Fields in Bloom: Five Years Pass
After that day outside the cage, I kept myself busy. First, I restored my battered body to its original state. Of course, that included tending to the planted Purple Soldier Beans and the other spirit plants. After finishing my daily routine, I never neglected my cultivation training. Not that I had much else to do anyway. There was no YouTube, no TV shows, no games in this world. It wasn't for nothing that the martial tournament drew such huge crowds. If only there were galleries or forums, I wouldn't be so bored. But those idle thoughts vanished as I took in the sight before me.
On one side, rows of lush Qingxin beans stretched out. On the other, the Crimson Glow Rice had grown into a rippling red wave, like an ocean swell. Seeing this once-barren spirit field brimming with life filled me with boundless emotion.
"Already two months have passed."
I summoned the bean soldiers and gave them instructions for the areas needing care, then headed to check on the Purple Soldier Beans. They'd successfully sprouted, but growth had stalled—until suddenly, one reached knee height. Unlike the Qingxin beans, I'd nurtured these by personally infusing them with spirit energy, yet they grew slowly. Probably because they were of a higher grade.
"Sigh... do you have any idea the hardship you've put me through?"
To raise just this one, I'd faced off against a Foundation Establishment magus. Never again. I hoped it would grow quickly and show results. Still, I was excited on one hand. Fed with the Foundation Establishment demon's essence blood and my own spirit energy, it might turn out stronger than ordinary Purple Soldier Beans.
As that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly recalled my past life's war games, yelling "Whoa! Mecha Guan Yu!" The sight of him slaughtering beasts amid chaotic armies had been spectacular.
"It'd be awesome if this guy could do the same."
Grumbling inwardly, I imagined directing bean soldiers from the rear with finger signals, living off their labor. Lately, I'd been up front too often. At least my practical combat sense had sharpened thanks to it.
"Anyway, you need to grow strong. If you don't, I'll really cry. At least earn your keep."
I lightly flicked one of the Purple Soldier Bean's leaves with my fingertip. The deep purple leaf tickled my finger. Come to think of it, I remembered its cotyledons—they'd been plain purple back then. Now, after the essence blood and my spirit energy, they were nearly black. Was it the high-grade blood, or did they naturally darken with growth? The manual I'd read didn't specify. I'd find out when I harvested them.
"Alright, this one's for later. Today, I should harvest those."
Turning my head, I saw the Crimson Glow Rice and Qingxin beans ripe for picking.
Hmm, harvesting by hand sounds annoying.
I clapped my hands lightly. The bean soldiers scattered across the spirit field came rushing over in a group.
"Alright, let's get to work."
The harvest didn't take as long as expected. I hadn't been sure if bean soldiers could handle harvesting, but they did it neatly—maybe because they were plants themselves. Now I just needed to separate the seeds from what to sell at the Affairs Hall.
Staring at the piled-up beans, a sudden idea struck me.
Tofu... maybe I should try making some?
Since coming to this world, entertainment had been scarce. The one thing that brought joy was meals at the Spirit Delicacy House. But their menu wasn't very diverse. Once cultivators reached Foundation Establishment, they needed less food, so most patrons were Qi Condensation disciples.
That's why their selection felt so lacking.
It had shattered my old belief that a proper Chinese restaurant should master hundreds of dishes. Even if the Spirit Delicacy House's food was delicious, eating the same things daily got old. And with my routine of cultivation and farming lately, I needed a change of pace.
Decision made, I acted fast. I headed to the market and bought various ingredients.
And now, the results lay before me. I hadn't been sure if I could find everything within the sect, but the market had even items used by outer miscellaneous disciples who hadn't entered the Dao. It was easier than expected.
I'd bought a cauldron, cotton cloth, a sturdy wooden spatula, salt, and other necessities. With ingredients ready, I got to work. Two bean soldiers prepared the cauldron and firewood on one side, while another diligently roasted Qingxin beans on the other.
"Good. Today, let's try tofu and also make some meju."
I rolled up my sleeves for the first time in a while. I'd made tofu a few times in my past life, but meju was new. Still, I vaguely remembered the process.
If it doesn't work, I'll figure it out.
I had plenty of Qingxin beans for personal use anyway.
"Come on, let's get started."
...And the results were more successful than expected, even relying on hazy memories from my past life. Now, one corner of the spirit field held meju wrapped in straw and drying. Before me sat a plate of fluffy tofu, next to rice made from Crimson Glow Rice. The only side dish was coarse salt, but oddly, just looking at it made my mouth water.
"Tofu after so long."
Here, beans weren't usually grown for human consumption. They were mostly animal feed. I'd later learned the Qingxin beans I'd sold to the Affairs Hall were something spirit beasts went crazy for.
So, did I just make spirit beast feed into tofu?
The thought felt a bit off. I picked up a piece with chopsticks and stared at it for a long moment.
Whatever, as long as it tastes good.
I brought the chopsticks to my mouth.
"Whoa... how is this tofu?"
It was soft. But not just soft—it had a fluffy texture that wasn't mere silken tofu. There was a lively bounce between the chunks. Plus, a nutty, clean flavor. This time, I tried it with rice. Even without proper sides, it felt like heaven.
It's not just hype from growing it myself—this is really delicious.
The Spirit Delicacy House satisfied, but this was something more.
"Maybe I should quit farming and open a restaurant."
Not serious, of course. But these small joys helped endure the grueling cultivation. I glanced at the drying meju. For now, they were just molded beans, but someday they'd fill jars, transforming into something new. It would take time, though.
"Phew... mood refresh complete."
With the plate empty, I set down my chopsticks and stretched slowly. Looking up, I saw the cooking smoke drifting westward.
"Time to get back to cultivation."
Finishing up in the spirit field, I headed to the eastern plot.
In one corner of the eastern plot, two crimson stems grew. Blood Spirit Flowers. I'd brought back rootlets, unsure if they'd survive, but after days of infusing spirit energy with the Spirit Tuning Technique, buds formed, so I planted them aside. I hadn't put them in the main field because instinct told me it couldn't handle such spirit herbs yet.
Times like this, I wished a legendary grotto-heaven treasure would drop from the sky. A leisurely, safe farming life. Speaking of safety, I'd looked into formation artifacts to secure the field, but they were pricey. A decent one cost 2,000 low-grade spirit stones. Way too much for a poor tenant farmer scraping by on sect land.
No wonder they called them formation masters. Alchemists, artifact refiners, talisman makers, formation experts—these specialists must be raking it in. I'd have to learn one eventually, even if out of spite.
"Anyway, that's for later. Time to cultivate."
******
Days like that continued. The outer spirit fields remained mostly barren, and the girl was still a child. She never skipped cultivation or field management. As time passed, the meju she'd laid out in one corner of her field gradually filled jars, one by one. The number of jars grew with time.
Spring passed, summer, autumn, winter—through frosts and thaws. The barren outer fields began finding their color, one by one. Changes rippled through the girl's eastern plot too. Once. Twice. Thrice. Four times. Each year, spirit energy gathered, resounding through the east.
The bean soldiers by her side changed too. From ordinary wooden soldiers to commanders in purple armor. Eventually, they became generals clad in deep purple-tinged black plate.
Each shift in her guards' color expanded the fields under her care, raising their quality too. Before long, the innocent girl who'd entered Qingyun Sect was gone. She'd shot up in height, her round face sharpening. Now, no one would mistake her for a child—she'd matured.
Thus, five years passed.
"Alright, shall we go then?"
Her slender, elongated finger flicked lightly, and the bean soldiers in dark armor shadowed her like ghosts.