Chapter 10: Pigsty lv11
"What?!"
Ji Yuan had already suspected yesterday, after hearing Qiu Qianhai describe the situation on Maple Leaf Island, that something might happen to his two neighbors.
But that was only speculation at the time. He had not expected it to actually come true today...
After coming ashore, Lin Hu carefully helped Wu Qin up as well.
It was only then that Ji Yuan noticed there seemed to be an injury on Wu Qin’s back, and there was faint blood seeping out from her waist area.
Lin Hu put away the fishing boat and gave Ji Yuan a bitter nod.
"I’ll explain later at your house, Brother Ji."
Ji Yuan hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "Alright."
……
A short while later, after settling Wu Qin at home, Lin Hu came over to Ji Yuan’s place. He didn’t even go inside the house; the two of them just sat in the front yard.
At this moment, Lin Hu still looked shaken. Though he said he came to explain, in truth, what he needed more was someone to bring him peace of mind.
"The first few days we went there, it wasn’t too bad with Old Huang leading us. Although we encountered several dangers, we managed to avoid them all."
"At that time... the chaotic battle hadn’t started yet, and Old Huang still treated us as his own."
As Lin Hu spoke, a trace of regret flashed in his eyes, and his fists clenched tightly on his knees.
"Later, for some reason, the people from Taian Market suddenly united and started slaughtering the people from Jingde Market. We people from Zengtou Market naturally thought we could take advantage of the situation and decided to sit back and watch the two sides fight."
"After the people from Jingde Market realized this, they proposed to the people from Taian Market that they should kill us from Zengtou Market first, to prevent us from profiting off their battle... so they joined forces."
"Of course, we weren’t stupid either. We joined Taian Market and started killing people from Jingde Market. In the end, it turned into a chaotic free-for-all. Everyone’s eyes turned red with killing intent, and no one cared who was from where anymore. They just killed anyone they saw."
"Our group was too weak, so we thought of escaping first."
"We dodged left and right, but in the end, we were still targeted by a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining."
When Lin Hu got to this part, even his voice began to tremble.
Ji Yuan didn’t know how to comfort him. He could only sigh and say, "In the Yunyu Marshlands, it’s always the big fish that eat the small fish. But isn’t it the same on land? Cultivation is, after all, a struggle against the heavens, the earth, and other people."
"Brother Ji, you’re right... That robber cultivator’s magic boat was better than ours, and we were about to be caught. At the critical moment, Old Huang actually threw me back onto my parents’ Ebony Boat."
As he spoke, Lin Hu smashed his fist hard on his own thigh.
"That dog bastard!"
……
Lin Hu didn’t say anything more about what happened afterward, but Ji Yuan could already guess.
"Did Old Huang make it out alive?"
"I don’t know," Lin Hu shook his head. "My parents held off that robber cultivator while we fled with all our might. We didn’t see Old Huang again along the way. Hopefully, he’s dead, and dead without leaving a trace would be best."
To be honest, although Ji Yuan didn’t say it out loud, he also felt that there was something wrong with Old Huang.
Untrustworthy.
Sure, there was that saying about sacrificing others to save oneself, but doing it so blatantly—selling out your teammates to survive… it was better to stay far away from such a person and never get involved with him again.
Of course, that was assuming the man even survived.
Lin Hu went back home.
Even though he was seething with anger, he still kept a shred of reason and did not barge into Old Huang’s courtyard.
According to the rules of the Water Dragon Sect, as long as the Immortal Residence Fee was paid, the house was under the sect’s protection. If Lin Hu dared to break in… he’d have to face off against the Water Dragon Sect.
If he won, then fine.
Even the sect master of the Water Dragon Sect wouldn’t be able to stop him.
But if he lost, then too bad—the Water Dragon Sect would teach him a lesson.
After Lin Hu left, Ji Yuan sat there for a while longer.
The deaths of Lin Youwei and his wife had impacted him somewhat.
Fighting for Immortal Opportunities—succeed and you live; fail and you die.
If it were just the competition itself, that would be one thing, but having to watch out for people like Old Huang among your own allies… venturing outside really was too dangerous.
Even if he had finally broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, so what?
Look at the parents of the original owner of this body, and at Lin Youwei—weren’t they all at the fourth level of Qi Refining too? Yet when it was their time to die, they still died.
Enough. Farming was still the most important thing!
With that thought, Ji Yuan stood up, went to lock the courtyard gate, and then walked to the backyard, looking at the text floating above the pigsty.
[Pigsty: lv0]
He had already prepared the spirit stones and other materials. With a single thought, Ji Yuan watched as the zero rolled over and became one.
Right after that, the spirit stones in his hand turned to dust, and the next upgrade requirement for the pigsty popped up on his panel.
[Pigsty: LV2]
[Spiritual Effect: Produces half a tael of Blood Essence daily, enhances the effect of flesh and blood]
[Upgrade Requirements: Low-grade Spirit Stones ×50, Rotten Bone Flowers ×3 plants, Inscription of Filth-Dispelling Runes]
Blood Essence!!
This was the core material for refining the "Qi and Blood Pill," which was an excellent healing pill for the Qi Refining stage.
Its effects far surpassed those of the Hundred Herb Pill.
The Hundred Herb Pill was extremely effective for treating early-stage Qi Refining injuries, but once a cultivator in the later stages of Qi Refining got injured, the Hundred Herb Pill would barely have any effect.
The pill they used more often was the Qi and Blood Pill.
A level-2 pigsty that produced half a tael of Blood Essence daily… Ji Yuan remembered that in Zengtou Market, one tael of Blood Essence sold for 20 spirit stones.
Half a tael was worth 10 spirit stones.
That was 10 spirit stones of daily income. And if he upgraded the fish pond to level 2 as well, it could produce 1 drop of Water Essence Dew daily—another source of spirit stones.
Ji Yuan didn’t even dare to imagine what kind of life he could live by then. Maybe… he would never have to eat eggshells again?
Maybe he could finally change the way he prepared Spiritual Eggs, perhaps steam or boil them instead?!
As for now, of course, that wasn’t possible. Even the tiniest mosquito leg was still meat.
Ji Yuan ground the eggshells of his daily Spiritual Eggs into powder and swallowed them to refine them.
After upgrading the [Pigsty], Ji Yuan took three Spiritual Eggs and the one remaining spirit stone and headed to Zengtou Market.
He first found the chicken cultivator he was familiar with, sold the three Spiritual Eggs, and exchanged them for one spirit stone and five spirit shards.
Finally, with the 2.5 spirit stones in hand, he went to the pig cultivator… the Spiritual Pig shop in Zengtou Market.
The rogue cultivator who ran the Spiritual Pig business in Zengtou Market was named Luo Tong. He was also a friend of Ji Qingyun.
Ji Yuan had even learned from Old Huang that Luo Tong now possessed Ji Qingyun’s former magic boat.
As soon as Ji Yuan arrived, before he could even speak, Luo Tong, a tall, burly man wearing a bloodstained apron, glared at him and said, "What’s wrong with you, kid? You’ve been gone so long without coming to see your Uncle Luo."
"Have you forgotten about me?"
Ji Yuan hurriedly laughed and said, "How could I? It’s just that these past few days…"
"Short on Immortal Residence Fee? Come on, I’ve got some here. Take these first and go pay your fee," Luo Tong interrupted, handing over three spirit stones without giving Ji Yuan a chance to refuse.
Ji Yuan looked up at this burly man with bristling beard and couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth in his heart.
In this backstabbing place like Zengtou Market, it was rare to have someone treat him so kindly.
"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Luo. I got lucky recently and found an injured Spiritual Fish, so I’ve already paid the fee."
"That’s good. If you fall short again, let me know."
Luo Tong didn’t say anything more.
After putting the spirit stones away, he picked up a piece of Spiritual Pig meat weighing about four or five catties from the chopping board.
"Here, take this meat home and nourish yourself."
"No, no, I actually came to see you for something today."
"Oh? What is it?"
……
After Ji Yuan explained everything, Luo Tong went to the backyard and finally brought out a piglet in a cage.
"Spirit stones?! If you still consider me your uncle, take it back. Mention spirit stones again, and I’ll slap you so hard you’ll turn into a Spiritual Pig yourself!"
Faced with such an "unreasonable" uncle, Ji Yuan had no choice but to accept the favor for now, planning to bring a few more Spiritual Eggs next time to repay the kindness.
But what he didn’t expect was that after giving him the piglet, Luo Tong pulled him into the inner room, lowered his voice, and whispered:
"I bought your father’s Willow Leaf Boat. Once you reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining, come to me with 10 spirit stones, and I’ll give the Willow Leaf Boat back to you."
Ten spirit stones… Even the cheapest damaged magic boat cost at least 20 spirit stones. Ten spirit stones was basically like giving it away for free.
Before Ji Yuan could speak, Luo Tong patted him on the shoulder.
"As for anything else, let’s wait until you reach the sixth level of Qi Refining. If you can’t make it… just focus on fishing, sigh."