Chapter 591: Seeing Off

A deep mountain.

From within the clouds, a streak of black light suddenly descended.

Aaron put away the 'Iron Leaf Boat' and unfolded his movement technique, galloping toward one of his Spirit Medicine Gardens like an ordinary Martial Master.

When acting in the secular world, he was always very careful to disguise himself as a Martial Master of Transformation Energy.

However, when he arrived at the few thatched cottages in the mountains, he frowned.

Because there was no 'human presence' there!

After drawing closer, he discovered that the cottages reeked, and there were shockingly several skeletons inside.

On the wall beside the skeletons, there were dark brown, filthy words of abuse; it was clear to anyone who they were cursing.

He would come to inspect his many small medicine gardens every so often, bringing along the delayed antidote for the Five-Insect Heart-Eating Pill.

Aaron sighed.

'As long as the medicine garden I personally oversee can have a bountiful harvest, it is still a huge profit!'

"Sigh... recently there was a murder case in the market; a Talisman Master surnamed Zhou was lured out of the valley and killed. Now the patrol team is hunting for the murderer. It is said to have been done by a group of female cultivators who specialize in the Chaste Maiden Technique! With that old man Zhou gone, the price of basic talismans in this market will rise again..."

This technique was considered Donglong's specialty; it could create Spirit Rain to nourish the Spirit Field. Although its effect was greatly reduced in places where Spirit Qi was thin, it was at least equivalent to the efficacy of using Spirit Stone powder to fertilize the fields, which made Aaron particularly tempted.

Outside the house, white funeral banners had already been hung.

And since copying a Jade Slip clearly had no cost, he would give it away to build a bond of kindness for his descendants.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders: "Am I that kind of person? That's true... it seems a gang of mountain bandits was at work here, no wonder I would think of the problem from the worst perspective... As for those honest spirit farmers from before, even if they tended the spirit herbs to death, I didn't punish them much! I even gave them money!"

Aaron followed Dongfang Shuo to the mourning hall, picked up three sticks of incense, lit the tips, and bowed.

And the last time they met, Donglong was already barely holding on.

Even for the deep mountains and old forests he chose at random, he had used the Spirit Eye Technique beforehand to find the place with the most abundant Spirit Qi!

Yet he had not expected that this would still be the result!

"And... the human heart is hard to fathom..."

This time, there would be no need for anyone to oversee them; he would let them fend for themselves and adopt a free-range mode!

That is to say, Aaron could find them, but they had no idea how to contact Aaron!

After saying this, he drifted away amidst Dongfang Shuo's bow.

As Aaron walked, he distracted himself by checking the Jade Slip, discovering that the inheritance inside was quite complete. It mainly consisted of insights on how to plant, transplant, and maintain Spirit Rice, as well as cultivation techniques for some common spirit herbs, which gave him a feeling of sudden enlightenment.

'Donglong died too early...'

"Many thanks!"

Old man Donglong was old in age but not in spirit; he had many mortals in his family, even great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, and he passed away when his lifespan was exhausted, which was considered a happy funeral.

Alas...

After all, although Aaron coveted the inheritance of the spirit farmers, he had maintained restraint and had not taken action for over a dozen years.

'This inheritance of the Spirit Planter is a bit tricky... It seems I still have to go to the market. Spirit farmers are not one of the Four Arts of Cultivation; if I look more, I will find it eventually, it's just that I need to raise Spirit Stones. Should I sell a Magic Tool?'

In Donglong's view, his character was absolutely impeccable!

"Uncle Yu is indeed a man of impeccable character; Father did not misjudge him after all!" The young Immortal Cultivator stood up, his face filled with emotion.

He arrived at the market and suddenly saw the patrol team dispatched, carrying a heavy atmosphere, so he couldn't help but ask an Immortal Cultivator at the early stage of Qi Refining nearby: "Fellow Daoist, what has happened here?"

Aaron sighed and came to the medicine field he had opened up in the back, only to find that there was indeed no harvest and it was overgrown with weeds.

"Where is the spirit tablet of Fellow Daoist Donglong? I will go and offer some incense."

The most core and critical part was the 'Spring Breeze Turns to Rain Technique' formula at the end!

"Please wait a moment, Uncle Yu..."

Although he possessed the arrogance of a disciple of a Golden Core Sect, when facing a cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining, he still maintained the proper etiquette.

At this moment, Dongfang Shuo chased after him and stuffed a Jade Slip into his hand: "My father said he had nothing to his name, only his experience as a Spirit Planter, which is still of some value... He didn't have many friends, and Uncle Yu, you count as one, and you have an interest in this area, so he asked me to make a copy for you!"

Aaron took the Jade Slip and fell silent.

Aaron sighed and walked into the main entrance.

'The technique for transplanting spirit medicine must still be acquired...'

Even if it were occasionally discovered by an Immortal Cultivator, they would likely assume it was naturally grown by heaven and earth, and that the opportunity had arrived...

But in reality, it was just that the old farmer was blind... and had miscalculated Aaron's patience and level of caution!

He did not know that that stronghold was completely the one Aaron cared about the least, and it could only be contacted via a single line.

"Once this spirit medicine matures, it will look extraordinary at a glance. Perhaps these spirit farmers would harden their hearts, dig up the spirit medicine to sell, and find others to detoxify... or even attract Immortal Cultivators! By that time, even the Dongmen Family would be tempted by the medicine garden!"

The image of that cunning old man suddenly surfaced in his mind.

From what Aaron could see, the grief of this family was not too intense; rather, there was more bewilderment.

And given Aaron's trait of going into seclusion for over a dozen years or even decades at a time, if there were really an emergency, heh... let alone the daylilies getting cold, they would probably have rotted into dust!

Aaron's plan was to move these 'sprouting' spirit medicines to be planted in other places, such as deep mountains, old forests, or valleys inaccessible to humans, and then seal the valley entrance!

The friendships of Immortal Cultivators were just that thin; after all, he had a friendship with Donglong, not with Dongfang Shuo.

Aaron put away the Jade Slip and sighed: "I have some mortal subordinates who opened a 'Youyuan Inn' in Longqing Prefecture. If you have any business in the future, just go there and deliver a letter to the manager..."

Yes, he had come this time to see off an old friend.

This was Donglong's son born in his old age, who was later sent to the Qingding Sect to practice and now possessed the cultivation of the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining.

Fine...

Donglong didn't count as an old friend; he was at most a young little friend...

The so-called "old and cunning," the other party had long since seen through his purpose, but so what?

A dozen years of friendship; they were truly friends.

"However... I didn't expect Donglong to be nearing the end of his life too."

After visiting a few more places and giving the medicine-tending people antidotes and rewards such as gold and silver, Aaron returned to Dongmen Valley.

"Children born to Immortal Cultivators don't necessarily possess a Spirit Root..."

Aaron sighed, seeing a spirited young man walk toward him with a solemn expression: "Are you Yu Shu? I am Dongfang Shuo; we met when I was a child."

"Perhaps it was because they saw the Spirit Herb failing to sprout for so long... fearing my punishment and dreading the agony of the Five Insects Heart-Gnawing, they could only despair and take their own lives..."

After offering incense, Aaron prepared to take his leave.

Since he had come to Dongmen Valley, he naturally had to stroll through the Dongmen Market, even if he didn't have many Spirit Stones on him.

"However, I suppose this really counts as sending off a friend... Ge Lao doesn't count; he was hacked to death, not sent off."

"It's fine for now, even if they attract Immortal Cultivators, some Spirit Herb seeds simply aren't worth coveting... but what about fifty or a hundred years from now?"

"I arrived late."

Although the yield would decrease further, at least there would be no risk of exposure.

"You are little Shuo... you've grown so big?"

"Gaining is my fortune, losing is my fate, that is how it is... one cannot be impatient."

After all... other than his child born in his old age, the old man had no Immortal Cultivators in his family, and the other party clearly couldn't come to be a Spirit Farmer, so the Spirit Field would certainly be reclaimed by the Dongmen family, and these mortals would then only be driven out of the valley to fend for themselves.

Aaron did not go to the market, but instead directly piloted his Magic Tool and flew to a house in the Spirit Field area.

Even though he had previously left Dongmen Market, he still maintained contact with the old man Donglong, and sometimes they would visit each other; of course, it was usually when he came to the market that he would pay a visit.

Aside from a mere few locations, the grand plan for planting medicine had failed entirely!

This left Aaron completely speechless.

It was clear that this little Loose Cultivator was concerned about other issues.

And Aaron suddenly felt a chill in his heart: "Did Old Man Zhou flip his boat in the gutter? Another old acquaintance is gone..."

(End of this chapter)