The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 271: Deep into the Dark Forest

“Destination: The cave estate of Huang Yuanhua, the Human-Grade Golden Core master!”

“Special discount! Just one Mid-grade Spirit Stone per head. We depart the moment we hit five passengers!”

With Huang Yuanhua’s cave estate now open to the public, Green City’s loose cultivator market was experiencing an unprecedented boom. The streets were choked with tourists clamoring for a tour; some had even traveled all the way from Mystic Heart City just to catch a glimpse of the famous cultivator’s abode.

Amidst this bustle, Jiang Chen stepped out of his inn, his appearance completely transformed.

He had purchased a “Mystic Fire Robe”—a mass-produced, low-end replica of the attire once worn by the legendary Crow Venerable. Despite the millennium that had passed since the Venerable’s reign, he still commanded a legion of fanatical followers, particularly among those with Fire Spirit Roots.

Where there was demand, the market provided.

The Mystic Fire Robe was a dramatic garment, its hem sweeping the ankles and its sleeves wide and billowing. Fashioned in a traditional cross-collar style, the neckline rose high and sharp, mimicking the curve of a crow’s beak. The cuffs flared like trumpets, and the hem was weighed down by a three-inch border of dark gold thread.

The dominant hue was a deep, blood-like red, offset by scorched black accents and a subtle touch of moon-white at the turnover of the cuffs.

Five Fire Crows accompanied him. Four circled high in the sky, while Crow One—the bird with the highest potential—perched stoically on Jiang Chen’s left shoulder. Its round, dark brown eyes darted about, intelligent and alert.

Jiang Chen himself kept his eyes lightly closed, navigating the world through the shared vision of his avian companions. It gave him an air of profound, impenetrable mystery.

The tour group consisted of five clients: three men and two women.

The escort team was competent enough. Two members were at the late stage of Qi Condensation, one at Qi Condensation Perfection. The captain was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while his deputy had recently broken through to the early stage.

The captain, “Red Tiger,” was a burly man with skin like dark iron and a Fire Spirit Root. Brutal scars crisscrossed his face and exposed arms, marking him as a veteran of close-quarters combat.

His deputy bore the unfortunate moniker “Zhang Laizi”—Scabby Zhang. Despite the crude name, she was a female cultivator with a gaze as sharp as a hawk’s. She looked delightfully unkempt, dressed in sloppy gray short-wear, idly toying with a semi-transparent dagger.

To the left stood Wang Linxun, a hunchbacked man with withered skin who clutched a vine whip bristling with poisonous thorns.

In the center was Zhou Cui, a female team member in form-fitting leather armor. She was the inquisitive type, her eyes constantly roving over the clients.

On the far right stood Li Tie. He was a towering hulk of a man, easily two meters tall, making even Captain Red Tiger look average. His hands were thick, calloused slabs of meat, gripping two massive Mystic Iron Hammers etched with faintly glowing runes.

They reeked of blood and danger. This was a seasoned demon-hunting squad, not a fly-by-night scam operation.

Red Tiger didn’t waste time on pleasantries. He barked a command and led the group toward the city gates.

Huang Yuanhua’s cave lay in the deepest recesses of the Dark Forest. The round trip would take at least half a day, perhaps a full day. If they were delayed, they would be forced to camp in the wild.

“They haven’t stopped running tours for weeks,” a bystander whispered as they passed.

“Can you blame them? Li Tie has been stuck at Qi Condensation Perfection for years. He’s desperate for a Foundation Pill.”

Outside the city, the road was crowded with similar groups. Some were genuine hunters heading into the Dark Forest for materials; others, like Red Tiger’s squad, were capitalizing on the tourism craze.

Once they were clear of the city walls, Red Tiger stopped and fixed his five temporary charges with a stern glare.

“Huang Yuanhua’s cave might be safe, but the Dark Forest is not,” he rumbled. “You will obey my orders implicitly. If you have a problem with that, leave now.”

Neither Jiang Chen nor the other four moved. The allure of a Golden Core cultivator’s estate was too strong to abandon over a little gruffness.

Red Tiger nodded, satisfied. “Good. Due to the distance and potential demon activity, prepare yourselves for the possibility of spending a night in the forest.”

The clients murmured their assent.

Red Tiger exchanged a glance with his team, then addressed Jiang Chen and the others again. “Standard rules apply: If we encounter demons and you assist in the kill, you will receive a share of the loot based on contribution.”

He then retrieved a Spirit Beast Ring and summoned three mounts.

Jiang Chen recognized them instantly.

One was an Ironback Pangolin—Earth attribute, high defense, and a natural burrower. It had a docile temperament, making it an excellent mount.

The other two were towering Greenback Wolves. They appeared freshly tamed, their eyes still burning with residual wildness and aggression.

But what caught Jiang Chen’s attention was Deputy Zhang Laizi. She didn’t summon a beast. Instead, she produced a pair of gray flying wheels inscribed with three distinct spirit patterns: Swift Wind, Stable Travel, and Rock-breaking.

Red Tiger leaped onto the Ironback Pangolin’s broad back, pointing to the wolves. “If you lack mobility tools, double up on the wolves.”

The other clients immediately summoned their own transport—Paper Cranes or land-based spirit beasts.

Jiang Chen didn’t bother. His figure blurred, and he reappeared seated cross-legged on the back of a Greenback Wolf.

A strange thing happened. The wolf, which had been snarling softly at the others, suddenly went rigid. As Jiang Chen settled, the beast’s eyes cleared, its wild aggression instantly subdued by an instinctual fear of the predator on its back.

The ten-person squad accelerated, plunging into the shadows of the Dark Forest.

Riding opposite Jiang Chen was Zhou Cui, the leather-clad female team member. She made no secret of her curiosity, staring openly at the man who kept his eyes perpetually closed.

When she saw him casually toss a handful of Top-quality Spirit Rice to the crow on his shoulder, her eyes widened. Top-quality Spirit Rice as bird feed?

“Fellow Daoist,” Zhou Cui ventured, unable to contain herself. “Judging by your outfit, you must be a devotee of the Crow Venerable?”

Jiang Chen raised a single eyebrow, his eyes remaining shut. “Isn’t it obvious?”

As time passed, the group ventured deeper into the wilderness.

The atmosphere shifted palpably. The casual air of a sightseeing tour evaporated, replaced by a tense, heavy silence. Even Red Tiger’s grip on his reins tightened.

The Dark Forest was a honeycomb of demon lairs. Green City’s hunters had only mapped a third of its expanse; the rest was a perilous unknown. And Huang Yuanhua, in his arrogance or confidence, had built his dwelling deep within the uncharted zones.

“Something’s coming,” Jiang Chen noted silently.

Through the shared vision of the Fire Crows circling high above, he spotted a disturbance approaching rapidly from the right flank.

He remained silent. He wanted to test the competence of this squad. If they were useless, he would abandon them and find a stronger team. His mission required the cover of a group, but he wouldn’t shackle himself to dead weight.

Jiang Chen remained the picture of the eccentric fanboy—eyes closed, relaxed posture—but his internal vigilance was at its peak.

Suddenly, a frantic rustling noise erupted from the underbrush.

An instant later, a pungent, fishy stench rolled over them like a physical wave.