"Zhou's Extermination Business! Guaranteed to resolve infestations in twenty acres of Spirit Fields within three days."
"Only one Spirit Stone per acre."
"Recently, extermination services require an advance booking. Each day delayed might cause untold damage to the Spirit Fields."
Zhou Lezhi had an arrogant look on his face, as if to say if you don't book now, many Spirit Farmers are lining up for extermination services.
With the infestation pressing down on them, Spirit Farmers had no choice but to bow their heads in submission.
"What? One Spirit Stone per acre?"
"That's far too expensive!"
"In years past, it was only Five Broken Spirits per acre."
"Twenty Spirit Stones is not a small sum. How could I possibly come up with that?!"
Yang Bingzhi was panicked. The cost of extermination was too high, and he couldn't afford it.
Growing twenty acres of Spirit Fields, the land rent took up fifty percent of a good harvest year, Spirit Rice Seeds took another twenty percent, plus there were other expenses.
After a year of hard work, a bountiful year earned at most just over twenty Spirit Stones.
If disaster struck or the harvest was poor, a year's work would be in vain, and he would even have to spend his own Spirit Stones.
Earned Spirit Stones also had to be used for cultivation, leaving Spirit Farmers with little to spare.
"Can't it be a bit cheaper? I really can't come up with so many Spirit Stones."
Ignoring the infestation isn't an option. What if the harvest from twenty acres of Spirit Fields is completely ruined? That simply wouldn't do! The lost Spirit Stones would amount to a huge sum, impossible to compensate for, let alone afford next year's land rent and Spirit Rice Seeds money. As a Spirit Farmer, toiling in the fields for a living, how could I willingly abandon the hard-grown Spirit Rice?
Zhou Lezhi smiled, his eyes turning shrewd as he quickly said with a smile, "Even Cultivators face difficult times. You could borrow Spirit Stones from Tianhe Fang Moneylending, and it wouldn't be too late to repay them after the harvest."
It wasn't until that moment that Zhou Lezhi's true intentions became apparent, like a fox revealing its tail.
Upon hearing the words "Tianhe Fang Moneylending," Yang Bingzhi's face turned pale.
How could he not have heard of the notorious Tianhe Fang, devouring its debtors without spitting out the bones?
The usurious loans of Nine out, Thirteen Return!
Borrowing twenty Spirit Stones would snowball into a terrifying amount before he knew it. He absolutely couldn't turn to Tianhe Fang Moneylending!
Ignoring the infestation isn't an option, and one person can't manage twenty acres of Spirit Fields alone... The Cultivators I know are all Spirit Farmers, busy with their own plots and unable to lend a helping hand.
Just as Yang Bingzhi was in the midst of his dilemma, Zhou Lezhi's persuasive voice rose, "The time for the Spirit Rice harvest is nearly upon us. If you delay borrowing, not only will you lose the Spirit Rice, but you also won't be able to pay off your debts."
He was pressuring Yang Bingzhi, implying that borrowing Spirit Stones was the way out of his predicament.
"Eh, Brother Zhou, when did you start mixing loan sharking with your extermination business?"
Jia Ren caught the entirety of their conversation as he emerged from the Spirit Fields, and he looked at Zhou Lezhi with a touch of irony.
"Is this the profitable opportunity you wanted to introduce to me?"
Zhou Lezhi was taken aback, not expecting to see Jia Ren on Grand Wilderness Mountain.
"Brother Jia, you and Yang Daoyou moved to the Inner City? I haven't yet congratulated you on your admission to the Inner City."
Zhou Lezhi's eyes shifted. He was deeply wary of Yang Shengwu.
A Cultivator in the Late Stage Qi-Refining is not someone to provoke.
He took Yang Shengwu's warnings seriously, and his attitude toward Jia Ren was now much better than before.
"Since he's a friend of Daoist Jia, I can give a discount. How about eighteen Spirit Stones?"
Zhou Lezhi was willing to lower the price of extermination out of respect for Jia Ren.
"Thank you, Daoist, I'm willing..."
Upon hearing that the two were acquainted and he could save two Spirit Stones, Yang Bingzhi felt he couldn't refuse, to avoid creating enmity with the two Cultivators.
If borrowing from Tianhe Fang Moneylending is the only option, I'll just have to grit my teeth and hope I can repay it.
Just as they were about to agree on the collaboration, Jia Ren abruptly interjected.
He had to speak up; otherwise, Yang Bingzhi would truly be taken for a ride. The reduced price made Yang Bingzhi think there was a 'bargain' to be had. Zhou Lezhi was attempting to use their acquaintance as a breakthrough point, essentially leveraging Jia Ren's influence—as if implying, 'I'm friends with your friend, how could I deceive you?'
If it were a normal transaction, I wouldn't intervene, but this is different. Based on what I know about Zhou Lezhi, that guy is always good at swindling and cheating. The straightforward Yang Bingzhi is probably going to be tricked badly. In the end, I'd even be resented as an "accomplice." No benefit for me, just making enemies for no reason.
"Brother Jia, getting two Spirit Stones cheaper is already not bad."
"I'm not the only one available for pest extermination."
Zhou Lezhi's expression turned cold. Anyone who messed with his money-making would not be looked upon favorably.
Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.
"Yang Daoyou, consider it for one more day. There's no need to rush your response."
Jia Ren ignored Zhou Lezhi and offered this reminder.
The tactic of dragging things out is a divine skill, very appropriate in this situation.
That was all that needed to be said. He did not want to fall out with Zhou Lezhi and be remembered with resentment.
Yang Bingzhi didn't refuse. The pest problem couldn't be solved in a short time, so one more day wouldn't hurt.
Zhou Lezhi was displeased but couldn't make a scene and could only leave sullenly.
"Daoist Jia, could there be a problem?"
Yang Bingzhi might have seemed naively honest, but that didn't mean he was stupid. Jia Ren had interrupted the deal repeatedly. There had to be a problem.
"Zhou Lezhi excels at swindling and cheating. He's not a good person for pest extermination."
"The Spirit Stones from Tianhe Fang Moneylending are hot potatoes. It's better not to borrow them."
Yang Bingzhi sighed, opened his mouth, but didn't voice his thoughts.
Their friendship isn't deep. Asking to borrow Spirit Stones out of the blue would not only fail but might also ruin their relationship.
"By the way, I have a question."
"Are there only Corner Worms in the Spirit Field?"
Jia Ren hadn't spent much time in the Spirit Fields. He had encountered very few types of Spirit Insects, but the Corner Worms were rampant.
"There are quite a few types of Spirit Insects in the Spirit Fields: Earth Dragon Worms, Flying Locusts, Thousand Leg Worms..."
Yang Bingzhi listed the names of the Spirit Insects as if reciting treasures from a familiar list.
After cultivating Spirit Fields for many years and mastering the Metal Finger Technique, he had killed quite a few Spirit Insects.
In non-pest years, he would deal with the pests in the Spirit Field on his own.
"Is it always Corner Worms in the pest outbreaks every year?"
Jia Ren felt there was an issue but couldn't put his finger on it. The Insect Control Scripture mentioned information about Corner Worms. They were not strong breeders; their only advantage being their hidden egg-laying which made them hard to detect. As long as pest control isn't neglected, there's no way the Corner Worms could overrun.
"The pest outbreaks were always Flying Locust disasters in the past. This is the first time I've seen a Corner Worm disaster."
"Compared to a Flying Locust disaster, the Corner Worm disaster is much milder, and there's still a chance to exterminate them."
Just the thought of a Flying Locust disaster turned Yang Bingzhi's face pale.
If a Flying Locust disaster struck, a sky-covering swarm of Flying Locusts could hardly be eradicated, even with spells.
Where the swarm of Flying Locusts passed, not a single blade of grass would grow.
By then, it wouldn't be a reduction in Spirit Rice yield; nothing would be left.
In the event of a Flying Locust disaster, the Five Elements Sect would intervene, but no one would compensate for the Spirit Farmers' losses.
Thankfully, a Flying Locust disaster hadn't appeared for many years.
Has there never been a Corner Worm disaster before? A relatively mild disaster? And there's still a chance to exterminate them?
Jia Ren finally understood the answer and couldn't help but laugh.
"Have you ever considered that the Corner Worm disaster might be man-made?"
As long as the profits were high enough, there would always be people who would stop at nothing, risking danger, even if it meant facing mortal peril.
Exterminating pests and offering loans. With Jia Ren's insight, he could see a hidden chain of interest.
The Spirit Farmers are just the targets to be reaped by the sickle.
"What? The Corner Worm disaster could be caused by humans?"
Yang Bingzhi was greatly shocked, unable to regain his composure for a long time.
Better to believe it possible than not. If this matter were true...
"That's audacious indeed!"
"I will report this to the Five Elements Sect! They will send someone to investigate."
Yang Bingzhi had great trust in the Five Elements Sect. Given the sect's emphasis on the Spirit Fields, if someone were causing trouble, they would surely investigate thoroughly.