The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 204: Lin An Returns

“Junior Brother, have you eaten?” Chen Bo asked, gesturing toward his breakfast table.

Jiang Chen offered a strained grin. “I ate before I came.”

“A shame,” Chen Bo said with genuine regret. “I was hoping you’d get to taste how much my cooking has improved.”

Jiang Chen’s eyes flickered to the table, where a pot of eternally unchanging hot porridge sat next to a platter of scorched spirit beast meat. A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he forced a smile and gave a thumbs-up. “A definite improvement, Senior Brother. It looks… substantial.”

“It really is much better, isn’t it?” Chen Bo beamed with pride.

Deciding a change of topic was in order, Jiang Chen asked, “By the way, any word from Senior Brother Chen Tian?”

The question sobered Chen Bo. “He should be returning to the sect this summer.” To break through to an Earth-Grade Golden Core, Chen Tian had pushed himself to the absolute limit. He and Pei Mo had joined a demon-hunting squad, spending their days locked in bloody combat on the front lines. The good news was that he had nearly collected all the necessary five-element demonic cores. Once he returned, he could finally enter secluded cultivation and focus on his breakthrough.

After a bit more idle chatter, Jiang Chen noticed Chen Bo and Li Xianglin were ready to eat. He politely took his leave, summoning his Giant Leaf and setting a course for Wang Ze’s spirit farm.

His relationship with Wang Ze was… complicated, fraught with subtle tensions and unspoken issues. But on the whole, the man had treated him remarkably well, gifting him rare spirit plants and even a second-grade spirit farm. Wang Ze was likely more generous to him than to his own family.

As he drew closer, Jiang Chen saw that the ten-acre farm had indeed been reduced to nine. The fields themselves were barren, the previous harvest of spirit plants completely cleared out.

He landed the Giant Leaf and called out, “Senior Brother Wang!”

A moment later, Wang Ze emerged from his house, still pulling on his robes. “Well, if it isn’t my dear Junior Brother Jiang!”

Jiang Chen froze, his gaze drifting to the space behind Wang Ze. A slender female cultivator with delicate features was peeking out from the doorway, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“This is my new Dao Companion, Yun Mo,” Wang Ze explained with a grin.

A strange expression crossed Jiang Chen’s face. “It seems I’ve come at an inopportune time.”

Wang Ze waved a dismissive hand. “Anyone else would be an interruption, but you’re my Junior Brother! You could show up in the dead of night, and I wouldn’t be angry.”

Jiang Chen held up his hands defensively. “Senior Brother, that sounds a little too intimate. People might get the wrong idea.”

“Hahaha!” Wang Ze roared with laughter and unlatched the fence gate. “Get in here.”

Jiang Chen hesitated, not wanting to intrude, but Wang Ze was insistent, practically dragging him inside. They rarely saw each other, so these occasional meetings were something to be valued.

At the door, Wang Ze turned to Yun Mo. “Remember this face. This is Junior Brother Jiang. If I’m not around in the future, you are to welcome him with the utmost hospitality.”

Yun Mo nodded, her voice a soft whisper. “Understood.”

Jiang Chen looked at her, opening his mouth to speak but finding himself at a loss. Calling her ‘sister-in-law’ felt wrong. Calling her ‘Senior Sister’ was a gamble; she might only be in the Qi Condensation realm.

Wang Ze chuckled, sensing his predicament. “Just call her Junior Sister Yun.”

Yun Mo lowered her head shyly. “Yes, Junior Sister is fine.”

“Alright, Junior Sister Yun,” Jiang Chen finally managed.

He stepped inside, and the change from his last visit was stark. The house was filled with new furniture, intricate calligraphy scrolls, and what looked like priceless antiques. The entire collection had been upgraded, exuding an air of rare luxury.

“Go on, bring out my finest Spirit Bud Tea,” Wang Ze instructed Yun Mo as they sat down. She immediately turned and headed for the kitchen.

Jiang Chen drew his attention back to his host, retrieving a container from his Jade Green Gourd. “Junior Brother doesn’t have much to offer for the New Year, but please accept ten pounds of this Top-quality Spirit Wine I brewed myself.”

Wang Ze’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Is this the same wine I had at your home last time?”

“The very same,” Jiang Chen confirmed.

“Excellent!” Wang Ze exclaimed. “Ever since that day, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“If you like it, I’ll be sure to bring more next time,” Jiang Chen promised.

Accepting the gift, Wang Ze felt it would be rude not to reciprocate. He opened his Storage Bag and produced a spirit talisman. “Junior Brother, this is an entry talisman for the Nether Spring Medicine Garden, hosted by a high-level alchemist. As it happens, I won’t have time to attend, so you can go in my place.”

Jiang Chen took the talisman, skeptical. “Are you serious?”

Wang Ze gestured toward his empty fields. “You saw my farm, didn’t you? Not a single sprout left.” He explained, “After the New Year, I have to return to the Wang Clan for a while. I won’t be here to manage anything, so I had to clear it all out.”

“If you’ll be gone for a long time, I could help you plant,” Jiang Chen offered.

Wang Ze shook his head. “It’ll only be for half a month or so. I’ll be back in time.”

Jiang Chen didn’t press the issue. He held the talisman in his hand, examining it closely. At first glance, it resembled a Communication Talisman, but the runes were different. They weren’t for communication; they depicted a single drop of water striking a stone, an image of relentless penetration. It was known as a Passage Sigil—a key that could grant entry into a formation laid by its master.

Just then, Yun Mo returned with the Spirit Bud Tea. The air filled with a rich, fragrant aroma before the leaves even touched water, carrying an incredibly dense Wood Spirit Qi. It was clearly a tea of exceptional quality.

As they drank, they caught up on recent events. One piece of news particularly surprised Jiang Chen. It concerned the woman he’d been set up with on a blind date. Apparently, her backer had run into some serious trouble. Wang Ze didn’t know the specifics, only that Zhao Yingli had become remarkably low-key, shedding all of her former arrogance. She had even given up on recruiting a live-in husband and was now seeking to pledge her own allegiance to a powerful figure.

Half an hour later, Jiang Chen bid Wang Ze farewell and mounted his Giant Leaf for the journey home. He had considered staying for lunch, but he had a strong feeling that Wang Ze had other, more pressing matters to attend to. After all, it was the morning after… and those who understood, understood.

He never expected the reception he would get. As he neared his spirit farm, a frantic barking erupted from below.

“Woof! Woof!” Da Huang’s barks were sharp and urgent.

From its perch on the balcony railing, the Fire Crow added its own grating “Caw!” of alarm.

Jiang Chen’s eyes scanned the perimeter and found the source: a figure was loitering near the edge of his property. There was something vaguely familiar about their build.

He brought the Giant Leaf down for a landing. “Who are you?” he called out.

The figure pushed aside a curtain of long, matted hair, revealing a face that sparked a distant memory. “Jiang Chen… it’s me!”

Jiang Chen’s eyes flew wide as the name escaped his lips. “Lin An?!”

The moment he was recognized, tears streamed down Lin An’s face. He stumbled forward and threw his arms around Jiang Chen in a desperate embrace. “I finally found you!”

“What in the world happened to you?” Jiang Chen asked, reeling from the shock. “Where have you been for the past two years?”

Snot and tears mingling on his face, Lin An began to stammer out his story. “I… I owed that debt for the Spirit Rice, remember? The Punishment Department caught me, and then… and then…”

“And then what?” Jiang Chen urged, his voice tight. “Spit it out.”

Lin An’s face crumpled in utter misery. “I was forced to help some Junior Alchemist in the Earth Fire District…” He choked on a sob, his voice breaking. “They used me to *grow Spirit Roots*. For two whole years!”