“Let’s wait until the fruit ripens before discussing this. As long as it doesn’t rot in the orchard again, I’ll be thanking the heavens.”
If the orchard had not technically already been sold, Su Qing might well have started tearing it up and planting other fruits and vegetables by now.
If the fruit cannot be sold, what use is the orchard?
“Mom, you’ve always been a shrewd person. How can you not figure out why our family’s orchard suddenly turned out like this?”
Fan Xiwen winked at his mother, and the question immediately left Su Qing speechless.
Indeed, without some other cause, it was impossible for the fruit from such a huge orchard to suddenly all turn out sour and astringent.
But if something had happened, then what exactly was it?
Su Qing’s mind began to churn, and all kinds of possibilities flashed through it one after another.
“Stop thinking about it. Anyway, I think our fruit will definitely be fine this year. But just in case, whenever you have nothing else to do, go walk around the orchard a couple of times every day. After all, this year’s fruit is tied to my tuition for university next year.”
However, after Fan Xiwen finished speaking, he noticed his mother glaring at him angrily. He could only chuckle and say, “We worked so hard to develop this orchard. How could we possibly sell it just like that?”
“But—”
Su Qing wanted to say that they had already received the money, but Fan Xiwen raised a hand to stop her from continuing. “The one hundred and seventy thousand yuan was merely compensation from Zhu Gui. I’ll explain the exact reason to you later.”
“Compensation? Compensation for what?”
Su Qing’s mind was filled with questions, but Fan Xiwen said no more. It was not yet time to tell them so much.
He did not stay home for long. After secretly hammering the Yuan Sheng Wood into the orchard, Fan Xiwen left his parents a phone number—Xie Min’s.
Fan Xiwen had more or less finished exploring Dragon City. Since he had found no place rich in spiritual energy, he would be leaving Dragon City for other places soon. If possible, he would also visit places with mythological legends. If he could find a Paradisiacal Grotto, he would enter secluded cultivation.
Although Xie Min’s strength was only at the level of Internal Force, and her experience in the Jianghu was practically nonexistent, that level of strength was still sufficient in Dragon City. If they truly encountered a powerful enemy, Fan Xiwen would certainly hurry back as soon as possible.
..
Three days later, Villa Number One at Longjiang Residence.
Fan Xiwen stood on the spacious balcony on the second floor of the villa, with the entire Shao City beneath his eyes.
After ascending to Villa Number One, which the entire Shao City had eagerly awaited, Fan Xiwen remained calm, as if he had always been meant to stand there.
“This place is pretty good.”
Fan Xiwen offered a faint comment, and Mo Younian trembled all over, speaking excitedly. “Then, Master, will you be living here from now on?”
Fan Xiwen nodded.
“Good. I’ll arrange for people to come clean immediately. Master, should the furniture and such be replaced? I feel that this furniture is not worthy of your noble status.”
Although no one had ever lived in the villa, all the furniture inside had been fully arranged, awaiting only its owner’s arrival with luggage in hand. The initial decorations alone had cost nearly three million yuan in total. Even so, Mo Younian felt that they did not match Master Haotian’s status.
“No need.”
“This is fine as it is.”
Even if Mo Younian decorated this place to look like a palace, it would still be beneath notice in Fan Xiwen’s eyes. With the precious treasures of the Great Chu Divine Dynasty’s palace before him, Mo Younian’s efforts would be entirely superfluous.
“All right.”
Mo Younian continued, “Then I’ll immediately find another group of servants.”
“Just arrange for one person to come up and clean once a month.”
Fan Xiwen waved his hand. “You may leave for now. I’ll summon you if anything comes up. When there is nothing to do, do not let anyone come up and disturb me.”
Mo Younian took his leave respectfully...
After remaining on the balcony for a while longer, Fan Xiwen returned inside the villa and piled a heap of fine jade in a corner.
Taken together, this jade was worth at least twenty million yuan.
Yet now, it was placed carelessly in the corner like a pile of garbage.
In his previous life, when Fan Xiwen had been in the Haotian Sect, he had never needed to worry about spiritual energy. The Xinghe Continent itself was a cultivation holy land, with spiritual energy so abundant it was almost absurd. Moreover, the Spirit Crystals used in transactions between cultivators were also items containing spiritual energy, and the spiritual energy within them could be directly absorbed for personal use. After returning to the Unnamed Star, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was so thin that it was appalling. Fan Xiwen could only cultivate through a Spirit Gathering Array or by seeking Paradisiacal Grottos where spiritual energy still remained.
That had originally been his plan, but after Zhou Hu delivered a piece of high-quality jade, Fan Xiwen changed his mind.
This jade actually contained spiritual energy as well.
Although it could not compare with Spirit Crystals, it was still better than having nothing.
As for the jade, Fan Xiwen immediately ordered Mo Younian to purchase large quantities of high-quality pieces.
The heap of jade before him had been transported from the headquarters of a jewelry store in Shao City through that store’s local branch. All of it had just been mined and had undergone no carving or processing.
Fortunately, that jewelry store had some influence in the Hu Province region. Otherwise, it truly would not have been able to satisfy Fan Xiwen’s appetite.
Of course, Fan Xiwen had also handed over all the Marrow-Cleansing Pills he had refined before coming to Shao City to Mo Younian. He had instructed Mo Younian to use the money from selling these elixirs to purchase jade with all his might.
Nor would that be all. For a long time to come, Mo Younian would continue to shoulder this task.
“With this jade, I can complete the Spirit Gathering Array. At the very least, I should be able to reach Qi Refining Second Layer.”
After making some calculations, Fan Xiwen arranged the jade and began the Formation arrangement.
Piece after piece of jade floated in the air under Fan Xiwen’s control through his divine sense, then slowly moved and settled into place according to his will.
Before long, dragon’s roars echoed from within the villa.
The Spirit Gathering Array Fan Xiwen intended to arrange naturally could not be an ordinary one. The Spirit Gathering Array he was arranging was called Nine Dragons Gathering Spirits.
This Formation had once been used in the newly constructed palace of Great Chu. When the Formation was completed, nine dragons soared within it. Nine was the ultimate number, and only an emperor was qualified to use it.
Moreover, Nine Dragons Gathering Spirits was extraordinarily overbearing. When the Great Chu palace had been completed and the great formation activated, the spiritual energy within a radius of ten thousand li around the palace had been instantly devoured.
Now that Fan Xiwen needed spiritual energy, he naturally would not hold back.
The nine dragons soared through the villa. Because the Formation was constructed with jade, and because Fan Xiwen’s strength had yet to recover even one ten-thousandth of its former level, while his divine sense was also badly shattered, the Formation he arranged was naturally countless times smaller. At most, it could cover this villa. The nine dragons were naturally reduced in size as well.
Nine golden five-clawed dragons formed from spiritual energy moved through the villa. From time to time, they opened their mouths and inhaled, instantly sweeping away all the spiritual energy drifting around the villa.
Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, Fan Xiwen beckoned, and the remaining heap of jade in the corner floated into the air as well.
When the nine dragons, having swept away the surrounding spiritual energy, saw the heap of jade, they surged forward in an instant and swallowed the pieces one after another.
Before long, the pieces of jade turned into powder, while the nine golden five-clawed dragons seemed to have grown somewhat larger.
Fan Xiwen circulated the God Emperor Heart Sutra. The nine dragons revolved around him, wisps of spiritual energy drawn into his body, coursing throughout him along with the cultivation technique and continuously strengthening him.
..
An hour later, Fan Xiwen suddenly opened his eyes, and a glint of light flashed away.
After devouring the spiritual energy contained in the jade, the nine dragons, which had seemed to grow somewhat larger, returned to their previous appearance. Fan Xiwen could not help sighing. “It looks like next time I can only have Mo Younian transport more jade here.”
Forming a hand seal, he caused the jade serving as the Spirit Gathering Array’s foundation, still floating in the air, to move outward slightly.
The scale of Nine Dragons Gathering Spirits could be adjusted according to the strength of the person arranging the Formation. Unfortunately, after Fan Xiwen broke through to Qi Refining First Layer, the distance he could move it was still far too small.
“Go on. Do not be lazy.”
With a wave of his hand, the nine dragons dispersed, each absorbing the spiritual energy drifting into the corners of the villa.
The spiritual energy was too scarce. The nine dragons could only condense into dragon shapes without physical bodies. Unless one looked carefully, nothing could be noticed, so there was no need to worry about causing unnecessary trouble in the mortal world.
As for the main body of the Spirit Gathering Array, Fan Xiwen concealed it with his divine sense. Naturally, no one on the Unnamed Star could see through it.
“Classmate Fan Xiwen, you haven’t forgotten about this month’s monthly exam, have you?”
Xie Min was very conscientious. Whenever she had nothing else to do, she would send Fan Xiwen a text message to remind him.
A faint smile curved Fan Xiwen’s lips. “I’ll take it. And my results will definitely astonish you.”
After sending the text message, Fan Xiwen left the villa. If there was one thing he had in common with everyone else after his Rebirth, it was that his cultivation had only just reached Qi Refining First Layer. He still could not practice Grain Avoidance and needed to eat and drink like everyone else. Arranging the Spirit Gathering Array had consumed a great deal of energy, so Fan Xiwen needed to find something to eat.
Without asking Mo Younian to prepare transportation, Fan Xiwen jogged down the mountain. Along the way, he encountered people who had just returned or had come out for a walk after dinner. These people showed some interest in the jogging youth. It was not surprising: Longjiang Residence had been completed for some time, and the residents who could afford to buy homes there basically knew one another. A strange young man suddenly appearing naturally prompted them to speculate about his background.
Fan Xiwen paid none of this any attention. He jogged down the mountain, where there was also a fairly large residential community at the foot, complete with restaurants, Wine Taverns, and everything else.
Entering a Wine Tavern called Xiaoxiang Flavor Restaurant, Fan Xiwen called over a server, ordered a bottle of liquor and several dishes to accompany it, then sat by the window and savored them at his leisure.
As it happened, not long after Fan Xiwen sat down, a fat man led a group of half-grown youths noisily into the Wine Tavern, shouting and ordering everyone around.
The moment he saw the fat man, a trace of remembrance appeared in Fan Xiwen’s eyes.