Chapter 1996: Special Task
Twelve big men with huge blades on their backs, wearing leather vests, leather trousers, leather boots, and hair trimmed to an inch long. They were the very definition of fierce.
Zhao Hai looked at Dao Shu and the others who had basically transformed and showed a satisfied smile. Then he said, “Senior Brothers, how is it? Are the clothes alright?”
Dao Shu gave Zhao Hai a grateful look as he cupped his fist and said, “Junior Brother, Senior Brother won’t say much. After so many years, you’re the only one who seriously treated us as friends. I won’t thank you too much, but from now on you’re our blood brother. As long as you need us, even if we go through a sea of fire, we won’t frown.”
Zhao Hai smiled bitterly. He felt that he had swindled Dao Shu and the others. But he could feel the sincerity in Dao Shu’s words, so he replied, “Senior Brothers, you’re too polite. Let’s go eat a meal.”
Dao Shu and the others didn’t decline and entered the dining room with Zhao Hai. Breakfast was already prepared on the table. The breakfast was very simple. They ate rice porridge with side dishes.
After eating their meal, Zhao Hai looked at Dao Shu and the others and said, “Senior Brothers, I’m going down the mountain. But I’ll be back in a while. You can keep staying here if you want.”
As soon as they heard this, Dao Shu immediately asked, “Junior Brother, do you need us to accompany you? The lands surrounding Lower Earth Mountain aren’t safe. Beasts would wander here once in a while.”
Zhao Hai replied, “I’m fine. I just planted my seeds yesterday. Beasts shouldn’t have found it, right? If there’s no damage, I’ll go to the Miscellaneous Hall. There’s no need for you to accompany me.”
Dao Shu nodded and said, “Alright, but be careful. If there’s an emergency, you must send a signal. We’ll immediately come over and help.” Zhao Hai nodded and then took Qiu Tie with him to the winged horses before flying down the mountain.
Before long, Zhao Hai arrived at his ten mu of land. Seeing that there was no damage to the land, he didn’t descend and instead changed directions and headed towards the Miscellaneous Hall.
Zhao Hai wanted to go to the Miscellaneous Hall to discuss something with them. He wanted to see if they could give him all of the land under Lower Earth Mountain. This way, he could grow bamboo rice and bread trees there.
It’s not that Zhao Hai wanted to have a large tract of land. Instead, he wants to use this method to attract more people to Lower Earth Mountain. The more people there are, the safer the mountain would be. Then he would be able to practice with a peace of mind.
Zhao Hai knew that for the beasts of Black Dragon Mountain to drive the cultivators away from Lower Earth Mountain, they would have to be strong beasts. Zhao Hai needs to spend a period of time to adapt to the True Spirit Realm. At the same time, he wants to use this time to practice. But if those beasts always came to cause trouble, then he wouldn’t be able to cultivate in peace. Therefore, Zhao Hai thought that if he could improve the environment around Lower Earth Mountain, then people might return. When the time comes, even if the beasts attack, Zhao Hai wouldn’t need to worry. These people would help him block the beasts.
Also, seeing a large empty land made Zhao Hai uncomfortable. So he thought of going to the Miscellaneous Hall to ask if he could farm the entire land.
Although Qiu Tie wasn’t aware of what Zhao Hai wanted to do, he didn’t ask. In the end, he was still a child. It’s impossible for him to guess what was inside Zhao Hai’s mind.
After flying nonstop for five hours, Zhao Hai finally arrived at the Miscellaneous Hall. He parked his winged horses on the square and allowed the servant to hang a wooden plate on the horses. Then he led Qiu Tie inside the Miscellaneous Hall.
To be honest, Zhao Hai has no idea how to go about his task. This was his first time trying to request land. He didn’t know which floor he should go to.
Looking at the cultivators coming and going in the first floor, Zhao Hai couldn’t help but knit his brows. Then he took Qiu Tie to the Task Counter. Like in the Soaring Dragon Realm, there were female cultivators handling the tasks. There was also a projection on the wall showing all available tasks.
Zhao Hai looked through the tasks and wasn’t able to see any tasks regarding Lower Earth Mountain. However, he still stood in line to ask the female cultivator on the counter about where he should go to request for land.
Before long, the cultivators in front of Zhao Hai left. Zhao Hai arrived at the counter and gave the female cultivator a smile before asking, “Junior Sister, my name is Zhao Hai and I’m currently living on Lower Earth Mountain. I just want to ask about the large land at the foot of the mountain. I saw that the soil quality is very good and is suitable for farming. However, n.o.body is using it right now. I want to make use of that land. I wonder where I can process this matter?”
Hearing Zhao Hai, the female cultivator couldn’t help but stare. She looked at Zhao Hai and asked, “Senior Brother, did I mishear? You said that you want to farm the land under Lower Earth Mountain? Don’t you know the situation of that place?”
Zhao Hai nodded and said, “I’m aware. Because of Black Dragon Mountain, beasts frequently cause trouble. But I still want to try. Do you know where I need to go?”
The female cultivator looked at Zhao Hai as though he was a madman. After some time, she answered, “You can proceed with the formalities with me. There’s a task for that piece of land. Anyone who takes the task will get the land for free. And all of the harvests will belong to you. There’s no need to hand a percentage to the sect. Is that alright?”
Zhao Hai stared, he didn’t expect there to be such favorable conditions. He quickly answered, “There’s no problem. I’ll take this task. So I can farm the land under Lower Earth Mountain as much as I want?”
The female cultivator nodded, “You can farm everything you can manage. Right, this task has no time limit. In other words, as long as you’re alive or as long as you stay in Lower Earth Mountain, the lands under the mountain will be yours. Naturally, you can’t own Lower Earth Mountain. However, you can claim a peak for yourself in the mountain. Without your permission, others cannot enter that peak.”
Zhao Hai was ecstatic. He immediately said, “Alright, then I want the first peak.”
The female cultivator nodded, “Senior Brother, I’ll need your ident.i.ty token for registration.” Zhao Hai took out his blade token and handed it to the female cultivator. Then the female cultivator took out a jade slip to register Zhao Hai.
Once the registration was finished, the female cultivator returned the blade token to Zhao Hai and said, “Senior Brother, it’s done.” Zhao Hai gave his thanks to the female cultivator and then left the hall with Qiu Tie.
The people around them also heard Zhao Hai talking about the task. They looked over at Zhao Hai with curiosity. They didn’t expect Zhao Hai to take up the task. Some of them even looked at Zhao Hai with ridicule. They looked at him like he was an idiot.
Zhao Hai didn’t care about what others thought. He brought Qiu Tie out of the building and then left for Yin-Yang Peak after paying for the parking.
Zhao Hai wanted to go to Yin-Yang Peak to update the Yin Yang Elders about his decision. To be honest, farming the land under Lower Earth Mountain was made with the intention of helping the Tyrant Blade Sect defend against Black Dragon Mountain. After all, he was now a person of the Tyrant Blade Sect, so he has to consider the sect in his future actions.
The winged horses were very fast. After one hour, Zhao Hai arrived at Yin-Yang Peak. Zhao Hai didn’t ride his horses directly up the mountain, he thinks that it would be disrespectful. Therefore, he got down the winged horses at the foot of the mountain. Then he led Qiu Tie up the mountain path.
Zhao Hai wasn’t afraid that his winged horses would be seen. This was because beasts were quite common in the Great Realm of Cultivation. And these beasts could be placed inside special beast bags to hibernate. So when he used the winged horses, n.o.body would suspect that he took them out from the s.p.a.ce.
It didn’t take long before Zhao Hai and Qiu Tie reached the Yin Yang Elders’ residence. Yin-Yang Peak wasn’t very tall. It was less than a kilometer high. The mountain wasn’t very special. If it weren’t for the Yin Yang Elders occupying it, n.o.body would know about the mountain.
Zhao Hai didn’t bother to knock and opened the gate of the residence. When he entered, he saw Qiu Zhen cleaning the courtyard. Actually, the courtyard was already clean. However, Qiu Zhen was someone who can’t endure doing nothing. So he always looked for things he could do.
Hearing the gate opening, Qiu Zhen raised his head. Upon seeing Zhao Hai and Qiu Tie right behind, Qiu Zhen immediately stood up and said, “I have seen the Young Master.”
Zhao Hai waved his hand and said, “Uncle Zhen is too polite. Are my Masters free? I have something to tell them.”
Before Qiu Zhen could reply, the Yin Elder’s voice was heard, “Come to the living room.”
Zhao Hai gave a nod. Then he turned to Qiu Tie and said, “Little Tie, you go and accompany your grandfather for a moment while I go inside.” After saying that, he left Qiu Tie in the courtyard and entered the living room.
When Zhao Hai entered the room, Qiu Zhen pulled Qiu Tie over and said, “Little Tie, how is your master treating you? Have you been obedient?”
Qiu Tie nodded and said, “Grandfather can rest a.s.sured. Master is very good to me. I’m also very obedient. Grandfather, you don’t know this, but master has a lot of puppets that can do housework. I only need to relay the Young Master’s orders and the puppets will do the ch.o.r.es for me.”
Qiu Zhen was stunned, “Puppets? He let puppets do housework?”
Qiu Tie nodded, “Yes. However, the Young Master’s puppets aren’t for battle. They can only do housework. Also, those fellows are very stupid. They only do what they’re told.”
Hearing Qiu Tie, Qiu Zhen relaxed, then he said, “Little Tie, you have to be a good kid and obey your Young Master. You must not be lazy. Work with your hands and feet. And don’t forget, you’re your Master’s servant…….” Qiu Zhen began to preach to Qiu Tie, who kept nodding his head.