NO_NAME
patreon
Chapter 214: The Grape Trellis
🕑 Added 2024-09-19 06:19:08 +0000 UTCHowever, there weren't enough people in Shushui Village to handle all the work, so people from nearby villages also came over to help. This way, the surrounding villages also made a bit of extra money.
As a result, Shushui Village and the nearby villages were all eager for this "Immortal effect" to last as long as possible. They enthusiastically spread praise about the Immortal Sect, even though many had never seen or interacted with the sect themselves.
While Liu Yunan was happy for the village's success, he also had concerns. What if, after some time, people got bored of coming here every day? Would the village then return to its previous state of poverty?
With this worry in mind, he approached Elder Liao and Sun Yigao to share his concerns.
Elder Liao smiled upon hearing this. It was clear that this young man didn’t fully understand the allure that an Immortal Sect held for wealthy and idle mortals. However, his concerns were not unfounded. After all, mortals were not like cultivators—their travel range was limited, and news spread slowly.
Despite several months having passed, news of the Immortal Sect in their village hadn’t spread beyond Hufang Province. Even within the province, most county and city residents only heard rumors, unsure of their truth. Most dismissed it as mere hearsay and wouldn’t embark on a long journey to this remote village.
In the mortal realm, transportation was incredibly inconvenient. Traveling to a neighboring county could easily take most of a day. So, once the initial excitement in the nearby counties wore off, Liu Yunan’s concern might indeed become a reality.
Therefore, they needed to give these mortals a reason to stay interested and keep them spreading the word with even more enthusiasm. After discussing it among themselves, they decided to gather the sect members to see if anyone had any ideas.
Mo Yuanjiao was the first to raise his hand, saying, "I can go down and perform the Cloud Sword Technique for them!"
As his cultivation progressed, Mo Yuanjiao found that he didn’t need as much sleep. He became increasingly energetic, spending his days practicing cultivation, studying the four arts of immortality, and teaching at the private school. Late at night, he would practice the Cloud Sword Technique in the moonlight, wielding the peachwood sword the sect had recently provided him.
Sitting behind him, Mo Que covered his face with his hand. His young master had completely let himself go, now even wanting to perform sword techniques like a street performer.
Before anyone else could respond, Elder Liao flatly said, "No, next."
Disappointed, Mo Yuanjiao reluctantly lowered his hand. He was truly disappointed that he wouldn’t get to show off his recently learned Cloud Sword Technique.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Youfu raised his hand next.
"How about I cook some food and sell it at the base of the mountain?"
Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up.
"That’s a great idea!"
"Yes, Youfu! If you start selling your food down there, even if it’s just one meal a day, it’ll definitely draw a crowd!"
Mo Yuanjiao, forgetting his earlier disappointment, excitedly said, "Youfu, if you cook, I’ll bring my father from the capital to try it!"
Jiang Youfu scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "If your father comes, I’ll make him a special dish—no need for him to buy it at the foot of the mountain."
But Mo Yuanjiao waved it off, saying, "No need to be polite with him. He’s loaded! If he comes, just charge him as much as you like, all for my sake."
Hearing this, several fathers in the room felt their fists clench involuntarily. Thankfully, their own children weren’t like this—otherwise, they’d have no choice but to teach them a lesson.
After a brief discussion, Elder Liao said, "I think Youfu can cook one or two dishes every ten days to sell in the village. Something rare and fresh—less is more in this case. If you make too much, people will start to take it for granted, thinking it’s easy to come by.
"And remember, our goal isn’t to make money. Earning some coins from these mortals is just a side benefit. Our main purpose is to keep people coming and promote long-term development in Shushui Village. Keeping them wanting more is key."
In truth, Elder Liao thought even one dish every ten days was too frequent. In his opinion, it should be once a year or even once every ten years. And it should only be sold for spirit stones—what use were mortal coins to cultivators? However, considering this was the mortal realm, where lifespans were much shorter, he decided to compromise.
The others were surprised by his suggestion.
"Once every ten days—isn’t that too long?"
Liu Chun shook his head, explaining, "You don’t realize how powerful Youfu’s cooking is. Recently, his dishes have started to contain seven-colored spiritual essence. For cultivators, eating such dishes can help consolidate their spiritual power. With enough consumption, it can even purify their energy further. For mortals, it can heal hidden ailments and extend life.
"This is different from ordinary spiritual food in the cultivation world. Ordinary spiritual food is just food cooked with spiritual energy, making it tastier and more nourishing, but without these extraordinary effects. Youfu’s food is of the highest quality—it could easily sell for 500 spirit stones per dish in the cultivation world."
Everyone was shocked. They hadn’t realized Youfu’s cooking could be worth so much!
Five hundred spirit stones!
Their monthly salary was only five spirit stones—five hundred was a hundred months' worth!
Realizing this, Liu Yunan grabbed Jiang Youfu in a mock hug, exclaiming, "No way! We can’t let Youfu cook anymore—I’m afraid someone might kidnap him to make food for them every day!"
Everyone burst into laughter. Jiang Youfu, grinning, said, "Don’t worry. I’ll make the food at the base of the mountain simple—just some light spiritual food with a hint of energy. That way, no one will come after me."
With that, everyone agreed, and the plan was set.
A few days later, the villagers and passing tourists in Shushui Village noticed another change after the recent beautification of the village. A simple grape trellis had been erected along the path, with vines winding around it and clusters of plump, translucent grapes hanging down.
Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter
