C10 There Were so Many Crystals That There Was No Room to Spend Them.(2)

"That's Cool Breeze Village," Mrs. Wang said, gesturing toward the horizon. "The lands within a hundred miles of Breeze Mountain are under the jurisdiction of the Floating Flower Palace. The soil here is rich and abundant with spiritual energy. Besides cultivating crops and vegetables, the farmers also grow medicinal herbs as directed by Palace Lord Lin. These are then purchased by the Floating Flower Palace and sold in Vast Cloud City."

Drawing closer to the village, Zhong Wen could see patches of medicinal fields interspersed among the vast farmlands. The herbs were robust and vibrant in color. While not as impressive as the top-tier medicinal plants in his Storage Ring, they were nonetheless remarkable.

In about fifteen minutes, they reached the bustling heart of the village.

"Here we are. That's Auntie Liu's place," Mrs. Wang pointed out a single-story house. "She earns her living by making clothes for everyone in the village. I'm sure she'll have some men's clothing ready to go."

"Mrs. Wang, as you know, my memory hasn't come back yet, and I can't recall much. How many spirit crystals would a set of men's clothing cost?" Zhong Wen inquired earnestly, clueless about the value of things.

"Spirit crystals?" Mrs. Wang gave him a look that was a mix of exasperation and amusement. "My dear Young Master Zhong Wen, you don't need spirit crystals for the simple garments we have here. A set of clothes costs just one silver yuan."

"Really? Are spirit crystals that valuable?" Zhong Wen glanced at the heap of crystals in his ring.

"You truly don't remember a thing," Mrs. Wang said with patience. "Spirit crystals are typically used in transactions among cultivators. A hundred silver coins might not even fetch you one spirit crystal."

"That valuable? I saw the lighting in the houses uses spirit crystals, so I assumed..."

"One spirit crystal can power a Spirit Crystal Lamp for a whole year."

Zhong Wen winced. "This is awkward. I only have spirit crystals on me, no silver coins. What should I do?"

Mrs. Wang just stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Then, Zhong Wen set down his cloth bag and casually pulled a crystal from his pocket—a subtle ruse to conceal the existence of his Storage Ring.

"Mrs. Wang, I'm a stranger in these parts. Could I trade this spirit crystal for some silver yuan with you?"

"But... I don't have that much silver yuan to give."

"I don't need a lot. Just enough to get a few sets of clothes," Zhong Wen said earnestly. "Besides, the crystal isn't much use to me anyway."

"How can I accept this? It feels like I'm taking too much from you." Despite her covetous gaze, Mrs. Wang continued to shake her head in refusal.

Without another word, Zhong Wen took Mrs. Wang's hand and pressed the crystal into her palm. "Let's agree on that, then. And I'd appreciate it if you could help me pick out a couple of suitable outfits."

Mrs. Wang's palms seemed delicate and fair, yet upon closer inspection, they bore the calluses of a typical farmwoman.

"Well... okay, I'll hold onto it for you," conceded the beautiful woman, finally succumbing to the allure of the crystal.

Having accepted Zhong Wen's favor, Mrs. Wang warmed up considerably. She attentively selected several outfits for him and, at his request, helped him purchase items like clay pots and flintstones.

With all the necessary equipment for making coarse salt in hand, Zhong Wen accompanied Mrs. Wang to a vegetable farmer to buy provisions. As Mrs. Wang was busy picking and haggling over the goods at the farmer's stand, Zhong Wen's eyes caught sight of the plump old hens strutting around in the yard behind.

The hens were robust and energetic, parading around the yard with vigor.

"Uncle, are these old hens for sale?" After two days of unsalted vegetarian meals, the sight of the hens nearly made Zhong Wen's mouth water.

"Everything's for sale at the right price," the farmer replied affably. "You're not from around here, are you? Since you're with the Wang family's young lady, I won't overcharge you. Five silver yuan each, and that's a fair price. Take it or leave it."

"Zhong Wen, those chickens aren't exactly a bargain," Mrs. Wang interjected, thinking Zhong Wen expected her to foot the bill, her face showing reluctance.

"Now, Wang family's eldest sister, that's not fair to say. Young man, ask anyone around here, and they'll tell you Old Li here is the most honest trader you'll find. You won't get a better deal on chickens than what I'm offering," the farmer insisted, a note of urgency in his voice.

"Uncle, you strike me as a straight shooter. That hen there looks pretty plump. If I buy a few more, could you cut me a deal?" Zhong Wen said with a reassuring smile.

"Little brother, you're speaking my language. Tell you what, if you take five, I'll let them go for twenty silver coins."

"Deal, Uncle. I'll reserve twenty-five from you right now." Zhong Wen grinned, producing another crystal. "But I'm fresh out of silver yuan. Will this do for a trade?"

"Is that... a crystal?" Old Lee's eyes bulged as he gulped down his surprise.

"Zhong Wen, you..." Mrs. Wang was taken aback by Zhong Wen's lavish spending.

"No worries. I've got more crystals than I know what to do with, so why not use them to spruce up our meals?" Zhong Wen nonchalantly tossed the crystal to Old Lee, the vegetable farmer, "Uncle, I'll come by to pick up one each day. If I can't make it, just leave it with Mrs. Wang."

"You got it!" Old Lee quickly pocketed the crystal, eager to seal the deal before Zhong Wen could change his mind. He scurried into the yard, caught an old hen, and handed it to Zhong Wen.

Mrs. Wang was torn between laughter and tears. She felt like scolding him, but realizing that Zhong Wen was spending his own crystals, she didn't have the heart to berate him and instead sighed with a mix of concern and resignation.

"A chicken in the left, a duck in the right!" On the way back to Breeze Mountain, Zhong Wen chivalrously grabbed the bag from Mrs. Wang. Clutching the chicken in his left hand and the veggies in his right, he hummed a tune, brimming with contentment.

Mrs. Wang trailed behind, her gaze fixed on Zhong Wen's retreating figure, her thoughts a mystery.

Minister Jin stood at the lower end of the hall, head bowed, quaking in his boots. He occasionally stole glances at Tantai Jin, who sat regally in the armchair.

When Tantai Jin's gaze swept over him, Minister Jin shivered, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

The Tantai family's eldest son, barely past thirty and already holding a position of great authority, exuded a formidable presence that weighed heavily on Minister Jin.

"Has everything been taken care of?" Tantai Jin's voice was chilling, devoid of any warmth.

"Rest assured, Young Master. Unless something unforeseen occurs in Vast Cloud City, the Floating Flower Palace won't be able to pay this debt no matter what. We'll certainly compel Lin Zhiyun to relinquish Breeze Mountain when the time comes," Minister Jin said, his plump face breaking into a sycophantic grin.

"The Tantai family will handle Vast Cloud City; there will be no issues," Tantai Jin said, his lips curling into a cold smirk. "A place as rich in spiritual energy as this is not meant for a few women to hold. Breeze Mountain is due for a new owner."

"Young Master, should I visit the Floating Flower Palace in the next couple of days to exert some pressure on those girls?"

"There's no need. The deadline hasn't arrived, and going now would be of little consequence. We can settle this legally, so I'm willing to wait a bit longer," Tantai Jin spoke with a self-assured confidence that he had everything under control. "In five days, I'll send someone with you up the mountain. If the people from Floating Flower Palace leave willingly, all the better. If not, I'm not averse to using force."

"Young Master, if those women refuse to cooperate, can your men capture them and deliver them to me?" Minister Jin's eyes gleamed with lust as he thought of the Floating Flower Palace Lord's exquisite beauty, and a droplet of saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Do as you wish," Tantai Jin said, looking at Minister Jin with a sense of revulsion. Once this affair was concluded, the usefulness of this repulsive fat pig would come to an end...

"Palace Lord Lin, the City Lord is indisposed and cannot receive visitors. Please depart."

Lin Zhiyun's frustration mounted as she faced the doorman's indifferent expression.

"Young man, I truly have urgent business. Could you please relay my message inside? I will ensure you are richly rewarded," she said, suppressing her annoyance and feigning cordiality with the doorman.

"I apologize, but I cannot go against the City Lord's orders. Palace Lord Lin, perhaps you should return in ten days to a fortnight once the City Lord has recuperated. Then you may come to pay your respects," the servant replied, his voice cold and resolute.

As the old saying goes, it's easier to meet the King of Hell than to fend off a pesky demon.

Someone well-versed in the art of networking would surely grease the boy's palm before enlisting his aid. But Lin Zhiyun was no social butterfly and lacked even a basic grasp of such tactics.

"We can't afford to wait ten days or even half a month; the situation is critical," Lin Zhiyun said, her voice tinged with growing impatience.

"Palace Lord Lin, as a distinguished and lofty cultivator, surely your acquaintances are many and varied. Perhaps you could inquire elsewhere instead of troubling a mere servant like myself," the doorman said, his tone laced with a hint of mockery.

"You..." Lin Zhiyun was on the verge of anger, yet she managed to restrain herself. "I take my leave!"

"What does it matter if you're a cultivator? Should the Tantai family set their sights on you, not even the City Lord could offer sanctuary. I wonder how much longer you'll manage to hold out." The servant watched Lin Zhiyun's retreating figure, a cold smirk on his lips as he murmured, "Yet, Palace Lord Lin is undeniably fetching. Were she to swallow her pride and become a junior wife to the City Lord, she might well navigate through this predicament. Alas, what a waste..."