Chapter 5: Auspicious Farming Method - 4
When Yuan Yi got to the plot, which was on the outskirts of the Sect, he was surprised. The farm was well-maintained. It was as if the previous Outer Disciple had just left. Yuan Yi half expected to find a still-warm kettle of tea.
Sure, the fence required some repairs, but otherwise, the farm was in pristine condition. On the outside at least. After confirming that inside the little stone house the condition was acceptable, Yuan Yi found himself wondering what to do next.
He had originally assumed that the farm was abandoned, and therefore in need of maintenance. He was planning on tackling the question on how farming works after he finished fixing up the farm. But, as it turns out, the farm didn't need any maintenance.
He didn't know the first thing about farming. His knowledge on the subject extended as far as 'put seed in ground and profit'. Even attempting to think deeper on it, put him in a bad mood.
"I was once the rising star of the Brilliant Sword Sect. Now I am a farmer. This is stupid," Yuan Yi grumbled quietly, unsatisfied.
[Side quest issued: Plant one field with spirit herbs.]
[Rewards: CP.]
"I don't want to," Yuan Yi said, in a bad mood.
[You lost 5 CP.]
"What!? Stop that!" Yuan Yi protested.
[You lost 5 CP.]
"Fine! I will do it! I will plant the stupid spirit herbs!" Yuan Yi shouted desperately. His heart was bitter. He worked hard for those points. Or did he? He honestly couldn't even remember. All he did was listen to the entity and do what it said.
He sighed and grabbed some tools from the shed next to the house, and a packet of seeds from his pocket. Elder Zhao gave him the seeds at the Acquisition Pavilion before Yuan Yi left. Yuan Yi knew that Elder Zhao was favorable towards him. Even though the old man didn't show it, or much of any emotion. Still, Yuan Yi considered him to be like an uncle, or a strict guardian. Not that Yuan Yi would show this. Their relationship was simple and clear: Zhao Tian was an Elder of the Sect, and Yuan Yi was just a junior.
Yuan Yi didn't know how to farm, but he understood, on a fundamental level, how the <Auspicious Farming Method> worked. All things circulate Qi, and even common objects can become enlightened and awaken the higher soul of reason and thought. This was closely related to the five basic elements and the feng shui of the environment.
The principle of the <Auspicious Farming Method> was fairly simple. Plant the seeds, following a diagram - like the Eight Trigrams - then arrange the environment to their needs and cultivate at the center of the Formation.
There were several problems with this approach, however.
First of all, the manual required the cultivator to be able to use spirit power, in order to study the seed, the Earth and the Heaven. Although, the latter two could be divined through the Eight Trigrams, the seed itself was a different matter. Or so he thought.
The second problem was the central piece. The cultivator. Yuan Yi had assumed that it would require a powerful cultivator to move the Qi of Heaven and Earth in such a way that it would be beneficial to the growing spirit herbs. Yuan Yi was still at the 1st stage of Qi Condensation. It was useless to even think he could move more than a tiny amount of Qi.
Nevertheless, Yuan Yi didn't want to lose anymore points. Maybe when he proved to the entity that this idea was stupid, he would finally be able to return to doing what was truly important. Why would he waste his entire day planting seeds in stupid arrangements, when he could use this to go into secluded cultivation? Although, to call it 'secluded' was silly. Those last for dozens of years, generally, not a few months.
Yuan Yi was excited. In a few months, right now, he could possibly break into the 1st stage of Qi Refining. Then he could find the bullies that did this to him and have his revenge.
He chuckled darkly to himself, as he began planting the seeds. First he dug up the ground, and then put the seed in. He didn't care about whether he put it in too deep, or too shallow. It didn't matter to him at all. What was the point? This wasn't going to work anyway.
As he followed the diagram and planted the seeds, he felt the air become heavier and heavier. It was hard to breathe. By the time he was halfway done, he felt extremely uncomfortable. He felt cold, even though he was sweating - this wasn't easy work. He could barely feel any Qi in the area.
He had to stop to take a rest, and he moved to the center of the formation, where he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
That is when he felt it. It was as if the Heaven and Earth were angry at him. As if he was being shunned. There was Qi in the area, it just didn't flow. It was as if it was blocked somewhere. That was the only way Yuan Yi could explain what he felt. It was resistance.
Yuan Yi stood up after resting, and decided to start at the beginning of the formation. He stared closely at the lines he drew, in which he planted the seeds, and he kept breathing as if he was cultivating, circulating the Qi through his system. He found that, at the very beginning, there was a destructive relationship between the elements of earth, water and wood.
He realized that he planted too many seeds. The earth in this place was quite weak, and the weather was not ideal either, producing a strong current of water energy. This all meant that the earth energy was weakened and thrown out of harmony.
To complete half the circle, the way he did, took him two hours. But to run through it over and over again, digging up seeds and fixing the arrangement, took the entire day.
It was evening when he finished the formation. The sun had just set and he was all but dead on his feet. He could barely stand. But in his heart he felt light and sober. The clarity he felt in this place was something he could not describe. Everything just felt right and made sense. Although he could never precisely say exactly how it made sense to him. It was simply that feeling of connection.
He walked to the center of the formation and sat down cross-legged. Slowly, he began to meditate, and his breath drew in a vast amount of Qi.
[Side quest completed: Plant spirit herbs.]
[You have earned 50 CP. Current: 80/100.]
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