In the Incense Shop, Xi Mufu and Ji Jiu were also discussing Pu Yunfeng.
“Director Ji, have you noticed anything?”
“Just call me by my name,” Ji Jiu said, glancing at her.
Xi Mufu: “…”
How dare she address the Director of the Special Administration Bureau by his full name!
“How about… I call you Lord Jiu?” She had heard the elders from Longhu Mountain and the Mao Shan Sect address Ji Jiu this way.
“Alright.” Ji Jiu nodded, then answered her question. “From the reaction of this visitor from another world, his actions are restricted. He probably cannot refuse your requests or attack you.” He paused. “When you asked if he wanted to buy Incense Paper Money, he hesitated and seemed suspicious, but he still obediently completed the transaction. I suspect he is bound by certain rules that prevent him from opposing you.”
Xi Mufu thought back carefully and realized that seemed to be the case.
Ji Jiu: “The rules are likely mutual. Since the other side cannot attack you, we probably cannot attack them either. This makes things much safer.”
As the Nether Lord, he could sense the will of all six realms. He could feel that the other side had no intention of attacking this world.
Xi Mufu breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good.”
She had been somewhat worried about the safety of the town’s residents and tourists, especially since the front street remained open with heavy daily foot traffic.
Ji Jiu pondered: “Perhaps next time we can try to exchange information about both sides and see if the rules allow it.”
Xi Mufu nodded, indicating she would remember.
Then she shared her own discovery: “Twelve Cleansing Talismans only exchanged for one skill, the same value as one bundle of Incense Paper Money. I suspect that the same type of item can only be exchanged for one skill or item. Next time, I’ll try to promote gold ingots.”
Ji Jiu: “Alright.”
Xi Mufu was pleased he agreed with her. Remembering something else, she excitedly said: “Oh, and my Talisman-making has leveled up! I can draw Protection Talismans now!” She described the situation. “I think the level-up rule for Talisman-making requires giving them freely to visitors from other worlds, since this skill was given by them… The level-up rule for Planting Skill might be the same, though I’m not sure…”
“Congratulations,” Ji Jiu said. “We can slowly research the level-up rules. No need to rush.”
“Mhmm.”
Ji Jiu looked down at her: “The focus now is experimenting with the Planting Skill. It will be hard work for you again.Currently, only Xi Mufu could see and use the items and skills. She had to practice with Fu Paper while testing the Planting Skill, and there would likely be more skills and items in the future—all the responsibility fell on her shoulders.
“It’s not hard work!” What made Xi Mufu happiest was having the nation’s support behind her. She didn’t need to think or take responsibility—she just had to follow instructions. As for working a bit harder, that was nothing. Besides, she was getting gold bars!
·
In the following days, Xi Mufu was busy implementing the Planting Skill and had no time to study the Protection Talisman.
Ji Jiu allocated a hundred-acre farm around Jingning Town under Xi Mufu’s name—all prime paddy fields and drylands worth over two million. All produce from the farm would belong to Xi Mufu.
Faced with such generous benefits, Xi Mufu declared: I can do it! I love my country! I’ll work harder than a production team’s donkey!
“The experts from the Agricultural Academy arrived in Jingning Town half an hour ago and will join us after a short rest,” reported Qin Yi, Ji Jiu’s subordinate, as he entered the courtyard. “There are nine of them in total—three professors, each with two students.”
Qin Yi’s true identity was Qin Guangwang, the First Hall Yama King. All ten Yama Kings served under Ji Jiu, and Qin Yi was the strongest among them. Recently, he had been stationed at the Incense Shop—if Ji Jiu was away, Qin Yi would be responsible for Xi Mufu’s safety and had to remain vigilant against visitors from other realms.
Xi Mufu looked at Ji Jiu. “We can set off now.”
Ji Jiu gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.
Just as the three were about to leave, Shan Qu suddenly walked in, followed by two elders from the Mao Shan Sect and Longhu Mountain. “We’d like to come along and observe, if that’s alright?”
They had heard about Xi Mufu’s new skill and were eager to witness it firsthand.
Xi Mufu had no objections, but the final decision rested with Ji Jiu, as he was the one in charge.
Ji Jiu said calmly, “Come along.”
Soon, the group arrived at the farm’s paddy fields, where the three Agricultural Academy professors had also just arrived—these three were the most authoritative experts in agronomy. When the higher-ups assigned them, they had been briefed on Xi Mufu’s situation and informed that they would need to be stationed long-term in Jingning Town, having also signed confidentiality agreements.
Upon learning about the otherworldly Planting Skill, the three professors had no desire to delay. They immediately brought their most capable students and rushed over.
Xi Mufu said, “I’ll begin now.”
She first activated the Planting Skill, then directly scattered rice seeds over the uncultivated paddy field.
To others, it seemed as if she had merely raised her hand casually, but she could feel a mystical energy accumulating within her body. As she lifted her hand, that energy settled onto the seeds and into the field.
“Are you sure we don’t need to plow the field first?” one student couldn’t help asking, seeing how casually she had acted.
It was common knowledge that rice cultivation required first clearing and tilling the land, followed by transplanting seedlings. Only in primitive societies would seeds be sown directly on uncultivated land, and even then, the yield would be extremely low.
“Probably not necessary,” Xi Mufu explained. “We deliberately chose an uncultivated field for this experiment. If the seeds don’t grow, we can always switch to a prepared paddy field.”
Since the Planting Skill was only at Level 1 and could only cover one square meter, switching fields would be simple.
No sooner had she spoken than the freshly scattered seeds began to sprout.
The students: ???
“Holy crap, they’re really growing—and so fast!” the students exclaimed in astonishment.
Even the laymen—Shan Qu and the two Xuanmen elders—were stunned by the sight.
The three Agricultural Academy professors stared fervently at the sprouts, itching to wade into the field and study them immediately. Although they had been briefed in advance on the marvels of the Planting Skill—knowing that it didn’t depend on soil quality, that seeds would grow as soon as they were sown, and that the maturation cycle took only three days—seeing it with their own eyes left them speechless with awe.
“This… this is simply unbelievable!” the professors finally murmured after a long pause.
Xi Mufu was equally astonished. So the Planting Skill really was this miraculous!
She deliberately put on the [Listening Ring], hoping to hear if the sprouts had any requests, but the sprouts remained silent. Instead, the birds in the farm chirped incessantly, nearly overwhelming her ears.
“Everything is normal. We should be able to harvest in three days.” Xi Mufu removed her ring and said to Ji Jiu beside her.
Ji Jiu’s expression softened as he murmured, “You’ve worked hard.”
While everyone else was astonished by the Planting Skill, only he and Qin Yi remained unfazed. As ancient deities who had witnessed countless bizarre phenomena, they had refrained from intervening in mortal affairs during the age of spiritual decline—be it environmental pollution or food shortages. Perhaps Xi Mufu, as a human, obtaining these miraculous skill tools was precisely the breakthrough chosen by the heavenly order.
“Director Ji, this matter must be strictly confidential!” The professors, having regained their composure, immediately turned to Ji Jiu and spoke with both excitement and gravity. “If the news leaks, it will undoubtedly attract countless troubles.”
Ji Jiu: “Rest assured.”
The farm had long been cordoned off, with special police stationed around it to prevent anyone from approaching.
Professor: “We’ll stay at the farm these three days!”
They intended to remain there, waiting to witness the rice mature at the earliest possible moment.