Chapter Eighty-Nine: Wujiang

After the two entered the room, they seemed somewhat restrained, awkward and at a loss for what to do. It was clear they had spent too long in the cramped quarters below the ship’s hold and were not yet accustomed to such comfort.

At the same time, the young cultivator was covertly studying Qin Ming.

He could not help feeling a little uneasy. He had not expected the other man’s background to be so unusual; he was likely some formidable figure.

Having long since mastered the intricacies of conduct in the world of cultivation, he had little difficulty guessing who Qin Ming might be. Either he was deliberately concealing his cultivation, or he was surely an honored guest of the Mirror Snow Pavilion.

Qin Ming had already boiled some spirit spring water and brewed spirit mist tea for the two of them. After pouring the tea, he said, “There is no need for formality. We are only having a casual chat. Please, have some tea first.”

The young cultivator carefully accepted the cup of spiritual tea from Qin Ming, took a small sip, and after savoring it, praised, “Excellent tea!”

He then introduced himself to Qin Ming. “My name is Wu Jiang, and this is my dao companion, Mu Ruyin.”

“I wonder what questions you have, Fellow Daoist? I dare not boast, but I am fairly well informed about all kinds of news in the Isle of Spirit Haven Cluster, and I know many obscure channels as well.”

“Also, may I ask something else? Since you can stay in a place like this, your own background must be no small matter, either?”

Qin Ming could not help but be surprised. He had not expected the other man to be a local source of all knowledge; that suited him perfectly.

“You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. My name is Qin Ming. I am merely a spirit planter. I came to the Isle of Spirit Haven Cluster this time seeking a quiet place where I can farm and cultivate in hardship...”

“Oh? I see. I never would have guessed that Fellow Daoist Qin is a spirit planter.” Wu Jiang looked astonished. His eyes flicked toward the luxurious guest room, as though implying something.

Qin Ming answered frankly, “I have not joined any faction.”

Wu Jiang’s eyes rolled slightly, and he asked again, “Then after you arrived in the Isle of Spirit Haven Cluster, had you considered joining a local clan?”

“There are quite a few qi refining clans recruiting spirit planters all year round, and the treatment is not bad.”

“To tell the truth, I have no desire to depend on others again or be constrained by them,” Qin Ming said, shaking his head decisively.

“Then do you mean you want to rent a cave dwelling or some place for cultivation on your own?” Wu Jiang asked after some thought.

Qin Ming nodded. “However... I have already had enough of being a humble tenant farmer in the Wildlands of Cloud Marsh. This time I want to rent a larger plot of land and play landlord for once.”

He was now at the late qi refining stage, so naturally he could manage far more spiritual fields than before.

“Ah? A landlord... So Fellow Daoist Qin wants to rent a large stretch of spirit fields?” Wu Jiang’s mouth twitched slightly. He had not expected the other man’s purse of spirit stones to be so abundantly stocked.

With that, he took a sip of tea.

Qin Ming shook his head and said in a calm, even voice, “Wrong, wrong. Fellow Daoist Wu, what I mean is... I want to rent an entire island.”

Wu Jiang spat out a mouthful of tea and nearly choked.

The person beside him, Mu Ruyin, was equally astonished, her lips slightly parted.

“What is it? Is there something improper about that, Fellow Daoist Wu?” Qin Ming could not help smiling at their exaggerated reaction.

Wu Jiang cleared his throat and recovered himself a little before saying, “It was my poor judgment. So Fellow Daoist Qin wants to find an ownerless island and become its island lord.”

“If this were several years ago, there might still have been some islands with spiritual veins available for rent.”

“But in recent years, most of the islands with first-grade spiritual veins have already been occupied by various qi refining clans and loose cultivators. It is now very rare to hear of any ownerless islands.”

“On top of that, in recent years the Zhao Family has seldom released islands with spiritual veins for rent to outside loose cultivators.”

“I’m afraid...”

This news was somewhat beyond Qin Ming’s expectations, and he frowned slightly. “Then... what about islands with second-grade spiritual veins?”

Wu Jiang froze at the question.

Each of the other man’s questions was challenging the limits of his understanding.

No, wait.

Second-grade spiritual veins?

A flash of insight suddenly struck him, and he realized where he was seated.

In an instant, Wu Jiang’s mind cleared, and he finally understood!

The Fellow Daoist Qin before him must surely be a highly esteemed second-grade spirit planter!

If that was the case, then everything made sense.

And here he had even been thinking of squeezing out a bit of money for directions...

At the thought, he hurried to his feet again and bowed to Qin Ming.

“So Fellow Daoist Qin is actually a second-grade spirit planter. Please forgive our earlier rudeness.”

Mu Ruyin, standing nearby, was also startled by this and quickly rose to curtsy gracefully.

Qin Ming waved a hand. “There is no need for such restraint. Please sit.”

The two of them sat back down.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, to be frank, there are only a handful of islands with second-grade spiritual veins in the Isle of Spirit Haven Cluster, and most of them have already been allocated to the Zhao Family’s holdings.”

“The rest are inhabited by a few rather powerful cultivation clans and loose cultivators.”

“I’m afraid they are not easy to rent either.”

“Moreover, if you want an entire island, the annual rent alone would be a hefty sum of spirit stones...”

As Wu Jiang said this, he glanced at Qin Ming’s reaction and then added, “Still, for a second-grade spirit planter like Fellow Daoist Qin, that should probably not be a problem.”

Qin Ming’s brow furrowed. He had not expected the actual situation in the Isle of Spirit Haven Cluster to deviate so greatly from what he had imagined.

Let alone islands with spiritual veins—he could not even rent an ordinary island.

“Ah... that is indeed a pity.”

Qin Ming let out a soft sigh.

If it truly came to that, he would have no choice but to select one of his other backup destinations.

Seeing Qin Ming like this, Wu Jiang’s mind raced.

To be honest, this was his first time encountering someone like a second-grade spirit planter.

Such a massive opportunity—there was no way he could let it slip by!

He had observed Qin Ming’s manner of speech and bearing with care earlier. Even if the man could not be called a perfect gentleman, he was certainly broad-minded and upright.

Wu Jiang immediately said, “Fellow Daoist Qin, while second-grade spiritual-vein islands are rare, it is not entirely without hope...”

“Oh? Please speak, Fellow Daoist Wu.” Qin Ming perked up at once; it seemed there was still a chance.

Wu Jiang explained, “Fellow Daoist Qin, the islands with second-grade spiritual veins in the Isle of Spirit Haven Cluster all have minimum lease terms of ten years.”

“I do not know much about the other islands, but a distant relative once came to visit me and mentioned that a second-grade spiritual-vein island on the northern side of the cluster was originally leased by a qi refining clan called the Mo Family.”

“Unfortunately, the Mo Family patriarch died in an accident several years ago, and the Mo Family has since declined sharply. With the family fallen on hard times and no longer having their patriarch as a pillar of support, the remaining clansmen likely cannot bear the expense of maintaining a lease on a second-grade spiritual-vein island.”

“Besides, the island’s lease is due to expire within the year.”

“If by then the Mo Family cannot pay the spirit stones for the rent, the Zhao Family will very likely seek another tenant.”

“Coincidentally, my father has old ties with the Mo Family. He may be able to help inquire about the details.”

Qin Ming fell into thought upon hearing this.

There seemed to be a turn for the better, though not a particularly large one.

Still, after careful consideration, he decided he ought to go and see for himself.

He was a stranger in a strange land and needed a local guide.

“In that case, I’ll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Wu to take me there and see what the situation is. If this works out, I won’t shortchange you,” Qin Ming said after some thought.

“Heh heh!”

“Fellow Daoist Qin, that’s too kind. Being able to meet a second-grade spirit planter is already my honor!”