Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Chen’s Technique Tower

“Senior Brother Guo, is land reclamation still part of my duties? If I want to become a Spirit Plant Cultivator, can I reclaim land on my own and lease the Spirit Field?”

Li Mu looked at Guo Changming and asked with concern.

“Of course, it’s no problem. As long as you can collect the full amount of spirit plant resources for the Sect on schedule, you can do whatever you want within your responsibilities! In Qingshui Town, you are in charge of affairs related to spirit plants!” Guo Changming nodded with a smile.

After a brief pause, Guo Changming changed his tone, looked at Li Mu meaningfully, and solemnly warned, “However, let me make it clear to you first, whether you want to reclaim land or lease the Sect’s land is up to you, but don’t ever underreport or evade the lease shares that must be paid. If you dare to break the Sect’s rules, the Law Enforcement Disciples from the Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall are not to be trifled with.”

Hearing this, Li Mu felt a slight chill. The Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall is the core force that maintains the Sect’s interests, with an extremely harsh enforcement process. They investigate any suspicion, rectify any accusation, use severe punishment, employ soul searching and spirit summoning, and can implement various dark methods.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Guo, for your guidance. I understand how serious it is,” Li Mu nodded and thanked him gratefully.

“If there’s no problem, give me your Disciple Token! I’ll assign you a task now. A year of duty in Qingshui Town can earn you 1000 contribution points, and if you achieve notable cultivation, with a ten percent increase in harvested spirit plants, you’ll be rewarded with 300 contribution points and several Spiritual Objects. If you can’t collect the full amount of spirit plant resources, the Sect will impose penalties depending on the situation,” Guo Changming indicated to Li Mu.

“Senior Brother Guo, what about the penalties?” Li Mu asked, looking worriedly at Guo Changming.

“Rest assured, junior brother! These penalties won’t fall on you. Usually, if spirit plants can’t be collected in full, it’s due to demon beast attacks on the town or natural disasters and plagues reducing the harvest. The tenants leasing spirit fields will themselves fill in the losses, and if they can’t, the Sect will also consider the circumstances. All you need to do is perform your duties well, and you won’t have to worry about this issue,” Guo Changming explained with a smile.

Li Mu nodded. He was also leasing the Sect’s spirit fields and knew that Senior Brother Guo’s words were true. The responsibility for lost yields from spirit fields lies with the leasing Spirit Plant Cultivators unless a large number of servant disciples leasing the Sect’s land perish, leading to irreversible loss of yields.

Faced with such a problem, the Sect would undoubtedly send someone to investigate the cause, and the responsibility would not fall on him.

Relieved, Li Mu handed over his Disciple Token to Guo Changming, leaving him to assign the Sect’s duties, making him the manager of Qingshui Town’s Plant Department.

“The person in charge of Qingshui Town – Nangong Hong, upon your arrival in Qingshui Town, give him your Disciple Token, and he will arrange the matters of the Plant Department for you. At that time, you should assist him in managing Qingshui Town properly and avoid provoking disputes easily,” Guo Changming instructed as he handed the Disciple Token back to Li Mu.

“Alright, Senior Brother Guo, also, I would like to stay in Gangyang City a few more days before heading to Qingshui Town. Is that okay?” Li Mu accepted the token and inquired for permission.

“You may, but there are still twenty days before the Sect’s land lease day. You must head down in advance to familiarize yourself with the process and lead this work in Qingshui Town,” Guo Changming nodded and reminded.

“Understood, I’ll stay another two or three days and then head to Qingshui Town to take up my duties!” Li Mu agreed with a smile.

“Hmm, it’s rare for you to come to Gangyang City. Use these days to broaden your horizons! I won’t keep you any longer!” Guo Changming nodded with a smile, watching him leave.

“Alright, junior brother takes leave now!” Li Mu respectfully bowed slightly and turned to leave the Contribution Hall.

As he watched Li Mu’s departing figure, the smile on Guo Changming’s face quickly faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. A servant disciple who had just passed the outer sect assessment produced two Middle Spirit Stones, which indeed startled him.

That boy definitely isn’t that simple! What heart condition, Guo Changming didn’t believe it for a second.

The task assigned by Elder Zhong remains unfinished!

However, the personnel arrangement problem in Qingshui Town was inadvertently solved, which was an unexpected gain. I hope that boy can hold on for a while longer!

Guo Changming lowered his head and checked the Disciple Token, which showed a new piece of news: Inner Sect Disciples – Yuan Silan, Ji Chenglong, Yan Wenjun, etc., ten people, entered Celestial Ledge Mountain from Qingshui Town ten days ago, traversed towards Howling Wind Valley for training, seeking spirit medicine, and suddenly lost contact. Inner Sect disciples providing effective clues can receive rewards.

Tsk tsk tsk… is the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range such an easy place to enter? Even with ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators together, they won’t benefit much!

——

After leaving the Inner City, Li Mu first returned to Wangyun Pavilion Inn and changed into a Tier One Top-Grade Robe. He wore the Exquisite Mask, changing to a mature face (the face from his original world), and the spiritual pressure he emitted shifted from the Junior Stage of the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining to the Peak of Ninth Level of Qi Refining.

Walking on the street, the gaze those cultivators directed towards him took on a measure of respect.

Peak of Ninth Level of Qi Refining, on the verge of promoting to Foundation Establishment; cultivators of this level, nobody dared to easily provoke.

Li Mu moved unhindered, reaching Chen’s Technique Tower with ease and went straight in.

“Welcome to Chen’s Technique Tower, customer. What kind of books are you looking for? I can recommend some for you,” the shopkeeper warmly stepped forward to greet as the guest entered.

The bookstore spanned three floors, occupying quite a large area, around a hundred square feet, with seven or eight large bookshelves displayed, filled with various books. Not only were there Cultivation Technique Books but also history stories, farming books, medical books, among others. The catalog was densely packed, with books of paper, beast hide, and even Dharma Transmission Jade Scrolls, among other diverse types.

“Hmm, shopkeeper, recommend me books on spirit plants and techniques related to spirit plants: Withering and Flourishing Technique, Spirit Transformation Technique, Soil Testing Technique, Earth Flipping Technique, and so on,” Li Mu indicated to the female shopkeeper.

“No problem, please have a seat over here. I’ll get them for you,” the shopkeeper pointed to a wooden chair in front of a writing desk and warmly invited.

Li Mu followed suit, sitting down on the wooden chair and casually flipping through a book on the desk titled “Demon Spirit Painting Strategy,” which seemed to record various mythical creatures.

Casually opening to a page, information on several types of mouse-like demon beasts appeared one by one.

Mineral-Eating Rat, Attribute: Earth, Habit: Dormant by day, active by night, naturally timid, keen sense of smell, feeds on various metal spirit ores, commonly found near veins of metal ores, such as Profound Iron Ore, Purple Spirit Copper, … Talent Skills: Earth Escape, Burrowing, Earth Manipulation, Weaknesses: Averse to water, poor vision, can be lured with high-tier spirit ore, …

Bamboo Spirit Rat, Attribute: Wood, Habit: Naturally timid, feeds on spirit bamboo of tier two or above, fragile physique, rare in number, feeds on spirit bamboo for years, containing high levels of Cyan Spirit Bamboo Qi within, inner core can be used to refine: Detoxification Pill, Illusion Spirit Pill, … Talent Skills: Knowledge of Bamboo, Mouse Fur Arrow, Bamboo Disguise, …

…

Bloodthirsty Bat, Attribute: Blood, Habit: Dormant by day, active by night, extremely cruel and bloodthirsty, poor vision, high spiritual sense, feeds on demon beast blood, … Talent Skills: Spirit Blood Clone, Blood-Seeking Spiritual Sense, Blood Transformation, …

…

“Customer, I’ve found the books on spirit plants for you! Are you also interested in books about mythical creatures?” the female shopkeeper placed a pile of books on the table with a smile and asked Li Mu.

“I am indeed interested. How much is this book selling for?” Li Mu asked with a smile.

“This ’Demon Spirit Painting Strategy’ records information on three hundred seventy-two kinds of mythical creatures. Price: 100 Lower Spirit Stones,” the female shopkeeper replied with a smile.

“I’ll take this one. Now, let me take a look at the others,” Li Mu closed the “Demon Spirit Painting Strategy” and began flipping through the spirit plant books.

“Spirit Plant Accelerated Cultivation Method” – independently created by Cyan Wood True Monarch, “Spirit Plant Comprehensive Record” – written by Cyan Wood True Monarch, “Fifty Skills Every Senior Spirit Plant Cultivator Must Know,” “The Hundred Most Valuable Spirit Plants to Cultivate,” …

A dozen thick volumes were laid on the desk, allowing Li Mu to choose at his leisure.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep