared longingly at Li Xuan.

"I also offer Flower Seedling cultivation services, and my Courtyard has Flower Seedlings; you may choose to leave them with me for cultivation or take them away. However, I must warn you, the Flower Seedlings I grow here are of relatively high quality, and taking them home to raise can easily result in death, so be cautious," Li Xuan slipped the exchanged seeds into his chest, then stood on the stone and addressed the other Flower Slaves.

After hearing Li Xuan, they fell silent for a moment, then began discussing in small groups.

After all, entrusting seeds to Li Xuan carried too much risk, so they started to hesitate.

Li Xuan, watching their expressions, didn't rush; after all, they were unfamiliar with each other, and caution was natural.

"Xuan Ge'er, how about this: in a bit, we'll all go to your Courtyard to see the Flower Seedlings you've cultivated, then decide whether to make the deal," a Flower Slave shouted.

"Of course, once I finish the Steamed Bun in my hand, we'll go see," Li Xuan smiled and said to the other Flower Slaves.

The other Flower Slaves, hearing Li Xuan, dispersed and began gnawing the Steamed Buns in their hands.

Li Xuan took two or three bites to finish his Steamed Bun, then led the group out of the Canteen back to his Courtyard.

The procession, under Li Xuan's lead, arrived at his Courtyard in a grand march.

As soon as the Courtyard gate was pushed open, rows upon rows of neatly arranged Flower Pots came into view, and everyone's gaze was captured by the Flower Seedlings.

The people hurried into the Courtyard and began appraising Li Xuan's Flower Seedlings.

"Incredible! There are at least a hundred pots here; if we could trade for all of them, our lives could all be saved!" a Flower Slave shouted excitedly.

"Indeed, the quality of these Flower Seedlings is excellent; as long as you care for them meticulously back home, there's no worry of them dying!" the other Flower Slaves added excitedly.

"Alright, line up first; you may select Flower Seedlings to take away or leave them here for cultivation, it's up to you, the ratio remains One for Ten," Li Xuan took a wooden board from a corner of the Courtyard, fetched a charcoal stick as a pen, and prepared to record their information.

Li Xuan opens his door for business, guaranteeing fairness to young and old, and he seeks more than just a One for Ten reward…

(End of Chapter)