Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: A Letter from Zhou Miaoyun
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"You opportunistic turtle. When you don't need me, I'm a 'two-legged beast.' When you do, I'm suddenly 'master.'"
Chen Jianghe cursed inwardly.
"In another two years, this batch of Azure Fish will be ready. I'll reward you with a ten-year-old Spirit Cleansing Grass then."
"Spirit Cleansing Grass?"
Xiao Hei shook his head, looking puzzled.
"It's a type of grass that contains a large amount of spirit qi... Explaining more would just confuse you. Just know that its effect is similar to a Spirit Accumulating Pill."
"Using three spirit beast Azure Fish as the base, for every additional Azure Fish, I'll reward you with another ten-year-old Spirit Cleansing Grass."
Chen Jianghe said with a grin.
"Is its effect really the same as a Spirit Accumulating Pill?"
Xiao Hei looked at Chen Jianghe with suspicion. He felt that since the reward cycle was shorter, the Spirit Cleansing Grass probably wasn't as good as the Spirit Accumulating Pill.
"The effect is the same. They can both help you improve your cultivation."
Chen Jianghe said earnestly.
The effects of Spirit Cleansing Grass and Spirit Accumulating Pills were indeed the same; the grass was just slightly less potent, but not by much.
This was because the main ingredient for refining Spirit Accumulating Pills was Spirit Cleansing Grass. One stalk of Spirit Cleansing Grass, combined with seven or eight supplementary ingredients, could normally produce three to five Spirit Accumulating Pills per batch.
Therefore, the amount of spirit qi in a Spirit Cleansing Grass wasn't less than a Spirit Accumulating Pill. It was just that human cultivators couldn't consume it directly and had to refine it into a pill.
But Xiao Hei was different.
The *Yun Clan Journal* clearly stated that spirit beasts could directly consume spirit grasses and rare treasures.
Most importantly, one stalk of Spirit Cleansing Grass was worth eighty spirit sand, which was less than half the price of a Spirit Accumulating Pill.
One stalk of Spirit Cleansing Grass might not be as effective as one Spirit Accumulating Pill, but two stalks would definitely surpass it.
With the spirit stones needed to buy one Spirit Accumulating Pill, he could buy two stalks of Spirit Cleansing Grass and still have enough spirit sand left over to purchase more than twenty sheets of high-quality yellow paper.
As a low-level, mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, he had to be frugal, carefully calculating every expense to minimize his spending and avoid being a spendthrift.
Moreover, his decision to shorten Xiao Hei's reward cycle to two years was made after careful consideration.
Now that he had started on the path of talisman crafting, he could earn at least ten spirit stones a year, which was more than enough to improve Xiao Hei's compensation.
A higher cultivation level for Xiao Hei would bring him even more benefits.
—
Chen Jianghe returned to his black-canopied boat and continued to draw talismans, honing his craft and striving to become a low-grade Talisman Master within two years.
Nowadays, apart from his daily six hours of meditation and cultivation, he spent all his time drawing talismans.
His life had become much more fulfilling than before.
Time also seemed to pass more quickly.
More than half a year passed in the blink of an eye, and it was once again the annual fish hibernation period in the outer waters.
The farmed Azure Fish didn't hibernate, but high-level Fishery Farmers with spirit beasts could have their beasts feed the fish during this time while they took on some short-term jobs.
Although high-level Fishery Farmers earned a decent amount of spirit stones, they were still low-level cultivators at heart, forced to hustle for every stone.
Of course, a two-month short-term job for a high-level Fishery Farmer wouldn't pay a mere three or five spirit sand; it would be at least fifty spirit sand or more.
After all, most high-level Fishery Farmers were at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, with a rare few at the late stage.
"I have twelve sheets of talisman paper left, but I'm out of spirit ink. I need to make a trip to the Ferry Market City."
As time passed, his talisman crafting skills had improved slightly. At the very least, he was barely wasting any spirit ink now.
A box of spirit ink could be used to draw fifty low-grade talismans, and he could now manage forty-seven or forty-eight attempts, which was quite good.
However, his success rate was still a bit low, remaining around forty percent.
He had used fifty sheets of talisman paper and only produced nineteen Water Arrow Talismans. Ignoring the success rate, the result was acceptable.
After deducting the costs, the nineteen Water Arrow Talismans would net him a profit of fourteen spirit stones. For a mid-stage Qi Refining high-level Fishery Farmer, this was already excellent.
"Caw! Caw!"
The cry of an egret sounded.
Chen Jianghe stepped out of the cabin, took the message tube from the leg of the egret perched on the bow, and turned back inside.
If he wasn't mistaken, this letter had to be from either Gao Peiyao or Zhou Miaoyun.
Yu Daniu had already written to him in the third month of the year to inform him of Yun Xiaoniu's spirit root test results.
A five-element miscellaneous spirit root.
This had made Yu Daniu happy for many days. If he hadn't been busy visiting relatives with his wife, he would have come to Chen Jianghe's place for a few drinks.
For a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan like the Yun Clan, there wasn't much difference between a five-element miscellaneous spirit root and a four-element pseudo-spirit root.
As long as they didn't die prematurely, they could cultivate to the mid-stage of Qi Refining under the clan's guidance. If they made some contributions, they could even become late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
Only someone with a three-element true spirit root, like Yun Bufan, would be treated fundamentally differently from the other direct descendants in the Yun Clan.
They would be nurtured with all the resources the Yun Clan could muster.
Chen Jianghe had replied to congratulate him on Yun Xiaoniu having a spirit root, telling Yu Daniu to take good care of the boy for the next few years.
The spirit root was tested at age six, but they would only begin their cultivation journey at age ten, after their meridians had stabilized and strengthened.
Furthermore, Chen Jianghe had reassured Yu Daniu, saying he believed his other children would also have spirit roots, and told him not to be gloomy and depressed all day over the matter.
Chen Jianghe returned to the cabin, took the letter from the tube, and glanced at the signature. It was indeed from Zhou Miaoyun.
The letter said that Zhou Miaoyun had only just managed to get a foothold in Qinghe Market City in the fifth month of this year. Her father, uncles, and brothers had all become demon hunters, while the womenfolk were helping others raise snow silkworms and spin silk.
In short, they could now afford the rent in Qinghe Market City.
"A second-rank, high-grade spirit vein... even the residential areas in the market's outskirts have the spirit qi density of a first-rank, high-grade spirit vein. No wonder the rent is so expensive."
A small, single-room courtyard cost four spirit stones a year in rent.
The Zhou family was renting a five-room courtyard for eighteen spirit stones a year.
Without a trade, it would be impossible to survive in the market city. And this was just the outer residential area; the inner residential area must be even more expensive.
Of course, the spirit qi in the inner residential area would be much denser, probably even more so than on Lakeheart Island.
At the end of the letter, Zhou Miaoyun gave Chen Jianghe a suggestion: if he ever decided to leave the Yun Clan, he could consider moving to Qinghe Market City.
She could offer some help.
She also gave Chen Jianghe her current address.
In response, Chen Jianghe wrote back a letter of thanks, wishing Zhou Miaoyun all the best in Qinghe Market City and for the Zhou family to prosper.
At the same time, he also wrote about his and the Yun Clan's recent situation.
He didn't mention Yu Daniu's situation, as he didn't know if Zhou Miaoyun had written to him.
If she hadn't, writing about Yu Daniu would only serve to upset her, wouldn't it?
"Qinghe Market City, huh?"
Chen Jianghe murmured to himself, "It has a second-rank, high-grade spirit vein and is guarded by three Foundation Establishment Ancestors. It's definitely worth considering as my next stop."
It offered both security and abundant spirit qi.
Qinghe Market City perfectly matched what he was looking for.
"It's been almost two years in the blink of an eye. I wonder if Peiyao managed to join the Tiannan Sect?"