The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 217: Advance Planning

With a lady present, Jin Fugui and Mo Yu were on their best behavior, acting far more restrained than usual.

The dishes on the table appeared to be ordinary home-cooked meals at first glance, but a closer look revealed they were anything but simple.

Take the Braised Spirit Spring Fish Head, for example.

The surface was glazed in a thick, crimson sauce that shimmered with an oily, appetizing sheen. The reduction was so rich it clung to the chopsticks, almost forming strands as they were pulled away. Garnished with white sesame seeds and freshly chopped green onions, the dish was a visual masterpiece.

But beyond the presentation, the aroma and the density of the Qi rolling off it were staggering.

“My god… Old Jiang, is this really just ‘food’?”

“Since when does ordinary cooking have such dense Spiritual Qi?”

“This… this feels almost like the Spirit Cuisine we had at the restaurant!”

Staring at the table groaning under the weight of the feast, the group couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. Compared to their last gathering—the celebration for breaking through to Foundation Establishment—this meal was in a completely different league. The difference between the past and present was night and day.

Jiang Chen produced a jar of Top-grade Spirit Wine and poured a cup for each of them. He smiled calmly. “My culinary skills have indeed improved, but there is still a wide gap between this and true Spirit Cuisine.”

His guests, however, were running out of patience.

Lin Yu, in particular, was practically vibrating with anticipation. A small trail of drool had already escaped the corner of her mouth. She had deliberately timed her visit for lunch precisely for this moment. Compared to her parents’ cooking, the food here was simply superior in every way.

Jiang Chen raised his cup first. “Cheers!”

Glasses clinked, and they downed the rich, warming Top-grade Spirit Wine in a single gulp.

Immediately, all pretense of politeness vanished. They snatched up their chopsticks and launched an assault on the table.

The moment the food hit their tongues, the flavor and texture conquered them instantly. Inhibitions melted away as they began to eat with reckless abandon.

However, among the group, the one eating the fastest—or rather, the one with the most terrifying efficiency—was not the rotund Jin Fugui.

It was the petite, delicate-looking Lin Yu.

Good heavens. She threw all caution to the wind, stuffing whatever she could grab into her mouth. Her lips were slick with oil, and the spice from the chili peppers had her tearing up, but she didn’t stop for a second. She wept and ate simultaneously, unable to halt the momentum.

Jin Fugui watched her, gulping nervously. “Fellow Daoist Lin… slow down. No one is fighting you for it.”

Mo Yu’s hand trembled as he held his chopsticks, staring at the serving bowl. “I haven’t even touched the fish head yet, and half of it is gone?”

Lin An, meeting Lin Yu for the first time, didn’t dare make a sound. He simply watched with a horrified expression.

The three men were thoroughly stunned by her combat-level dining speed.

“Mmmph…” Lin Yu mumbled through a full mouth, her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk. “Woo… so delicious!”

Jiang Chen looked at the mountain of food piled high in her porcelain bowl, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. If an outsider saw this, they would assume Lin Yu had been starving for months. It was frankly a bit exaggerated.

Still, as a chef, seeing someone devour his creation with such fervor brought a distinct sense of accomplishment.

A table full of food that should have taken half an hour to finish was swept clean in less than 30 minutes. It was as if a wind had scattered the clouds; not a scrap remained.

Lin Yu leaned back, patting her round, distended belly. Her face radiated pure bliss. “I’m so full!”

Mo Yu asked, disbelief written all over his face, “Just full?”

He exchanged a glance with the others before pressing, “Not stuffed to the point of bursting?”

Lin Yu grinned, looking strangely proud of herself. “I have never been stuffed in my life!”

The sound of sharp intakes of cold breath hissed through the room.

The men stared at her, eyes wide with shock.

After resting for about ten minutes to digest, Lin Yu stood up and wobbled out the door.

Seeing her unsteady gait, Jiang Chen quickly followed.

Once outside, Lin Yu headed straight toward the first plot of the Spirit Farm on the right. She didn’t know that Mo Yu had already completed the irrigation for the first three plots.

She began to circulate the Water Spirit Qi in her dantian. Her hands moved, forming the seals for the Minor Rain Spell.

Jiang Chen’s expression shifted. He rushed forward, grabbing her slender shoulders to stop the cast. He physically spun her around to break her focus.

“Not the front ones!”

Lin Yu blinked, looking at him with a dazed, innocent expression. “What just happened?”

Jiang Chen retracted his hands and gave a dry, awkward laugh. “N-nothing. Old Mo already irrigated the first three plots. Only the fourth one is left.”

“Oh.”

Lin Yu nodded vaguely, still looking half-asleep from the “food coma,” and wandered toward the fourth plot.

Jiang Chen exhaled a long breath. “Close call. If I hadn’t followed her, that first plot would have turned into a swamp.”

He had good reason to be paranoid.

Previously, Lin Yu and Wang Bing had let their competitive streaks get the better of them, engaging in a Minor Rain Spell contest that nearly drowned the spirit plants in two of his fields. Although the Spirit Rice hadn’t been planted yet, he had no desire to turn his farm into a fish pond.

Fortunately, Lin Yu seemed to regain her senses. She performed the Minor Rain Spell normally on the correct plot.

Only then did Jiang Chen relax and return inside.

Seizing the opportunity while everyone was present, he planned to discuss the upcoming events with Jin Fugui, Mo Yu, and Lin An.

Inside the house, Jin Fugui was still shaking his head in amazement. “That Fellow Daoist Lin… her future is definitely not simple.”

Mo Yu snickered, taking pleasure in the hypothetical misfortune of others. “Whoever takes her home as a Dao Companion better be rich. The resources she eats in a single year must be worth at least a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones.”

Jiang Chen walked in just in time to hear this. He chuckled softly. “She’s fine. Just a bit silly and a bit gluttonous.”

If he had to choose between Lin Yu and Senior Brother Wang’s former Dao Companion, Wu Xi’er, he would choose Lin Yu without hesitation. She was simple-minded and lacked malicious schemes. As long as she was fed, she was happy.

Lin An spoke up, breaking the banter. “Senior Brothers, the formal disciple competition will begin after the start of spring.”

Jin Fugui nodded, his expression turning serious. “I know. I plan to participate.”

Jiang Chen looked at Mo Yu. “What about you, Old Mo?”

“I want to give it a try, too,” Mo Yu replied.

Faced with the once-in-a-decade opportunity to become a formal disciple, their ambitions were aligned.

Seeing their determination, Jiang Chen gave them a thumbs-up. “Impressive. You both have more courage than I do when it comes to combat.”

Jin Fugui looked surprised. “Old Jiang, you’re at Foundation Establishment now. You should give it a shot. Even if you don’t win, if your ranking improves, you could get a larger allocation of resources from the Immortal Sect.”

Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not interested in fighting and killing. I’d rather spend that time figuring out how to make money.”

The mention of money instantly piqued the interest of both Jin Fugui and Mo Yu.

Jiang Chen smoothly transitioned to the main topic. “A while ago, I attended a private gathering of obscure alchemists. I picked up a major piece of intelligence.”

Jin Fugui and Mo Yu exchanged a glance, leaning in. “What news?”

Jiang Chen lowered his voice. “After the formal disciple competition concludes, a Secret Realm will open.”

Hearing the words “Secret Realm,” Lin An’s eyes widened in disbelief alongside the others.

“It is called the Return to Ruins Secret Realm,” Jiang Chen continued. “It opens only once every 101 years. The timing this cycle happens to align perfectly with the end of our competition.”

Jin Fugui rubbed his hands together, excitement rising in his voice. “Since we have this information in advance… perhaps we can seize the opportunity to make a killing?”

Mo Yu frowned, ever the pessimist. “With our limited strength, even if we know the opening time, what can we actually do?”

Jiang Chen looked at them, a faint, calculating smile playing on his lips.

“Have you gentlemen ever heard of… market speculation?”